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Carl Smith

Senior Staff Writer

Carl Smith is a senior staff writer for Governing and covers a broad range of issues affecting states and localities. For the past 30 years, Carl has written about education and the environment for peer-reviewed papers, magazines and online publications, with a special focus on conservation and sustainability. He has guest-edited special issues of the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health focused on the Precautionary Principle and the human rights dimensions of environmental degradation. Carl attended the University of Texas and the University of Georgia. He can be reached at carl.smith@governing.com or on Twitter at @governingwriter.

Like other states, North Dakota urgently needs more teachers. It’s among the first to adopt a model other sectors have used for decades.
Hundreds of Alabama church leaders are being certified as substance use support specialists, gaining insight into the nature of these disorders and connections with professionals who treat them.
The public health department in New York is one of the largest agencies of its kind. In addition to local health challenges, the city is a place where new diseases can enter the country.
Utah Republicans have sometimes been critical of President Donald Trump, but the state has already enacted several laws that advance “Make America Healthy Again” goals.
The Yorba Linda, Calif., water district has the country’s largest PFAS treatment facility of its kind. The drinking water it delivers to customers is free of these unwanted “forever chemicals.”
The South accounts for nearly half the nation's new HIV diagnoses. Prevention programs are trying to stem the tide, and in Dallas County, they're working — but now they're facing funding cuts.
A growing number of state leaders want the federal government to forbid the use of food stamps to buy sodas and candy. It’s not a new idea, but the current administration has signaled its support.
Most of Alabama may be covered in forests, but asphalt still reigns on school playgrounds. The Alabama Forestry Foundation wants to change that.
A working group of mayors believes climate resilience and economic security go hand in hand.
The construction industry is short by nearly a half-million workers. More states could emulate Wisconsin's growing apprentice program.