Chief Storytellers: Community Engagement or PR?
Some critics wonder if the new city gig is a legitimate use of government money. Denver thinks so.
Graham Vyse is a staff writer at Governing. He was previously a staff writer at The New Republic, and his writing has appeared in Slate and Washingtonian. His first job in journalism was covering the District of Columbia for the Current Newspapers, where he appeared on “The Fix’s 2015 list of best state political reporters” in The Washington Post. A native of Rhode Island, he received his bachelor’s degree in political science and his master’s degree in journalism from American University.
Some critics wonder if the new city gig is a legitimate use of government money. Denver thinks so.
"Park equity" gets a new focus as cities tackle inequality in all facets of public life.
The option is spreading at a time of heightened fear of foreign interference in U.S. elections. It has been used in a few local elections and will be available to some voters in the 2020 presidential caucuses.
The policy is already law in some states and cities, and has become a talking point for Democratic leaders and presidential candidates. But while it has helped lift some Americans out of poverty, it has cost others their jobs.
Three American cities have now banned the use of facial recognition technology in local government amid concerns it's inaccurate and biased.
Panelists at the Netroots Nation conference this weekend raised concerns about finding enough candidates and donors for state legislative elections.
The decision increases the focus on often-ignored state legislative elections, where the GOP has recently dominated.
There are more lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans politicians than ever before, but they only make up .1 percent of elected officials.
The West Virginia Senate passed a bill that would not only punish teachers for protesting but also includes a charter school provision they recently fought to defeat. The House could vote on it as early as Monday.
Census officials and immigration advocates warned Congress this week that untested technology and reduced federal resources could lead to vast undercounts.
The president left the meeting with congressional leaders after only three minutes, holding an infrastructure bill hostage unless the investigations into him end.
A wave of conservative states passed abortion bans this year, but the national backlash didn't come until Alabama's was signed into law.
California will be the first state where utilities charge more for power used during peak hours.
Some are boycotting Georgia after it passed a "heartbeat" bill last week. Others argue there are better ways to protect abortion rights.
Democratic and Republican secretaries of state agree that more money is needed to improve voting systems, but they disagree on how that federal funding should be spent.
North and South Carolina teachers rallied this week. Educators in Sacramento, Calif., and Oregon could strike later this month.
In California, where the soda industry spends millions on lobbying, a bill to tax sugary drinks has been shelved. Lawmakers in four other states proposed one this year.
The president wants to release detained immigrants in cities where local leaders oppose his immigration policies.
Elite actors are threatening to boycott Georgia over a heartbeat abortion bill, endangering the state's a-list status among major TV and movie productions.
Republican Jim Brainard of Carmel, Ind., has become a national voice on environmental issues.
Some states can revoke your job license if you fall behind. Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio introduced legislation that would outlaw that practice.
A growing number of state agencies -- mostly in places with no paid family leave -- are letting public employees bring their infants to the office.
Democrats once fought to keep her from becoming Obama's education secretary. Now she's set to lead California's State Board of Education, where she could influence the national party's education stances.
Governors' reactions to President Trump's address, which was heavy on immigration but also touched on infrastructure and drug prices, showcased the country’s sharp political divisions.
The state House approved $750 million in tax incentives for the company while teachers protested outside the Capitol.
The White House and Congress now have three weeks to agree on border security -- or the government could shut down again. A bipartisan group of border-state mayors wants more than a wall -- if at all.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors gathered in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to discuss its agenda and tout its members' ability to work across party lines -- even on immigration.
In an anti-union era, nurses may have found a model for effectively organizing labor.
Unrest over education funding and policy is brewing in several cities and states across the country.
Educators in the nation's second-largest school district are set to strike on Monday. The dispute could impact education policy across the country.
This year will see the largest class yet of millennials entering legislatures. How will they shape politics and policies?
The conservative group of lawmakers recently convened in Washington, D.C., to strategize ways to capitalize on the Supreme Court's ruling this year that limited unions' ability to collect fees.
The fresh crop of progressives taking state office next year could shake up the conversations about how to lower the cost of living.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib made headlines for their congressional wins. But a number of Democratic Socialists also won state-level races this election.
The party now has 14 "trifectas," compared to the Republicans' 22.
States across the country have limited citizens' right to sue their state or local government. Voters in one of them, New Hampshire, revived it on Tuesday.
Privacy concerns have prompted 10 states to add privacy protections in their constitutions.
Advocates say Prop. 12 represents the world's strongest protections for animals raised for human consumption.
After decades of false starts, turbines are starting to turn in several coastal states.
Legalization measures passed in Michigan but failed in North Dakota.
It's a slight decline from last year but still more than usual.
In the cases the justices will hear this fall, legal observers say "state sovereignty is a really big issue."
Just over half of this year's candidates endorsed by Democratic Socialists are advancing to the general election. They could win seats for school boards, city councils and legislatures in 20 states.
Oregon voters were the first to directly weigh in on immigration during the Trump era.
The actor has become the voice of announcements on Vancouver's buses and subways.
The Supreme Court nominee's legal vision could empower state governments on some issues but imperil their laws on others.
The state is launching an ambitious effort, along with tech companies, to monitor and remove disinformation on social media that could keep people from voting.
As states struggle to obtain traditional lethal injection drugs, some are turning to new methods of execution, or reviving old ones, as a backup.
New research suggests a simple way to boost turnout among first-time voters.