Governing: State and local government news and analysis
GIS-based apps, imaging, sensors and other tools can significantly improve tracking and response. They need to be thoughtfully integrated with services.
A Democratic-backed vote for redistricting in Virginia looks closer than it did on election night last fall. And California’s Democratic Party chair talks about the state of the governor’s race.
Rusty Hicks, the chair of California's Democratic Party, says the seven remaining Democrats competing in the gubernatorial primary are experienced and qualified. But with such a large field they face the prospect of edging each other out for a Republican-only general election.
States face an $86 billion funding gap as inflation and staffing shortages make infrastructure upkeep more expensive.
“Forever chemicals” are on the radar of both federal and state legislators, but states appear to be pushing harder to get them out of consumer products and the environment.
A crucial deadline is looming, and local governments seeking to compete need to demonstrate an investible project pipeline with measurable outcomes. Not every project is a fit.
States need to aggressively assert their domain over the digital betting shops trying to cloak themselves as trading platforms.
It’s where some of the country’s best-known companies got their start, but in too many places regulations make running a business from home difficult or impossible. Some states and localities have begun to lower the barriers.
America’s mayors share challenges — and a unique power to address them — says Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt.
Public plans’ finances have been recovering, helped by changes enacted after the 2008 financial crisis. Lawmakers should resist the temptation to roll back these reforms.
Lynn, Mass., converted an underutilized downtown office space into room for two schools, avoiding the need to find land or funding for building a new school.
Inexpensive single-room-occupancy dwellings were common in America decades ago, but overregulation has driven them from the housing market.
Limited treatment options have pushed educators to integrate addiction recovery directly into the school system.
If artificial intelligence tools struggle to find official guidance, too often the answers they generate are wrong. Governments need to make their information readable by machines as well as humans.
Election administrators should be more focused on foreign efforts to sway public opinion than on direct tampering with vote counts, experts say.
Polls show some Democrats in a large primary field gaining support. But if the election were held today, two Republicans would likely advance to the runoffs, shutting Democrats out.
If local journalism and civic information are truly public goods, their survival will require bold public interventions. It’s beginning to happen.
Housing shortages are bipartisan, but a new survey finds parties have different ideas about fixing them.
Too often local officials sign nondisclosure agreements that keep the public in the dark about tech companies’ plans. Policymakers need to rein them in.
In 2025, the commercial gaming industry brought in more than $78 billion, led by three states, according to the American Gaming Association.
Garden apartments don’t look like much, but they’ve been an important source of housing for people of modest means for a long time. Do they point the way to a residential future?
The rules vary widely from state to state, and they do little to prevent policymakers from pushing costs into the future unsustainably. A couple of states are trying to take a longer-term view.
The 2028 Games are approaching fast; not everyone thinks L.A. can get through hosting financially unscathed.
A growing number of states are considering digital assets, even as public finance experts remain skeptical.
The programs are growing and expanding. What’s needed is a focus on how well they’re working — whether they are offering students success and reflecting states’ economic priorities.
It depends on the quality of the program and on what the children would be doing if they weren’t in care. Both political parties have failed to capture these nuances.
Wisconsinites could expand the liberal majority on their state Supreme Court, which was majority conservative just a few years ago. And AI is all over political advertising.
The state required counties to sign 287(g) agreements and pressured cities to do the same. Some local sheriffs say it's making their jobs harder.
Restrictive land use policies mean higher housing costs in neighborhoods most in need of affordability. We need policies that promote enough housing for everybody.
The port of Long Beach is an engine for millions of jobs across the nation. Its CEO talks to Governing about managing operations through trade disruptions.
