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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.
Fernando Medina, Hays Consolidated Independent School District’ chief human resources officer, regarding the district’s plea to parents to have them stand in as substitute teachers due to staffing shortages caused by the omicron variant. Some consider having parents and guardians sub is less risky because they are, in some ways, already a part of the school’s COVID-19 bubble through their own students. (KUT — Jan. 7, 2022)
The amount that the Biden administration will award, in grants, to nonprofit groups and state and local governments to better protect low-income families from household health risks, such as lead-based paint, mold and carbon monoxide.
The COVID-19 variant is creating a new round of safety challenges for parents and teachers. Masking can prevent transmission, but some are working to limit its use.
The successes achieved by a Denver program combining housing and supportive services demonstrate what can be achieved — and how to do it without busting city budgets.
Both higher-ranking officers and rank-and-file officers would be held accountable for improper use of force during protests, while the Justice Department would have final approval of body camera policies.
The Department of Job and Family Services hired five companies to contract call center workers to better handle the mass of pandemic-related unemployment claims. Some call center workers were initially paid $59 an hour.
Despite heavy precipitation across the state recently, many experts are still advising water conservation in preparation for drier seasons to come. The past water year was the state’s driest in a century.
Both chambers of the state’s Legislature have passed a bill that would limit police presence and prohibit electioneering within 100 feet of ballot drop boxes on election day, in an effort to discourage voter intimidation.
California Rep. Barbara Lee, regarding the American Women Quarters Program, which will feature trailblazing American women, such as Maya Angelou, Sally Ride, Anna May Wong and Wilma Mankiller, over the next four years on the U.S. quarter. The Maya Angelou design is the first quarter of the program and has officially started shipping to banks. Rep. Lee was influential in the introduction of the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, which has helped pave the way for the American Women Quarters Program. (NPR — Jan. 10, 2022)
The number of patients who were hospitalized this week, a new pandemic high driven by the omicron surge. Across the nation, approximately 30 percent of ICU beds are filled with COVID-19 patients.
Over a third of the new money for transit and other infrastructure needs will be awarded in the form of competitive grants. That means cities with the capacity to draft eye-catching proposals will get the most attention.
Too many government organizations cling to legacy ideas about owning and managing their technology. A centralized, enterprise IT environment provides better cybersecurity while creating vast efficiencies.
Turning storefronts into online-commerce fulfillment centers or pop-up spaces for artists isn't likely to bring downtowns back. But even remote workers need places to go when they take a break from their keyboards.
Much attention has been given to the billions the bill will put toward bridges, cybersecurity and more. But behind the big-ticket items are many small projects. Here are some that will impact state and local government.
A newly enacted California law requires employers with 26 or more workers to pay overtime wages to farmworkers. But many worry that the law will put a financial strain on already struggling farmers, forcing them to cut labor costs.
Delaware County’s outdated emergency radio system is susceptible to hackings, which prevent timely police response and deteriorate public trust. But updating the system could cost as much as $50 million.
To curb the introduction of drugs into the prison system, the state has hired a Florida-based firm to scan inmate mail, check it for contraband and then send digital copies of the mail to each prison.
Former New York City Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez, regarding the city’s new law that will allow noncitizens and “Dreamers” voting rights in municipal elections. (Associated Press — Jan. 9, 2022)
The increase in the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2021 compared to the year prior. The use of coal-fired electricity increased 17 percent last year.
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