The expanding legalization of marijuana sales is failing to give entrepreneurs from disadvantaged communities a chance to get into the cannabis business. Policymakers should take a new look at licensing, tax and other policies.
Most Read
Latest
-
The Constitution meant for Congress to pass bills by a simple majority. But the process has changed over the decades, turning the Senate’s cautious view on legislation into a major obstacle that can only be fixed by reform. -
Most state CIOs expect remote work to continue and for digital services to keep proliferating. That introduces a host of shifting priorities, including a renewed need for cybersecurity enhancements and identity tools.
-
With the prospect of major federal funding to expand the social safety net, communities need to plan for investing these resources effectively. Big funding alone doesn’t ensure good program outcomes.
-
Years of budget cuts and lack of political support left public health officials without the resources to rapidly contain COVID-19. Brian Castrucci, CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation, discusses what needs to happen now.
Newswire
The Missouri governor has issued legal threats against the St. Louis Post-Dispatch after the paper found a state data risk that left 100,000 social security numbers vulnerable, despite the paper not being responsible.
Conspiracy theories are pushing Trump supporters across the state to call for an audit of the 2020 presidential election results to stamp out any risk of voter fraud; Trump won the state by more than 370,000 votes.
State transit officials look to invest in transportation infrastructure to assist economic development and a growing population, including more than $400 million for various transportation projects in Cobb County.
The state’s vote-by-mail number has climbed nearly 220,000 ahead of the November general election. Camden County has the state’s highest rate of participation and will be mailing ballots to all registered voters.
The current system does not service many jurisdictions in the area and isn’t capable of handling the growing demand for mental health response systems. The city will switch away from its current model in 2024.
The nine-member panel was created a year ago to study reparations for Black residents but is still grappling with who should qualify and what the compensation will look like. The council has until 2022 to report their findings.
Gov. Charlie Baker has filed clean energy legislation that would remove the existing price cap on project proposals in hopes to attract greater investment into the state’s developing offshore wind industry.
A coalition of police officers, firefighters and other city employees have claimed that the city’s COVID-19 vaccine and testing rules are discriminatory. The city has a vaccination rate of approximately 78 percent.
Approximately 44 percent of Texas workers will be required to get a COVID vaccine under the Biden administration’s federal mandate. But for the remainder of workers, the implications of the governor’s order are still unclear.
The federal Bureau of Reclamation and several other water agencies across the west have developed a $38 million program that will help preserve Colorado River water levels. But many worry about long-term solutions.
The state has proposed new greenhouse gas rules that would reduce carbon emissions by 1.5 million metric tons by 2030, the equivalent of removing 300,000 cars from the road. The vote on the proposal could happen as soon as Nov. 18.
Despite having less bike infrastructure than other neighborhoods, Chicago police issued citations for biking on the sidewalk eight and three times more often in Black and Latino neighborhoods, respectively.
-
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, regarding New York City’s program for gifted and talented students which outgoing Mayor de Blasio has said that he would begin to phase out next year. Adams is likely to be the city’s next mayor and has said that he would preserve and expand the program. Critics say it favors white and Asian American children and enrolls disproportionately few Black and Latino students. (Associated Press — October 15, 2021)
Some say that Michigan is well suited to become the hub for next-gen technologies like semiconductors and electric vehicles, but will need more investment before it outpaces tech hubs in New England and the West.
Facebook and its ilk bombard us with vitriolic content, and their algorithms help to divide Americans. Local-government leaders need to keep this in mind when they offer up incentives to attract their operations.
The law, which ensured employees two weeks of COVID-related paid leave, has expired, forcing many low-wage workers, especially those in agriculture, to choose between their health or their salary.
The state is one of 33 across the nation in which a driver’s license may be suspended if you cannot pay traffic-related fines or fees. Research shows that this disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations.
The Ohio city hopes to receive a $222,000 grant to cover most of the costs required to outfit 19 patrol officers over the next five years. It would cost $55,000 annually to maintain the technology after implementation.
Trending Topics
Featured Podcast
Our Opinion Writers
Special Project: Sponsor Content
People call it the “next normal” but the truth is it’s long overdue. The future of work is now here.
Read Story
The decrease in President Biden’s net approval rating among Black voters since Sept. 8, the day before he issued vaccine mandates.
The proportion of American households that have had to delay care for serious illness because hospitals are filled with COVID-19 patients.
The proportion of eligible Americans who have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, an increase of 20 percentage points after the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate.
The number of times Americans quit jobs in August, the highest amount on record since December 2000.
The increase in homicides among people ages 19 and younger during 2020. As of Oct. 6, 2021, 1,165 people 17 or younger had died from gun violence and 3,216 had been injured.
The proportion of Black residents in 152 counties across 10 southern states that do not have access to the Internet in their homes, compared to only 23 percent of white residents in the same areas. The counties that were included all had populations with at least 35 percent Black residents.
The number of U.S. children who have lost a parent or grandparent who was a primary care and financial provider during the pandemic; more than half of the children who lost their primary caregiver are Black or Hispanic. Researchers estimate that the number of orphaned children increased by 15 percent due to COVID-19.
The proportion of Seattle, Wash., sworn police officers who have not submitted proof of vaccination against COVID-19. All city employees must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18, unless they have religious exemption.
The amount that Tesla must pay Owen Diaz, a Black former worker, after a jury found that Diaz was subjected to racial abuse while working for the electric vehicle company. Diaz was an elevator operator at the company’s Fremont, Calif., factory for nine months.
The initial allotment of funds that states have spent so far from the American Rescue Plan championed by Democrats and President Joe Biden. Large cities have spent 8.5 percent. Many state and local governments reported they were still working on plans for their share of the $350 billion they received as part of the pandemic relief package.
The number of midwestern governors who are collaborating to develop a charging network for electric vehicles. Governors of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin have all signed onto the bipartisan plan, called the Regional Electric Vehicle (REV) Midwest Coalition.
The proportion of Americans who approve of Biden’s requirement that most workers get the COVID-19 vaccine or undergo regular testing. Approval is mostly split down party lines — 77 percent of Democrats approve of the mandate while 62 percent of Republicans disapprove.
View demographic data showing representation of racial and ethnic minorities in each police department.
Newly released data shows an increasingly diverse American population. About 30 percent identify as racial or ethnic minorities, according to the latest Census Bureau estimates.
Governing is building a 50-state map to visualize the changes underway to declare states “Open for Business” even as the coronavirus remains at large across the country.
Recent data shows that while overall spending has increased, there is great variation among states on public education expenditures per student. The average is $12,612, but New York spends nearly double that amount.
A comprehensive view of the states’ marijuana laws regarding medical use, workplace accommodations and driving under the influence. Today, 36 states and the District of Columbia allow medical use of marijuana.
View population density and land area data for U.S. cities.
State totals on active duty, reserve forces and civilian employees for each branch of the military.
Connecticut tops the list of states whose taxpayers receive the least bang for their buck from the feds.
Voters made Texas the 19th state to add legal protections for hunting and fishing, which are now also the preferred methods for controlling wildlife.
In hopes of reducing the city's high crime rate, Camden, N.J., made a controversial and unprecedented move a year ago to replace its police force.
Data shows total law enforcement staff and per capita rates.
Thirty-seven states had legalized same-sex marriage prior to the Supreme Court ruling.
Sponsored Stories
Sponsored
In recent years, local governments have been forced to adapt to a wildly changing world, especially as it pertains to sending bills and collecting payments.
Sponsored
Workplace safety is in the spotlight as government leaders adapt to a prolonged pandemic.
Sponsored
While government employees, students and the general public had to wait in line for hours in the beginning of the pandemic, at-home test kits make it easy to diagnose for the novel coronavirus in less than 30 minutes.
Sponsored
Governments around the nation are working to design the best vaccine policies that keep both their employees and their residents safe. Although the latest data shows a variety of polarizing perspectives, there are clear emerging best practices that leading governments are following to put trust first: creating policies that are flexible and provide a range of options, and being in tune with the needs and sentiments of their employees so that they are able to be dynamic and accommodate the rapidly changing situation.
Sponsored
Service delivery and the individual experience within health and human services (HHS) is often very siloed and fragmented.
Sponsored
In this episode, Marianne Steger explains why health care for Pre-Medicare retirees and active employees just got easier.
Sponsored
Government organizations around the world are experiencing the consequences of plagiarism firsthand. A simple mistake can lead to loss of reputation, loss of trust and even lawsuits. It’s important to avoid plagiarism at all costs, and government organizations are held to a particularly high standard. Fortunately, technological solutions such as iThenticate allow government organizations to avoid instances of text plagiarism in an efficient manner.
Sponsored
Creating meaningful citizen experiences in a post-COVID world requires embracing digital initiatives like secure and ethical data sharing, artificial intelligence and more.
Sponsored
GHD identified four themes critical for municipalities to address to reach net-zero by 2050. Will you be ready?
Special Projects
