Governing: State and local government news and analysis
At least 10 states are using their own funds to help residents afford marketplace coverage amid rising premiums.
State and local governments can expand access and slash electric bills by simplifying slow, expensive permitting processes.
A growing number of public health officials are recognizing that data alone is not enough to gain public trust. Jefferson County decided to take a different tack.
It provides a natural space where identities overlap, reducing partisan prejudices. It could be key to easing our fierce divisions.
Eddie Melton, the mayor of Gary, Ind., has worked to attract new investment while promoting the narrative of a comeback. It’s got a long way to come back.
It’s all too easy to deploy a system that does more harm than good, undermining public trust.
By showing where salt marshes may migrate, local officials can better guide development and reduce flood risk.
President Trump’s desire to place his party in charge of national elections is a tactic that collides with 250 years of constitutional history.
The withdrawals could kneecap the DART system, starving it of funds at a time when transit agencies around the country are barely hanging on.
Temporary pandemic-era changes helped a lot. Continuing revival requires systems calibrated to rural scale rather than to urban norms.
Municipalities in Rhode Island hope to delay the landfill’s closure date and save money on waste disposal by setting up composting programs.
Federal subsidies helped 13 million more Americans access health insurance through Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Millions are expected to lose coverage now that subsidies have expired.
It could provide a controlled framework for innovation, testing and deployment of technologies like AI and blockchain.
The circumstances have to be right, and real urban change agents know not to promise the impossible.
Changes at the U.S. Postal Service could harm political campaigns and voters alike. To safeguard democracy, they will need to adjust to new realities.
Outdated assessment systems are opaque and structurally biased, leading to “data rot.” Local governments should invest in tools that make it easier for taxpayers to understand how their property is valued.
State Republicans and city Democrats often diverge on questions of public transit. In Arizona, GOP leaders are trying to prevent a light rail project from reaching the state Capitol building.
What happens when familiar words of government are blended to take on new meanings? Perhaps a chortle or two.
The lithium-ion devices that power our electrifying society pose serious safety and environmental risks. Life cycle stewardship must keep pace, and governments have a major role.
As the president calls for federal control of voting, administrators who endured bomb threats and burnout warn that long-standing guardrails are fraying.
Transportation funding fights and limited progress on core priorities have dented the governor’s popularity, setting up a risky re-election year.
Police are working taxing overtime hours as calls over ICE-related activity soar. The police chief is trying to keep everyone safe, maintain community trust and prevent stressed-out officers from quitting.
The state will need to reform its antiquated tax code, warily approach bond measures that tie the hands of policymakers, and get serious about spending oversight.
Oklahoma puts its tobacco settlement funds in a trust, spending only the interest. The strategy has had long-term public health benefits.
Experiments show that extracting rare earths from acid mine drainage can turn something harmful into a useful resource. But states will need to sort out who owns that mine waste.
Gov. Bob Ferguson supports a proposed nearly 10 percent tax on incomes over $1 million.
Laws targeting the practice have been a mess. It benefits both businesses and consumers, and pricing decisions should be left to market forces.
An Urban Institute analysis tracked growth in median household income between 1970 and 2023. State rates range from negative to nearly 80 percent.
A massive fraud scandal on Gov. Tim Walz’s watch gave Republicans an opening in Minnesota. The recent immigration enforcement surge has made things more complicated.
A Tennessee program’s success stems from a yearlong commitment to housing stability, employment continuity and social support. It merits national attention.
