Obama told a news conference, meanwhile, that the budget he sent Congress will help meet his goal of cutting the deficit in half by the end of his first term and said he hoped to find common ground with Republicans. He also defended his decision to avoid overhauls in entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare, saying the two parties need to work together to find compromise.

"There's going to be a lot of ups and downs in the coming months as we get to that solution," the president said. "I'm confident that we can get this done."

House Republicans, though, were eager to launch a weeklong debate on their own package of deep cuts in domestic spending for the current fiscal year.

White House budget director Jacob Lew kicked off the administration's defense of its proposed 2012 budget on Capitol Hill with an appearance before the House Budget Committee. Rep. Mike Simpson spoke for most of the Republicans on the panel in saying he doesn't view the proposal — which mostly ignores the recommendations of Obama's fiscal commission — as a serious one.

The Mississippi Supreme Court has asked parties in a federal lawsuit to file briefs by Feb. 28 on whether a state law that limits non-economic damages in civil cases is constitutional.

The issue was raised by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans in January. The 5th Circuit asked the Supreme Court about the constitutionality of the law before it rules in a case involving a traffic accident.

The law on non-economic caps puts a $1 million limit on what juries can award someone for such things as pain and suffering. The limits on damages were adopted by Mississippi lawmakers after years of contentious wrangling over tort reform.

A Southern California nursery has gone to court in a bid to grow medical marijuana.

Route 66 Nursery, which has been denied an Upland business license because the city zoning ordinance doesn't allow medical marijuana dispensaries, filed a Superior Court petition on Feb. 4 in its attempt to operate the pot growing facility.

Nursery operator Van Ton's license request describes the business activity as "plants, flowers, gardening, supplies and Proposition 215."

The San Bernardino County Sun says the nursery claims it's not a pot dispensary, but rather a private plant nursery where qualified medical marijuana patients can obtain a plot of land to grow the weed.

Route 66 Nursery wants a court injunction preventing the city from enforcing its ordinance.

Documents filed Monday night in Houston claim Kevin Lacy, BP's former senior vice president for drilling operations for the Gulf of Mexico, reached a mutual agreement with the company to resign in December 2009 because he believed the company was not adequately committed to improving safety protocols in offshore drilling operations to the level of its industry peers. The Deepwater Horizon rig explosion occurred on April 20, 2010, killing 11 workers and causing the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

The claims come in an amended version of the lawsuit, originally filed last year, that alleges BP inflated its stock price by hiding information and making false and misleading statements about its safety practices before the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. BP's stock value dropped roughly in half following the oil rig explosion and spill.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court has rejected a constitutional challenge against the state's Judicial Nominating Commission.

The high court on Tuesday overruled claims in a lawsuit that challenged the makeup of the commission that nominates candidates to fill judicial vacancies.

The case could have affected some recent judicial appointments including at least one Supreme Court justice.

Gov. Brad Henry last month appointed Oklahoma County District Judge Noma Gurich to fill a vacancy on the high court. The court rejected arguments by opponents who said the appointment may not be valid until the commission is reconstituted according to a ballot measure approved by voters in November.

Gurich has yet to be sworn in to the seat left vacant by the death of Justice Marian Opala on Oct. 11.

Legislators propose changes in state law to help protect school children from bullying.  Lawmakers held a news conference on Monday to outline House bills sponsored by Rep. Sue Allen, R-Town and Country, and Rep. Sara Lampe, D-Springfield.

Both measures lay out more details to be addressed in schools' bullying polices.  Allen's bill also would create a more specific definition of "cyberbullying" through such means as the Internet and cell phones.

Lampe's legislation also would list various factors such as race, religion and sexual orientation for which bullying would be prohibited.  Efforts to combat school bullying also are backed by the Safe Schools Coalition, which represents about 40 organizations across Missouri.
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