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The Smokehouse Creek Fire began on Feb. 26 and grew to become the largest wildfire in state history. The wildfire burned across several counties in the Texas Panhandle, killed at least two people and destroyed hundreds of homes.
The state has begun scanning 2 million pages. It’s part of a $60 million project to build a database integrating a century of water rights records, geospatial mapping and up-to-date water diversion data.
The state will launch an alternative system where drivers are charged for each mile they drive. That might replace the gas tax, which hasn’t been updated since 2003. As of 2022, just 0.13 percent of the state’s vehicles were hybrid or electric.
Portland Public Schools will no longer send students with disabilities to schools outside of their neighborhoods, except those with the most profound needs, in an attempt to transform special education and embrace diversity.
Milwaukee County has one of the nation’s highest death rates from synthetic opioids. It’s deploying millions of opioid settlement dollars to fund programs across a variety of agencies.
It’s hard to see recent moves by Georgia’s lieutenant governor as anything more than a Republican strategy to win some elections. But there’s an argument for embracing whatever bipartisanship is offered.
Only 116 of the nation’s nearly 7,400 state lawmakers qualify as “working class,” according to a new survey.
Public data from a network of state air monitors around the Houston Ship Channel is hard to interpret and is often inadequate, leaving Latino-majority neighborhoods unaware whether the air they breathe is safe.
Two political leaders are backing a congressional bill that would lower the cost of homeowner property insurance by about a quarter. In 2023, Florida homes cost three times the national average to insure.
An audit by a federal watchdog found several instances of poor planning, misallocation of funds and a lack of workers which undercut millions of dollars of federal aid meant to keep stormwater at bay.
The fight over the procedure will come to a head in the November election. A proposed ballot initiative would add abortion protections to the state constitution, while two open state Supreme Court seats are up.
Pay and benefits are important, but a better-trained, more professional workforce is crucial as well. State child-care administrators and agencies are key to making it happen.
Although population losses have slowed in most major cities, they haven't stopped. New York has lost nearly a half-million people since the start of the pandemic.
Future in Context
Faced with increasing traffic and declining gas tax revenue, policymakers and city planners are taking another look at dynamic pricing. If you love buying airline and concert tickets, they have got a deal for you.
Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill that will allow legislators to discuss public business in small groups, or so-called serial meetings, and lawmakers will not have to announce them publicly. The law went into effect immediately.
Kennewick, Wash., police officers were called to a single avenue more than 280 times to address a range of issues, from loitering to assaults. Officials voted to rezone the area.
Getting rid of personal income taxes entirely, which several states are considering, would gut services and shift taxes onto those least able to afford them.
Gov. Maura Healey called for a blanket pardon on Wednesday. A few contemporary governors have made far more use of their pardon power than recent predecessors.
Proposed legislation would require users of some websites to submit personal identification before gaining access to sites that contain “material harmful to minors,” focusing on sexual activity.
A total of 10 corporate investment companies own approximately 20 percent of single-family rentals in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. Eight of the companies have eviction rates far outpacing the county’s average.
Since 2019, the state has experienced 263 outages, each lasting an average of 160 minutes and impacting an estimated 172,000 Texans. During Texas’ deep winter freeze in 2021, there were 47 outages.
GOP state lawmakers have often opposed new spending and infrastructure for public transit. The reasons have as much to do with the urban-rural divide as partisan ideology.
New Jersey is the only state to commission an independent review of its COVID-19 actions. The 900-page report details the effects on public health infrastructure and recommends changes to prevent the state from being blindsided again next time.
Evidence-based changes focused on fairness and effectiveness make for safer communities, better uses of government resources and protection of individual freedom. Some states’ policies can serve as guideposts.
The University of Texas at San Antonio intends to launch one of the nation's first colleges devoted to AI and cybersecurity next year.
Make Liberty Win sent mailers throughout Ohio attacking Republican incumbents and sowing confusion among voters.
Dean Plocher faces two ethics hearings this week. The speaker has sought to promote particular vendors outside the normal procurement process.
Today’s interest rates may tempt public financiers to try to play the spread between tax-exempt and taxable bond yields. That invites heightened federal scrutiny, but there are some strategies likely to avoid the bite of the IRS.
As property values surge and tax bills go up, some state lawmakers are hoping to end the property tax. Doing so would not be cheap or easy.
Maryland students are already allowed to carry the drug to combat opioid overdoses, which are spiking among young people. A bill would set standards and outline expectations for students.