Governing: State and local government news and analysis
Progress is slow and uneven a year after the Eaton Fire. The wealthy and the well-insured are faring the best.
A national repository of personal information the federal government is seeking poses serious dangers. Americans should be free to speak out without fear that their data will be used to target them for retaliation.
Thirty-six states will hold gubernatorial elections this year, with at least 21 incumbents term-limited or not running for another term.
New York’s 51-member city council unanimously selected Julie Menin as its next speaker. She could help determine the prospects for Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s ambitious agenda.
It could signal major changes in compliance, grants and oversight for state and local governments. That’s happened in the past.
A century of increasingly restrictive zoning has priced out lower-cost housing, and new limits on how homes are used risk deepening the affordability crisis.
Santa Fe has adopted a new law that ties the local minimum wage to inflation and housing costs. Backers say the measure will boost workers’ incomes while providing predictability to businesses.
Taxes on alcohol, tobacco, gambling and cannabis produce a lot of revenue, but they raise questions of fairness.
In short, more clarity with less spectacle. Last year’s federal tax cuts won’t have much of an impact on state and local revenues, but tariff refund politics could be a fiscal wild card. And AI’s effects will be felt on several fronts.
It’s tempting for governments to shortchange spending on things like training, infrastructure maintenance and disaster preparation. But not spending the money can cost a lot more in the long run.
Firefighters are adopting new equipment and approaches to better protect against toxic smoke and soot.
Those just joining governing bodies shouldn’t just hang back and observe. They need to stay in touch with their constituents, work with colleagues who don’t share all their views, and commit themselves to high ethical standards.
Worker-owned cooperatives and direct-connect registries are reducing turnover and reshaping how older adults get care at home.
Atlanta’s decision to reinvest in it and bring a full-scale program back on the air should be a national model. It’s especially needed in today’s radically reshaped media environment.
Nineteen states raised their minimum wage in January. Almost as many are keeping it at the federal level of $7.25 set in 2009.
A first-of-its-kind lawsuit from the city of San Francisco seeks to end advertising that misleads consumers about the health impacts of highly processed foods. The city attorney spoke with Governing about the suit.
Homeowners' associations do plenty of beneficial things. But sometimes they go too far, testing the tension between individual and community rights and leading to states’ efforts to restrict their powers.
Water facilities aren’t always aware of the risks they face, or what they can do about it.
The scandals that ended the Minnesota governor’s bid for a third term reflect the kind of oversight failure that comes with one-party control of government. Above all, voters expect competent administration.
The Trump administration is holding federal grants hostage to its priorities.
Few cities have seen a post-pandemic ridership bounce-back as successful as Washington, D.C.'s. But the area's transit system is looking for more help from officials in the district, Maryland and Virginia.
Rather than acting as substitute police, guard medics could help save lives by backing up strained local emergency responders. It’s not unprecedented.
Maura Healey broke new ground as the first woman and first openly gay candidate elected governor in Massachusetts, but her priorities have been firmly focused on quality-of-life and cost-of-living issues like housing and transportation.
An onerous 1970 law remains an open invitation for lawsuits. And reforms should make it easier to build the kind of housing most Californians want.
As states and cities navigated crisis, reform and political change, these were the stories readers turned to most in 2025 — from emergency management and public safety to housing, transit and federal policy.
They could act as official intervenors in rate-hike cases, bringing the power of their offices to bear.
AI investment is driving the economy, and states want a share. Here’s a look at where the data centers that do the work of AI are located.
States’ efforts to streamline government operations may sound like the federal model once led by Elon Musk, but when it comes to genuine government efficiency they’re getting a lot more done.
Maryland’s awareness campaign and Urban Institute research offer a blueprint state leaders can use to increase uptake, helping residents keep more of what they’ve earned.
As cities come back from the pandemic, a few elite performers are leading the way.
