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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.

Amid a call to incorporate tribal knowledge in environmental protection, a state agency has set a standard for authentic consultation. A history of fights over water in Owens Valley embodies the tension between growth and stewardship.
It’s an updated version of the one that will be used to allocate billions in federal funds. Local governments have less than two months to ask for corrections that could affect their portion of the money to improve Internet coverage.
Written by the Climate Mayors and C40 Cities, it will help local governments take advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act’s historic financial support for climate action.
With more people questioning the facts used in public finance, the Government Finance Officers Association has developed a curriculum that provides education and communication skills to remedy divisive and uncivil discourse.
Hundreds of parents hoping to “take back” public education ran for school board seats in the midterms. What’s the actual job that awaits those who win?
Workers have had a tough time of late, and ballot measures attempted to improve their situation — with some exceptions.
Political divisions in America were on full display on Tuesday night. Early returns show strong support for reproductive choice, but mixed enthusiasm for legalizing recreational cannabis.
In June, a museum housing the world’s largest collection of works by Chicano artists opened in Riverside, Calif. Years of community-based work and a partnership with collector Cheech Marin set the stage for success.
Every jurisdiction may not face the same prospect for midterm disruption, but all are on alert. Election experts highlight keys to election security.
Research suggesting the 2020 California wildfires could have erased years of benefits from the state’s climate efforts has attracted international attention. Forest ecologists say it’s not that simple.