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Advocates are pushing for “clean slate” legislation, which would expunge criminal records for people with low-level or non-violent crimes. But until reform happens, these groups are helping to secure second chances.
The tax was imposed in 1994 to raise revenue for the Bay Area city’s library services. If the measure doesn’t pass in the June primary, the library system will have to cut 40 percent of its expenditures.
Alex Linser, deputy director of the Hamilton County, Ohio, election board, regarding the impact that the 2020 presidential election had on election misinformation. Now, mis- and disinformation spreads across social media and other Internet sites and sows distrust in secure and fair election systems that have worked for decades. (Associated Press — April 23, 2022)
The number of square miles that a wildfire in southwestern Nebraska had burned as of Sunday evening. The Road 702 Fire is spread over 78 square miles of Red Willow, Furnas and Frontier counties, and has killed one person, injured at least 15 firefighters and destroyed at least six homes.
Rising costs are starting to put pressure on budgets and may increase pension risk. Still, government balance sheets are in good shape and the economy remains in growth mode.
Advocates argue that cities and their connecting swaths of territory make an economic unit, despite the absence of real cultural affinities between distant metros.
As the 50th anniversary of the break-in approaches, a recent book charts the transformation of the Nixon administration’s bungled burglary to a redefinition of America’s relationship with its leaders and institutions.
Florida and Texas have passed social media censorship legislation, but both face legal pushback from advocacy groups. If their cases move forward, it could set a precedent for other states to propose similar legislation.
“Teach-ins” were inspired the first Earth Day. Andra Yeghoian of the San Mateo County Office of Education is leading efforts to make environmental and climate literacy top priorities throughout K-12 systems.
To work around the state’s immigration enforcement laws, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has worked with private data brokers to receive real-time alerts about when people are being released from jail.
Despite the national push towards electric vehicles, the Massachusetts regional transit authority has no immediate plans to transition its 69 buses to electric alternatives. One EV bus is almost double the price of a diesel bus.
State lawmakers discussed the possibility of curbing property taxes by using surplus state funds and restricting the annual growth of a home’s taxable value. But some worry it would shift the burden onto taxpayers.
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A cooperative contract is an agreement between a local, state, regional, or federal government and businesses. The contract secures affordable rates and establishes delivery terms on goods that many agencies or offices need to have.
A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Board of Health, regarding the city’s decision to end its indoor mask mandate just days after reimposing the order. (Reuters — April 21, 2022)
The number of tons of carbon emissions that Gov. Tom Wolf predicts Pennsylvania will emit by 2030, a reduction of 97 million tons. The state will join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a multistate consortium that sets a price and declining limits on power plant emissions. The cap-and-trade program requires owners of fossil-fuel power plants with a capacity of 25 or more megawatts must buy a credit for every ton of CO2 they emit.
A number of states are seeing dozens of lawmakers retire all at once. Reasons differ, but there’s wide agreement partisanship has poisoned the atmosphere.
Failing to invest in the emergency response communication workforce and infrastructure is taking a toll. One important way to bolster call center employee morale and retention is to reclassify these professionals as first responders.
From regulation to restoration, the work of environmental stewardship falls largely on the shoulders of those in government. For Earth Day 2022, Governing asked public-sector leaders how they see the path forward.
The bottom half of Americans saw their wealth grow by 301 percent in 2020, in part boosted by unemployment benefits and stimulus payments. Despite that growth, the wealth gap also increased.
Nuclear industry giant Westinghouse believes that their micro-reactors could dramatically change Alaska’s relationship with energy, but not everyone is so certain of the systems’ economic and environmental benefits.
The state announced it would use federal pandemic funds to give one-time bonuses to health-care workers but it omitted the largest group of health attendants, who provide services to about 130,000 low-income Texans.
Nicole Polit, a civilian social worker, regarding vulnerable people’s increased trust in Philadelphia’s SEPTA police officers. In a pilot project called Serving a Vulnerable Entity, police and “outreach specialists,” or social workers, work together to patrol the transit system and look for people who may be in need of services, such as temporary shelter, food or drug treatment. (NPR — April 21, 2022)
The proportion of Americans, or more than 137 million people, who live in areas with poor air quality, according to a new report. Only one of the top 25 worst cities with particulate matter pollution was east of the Rocky Mountains and California had 11 of the top 25 polluted cities. Fresno, Calif., had the worst short-term particulate matter pollution and Los Angeles had the worst ozone levels. People of color were almost four times more likely to live in a county with poor air quality compared to white people.
Population growth is slowing or reversing just about everywhere in the country. That has enormous implications for our future economy and prosperity.
The AARP Livability Index, which relaunched this week, scores towns, cities and counties for the services they provide based on several metrics, including housing, transportation, environment and health.
A federal appeals court ruled that California’s local governments can proceed with lawsuits against major oil companies for their sale of fossil fuel products and allegedly deceiving the public about the products’ effects.
New Jersey became the 14th state to legalize recreational marijuana use on Thursday, though public smoking is still banned. Now local police, who will provide security for the dispensaries, must adjust for the new law.
The city’s Department of Transportation found that, during the 13-month pilot program, 22 percent of riders used scooters for commuting and 12 percent used them for running errands. The average trip was 15 minutes and cost $6.63.
Tim Burney, of Wasilla, Alaska, regarding his support for Sarah Palin in her bid for the U.S. House seat of the late Rep. Don Young. Some voters still see Palin as the “only anti-establishment, truly conservative” candidate while others, though skeptical of Palin’s personal life, believe she could be a good political candidate. (Associated Press — April 20, 2022)
The proportion of Americans who favor requiring people to wear masks on planes, trains and public transportation, while just 24 percent are opposed.
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