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It could bring states a lot of revenue. But voters don’t like it, even though few of them would have to pay.
As the Trump administration steps up immigration enforcement, GOP Gov. Greg Abbott has sent a request to congressional leaders to be paid back for his Biden-era efforts.
Jeffrey Tumlin oversaw the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency during a period of tumult for public transit and city streets.
Maryland took historic steps to improve its education system. It shouldn't back away from them now, even amid budget shortfalls.
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe. At the same time the Republican was elected to his post last November, voters approved an abortion rights amendment, enshrining reproductive rights in the state constitution. Kehoe had said during the campaign that although he opposed the amendment he would abide by the constitution, but emphasized nonetheless he will seek ways to protect unborn life. (Missouri Independent – Jan. 24, 2025)
Since implementing an electronic fare card in 2016, the system has been plagued by glitches and doubled its projected cost to $285 million.
The city’s police department has put a focus on officer mental health and well-being. That’s a big cultural change because officers often feel they need to hide their struggles.
In an era of diminished credibility for traditional media, government leaders can no longer count on it to educate and inform the public. There are alternatives, and leaders should make greater use of them.
The reason is simple: A boom in apartment construction. Developers are pulling permits at a rate nearly triple that of San Antonio on a per capita basis.
The Trump administration has an opportunity to return authority over energy generation and natural resource development to the states.
Like other states, Michigan is seeing declining revenues due to electric vehicles. It’s pulled a pilot program to try out a fee system based on miles traveled due to lack of funding, which critics call short-sighted.
Arizona GOP state Rep. Alexander Kolodin. On Wednesday, a committee approved his bill that would require the governor to answer questions from legislators in a televised session once a month. Borrowing the idea from the British Parliament, Kolodin said it would offer an opportunity for the public to become more informed about policy debates at the state level. (KJZZ – Jan. 10, 2025)
The Trump White House has ordered a pause on infrastructure spending approved during the last administration, and is promoting new spending on digital infrastructure to support artificial intelligence.
President Trump’s executive order abolishing remote work for most employees will be good for the local economy and transit systems. Twenty percent of the federal workforce lives in the D.C. area.
The No. 1 job of urban leaders is to deliver core services. Some of them have forgotten that.
Voters approved $10 billion in school construction bonds last November. Facing big maintenance backlogs, districts around the state are worried the money could be quickly depleted by the need to rebuild Los Angeles schools after the fires.
Emil Bove, acting deputy attorney general. Bove wrote in a memo that the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution requires state and local officials to comply with federal immigration regulations, including the Trump administration’s plans to deport large numbers of undocumented immigrants, or they will face prosecution. Democratic officials are certain to challenge Bove’s argument on both jurisdictional and policy grounds. (Washington Post – Jan. 22, 2025)
The city is launching “neighborhood wellness courts,” a diversion program designed to issue citations and offer addiction treatment and other services in lieu of misdemeanor sentences.
Lone wolf attackers can be harder to detect than those who work in a group. But strategies involving police, the public and mental health professionals can help.
The state faced its worst storm in decades with up to 10 inches shutting down roads. States of emergency were declared across the South due to unusual wintry conditions.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. At the end of his first day in office, President Trump announced via social media that he’d fired Lance Bottoms from her position on the President’s Export Council. Bottoms said she’d already submitted her resignation on Jan. 4, effective Monday. “Of all of the things happening in the world, not sure why I am on Donald Trump’s mind at 1:30 am, following his Inauguration, but I count it as a badge of honor,” Bottoms wrote on social media. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution – Jan. 21, 2025)
The programs depend on temporary sources of funding from Washington and the state that may be drying up. Finding sustainable funds has been a challenge.
The 2023-24 school year saw the highest percentage of kindergarteners exempted from vaccinations, with increases in 40 states and Washington, D.C. In some localities, the so-called health freedom message has led to nonmedical exemption rates as high as 50 percent.
Indiana GOP Gov. Mike Braun. The new governor released a budget proposal that would increase school spending by 2 percent a year, but would likely lead to funding cuts for districts due to his desire to trim property taxes. Braun suggested districts save their money now in case of that eventuality. Braun also directed his cabinet heads to find 5 percent savings on average in their departments. (Indiana Capital Chronicle – Jan. 16, 2025)
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