Governing: State and local government news and analysis
The assistance program is a shell of its former self, with caseloads down and millions of poor families receiving no help.
Modern multifamily buildings are far safer than those built long ago. It’s another reason for policymakers to remove regulatory barriers to constructing them.
Americans have always feared crowding and congestion, blaming the anonymity of the city for a decline in community feeling. But cities’ energy and vitality continue to pull people toward urban life.
In Virginia, lottery income funds about 10 percent of the K-12 budget. Economic fears are leading residents to play less.
Governments are paying out billions to settle thousands of claims. There is no substitute for justice, but keeping the abuse from happening in the first place would be far more cost-effective.
Geothermal energy is a reliable, low-emission power source that can repurpose abandoned oil and gas wells. New engineering techniques are attracting rising levels of investment.
A new law in New Jersey requires cities to plan for a share of the state’s housing needs. The Republican candidate for governor is tapping into local frustration about it.
As the technology transforms service delivery, it’s essential to balance innovation, risk and public trust.
A local artist and business owner are creating a visual reminder of the scale of the losses in January’s Eaton Fire.
Not much for now, with next year’s insurance premiums jumping far more than general inflation and tax revenues. Employers’ only hope to begin stemming these costs long term is a stronger, unified front at the state and national levels. There also could be an important role for public pensions.
The police department in Columbus, Ohio, has overhauled its management structure and the way it seeks to disrupt violence, helping bring homicides down significantly.
The new federal rules will stress-test our systems. It’s a chance to stop rewarding routine over improvement.
Lawmakers want to prevent chatbots capable of human-like conversations from encouraging teens to hurt themselves or engaging in sexual interactions with kids.
States and localities rely on the regularity and reliability of federal data. Disrupting it undermines everything from pensions to budgets and threatens public trust in government.
The Center for Digital Government and Governing are cataloging practical, actionable ways to improve government efficiency.
State and local governments are considering how they can help federal workers and how long they can afford to continue social safety net programs and infrastructure projects.
People get the kind of politics they demand, if not what they deserve.
Felecia Alston Green, a tech leader for DeKalb County, Ga., has modernized many of its most important internal and public-facing functions.
While understandably feeling under the gun, there are many ways states can continue to grow both their economies and revenues.
Primary and preventive care have been shown to reduce negative health outcomes. A new report outlines strategies for reverting a primary-care shortage.
Democratic Attorney General William Tong has earned bipartisan admiration from his peers even as he takes on the Trump administration and major corporate interests.
A new national study finds that people believe state and local governments can make their communities better — and they want to help.
Trillions of dollars of wealth, much of it in homes and other property, will be moving from baby boomers to millennials. Local governments should begin preparing for dealing with that generation’s values.
There were plenty not that long ago. We could use some of their pragmatism now.
The Oregon legislature passed a funding bill during a special session to prevent layoffs at the Department of Transportation. Lawmakers on both sides say it’s a short-term fix.
There are plenty of reasons for state and local leaders to be unsure about the future. Not all of them are coming down from Washington.
Fewer people are visiting Las Vegas than last year thanks to travelers’ economic concerns and federal immigration policies. The city’s new mayor, former Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, has no doubt it’ll bounce back.
It's vital to democracy, but the economics of the business and corporate ownership continue to challenge the independent reporting communities need.
American politics have reached a point where a radical solution may be needed. It’s worth thinking about, anyway.
AI is being used to create nonsensical, sometimes dangerously inaccurate books. Local librarians are tasked with keeping these volumes out of their collections.
