Simple array for HTML mockups.

function state_selection() {
        echo '';
                $states = array(
                        'Alabama', 'Alaska', 'Arizona', 'Arkansas', 'California', 'Colorado', 'Connecticut', 'Delaware', 'District of Columbia', 'Florida', 'Georgia', 'Hawaii', 'Idaho', 'Illinois', 'Indiana', 'Iowa', 'Kansas', 'Kentucky', 'Louisiana', 'Maine', 'Maryland', 'Massachusetts', 'Michigan', 'Minnesota', 'Mississippi', 'Missouri', 'Montana', 'Nebraska', 'Nevada', 'New Hampshire', 'New Jersey', 'New Mexico', 'New York', 'North Carolina', 'North Dakota', 'Ohio', 'Oklahoma', 'Oregon', 'Pennsylvania', 'Rhode Island', 'South Carolina', 'South Dakota', 'Tennessee', 'Texas', 'Utah', 'Vermont', 'Virginia', 'Washington', 'West Virginia', 'Wisconsin', 'Wyoming'
                );
                foreach ($states as $state_name) {
                        echo ''.$state_name.'">'.$state_name.'';
                }
        echo '';
}
state_selection();

Simply a pop-up form element of all 50 US States. Save you creating your own.

            <select name="state">
              <option value="" selected="selected">Select a state...option>
              Alabama</option>
              <option value="AK">Alaskaoption>
              Arizona</option>
              <option value="AR">Arkansasoption>
              California</option>
              <option value="CO">Coloradooption>
              Connecticut</option>
              <option value="DC">District of Columbiaoption>
              Delaware</option>
              <option value="FL">Floridaoption>
              Georgia</option>
              <option value="HI">Hawaiioption>
              Idaho</option>
              <option value="IL">Illinoisoption>
              Indiana</option>
              <option value="IA">Iowaoption>
              Kansas</option>
              <option value="KY">Kentuckyoption>
              Louisiana</option>
              <option value="ME">Maineoption>
              Maryland</option>
              <option value="MA">Massachusettsoption>
              Michigan</option>
              <option value="MN">Minnesotaoption>
              Mississippi</option>
              <option value="MO">Missourioption>
              Montana</option>
              <option value="NE">Nebraskaoption>
              Nevada</option>
              <option value="NH">New Hampshireoption>
              New Jersey</option>
              <option value="NM">New Mexicooption>
              New York</option>
              <option value="NC">North Carolinaoption>
              North Dakota</option>
              <option value="OH">Ohiooption>
              Oklahoma</option>
              <option value="OR">Oregonoption>
              Pennsylvania</option>
              <option value="RI">Rhode Islandoption>
              South Carolina</option>
              <option value="SD">South Dakotaoption>
              Tennessee</option>
              <option value="TX">Texasoption>
              Utah</option>
              <option value="VT">Vermontoption>
              Virginia</option>
              <option value="WA">Washingtonoption>
              West Virginia</option>
              <option value="WI">Wisconsinoption>
              Wyoming</option>
            select>

// description of your code here
_author_form.rhtml
partial that handles the author name portion of a message entry form.

<%= error_messages_for 'message' %>

  

  
="author_name">Authorlabel>/>
  <% if !@logged_in then %>
    <%= text_field(:author, :name, :size => 30, :maxsize => 80, :disabled => !@logged_in) -%>
>
    <em><%= link_to('Login', :controller => :account, :action => :login)-%> or 
      <%= link_to('Create an account', :controller => :account,
        :action => :signup) %> to use your own author name!><br/>
  <% elsif (@user_authors.nil? and @user_authors.length > 0) then %>
    <%= collection_select(:message, :author_id, @user_authors, :user_id, :name) %><br/>
    (<em>or create a new authornameem>)
    <%= text_field(:author, :name, :size => 30, :maxsize => 80, :disabled => !@logged_in) -%>/>
  <% else %>
    <%= text_field(:author, :name, :size => 30, :maxsize => 80, :disabled => !@logged_in) -%>
>
  <% end %>