Governing: State and local government news and analysis
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.
If local journalism and civic information are truly public goods, their survival will require bold public interventions. It’s beginning to happen.
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.
Housing shortages are bipartisan, but a new survey finds parties have different ideas about fixing them.
In 2025, the commercial gaming industry brought in more than $78 billion, led by three states, according to the American Gaming Association.
Too often local officials sign nondisclosure agreements that keep the public in the dark about tech companies’ plans. Policymakers need to rein them in.
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.
It’s not easy to figure out the exact cost of a service a city or county provides, but it’s worth the effort to get the most out of every public dollar spent.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker is proposing a $1-per-ride fee on ride-hailing services to send more revenue to schools. Most state and local ride-hailing taxes support transportation-related needs.
The full impact of changes to Medicaid won't come into perspective until 2027. RAND researchers estimated how many could lose coverage in each state.
Avoiding it will result in missed opportunities. It’s critical to adapt to unpredictable challenges. Too often governments treat inaction as the safe choice.
Charter and school choice advocates celebrate the change as common sense and a solution to financial problems for charters. Critics see an attack on traditional public schools.
Higher gas prices aren’t the whole story. The more a state depends on oil, the more expensive life becomes for residents.
Crowded primaries could signal a weakening of African American political power, but a more open and competitive political environment could also be a sign of democratic health.
Utah is a solid-red state, but that doesn’t shield Weber County’s Ricky Hatch from election controversy.
They provide essential services, employ millions and are drivers of local economies. State and local governments can help their constituents by supporting a healthy and vibrant nonprofit sector.
A new study looks at what it takes for people to be truly economically secure — not just scraping by. The insights could help policymakers target their interventions.
