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A poll found that 63 percent of Americans agree that the two main political parties do "such a poor job" of representing the public that a third party is needed. Meanwhile, a Republican's home state advantage and demanding input into redistricting.
Work that began as a civic hack — a part-time passion project for a group of Google engineers — is bringing corrections operations into the 21st century, helping tens of thousands move out of the system.
There is a lot governments could do to give more people ways to serve their communities, benefiting themselves while addressing civic challenges. Public service is an antidote for disunity.
State and local government PIOs and social media teams are navigating the drastic changes at what was once Twitter, grappling with unexpected features and shifts in user verification, as they weigh the pros and cons of remaining on the evolving platform.
The state’s jobless rate is at 3.6 percent, which is lower than the national rate, but there are 90,000 unfilled jobs across several industries. The state is attempting to attract workers with education and job training.
Five bills headed to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s desk for signature will ensure major health and civil rights protections inside the Affordable Care Act if they are ever stripped or repealed at the federal level.
The U.S. EPA disapproved the state’s ozone reduction plan for ignoring the primary focus of reducing future emissions. Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston-Galveston-Brazoria have long failed to attain federal air regulation standards.
First Lady Jill Biden, regarding the 15 teenage women who are being honored at the White House for their community advocacy work on a range of issues. President Joe Biden is designating Oct. 11 as International Day of the Girl. The honorees range in age from 15 to 18 and represent 13 states. (Associated Press — Oct. 11, 2023)
Pre-emption of local authority has been a major concern over the past decade. Now, states are not only blocking specific laws but stopping cities and counties from addressing entire areas of policy.
Just hiring more recruiters won’t address the issue. By partnering with community organizations that connect with young people daily, some higher education institutions have an opportunity to overcome demographic trends.
The Federal Railroad Administration has awarded $1.4 billion for railroad improvements, a huge expansion of a key funding program under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Funded projects will help make passenger and freight service more efficient.
From 2013 to 2022, the state saw significant growth in higher-paid taxpayers and gained about 63,000 young adults aged 18 to 24. Those who moved out of the state were more likely to be Black or from downstate.
Los Angeles parents and bus drivers have reported that the tracking system is often inaccurate, which creates confusion for the already-tough pickup and drop-off schedules. The school district estimates 43,00 students ride the 2,700 daily routes.
The New York school district’s after-school instruction faces a teacher shortage two weeks before its scheduled start date. The majority of the program has been funded through American Rescue Plan dollars, which will expire by Sept. 2024.
The slogan for Michigan’s new $20 million marketing initiative that hopes to boost the state’s population growth by attracting and retaining young talent. The campaign will include television, radio and online advertisements in 11 states and will be the largest state-led talent attraction effort in the U.S. (Associated Press — Oct. 10, 2023)
North Carolina, where cities large and small are creating open-container “social districts,” is about to find out.
Up against an Oct. 14 deadline, Gavin Newsom acted on hundreds of bills over the weekend, vetoing some major legislation such as juror pay, caste discrimination, decriminalizing psychedelics and capping insulin costs.
The latest numbers show that Republicans now have 588,930 more registered voters than Democrats while independents and no party affiliation voters make up 27.2 percent of the state’s registrations.
The Office of Independent Investigations was created to examine police use of deadly force and is the state’s first-ever attempt to erase the “thin blue line” controversy that arises when police investigate themselves.
The city wants to suspend its 42-year-old right to shelter because of the strain the migrant crisis has put on city resources. But many are worried what suspending the policy will do to homelessness in the area.
The county is mostly white, mostly Republican, has No Party Preference voters and is the latest of California’s counties that is trying to raise support to secede from the state. But none of the past efforts have worked.
Brooks Fuller, director of the NC Open Government Coalition, reacting to provisions inserted in a new North Carolina budget bill that exempts legislators from the state’s open record laws while giving legislative staff the power to seize documents and enter offices of executive branch agencies and private companies. (NPR — October 6, 2023)
Veronica O. Davis, a transportation director in Houston, recently published Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities. The book describes experiences and lessons from her career as a planner, engineer and advocate.
The Biden administration’s decision to grant work authorization to Venezuelans has sparked state action.
Water providers say rebates for residential areas are costly and many people refuse to remove their lawns. The rules aim to save enough water for more than a million households a year.
Thirty-three states have laws that allow schools or school employees to carry, store or administer naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal medication. But some states and school districts struggle with the stigma that comes with it.
Shawyn Patterson-Howard, mayor of Mt. Vernon, N.Y., and president of the African American Mayors Association, regarding her city’s comprehensive plans to overhaul and modernize its infrastructure. Work will encompass standards for green infrastructure, lighting for public streets and spaces, EV charging stations, green buildings, and retaining pervious surfaces in development projects. (Governing – Oct. 6, 2023)
