Help needed with code.

I am trying to create a log-in form with php. I have an issue where I have a select list of states, and I am trying to pull the values using $_POST['namevalue']. The thing is its not pulling a value. I have connected it to a database and when I fill the form out it gets all values except those from the select list. The thing is sometimes it pulls the value. I have tried echoing the value to see what it is and the value is always blank. Any suggestions?

<?php


require_once('../mysqli_connect.php');

$page_title = 'register';

$firstname = mysqli_real_escape_string($dbc, trim($_POST['firstname']));

$lastname = mysqli_real_escape_string($dbc, trim($_POST['lastname']));

$email = mysqli_real_escape_string($dbc, $_POST['emailaddress']);

$pword = mysqli_real_escape_string($dbc, trim($_POST['pword1']));

$city = mysqli_real_escape_string($dbc, trim($_POST['city']));

$zip = mysqli_real_escape_string($dbc, trim($_POST['zip']));

$state = mysqli_real_escape_string($dbc, $_POST['state']);

$validator = mysqli_real_escape_string($dbc, trim($_POST['validator']));

$error = array();


if (isset($_POST["submitted"])){

	if($firstname== ""){

		$error[] = "<p class = 'error'> Please enter your first name </p>";

	}

	else {

	strip_tags($firstname);

	}

	

		if ($lastname==""){

			$error[] = "<p class = 'error'> Please enter your lastname </p>";

		}

		else{

			strip_tags($lastname);

		}

		

		if ($state = ""){

		$error[] = "<p class = 'error'> Please choose your state from the dropdown </p>";	

			

		}

		

		else{

			echo "state: $state";

		}

		

		if(!preg_match('/^[a-z][a-z0-9_.-]+@[a-z0-9][a-z0-9-]+\.[a-z]+(\.[a-z]+)*$/i', $email)) {

					$error[] =  "<p class = 'error'>Please Enter a valid email address </p>";

					 

		} 

		

		if (!preg_match('/^(\d{5})(-\d{4})?$/', $zip))

		{

			$error[] =  "Please enter a valid <b>5</b> digit zip code";

		}

		

		if ($_POST['pword1'] != $_POST['pword2']){

			$error[] =  "Your passwords did not match";

									   

		}

		

		if (!preg_match('/[A-Za-z0-9]{6}$/', $pword))

		{

			$error[] =  "<p class = 'error'>Please Enter a valid password. Your password must be at least 6 alphanumeric characters</p>";

		}

		

		if ($validator !=4)

		

		{

			$error[] =  "<p class = 'error'> Please Enter the correct answer for our validator question </p>";

		}

	

	if (empty($error)){

	

			

		

			$q = "SELECT email FROM user where email = '$email'";

		

		//$q = "INSERT INTO user(first_name, last_name, email, city, state, zip, password, reg_date)

		//VALUES('$firstname', '$lastname', '$email', '$city', '$state', '$zip', SHA1('$pword'), NOW())";


			$r = @mysqli_query ($dbc, $q); 


			if (mysqli_num_rows($r) != 0){

				echo '<p class = "usernotes"> You are already a registered member, please log in or '. '<a href = forgotpassword.php> reset your password </a>';

				

			}

		

			else {

			$query = "INSERT INTO user(first_name, last_name, email, city, state, zip, password, reg_date)

			VALUES('$firstname', '$lastname', '$email', '$city', '$state', '$zip', SHA1('$pword'), NOW())";

		

			$r2 = @mysqli_query ($dbc, $query); 

			

		


			if ($r2){

			echo "<p class = 'usernotes'>Welcome to our website, you are now a registered user, to login, use your email address and password</p>";

			}


			else{

			echo "<p class = 'usernotes'> A system error occured, we are sorry for any inconveniences caused</p>";

	

			}

				}

			

			mysqli_close($dbc);


			}

	

	else

	{

		foreach ($error as $msg)

	{

		

	echo $msg;	

	}

		

	}

}



 

?>


<div id = registertext>

<p>

Register with our website and get access to one of the web's best maternal parental resources. In addition to the tools at our website, be prepared to get access to a vibrant community. 


</p>


</div>


<div id= registerform>

<form name = "input" action="" method="post" >

First Name:	

<input type="text" name = "firstname" class="textfield" value="<?php echo $firstname?>" />

<br/>

Last Name:	

<input type="text" name = "lastname" class="textfield" value="<?php echo $lastname ?>"/>

 <br />


City:	

<input type="text" name="city" class="textfield" value="<?php echo $city ?>" />

<br />

5 digit Zipcode:	

<input type="text" name="zip" class="textfield" value="<?php echo $zip ?>" />

<br />

<select name="state"> 

<option value="AL">Alabama</option> 

<option value="AK">Alaska</option> 

<option value="AZ">Arizona</option> 

<option value="AR">Arkansas</option> 

<option value="CA">California</option> 

<option value="CO">Colorado</option> 

<option value="CT">Connecticut</option> 

<option value="DE">Delaware</option> 

<option value="DC">District Of Columbia</option> 

<option value="FL">Florida</option> 

<option value="GA">Georgia</option> 

<option value="HI">Hawaii</option> 

<option value="ID">Idaho</option> 

<option value="IL">Illinois</option> 

<option value="IN">Indiana</option> 

<option value="IA">Iowa</option> 

<option value="KS">Kansas</option> 

<option value="KY">Kentucky</option> 

<option value="LA">Louisiana</option> 

<option value="ME">Maine</option> 

<option value="MD">Maryland</option> 

<option value="MA">Massachusetts</option> 

<option value="MI">Michigan</option> 

<option value="MN">Minnesota</option> 

<option value="MS">Mississippi</option> 

<option value="MO">Missouri</option> 

<option value="MT">Montana</option> 

<option value="NE">Nebraska</option> 

<option value="NV">Nevada</option> 

<option value="NH">New Hampshire</option> 

<option value="NJ">New Jersey</option> 

<option value="NM">New Mexico</option> 

<option value="NY">New York</option> 

<option value="NC">North Carolina</option> 

<option value="ND">North Dakota</option> 

<option value="OH">Ohio</option> 

<option value="OK">Oklahoma</option> 

<option value="OR">Oregon</option> 

<option value="PA">Pennsylvania</option> 

<option value="RI">Rhode Island</option> 

<option value="SC">South Carolina</option> 

<option value="SD">South Dakota</option> 

<option value="TN">Tennessee</option> 

<option value="TX">Texas</option> 

<option value="UT">Utah</option> 

<option value="VT">Vermont</option> 

<option value="VA">Virginia</option> 

<option value="WA">Washington</option> 

<option value="WV">West Virginia</option> 

<option value="WI">Wisconsin</option> 

<option value="WY">Wyoming</option>

</select>

<br />

Email Address:	 

<input type = "text" name = "emailaddress" class="textfield" value="<?php echo $email ?>" />

<br />

Password:	

<input type="password" name="pword1" class="textfield" />

<br/>

Enter Password again:	

<input type="password" name="pword2" class="textfield" />

<br/>

<i>Acceptable Passwords contains a minimum of 6 characters with letters & numbers only.</i>

<br />

<p>Are you human? What is 2 + 2? 

<input type="text" name="validator" class="textfield" value="<?php echo $validator ?>"/></p>

<input type="submit" name="submit" value="Sign Up!" />

<input type="hidden" name="submitted" value="1" />

</form>



</div>


<div id="haveanaccount">

<p>Have an account? <a href="login.php"> Click here to access your account</a>

</div>