Cover Story
2016’s Top Legislative Issues to Watch
BY News Staff
These are the biggest policies and problems that states will confront this year.
FEATURES
Politics & Elections
Iowa’s Perennial Power Player
Republicans have the governorship and the state House in Iowa, but Democrats have Mike Gronstal, who adheres to the old-fashioned sense that voters elect politicians to work on policy before retreating to their respective partisan corners.
BY Alan Greenblatt
Finance
What’s Keeping Pennsylvania From Passing a Budget?
Just like in Washington last year, Pennsylvania state lawmakers are still struggling to produce a state budget and avoid a partial government shutdown.
BY Daniel C. Vock
Finance
The Curious Case of Disappearing Corporate Taxes
Over the past two decades, corporations have doubled their profits but contributed increasingly less to state revenues. Where is all the money going?
BY Liz Farmer
Management & Labor
Meet the People Who Run a Tiny Town’s Government
The small, rural town of Gifford, S.C., survives with help from just 12 enthusiastic public employees -- most of whom aren't even paid.
BY David Kidd
OBSERVER
Public Safety & Justice
Did California's Jail Reforms Cause an Uptick in Crime?
After voters eased penalties for several common crimes, opponents claim the reforms have led to a crime wave.
BY Daniel C. Vock
Health & Human Services
The Nation's First Firehouse Where People Can Get Flu Shots
Reflecting a broader trend of merging health care with other services, a city in California recently opened a clinic next to a firehouse.
BY Mattie Quinn
Finance
Why Billionaires' Big Donations Often Fail to Change Much
Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates have given millions to overhaul public education. But their cash has proven to be anything but free money or a remedy to systemic problems.
BY J.B. Wogan
Urban
Love Urban Planning and Board Games? This Is For You.
Called Cards Against Urbanity, the game is a twist on the popular and politically incorrect Cards Against Humanity.
BY Alan Greenblatt
POLITICS + POLICY
Assessments
Urbanophobia: A Growing Threat to Public Transit in America
In the ideological war over urban planning, anti-transit conservatives are gaining funding and allies.
BY Alan Ehrenhalt
Washington Watch
Detroit and New Orleans Have More in Common Than Most Think
Most important, their prospects for survival can teach us about the resiliency of urban areas everywhere.
BY Peter Harkness
Elections
Breaking Down the 2016 Governors Races
Republicans could strengthen their power in many states this year, but Democrats only have realistic chances in two.
BY Alan Greenblatt
Health & Human Services
Addicted and Pregnant: How States Deal With Drug Problems When You're Expecting
Roughly 1 in 20 pregnant women use illicit drugs. States are cracking down on the problem with starkly different approaches.
BY Mattie Quinn
Infrastructure & Environment
To Save Bees, It Takes a Hive
Bees are vital to the food we eat, and they’re vanishing. Michigan State University is coordinating efforts to save them.
BY Elizabeth Daigneau
Transportation & Infrastructure
Why Moving Isn't All Bad
When lower-income Americans move, it's seen as a result of displacement instead of opportunity. This negative perception needs to change.
BY Aaron M. Renn
Urban Notebook
Be Nice, It May Help Your City’s Economy
In some cities, the personality of its residents may play a part in economic success (or failure).
BY Scott Beyer
PROBLEM SOLVER
Management & Labor
When It Comes to 311, the Customer Isn’t Always Right
As cities explore ways to use citizen complaints to enhance public services, research shows there are drawbacks to such data.
BY Mike Maciag
Smart Management
Cheaper Isn’t Necessarily Better for Government
Many states and cities get hung up on low prices and fail to consider a company's performance when deciding whether to contract with them.
BY Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
On Leadership
A Better Way to Attack Inequality Than Redistributing Wealth
Everyone talks about taxing the rich to give to the poor, but doing so would only have a small impact. There are ways to have a larger one.
BY Mark Funkhouser
Tech Talk
Can Technology Help Prevent Drug Overdoses?
Massachusetts has begun using data analytics to predict where they might occur.
BY Tod Newcombe
Public Money
Climate Change and Credit Ratings
The growing intensity of natural disasters is a threat to state and local governments’ fiscal stability. How can they protect their finances and the environment?
BY Frank Shafroth
Infrastructure & Environment
Even Road Salt Can Be Controversial
After two brutal winters and allegedly being overcharged for road salt, Cleveland is ready for snow.
BY Elizabeth Daigneau
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