April 24, 2019
When No News Isn't Good News: What the Decline of Newspapers Means for Government
About one in five Americans now lack regular access to local media coverage. Studies show this is bad for politics, municipal debt -- and even the environment.
April 22, 2019
The Go-To Lawyer for Governors Facing Impeachment
Ross Garber is the man to call when state leaders are in political peril.
April 16, 2019
Why the Death Penalty Has Lost Support From Both Parties
A generation ago, most Democrats and Republicans backed capital punishment. But in New Hampshire, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle just voted to abolish it, reflecting a nationwide trend.
April 12, 2019
Forget Congress: Many State Lawmakers Are Running for Mayor This Year
Why are they breaking norms and eyeing city hall instead of Capitol Hill?
April 9, 2019
Chicago's Lori Lightfoot Among a Wave of Lesbian Mayors
From Kansas City, Mo., to Tampa, Fla., a record number of large cities could elect an openly gay woman as mayor this year.
April 2, 2019
Lori Lightfoot, Chicago’s New Mayor, Promises Change, Confronts ‘Massive’ Challenges
No black woman or openly gay individual has led a city as large as Chicago. She will have to confront chronic budget shortfalls, population loss and a high murder rate.
April 1, 2019
Can Detroit's Turnaround Go Beyond Downtown?
Mayor Mike Duggan has pledged to spend $130 million to help revive neglected neighborhoods in the city.
April 1, 2019
Texas Aims to Cut Taxes, This Time Without Cutting Education Funding
How will it achieve both goals when half of the property tax revenue goes to schools?
March 27, 2019
The States Where the Minority Party Has Major Legislative Clout
Republicans hold a small fraction of seats in two Democratic states, but they enjoy outsized power.
March 27, 2019
Moderates Are 'Politically Homeless.' Does Either Party Want Them?
With the 2020 elections in sight, both parties are appealing to their bases, leaving voters in the middle uncertain which way to turn.
March 19, 2019
Why California Is Suing Its Own Cities
In one of his first moves as governor, Gavin Newsom is taking some cities to court for failing to address the affordable housing crisis.
March 13, 2019
As Hate Speech Pervades Politics, Many Politicians Escape Consequence
After making racist, anti-Semitic or homophobic comments, elected officials often stay in office, either by apologizing or attacking their opponents. But public servants may have a harder time keeping their jobs.
March 8, 2019
After Years of New Voting Restrictions, Momentum Swings the Other Way
Some states are still purging voter rolls and requiring IDs. But most are now looking to expand access to the ballot box.
March 5, 2019
The Democrat Who Could Be Mississippi's Next Governor
Democrats rarely win elections in the South. If anyone can do it, it's Jim Hood.
March 1, 2019
Legal in the State or Not, Some Cities Ban Marijuana
In New Jersey, dozens of localities have outlawed sales or possession of the drug even before the legislature legalizes it.
February 27, 2019
Why a Judge Ruled That the Entire North Carolina Legislature Is Illegitimate
In a decision that stunned both parties, Judge G. Bryan Collins ruled last Friday that the state's lawmakers don't have the power to pass constitutional amendments. His reasoning traces back to racial gerrymandering.
February 26, 2019
45 Cents a Gallon? 20? 18? Midwest Governors Float Major Gas Tax Hikes
Three governors -- two Democrats and a Republican -- say the big tax hikes are needed to address their road and transportation problems.
February 25, 2019
Is Chicago Ready for a Third Mayor Daley?
Chicago will hold its first round of voting on Tuesday to pick Rahm Emanuel's replacement. Former Clinton administration official Bill Daley is among the frontrunners, but the huge field makes it uncertain who will proceed to the April runoff.
February 24, 2019
Wary of Trump's Approach, Governors Seek to Forge Own Trade Agreements
At the National Governors Association winter meeting in Washington this weekend, many governors said the president's tariffs are hurting business in their states.
February 23, 2019
Despite Economic Growth, Governors Worry About Skills Gap and Unemployment
At the winter meeting of the National Governors Association in Washington this weekend, the lack of proper workforce training was an overarching concern.
February 21, 2019
How Lawmakers Can Raise Their Own Pay in a Less Controversial Way
There are lessons to be learned from New York and Pennsylvania.
February 13, 2019
Despite Scandals, Virginia Politicians Refuse to Resign. Now What?
If history is any indication, the current controversies will likely change how Ralph Northam governs. He's already made racial reconciliation a new priority.
February 11, 2019
Amazon's Curse of an Exploding Job Market
Voters aren’t satisfied with how Seattle is managing its growth, which has largely been driven by Amazon's presence.
February 6, 2019
Virginia Scandals Threaten Democrats' High Election Hopes
With control of the legislature on the line in November, the party could pay a price for the blackface revelations by Virginia's governor and attorney general, and the sexual assault allegations against the lieutenant governor.
February 6, 2019
With New Judges, Houston Could Flip the Script on Evictions
After Democrats swept judicial elections last year, Harris County is set to become much less landlord-friendly.
February 3, 2019
Is Northam Next? A Recent History of Governor Resignations
Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam is refusing to leave office after the resurfacing of his yearbook page, which shows one person dressed in blackface and another as a Ku Klux Klan member.
February 1, 2019
Hmong Americans Gain Political Representation
The number of Hmong legislators, who came from Southeast Asia as refugees, tripled in the Minnesota state House this year.
January 29, 2019
Some Suburban State Lawmakers Are Leaving the GOP
Since the midterm elections, Republican legislators in California, Kansas and New Jersey have switched to the Democratic party.
January 28, 2019
These Cops Wear Uniforms But Have No Training and Little Oversight
“Putting somebody out there on the street who has very little training is not fair to the community and it’s not fair to the officer, but it happens all the time.”
January 24, 2019
LGBT State Workers Gain Rights in Red and Purple States
Several new governors have signed anti-discrimination executive orders. So did Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, but his had no mention of sexual orientation or gender identity.
January 23, 2019
In Seattle, Minimum Wage Hike Comes at a Cost to Some Workers
Advocates say higher incomes help low-wage employees, but one new report suggests the reality is more complicated.
January 16, 2019
Do School Vouchers Only Benefit the Wealthy?
Most of the students using Arizona’s vouchers are already in top-performing schools.
January 16, 2019
Lawmakers Eye Changes to Ballot Measures -- Passed and Future
Legislators are seeking to roll back some of the high-profile ballot measures that voters approved in November. They also want to make it harder for initiatives to pass in the future.
January 14, 2019
Why Don't Alaska Governors Last Longer Than One Term?
Incoming Gov. Mike Dunleavy is the sixth person to win the office in as many elections. The constant turnover has made it difficult for the state to solve its biggest problems.
January 7, 2019
All or Nothing: How State Politics Became a Winner-Take-All World
In practically every state, one party now holds all the legislative power. And once they get it, they’re keeping it.
December 21, 2018
2018's Least Inspiring Moments in State and Local Politics: Insults, Threats and Bad Tweets
Most of them led to a resignation or election loss.
December 19, 2018
Why Are Conservative Voters Supporting Liberal Ballot Measures?
Staunchly Republican rural counties voted for progressive policies at the ballot box this year, including minimum wage hikes and Medicaid expansion.
December 18, 2018
Wisconsin's GOP Speaker on Power Grabs, Tony Evers and NCSL's Future
Republican Robin Vos, who engineered the lame-duck bills to strip power from the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general, maintains that the maneuver was a nonpartisan attempt to restore balance between the branches.
December 17, 2018
After Backlash From Own Party, New Jersey Democrats Drop Redistricting Plan
The state's Democrats sought to shift redistricting in their own favor, contradicting their national party's stance against gerrymandering.
December 12, 2018
Not Just Power Grabs: Lame-Duck Lawmakers Are Rushing Many Controversial Bills
In the states holding post-election, pre-inauguration sessions this year, Republican legislators are passing sweeping bills on a wide range of issues -- some that weaken laws just approved by voters.
December 10, 2018
Why More and More Cities Aren't Prioritizing Your Parking Troubles
Cities are eliminating requirements for new buildings to have parking.
December 5, 2018
'Nobody Ran on Stripping Power Away': Putting the Wisconsin Vote in Context
"You see how easy it is to have what amounts to minority rule, to defy norms and take power that really isn't yours to take," says an expert on the state's politics.
December 5, 2018
Lame-Duck Power Grabs Aren't New, But Republicans in Wisconsin and Michigan Are ‘More Aggressive’
Legislatures in recent years have increased, and intensified, their attempts to assert authority over other branches of government.
December 4, 2018
Under China's New Rules, U.S. Recycling Suffers
Some cities are closing recycling plants. Others are ending curbside pickup. For recycling to be sustainable, consumers must learn to sort their trash better.
December 3, 2018
This Small New England City Was on the Verge of Bankruptcy. Now It’s a Turnaround Success Story.
Springfield, Mass., is in the best shape it’s been in a generation.
November 28, 2018
In 2 Remaining Secretary of State Races, Voting Rights Take Center Stage
Georgia and New Hampshire will elect secretaries of state next week, in a year that has been plagued with claims of voter suppression across the country.
November 21, 2018
'Rainbow Wave' Hits Statehouses
Seven states had never elected an openly gay or transgender legislator before this year. Three of them just did in an election that substantially increased the number of LGBT lawmakers overall.
November 14, 2018
Sore Losers or Necessary Checks? Wisconsin GOP Seeks to Limit New Democratic Governor's Authority
It wouldn't be the first time lawmakers have attempted to strip a new governor of some power. But it is rare.
November 14, 2018
What J.B. Pritzker’s Election Means for Illinois
Of all the new governors, few will change the culture of their states as much as him.
November 12, 2018
The Man of Tomorrow: As Jerry Brown Leaves Office, He's Still Focused on the Future
Unlike most politicians, California's outgoing governor has made planning ahead a staple of his leadership -- even if it means going against his own party.
November 7, 2018
With a Divided Congress, States Will Likely Take Up the Slack
With Democrats taking over the U.S. House, Congress may grind to a halt. Red and blue states, meanwhile, will go their separate ways on abortion, taxes, education, health and voting rights.
November 7, 2018
Most Ethics and Campaign Finance Measures Win Voters' Approval
All but one passed.
November 7, 2018
Local Ballot Results: Teen Voting, Campaign Finance, Housing and More
A rundown of the most interesting and consequential local measures.
November 7, 2018
In 2018 State Races, Partisans Retreated to Their Corners
Most red states will stay red, and the blue states will remain the minority. But voters did reject several more ideological candidates in favor of politicians who presented themselves as more pragmatic.
November 7, 2018
'Not Exactly a Blowout': Democrats Score Modest Gains in State Legislatures
Democrats flipped six chambers, but Republicans still control nearly twice as many.
November 7, 2018
Where Voters Made It Easier, and Harder, to Vote in the Future
The night's biggest voting rights measure was in Florida, where more than 1 million felons had their right to vote restored.
November 7, 2018
In Major Cities, Most Incumbent Mayors Glide to Reelection
But the races in Phoenix and Little Rock, Ark., are headed for runoffs.
November 6, 2018
Power Protected: North Carolina Voters Reject Republicans' Effort to Weaken Governor's Authority
The state's GOP-controlled legislature hoped voters would approve measures to give them more say over judicial and ethics appointments, but both were defeated soundly.
November 6, 2018
Amid Supreme Court Impeachments, West Virginia Voters Weaken Judges' Power
The state where lawmakers put every justice on trial this year is also the only state where the legislature has no control over the judicial budget. Voters changed that on Tuesday.
November 6, 2018
Crime Victims' Rights Added to Several States' Constitutions
Supporters of so-called Marsy's Law hope eventually to amend the U.S. Constitution.
November 5, 2018
With 2020 Census Looming, Governments Face Many Unknowns
Uncertainties about resources, and a question about residents' citizenship status, are making localities more nervous than usual about not counting people.
November 2, 2018
Early Voting Is Up, Significantly. What Does That Mean for Tuesday?
Turnout has already exceeded the 2014 numbers -- especially among some Democratic-leaning demographics. But there are reasons for Republican optimism, too.
October 31, 2018
State Tax Breaks Are Hurting Chicago's Suburbs
While some homeowners are now paying nothing in property taxes, businesses and local governments are feeling the pinch.
October 30, 2018
Can Andrew Gillum Break Republicans' Winning Streak in Florida?
The state hasn't elected a Democratic governor since 1994, but the progressive nominee is consistently -- and narrowly -- ahead in the polls against Republican Ron DeSantis.
October 25, 2018
'My Comrades Will Kill You': Pipe Bombs Sent in Year of Many Death Threats Against Politicians
The list of prominent national Democrats being sent packages containing bombs is growing. Threats of violence have also become more common against, and sometimes from, state and local candidates and public officials.
October 19, 2018
All of the Above? The Ancient Voting Method One City Might Adopt
Advocates say "approval voting," which has never been used in electoral politics, offers voters more flexibility.
October 17, 2018
Not Just Georgia's Brian Kemp: Other Secretaries of State Accused of Abusing Elections Power
Kemp faces allegations of using his position to suppress minority voters and gain unfair advantage in the governor's race, highlighting the office's increasing partisanship and potential for conflicts of interest.
October 16, 2018
Underneath This 'Pop-Up Forest' Is an Abandoned Highway
Akron, Ohio, calls it the Innerbelt National Forest.
October 3, 2018
Republicans Could Take Control of These 2 Coastal Blue States
An unpopular governor and a moderate candidate have given Republicans the chance for rare victories in Connecticut and Oregon.
October 1, 2018
Shady Real Estate Deals Plunge Under New Regulations
Since the U.S. started making anonymous homebuyers reveal their true identities, luxury prices in hot markets have dropped.
September 28, 2018
Scott Walker: Born-Again Centrist?
Long considered a conservative hero, Wisconsin’s governor is sounding kinder and gentler as he seeks a third term.
September 26, 2018
'The Midwest Is Swinging Again': Democrats' Best Chances to Flip Governor Seats
Only one Republican in the region looks like a certain winner. The rest are at some risk.
September 25, 2018
Fed Up by Corruption, Arkansas Voters Could Revisit Term Limits
Four years ago, lawmakers snuck a term-limits extension onto the ballot. Now, thanks to recent statehouse scandals, voters may roll that back.
September 19, 2018
Democratic Primary Turnout Is Up 64%. Will That Matter in November?
Republicans, by comparison, saw 22 percent more people vote this season than in the 2014 midterms.
September 19, 2018
Where's My Endorsement? Party Support Is Harder to Get This Year
In an unusual trend, prominent politicians, including three sitting Republican governors, are refusing to endorse their own party's picks for governor.
September 18, 2018
How Centrist Is Colorado? Governor's Race Will Test That Reputation
Rather than going after voters in the middle, both the Democratic and Republican nominees are playing to their base.
September 12, 2018
Why Has 2018 Been Such a Bad Election Year for Lieutenant Governors?
Almost all those running for promotion to governor lost their party's primaries.
September 12, 2018
Sorry Politicians, You Can't Block Critics on Twitter
Courts have ruled that access to public figures on social media is a constitutional right.
September 11, 2018
Suburbs See Apartment-Building Boom
Not everyone is happy about this trend.
September 11, 2018
State Supreme Courts Increasingly Face Partisan Impeachment Threats
The trial to impeach the entire West Virginia Supreme Court starts this week. It's just one example of a growing trend among unhappy lawmakers.
September 10, 2018
Mysterious Savings: Health Providers Question Iowa's Medicaid Claim
In the span of five months, the state says it tripled the amount it was saving by privatizing Medicaid.
September 10, 2018
After More Than 30 Years, the Leader of State Legislatures to Step Down
Bill Pound, the executive director of the National Conference of State Legislatures since 1987, helped preserve bipartisanship among lawmakers.
September 6, 2018
Progressive Candidates for Governor Trail in the Money Race
While progressive candidates for Congress are being generously supported, gubernatorial hopefuls are being badly outraised by their GOP opponents.
September 4, 2018
Rahm Emanuel Will Leave Chicago With Crime Still High and Schools Still Struggling
Chicago's mayor shocked the city on Tuesday by announcing he will not seek a third term.
September 4, 2018
Too Soon for Louisiana to Celebrate Its Budget?
Louisiana has "stopped the bleeding," but political observers point out that the financially strained state still has several major spending problems.
August 30, 2018
Why California Lawmakers, Begrudgingly, Banned Soda Taxes
The beverage industry used a tactic that could become more common with other interest groups.
August 29, 2018
The Story Behind Andrew Gillum's Shocking Election Victory in Florida
The Tallahassee mayor's win in the Democratic primary for governor is one of the year's biggest upsets. Can a progressive beat a Trump-endorsed candidate in this red state?
August 21, 2018
In Tight Race for Arizona Governor, Focus Is on Education Funding
Republican Gov. Doug Ducey faces a tough fight for reelection.
August 15, 2018
Transgender Candidate Makes History in a Year of 'Firsts' for Women
With a month of primaries left, the record for the number of female nominees for governor has already been broken. Some of them are also the first black, Latina and Native American women nominated by a major party.
August 8, 2018
How One of the Most Vulnerable Governors Staged a Comeback
After the state sent out a false nuclear attack warning in January, Hawaii Gov. David Ige trailed in polls. Now he's favored to win reelection.
August 8, 2018
Blue-State Seats Democrats Can't Win
Any blue wave would have to be pretty big to threaten these popular Republican incumbent governors.
August 1, 2018
In Florida's GOP Primary for Governor, It’s Establishment vs. Trump
President Trump will stump for Ron DeSantis in the state on Tuesday. Regardless of who wins the primary, Democrats are hoping a blue wave will help them recapture the governor’s seat in November.
July 30, 2018
Ferguson Prosecutor Faces First Political Test Since Michael Brown Shooting
Bob McCulloch, who refused to indict the police officer involved in the teenager's death, faces a serious challenge in the Aug. 7 primary. His opponent represents a rise in candidates dedicated to criminal justice reform.
July 25, 2018
After Trump-Backed Candidate Wins Nomination, Georgia Governor's Race Becomes Historic 'Battle of the Bases'
Controversial candidate Brian Kemp won the GOP runoff on Tuesday. He will face progressive Democrat Stacey Abrams in November, who could be the nation's first black female governor.
July 19, 2018
A New Twist on an Old Health Care Idea
All-payer health care, the idea of paying hospitals a flat rate, is making a comeback.
July 18, 2018
Facing One Troubling Russia Revelation After Another, Election Officials Work to Prevent a 'Digital Watergate'
States are stepping up their election security but face many challenges: a president still skeptical of Russian interference, a lack of money, and reliance on private vendors for voting equipment and software, to name a few.
July 13, 2018
In Rural America, Violent Crime Reaches Highest Level in a Decade
The loss of jobs and the opioid epidemic are two of the biggest reasons.
July 11, 2018
Voter Turnout Is Up, Especially Among Democrats. What Does That Mean for November?
More people are casting primary ballots than four years ago. But that year, turnout was the lowest since World War II.
July 10, 2018
Voting Rights Debate Moves From Statehouses to Ballot Boxes
Voters will weigh in this fall on voter registration, campaign finance and redistricting.
July 9, 2018
Different Energy Boom, Same Mistakes?
Critics say West Virginia, which is enjoying an explosion of natural gas production and jobs, is repeating the missteps it made with the coal industry.
July 3, 2018
Progressives' Next Target: How Worried Should Andrew Cuomo Be?
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's upset is a warning for more moderate incumbents like New York's governor, who can't feel safe while the Democratic Party is shifting to the left.
July 2, 2018
This City Removed 2 Confederate Statues. Then the State Retaliated.
Inside the $250,000 fight between Memphis and Tennessee.
June 28, 2018
Not Just Joe Crowley: Many State Lawmakers Lost Primaries This Week
New York's congressional race wasn't the only one with an upset on Tuesday. An anti-incumbent wave hit two states' legislative elections.
June 28, 2018
The Problem With School Takeovers
Studies show they're ineffective and may unequally impact black and Hispanic communities.
June 25, 2018
Gerrymandering Critics Suffer Twin Blows at the Supreme Court
The Texas case involves racial gerrymandering, while the North Carolina case deals with partisan gerrymandering -- something the justices have hinted is unconstitutional but have yet to rule against.
June 20, 2018
The Bipartisan Backlash That Spurred Trump's Reversal on Family Separations
His executive order, signed on Wednesday, comes after days of governors and mayors escalating their words of opposition into actions attempting to block the immigration policy announced in April.
June 15, 2018
The Architecture Critic Who Wants to Remake Los Angeles
The city's first chief design officer comes to the job from the Los Angeles Times.
June 8, 2018
The Importance (and Neglect) of America's 'Middle Neighborhoods'
When a neighborhood isn't rich -- and isn't poor -- government tends to forget about it.
May 31, 2018
Can the California GOP Stop Its 'Death Spiral'?
Republicans are split over whether they should move to the middle or embrace their right-wing base.
May 30, 2018
One Close Race for Governor. Two Flawed Front-Runners.
Both major parties in Minnesota are holding their endorsement conventions this weekend. Only one of the front-runners is seeking their party's approval.
May 30, 2018
How Old Is Old Enough to Get Married?
States are raising the age of consent to protect children from forced marriage. No state has gone as far as Delaware.
May 29, 2018
Goodbye, Greitens: Meet Mike Parson, Missouri's New Governor
Five months after a sex and blackmail scandal broke, Gov. Eric Greitens will resign facing potential criminal charges. His replacement, a conservative with good lawmaker relations, is likely to achieve what Greitens could not.
May 29, 2018
White Flight Returns, This Time From the Suburbs
White residents are either moving back downtown -- or to farther-out exurbs.
May 24, 2018
How Higher Ed Became a Partisan Wedge Issue
As states debate the purpose of public universities, some say politics is playing an outsized role.
May 16, 2018
'Not Pure Enough': An Ultra-Conservative State Nominates a Pragmatist for Governor
Idaho Lt. Gov. Brad Little will now face state Rep. Paulette Jordan, who could be the first Native American elected governor of any state. He's the heavy favorite to win.
May 16, 2018
State Lawmakers Face Most Challengers in Decades
Recent election cycles have seen more than 40 percent of state legislative seats left uncontested. Not this year.
May 9, 2018
Cooperating With Trump on Immigration Takes Political Toll on Sheriffs
There may be no politics more local than a campaign for sheriff, but the charged national issue of immigration has become suddenly salient. The defeat of two prominent sheriffs in North Carolina may set a template for progressive challenges nationwide.
May 8, 2018
What Eric Schneiderman Means for New York State's Culture of Corruption
Domestic abuse is a different problem from financial corruption, but New York's political system seems to promote scandals of all kinds.
May 7, 2018
Is Selling Tax-Free Liquor Tax Evasion?
As out-of-staters flock to New Hampshire to stock up on alcohol, its neighboring states think so.
May 4, 2018
When Blue-Collar Jobs Disappear, White-Collar Workers Leave
Some places are losing more lawyers and accountants than factory workers.
May 3, 2018
Eric Garcetti on Presidential Bid: America 'Needs' a Mayor
Garcetti, who won reelection as mayor of Los Angeles last year, has made no secret of his presidential ambitions. In an interview, he suggested a mayor would be more pragmatic and "decent" than President Trump.
May 3, 2018
One State’s Opioid Success Story
In just one year, Rhode Island reduced the overdose death rate among former prisoners by 61 percent.
May 3, 2018
As Primary Season Heats Up, the Left Battles the Left
In races for governor around the country, the Democrats' preferred candidates are having to fend off attacks from progressive insurgents.
May 1, 2018
Talking Trash: Why Politics Has Gotten Nastier
Negative partisanship has reached new depths, with candidates increasingly willing to insult one another directly.
May 1, 2018
Want to Work in a Morgue? You Might Already Qualify.
In some states, the minimal requirements are leading to inaccurate reports of homicides and suicides.
April 25, 2018
Voting Rights for Felons Becoming a Key Issue for Democrats
Florida has emerged as a battleground in the fight over the 6 million people, in and out of jail, who can't vote because they were convicted of a felony.
April 23, 2018
A Whopper of a Court Case: Can Citizens Sue States?
In a handful of states, they can't. A lawsuit involving Burger King was supposed to settle the debate in Arkansas.
April 19, 2018
How 4/20 Actually Helps Police
Law enforcement departments across the country use the marijuana holiday as a way to build their followers and soften their image on social media.
April 19, 2018
Don't Get Mad, Get Elected: The Rise of the Revenge Candidate
Political novices are running for office at all levels of government -- many driven by anger over their current representatives' policies and behavior.
April 18, 2018
Why It’s So Hard for Lawmakers to Win Governor’s Races
"I can count on one hand the number of top [legislative] leaders who have successfully run for major statewide office."
April 12, 2018
The Litmus Test for (Most) Republicans Running for Governor
The president remains popular among Republican voters, leading most GOP candidates to pledge their allegiance to him. But they may shift that strategy after the primaries.
April 6, 2018
Secretive Kansas Starts to Open Up
After the Kansas City Star revealed a deep culture of secrecy in the state’s government, politicians have started to address the lack of transparency.
April 5, 2018
When Lieutenant Governors Leave, Some States Struggle to Fill the Position
It’s the second highest-ranking job in state government, and yet, no one seems to want it.
April 5, 2018
The New Fight Over 'Dark Money' Campaign Donations
Some cities want to make campaign donors identify themselves. But lawmakers and lawsuits are getting in their way.
April 2, 2018
Why There Are So Many Bad Sheriffs
In a job with tons of power and practically no oversight from voters, law enforcement or politicians, corruption can be easy to get away with.
April 1, 2018
After Wildfires, Housing Crisis Complicates California’s Rebuild
In a region that values open space, the idea of expanding the housing supply is a tough sell -- even after the disaster destroyed 5,000 homes.
March 28, 2018
On Redistricting, Supreme Court Not Quite Ready to Change the Rules
The justices heard arguments on Wednesday in a Maryland case that could, for the first time, limit partisan gerrymandering. They didn't appear to have a consensus on how to address the problem.
March 27, 2018
What Counts as a Felony? For Stealing, States Are Raising the Bar.
Some are increasing the amount of stolen goods that make theft a felony. But it can be a hard sell politically.
March 16, 2018
Why Rents Are Actually Lowering in Some Big Cities
But renters may not want to celebrate just yet.
March 15, 2018
Teachers Aren't Just Striking, They're Running for Office
Motivated by education cuts and a nationwide spirit of activism, dozens of teachers are running for legislative seats across the country.
March 13, 2018
‘Stories Are Going to Be Lost’: Mourning the Decline of Alt-Weeklies
More than a dozen alternative weeklies have shut down in the past 20 years, increasing the likelihood that local scandals will go unnoticed.
March 7, 2018
Primaries Turn Texas a Deeper Shade of Red
In the GOP civil war between populists and centrists, populists gained ground in Tuesday's elections that kicked off the year's primary season.
March 5, 2018
As Prop. 13 Turns 40, Californians Rethink Its Future
Four decades after the law spurred an anti-tax movement across the country, rival efforts to weaken or strengthen it have emerged.
March 2, 2018
'The Oakland I'm From'
Like a lot of other places, the California city is struggling to grow without leaving longtime residents behind.
March 1, 2018
Will 2018 Be the Year of Independents?
Several experienced or well-funded independent candidates are running for governor. In some cases, leaving the Democratic or Republican party to do it.
March 1, 2018
With Guns in the Spotlight, Candidates for Governor Recalibrate Their Positions
Guns have suddenly emerged as a central issue in this year's races. Navigating the issue will be difficult for both parties.
February 22, 2018
Missouri Governor's Indictment Prompts House Investigation and More Resignation Pressure
Eric Greitens, who already faced calls from both parties to resign, was charged on Thursday with a felony in connection with an extramarital affair and an alleged blackmail scheme.
February 22, 2018
Public Corruption Cases Are Harder to Prove Than Ever
Since the Supreme Court raised prosecutors' burden of proof, several politicians have had their convictions thrown out. There are new questions about what exactly counts as corruption.
February 20, 2018
After Reforming Criminal Justice, Alaska Has Second Thoughts
The state rolled back criminal justice reforms it had adopted only a year earlier. Other parts of the country are also reconsidering similar changes.
February 15, 2018
The Growing Need for Opposition Research -- on Yourself -- in Today's Political World
After the blackface scandals involving Virginia politicians, expect more candidates to dig up dirt on themselves while keeping in mind the changing culture of America and the power of the internet.
February 14, 2018
Ill-Prepared and Underfunded, Election Officials Brace for More Cyberattacks
Federal intelligence officials warned Congress on Tuesday that Russia will again attempt to influence the elections through cyber-warfare. New reports shed light on the inadequacy of state and local security systems.
February 14, 2018
Do Charter Schools Worsen Segregation?
They largely serve minority students, but supporters say that’s not a problem -- it’s actually the point.
February 14, 2018
Citing Costs, Some GOP Governors Refuse to Hold Special Elections
Florida's Rick Scott and Wisconsin's Scott Walker say it's about the money. Democrats -- emboldened after a series of wins, including on Tuesday -- say the Republicans are trying to avoid losing more legislative seats.
February 13, 2018
Dismissed for Competence?
Hannes Zacharias helped his Kansas county win national recognition for a variety of programs. The county commissioners had nothing but praise for him. Then they fired him.
February 7, 2018
After GOP Loss in Missouri, Some Blame Scandal-Plagued Governor
Democrats flipped a state House seat on Tuesday. Some say Eric Greitens, whose extramarital affair has prompted a criminal investigation, is the reason. But he shows no signs of quitting.
February 1, 2018
How Sexual Harassment Scandals Are Shaking Up Special Elections
Ten states have special legislative elections this month -- several because politicians facing allegations have either left office or committed suicide.
January 31, 2018
Trump's State of the Union Takes Hard Line on Government Workers
At one point in his address, the president seemed to call for abolishing civil service protections for federal employees.
January 29, 2018
Transgender Issues Energize Typically Sleepy School Board Elections
The debate over who should use which bathrooms led to record turnout in at least two elections last year. Transgender advocates expect more competition this year.
January 26, 2018
Fearing Trump's Trade Policies, U.S. States and Foreign Countries Grow Closer
The president's "America First" message and his new trade barriers have caused anxiety in states where the economy depends on investment from abroad. It's pushing governors to hone their diplomatic skills.
January 25, 2018
The Tragedy and Politics of the Legionnaires’ Outbreak in Illinois
The disease has claimed 13 veterans’ lives since 2015 and may effect the governor’s reelection chances this year.
January 24, 2018
Outrage in Wisconsin as Republicans Fire State's Top Ethics and Election Officials
The firings follow a long and ongoing saga between independent agencies and the GOP-controlled legislature.
January 18, 2018
South Carolina Spent $9 Billion on Nuclear Reactors That Will Never Run. Now What?
The legislature must decide whether residents will keep being charged, possibly for decades, for the failed project.
January 18, 2018
Why 'Replacement' Governors Often Get Replaced Themselves
At least three governors will be running this year after filling in for predecessors who resigned. None of them is getting a free ride.
January 17, 2018
The Scambuster Going to War for Military Members
Service members are often targeted for financial scams and have a harder time defending themselves. Deanna Nelson is doing it for them.
January 16, 2018
How Many Lawmakers Does a Legislature Need?
California has the most people of any state, and yet it doesn't have the country's largest legislature. A ballot measure proposes to change that -- but it's complicated.
January 10, 2018
Trump's Voter Fraud Commission May Be Dead, But His Quest Continues
The president has shifted the commission's voter fraud investigation to the Department of Homeland Security. Some see that as a boon to the cause, while others say it could be problematic, especially for immigrants.
January 4, 2018
Are Progressives Giving Bill de Blasio His Due?
In a new book, one of his supporters compares the New York City mayor with other liberal mayors, and says no.
January 2, 2018
How Much Can Democrats Really Win in 2018?
Election results from November suggest they will have a big year. But with near record low representation in the states, Democrats need more than that to shift the balance of power.
December 27, 2017
'That's Me. Trump's Banning Me.': What Motivates Refugees to Run for Office in America
Some want to take on the president's politics. Others simply hope to give back to the communities that have become home.
December 21, 2017
The Quiet Revolution Happening in the Suburbs
Suburbs first gained popularity for being everything a big city wasn't. Now they want to be just like downtown.
December 20, 2017
The Only Oil-and-Gas State Not Taxing Drilling
Strapped for cash, Pennsylvania may finally grant the governor a victory and enact a severance tax. But it's an uphill battle.
December 18, 2017
Research Says Juveniles Need Their Own Miranda Rights
Studies suggest they're "too complex" for kids to understand, spurring some police departments to simplify the words they use when arresting them.
December 13, 2017
For or Against Trump? The Question Candidates for Governor Can't Escape
The president has emerged as a central issue in races all over the country, underscoring a shift toward partisanship that has intensified since his election.
December 11, 2017
In This Georgia Suburb, Old Rivalries Rule Today's Politics
"People are probably tired of their city being in the headlines," says former Snellville Mayor Kelly Kautz.
December 7, 2017
Improper Influence? Who, Us?
Wisconsin's Supreme Court justices refused to tighten the rules about when they should recuse themselves from cases. It has sparked a battle between old judges and new ones.
December 5, 2017
Where Have All the Black Mayors Gone?
Depending on the outcome of a potential recount, Atlanta's election on Tuesday could either counter or worsen the nationwide decline in the number of big-city black mayors.
November 15, 2017
State AGs Used to Play Nice in Elections. Not Anymore.
2018 will be the first big election year when attorneys general target their peers in other states. Will it hinder the history of bipartisanship among them?
November 15, 2017
The Arcane Question That Will Decide the Fate of Florida's Supreme Court
Three of them must retire on the same day Gov. Rick Scott’s term ends. But no one knows who’s replacing them yet -- Scott or his successor?
November 9, 2017
Denver Turns to P3s to Manage a Major Function
Some local leaders are nervous about public-private partnerships.
November 8, 2017
Not Just Virginia: Democrats Recover Some Ground in Several State Legislatures
Democrats gained seats in several states on Tuesday -- more in the Virginia House than they have in any single cycle since the 19th century.
November 8, 2017
Mayoral Elections Prove Successful for Incumbents and Democrats
Voters largely opted to re-elect their mayors on Tuesday -- even those under ethical clouds. In several midsized cities, though, Republican incumbents lost to Democrats.
November 8, 2017
Voters Approve Big Spending Packages at the Local Level
Tax increases passed in most places they were on the ballot.
November 7, 2017
Democrats Win Both Races for Governor
The party unexpectedly won Virginia with a comfortable margin and flipped the seat now held by Republican Chris Christie in New Jersey. But the question remains: What does that mean for 2018?
November 7, 2017
New York Voters Reject Chance to Rewrite State Constitution
Once every 20 years, the state’s citizens get the opportunity to overhaul government. Voters rejected the idea again on Tuesday.
November 7, 2017
Why Attempts to Recall State Lawmakers Are Rare
Republicans are trying to get Democrats in California and Nevada thrown out of office. Most recall elections, though, are only successful at the local level.
November 6, 2017
This Could Be the Most Expensive State Legislative Race in History. Here’s Why It’s a Waste of Money.
The teachers union in New Jersey is spending big to unseat the state Senate president.
November 3, 2017
In a Sea of Blue, California GOP Wants Leaders Who Stay True to Their Colors
The state’s Republican party recently ousted its leader for working with Democrats. Is that hardline strategy effective?
November 1, 2017
The City Preparing for Climate Change Without Ever Saying the Words
Tulsa, Okla., a conservative oil town, serves as an example of how places can overcome politics to prevent damage and save lives.
November 1, 2017
One State’s Crusade to Limit Campaign Contributions Could Have Nationwide Repercussions
Should Montana have to prove corruption to limit campaign contributions?
November 1, 2017
The Big Cities That Could Elect a New Mayor in November
Incumbent mayors are at risk of losing in several big cities. Meanwhile, some voters might elect their first woman or black woman to lead city hall.
October 26, 2017
The Local Ballot Measures Worth Watching in November
Voters will weigh in on marijuana, pre-K and taxes next month.
October 16, 2017
Consolidation Makes Sense, Yet Few Cities Have the Urge to Merge
It's an issue that's playing out right now in St. Louis County.
October 11, 2017
Democrats Have Reasons to Worry About the November Elections
The party will likely gain power in New Jersey next month, but holding onto the governor's office in Virginia is proving more challenging.
October 6, 2017
Indictment? What Indictment? Criminal Case Has Little Impact on Texas AG
Ken Paxton is the state’s latest official to seemingly survive a political scandal.
October 4, 2017
Barbershop Fiasco Inspires Call for Cutting ‘Silly’ Regulations
Most states have outdated laws. In New Hampshire, a rule about which businesses can use red, white and blue paint has spurred a backlash against such red tape.
October 3, 2017
The Man Behind Texans’ Unique Defense Plan Against Tax Increases
Art Martinez de Vara created the first "defensive city." Today, there are a string of them.
October 2, 2017
Why Can’t Seattle Find a Mayor It Likes?
Ed Murray’s resignation represents a trend: Unlike most big cities, mayors there tend to last one term -- or less.
October 1, 2017
The Paradox of Progress Underscores Atlanta Mayor’s Race
Things are looking up right now in the city. Well, at least part of it. That inequality will impact the city’s upcoming election and be the biggest issue facing its next leader.
September 20, 2017
As Protests Escalate Under Trump, States Seek New Ways to Deter Them
Stricter rules and penalties for protesting are being considered in nearly half the states.
September 19, 2017
To Wipe Out Corruption, Look to Philadelphia
The city went almost a decade without a single corruption scandal. What's its secret?
September 15, 2017
What’s ‘Proportional Voting,’ and Why Is It Making a Comeback?
Most U.S. cities abandoned it in the mid-20th century.
September 13, 2017
Will the U.S. Supreme Court Take a Stand Against Partisan Gerrymandering?
Past rulings have "made politicians think there are no boundaries around what they can do." A Wisconsin case may lead to some limits.
September 8, 2017
A Third Party Pops Up in a One-Party State
The 2016 election may have opened the door for third parties. This is most apparent in Utah.
September 6, 2017
Some States Are Treating Others Like Foreign Countries
Several ban their employees from traveling to other states for work because of policies they deem discriminatory.
September 5, 2017
How Did America's Richest State Become Such a Fiscal Mess?
Connecticut is home to many wealthy residents. Its state government, on the other hand, is feeling the consequences of what some call "two decades of bad decisions."
September 5, 2017
Divided Yet Productive: How Colorado Had a Gridlock-Free Year
The state’s split legislature passed more than 400 bills, some of which address longstanding issues.
August 31, 2017
The New Strategy for Limiting Money's Role in Elections
The dream of eliminating the influence of large, private donors from the election equation is pretty much dead. Now campaign finance reformers are shifting their focus.
August 22, 2017
Don Willett’s Lone Star Legal Show
The Texas Supreme Court justice is witty and approachable, and he's huge on Twitter. He's also one of the most influential conservative jurists in the country right now.
August 17, 2017
Work for Us – Or Else: The Rise of Noncompete Contracts
It's now common, even for lower-paying jobs, to make employees pledge their loyalty to companies. Some states are stepping in to stop the corporate abuse.
August 16, 2017
Term Limits Could Hurt Republicans in 2018
Twice as many Republicans can't run again for state legislative office. That could help Democrats, but how much?
August 11, 2017
What Happens When the Attorney General Refuses to Defend a Law?
In lawsuits involving high-profile partisan issues, some state AGs choose to sit out.
August 4, 2017
In Minneapolis, Liberal Isn’t Good Enough for the Left
“The Trump dystopia is clearly motivating people to do something, and at the local level that means running for office, even against your own party.”
August 3, 2017
Are ‘Blue Lives Matter’ Laws Just Symbolic?
Critics say laws that treat attacks against police officers as a hate crime are unnecessary and hard to enforce.
August 1, 2017
In State Budget Talks, Governors Play Hardball
Some negotiations have become so heated that legislatures have taken their fight to the courts.
July 25, 2017
Jailhouses Experiment With Ways to Lock Less People Up
Among the places testing new ways to keep low-risk offenders out of jail, Charleston, S.C., stands out.
July 14, 2017
California’s Tax Board of Confusion
The state has more tax agencies than most -- and one in particular is badly mismanaged.
July 12, 2017
State Election Officials Fear Feds Are Making Security Worse
Secretaries of state are concerned about not just the federal government's request for voter information but also the information they're not getting about election security breaches.
July 10, 2017
In Chicago, There's Pork on the Infrastructure Menu
Aldermen choose how to use infrastructure dollars from a preapproved list of projects. The result: A big spending gap between neighborhoods.
July 5, 2017
Why’s Pennsylvania's Lt. Governor Behaving So Badly?
Mike Stack is under investigation by the state’s inspector general. The results could impact the 2018 election.
July 1, 2017
Andrew Cuomo Is One of the Most Progressive Governors. (So Why Don't Liberals Like Him?)
From education to gay rights, New York's governor has racked up a long list of liberal accomplishments.
June 15, 2017
How a Community Copes at the Center of a Media Storm
When a gunman allegedly shot five people at a congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Va., his actions also impacted his hometown in Illinois.
June 15, 2017
Missouri's Eric Greitens Is Governing in the Dark
Between gag orders and secret funds, the governor isn't living up to his campaign promise of transparency.
June 14, 2017
Congressional Shooting Highlights Rise of Violence in Politics
Wednesday's shooting during a congressional baseball practice is the latest example of the increased violence -- both threatened and real -- that is seeping into America's political process.
June 14, 2017
With Governors Races Now Set, Virginia and New Jersey Shift Focus to November
Republicans currently enjoy a 2-to-1 lead among governors, but Democrats hope to start chipping away at that advantage this fall.
June 8, 2017
Firefighters' Clout Can Make Them Politically Untouchable
Their heroic image is a political asset -- one that makes changes to the profession difficult.
June 7, 2017
How a Far Left Candidate Won in a Deep Red State
The new mayor of Jackson, Miss., may offer striking evidence of a nationwide trend.
June 1, 2017
The Next Cities That Might Remove Confederate Monuments
St. Louis and Baltimore have joined the ranks of cities thinking about taking them down. Meanwhile, a countermovement is growing in state legislatures.
June 1, 2017
School Choice Debate Pits DeVos vs. Denver
The education secretary's complaints about the city's schools highlight one of her biggest priorities -- and one of her biggest battles.
June 1, 2017
How Hard Is It to Clean a Greenhouse?
Apparently very. Missouri’s Botanical Gardens just got its first power-washing since it was built in 1988.
May 30, 2017
Is Jail a Fair Punishment for Skipping Bus Fare?
In Portland, Ore., people were being locked up for the offense often -- African-Americans disproportionately so.
May 30, 2017
This Is What Happens When a Nuclear Plant Shuts Down
Plans to close an infamous plant were just announced. Such closures can be devastating for local economies -- even more so than when mining and manufacturing ceases to exist in a town.
May 23, 2017
A New Way to Spot Partisan Gerrymandering
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on racial gerrymandering Monday, but judges still can't agree on what partisan gerrymandering looks like. Social scientists may be able to help.
May 18, 2017
Democratic Norms Are Under Attack, and Not Just by Trump
Like the president, state politicians are playing by new rules and openly trying to undermine critics who threaten their power -- whether they're lawmakers, reporters or voters.
May 10, 2017
As Democrats Seek to Rebuild, Progressives Push to the Left
Parties learn from losing, not winning. The lesson many progressives have drawn from Democratic defeats in 2016 is that the party needs to more fully embrace liberal policies and candidates.
May 8, 2017
No Help From Noah: The County That Banked on a Religious Theme Park to Solve Its Money Problems
Facing bankruptcy, Grant County, Ky., invested in the park hoping for a new revenue source. But cash has yet to start flooding in.
May 5, 2017
No Politics Is Local: How America's Culture War Consumed Omaha's Race for Mayor
In what's expected to be a close election on Tuesday, major national figures have joined the campaign trail, sometimes bringing controversy over social issues with them.
May 5, 2017
U.S. Universities Fear Losing International Students
Students from abroad have become a rich revenue source for many state colleges and their towns. What happens if the Trump administration's anti-immigration sentiment and policies drive them away?
May 4, 2017
How the Rapper Pitbull Has Divided Florida's Top Politicians
The recent feud between the governor and the state's House speaker began over a tourism ad. But it goes much deeper than that.
May 1, 2017
In Indiana, Governors Push for More Control Over Education
Mike Pence tried first. Now Gov. Eric Holcomb is attempting to make the superintendent a gubernatorial appointment, leaving voters with little say over schools.
April 26, 2017
Let Me Take a Selfie: The Art of Balancing Politicians' Time With Never-Ending Photo Requests
All those snaps can take a lot of time out of an elected official's busy schedule.
April 25, 2017
What's the Best Way to Elect a City Council?
Every system has its own set of drawbacks.
April 24, 2017
Unlikely Political Allies: Urban Democrats and GOP Governors
When it comes to certain issues, they put pragmatism before politics.
April 12, 2017
Scott Walker Is a Top Target for Democrats. So Why Can't They Find Someone to Run Against Him?
A lack of serious gubernatorial candidates could be a problem for Democrats not just in Wisconsin but other states where the party is hoping to make gains next year.
April 11, 2017
Deficit in Dallas: How One of the Fastest-Growing U.S. Cities Ended Up With Billions in Debt
The city has created a huge problem for itself -- one so big that bankruptcy isn’t off the table.
April 10, 2017
Why It Took Alabama's Governor So Long to Resign
The news of Robert Bentley's affair with one of his aides broke more than a year ago. But both the governor and his party had reasons for him to stay in office.
April 7, 2017
The Golden Infrastructure Opportunity That Government Missed
States had a cheaper option for investing in infrastructure, but they didn't take it. Now, they must pay the price.
April 4, 2017
Law and the New Order: A Fresh Wave of District Attorneys Is Redefining Justice
Cities and counties across the country recently elected reform-minded DAs who are taking a more strategic approach to prosecutors' typical tough-on-crime policies.
April 1, 2017
Welfare Reform Offers a Window Into Block-Granting Medicaid
Republicans want to do with health care what they already did with cash assistance for the poor. There are lessons to be learned.
March 31, 2017
Should Lawyers Police Themselves? In Most States, They Do.
But the days of having lawyers regulate their own conduct are numbered in California. The question now is whether that will prompt others to end the controversial practice.
March 17, 2017
The Story Behind George Lucas' Museum Wars With Cities
After fighting his own battle over where to house his Star Wars stuff, he let the cities duke it out.
March 15, 2017
Can Democrats Channel Anti-Trump Anger Into Votes at the State Level?
The party is hoping to regain seats it lost during the Obama years. Democrats say there are already signs of change, but Republicans argue there's no proof of that yet.
March 7, 2017
Are South Carolina Voters Too Tolerant of Corruption?
The state’s lawmakers have a history of ethics and legal problems -- yet their constituents don’t seem to care.
March 2, 2017
Why Cooperation May Be to Blame for America's Polarized Politics
It’s time for a history lesson.
March 1, 2017
Different Party, Same People: The Virtue of Political Holdovers
Two new governors have surprised their states by keeping many of the previous administrations' cabinet members.
February 28, 2017
Trump's Speech Short on Domestic Policy Specifics
In his first joint address to Congress, the president talked a lot about improving infrastructure and health care but offered virtually no new details about how.
February 23, 2017
Is the GOP's Tea Party Over?
Arizona was the poster child for Tea Party politics. Now the state's Republican leaders are focusing instead on core establishment issues. The shift there could signal what's to come across the country.
February 15, 2017
Senate Control Up for Grabs in 3 States' Special Elections
As voters head to the polls in Connecticut, Delaware and Washington, Democrats are hoping to ride some voters' discontent with President Trump to victory.
February 13, 2017
Despite Union Resistance, Right-to-Work Momentum Is Growing
Several states have already passed right-to-work laws this year -- and their reach may finally expand into the Northeast.
February 9, 2017
Low Pay and Time Away Drive Some Lawmakers to Call It Quits
Several state legislators recently resigned, saying they want to spend more time with their families -- and they seem to mean it.
February 3, 2017
Will Trump Inspire More Celebrities to Seek Office?
Republicans in one state are already gearing up for an NFL star to run for governor.
February 3, 2017
Fracking Presents Big Problems That Towns Have Little Authority to Fix
Almost every time localities attempt to regulate the oil industry, courts or legislatures stop them.
January 31, 2017
Don't Like the Ballot Measure Voters Approved? Just Ignore It, Some Lawmakers Say.
In state capitals around the country, lawmakers are trying to block voter-approved policies. Critics say it's "lawlessness" that represents the new political climate.
January 27, 2017
'Sanctuary Cities' Just the Start of Mayors' Opposition to Trump
The president's war on progressive policies presents a dilemma for almost every big-city mayor in America. But attacking urban areas also carries big risks for the president.
January 23, 2017
Will Trump Kill Criminal Justice Reform’s Momentum?
It’s become a rare, bipartisan issue. But if the president's campaign rhetoric is any indication, the window of opportunity for change may have closed.
January 19, 2017
Thanks to Trump, 2 States Are Getting New Governors
As Gov. Nikki Haley heads off to work in the Trump administration, South Carolina could see some real political change.
January 18, 2017
To Battle Trump, State Democrats Will Use GOP’s Own Tactics
Democrats are preparing to fight the new administration's policies like Trump's pick to lead the EPA fought Obama's: with lawsuit after lawsuit. But can Democratic AGs make a difference with their diminished numbers?
January 13, 2017
In Legal Fight Against U.S. Towns, Muslims May Lose Major Ally
The Justice Department has sued several municipalities for blocking mosques and Islamic schools from being built. But the future of those lawsuits under a Trump administration is unclear.
January 12, 2017
The Democrats’ Geography Problem
An overwhelming share of their voters live in metropolitan areas. Will their appeal ever expand beyond?
January 6, 2017
Is a New Battle Brewing Over Soda Taxes?
As more cities start taxing sugary beverages, the industry may turn to new allies to block them.
January 6, 2017
Bad Budget News? Some States Just Bury It.
Observers say Kansas is trying to “end bad economic news by not reporting it.” It’s not the only state being accused of hindering transparency.
January 3, 2017
In Trump’s America, GOP States Proceed Cautiously Optimistic
With the most power over U.S. government that any party has had in decades, Republicans have hit the jackpot. The new administration will embolden states’ rights, but it could also create problems for them.
January 1, 2017
America’s One and Only City Council Run by Libertarians
In a Minnesota suburb, libertarians are making a lot of changes people might expect. But not everyone is happy.
December 16, 2016
Why Being a University President Isn’t a Stable Job Anymore
Their resignations, once rare, have seemingly become a frequent occurrence.
December 14, 2016
Gov. John Bel Edwards Wants Payback, Louisiana-Style
In the latest chapter of his feud with the state’s attorney general, Edwards is taking on the oil and gas industry -- but with some controversial allies.
December 12, 2016
Will Florida Ever Strike a Deal on Workers’ Comp?
With the state's law in limbo and so many players at the table -- employers, unions, insurers, attorneys and lawmakers -- it will be hard to reach an agreement.
December 9, 2016
With Little Warning, Maine Governor Overhauls Public Health
Paul LePage’s abrupt decision left lawmakers and public health workers with unanswered questions as they struggle to battle a drug epidemic.
December 7, 2016
Tragedy Reshapes Mayor’s Race in Baton Rouge
Whoever wins this month faces the tough job of uniting and rebuilding a community that’s still hurting from deadly police shootings and floods.
December 1, 2016
In Life After Coal, Appalachia Attempts to Reinvent Itself
The decline of the mining industry started long before the Obama administration and will likely continue even with Trump in the White House. That's why local leaders are starting to diversify their economies and prepare their people for an uncertain future.
November 18, 2016
Political Segregation Is Growing and 'We're Living With the Consequences'
Author Bill Bishop, who has spent years studying America's urban-rural divide, discusses what it means for politics and progress.
November 18, 2016
This Nonprofit Is Funding Good Ideas From People, Not Big Organizations
It’s part of a new philanthropic approach to improving neighborhoods.
November 15, 2016
A Symbol of Government Failure Gets a Second Chance
The site of a long-gone but still-criticized public housing complex in St. Louis is being redeveloped. Will history repeat itself?
November 11, 2016
With Control of More States, Conservatives Plan Their Course
Republicans in many states are now free to pursue their agendas on taxes, labor and social policies without Democrats standing in the way.
November 9, 2016
Voters in 4 States Limit Money's Role in U.S. Politics
They took steps to repeal the Citizens United ruling, limit campaign contribution limits and create publicly financed elections.
November 9, 2016
Republicans Add to Their Dominance of State Legislatures
The GOP successfully defended its majorities in most chambers and also picked up chambers in Kentucky and Iowa, giving the party full control of those states.
November 9, 2016
Liberals Win a Few Victories at the Local Level
Despite the Trump tide, voters at the local level approved new taxes on soda and bond measures for housing and transportation. They also ousted several tough-on-crime prosecutors, as well as Trump ally Joe Arpaio.
November 9, 2016
Automatic Voter Registration Is Spreading. How Will That Impact Turnout in Future Elections?
Alaska is the latest state to adopt a system in which residents will be automatically registered to vote.
November 9, 2016
How Old Is Too Old to Be a Judge? Voters in 4 States Got to Decide.
Voters generally agreed to raise the age limits -- but not do away with them altogether.
November 9, 2016
With Independents on the Rise, Colorado Changes Its Election Rules
Voters in the state approved ballot measures that would, among other things, let unaffiliated voters participate in primaries.
November 9, 2016
Maine Becomes First State to Adopt a Whole New Way of Voting
Unhappy with the results of their past elections, Mainers have opted for ranked-choice voting. It could lead to more civilized politics but lower voter turnout.
November 9, 2016
Election Brings Change to How Minnesota Lawmakers Are Paid
Like most state legislators in America, Minnesota's were in charge of their own pay -- and yet, they haven't had a raise in 20 years.
November 9, 2016
D.C. Inches Closer to Becoming the 51st State
The plan to achieve statehood easily won voters' support on Tuesday. But will it win the support of Congress?
November 9, 2016
Amid Governor's Scandal, Alabamians Clarify Impeachment Rules
A constitutional tweak became embroiled in talk of impeachment, misuse of funds and an alleged affair by Gov. Robert Bentley.
November 9, 2016
Voters Make Missouri a Voter ID State
GOP lawmakers in the state have been trying to pass a voter ID law for a decade. They finally got their way.
November 7, 2016
Legislative Races Offer Democrats Opportunities to Grow
Democrats have lost control of 20 legislative chambers since Barack Obama took office. But with the president's help, they should gain some back on Tuesday.
November 4, 2016
In New England, 2 Blue States May Go Red for Governor
New Hampshire and Vermont, one of Hillary Clinton's strongest states, are the GOP's best chances to increase their gubernatorial numbers this year.
November 3, 2016
Why Politicians Shouldn’t Sweat the Primaries
It’s nearly impossible for incumbents to lose a primary. So when they do get the boot, what happened?
November 1, 2016
The End of Private Prisons in America? Not So Fast.
The federal government is closing them, but that doesn’t mean states will.
November 1, 2016
Who Should Judge the Judges?
That age-old debate got a fresh hearing in Georgia.
October 28, 2016
In Red-State Races for Governor, Democrats Could Score Wins
Democrats have a chance at winning in five states that voted against Barack Obama in 2012.
October 18, 2016
Phoenix’s Ambitious Plan to Beat the Desert Heat
In just over a decade, officials want to cover a quarter of the city in shade.
October 14, 2016
How Many Republicans Will Trump Take Down With Him?
Donald Trump has divided the GOP. Democrats are hoping to use that as an opportunity to rebuild their ranks in state legislatures.
October 7, 2016
From Hundreds to Thousands of Inspections: How Pittsburgh Is Winning the Permit Game
It was once practically impossible to get a building inspected in the city. Now it’s easier than ever.
October 5, 2016
The Political Blood Feud in the Bluegrass
Rarely do politicians quarrel as openly as Kentucky’s governor and attorney general. Family ties may have something to do with it.
September 30, 2016
The Week in Politics: Tracing a Prosecutor's Downfall, Corruption in the East and More
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
September 30, 2016
Texas Governor Leads Push to Rewrite the U.S. Constitution
Even if Greg Abbott spurs a national constitutional convention, there are many unanswered questions surrounding such an event.
September 29, 2016
How Unregulated Dark Money Is Reshaping State Politics
Several governors are using nonprofits to get themselves elected and promote their agendas once in office -- without ever having to disclose where the money came from.
September 23, 2016
Will the Least Popular Governors Hurt Their Parties in November?
Many lawmakers up for re-election are distancing themselves from their unpopular executive leader. But that may not be enough to win.
September 21, 2016
Governors Refuse to Stay on Sidelines for Legislative Races
Several Republican governors have actively campaigned against lawmakers in their own party this year -- in most cases, only to see their efforts backfire.
September 20, 2016
Overworked and Underfunded, Public Defenders See Some Light
Poor criminal defendants rarely get an attorney who has time to adequately defend them. Some states, spurred by lawsuits, are starting to address the issue.
September 16, 2016
The Week in Politics: Highlights From the Last 4 State Primaries of 2016
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
September 9, 2016
The Week in Politics: New Hampshire's Unpredictable Governor's Race, a Mayor in Trouble and More
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
September 7, 2016
State AGs Are Increasingly Powerful -- and Partisan
The controversy surrounding Trump University showcases some of the sticky political situations that many attorneys general have been getting themselves in.
September 2, 2016
The Week in Politics: Cranky Governors' Voicemails and Surprisingly Close Primary Races
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
September 1, 2016
New Minimum-Wage Laws Apply to More Industries
Exempting certain types of workers from raises is becoming a thing of the past.
August 26, 2016
The Week in Politics: Indiana's Tight Governor's Race, Election Law Rulings and More
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
August 24, 2016
1 Day, 2 Firings, No Explanations
The Atlanta mayor’s recent and abrupt termination of two agency leaders left many shocked.
August 19, 2016
The Week in Politics: The Upside of Low Voter Turnout, Incumbent Lawmaker Losses and More
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
August 12, 2016
The Week in Politics: Longtime Legislators Lose, Politicians Run Into Legal Problems and More
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
August 12, 2016
Even the Giants Are Complaining About San Francisco Real Estate
The Major League Baseball team wants a big break on property taxes. Will they win?
August 8, 2016
Can Democrats Be Too Liberal, Even for Vermont?
In one of the country's bluest states, a Republican may be the next governor.
August 5, 2016
The Week in Politics: Missouri's Record-Breaking Primary, Democrats Lose a Long-Held Office in Washington and More
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
August 4, 2016
Civil Forfeiture Laws Pit Police Versus Everybody Else
Conservatives and liberals are teaming up to restrict or ban the laws that let officers seize billions of dollars a year from people who haven’t been convicted or, sometimes, even charged with a crime.
August 3, 2016
Why Voter ID Laws Are Losing Judges' Support
In one week, federal courts struck down such laws in four states, marking a significant shift in the legal battle over voting rules.
August 2, 2016
Can Counties Fix Rural America's Endless Recession?
The inability of most rural places to recover from the economic downturn is fueling political and social problems around the nation.
August 1, 2016
The GOP’s Hispanic Problem
Republicans have been losing the key demographics’ support since 2000. Democrats hope Donald Trump will keep that trend going.
August 1, 2016
State Budgets’ Forecast: Cloudy With a Chance of Transparency
In an era of tight budgets and slow revenue growth, there’s pressure on legislators to be open and honest about what states can and can’t afford.
July 29, 2016
The Week in Politics: Governors' Campaign Finance Problems, Oldest Legislator Ousted and More
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
July 29, 2016
Politicians Focus Business Incentives on Catching the Big Fish
Most states are low on cash, but they’re still willing to spend to attract top-shelf companies like Tesla.
July 25, 2016
Do Governors Make Better Vice Presidents?
Governors are rarely VP picks, yet Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump both selected one for the increasingly powerful office.
July 22, 2016
The Week in Politics: Picking Pence's Successor and a Blow to Voting Restrictions
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
July 21, 2016
Why Rural America Is Increasingly Red
In recent years, more rural voters have flocked to the GOP -- a trend that will likely impact this year's governors races.
July 19, 2016
Abolishing Civil Service: Reform or Cronyism?
Whether Wisconsin's approach makes hiring for government jobs more efficient -- or simply politicizes it -- will influence if and how other states revisit their civil service systems.
July 14, 2016
What a Pence-Trump Ticket Means
There are implications not only for the presidential race but the Indiana governor's election as well.
July 8, 2016
The Week in Politics: What a Pence-Trump Ticket Would Mean and a Rare Example of Moderates
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
July 5, 2016
What Trump Means for State and Local Races
Donald Trump and this year’s bizarre presidential race will affect elections all over the country. What’s not clear is how.
July 1, 2016
The Week in Politics: Utah Governor's Big Win, Teachers' Legislative Takeover Attempt and More
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
July 1, 2016
The City Where Mayors Still Run the Show
Of all American towns, Baltimore gives its mayors some of the most control. Some hate that, yet attempts to change it have failed.
June 30, 2016
A School Construction Mess Proves Money Doesn’t Solve Everything
Despite $1 billion worth of investment, San Diego’s school buildings are still in disrepair.
June 29, 2016
In Wake of McDonnell Ruling, What Counts as Corruption?
Politicians can do a lot of favors for people, so long as they don't cross over the legal line. The U.S. Supreme Court's decision means that line has to be drawn quite clearly.
June 27, 2016
Bob McDonnell and the Illusion of Ethics Reform
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned former Gov. Bob McDonnell's corruption conviction on Monday. Before that, the case led Virginia lawmakers to set stricter ethics rules -- or so it seemed.
June 27, 2016
Why States’ Tax-Cut Fever Has Subsided
After watching tax-slashing states struggle financially, some governors and legislators have stopped calling for cuts. But that doesn’t mean they won’t start again.
June 17, 2016
The Week in Politics: GOP Governors Lose Allies, Novice Pulls Off Stunning Upset and More
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
June 16, 2016
Uncontested Legislative Races Are Becoming More Common
Some say political parties are missing opportunities to boost their numbers. But others argue quality is more important than quantity.
June 13, 2016
A Midwest Test of Voters' Tolerance for the Establishment
In the GOP primary on Tuesday, a Donald Trump-supporting businessman has a chance of beating a career politician in the North Dakota governor's race.
June 10, 2016
The Week in Politics: Where Conservatives Lost (and Gained) Ground and More
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
June 7, 2016
Why Mixing Business With Politics Is Becoming More Popular
Taking a stance can not only benefit a cause but also a company.
June 6, 2016
Why a Well-Liked Governor Faces a Tough Election
Even with high approval ratings and a strong state economy, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock has to fight hard to keep his job this year.
June 3, 2016
The Week in Politics: Dems' Fightin' Words, Plus How Term Limits May Actually Help Incumbents
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
June 1, 2016
The Death Penalty’s New Skeptics
In states across the country, conservatives are starting to question the cost and legality of capital punishment.
May 27, 2016
The Week in Politics: Dems' Voting Guy Gets Busy, Mayors Ousted and More
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
May 25, 2016
LGBT Battle Underscores the Powerlessness of Being Governor in North Carolina
The real power lies with the state’s increasingly conservative legislature, which may be hurting Gov. Pat McCrory’s chances of re-election in November.
May 24, 2016
Something Is Rotten in the State of Alabama
Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard is going on trial this week for corruption charges. He's just one of the state's many top government officials facing legal or ethics scandals.
May 20, 2016
The Week in Politics: Passing the Tab for Special Elections, Changing Campaign Finance Laws and More
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
May 16, 2016
Losing Control in Legislatures, Democrats Shift Focus to Ballots
To further their causes, Democrats are bypassing lawmakers and turning to voters.
May 13, 2016
The Week in Politics: A $50 Million High School Stadium, an Assault Victim's Victory and More
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
May 12, 2016
Does Size Matter? The Latest Battle Over State Supreme Courts
Over the past decade, legislators in several states have sought to expand or reduce the number of justices on their highest courts. In some cases, they admit their intent to tilt the ideological balance.
May 6, 2016
The Week in Politics: GOP Governors' Best Chance to Grow, What Rematches Mean for Democrats and More
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
May 6, 2016
Turning Black Lives Matter Protests Into Policy
A bipartisan group of public officials, called the 20/20 Club, is working to translate the energy of the movement into meaningful legislation on law enforcement and criminal justice.
May 5, 2016
Has School Choice Been All It Set Out to Be?
As the movement slows, policymakers have the opportunity to explore whether school choice has improved education overall.
May 2, 2016
Why Is Public Corruption So Common in South Texas?
In Crystal City, nearly every public official is facing criminal charges. But it’s not the region’s only place plagued by corruption.
April 25, 2016
Free Community College Gets Financial Aid From White House
Congress rejected the president's proposal for tuition-free community college, so his administration is instead helping regions launch the program themselves.
April 22, 2016
The Week in Politics: New York Senate in Play, Baltimore Mayor's Race and Political Feuding in Kentucky
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
April 15, 2016
The Week in Politics: The GOP Goes for More Legislative Seats, de Blasio's Bad Week and More
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
April 13, 2016
Bathrooms and the Bible: The Latest Front in States' Culture Wars
Debates over LGBT rights have helped define differences between red and blue states.
April 8, 2016
The Week in Politics: A Bipartisan Approach to Voter Registration and the Latest Election Results
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
April 7, 2016
Window for Criminal Justice Reform Closing in Congress
It’s one of the few issues with bipartisan support in Washington. But for several reasons, the chances for change this year are dwindling.
April 4, 2016
U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Traditional Redistricting Methods
The justices unanimously rejected a challenge to the way Texas -- and every other state -- draws its legislative lines. They did, however, leave one question unsettled.
April 4, 2016
What Well-Liked Governors Have in Common
Many of the governors with the highest approval ratings were elected on the other party’s turf.
April 1, 2016
The Week in Politics: Legislatures Take On Minimum Wage, Legal Scandals in the South and More
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
March 25, 2016
Beyond North Carolina's LGBT Battle: States' War on Cities
North Carolina's fight over LGBT protections is part of a larger recent shift in political dynamics: States are thwarting local laws any chance they get -- while simultaneously complaining about federal intrusion on their own.
March 25, 2016
The Week in Politics: A Governor's Alleged Affair, Trump Troubles and the State of Redistricting
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
March 16, 2016
Lieutenant Governors: On the Rise and Out the Door
With more qualified people in the position, the job is becoming more of a stepping stone to higher office.
March 11, 2016
The Week in Politics: Democrats Preserve Remaining Power in South, While State Parties Keep Losing It
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
March 11, 2016
The Rise of the Rich Governor
More than half a dozen governors are worth more than $100 million, worrying many about the influence of money on state politics.
March 9, 2016
Remembering Rubio's Record as Florida House Speaker
His tenure was marked with disappointment, embarrassment and little to brag about. But his anti-tax stance helped him politically.
March 4, 2016
The Week in Politics: Super Tuesday Results You May Have Missed
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
March 2, 2016
'It Should Be on HBO Boxing': New York's Biggest Political Rivalry
New York governors and mayors have often squabbled, but no one can remember a time when relations were worse -- and costing New York City so much.
March 1, 2016
Stuck in a State of Disarray, Maine Politics Stand Still
Divided government is always challenging, but what's happening in Maine right now -- where Gov. Paul LePage and the legislature are barely on speaking terms -- is an exercise in extreme political hostility.
February 26, 2016
Too Many Chiefs? Chief Bike Officer Is the Latest Addition
Despite their important-sounding titles, many of the growing number of “chiefs” in government don't have much actual authority.
February 26, 2016
The Week in Politics: Scalia Battle Mirrors State Court Fights, Ferguson Makes History and More
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
February 25, 2016
Right-to-Work Laws Top Republican Wish Lists
With the recent addition of West Virginia, a majority of states now make it harder for unions to collect dues. More could soon be added to the list.
February 19, 2016
The Week in Politics: Democrats Struggle in Coal Country, Christie Struggles at Home
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
February 12, 2016
The Week in Politics: Top Officials at Risk and Unresolved 2016 Election Maps
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
February 9, 2016
What Would Happen If America Made Voting Mandatory?
Dozens of other countries force their citizens to participate in elections.
February 5, 2016
Gas Tax Increases Still a Hard Sell in States and Congress
Just as proposals to increase gas taxes to pay for roads have failed in most states, Obama's latest pitch to tax oil companies is likely dead on arrival.
February 5, 2016
The Week in Politics: State Legislative Race Predictions, a New Voter Registration Rule and Campaign Problems
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
January 29, 2016
The Week in Politics: What to Watch in the Caucuses, Voter ID on Trial and Budget Blame
The most important election news and political dynamics at the state and local levels.
January 22, 2016
Love Urban Planning and Board Games? This Is For You.
Called Cards Against Urbanity, the game is a twist on the popular and politically incorrect Cards Against Humanity.
January 22, 2016
The Week in Politics: Flint Fallout, Corruption in Court and One State's New Supermajority
The most important election news and political dynamics impacting states and localities.
January 20, 2016
Milwaukee's Problems Leave Longtime Mayor Vulnerable
Most of the city's problems, the mayor argues, are out of his control. Will voters blame and oust him anyways?
January 12, 2016
SOTU Pushes Nikki Haley's Spotty Record Into the Spotlight
The South Carolina governor has been selected to give the GOP's response to the State of the Union. Despite her popularity, she struggles to lead her own state.
January 6, 2016
Iowa’s Perennial Power Player
Republicans have the governorship and the state House in Iowa, but Democrats have Mike Gronstal, who adheres to the old-fashioned sense that voters elect politicians to work on policy before retreating to their respective partisan corners.
January 1, 2016
Breaking Down the 2016 Governors Races
Republicans could strengthen their power in many states this year, but Democrats only have realistic chances in two.
December 25, 2015
When Politicians Behaved Badly Around Kids This Year
From proposing Planned Parenthood mascots to silencing 10-year-old advocates, lawmakers weren't always on their best behavior around the children.
December 21, 2015
Can New Mexico Break Its Cycle of Corruption?
The conviction and incarceration of former Secretary of State Dianna Duran is the latest in a long history of scandals. Lawmakers are pushing ethics reforms, but some doubt change will come.
December 18, 2015
Will Peer Pressure Prevail in the Push to Let Young Teens Vote?
A few cities recently lowered the voting age to 16 for local elections. The idea has been debated for years but now appears to have some momentum.
December 16, 2015
Campaign Spending’s Gray Areas Getting Politicians in Trouble
High-level officials around the country have recently been caught misusing their campaign funds.
December 15, 2015
The Waning Power of State Political Parties
They’re far from irrelevant, but campaign financing laws have hurt their influence.
December 14, 2015
Terry Branstad Breaks Record for Longest-Serving U.S. Governor
The Iowa Republican, who's been in office through three economic downturns, surpasses the 18th-century governor who previously held the title.
December 14, 2015
Is Bigger and Better Always the Best for Suburbia?
Old houses are being torn down and replaced in suburbs all over the country. But not everyone, especially the people being priced out of once-affordable neighborhoods, is happy seeing the past obliterated.
December 9, 2015
In Test of Houston's Liberalism, Democrat Wins Mayor's Race
Last month, voters in America's fourth biggest city rejected a gay rights law. This month, they elected a new mayor dedicated to expanding government services.
November 18, 2015
Louisiana Governor's Race Tightens in Final Days
The election has been less about issues and more about personalities -- but not always the candidates'.
November 18, 2015
States Are Putting the Brakes on Driver’s Ed
Over the last decade, many have stopped funding it. Are the roads more dangerous?
November 11, 2015
The End of Political Polling?
The Kentucky governor's race is just the latest example of how election polls have become less accurate, more expensive and harder to gauge public opinion.
November 9, 2015
Welcome to Jobs Inc., Where States Have Little Say
Several states have decided the way to juice up economic development is to turn it over to a corporation outside the government bureaucracy. Is it working?
November 5, 2015
The State Where Women Take the Lead
Oregon has long had more women in top political positions than practically any other state. There may be several reasons why.
November 4, 2015
How People Voted on Local Ballot Measures Across the Country
Social conservatives hailed the rejection of a gay rights measure in Houston. But progressives were able to claim victory elsewhere.
November 4, 2015
Democrats, Women and LGBT Win Big in Mayoral Races
Most incumbents won re-election, while several cities elected their first female or openly gay mayors.
November 3, 2015
Democrats' Waning Power in the South Weakens More
The Republican businessman will succeed term-limited Democrat Steve Beshear, weakening the Democrats' power in one of the last Southern states where they still have some.
November 3, 2015
How One City Is Increasing Diversity in Politics
Seattle is largely run by older white men, but changes in the city's election law will likely make its politicians more representative of the people.
October 30, 2015
How Bathrooms Became a Political Battleground
As rights for transgender people are debated across the country, a surprising amount of attention is on where they can go to the bathroom.
October 22, 2015
Which States Could Adopt Automatic Voter Registration Next?
Several states may soon follow California and Oregon's lead, but almost all of them are Democratic-led.
October 19, 2015
The Nation's Closest Race for Governor
In Kentucky, one of the few Southern states where Democrats still hold power, it's a tossup between a Republican businessman appealing to religious conservatives and a Democratic AG distancing himself from Obama.
October 14, 2015
Climate Change Fight Gets Cash From the Right
One conservative billionaire wants to convince his fellow Republicans to believe in climate change. Can his money make a difference?
October 5, 2015
Nevada Shines Light Onto America's Future
Rocked by heavy immigration and demographic change, Nevada must retool its government to cope with the new reality. It’s a sign of things to come in the rest of the country.
October 2, 2015
From Campaign Finance to Pot, Progressives Look to Local Voters
Giving up on the gridlock at the federal and state levels, progressives are turning their attention to local ballots to get their ideas passed. But policies that sell well in cities won't always work statewide.
October 1, 2015
The Most Important Mayoral Races of 2015
Most incumbents are safe bets for re-election, but races remain unpredictable in several big cities.
September 25, 2015
Why Candidates With No Experience Are Winning Over Voters
The truck driver who won the Democratic bid for Mississippi governor -- without spending a cent -- is the latest in a string of nominees for statewide office who lack any political experience.
September 24, 2015
GOP Could Sweep 2015 Governors Races
If Republicans do win in every state this year, it could be a bad omen for Democrats in 2016.
September 23, 2015
In Politics, Chambers of Commerce Carve Their Niche
The business community has a reputation for being skeptical about public spending and regulations. But on some issues, they're actually government’s strongest ally.
September 16, 2015
Even in One-Party States, Republicans Battle Over Budgets
Some are taking longer than they have in decades to pass a budget. Why can't the GOP work together?
September 15, 2015
The Governor at War With Both Political Parties
Maine Gov. Paul LePage has become so unpopular with lawmakers that many Democrats and Republicans have united against him. What does that mean for the next three years?
September 14, 2015
Why Women's Presence in Politics Has Stagnated
Women have held less than 25 percent of all state legislative seats for years. But both parties are trying to recruit more female candidates.
September 9, 2015
In Thriving Nashville, a Very Negative Race for Mayor
Thursday's election will test the appeal of anti-government populism in a booming Democratic city.
August 18, 2015
From Marijuana to Gas: Tax Issues on the Ballot in 2015
A rundown of the most important tax-related measures facing voters this November.
August 13, 2015
Will Raising the Minimum Wage Raise Rents Too?
In some of the country’s most expensive cities to live, economists worry increased incomes will put even more pressure on housing markets.
August 11, 2015
The Elections No One Cares About
Turnout in local elections has gotten so low that some places might start practically paying people to vote. But there's a simpler, cheaper way to get more people to the polls.
August 6, 2015
The 2015 Race That Could Turn the South a Deeper Red
Republicans want to make Kentucky the next Southern state with a GOP governor. It won't be easy.
August 5, 2015
When Governors Travel, Who Pays?
With so many governors running for president, new attention is being given to how out-of-state political trips are funded.
August 1, 2015
Missouri Stays Purple While Other States Turn Red
Republicans may have a supermajority in the legislature, but they can't seem to win statewide offices.
July 31, 2015
Jefferson Who? Democrats Are Disowning Their Founders
In several states, the Democratic party is dropping the name of slave-owning presidents from annual fundraising dinners.
July 28, 2015
If Congress Finally Overhauls Education, Are States Ready?
For the first time in more than a decade, the House and Senate have passed bills to rewrite the No Child Left Behind law and give states more freedom in education.
July 22, 2015
How the Never-Ending Battle of Redistricting Will Impact 2016
Florida and Virginia (and possibly two other states) have to redraw their unconstitutional voting maps for the 2016 election. Similar legal challenges are only likely to increase in coming years.
July 16, 2015
Will New Housing Rules Really Reduce Racial Segregation?
After many places failed to enforce parts of the 1968 Fair Housing Act, the feds are trying again. But this time, they're offering agencies more help.
July 10, 2015
Why So Many Attorneys General Are in Legal Peril
A striking number of current and former state AGs are facing criminal charges or investigations.
July 3, 2015
Hawaii Raises Smoking Age to 21
Hawaii recently became the first state to raise the legal age for buying cigarettes to 21.
July 1, 2015
True Believer: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker
Walker has proved to be an effective leader in one of the most polarized states. But how will the conservative governor’s record in Wisconsin translate to a presidential bid?
July 1, 2015
The Republican Who Helped Elect Obama and Now Wants Montgomery, Alabama, to Elect Him
Former Democratic Congressman Artur Davis is hoping to beat the odds in his hometown.
June 26, 2015
Slain Senator Remembered as 'Moral Conscience' of Legislature
Clementa Pinckney was killed in the Charleston church shooting, but his legislative legacies will live on.
June 23, 2015
How Bobby Jindal, a Rising Star, Plummeted Back to Earth
As the Louisiana governor prepares to make his presidential run official on Wednesday, he's struggling to find support at home and nationally.
June 19, 2015
The Forgotten Governors Trailing the Presidential Pack
The increasingly large Republican field includes several governors (like Jim Gilmore) who are trying to make a comeback after being absent from politics for years.
June 2, 2015
Divided Legislatures Produce Gridlock, Not Compromise
In most states where Democrats and Republicans split control of the legislative chambers, getting anything done has been a struggle this year. But there is at least one exception.
June 1, 2015
A Win for Political Compromise
A primary challenge this week sent a message to politicians nationwide about how much freedom they have to step outside party lines.
June 1, 2015
The Story Behind the Prominent Rise of State AGs
The role of attorney general in states has evolved from policy enforcer to policy creator.
June 1, 2015
The Tyrannosaurus Rex of State Politics
Billionaire Rex Sinquefield's crusade to control Missouri politics sheds light on the power and limits of money in contemporary American politics.
May 29, 2015
Why States' Campaign Donation Limits Could Be in Jeopardy
A federal appeals court decided this week that states can only limit campaign contributions if they can somehow prove that they lead to corruption.
May 22, 2015
Is Kasich Conservative Enough for 2016 Republican Voters?
While other GOP presidential contenders will be touting their conservative policies, Ohio Gov. John Kasich would have to defend his.
May 11, 2015
Arkansas Cities Defy State Law With LGBT Protections
Local governments are likely headed for legal trouble after taking a stand against the state's new law that blocks them from banning discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
May 7, 2015
Mayor Martin O'Malley Versus Governor Martin O'Malley
Baltimore's unrest has cast a negative spotlight on the probable presidential candidate's tough-on-crime policies as mayor. But as governor, he left a liberal legacy on nearly every front.
May 5, 2015
In Arkansas, Huckabee Was a Believer in Big Government
Mike Huckabee may be one of the more conservative presidential candidates, but as governor, he expanded government programs and increased taxes.
May 1, 2015
Tracing Chris Christie's Fall From the Top
Once considered a "master of disaster" and frontrunner in the presidential race, the New Jersey governor is now neither.
May 1, 2015
Government Accountability? GOP Says No Thanks, Wisconsin
Republicans are attacking the state’s ethics board for engaging in partisan witch-hunts, particularly for its investigation of Gov. Scott Walker.
May 1, 2015
Lawmaking Behind Closed Doors Under Fire in States
As the saga of Hillary Clinton’s emails has shown the world yet again, looking like you might have something to hide immediately arouses suspicion.
April 29, 2015
The Next Baltimore?
Freddie Gray's death sparked the riots in Baltimore, but they reveal deep systemic problems that plague many American cities.
April 23, 2015
Lincoln Chafee's Not-So-Brag-Worthy Record as Governor
To the surprise of many, Lincoln Chafee, the Republican-turned-Independent-turned-Democrat, joined the presidential race Wednesday.
April 15, 2015
What Not to Do When Asking Voters to Increase Their Taxes
Voters in a wealthy suburb of St. Louis rejected tax increases to fund schools last week.
April 15, 2015
Rick Perry Runs for Redemption
After stumbling off the stage during his last presidential run and being indicted on criminal charges, Texas’ longest-serving and possibly most influential governor wants to redeem his political career.
April 7, 2015
Now Seen as Moderate, Jeb Bush Governed Florida Like a 'Conservative Hurricane'
The latest presidential candidate cut government's role and taxes every year he was governor.
April 2, 2015
Do Protests Impact Whether and How People Vote?
History shows that large-scale protests are no guarantee for change.
April 1, 2015
The Battle for Alamo City
The San Antonio mayoral race is crowded.
April 1, 2015
Patience and Pragmatism Dominate Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s First 100 Days
For the first time in more than a century, Arkansas is completely controlled by Republicans. But the new governor has slowly and deliberately built bipartisanship in the legislature.
April 1, 2015
Common Core Critics Are Loud But Losing
The nationwide pushback against the education standards hasn't been very successful.
April 1, 2015
Why Some Lawmakers Want to Abolish the 17th Amendment
Adopted in 1913, it took the job of electing U.S. senators away from state legislatures.
March 31, 2015
Foundation Funds Fresh Ideas for Urban Living
From "houselets" to "regional play days," the Knight Foundation is giving $5 million to people or organizations around the country with new ideas to improve cities.
March 19, 2015
College Cuts Clash With Calls for Better-Educated Workers
At a time when Obama is calling for free community college and governors want better-educated workforces, some states are considering big cuts to higher education.
March 16, 2015
Why 2016 Voters May Favor Governors Over Senators
With confidence in Congress at an all-time low, governors' distance from D.C. politics could help them win over some voters in the presidential race.
March 10, 2015
As State Civics Testing Grows, Critics Worry It's Not Enough
Following Arizona's footsteps, states are starting to make students pass the U.S. citizenship test that immigrants take in an effort to create a better-informed citizenry.
March 1, 2015
Q&A With States’ and Localities’ New Man in D.C.
The head of the White House Office of Governmental Affairs talks about his plans for the job and what to expect on the domestic front during Obama’s remaining time in office.
March 1, 2015
In Red States, Cities Can’t Win
The lack of urban legislators in Republican states means cities will have their concerns largely ignored or challenged.
February 18, 2015
Gov. Kitzhaber's Replacement Unlikely to Upend Oregon Politics
After succeeding embattled Gov. John Kitzhaber Wednesday, Democratic Secretary of State Kate Brown is expected to pursue policies in line with her predecessors.
February 13, 2015
The Perils of Political Spouses
Oregon Gov. Kitzhaber, who's now resigning, is just the latest politician in a controversy involving his significant other -- a phenomenon some say will grow in the era of dual-career households.
February 11, 2015
Cities Confront Long-Neglected DNA Evidence in Rape Cases
With about 400,000 untested rape kits nationwide, officials at the federal, state and local levels are devoting new attention and money to reducing the backlog.
February 1, 2015
Do Cities Need Kids?
Seattle is one place that’s trying to figure that out.
February 1, 2015
U.S. Supreme Court to Rule on the Meaning of ‘Legislature’
How it’s defined could impact state election laws from campaign finance to voter ID.
January 26, 2015
5 Reasons State House Speakers May Be Prone to Corruption
Sheldon Silver, who lost his job as one of the most powerful political posts in New York, is the fourth state house speaker to face legal trouble over the past year.
January 21, 2015
Obama State of the Union Addresses Domestic Issues
Despite making frequent calls for bipartisanship, President Obama delivered a State of the Union address that was clearly, and unsurprisingly, a call to arms in favor of Democratic priorities.
January 19, 2015
How Majority Parties Can Lose Leadership Positions in the Legislative 'Game of Thrones'
After winning majorities last fall, Republicans managed to lose leadership elections in New Hampshire and Washington state.
January 14, 2015
Are Pardons Becoming More Politically Acceptable?
Gubernatorial pardons have been in decline since the 1980s, but that appears to be changing as views evolve on rehabilitation and drug offenses.
January 1, 2015
Financial Pressures May Table Republicans’ Bold Initiatives
Republicans haven’t had this much power at the state level in almost a century. But budget constraints may temper their appetite for extreme policies in 2015.
January 1, 2015
Democrats’ Future Looks Grim
Republicans not only swept the states in the fall, they’ve been building up a team of candidates to climb the political ranks.
December 31, 2014
How Minorities Can Help America
With the nation's share of Asians and Hispanics expected to double in 40 years, the changes these rising minority groups are making to politics and society are only beginning.
December 26, 2014
Why American Politics Seem More Divisive
In the last few years allegiance to political parties may have gotten stronger, making the work of governing much harder.
December 24, 2014
Falling Oil Prices Help Consumers, Hurt States
The price of oil has dropped by 40 percent over the past few months. Most oil states have money saved in permanent funds, but the drop in revenues is causing shortfalls already.
December 8, 2014
California's 'Game of Chicken' over College Tuition
Unlike nearly every other state, California lacks a central board that oversees higher education, pitting political leaders against university administrators. At issue now is a 28 percent tuition hike.
December 2, 2014
The Governor's Race That Still Isn't Over
Vermont's election was so close that the legislature must decide who wins when it convenes next year. If it's Gov. Shumlin as expected, many question what he can accomplish with so many unpopular programs.
December 1, 2014
Message to Lawmakers: Say What You Really Think
A new study shows that when legislators make their stance on even controversial issues public, they convince people to join their side.
December 1, 2014
Why Some Politicians Don’t Win Higher Office
Candidates like Texas Sen. Wendy Davis and Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald are examples of the Peter Principle: They were both successful, but both lost their campaigns for higher office.
November 21, 2014
Unions Rethink Strategy After Election Losses
Most of the candidates public-sector unions spent time and money supporting this fall were defeated, prompting leaders to question the effectiveness of endorsing any candidates at all.
November 12, 2014
U.S. Supreme Court to Decide Limits on Race in Gerrymandering
The ruling in two cases challenging Alabama's legislative maps could have an impact on congressional and legislative maps across the country.
November 5, 2014
What All the GOP Wins Mean for Governors
Democrats hoped to have the upper hand when it came to races for governor. Instead, Republicans pulled off some unexpected victories.
November 5, 2014
Cities Embrace New Mayors, Liberal Policies
Voters in a number of cities chose new mayors and supported ballot measures that were either green or worker-friendly.
November 3, 2014
Will Bipartisanship Bring Down Alaska's Governor?
Republican Sean Parnell expected to be easily re-elected, but the joined forces of Democrats and Independents and his slow response to recent challenges have put him in jeopardy.
November 3, 2014
Tom Wolf May Win Pennsylvania Easy, But the Job Won't Be
Pennsylvania's Tom Wolf is sure to become the governor, but he's unlikely to get his way once he's in office.
November 1, 2014
The Progress and Promise of Pittsburgh's Turnaround
After years of decline, the city is making gains, and Mayor Bill Peduto’s administration represents a new brand of politics that’s moving into big cities across America.
November 1, 2014
City Hall Drama Takes Center Stage in New Play
An interactive show casts theatre-goers as participants in a city council meeting.
October 29, 2014
Why So Many Incumbent Governors Are in Political Peril in 2014
It's likely that more incumbents will lose next week than at any time since 1990.
October 28, 2014
In Florida Governor’s Race, Attacks Overtake Issues
The race between Gov. Rick Scott and former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has been one of the year's most negative, dominated by personal attacks and enormous advertising budgets.
October 27, 2014
The Least Predictable Governor's Race in the Country
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, who carries clear liabilities on his record, has kept the contest a dead heat by attacking his opponent.
October 22, 2014
Maine Gov. Paul LePage Hopes to Make History in November
Even though a majority of voters don't want the Republican re-elected, he may become the first U.S. governor elected with less than 40 percent of the vote -- twice.
October 17, 2014
Recall Survivor Scott Walker Faces Toughest Challenge Yet in November
The Republican governor of Wisconsin survived a recall election two years ago, but recent ethics scandals and attacks on unions may have wrecked his chances for a second term.
October 15, 2014
Can Obama Carry Dan Malloy across Connecticut's Finish Line?
A poor economy and tax increases in one of the wealthiest states have made the Democratic governor one of the most vulnerable incumbents in the country.
October 13, 2014
Centrism Hurting Once-Popular Governor's Re-Election Hopes
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper's decisions that once seemed like triumphs or smart compromises have turned off many voters.
October 8, 2014
Why Massachusetts Might Elect Another Republican Governor
In the bluest of states, Democrat Martha Coakley, best known for failing to win Ted Kennedy's U.S. Senate seat, is polling evenly in this year's race against Republican Charlie Baker.
October 6, 2014
Sam Brownback Has Made Enemies, May Lose Election
The Kansas governor's policies are starting to look too conservative even for one of the reddest states, giving opponent Paul Davis a slight edge.
September 29, 2014
With Millions to Give, Foundation Takes Urban-Improvement Ideas from Anyone
The Knight Foundation begins accepting applications for its new Cities Challenge program Wednesday. Unlike other competitive grant programs, anyone can apply.
September 25, 2014
The Next State to Likely Turn Red
Arkansas' outgoing Democratic governor is one of the most popular governors in the country, but his successor may be a Republican he's already beat.
September 23, 2014
Rick Snyder Is in Trouble (but May Win Anyway)
The self-proclaimed nerdy governor of Michigan has made some mistakes in the past few months that have turned his re-election race into a dead heat.
September 17, 2014
Kansas Democrats Seek to Oust Secretary of State Kris Kobach
The politician has long been a lightning rod for Democrats. This fall, they think they have a chance to beat him.
September 5, 2014
Andrew Cuomo Is Going to Win but Not with the Landslide He Wants
The New York governor is essentially guaranteed to win re-election but not by so much that he can secure his spot as a top contender for president.
September 1, 2014
From Vacant to Vibrant: Cincinnati’s Urban Transformation
How a lot of money and a little luck brought one of the nation’s most dangerous neighborhoods back to life.
August 15, 2014
Leadership Lessons from Ferguson
The chaos that erupted after a police officer shot an unarmed black teen showcases the need for strong leadership and how law enforcement can lead best in communities where life is already a daily struggle.
July 1, 2014
How Millennials Can Make Their Mark on Unions
Younger workers can bring a new energy to organized labor. But if unions want to attract millennials, they’ll have to change some of their ways.
June 1, 2014
A Conservative Group Goes Local
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is expanding its reach beyond the states to local governments.
April 1, 2014
Rural Areas Lose People But Not Power
Rural lawmakers are dwindling in number as people continue to migrate to metropolitan areas. But the battle between urban and rural politics is as big as ever -- and those out in the country may be winning.
March 1, 2014
Politicians’ “Peanut Butter Problem”
Government officials are intensely aware of the political need to spread out resources equally but doing so means there probably won’t be enough to make a major impact anywhere.
February 1, 2014
Texas’ Next Governor? Meet Greg Abbott
The Attorney General is poised to beat Democrat Wendy Davis in the state's nationally watched and heated governor's race, but most Texans know very little about him.
January 1, 2014
Corporate Entrepreneurs Are at the Heart of Downtown Revitalizations
Private-sector actors are reshaping the center of some cities in ways local governments no longer have the ability to do themselves.
January 31, 2013
What China's Unique Urbanization Can Teach America
Nineteen of the 20 fastest-growing cities in the world last year were in China. For more from Governing's first-ever International Issue, click here.
December 28, 2012
Newbies Infiltrate State Legislative Chambers
Thanks to term limits and anti-incumbent fervor, half the lawmakers across the country have less than two years’ experience.
December 28, 2012
The Era of Divided Government is Over
For the first time in a long time, one party holds both the legislature and governorship in 37 states.
December 28, 2012
States Double Down on Incentives to Woo Companies
In the wake of the recession and the long, slow recovery from it, state and local governments have been even more eager to offer incentives to the few projects they have hopes of landing.
December 28, 2012
Teachers Rack Up Wins Against Reform Efforts
Education reform ideas that have generally received widespread support are experiencing pushback in the states, including some surprising places.
November 30, 2012
Rural Areas Lose More Legislative Representation
With fewer state lawmakers representing rural districts, issues important to rural areas may go unheard.
November 30, 2012
What Did the Stimulus Do for States?
Governing interviewed Time correspondent Michael Grunwald, who argues in his new book that the stimulus has had more influence on domestic policy than any other piece of legislation in decades.
October 31, 2012
When Governors Don’t Play Nice
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal doesn’t even bother working with the state Legislature. Does it matter?
October 31, 2012
One of the Most Segregated U.S. Cities Opens the Race Conversation
Cleveland has started a yearlong series of forums on race relations to educate citizens and city leaders.
October 31, 2012
In Vote-Counting, Human Errors Still Creep In
New York has been reluctant to embrace technology when it comes to counting votes. Could the state’s hesitation be the source for its recent election debacles? For full election coverage, go to Governing's Election Center.
September 28, 2012
Can You Separate Federal Issues from State Elections?
Many state candidates are asked less about their stance on issues affecting the state and more about federal matters they can do little about.
August 31, 2012
Transportation Plan? Atlanta Voters Say No Thanks
Voters in the Atlanta region rejected a ballot measure to raise sales taxes by a penny to fund some $6 billion in transportation projects.
August 31, 2012
Cloud Computing Taxes Up in the Air in States
A dozen states are debating whether they should and how they could tax cloud computing services.
August 31, 2012
Did Wisconsin End the Recall Wave?
Recalls have been on the rise. But after Gov. Scott Walker survived his election, two other high-profile recall attempts failed in Michigan and California.
August 10, 2012
More Incumbents Losing Grasp on State Legislature Seats
Voters aren't waiting until November to express their anger. With 14 states still to hold their primary contests, already 135 incumbent state legislators have lost their seats.
August 9, 2012
Pension Plan Changes Pose Challenges for Lawmakers
Lawmakers have become acutely familiar with the financial challenges caused by pension underfunding, and they're certainly aware of the political difficulties involved in trying to change pension formulas. But the legal hurdles involved in changing pension benefits can be formidable as well.
July 31, 2012
Counties: An Outdated Concept or the Future?
Hit harder by the economic downturn than either cities or states, counties are feeling pressure from all sides, leading many to reexamine county functions altogether.
June 29, 2012
Social Issues Overshadow Tennessee Legislative Session
Tennessee made a bid (again) to become the nation’s most socially conservative state by voting on bills regarding school prayer, sex education, climate change and abortion.
June 29, 2012
Los Angeles Transit Needs Taxpayers' Money to Rebuild
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is asking voters to pay a half-cent sales tax longer so he can finish his plans to improve the highway and subway systems quicker.
June 29, 2012
Does Drug Testing Welfare Recipients Save Money?
Seven states have enacted drug testing for welfare applicants in an effort to cut costs and combat fraud -- but it’s not clear the move does either.
May 31, 2012
The New Black South
After nearly a century of moving north, African-Americans are reshaping cities and suburbs in the South.
April 30, 2012
Governors Have 'The Best Job in Politics'
In his new book, political scientist Alan Rosenthal professes that no one gets what they want more than governors. Find out why.
April 30, 2012
Stockton, California’s Bankruptcy Makes 'Normal' Cities Nervous
Unlike many high-profile bankruptcies, Stockton’s financial woes are the result of many different factors that are not unusual for many localities.
April 30, 2012
Caucus System Cracks Revealed During 2012 GOP Primary Season
Several states were embarrassed by faulty counts in their caucuses, which are run by political parties rather than by public officials.
April 30, 2012
Citizens United’s Corporate Candidate
Now that private-sector groups are allowed to spend unlimited amounts of money in state elections, who’s really running for office?
March 30, 2012
Wisconsin Recall Elections Draw Lots of Attention -- and Cash
The recalls of Gov. Scott Walker, his lieutenant and four state senators could top $100 million, but that's just a prelude to the fall when the parties will fight for control of the state House.
March 30, 2012
GIS Mapping Helps Frogtown, Minnesota Track Neighborhood Data
Residents use geographic info systems to learn more about where they live.
March 30, 2012
Tuition? UC Riverside Students Say Bill Me Later
A student group called “Fix UC” suggests colleges take a share of each student’s salary for the first 20 years after they graduate.
February 29, 2012
Kris Kobach Tackles Illegal Immigration
Kansas’ secretary of state is redefining immigration laws not only in his state, but in Arizona and elsewhere.
January 31, 2012
Conservatives Question the War on Drugs
Some surprising political figures like New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have started questioning how effective U.S. drug policy is.
January 31, 2012
Elected as a Democrat, Now Governing the City Like a Republican
Some liberal leaders are pursuing a conservative economic agenda.
January 31, 2012
Downtown Revitalization During a Recovery: Great Idea or Huge Mistake?
Only time will tell if Kansas City’s unusual and possibly risky move will pay off.
January 1, 2012
More State Workers Face Personnel Cuts
With the ballooning cost of benefits, a poor job market and more lean-government advocates in power, states are cutting personnel more than they have in the past.
January 1, 2012
In Kansas, It’s Conservative GOP vs. Moderate GOP
For years, there have been two kinds of Republicans in the Kansas statehouse: conservatives and moderates. This year, the conservatives want total control.
January 1, 2012
States Legislate in Response to News Headlines
In the current 24/7 news cycle, scandals often lead to bills in several statehouses.
November 30, 2011
ALEC Enjoys A New Wave of Influence and Criticism
The American Legislative Exchange Council’s conservative ideas are resonating in practically every area of state government. And its opponents aren’t happy about it.
November 30, 2011
Taxing the Rich Isn’t Always a Moneymaker
Several states increased taxes on the wealthy in recent years. The move brought in extra revenue but didn’t solve all of states’ budget problems.
November 30, 2011
St. Louis Wants to Control Its Own Police Force Again
In the nineteenth century, some states took control of local police forces. Today, St. Louis is the last big city whose force is still under state control.
November 30, 2011
America’s Least Active City Sits Down to Celebrate
After Lexington, Ky., earned the award for least active city, residents and the mayor took to the streets to boast their win in a Sedentary Parade.
November 30, 2011
California’s Money-Saving MVP
If finding ways to save money for a cash-starved state wasn’t enough, California’s Auditor Elaine Howle is adding the task of setting up a new redistricting commission to her to-do list.
November 30, 2011
Governments Abandon Fingerprinting for Food Stamps
Most states and cities stopped requiring that recipients be fingerprinted because it was costly and slowed the application process. New York City and Arizona are the last jurisdictions that still do it.
October 31, 2011
New Headaches for ‘No Child Left Behind’
New NCLB waivers may impact the classroom more than the old law they’re trying to escape did.
October 31, 2011
What Can Cities Learn from Wasps?
An evolutionary biologist adapts his theories to help local officials plan parks and improve schools.
October 31, 2011
States Cut Welfare Benefits -- Again
At a time when people need it the most, states are tightening work requirements, lowering payments and setting time limits for welfare recipients.
October 31, 2011
Can Redistricting Ever Be Fair?
Several states are setting up independent commissions in the hope of removing bias from the line-drawing process.
October 31, 2011
South Carolina Says It's a 'Great Day'
A new etiquette directive from Gov. Nikki Haley has state employees sounding more chipper.
September 30, 2011
Your Day in Court? Get in Line.
As San Francisco County closes more than a third of its courts, local lawyers are trying to find ways to raise more revenue.
September 30, 2011
South Carolina's Ethics Problem
Scandal and corruption have plagued Palmetto State politics for years. Some say it’s because it's virtually a one-party state.
September 30, 2011
Should Governments Start Borrowing Again?
The word "borrow" may be taboo still, but one economist says states and localities should take advantage of historic low interest rates.
September 27, 2011
Billionaires in the Classroom
Bill Gates and other philanthropists are reshaping public education policy with private cash. Can they succeed at making schools perform to their liking?
July 29, 2011
Kansas City Businesses Want to End the ‘Economic Border War’
Businesses are tired of jumping across state lines for wasted tax incentives.
July 29, 2011
Will Education Cuts Lead to More Lawsuits?
States that are cutting their K-12 budgets by billions of dollars can expect more lawsuits, but they may not have an immediate impact.
June 30, 2011
Are the Unions Winning the Fight?
Governors and mayors say their workers are demanding unsustainable benefits. Union rebuttals are not turning the tide.
May 31, 2011
Fixing Bridges ... Or Not
The lack of money for bridge repairs is symptomatic of a larger problem: Transportation projects in general are going to slip behind.
May 31, 2011
States Roll Back Early Voting, Enforce Voter ID Laws
Democrats complain that GOP legislators are seeking to disenfranchise vulnerable groups of voters. Republicans say they're merely protecting the sanctity of the ballot.
May 31, 2011
Pink Slips Affect the Future of the Teaching Profession
Massive teacher layoffs have led to concerns that young people will shy away from entering the suddenly less-than-secure profession.
May 31, 2011
Rahm Emanuel Takes on Chicago
Chicago's Richard M. Daley is a tough act to follow. But Rahm Emanuel is determined to make his own mark.
April 29, 2011
New Governors Time Their Battles
Unpopular governors have good chances of winning re-election -- as long as they push their most controversial policies early on.
April 29, 2011
Detroit's Disappearing Population -- and Revenues
With the loss of 25 percent of its residents, Detroit could also lose its ability to levy higher income taxes.
April 29, 2011
Does the Popular Vote Matter?
While some states offer extra protection for statutes enacted by popular vote, legislatures can still overturn ballot initiatives in most states.
March 31, 2011
States Handing Off More Responsibilities to Cities
States are asking cities to take charge of more programs, but they may not provide enough support.
February 28, 2011
The Troubled State of Mental Health Funding
States have cut mental health funding by more than $2 billion. Things may get worse this year.
February 28, 2011
The Immigration Enforcement Divide
Legislators are trying to pass laws requiring immigration checks, but they're running into resistance from the people who would enforce them.
February 28, 2011
School Vouchers Are In ... Again
Different circumstances and a favorable political climate make school vouchers more attractive than before.
January 1, 2011
Voters to Decide Fate of Earnings Tax
Two Missouri cities may soon be facing a huge drop in tax collections.
January 1, 2011
The Increasing Opposition to the New Health-Care Law
Attorneys general in several states are seeking to overturn the federal health-care law.
January 1, 2011
Christie's Hands-On Approach With Local Government
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is playing an extremely active role in local government affairs.
June 1, 2010
Playing Dumb
Liability rather than serendipity is the focus of playground design.
Some are trying to change that.
May 1, 2010
Death From Washington
Federal prosecutors are increasingly eager to invoke capital
punishment--even in states that don't like it.
May 1, 2010
Greenhouse Shift
By one vote, the U.S. Supreme Court has altered the politics of air
pollution.
May 1, 2010
Horrendous Honeymoon
It's hard to imagine a worse start than the one Nevada's governor is
off to.
May 1, 2010
New Clout In a Big County
L.A. County supervisors have done something unusual--given up power
voluntarily.
May 1, 2010
King of Swing
In an all-but-deadlocked Montana House, iconoclast Rick Jore holds the
balance of power.
December 31, 2009
In Wisconsin, Partisan Battles Rule the Legislature
In this January 2010 feature from our archive: State legislatures may not be as partisan as Congress, but they're getting closer.
November 30, 2009
The Standardizing of Classroom Standards
How well can Johnny add? Right now, states try to answer that question in troublingly disparate ways. According to one recent federal study, a fourth-grade...
November 30, 2009
Bending the Law on Slots
Gambling interests seeking permission to move into a state like to tell voters that neighboring states are already profiting from casinos and lotteries, so they...
November 30, 2009
California Voters and the Water Spigot
California has just enacted a huge and enormously complicated package of bills meant to put an end to the state's longstanding water wars. But the...
November 30, 2009
Local Government and Recall Fever
The printed agenda for meetings of the county board in Monroe County, Wisconsin, always reminds elected supervisors to wear name tags, because "it helps visitors."...
November 10, 2009
Spending Election Night Online
I have to admit that I'm a very late adopter. I'm a big music fan, but all my friends had iPods before I ...
November 4, 2009
For New York's Mayor, a Surprisingly Narrow Win
As the votes were counted in mayoral races across the country, the biggest shock of the night occurred in a race that turned out just...
October 31, 2009
Tribal Trouble in Tennessee
Given the limited number of Native Americans, it would be natural to expect that today's tribes would welcome the recognition of any new group with...
October 31, 2009
The Search for Interstate Cooperation
In desperate budget times, more and more local governments are turning to their neighbors, hoping to save money by sharing services and equipment. This kind...
October 26, 2009
The United Not-States
There's been a debate of sorts in recent days in the liberal blogosphere on the question of whether states should be eliminated.
Matthew Yglesias, ...
October 20, 2009
Dayton Foreclosure Update
I wrote a cover story early last year on foreclosures, looking at Dayton, Ohio, to give a sense of what the effects were like in ...
October 19, 2009
Suburban Diversity
The National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University on Long Island will be hosting a big academic conference later this week on the increasing ...
October 14, 2009
Hyperlocal New Jersey
If you're following the news about the news, you've probably heard that many media companies are hoping to find successful niches in so-called ...
October 14, 2009
Postcard From New Mexico
I spent several days in New Mexico last week, speaking at the Council of State Governments' western regional meeting and enjoying much of the stunning ...
October 2, 2009
Smokers Need Not Apply
Nothing is certain but death and taxes. That doesn't mean they have to occur in the same place.
Anne Gannon, the tax collector in ...
September 30, 2009
What is the Age of Responsibility?
Justin McNaull grew up in a hurry. By the time he was 23, McNaull had graduated from college, married and gone to work for his local...
September 30, 2009
For Louisiana's Governor, Jolts from Washington
No one really thinks of Bobby Jindal and Barack Obama as personal or even political rivals these days. But it seems like at every turn,...
September 30, 2009
Disappearing Dues in Kansas
Bankers, barbers and doctors in Kansas, who pay a fee to support the state organizations that monitors their professions, might want to take a close...
September 30, 2009
A Spending Spree in Kentucky
Like governments everywhere, cities and counties in Kentucky seem to realize that the current budget environment requires them to keep a close watch on spending....
September 29, 2009
Polanski Case Deserves an Ending
I'll admit to feeling some ambivalence about the Roman Polanski case, but my bottom line is that if he's extradited and serves time, ...
September 23, 2009
'Julie & Julia' and Bureaucrat Bashing
I finally got around to seeing Julie & Julia. No one told me how anti-government-work it is.
September 22, 2009
Where to Meet the Mayor
Before I went to Memphis for our September 2009 cover story on Shelby County, Tennessee, Mayor A C Wharton Jr., at least two people had told ...
September 17, 2009
Why Washington, D.C. Is Rich
To live in Washington, D.C., is to have friends and family in other parts of the country. And while talking to people I know ...
September 16, 2009
Why Tourists Are Sustaining Local Culture
I've had the chance this year to visit Chicago and Memphis and in both cities I took in at least one blues show. Judging ...
September 15, 2009
Blogging Metros
One of the positive developments in the fracturing of the media world is that real experts are now blogging on just about every subject, obviating ...
September 9, 2009
Two Towns, One Street, One Way, Both Ways
This story is about a week old but it's too amusing not to pass on. In fact, I first heard about it on NPR'...
August 31, 2009
New Jersey's 'Non-Operating' School Districts
New Jersey has just 21 counties, but it has more than 600 school districts. Although merging small districts is a problem everywhere, New Jersey's system is so...
August 31, 2009
Abdicating the Budget Role to the Governor
Legislators in many states this year, faced with huge budget shortfalls and difficult choices, must have been tempted to just sign off on any plan...
August 31, 2009
In Memphis, a Plea for Regionalism
The mayor of Shelby County, Tennessee, is one of the relatively few local officials in America who regularly conducts business across state lines. As mayor...
August 31, 2009
Scandals at Home Weaken New Mexico's Governor
When federal officials let it be known that New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson would not be indicted in the pay-to-play scandal that cost him a...
July 31, 2009
A Call to Order
People complained for decades that the New York State Senate was dysfunctional. But that was before it shut down altogether.
In April, a special committee...
July 31, 2009
Taming of a Deficit
San Diego just closed an $83 million hole in its budget and is looking at a shortfall conservatively estimated at $115 million next year. For a place...
July 31, 2009
Mind Your Meters
Parking has gotten worse in Chicago, and many see Mayor Richard Daley's decision to privatize parking meters as the culprit. Daley has been a privatization...
July 31, 2009
A Succession Question
South Carolina is one of the most Republican states in the country, but picking a successor to Governor Mark Sanford is going to be a...
July 30, 2009
Cash-Strapped Zoo: "Give Us Money or the Gorilla Gets It"
I was up in Boston earlier this week, so of course I heard lots of talk about the Henry Louis Gates/Officer Crowley controversy. But ...
July 29, 2009
NCSL: Too Liberal?
The National Conference of State Legislatures' Grasscatcher blog, being a good sport, links to a Paul Rolly column looking at how legislators in Utah and ...
July 14, 2009
Check Your Gubernatorial Scorecard
Everybody who attends meetings of the National Governors Association wears a name tag imprinted with a photograph. Everyone, that is, except governors. But as governors ...
July 13, 2009
Obama's Urban Policy Gets Going
It's not getting much attention here in Washington, with all eyes on the Sotomayor hearing, but President Obama's Office of Urban Affairs held ...
July 4, 2009
Retreating, Not Advancing
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin offers a sobering variation on the Peter Principle --
the idea that because talented people are usually
promoted, they "rise ...
July 2, 2009
Sanford Saga: No Crime Involved
Saying his agency doesn't "intend to be used in a political battle about the governor," Reggie Lloyd, head of South Carolina's ...
July 1, 2009
Under Pressure
Always finding new ways to look bad, S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford is backing away from a promise to release financial records relating to his ...
July 1, 2009
SC Senate President Calls for Sanford Resignation
Glenn McConnell, Senate President Pro Tempore, joins the chorus:
"That decision is his alone. I do believe, however, that the Governor has lost the ...
July 1, 2009
Will Sanford Be Forced Out?
The number of Republican senators signing Majority Leader Harvey Peeler's petition for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford to resign is up to 12, out of 27 ...
July 1, 2009
Resignation Drumbeat Deepens
If S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford hoped to quiet his personal controversy by laying out more of his past indiscretions, the strategy hasn't worked. ...
June 30, 2009
Too Broke to Fix?
Fiscal shortfalls in the tens of billions of dollars are virtually an annual occurrence in California. But this year, the state's voters seem even more...
June 30, 2009
Stalled Trains
Transportation might seem like the one issue best suited for local, state and federal cooperation. No transit system is built without affecting the planning process...
June 30, 2009
Vacuum in Oakland
Ron Dellums never really wanted to be mayor of Oakland. He expressed doubts when civic leaders recruited him to run in 2006, and ever since then,...
June 30, 2009
Shortfall Shock
Given a climate of national recession, Maine's budget process went pretty smoothly in 2009. Despite some scary revenue shortfalls, the legislature passed a $5.8 billion budget bill...
June 30, 2009
Sanford Fuels Fire
Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post suggests that Mark Sanford's AP interview today, in which he admitted to non-line-crossing encounters with additional women and ...
June 30, 2009
McGreevey's Second Act
A blog called Shankbone outlines former New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey's good works:
McGreevey volunteers at Exodus Ministries at the Church of Living Hope ...
June 30, 2009
Sanford Tells AP of Earlier Meetings With Chapur
AP has interviewed Gov. Mark Sanford:
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford said Tuesday that he "crossed lines" with a handful of women other than his ...
June 30, 2009
Bauer Makes His Case
The State uses its turn to interview South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer to profile the man and his career. Bauer confirms yesterday's news ...
June 29, 2009
Sanford Lays Out Reasons for Not Resigning
Mark Sanford has posted an open letter on his Web site offering apologies and offering a spiritual explanation for staying in office.
Immediately after all ...
June 29, 2009
Maybe He Can Go Hiking
New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch says he'd consider furloughing himself as part of the state's budget-cutting efforts.
"I think we are all ...
June 29, 2009
Sanford: Week Two Begins
The lead story in The State brings us up to date on the latest buzz on lawmakers wanting Gov. Mark Sanford to resign. As has ...
June 28, 2009
"Women?! Women?!"
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford tells the Associated Press today that he has considered resigning but won't.
"Resigning would be the easiest thing ...
June 27, 2009
NYT: Jealous Boyfriend Source of Emails
New York Times :
A business associate of Mr. Sanford's Argentine mistress said Friday that private messages between the two lovers had been sent anonymously to ...
June 26, 2009
Setting a Good Example for the Boys
Washington Post :
"I go back to this larger voyage we're all on, and so you take everything a day at a time," ...
June 26, 2009
Bauer, Knotts Refuse to Call for Resignation
South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer has issued a cagey statement that does not call for Gov. Mark Sanford to resign:
However, do not look ...
June 26, 2009
"Puttin' Y'all in a Bad Spot"
AP is reporting that Gov. Mark Sanford wanted more time and meetings in Argentina during last year's trade mission, citing a state Commerce Department ...
June 26, 2009
Will Sanford Survive?
Here's a sure sign that the Sanford story may start cooling off: Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer tells The Associated Press in an interview this ...
June 25, 2009
More Calls for Resignation
I have to admit that when I heard the news about Sanford taking time out from an official trade mission to meet up with his ...
June 25, 2009
Hunting for the Governor
South Carolina state troopers didn't know where Sanford was during his absence and couldn't find out from staff, the Washington Post reports.
The ...
June 25, 2009
Politico: Sanford Planned 10-Day Trip
Update: Gossip site TMZ quotes Guido's owner Carlos Soto as saying he's seen Sanford and Maria Belen Chapur in his place several times ...
June 25, 2009
Sanford Had Dalliance During Trade Mission
Every time I stick my neck out for this guy, more bad news follows.
As noted earlier, Sanford went to Buenos Aires on a trade ...
June 25, 2009
Spartanburg Paper Calls for Resignation
The Spartanburg Herald-Journal calls for Sanford's resignation:
Mark Sanford cannot navigate a deep and painful personal crisis and lead the state through its economic ...
June 25, 2009
A Previous Encounter?
On the misuse of funds watch, here's a tidbit from CNN:
Sanford visited Argentina in June 2008 as part of a state-funded trade mission, according ...
June 25, 2009
Gov. Sanford: Don't Resign
Josh has a post over at Ballot Box suggesting that Sanford's viability, like that of any politician caught in a big scandal, depends on the depth of the reservoir of popularity and goodwill he may have enjoyed before getting caught out.
June 25, 2009
Sanford Mid-Afternoon Update
Gov. Mark Sanford has flown out to Sullivan's Island to be with his wife and sons, AP reports.
That's a shot of a ...
June 25, 2009
Other Cheaters Weigh In
Former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey was booked on the Today show and says honesty is Sanford's best policy.
Says McGreevey: "He can be ...
June 25, 2009
Emails May Have Triggered Confession
In its story today, The State of Columbia, S.C., indicates that although the paper had emails between Gov. Mark Sanford and his lover since ...
June 25, 2009
Paper Was Tipped About Flight
Gina Smith of The State has expanded her story from yesterday about her Atlanta airport interview with Gov. Mark Sanford, turning it into "how ...
June 24, 2009
Don't Miss the Emails
In case you're joining us late, another link to the emails between Gov. Sanford and "Maria" at The State.
June 24, 2009
CNN Interviews Tom Davis
Campbell Brown got an interview with Tom Davis, the South Carolina state senator and former top Sanford aide whom Sanford repeatedly apologized to during his confessional news conference.
June 24, 2009
Sanford's Appreciation of Argentina
DemConWatch notes that Sanford has traveled to and referred to Argentina quite often, including in two State of the States.
hat tip: Ben Smith
June 24, 2009
Sanford Lied to Staff
From Sanford's post-news conference statement:
I apologize to my staff. I misled them about my whereabouts, and as a result the people of South ...
June 24, 2009
Are Sanford's Enemies Working the Press?
A theme in our coverage here and on Ballot Box has been that South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has been the type of politician to ...
June 24, 2009
Here Come the Emails
The State has some of the emails between Gov. Sanford and Maria, the woman with whom he's had an affair. The paper has removed ...
June 24, 2009
Sanford's Wife: We're Separated
During his news conference, Sanford kinda sorta ducked the question of whether he and his wife Jenny are separated.
South Carolina's first lady has ...
June 24, 2009
Sanford Then and Now
Mark Sanford was elected to Congress as part of the "Republican Revolution" Class of 1994. If you were a reporter, he was always great ...
June 24, 2009
More Unresolved Sanford Questions
If I were a reporter in South Carolina, I would be tracking down Sen. Tom Davis and some of the other Sanford friends that the ...
June 24, 2009
Sanford Fallout
If you scroll down, you'll see that I tried to be a willing dupe for Sanford as long as I could. I took his ...
June 24, 2009
Sanford Resigns as RGA Chair
Update: Here's video of Sanford's announcement, if you missed it:
2:33 - Sanford announces he will resign as chair of Republican Governors Association, both ...
June 24, 2009
Live Blogging the News Conference
2:10 - hasn't started. crowded hallway space not good optics.
2:12 - someone just said, "guys, it's going to be about 15 minutes, just to ...
June 24, 2009
Sanford Enemies Go to Town
South Carolina Sen. Jake Knotts, the lead whistleblower/critic of Gov. Sanford's disappearance, tells MSNBC:
"Lies. Lies. Lies. That's all we get ...
June 24, 2009
Lessons in PR from Mark Sanford
If there's one thing Mark Sanford's trip down South America way illustrates, it's the notion that public officials need to get out ...
June 24, 2009
The Skeptics Were Right
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has spent the last several days in Argentina, he tells The State.
Sanford said he had considered hiking on the ...
June 23, 2009
Where's Sanford Been Hiding?
Plenty of chatter questioning whether SC Gov. Mark Sanford really was on the Appalachian Trail during his absence from Columbia/duty.
TPM has been on ...
June 23, 2009
Governors Gone Wild: Sanford's Not the First Governor to Go AWOL
The news that Gov. Mark Sanford had taken off without telling even his wife where he was -- and not letting Lt. Gov. Andrew Bauer ...
June 18, 2009
Separating Mayors From the Administration
In case you hadn't heard, pickets by firefighters angry over negotiations with Providence Mayor David Cicilline kept Vice President Joe Biden and other administration ...
June 18, 2009
Policy Making Through Budget Cuts
Everyone in government knows about the Washington Monument strategy. When budget times are tough, you threaten to shut down the most visible and popular programs ...
June 17, 2009
The Whole World Is Twittering
The central role of Twitter in helping to organize the protests in Iran and getting news and pictures out of that country despite the ban ...
June 12, 2009
Cities and Counties Find Common Cause
Fans of regionalism and metro cooperation will want to read a column that William Stafford has up on Citiwire.net. Stafford is president of the ...
June 1, 2009
Tax What You Love
While I was in Arkansas recently to report this profile of Gov. Mike Beebe, I visited Searcy, where he practiced law for many years. Beebe ...
May 31, 2009
The Job of a Lifetime
Things were starting to go sour for Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe. Earlier this year, both chambers of the state legislature quickly passed a new 3-cent...
May 31, 2009
The Corzine Chase
Despite his abysmal poll ratings, it might be a mistake to rule out Governor Jon Corzine for reelection in New Jersey. This coming month may...
May 31, 2009
The Full-Count Press
With the census less than a year away, cities across the country are gearing up fast. Although the census is a constitutional responsibility of the...
May 31, 2009
Arne's Cashbox
Education Secretary Arne Duncan has something none of his predecessors have had: billions of dollars in discretionary funds. The question is whether they will be...
May 31, 2009
George Tiller Shot, Killed
George Tiller, a Kansas doctor who was one of the few physicians in the country to perform late-term abortions, was shot dead today as he ...
May 29, 2009
Lawn Chairs in Times Square
Alex Ross, music critic for The New Yorker, posted this picture on his blog of Times Square, through which car traffic on Broadway is now ...
May 18, 2009
Big Cities Still Attract
Creative class guru Richard Florida is guest blogging in Andrew Sullivan's space this week. His first entry ponders where college grads, facing an uncertain ...
May 15, 2009
Huntsman Shocker
AP is reporting that President Obama will name Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., a Republican, his ambassador to China on Saturday.
Huntsman has been mentioned ...
May 13, 2009
State Budgets Get More Grim
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has updated its report on state budgets. Not surprisingly, the news is pretty bad.
According to the Center, ...
May 5, 2009
Gay Marriage Momentum
I have a piece in our May issue about how the political dynamics have shifted on the question of same-sex marriage, with momentum suddenly on ...
May 1, 2009
"A Bureaucratic Nightmare"
Dayo Olopade, a reporter with The Root Web site, has written a story suggesting that President Obama's Office of Urban Affairs, and his urban policy ...
April 30, 2009
Gay Rights: The Not-So-Lethal Issue
Last month, the Iowa Supreme Court threw out a state law banning gay marriages, while the Vermont legislature overrode a gubernatorial veto to allow same-sex...
April 30, 2009
A Little Bit of Gun Control
A flurry of gruesome shootings nearly always brings the issue of gun control back into public debate. That's happening again, in the wake of cop...
April 30, 2009
Slumping Slots
Gambling proponents typically overstate the amount of revenue that lotteries and casinos will generate for state treasuries. But the numbers rarely fall as far short...
April 30, 2009
Virginia Firebrand
Jeff Frederick won't give up. Ousted as chairman of the state Republican Party last month, he may seek the post again at the party convention...
April 30, 2009
The Time Has Come for National Standards
State education officials have adopted a new mantra: "Fewer, clearer, higher."
The term refers to education standards -- what each state feels its ...
April 29, 2009
"I'm Calling About My Light Bill"
The Washington Post ran a long article about Greenwood, South Carolina, looking at how the community is faring thus far in the age of Obama (...
April 28, 2009
Now, That's Harsh
One of today's popular apocalyptic fantasies is to imagine the world without human beings. This premise has been the subject of a bestselling book ...
April 28, 2009
Journalism Implosion Watch
Only one of last week's Pulitzer winners had already been laid off. Here's this week's early winner for the cheap irony award ...
April 13, 2009
Weekend Reading
The least surprising headline in yesterday's Washington Post was bannered across the top of the front page: "At Nationals Park, District of Dreams ...
April 7, 2009
SWAT Regulation
Last night, the Maryland Senate unanimously cleared a bill for Governor O'Malley's signature that would allow the state to oversee local deployment of ...
March 31, 2009
Obama and the Cities
For the past 40 years, through the Great Society initiatives of Lyndon Johnson, the Enterprise Zone programs of HUD Secretary Jack Kemp, and the Hope VI...
March 31, 2009
Digging for Dollars
It's boom time for grant writers. Cities across the country are lining up to collect their share of the $787 billion federal stimulus package, and they're...
March 31, 2009
Tanks for the Memories
The gas tax is, as you may have heard, about to run out of gas. It's not hard to see why this is happening. Motorists...
March 31, 2009
Wild West Budgeting
It's like one of those thrillers where one thing blows up after another.
Trying to patch big holes in the state budget earlier this year,...
March 31, 2009
Just Say No. Then Shut Up.
A three-quarters majority is required to raise taxes in Arkansas, but the legislature has done it twice in the past year. How did that happen?...
March 25, 2009
Anyone Can Clean Up Litter
Will Kempton, California's transportation chief, said that the state can't bar a group from its Adopt-a-Highway anti-litter program based on distaste for the ...
March 19, 2009
Mayors Want Service
Lots of mayors support a proposal, which the U.S. House approved yesterday, to expand national service programs. The bill would boost the number of ...
March 18, 2009
We Don't Get No Stinking Chiefs of Staff
This year's Washington meeting of the National League of Cities was all about the love from the Obama administration. Multiple cabinet secretaries addressed the ...
March 2, 2009
How to Select Judges
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case tomorrow regarding conflicts of interest for judges. The case resolves around a West Virginia justice who ...
March 2, 2009
Government Uncovered
Yesterday's Washington Post was filled with stories about the decline of the newspaper business, with two stories touching directly on state and local government ...
February 28, 2009
A Metro View
I talked with Steve Heminger, head of the Bay Area's regional transportation agency and a member of a bipartisan commission that recommended overhauling the federal...
February 28, 2009
Intense Rheeaction
As superintendent of schools in Washington, D.C., Michelle Rhee has become the most celebrated - and controversial - schools chief in the country. Her...
February 28, 2009
Austin's Surprise Speaker
Everybody in the Texas House of Representatives knew Joe Straus was one of its brightest newcomers, but nobody expected him to become speaker this year...
February 28, 2009
Predators' Reprieve
Congress passed the Adam Walsh Act in 2006 to create uniform national tracking standards for sex offenders. President Bush signed it amid White House fanfare. But...
February 26, 2009
I Knew Installing a Water Park Was a Mistake
I just read a story about a man charged $27,000 in Internet access fees for watching a football game on his laptop. That's nothing. Yesterday, ...
February 26, 2009
Medicare Scare
For all their problems paying for Medicaid, state employee health benefits, SCHIP and retiree plans, the one source of soaring health costs states don't ...
February 25, 2009
Can Congress Change Infrastructure Policy?
Much of the National Governors Association's winter meeting here in Washington this past weekend was devoted to discussions about infrastructure. The message out of ...
February 18, 2009
Not All Schools Are Created Equal
The Washington Post ran a story the other day that was quite revealing about the politics of school closures. Everyone knows it's politically difficult ...
January 15, 2009
Mayor, True to His Team, Changes His Name
The Pittsburgh Steelers are playing the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday in the AFC title game. Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl found that, under the circumstances, he ...
January 12, 2009
Rendell on Building Well
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has made infrastructure the centerpiece of his presidency of the National Governors Association and, along with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and ...
December 31, 2008
Reformer in Power
If you want to understand how Joe Hackney operates as speaker of the North Carolina House, it's worth thinking about the other things that he...
December 30, 2008
Confronting Carbon
California lawmakers are finishing another ordinary year. Once again, their budget is a mess, with lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger arguing about how to close ...
December 19, 2008
Grim Headline
Here's the darkest headline I can remember seeing on a press release:
Cities Officials Hold the Worst Outlook in the Nation's Direction in ...
December 16, 2008
Splitting the Difference With Duncan
Barack Obama managed to find someone acceptable both to teachers unions and the education "reform" crowd with his selection of Arne Duncan, the ...
December 11, 2008
Tobacco Turns Into Porn
The British government plans to force merchants to keep cigarettes and other tobacco products under the counter and ban their public display. If this policy ...
December 5, 2008
City Council Weighs in on Torture
John Yoo provided the legal justification and framework for the Bush administration's torture policies as head of the Office of Legal Counsel, but he ...
November 30, 2008
Squeezing the Cops
These days, even cops can't get immunity. Given state and local budget woes, governments are taking a serious look at cutting programs they'd rather hold...
November 24, 2008
The Curse of Corporate Sponsorship
Unlike my colleague Chris Swope, I still am uncomfortable with the whole trend of corporate naming rights -- naming stadiums and high school hallways after ...
November 21, 2008
Hometown Pride
Daily City was featured in Life magazine in the 1950s as a classic postwar suburb (see image).
November 20, 2008
Napolitano's Successor?
I put up a very quick sketch on our other blog of Jan Brewer, the Arizona secretary of state who would fill Janet Napolitano';s ...
November 20, 2008
Waxman Beats Dingell
Henry Waxman, a California Democrat, has ousted John Dingell as chairman of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.
This has repercussions for state ...
November 17, 2008
Weingarten Willing to Talk
The election of Randi Weingarten as president of the American Federation of Teachers this past summer signaled a greater willingness from that union to accept that new ideas and education "reforms" are inevitable.
October 31, 2008
The Stuttgart Solution
If you want to see how regional consolidation works when it really works, you might take a look at Stuttgart, the manufacturing capital of southwestern...
October 31, 2008
Carnival of Democracy
After this month's elections, President Bush is likely to end up with a large memorial in San Francisco to visit during his retirement. It's neither "...
October 29, 2008
Candidates Get Ideas From States
The Washington Post devotes a sizable chunk of its front page today to comparisons of health coverage plans put out by John McCain and Barack ...
September 30, 2008
Blueburbs
Jeanne Kirkton was out canvassing a few weeks ago along Lilac Avenue in Webster Groves, an old rail-line suburb 5 miles west of St. Louis. Lilac...
September 15, 2008
How to Pull Off a Convention
Laudatory praise of the logistics seems to reflect consensus opinion about the Democratic National Convention in Denver. To find out how the city pulled it off, GOVERNING spoke with Guillermo Vidal, Denver's deputy mayor and director of public works.
August 31, 2008
A Union 'Yes'
Randi Weingarten likes to brag a little about the reading and math test scores posted this year at two New York City charter schools she...
August 14, 2008
Will $4 Gas Kill the Suburbs?
One of the most common points of speculation coming out of escalating gas prices has been that people won't want to pay $100 to fill their tank and drive from distant suburbs to their jobs every day.
August 13, 2008
Curious Quote for the Day
U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey gave a speech Tuesday saying that people wrongfully passed over for Justice Department jobs due to the politicized hiring ...
July 30, 2008
My Problem With Batman
The central question I tried to address in my recent feature in Governing ["The Corruption Puzzle," July 2008] is whether prosecutors step across a ...
July 29, 2008
How Not to Fire Someone
Yesterday, the Alaska legislature approved a $100,000 investigation into Gov. Sarah Palin's motivations in firing Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.
Palin has drawn criticism due to ...
July 29, 2008
Is States' Rights a Cover?
The Tampa Tribune has an article looking at various issues on which presidential candidate John McCain has, in effect, punted, citing states' rights. These include ...
July 23, 2008
Bloomberg Tells Gates Where to Spend It
It's not enough that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg kicked smokers out of restaurants and onto the curb. He wants them to kick the ...
June 30, 2008
The Corruption Puzzle
These are nervous days in Montgomery. Federal prosecutors, investigating corruption in Alabama's two-year college system, have subpoenaed legislators by the dozen -- in some cases...
June 26, 2008
Winning Through Simplicity
Florida Governor Charlie Crist is not a details guy. No matter how big the issue, he leaves it up to others in the legislature or ...
June 18, 2008
You Get What You Pay For
Seeing the pictures of same-sex marriages taking place throughout California puts me in mind of another "only in San Francisco" phenomenon I experienced ...
May 8, 2008
Bookshelf: Pensions
The NY Times review of Roger Lowenstein's book, While America Aged , makes it look worth reading for people in government. It's about pensions and although ...
May 5, 2008
Cruz Cashes In
I just got a press release announcing that Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz, whom I wrote about in Governing's February issue, is leaving for private ...
April 28, 2008
Govs Agree Cowgill Not Qualified
Last fall, when I was working on a feature about how states are rethinking their approach to higher education, naturally I turned to Kentucky, which ...
April 10, 2008
Department of Hidden Costs
Prince William County, Virginia, is our region's hotbed of immigration policy as enacted at the local level. Immigration was a particularly hot issue in political ...
April 9, 2008
Memories of 1984
All the anxiety about the Olympic torch passing through San Francisco today -- will it elicit the same kind of disruptive protests seen in London ...
April 9, 2008
Wishful Thinking
Here is a story that demonstrates the triumph of governmental hope over experience as well as anything I've come across in a long while.
April 2, 2008
Banned Gambler Loses $10,000
Remember the policy set up in Iowa to ban those with addiction problems from casinos? The Des Moines Register has a fascinating story about a ...
April 1, 2008
Migden-FPPC Brawl Finds New Venue
The ever-escalating war of words between state Sen. Carole Migden and California's Fair Political Practices Commission will move formally into the judicial realm today, with ...
March 31, 2008
The Cost of Blocking a Bill
Plenty of committee chairs have killed legislation that they didn't like, but few have done so as publicly and boldy as Kathy Stein. Despite enormous ...
March 28, 2008
Taxing Gay Couples
Here's a wrinkle to the same-sex marriage debate I admit I hadn't thought of before reading about it in the Hartford Courant's Capitol Watch blog. ...
March 27, 2008
Double Dipping: Caught in the Crossfire
In the wake of Florida Sen. Evelyn Lynn's decision to forego a big salary from a university she'd sent earmarks toward, Mike Haridopolos is coming ...
March 26, 2008
Psst... Wanna Buy a Book?
To the dismay of Hoosier booksellers, Gov. Mitch Daniels has signed into law a bill to fine businesses that sell sexually explicit material. Their concern ...
March 26, 2008
Hiring From Outside
This story in the Washington Post is about federal employment, but I'd be surprised if the same dynamics didn't apply in the states, which will ...
March 25, 2008
Florida Conflicts of Interest
Sara Gonzalez, recently appointed by Florida Gov. Charlie Crist to a lucrative state post, withdrew in the face of adverse publicity, the Miami Herald reports. ...
February 26, 2008
Would Montana Secede?
With the Supreme Court ready to hear a gun rights case for the first time in decades, Brad Johnson, Montana's secretary of state, sends a ...
February 20, 2008
I'm Not Campbell
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon hosted a chat Tuesday on washingtonpost.com. The policy stuff isn't terribly compelling ("Diversity is among our many strengths"), ...
February 19, 2008
Advertising Everywhere
Zach's post about TSA's latest experiments in crowd control reminds me that the other day, while flying through Denver, I noticed that the plastic bins ...
February 11, 2008
Persistence Pays Off
Last week, the Nebraska Supreme Court abolished electrocution, the state's sole method of execution. "Condemned prisoners must not be tortured to death, regardless of ...
February 5, 2008
Snub, You Lose
If you're wondering why San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom endorsed Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama, the SF Chronicle reports that it's because Obama snubbed the ...
February 1, 2008
Bandwagon Effect
Rick Perry of Texas, a former Giuliani backer, has become the latest in the sudden series of Republican governors to endorse John McCain. This is ...
January 31, 2008
Recipe for Respect
Each branch of the federal government is housed in its own palace in Washington. The White House -- always surprisingly small to visitors -- is...
January 31, 2008
Competition Out West
One of the major ongoing political stories over the past couple of years, and certainly this year, is renewed two-party competition in the Mountain West. ...
January 31, 2008
Full-Time Headaches
Not surprisingly in tough budget times, the Michigan legislature is highly unpopular with the public. Voters there will decide on a ballot initiative this year ...
January 31, 2008
Embrace of the Governator
Governor Arnold will endorse McCain shortly, which seems about right. Both are pro-business Republicans who have been able to find common cause with Democrats from ...
January 30, 2008
McCain's Florida Win
I covered the big tobacco bill that John McCain carried in the U.S. Senate back in 1998. Does anyone even remember that one?
At any ...
January 29, 2008
The Battle for the 26th
Illinois is the rare state that is holding legislative voting at the same time as its presidential primary. (It was always an early-primary state). On ...
January 28, 2008
Flogging Two Dead Horses
A Field Poll shows that only a quarter of Californians would consider voting for Michael Bloomberg for president, while two-thirds would "definitely not."
...
January 25, 2008
You Know You're in Trouble When...
Columnist Chip Johnson of the San Francisco Chronicle gives Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums some props for shaking up his staff and approach -- but not ...
January 25, 2008
One Way to Look at It
Just out of curiosity, I ran the numbers to see how many states have elected women to major statewide office, which I'm defining as governor ...
January 25, 2008
The Half-Life of a Winner
I've just finished reading David Halberstam's The Best and the Brightest. Reading this history of how we got into Vietnam certainly sheds instructive light on ...
January 24, 2008
No Surprise Here
Support is weakening for California's Proposition 93, which would change the state's term limits law. According to the latest Field Poll, "yes" and "...
January 23, 2008
Cold Brother
With the U.S. Conference of Mayors in town, we were just treated to an interesting visit from Melvin "Kip" Holden, the mayor-president ...
January 22, 2008
What the GOP Wants
We're now mostly through the quadrennial discussion of why Iowa, New Hampshire and the other early voting states are not representative of the nation as ...
January 22, 2008
Wrath of Aguirre
Michael Aguirre, the city attorney in San Diego, has earned both praise and enmity for his frequent criticism of other city officials. He was early ...
January 19, 2008
Cassandra Moments
In this year's presidential contest, we are once again seeing candidates punished for daring to tell the truth. The conventional wisdom holds that McCain lost ...
January 18, 2008
The Inside Game
Here's a story you've read somewhere before. John Leopold, county executive in Anne Arundel County, Maryland (that's Annapolis for you auschlanders), raised $504,325 in campaign funds ...
January 9, 2008
All Hail Partisanship
"The punditocracy has been humbled once again. (But it won't work--you won't see much humility from them, now or ever!)" -- Bob Kaiser, ...
January 8, 2008
What Obama Says About Race
Assuming Barack Obama wins the Democratic nomination -- not such a risky bet at this point -- we will have at least nine months of conversation and coverage about what his candidacy means.
January 4, 2008
Thoughts on Iowa: Dems
Obama looks like a winner. His big Iowa victory will remove lingering doubts from many minds about whether he is for real, whether people will ...
January 4, 2008
Thoughts on Iowa: GOP
There hasn't been a Republican primary season like this in my memory. Even when Republicans haven't started with a clear frontrunner, as in 2000, they quickly ...
December 31, 2007
Private Instigator
Indiana likes to fashion itself as "the crossroads of America," with 14 interstate highways moving people into and through the state. As in so many other...
December 31, 2007
Immigration Fizzle
Immigration has emerged as a pervasive issue in this year's politics, a part of seemingly every state and local campaign and presidential debate. The lesson...
December 27, 2007
Easy Street
Philadelphia Mayor John Street's Christmas present to himself is going to leave a bad taste in the mouths of his constituents. He has decided to ...
December 1, 2007
Tougher than Wall Street
Jon Corzine worked miracles at Goldman Sachs. Doing it in Trenton is a
different story.
December 1, 2007
Buyouts in the Balance
The elusive savings of retirement incentives
December 1, 2007
The Wrong Message
Governments shouldn't consider it inevitable that they will get bad
press.
December 1, 2007
Zoned Out
D.C.'s cab system will soon cease to be an irrational anomaly. Not
everyone approves of that change.
December 1, 2007
Evening Star
Steve Beshear once hoped to be Kentucky's wonder-boy governor. Now,
he's coming in as an elder statesman.
November 2, 2007
Support the Troops? -- Not If You Tax Health Clubs
Over in Annapolis, Maryland lawmakers are meeting in special session to debate a bunch of possible tax code changes to fill a $1.5 or $1.7 billion budget ...
November 1, 2007
Bridgeport's Burdens
Is the city's problem bad election choices--or something deeper?
November 1, 2007
Putnam's Paradox
Diversity accomplishes many things--but it may not make us better
citizens.
November 1, 2007
Scheming Magnolias
Republicans have most of the power in Mississippi. They'd like more.
November 1, 2007
Fiscal Guardian
Natwar Gandhi knows how to make red ink turn to black. This spring, he was approached by Amtrak, which hoped to lure him to erase an enormous deficit as he had already done as chief financial officer for Washington, D.C. City officials did everything they could think of to keep Gandhi in his current position, including boosting his salary by nearly $100,000. And this money maestro, who arrived in America from India 40 years ago with $7 in his pocket, chose to stay put.
November 1, 2007
Policy Fulcrum
Fabian Nunez doesn't think compromise is a dirty word. California's
Assembly speaker has played a classic legislative leadership role as
the bridge between a Republican governor and a strongly liberal
majority Democratic caucus, helping to forge and shepherd through a
long list of impressive legislation over the past couple of years.
October 29, 2007
Gambling Against Gambling
I have a short piece in Governing's November issue about how the Kansas legislature this year passed a bill that will make theirs the first state to own its own casinos. Since then, I've noticed gambling is a topic of debate in a number of states. Which makes me wonder -- why?
October 26, 2007
Voting Overseas
I just had lunch with two secretaries of state, Jennifer Brunner of Ohio and Beth Chapman of Alabama. For both, their jobs have been made complicated by the fact that their predecessors were so controversial.
October 18, 2007
A Huckabee Surge?
Here on the 13th Floor, we have, unsurprisingly, paid more attention to the state and local officials running for president than the Washington types. In ...
October 18, 2007
Lethal Injunction
There's a lot of speculation right now about whether the Supreme Court will rule that lethal injections -- by far the most common method of ...
October 11, 2007
You Can't Recall Me, I Quit
Every once in a while, a city elects an underaged mayor. In the case of Hurley, South Dakota, this idea didn't work out too well.
...
October 1, 2007
Diagnosis for a Disorder
States step in to provide services for children with autism.
October 1, 2007
Bart's Gamble
For even the most popular officeholder, raising taxes is risky.
October 1, 2007
How Clean Is Clean?
Campaign reform laws yield modest but tangible results.
October 1, 2007
City Hall Solution
Can mayors really help schools by running them? Perhaps.
October 1, 2007
Eliot's Shaky Summer
New York's tough-talking governor tries easing up a bit.