• Supreme Court Looks at State Public Records Rules
• BY: Paul W. Taylor   |   May 2013
• A case before the nation’s highest court could change the way citizens, journalists and entrepreneurs access government-held information.

• Gun Debate Revives the Pension-Investment Dispute
• BY: Penelope Lemov   |   May 2013
• When there’s public outcry over something -- whether it’s gun control or apartheid -- states and cities reevaluate what their pension plans invest in. But should they be social investing at all?

• What Happened to Federalism?
• BY: Ryan Holeywell   |   May 2013
• Washington used to know how to listen to the states; there was even a commission for intergovernmental relations. Can Washington overcome politics and partisanship to work together again?
• 1 Comments

• States Look to Reduce Part-Time Lawmakers’ Bias
• BY: J.B. Wogan   |   May 2013
• Most state lawmakers supplement their legislative job with one in the private sector. To reduce the conflicts of interest that inevitably arise from this, states are considering revising their ethics laws.

• Innovation’s Unexpected Return to States
• BY: Alan Ehrenhalt   |   May 2013
• The laboratories of democracy have reopened after the recession. But they’re not delivering the results that most experts have been conditioned to expect from them.
• 1 Comments

• Gavin Newsom on How Citizens Can Use Technology to Influence Government
• BY: Ryan Holeywell   |   May 2013
• California’s lieutenant governor, widely seen as a potential gubernatorial candidate, writes about the importance of citizen engagement in his new book “Citizenville.”

• L.A. Builds Mini Parks to Drive Away Sex Offenders
• BY: Dylan Scott   |   May 2013
• Many municipalities prohibit sex offenders from living near parks. L.A. and Miami are taking it one step further and calling patches of grass “parks” in order to rid their cities of the offenders who currently reside there.
• 2 Comments

• How Generation X is Shaping Government
• BY: Rob Gurwitt   |   May 2013
• Overshadowed by baby boomers on one side and millennials on the other, it’s Generation X that’s actually shaping the way government and citizens interact.
• 10 Comments

• How Milwaukee Became a Center for Water Innovation
• BY: Elizabeth Daigneau   |   May 2013
• The world needs water. Milwaukee not only has lots of it, but it also has transformed itself into a hub for water research and technology.
• 1 Comments

• The Future of Insurance in an Era of Health Reform
• BY: Dylan Scott   |   May 2013
• Nobody knows exactly what the Affordable Care Act will do to the insurance industry. But many in the private sector, including Aetna’s CEO, are saying it’s time for the industry to change.
• 2 Comments

• Has High-Speed Rail Been Derailed?
• BY: Ryan Holeywell   |   May 2013
• Four years after President Barack Obama declared high-speed rail a national priority, the financial hurdles seem higher than ever.
• 12 Comments

• Preservation Tax Credit and Local History in Danger
• BY: Tod Newcombe   |   May 2013
• The historic tax credit, which has helped preserve thousands of old buildings in cities across the country, is at risk of being eliminated.
• 1 Comments

• Water-Powered Electricity Flows Through Santa Rosa
• BY: David Kidd   |   May 2013
• In Santa Rosa, Calif., the electricity powering a lamp may very well come from recycled wastewater.

• Medicaid Fraud: Is it Worth States’ Time to Fight it?
• BY: David Levine   |   May 2013
• As health care for the poor expands, so does the potential for Medicaid abuse. Three states’ experiences with fraud prevention give insight into its value.

• Colorado Becomes 14th State to Offer Undocumented Immigrants In-State Tuition
• Source: Huffington Post   |   Colorado   |   April 30, 2013
• Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill to grant in-state tuition rates to undocumented immigrant students who graduate from state high schools. The measure is expected to generate millions of dollars in revenue for the state.
• 10 Comments