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A proposed bill would amend the state constitution to include privacy as a natural right and would require that law enforcement obtain a warrant before searching or seizing electronic data or communications.
The state will receive millions in federal aid over the next five years to invest in its bridges, 21.2 percent of which have been deemed structurally deficient, more than 14 percent higher than the national average.
The Summit County city has the most charging stations per capita in the county and officials are hopeful that the installation of four electric vehicle recharging posts will help attract EV drivers and business.
While the state tracks data on job loss, inflation and rising housing costs, it does not include eviction numbers, leading many officials to underestimate the number of renters who need financial aid.
Christine Izzo, a nurse at Sharp Memorial in San Diego, Calif., regarding the extreme costs that some people are forced to pay for a timely COVID-19 test. Izzo paid $434 to get her two children tested prior to their return to school after the holiday break. (NPR — Jan. 18, 2022)
The cost of the Biden administration’s plan to significantly expand wildfire fighting efforts, by doubling the use of controlled fires and logging to reduce catastrophic fire risk.
State legislatures will have a lot on their plates. They’ll deal with issues in wildly differing ways. We set the context for the 2022 session with an overview of everything from abortion to taxes.
Many years ago, public financiers woke up to the problem of funding “other post-retirement benefits,” but then some of them went back to sleep. Younger public employees should demand an actuarial wake-up call.
State and local governments are still trusted more than Washington, though they’re having their own brushes with incivility and polarization. But they’re still the best bet for preserving our traditions of governance.
A journalist and her husband leave California and head east to take over the 530-acre family farm.
Renewable energy is expanding at a record pace, but still not fast enough. Here are the key areas to watch for progress in bringing more wind and solar into the power grid in 2022.
Legislation that would have enacted minimum standards for wages, working hours and work conditions across the fast food industry fell short of passing the state Assembly last year by just three votes. Some hope the bill becomes law during this year's legislative session.
The number of acres for the proposed construction of a lake in Nebraska. State lawmakers made the proposal for the reservoir to be placed between Omaha and Lincoln. The $200 million project would improve the water supply in the area and boost economic development.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, regarding her reason for requesting federal prosecutors to open a criminal investigation into 16 Republicans who submitted false certificates stating they were the state’s presidential electors despite Joe Biden’s 154,000-vote victory in 2020. Nessel, a Democrat, disclosed Thursday that her office had been evaluating charges for nearly a year but decided to refer the matter to the U.S. attorney in western Michigan. (AP — Jan. 14, 2022)
Democrats are skeptical of the plan and it lacks the support of Gov. Newsom. It would require the largest state tax increase in history, estimated at $163 billion. The tax hike would need to be approved by voters.
Boston’s new Mayor Michelle Wu has already added two free bus routes and a new poll finds approval for fare-free transit and especially strong support for giving low-income Massachusetts residents reduced fares.
Ohio’s new redistricting process, which is being used for the first time after voters approved it as a state constitutional amendment in 2015, is totally untested.
If 25 percent to 30 percent of fully paid working days remain at home, that could have implications from how to use buildings to employee diversity in the office, from commuting considerations to who gets promoted.
State prisons quickly adjusted policies and procedures when the coronavirus pandemic hit to ensure the health and safety of the incarcerated individuals and staff. If these pandemic changes become permanent, states could save $2.7 billion annually.
Thousands of people are protesting the state’s Board of Health for a plan to round up unvaccinated people and force them into quarantine facilities. But the plan isn’t real. It was created entirely from misinformation.
The state legalized the use of recreational marijuana in 2016 and agreed to create a pathway to clear or reduce past weed-related convictions. At least 34,000 marijuana records have still not been processed by court.
The New York City mayor has appointed his younger brother, Bernard Adams, as the head of his security detail, a step back from earlier proposals to give him a high-ranking NYPD job. Many are worried about the ethics.
The New York Bight region, off of Long Island and the Jersey Shore, has six ocean lease areas and could power approximately 2 million homes. The states hope to build 16 gigawatts of offshore energy potential by 2035.
Winsome Sears, who will become the first Black woman to hold statewide office when she is sworn in as Virginia’s lieutenant governor on Saturday. Sears, a Jamaican-born Republican, sees her success as proof that the nation is making progress when it comes to race. (NPR — Jan. 13, 2022)
The number of Americans who have signed up for health insurance since the beginning of the 2022 open enrollment period in November, including 10 million people across 33 states who have utilized the federal marketplace exchange. The number reflects a 21 percent increase compared to the year prior.
The relative success of remote work has proved that in many cases government staff are just as, if not more, productive when they work away from the office. More agile structures like holacracy might be ones to model.
The New Jersey governor declared a new public health emergency just as the previous orders were set to expire. Reinstating the emergency orders will allow current safety measures to stay in place.
State Senate President Craig Blair has said that there will be an effort to lift the ban during this year’s legislative session. But many are still wary of the power and its waste.
The Department of General Services will relinquish approximately 767,000 square feet of office space as many state departments continue with remote work. The state expects to save about $22.5 million annually.
The Colorado county election official must agree to the county’s election security protocols before she can resume her duties. Tina Peters has been a supporter of the conspiracy theory that the 2020 election was stolen.