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.
THE FUTURE OF What’s Happening Now
The 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors examined the social, public health and economic impacts of COVID on American cities, and the ways it has changed the future of work, transit and racial inequities.
The availability of a proven COVID vaccine may be weeks away, but many Americans remain wary. State lawmakers have introduced bills to address its administration, including the boundaries of enforced immunization.
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Despite fears that COVID, cyberattacks and misinformation might jeopardize results, voting was smooth and secure. What contributed to this outcome, and how might lessons learned affect future elections?
State legislatures have introduced more than 300 bills since October to deal with a litany of COVID-related problems, including ICU funding, liability shields, reauthorization of electronic public meetings and more.
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Amber McReynolds and her group, the National Vote at Home Institute, played a major role in the success of the general election. She talks about lessons learned, and the future of vote-by-mail.
Hundreds of thousands of small businesses have closed because of the pandemic. A surge in new cases and unresolved election results are casting shadows on their year-end prospects, but recent bills offer help.
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Republicans continue their dominance at the state level, with Democrats failing to take chambers ahead of redistricting. Two chambers leaders were unseated, while several states saw demographic breakthroughs.
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Despite the pandemic, there are dozens of measures that have made it on to ballots nationwide. They range from abortion and police reform to redistricting, taxes and transit. Here are key results.
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All sides agree that naming the winners can’t come too soon, but complex and unique factors at play make quick results unlikely. Still, election officials are sticking to procedure to ensure fairness and accuracy.
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To boost voter confidence, election officials in numerous counties are taking transparency to the ultimate level, installing live cameras in the rooms where ballots are sorted, verified and counted.
Take-out and delivery helped restaurants hang on during the pandemic, but a new wave of cases stands in the way of a return to pre-COVID operations and revenue. Legislative proposals aim to help.
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As if navigating every choice on a ballot isn’t enough of a puzzle, voters are confused about how and where to vote. A team of tech experts and researchers has created a one-stop resource to guide them.
A bill celebrating the late actor Chadwick Boseman is one of many efforts states have undertaken to turn calls for racial change into legislative action. The BLM protests have turned into the country’s largest movement.
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Transit officials are monitoring voter enthusiasm for a host of ballot measures they see as essential to economic recovery, supporting essential workers, social equity, climate goals and preventing traffic nightmares.
They employ almost half of all private-sector workers. The pandemic has hit them hard, especially Black and minority-owned businesses. Legislators want to help them bounce back with grants and other assistance.
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Election officials are working to ease public confusion about changes in the voting process, and to counter campaigns undermining trust. High- and low-tech strategies are helping to reduce worries.
A first round of eviction protections is winding down, and tenants and landlords alike are at significant financial risk. Numerous state legislatures are chipping away at this dangerous instability.
This year’s election will require more than 1 million workers to assist voters. The pandemic was expected to suppress the number of volunteers, but innovative and creative recruiting drives have boosted the supply.
A new Rand report explores ideas and practices used by Russia and other hostile states to sow doubts about the election. The insights could help state and local government better understand and respond to the problem.
Too many Americans are losing health insurance coverage and gaining debt as a consequence. State legislators have put forward a variety of proposals to help citizens stay covered during a health emergency.
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In the last 15 years, scientific studies have overturned common knowledge about the behavior and consequences of wildfires. A leading researcher discusses how it can help guide future efforts to protect both people and forests.
Remote learning and reduced, or no, in-person instruction can keep working parents off the job. A number of recent bills attempt to fill the child-care gap.
A handful of recent protests have involved enough violence and property destruction for some to claim they are riots. Legislators have proposed penalties and protections for those who might be affected by future incidents.
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Guided by an administrative judge with an engineering degree, a Texas county has led the way in making remote court proceedings a reality, including the nation’s first virtual jury trial.
New Jersey and Pennsylvania would make the refusal to wear a mask a crime. It’s a sign that consensus regarding the value of mask wearing has grown, but states are still unsure on both guidelines and penalties.
Lawmakers have introduced dozens of shield bills that limit COVID-related liability for businesses, schools and caregivers, as the pandemic has sown divisiveness and rancor, creating a fertile ground for lawsuits.
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Carl Sedoryk, CEO of Monterey-Salinas Transit, explains how his agency went from moving not just people, but also food and medical services, while providing Internet service for families as the pandemic upended bus service.
THE FUTURE OF Community Design
Outdoor learning can slash the odds that in-person classes will put staff or students at risk of contracting the coronavirus. A national coalition is developing guidelines and resources to help schools in any climate.
With the highest incarceration rate in the developed world, America’s overcrowded prisons have become hotbeds for COVID-19. Now, the virus has accelerated efforts already underway by lawmakers to reform prison policies.
Massachusetts, Nebraska and Minnesota are among numerous states where legislation has recently been introduced to address the affordable housing deficit. Some bills are more concrete than others.
It’s never been more apparent that schools don’t just educate; they also buoy the stability and emotional health of communities. Since July, state legislatures have introduced numerous bills to keep things afloat.
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What’s it like to be a front-line government official in the COVID era? The mayor of Hattiesburg, Miss., talks candidly about "awful moments,” as he navigates a pandemic, an economic meltdown and racial tensions.
Voting by mail may have started during the Civil War, but the template for the 2020 general election is being created in real time. Legislators are working to bring clarity to vital details.
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Federal money and innovative housing-first programs have provided much needed support for the nation’s half-million homeless. But with the pandemic continuing, helping this vulnerable population will remain a challenge.
COVID-19 cases are on the rise, and citizens can't shelter in place if they're evicted. Legislators in some states are proposing moratoriums on evictions for as long as a year after the end of the health emergency.
Sonja Diaz, a lawyer and scholar, talks about immigrants, who are disproportionately represented among essential workers but have received little in the way of COVID-19 aid. The pandemic has left them in limbo.
Gov. Chris Sununu has signed a bill making the Granite State the first in the U.S. to allow flying cars onto its public roads. Pilots will be allowed to drive from airports to their final terrestrial destination.
COVID-19 has already hit state and local government hard, and it’s still spreading at a time when it had been predicted to recede. Legislators are trying to keep up with the consequences with a range of new bills.
Peniel Joseph, one of the nation’s leading civil rights scholars, has studied and written about the history of race and democracy. He has some ideas on how cities and urban areas can begin to dismantle racism.
Less than 10 percent of police responses involve a violent crime. Rethinking policing involves more than how police behave on the job. Often, they may not be the right people to answer calls of distress.
It's a health risk at any time and one that disproportionately affects Black individuals and families. During a pandemic, it's an unacceptable burden. Legislators are looking at ways to better cope with the problem.
The national conversation about racism isn't about individual acts of violence or harassment, but about systems that perpetuate injustice. In the wake of recent protests, legislators have responded.
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Legal experts are questioning our current system of “law and order” based on punishment. They are calling for restorative justice programs that can demonstrate how investments in accountability yield rewards.
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Allissa Richardson, a pioneer in mobile journalism, discusses the emergence of smartphones and social media as tools to fight back against the mistreatment of marginalized citizens by law enforcement.
Residents of senior care facilities are particularly vulnerable to the most damaging effects of COVID-19. Recent legislation aims to prevent lack of resources or bad practices from making things worse.
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Thanks to better video technology and the expansion of social media, citizens now have the means to monitor, disseminate and expose acts of police brutality. They are forcing the country to rethink policing practices.
Dramatic increases in suicide rates had attracted attention well before the unprecedented stresses of the pandemic. Legislators are proposing measures to keep a bad situation from getting worse.
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All states have begun phased reopening. An updated version of an earlier Governing resource page provides new maps that offer instant insight into progress toward COVID-19 containment in each state.
To date, dozens of bills and resolutions have been introduced by legislators to address shortcomings with police training, qualified immunity and racial profiling, including the use of facial recognition technology.
Public health agencies have steadily lost workers since the 2008 recession. Tech can help address some of the biggest demands from the pandemic, but humans and better funding are still badly needed.
In a socially distanced world, citizens who most need online support and resources are least likely to be able to access them. Recent bills on the digital divide, including broadband, are addressing the problem.
The last recession pummeled the government workforce. Now, the pandemic has hit and once again, layoffs have become a fact of life. But not every state and local government is cutting jobs to stanch revenue losses.
Whether used for medical reasons or recreation, cannabis is a multibillion-dollar industry that could play a role in a post-pandemic recovery. Legislators have been addressing regulatory details.
Bills that address contact tracing take aim at the costs related to testing and tracking COVID-19 infections as states reopen. Others tackle privacy concerns and ensuring tracer workers reflect community diversity.
Public schools face a litany of problems relating to COVID-19 that include significant drops in funding, distribution issues for school lunch programs, lack of broadband access and bus driver protection.
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Currently, the country has hired just a fraction of the contact tracers needed to contain the spread of the coronavirus and help the economy return to life. Experts say a national workforce is needed.
COVID-19 has accelerated demand for telemedicine services. Recently, state legislatures have introduced bills that provide remedies for issues such as reimbursement and credentialing that have slowed implementation.
Despite a huge drop in revenues, states are taking some measures to relieve pressure on taxpayers and have introduced bills that extend filing deadlines, remove penalties and limit certain liabilities for now.
Despite widespread disruption to session calendars, state legislators still find time to address matters other than the pandemic, an illustration of how the wheels of democracy keep turning.
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Governing is building a 50-state map to visualize the changes underway to declare states “Open for Business” even as the coronavirus remains at large across the country.
The pandemic has raised concerns about keeping this year’s voting process healthy and safe. Allowing voters to send in their ballots by mail could be the answer, but it will be costly and some worry about potential fraud.
The need to protect public health in the remaining primary elections, and uncertainty about the state of the coronavirus pandemic in November, are forcing legislators to consider changes to voting guidelines.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is pursuing a goal of 100 percent renewable energy by including the world’s first utility-scale hydrogen power plant in its energy mix.
State lawmakers continue to address wide-ranging consequences of the pandemic with bills that focus on various remedies to the financial burden on workers and their families placed by government work restrictions.
The range of applications for unmanned aerial vehicles has grown in recent years and, with COVID-19, their purpose could cross into more sensitive areas, such as security and surveillance, according to research.
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Using satellite imagery, California's Humboldt County has found an effective way to deal with unpermitted and illegal cannabis-cultivation operations and reduce their environmental impact.
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State legislatures have introduced more than 200 bills relating to COVID-19 since the beginning of the year to address public health issues only government can handle. Here’s our rundown.
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State lawmakers are tackling new digital threats to elections and public trust by banning voting bots and criminalizing deepfakes; meanwhile, in New Jersey, a legislator wants to bring an end to paper records.
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Richard L. Hasen, one of the nation’s leading experts on election law and campaign finance regulation, talks about what state and local officials can do to reduce potential abuses and disruptions during the 2020 election.
A multi-partner water recycling project is helping Monterey, Calif., stabilize and replenish its dwindling groundwater supply. The project could serve as a model for shrinking aquifers in other regions of the country.
New research from Pew Charitable Trusts points to the need for involvement from all levels of government to help close a digital divide that has left 21 million Americans without broadband access.
The newest generation in wireless networking represents a major boost in both capacity and speed, opening the door to transformative public services. But the technology is both costly and controversial even as states and localities begin to legislate and regulate around 5G.
A new study details dramatic economic benefits and large cuts in carbon emissions for California from the impact of electric vehicles over the next 10 years. Other states can profit from the lessons learned.
High costs, driven by permitting, building code and regulatory red tape, could hamper growth of stations needed to power the EV market, but some states and localities are starting to change the status quo.
Insatiable demands for data have triggered startling projections on how much electricity is consumed to power the Internet. But technology itself — along with strategic regulations — could keep our energy needs in check.
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Farms from the state's Central Valley have teamed up with Southern California Gas to convert cow manure into renewable natural gas, in response to a 2016 state law to reduce dairy greenhouse emissions by 30 percent.