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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.

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.
Devastated by fire, then shut down by COVID-19, the school district in Paradise, Calif., has emerged as a leader in keeping homeless students in classrooms.
Much has been said about the health consequences of severe Medicaid cuts. A new analysis from the Commonwealth Fund considers the jobs and revenue that states could lose.
A record amount of electricity came from renewable sources in 2024, with both red and blue states leading the way.
Trust in local government has declined in recent years. Liberty Lake, Wash., has found ways to assure residents their voices will be heard.
Health departments across the country rely on manual processes, like phone calls and fax machines, to get access to crucial data, a new study finds.