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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.

Dozens of jurisdictions are seeking damages from fossil fuel companies. Jeffrey B. Simon, an attorney representing Multnohmah County, Ore., talks about the ways science and precedent will influence the success of their cases.
The field of public health has been notoriously behind the times when it comes to data. Dr. Philip Huang has changed that in Dallas County, while helping other communities to modernize.
By the time federal crime rate statistics are published, they're already out of date. A new online resource provides a month-to-month view of crime rates.
Good jobs are a bedrock of resilient communities. State and local governments can spar over who sets standards, but there are ways to meet both state standards and local needs.
Tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act were designed to drive private-sector investments in clean energy. Where are investments and jobs landing?
Local governments have jurisdiction over the third-largest source of methane emissions: the decomposition of organic waste in municipal solid waste landfills.
Rainfall patterns are changing. What can local leaders do to curb the growing risks?
And how does that overlap with reported deaths from firearms?
Election deniers are running for election administration jobs in some states. What would it look like to make changes they want to see?
Deepfake images and videos are just one way AI could disrupt the upcoming election. Experts are highlighting risks that could cause bigger problems and helping election officials prepare for them.