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Due to high state tax collections and large amounts of federal aid, many state legislatures are experiencing massive budget surpluses. But some lawmakers want to start planning for the inevitable downturn now.
The amount of COVID-19 relief funds that the Shiawassee County, Mich., Board of Commissioners used to give seven county commissioners bonuses during the pandemic. The commissioners have apologized for the decision and have promised to return the funds to the county.
Dr. Leana Wen, former Baltimore health commissioner, regarding cities across the nation reinstating mask mandates as the COVID-19 delta variant continues to spread. (Associated Press — July 26, 2021)
“We’re saying we cannot negotiate with you. It’s not legal for us to pay anything.”
Dangerous policies and practices are sidelining public health evidence and authority. With COVID-19 cases and deaths surging, public leaders need to support the experts, tune out the anti-science chorus and encourage vaccinations.
Water may be among the least cyber-defended critical infrastructure sectors. Keeping it safe may include channeling more funds and training to tiny agencies and establishing voluntary guidelines.
Charlie Crist, a Democratic gubernatorial hopeful, criticized Gov. Ron DeSantis for his recent visit to the Texas border while the state’s COVID-19 test positivity rate has nearly tripled in the last three weeks.
With some of the lowest vaccination rates in the nation, state officials are hopeful that a new lead to the Department of Health and Senior Services will update the whole system and make it better, post-COVID.
A new report found that civic engagement, such as participation in elections, number of nonprofits and library usage, is an important factor for determining community development, but this engagement is hard to measure.
The Regional Transportation District’s Accountability Committee issued a report urging the transit agency to attract riders before they establish post-pandemic routines of commuting to work by car, highlighting poor ridership as a top concern.
Sen. Tom Cotton, regarding whether or not the federal government should mandate masks across the states. (Mediaite — July 23, 2021)
The estimated number of homes that would have been powered by Nevada’s Battle Born Solar Project, which was scrapped this week by its developers after backlash from residents. The project would have been the nation’s largest array of solar panels and would have provided approximately 10 percent of Nevada’s total energy capacity.
Intentional or not, untrue information propagating on the Internet threatens democratic institutions and the public good. Emerging tech tools aim to help government combat the threat.
After years of relative quiet, Republican lawmakers have successfully pushed abortion bans, voting restrictions, tax cuts, religious freedom and school choice.
When public officials use words like “black” and “white,” they need to keep in mind the color bias of language and do what they can to eliminate it.
As drought grips most of California, water thefts have increased to record levels. Thieves tap into hydrants, pump water from rivers and break into remote water stations and tanks.
New Yorkers relied on street vendors during the pandemic, but as the city reopens, those essential workers are once again being fined.
The Washington state Legislature passed more than 300 bills last session and many of them become laws this weekend. From drug possession to education, here’s a snapshot of what’s new in the state.
The Connecticut governor appointed the first third of the members of the new Social Equity Council, which will hold a major role in awarding cannabis licenses and distributing the industry revenue to impacted communities.
Organizations across the state spent $25.9 million on lobbying efforts, a slight increase from two years ago. The top lobbying group was pharmaceutical companies; PhRMA alone spent nearly $1.3 million.
A group of Black city workers in San Francisco has alleged “rampant” discrimination and harm, specifically in racially disproportionate discipline of employees, after reviewing data released from the Municipal Transportation Authority.
Tennessee Sen. Raumesh Akbari, regarding the 5-2 decision to remove the bust of Confederate general and early Ku Klux Klan leader Nathan Bedford Forrest from the state’s capitol. The bust, as well as two others of military leaders, were moved to the Tennessee State Museum just north of the capitol. (Associated Press — July 23, 2021)
The proportion of unvaccinated Americans who have little to no confidence that the COVID-19 vaccines are effective against variants despite evidence that they do offer strong protection. Nationally, 56.4 percent of all Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
While the rest of the developed world has made progress in reducing the number of pedestrians killed by vehicles, America continues to move in the wrong direction. Author Angie Schmitt talks about root causes and solutions.
Over-reliance on fees, fines and forfeitures drives a wedge between police and the communities they serve. It's detrimental to both crime-solving and the profession of law enforcement.
States like Arizona and Texas have positioned themselves as hubs for autonomous vehicle testing and deployments, in part, by creating regulatory landscapes that are easy for new companies to navigate.
Last month Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed the state Republicans’ election reform package, but now the Pennsylvania governor has changed his stance on voter ID requirements, so state lawmakers will reintroduce the voting package.
A new report details the ideas, from gondolas to light rails to new affordable housing communities, that the New York City borough has proposed as ways to help stimulate the post-pandemic economy.
As Travis County, Texas, aims to reach herd immunity levels for COVID-19, local researchers express concern that many economically disadvantaged communities are about six weeks behind in vaccinations.
The amount that Ohio energy giant FirstEnergy Corp. will pay in settlement for its participation in a bribery conspiracy scandal involving former state House Speaker Larry Householder.
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