Officials say the federal relief funds would help reduce the lack of adequate Internet connections in the far reaches of the state, but Republican lawmakers disagree with the governor that the funds can be used in time.
Several Inland Northwest tribes are calling upon Congress to extend the spending deadline for coronavirus relief funds until Sept. 2021, because of costs and hardships that extend beyond Dec. 30.
Cities and counties are stepping in to try to preserve their communities' jobs and economies. It looks like it's helping. But the programs need to be designed to prevent mischief and protect taxpayers.
A technical error in the Medicaid enrollment system may have mispaid 4.9 percent of customers across 27 counties. An audit suggests the numbers could extrapolate to a multi-million dollar glitch for the whole state.
As property taxes and other revenue sources have declined due to the pandemic, city officials are looking for ways to cut spending. But without federal aid, many are concerned that local businesses won’t be able to keep up.
Nationwide, school districts are approving bonds that will pay for high-speed Internet, software updates and student computers. But some worry that the bonds aren’t going to give districts flexibility for future updates.
As COVID cases continue to increase, many residents have voiced their opposition to using relief funds to purchase the police tech. The city is still waiting for guidance as to whether or not the purchase is legal.
The city has 18.5 police officers per 10,000 residents, which is far below a national, big police department average of 26.5. With budget cuts and public pressure to defund the police, the number could drop further.
The state’s Attorney General commended the Public Utilities Commission of its efforts to jumpstart the state economy, but also says that the commission doesn’t have the macroeconomic experience to make those decisions.
To resolve the stalemate on COVID-19 relief for states and localities, Congress should require a contractual commitment to robust rainy-day funds and promote serious efforts to fix pension underfunding.
Mitch McConnell and other Republicans are opposed to further aid for states and localities. It looks like the Senate will stay in GOP hands, so prospects for relief next year have dimmed.
