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Congressman Charles Rangel says he'll run for a 22nd term despite his conviction on House ethics charges.
The San Francisco mayor says he's suspending the city's embattled sheriff and intends to permanently remove him from office following a domestic violence conviction involving the law enforcement official's wife.
New Hampshire lawmakers are considering whether to take the first step toward making their state legislature the first one to repeal a gay marriage law, even as the governor threatens a veto.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed legislation requiring women to wait 72 hours before receiving an abortion, giving the state the longest waiting period in the country.
Declaring his victory “the greatest honor of my life,” freshman U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger ousted veteran congressional colleague U.S. Rep. Donald Manzullo in the 16th District Republican primary.
With all precincts reporting unofficially, David Storobin, a Republican, held a tenuous 120-vote lead over Lewis A. Fidler, the Democratic city councilman, for the 27th District seat.
Mitt Romney got a much-needed victory in Illinois on Tuesday night, giving his presidential campaign a boost and strengthening the argument that he is the inevitable GOP nominee. With 50 percent of the precincts reporting, Romney had just under 50 percent of the vote to Santorum’s 33 percent.
The law allows people to use deadly force away from their homes if they have reasonable fear an assailant could seriously harm them or someone else. A neighborhood watch volunteer, George Zimmerman, has claimed self-defense in the February 26 shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, who was killed while walking back to the house of his father's fiancee after a trip to a convenience store.
The plan is a safeguard for the sprawling Cal State system, which was hit hard in the 2011-12 fiscal year, with $750 million in funding cuts. It will face an additional $200 million cut if voters reject California Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed tax initiative in November.
In a unanimous ruling written by Judge Linda Stephens, a three-judge panel struck down a lower court ruling in which the owners of four Greenville nightclubs had persuaded a Pitt County judge the state's 2009 ban violated the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution.
Moody's Investors Service issued two downgrades Tuesday of the city's tax debt that could further hamper the financially threatened city's efforts to borrow money.
Detroit's $553.1 million of outstanding general obligation unlimited tax debt received a B2 rating, down from Ba3. And its $486.4 million of outstanding general obligation limited tax debt got a B3 rating, down from B1.
Both ratings fell by two points and placed Detroit as the lowest rated large urban city in the country
The state is on pace to receive a record number of applications for 2012-13 from the Monetary Award Program, the primary source of need-based financial aid. It's the earliest the state has run out of funds for MAP grants.
Rep. Derrick Smith, who was charged with bribery a week ago, won decisively in Tuesday's primary, the first election under a newly drawn map that shook up House and Senate seats from the city to the suburbs.
Gov. Rick Scott clarified that he wants most state agencies to hold off on implementing the drug-testing requirement he signed into law Monday until the state settles an ongoing legal dispute with the American Civil Liverties Union.
This week marks the first time this year that state workers have been required to take an unpaid day off. Four more so-called "Furlough Fridays" are scheduled for 2012, saving an estimated $2 million each.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed a controversial measure to replace Medicare and Medicaid with a block grant to the states. The interstate "Health Care Compact" is designed to allow states to opt out of federal health reform without forgoing billions in federal funding.
Montana’s century-old campaign finance law which bans direct corporate contributions is being held in abeyance pending U.S. Supreme Court action, throwing the door wide open for companies and labor unions to pour money into the state’s races.
Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower's grandchildren asked a commission tasked with designing his memorial to return to the drawing board.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states cannot be sued for refusing to give an employee time off to recover from an illness.
Plus: Linking forms and outcomes, and more management news
Should governments count paid leave toward overtime?
It's only the second commuter aerial tramway in the United States. The first was in New York City. See how it runs.
Corporations worried about recruiting a high-skill workforce to their states are gradually supporting the same-sex marriage movement, reports Stateline.org.
The nation's security and economic prosperity are at risk if America's schools don't improve, warns a task force led by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Joel Klein, the former chancellor of New York City's school system.
Passengers flying into Little Rock, Ark. could soon be arriving at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport.
Connecticut lawmakers will be discussing Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's proposal to impose minimum standards for electric and gas utilities for emergency preparation and restoring services to customers in an emergency.
A bill that would let more Arizona employers drop coverage for birth control drugs stalled in the state Senate because of increasing opposition from women who feared they would have to reveal private health information to employers.
Three months after State Senator Carl Kruger resigned and pleaded guilty to bribery, voters in south Brooklyn on Tuesday will choose his successor for the 27th District in a special election.
Sen. Jim DeMint got a vote last week on his amendment to the Senate-passed bill that would send many transportation policy and funding decisions back to the states. The amendment was the first time in years senators got a serious chance to weigh in on the issue, and 30 senators (all Republicans) supported the long-shot attempt.
Former Republican state Senator Russell Pearce announced he will seek a seat in a new legislative district. Pearce — the sponsor of SB 1070, Arizona’s controversial legislation targeting illegal immigration — lost a recall election in November to Republican Jerry Lewis and became the first Arizona legislator to be recalled in the state’s 100-year history.
A federal three-judge panel begrudgingly adopted a court-drawn Congressional redistricting plan for New York, locking in lines for this November’s election after the perpetually deadlocked Empire State Legislature failed to fulfill its constitutional responsibility to update a map to reflect changes in population.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the FBI will investigate the killing of Miami Gardens teenager Trayvon Martin by a neighborhood watch volunteer. The announcement coincided with a statement from Florida Gov. Rick Scott asking the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to offer “appropriate resources” in the case.
The Tennessee Senate approved a bill Monday that would encourage teachers and students to debate evolution in the classroom, setting aside complaints that the measure would drag the state back onto the battleground over the teaching of creationism.
State Rep. Mike McDonald, who is perhaps known best as a champion for conservation and environmental issues. announced that he would not seek re-election to the 44th House District he has served for 18 years. He said he looked forward to opportunities in the private sector and spending more time with family.
With time and money running out, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing said his administration has completed a draft counterproposal to Gov. Rick Snyder's proposed consent agreement and is waiting for the City Council to weigh in before presenting the plan to the governor.
Even as he signed his name to the law, putting a statewide smoking ban in place for restaurants and many other public places, Gov. Mitch Daniels acknowledged that, for some, it doesn't go far enough. For example, bars and casinos, cigar/hookah bars, and home-based businesses are exempt.
Corrupt public officials could lose their pensions if convicted of extortion or perjury under legislation being pushed by freshman State Rep. Mike Dovilla. Under Ohio law for the past several years, public officials convicted of bribery, racketeering or theft in office already are subject to possible pension clawbacks.
Americans Elect, which is tied to several Wall Street financiers, is seeking to mobilize voters around the country to participate in choosing a presidential candidate over the Internet. In an attempt to move beyond partisan politics, the group says its presidential candidate will have to choose a running mate from a different party.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert’s Republican opponents for governor disagree on whether he should have vetoed a sex education bill Friday. But they are unified in their belief that the governor played politics with the timing of the veto, waiting until after the GOP caucuses to reject the measure.
To attract the investment they need, cities need entities that can move both quickly and strategically.
Two black local representatives in Los Angeles have accused the city’s Redistricting Commission of violating the federal Voting Rights Act.
This is the second in a series of articles about Rhode Island’s implementation of its health insurance exchange.
The Supreme Court has turned down Louisiana's bid to recover the congressional seat taken from the state as a result of the 2010 Census.
Incumbents and third-party candidates in California are going to have a tougher time getting re-elected this year thanks to new redistricting lines and new rules.
The Maryland Health Data Innovation Contest challenges anyone in the world to develop impactful public health intervention tools.
Conservative state lawmakers who rail against federal mandates often find themselves using the same weapon in dealing with their own cities and counties, Stateline.org reports.
The Obama administration and the health care law's challengers believe they can attract four Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices to their side.
Iowa lawmakers are planning to focus on budget bills and legislative leaders' priorities as the session enters what could be its last month.
States that allow medical marijuana have grappled with determining impairment levels for years.
Billy Frederick Allen spent more than 25 years in prison before an appeals court overturned his convictions in two murders. Three years after winning his freedom, Allen is fighting the state again — this time for the $2 million he says he's owed for wrongful imprisonment.
A report released by the Center for Public Integrity says New Jersey has the lowest risk of corruption among all 50 states, thanks to laws enacted in response to its tainted past. Overall, 45 states received average, below average or failing grades.
More high school students across the country are graduating on time but dropouts continue to be a significant national problem, creating a drag on the economy, according to a report to be issued Monday by a nonprofit group headed by former secretary of state Colin L. Powell.
In a time of shrinking resources, some police departments are turning to the online talking, animated Virtual Officer to guide people who choose to file a non-emergency crime report on a police department's website rather than by phone or in person. It can also assist with basic site navigation with the help of a pop-up menu.
At a debate on St. Louis’ KMOX radio station, all three declared GOP candidates running for Senate in Missouri -- Rep. Todd Akin, businessman John Brunner and former state treasurer Sarah Steelman -- all flubbed the question of what the minimum wage is.
Mitt Romney took all 20 of the island’s delegates because he scored more than 50 percent of the vote, sweeping all the U.S. territories to vote thus far in the GOP primary. Romney painted his victory as a sign that Latinos were open to supporting Republicans in the fall.
Florida has some of the nation’s most expansive open records policies, but its Sunshine Law does not adequately regulate the sometimes shadowy role of lobbyists, according to a State Integrity Investigation report, which gave Florida a “C-“ grade for transparency, ranking the state 15th nationwide.
In a community where voter dissatisfaction swept out the old guard in a 2010 recall election, the new Waukesha Town Board has been governing this town of 9,000 with a large measure of secrecy.
5,485 adoptees applied for copies of their original birth certificates under the 2010 law, which took effect in November and allows adoptees to request copies of their original birth certificates. Because the requests for the documents are coming in so fast, there is a backlog to fill them.
Tucson conservationist Bill Roe, who has worked for progressive causes in Arizona for more than 35 years, is the new chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party. He was elected to fill the seat vacated by Andrei Cherny, who resigned to run in the new 9th Congressional District.
Because term limits prevent Nancy Todd from running for re-election, Terry is vying to keep her seat in the family, as he is in a three-way Democratic primary against Jovan Melton and Andrew Bateman. And Nancy's political ambitions remain, as she is now a candidate for Senate District 28, which encompasses a portion of what could potentially be her husband's new seat.
We need rules and regulations, but nothing beats voluntary compliance. There are ways to make that happen.
Professional managers will always be key, but lawmakers who care about efficient government can have a big role to play.
Fun-loving college students present some public safety challenges for local officials.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released Friday its final rule on the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels will be able to choose a replacement for Indiana's ousted top elections official following a state Supreme Court ruling that found Democrats waited too long to challenge the GOP official's candidacy in 2010.
Republican Rye Town supervisor Joe Carvin has dropped out of the race to challenge New York's Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
Newark City Councilman Ron C. Rice is running for Congress in the 10th District. He's hoping to succeed Congressman Donald Payne, who died of cancer March 6.
Former Buffalo Bills defensive lineman Phil Hansen is entering a new career — in Minnesota politics.
North Dakota's Supreme Court grilled the state Board of Higher Education's lawyer Thursday about the board's tardiness in challenging a law that requires the University of North Dakota's sports teams to carry the Fighting Sioux nickname.
The federal government will phase out funding to Texas for a key women's health program because the state has decided to exclude clinics affiliated with abortion providers, even if the clinics don't provide abortions. The federal government says that's not allowed. Gov. Rick Perry promised that the state will pick up the cost of the program, but where that money will come from is unclear.
Representative Gary L. Ackerman, a longtime member of Congress from Queens and Long Island, announced that he would not seek re-election, an unexpected development that brings an end to a colorful political career.
Maryland, one of only a few states where slot machines are not purchased by casino owners, is facing tens of millions of dollars in unanticipated costs that are expected to eat into state proceeds for years to come.
Just days before the Obama administration blocked a Texas voter ID law, Virginia’s General Assembly approved a pair of voter ID bills of its own. But some observers say Virginia’s legislation is less likely to draw Justice objections because it would expand the types of acceptable voter identification to include such things as utility bills and bank statements.
The Oregon Republican Party has canceled a presidential candidate debate scheduled for next Monday because the two leading candidates, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, both declined to appear.
From removing members of local jobs agencies to dishing millions to help businesses relocate to the state, the powers of the governor have increased due to moves by state legislators.
Miami Beach Police Department , which has been sullied by rampant police misconduct, has picked Ray Martinez, a 32-year-veteran police officer, as its new police chief.
Under a change announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, districts that get food through the government's school lunch program will be allowed to say no to ground beef containing an ammonia-treated filler derisively called "pink slime" and choose filler-free meat instead. What's not yet clear is how much the switch might cost and whether it could lead to price increases for school lunches.
In 2011, Gov. Andrew Cuomo tamed an unruly Legislature and won an improbable string of victories. But this year, after a marathon session of horse-trading and arm-twisting, he reached a complex agreement with lawmakers over pensions, casinos, redistricting and other issues, reflecting the more typical rhythms of how business is done in the capital.
Republican state Rep. John Kriesel, an injured war veteran who has won admiration from both sides of the aisle, said his family has suffered with his absence when he was deployed and then when he returned and ran for the Legislature. He has been a strong and rare GOP critic of fellow Republicans who voted for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced that his office had filed appeals in two challenges to Wisconsin's voter photo ID law. Judges in Dane County had ruled against the law in both cases.
Hundreds of Utahns filled the state Capitol’s cavernous Rotunda, chanting and holding signs in hopes of sending one simple message to the governor: Veto bill HB363, which would allow school districts to drop sex education classes and require those that keep the courses to teach abstinence only, meaning instruction in contraception would not be allowed.
Tax revenues are up, but deferred costs are waiting to be paid.
Two new reports indicate contractors and quasi-public agencies often avert public records laws, leaving citizens in the dark.
The nation's largest public pension fund lowered its forecast Wednesday for investment returns and asked the state of California, school districts and local governments to increase contributions — a move that could siphon more money from basic services.
The debate over how best to help Detroit avoid going broke escalated into a war of words Wednesday as Gov. Rick Snyder urged the city to get over a "cultural challenge" by accepting his plan for reviving its finances, and local officials snapped back that they're up to the job.
The U.S. territory doesn't vote for the president in the general election, but this Sunday it will select its choice for who should challenge President Barack Obama.
A Kaiser Family Foundation panel outlined what will be at stake for states when the high court hears arguments on the Affordable Care Act's constitutionality.
Hydraulic fracturing is being touted as a revenue bonanza for the 35 states that have shale gas potential, but it's not without its issues.
The Senate has passed an overhaul of transportation programs that's intended to keep aid flowing to thousands of construction projects while also strengthening highway and auto safety.
Americans remain almost evenly split about the Affordable Care Act (ACA), according to the latest poll released Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation, although many provisions are popular aside from the individual mandate.
Sections of Boston that lost power because of a smoky electrical transformer fire slowly recovered Wednesday but problems were expected to persist for most of the day.
This means the House will be working under a tight schedule if it expects to fully vet and pass out a bill before the 90 day session ends April 15.
Former Gov. John Baldacci said that he's not running for the U.S. Senate, saying he and his family don't want to leave Maine to move to Washington, where he previously served eight years in the U.S. House.
The state's capital will move forward with an emergency purchase of toilet paper and paper towels. Supplies of both dwindled in city buildings while the administration and City Council quarreled over a contract to resupply city government.
State officials aiming to put cash-strapped Detroit on a strict financial diet delivered an ultimatum Tuesday with a plan to shift political power, consolidate public utilities and shrink city staff and salaries.
Lawmakers in California's Assembly will hit the campaign trail this year, touting their votes on all manner of bills. Can we believe them? What they say may not be a true reflection of the stand they took when the bill was being debated.
A Kansas House committee squashed a bid Monday to make the cairn terrier, a breed perhaps best known as that of Dorothy's canine sidekick in "The Wizard of Oz," the state's official dog.
Minors looking for a tan in Rhode Island may have to bronze the old fashioned way if state lawmakers vote to prohibit those under 18 from using tanning booths.
The state makes an unusual down payment on its massive health benefit debt to retired public employees.
US. Rep. Bob Turner, facing possible elimination of his New York City congressional district, said he will enter the already crowded field of Republicans seeking to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
Over 120 cities use a Metropolitan Medical Response System to create plans for homeland security threats in their community. Their ability to respond, however, may be inhibited with the loss of direct federal funding.
Transforming the way government works means no longer clinging to bygone processes. One way to break out of the mold is with a “disruptive hypothesis.”
Nothing illustrates the unsustainability of traditional public-sector pensions better than the practice of “spiking.”
Several states upgraded their transparency efforts last year, while others lag behind. See how each state ranked in a new report.
While sensible arguments in favor of it can be made, they ultimately don't hold up to scrutiny.
Track monthly changes in state and local government employment with our chart of Labor Department data.
The Senate is poised to pass an overhaul of highway and transit programs that gives states greater flexibility over how they spend federal aid, streamlines environmental regulations to get projects built faster and seeks to generate greater private investment in transportation projects.
Most city voters think the New York Police Department has acted appropriately in its dealing with Muslims, according to a new poll following a series of stories about the NYPD's surveillance of Muslims after 9/11.
Do it your way, but get it done. That's what the Obama administration is telling the states when it comes to carrying out the new health overhaul law that will eventually cover most of America's 50 million uninsured people.
Two officials of a New Mexico border town wracked by allegations of extortion and voting fraud were arrested Monday.
Finding funding opportunities and communicating with area businesses are key, a National League of Cities panel said...
House members voted 49-13 to encourage private insurers to establish their own health insurance exchange, rather than having federal or state governments set one up as envisioned by the 2010 federal health care overhaul.
A former U.S. senator is zeroing in on decades-old altercations involving U.S Rep. Connie Mack IV to make the case that Mack shouldn't become the Republican party nominee in this year's Florida Senate contest.
Republican Sen. Dan Coats of Indiana and Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey served years in the Senate, bowed out because of a term-limits promise or the frustration of endless fundraising and then discovered they couldn't quit the place.
It's only the second voter ID law the department has rejected in nearly 20 years. South Carolina's was struck down in December.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released its final rule on state health insurance exchanges Monday, setting the framework under which states must develop their online marketplaces.
Neal Boyd of Sikeston, the one-time winner of the NBC show "America's Got Talent", will seek election as a Republican in the newly drawn 149th Missouri House District.
Police investigators, prosecutors and mayors in cities nationwide say the New York Police Department's secret spying is a misguided approach that will hinder the department's efforts to uncover potential attacks for years, if not decades.
A red, white and blue sign declaring Stockton an "All-America City" still adorns City Hall, but the building's crumbling facade tells the real story of the community's recent fortunes.
Disgruntled conservatives planted the seeds for Sen. Robert Bennett's defeat long before delegates at the Utah Republican Convention made it official two years ago. Now, some of them hope to replicate their success against six-term Sen. Orrin Hatch Thursday in Utah's Republican caucuses.
Last month, IBM released two tools that give police, fire and emergency medical services an estimate of the direct and indirect savings that could come from upgrading their IT infrastructure.
New data shows local public employee cuts have slowed. Does this mean governments are about to rehire?
The state's quick progress reveals the challenges of creating exchanges.
Carbon Motors’ E7 police cruiser is denied funding from the federal Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program.
Stateline.org examines the priorities of the people who write the language describing proposals on ballots. Sometimes, it's more than simply making it clear.
Michigan lawmakers last year vowed to crack down when they heard an $850,000 lottery winner was buying groceries with food stamps. Now comes news of another lucky player getting food on the public dime
Missing child legislation in Florida that was prompted by the death of 2-year-old Caylee Anthony is headed to the desk of Gov. Rick Scott.
Visitors to the Ohio Statehouse must now wear shoes, declared a legislative panel.
A funny thing is happening between President Barack Obama and many Republican governors when it comes to improving America's schools: They are mostly getting along.
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court unamimously ruled that municipalities don’t have to pay college educated police officers what the state owes them, reports the Boston Globe.
State laboratories are being asked to handle more DNA samples every year. They use federal funding to meet part of the expense, but backlogs persist nevertheless, Stateline.org reports.
Colorado senators have delayed action on a proposal to increase training for medical marijuana workers in Colorado.
Democratic and Republicans leaders reached a deal that clears the way for a Senate vote on passage of a $109 billion bill to overhaul federal highway and transit programs.
Kansas House members have approved a bill that would reinstate happy hour at bars, restaurants, and clubs across the state.
The nonpartisan League of Women Voters and two prisoners' rights groups sued California elections officials on Wednesday, claiming that tens of thousands of criminals shifted to county jails and community supervision should be eligible to vote.
Illinois lawmakers have agreed on how much money will be available for next year's budget. Now they have to decide how much they'll actually spend on services.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree decided against running for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Republican Olympia Snowe, choosing instead to defend her seat in the House.
The decision is a victory for the transit community.
The bill overcame its last legislative hurdle when it passed the state Senate 19-10 -- mostly along party lines.
States that haven't applied for waivers are worried about an overreach of federal influence on their education policy.
Safety concerns following the fatal Fukushima disaster are among several factors keeping the industry in limbo in the U.S., Stateline reports.
Looking for data? Check out the new and improved Governing Data site.
Giving letter grades to the thousands of restaurants in New York City — from humble delis to celebrity chef-powered eateries — has been a boon to business and has led to a decline in the number of cases of salmonella food poisoning, the mayor and health officials said.
Unofficial results show that a former New Mexico mayor who called President Barack Obama "the carnal manifestation of evil" and said Obama's election was part of a CIA conspiracy has been elected to his former job.
With the latest highway and transit bill extension expiring at the end of the month, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says another will be needed.
Intergenerational equity in retirement plans is long overdue.
Former wrestling executive Linda McMahon is counting heavily on supporters from affluent Greenwich in her Senate bid, collecting more than 40 percent of itemized campaign contributions from donors with ties to her adopted Connecticut hometown.
As states and localities face shortfalls, officials say revenue could help close the gaps.
Arthur Laffer, who helped Ronald Reagan write federal tax policy in the 1980s, is a force to be reckoned with these days at the state level. A large group of Republican governors is listening to him.
While former polygamy sect leader Warren Jeffs is serving his time in prison for marrying and sexually assaulting minors, lawmakers are trying to take down his town’s authority.
