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State governments can best lead and govern distinct and diverse communities. The founders knew that the only way to build a new nation was to avoid taking too much autonomy from them.
The outside mosaics of the Corn Palace change every year, the inside mosaics almost never. A committee meets to choose each year’s theme.
Even though mental illness is just as pervasive in rural communities, crisis response teams have been slow to grow beyond cities partly due to a lack of resources. Unfortunately, there's not a simple solution.
With the 2022 midterms looming, elections officials around the country are working to keep false claims out of the headlines, push for free and fair elections, and foster constituent trust in the process.
The state's water agencies are proposing to reduce water use by up to 400,000 acre-feet per year or 9 percent. California is entitled to use 4.4 million acre-feet of Colorado River water per year, more than any other state.
Phil Murphy wants the president to require an environmental impact statement for the city's traffic program, which would take much longer than the environmental assessment process currently underway.
Counties in the southwest are considering all voting contingencies, including flexibility with mail ballots and the location of polling places. There are about 1.3 million registered voters in the region.
Voters will be asked to make it a "fundamental individual right" to keep and bear arms, and that any restraint on that right is invalid. But firearms remain the primary cause of death in domestic violence homicides.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell commenting on how tech companies are looking beyond Seattle for new office space, and the pandemic is enabling more employers to allow remote work. Both trends concern the mayor and other government leaders. (GeekWire — Oct. 6, 2022)
Service was suspended on one of Amtrak’s busiest lines because of erosion on California’s coastal cliffs. Local authorities are working on emergency repairs, while planning for the track’s long-term future.
The success of remote work could revitalize the economies of America’s small communities. But there are things they need to do to maximize their economic growth.
If passed, a bill would divest the state’s pension fund from the 200 largest publicly traded fossil fuel companies no more than two years from the time the bill is enacted. The pension fund is valued at $92.9 billion.
As costs rise, the economy slows and federal grants decline, Tom Kozlik warns that cities, including Philadelphia, may have to adjust the way they manage their finances to prepare for tough times ahead.
Unwelcome drones have been cited for distracting pilots with erratic motion, risking collision and delaying help for those in need. The unmanned aerial onlookers have been found to tail the department’s helicopters.
Arizona state Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, regarding her opposition to a bill that would allow students regardless of their immigration status to obtain financial aid and cheaper in-state tuition at state universities and community colleges. At least 18 states currently offer in-state tuition to all students who otherwise qualify regardless of immigration status. Residents will vote on the measure, Proposition 308, in November. (Associated Press — Oct. 6, 2022)
The state has more than 40 vacancies, and many superintendents increasingly find themselves under attack from conservative groups. Nationally about a quarter of superintendents had left their positions by the end of the last two school years.
Our prisons don’t have enough staffers to protect inmates or themselves. Better pay, benefits and working conditions are needed, and there are other effective strategies.
Buffered by relief programs, like stimulus checks, expanded SNAP benefits and Child Tax Credit payments, the state’s supplemental poverty rate decreased to 10.5 percent in 2019-2021.
Renewed efforts to develop the 20-acre Caltrain site has increased excitement surrounding the transformation of regional transit, but also the potential to develop housing or commercial buildings if Caltrain moves its railyards underground.
While Washington state saw a 16 percent increase in road deaths between 2020 and 2021, Pierce County saw a 34 percent year-to-year jump, alerting officials of the dire need for road safety reform.
Columbus, N.C., County Sheriff Jody Greene, who is white, in a recording regarding Black employees. Greene has been suspended by a North Carolina judge for allegedly racial profiling those under his command until an Oct. 24 hearing on the petition for Greene’s removal from position. Columbus County has about 50,000 people and is approximately 63 percent white and 30 percent Black. (Associated Press — Oct. 5, 2022)
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At the beginning of the pandemic, many government organizations rapidly transformed their operations to assist individuals and families in need. While these efforts addressed immediate needs, they also demonstrated how a phased approach will be critical to long-term transformation that goes beyond the rapidly developed point solutions that characterized some COVID-19 relief programs.
More than a dozen states allow homeowners to lose not only their houses but also years of mortgage payments if they fail to pay their property taxes. Some lawmakers are hoping to change the rules.
More than a dozen states have enacted laws regulating how law enforcement uses it. But federal legislation is needed: A piecemeal approach doesn't keep all citizens safe from misidentification.
The Inflation Reduction Act has funding to help states and localities implement better energy codes. Energy-efficient buildings can save their owners a lot of money while dramatically reducing emissions.
Residents will receive nearly $3 billion in excess revenues next month, with the bottom 20 percent of earners receiving an average credit of just $9; the average rebate amount is about $530.
California’s shift away from gas-powered vehicles could mean as many as 80 percent of gas stations would be unprofitable by 2035. The state has some 250,000 station owners and employees.
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