en-us GOVERNING magazine provides leading intelligence articles on management, policy and politics to help guide and inspire innovative leaders across state and local government. Thu, 20 Jun 2:57:11 PDT http://www.governing.com/news/state/mct-illinois-gov-signs-fracking-regulations-into-law.html Tue, 18 Jun 9:35:00 PDT Gov. Pat Quinn has signed signed sweeping legislation to regulate horizontal hydraulic fracturing Illinois, which includes some of the tightest restrictions on oil and gas companies in the nation. http://www.governing.com/news/state/Fracking-Fuels-Water-Battles-in-Drought-Plagued-States.html Tue, 18 Jun 8:3:00 PDT In Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming, the vast majority of the counties where fracking is occurring are also suffering from drought, according to an Associated Press analysis of industry-compiled fracking data and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s official drought designations. http://www.governing.com/blogs/fedwatch/gov-examining-the-ongoing-metropolitan-revolution-power-of-cities-bruce-katz.html Tue, 18 Jun 8:0:00 PDT Why cities and their leaders could wind up mattering more than Washington. http://www.governing.com/news/state/New-England-States-Look-to-Increase-Hydropower.html Mon, 17 Jun 8:8:00 PDT Hydropower could play a larger role in New England’s energy mix as five of the region’s states, including Massachusetts, move to import more of it -- most likely from Canada -- and at least one has passed a law that could allow electricity from large-scale hydroelectric dams to be classified as green as wind or solar energy. http://www.governing.com/news/state/mct-epa-orders-minn-increase-water-pollution-prevention.html Fri, 14 Jun 9:10:00 PDT About a dozen states face similar petitions pending at the EPA, most filed by citizen groups that say state regulators are not doing enough to enforce the Clean Water Act. http://www.governing.com/news/state/mct-ca-bullet-train-gets-federal-oversight-exemption.html Fri, 14 Jun 9:5:00 PDT California's bullet train agency won a key legal ruling Thursday, obtaining an exemption from regulatory oversight by the federal Surface Transportation Board for construction of the first segment of the rail system that would run 220 mph trains from Los Angeles to San Francisco. http://www.governing.com/news/state/Record-Breaking-Colorado-Fire-Kills-2-Burns-379-Homes.html Fri, 14 Jun 8:0:00 PDT Rich Harvey, the commander of the federal incident-management team that took over firefighting duties early Thursday, estimated containment at 5 percent. http://www.governing.com/news/state/tt-sc-decides-texas-okla-water-case.html Thu, 13 Jun 9:30:00 PDT In a unanimous ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court has sided with Oklahoma over the Tarrant Regional Water District of Texas in a case that could have national implications for water supplies. http://www.governing.com/news/local/Bloombergs-Plan-to-Fight-Climate-Change-Faces-Obstacles.html Thu, 13 Jun 8:6:00 PDT The projects will have to pass through an array of government agencies, billions of dollars in financing must be secured; and of course the mayor is leaving office at the end of the year, and there is no guarantee that his successors will embrace all of the components. http://www.governing.com/news/local/NYC-Bike-Share-Program-Faces-Problems-Unlike-Anywhere-Else.html Wed, 12 Jun 8:4:00 PDT The city's new program has had technical errors of a magnitude never experienced by bike-share programs in other major American cities.