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California leaders have threatened to prosecute Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for kidnapping after he sent Latin American migrants to Sacramento. But experts believe the allegations aren’t a basis for a criminal case.
The federal government claims that the state’s Department of Public Health has demonstrated patterns of inaction and neglect surrounding health risks of raw sewage in Lowndes County, a majority-Black county.
A new report found that by transitioning to electric vehicles, the state could avoid 3,290 deaths while creating $36 billion in public health benefits. New Jersey is aiming for 100 percent clean energy by 2035.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, as she signed legislation on Wednesday banning the use of handheld cellphones while driving a car, expanding on the state’s texting-and-driving ban. The law will go into effect on June 30. (Associated Press — June 7, 2023)
A new book by Yale law professor David Schleicher explores the benefits and drawbacks of various responses to state and local debt crises. It’s a trilemma that leaders will face again and again, Schleicher says.
The governor, lieutenant governor and other lawmakers engaged in policymaking debates over Twitter, publicly exposing fractures in the state’s GOP. No deals were made before the session ended.
Hundreds of bikers urged Pennsylvania lawmakers to extend the automotive lemon law to motorcycles, grant motorcycle processions the same rights as funeral processions and continue supporting motorcycle safety training programs.
More than one-third of preschoolers with disabilities went the entirety of last year without receiving at least one mandated service. Experts predict the shortfall is actually worse than the data reports.
They worry that the retirement of fossil fuel electricity production without the replacement of reliable renewable energy sources could cause rolling blackouts and widespread deaths from loss of power.
North Carolina state Sen. Natasha Marcus, regarding a bill that would subject state legislators who change party registrations midterm to an early election to keep the seat. The bill was filed in response to state Rep. Tricia Cotham’s switch to the Republican party two months ago. (Associated Press — June 6, 2023)
While electric vehicles are becoming much more commonplace, transit agencies have had mixed experiences with electric buses. Many are still exploring how best to reduce fleet emissions.
A 90-year-old train station will anchor a $10 billion investment in urban development that could result in as much as 18 million square feet of new commercial and residential space over the next several decades.
A shortage of accountants and auditors has left dozens of municipalities without credit ratings, and new financial reporting requirements are likely to make things worse. There are ways to tackle this skill set supply chain problem.
GOP state lawmakers are exerting pressure on local election officials in left-leaning areas.
The bill would make it a crime to request, obtain, deliver or prefill an absentee ballot application for another voter, with some exceptions. The state’s annual legislative session ends Tuesday.
Small-town advocates argue that some communities that have been written off as dead are really just in the midst of change. Lack of population increase is often not because of dwindling interest, but fewer housing choices.
The state is facing more than a dozen lawsuits involving at least 180 ex-employees who were allegedly forced from their jobs after asserting religious or other objections to the COVID-19 vaccination mandate.
Attorney Jeffrey Goodman, regarding the collapse of a six-story apartment building in Davenport, Iowa. The first lawsuit has been filed and alleges multiple counts of negligence. (Associated Press — June 5, 2023)
Thirty-nine state governments are now “trifectas.” It’s not the kind of government the Constitution's framers wanted.
Houses of worship are experiencing a great emptying, becoming disconnected from their communities as congregations shrink. Jane Jacobs had some ideas that could help churches and their cities thrive.
Perhaps best remembered for the dam and institute named for him, the 31st president was known as a great humanitarian but had a low view of the role of government in improving people's lives.
Does your local government need a stance on generative AI? Boston encourages staff’s “responsible experimentation,” Seattle’s interim policy outlines cautions, and King County considers what responsible generative AI use might be.
Policymakers and scholars have recently made a push to prioritize the hours when cities are supposedly asleep. Smart technology can help municipalities govern the night.
State Sen. Tom Davis wants to eliminate college degree requirements for the majority of state-classified jobs, though no legislation has yet been proposed in the House and it’s unclear if such a bill would pass.
The 28-member council will develop recommendations on how to retain college graduates, promote Michigan’s natural resources and build upon its manufacturing legacy. The state experienced its first population loss in over a decade in the last Census.
The city council paused the $20 million contract with local nonprofit DigitalC with concerns that the $40 million broadband expansion initiative would be too large for the company to manage.
Spokesperson for U.S. military base Fort Bragg Cheryle Rivas, regarding the army’s decision to rename it Fort Liberty as part of a larger effort to rename military installations that had been named after confederate soldiers. The renaming will cost about $8 million. (Associated Press — June 2, 2023)
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