A daily dose of online news from beyond the Beltway.

By Ryan Thornburg
Washingtonpost.com Staff
Thursday, May 20, 1999

Between today's shootings at a suburban Atlanta high school, the ongoing Senate gun debate and President Clinton's visit to Littleton, Colo., to mark the one-month anniversary of the shootings there, school violence is staying at the top of the political agenda in legislatures around the country.

"He looked pretty good in the woodshed." – Elizabeth Dole on husband Bob Dole, describing where she sent him after he said he was thinking about donating to John McCain's presidential campaign. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 19)

• Clintons Due to Visit Jeffco Today (The Denver Post, May 20)
• Thompson, Frist Named in Anti-Gun Ad (The Tennessean, Nashville, Tenn., May 20)
• School-Safety Measure Pushed to Center Stage (The Seattle Times, May 19)
• Senate OKs Gun Suit Ban (Las Vegas Review-Journal, May 18)
• Gun-Control Opponents Rally for Repeal of 1998 Legislation (The Boston Globe, May 18)

December N.H. Primary Gets Early Boost
A bill to move New Hampshire's 2000 presidential primary back to December 1999 passed its first committee vote, 19-0. Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D) said she would sign the legislation.
• N.H. Bill Would Authorize Presidential Primary in December (Foster's Daily Democrat, May 20)

Meanwhile, the New Hampshire Republican Party is working on a county-by-county effort to rebuild its grass-roots support after a poor showing in last year's elections.
• State GOP Tries to Rebuild the Grassroots (Foster's Daily Democrat, May 20)

Iowa Closes Campaign Finance Loophole
Iowa closed a loophole in its campaign finance law that had allowed corporations to make political donations. A state court had thrown out many of Iowa's campaign finance laws last year as being too vague.
• Political Funds Have New Limits (The Des Moines Register, May 19)

McCain Strategy to Focus on South Carolina, Arizona
Presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) hopes to beat Texas Gov. George W. Bush in the New Hampshire primary and then move on to Arizona and South Carolina, without putting much effort into winning Iowa, campaign aides said during interviews this week.
• McCain Strategy: Gain Power Early (The Arizona Republic, May 20)

Bush Unveils Environmental Concerns
Texas Gov. George W. Bush (R) said he was "concerned" about proposed legislation that he said would make Texas a dumping ground for privately generated radioactive waste.
• Bush Airs Major Environmental Concerns for Texas (The Austin-American Statesman, May 20)

George's brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), met with Jimmy Buffet on Wednesday to hear the singer's concerns about endangered sea mammals.
• Buffett Takes Manatee Plea to Bush (The St. Petersburg Times, May 20)

Ryan Thornburg can be reached at ryan.thornburg@washingtonpost.com