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Voting by mail can make it easier for people of color to cast their ballots. But there are still language barriers, a lack of community outreach and government distrust that discourage many from feeling safe enough to vote.
Several county health departments have not received enough or any funding to assist in the battle against the pandemic. As the state’s case count keeps rising, extra funding is critical, according to public officials.
There isn't enough money there to significantly redress urban inequalities. The best way forward is to rethink law enforcement budgets for better policing and to de-fang unions that shield bad cops.
Transit officials are monitoring voter enthusiasm for a host of ballot measures they see as essential to economic recovery, supporting essential workers, social equity, climate goals and preventing traffic nightmares.
Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand, writing in a letter about Gov. Kim Reynolds’ decision to use $20 million of COVID-19 relief aid on a new computer system which was later deemed “not allowable” by the CARES Act restrictions. (The Gazette — October 19, 2020)
The amount that the U.S. Nokia unit will receive to build a 4G communications system for NASA’s Artemis moon landing program. The program is scheduled to land on the moon’s surface in 2022.
While the average Internet speed is around 100 megabits per second, some of the state’s Black Belt communities have only 0.16 mbs. As the pandemic forces life online for work and school, the poor neighborhoods get left behind.
Many rideshare drivers were relying on their gig work as their primary source of income, and then the pandemic forced many to stop working. As COVID continues, many worry how much longer they can survive.
In 2016, several states like Pennsylvania saw historically low Black voter turnout, but this year officials expect the results to be different. Many hope they can turn activism into actual voting.
Too many of our elected officials have stood quietly by in the face of idolatry and a cult of personality in our government. We need a return to the values of honesty, human rights and caring.
ALEC and a group of conservative economists rate the governors of Texas, Georgia and South Dakota best in the nation. Measured largely on spending and tax rates, Democrats fare poorly in their ranking.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said earlier Friday that California's request did not meet threshold requirements for aid for a disaster declaration related to six wildfires that broke out in September.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced $12.7 million in grants to bring high speed Internet to underserved communities across the state. Approximately 1.2 million households do not have a permanent broadband connection at home.
More than 7,200 out of 8,500 state employees continue to telework, providing the state an opportunity to shrink its office footprint, and potentially saving $1.2 million annually in Bismarck office rental payments.
Mayor Jenny Durkan's move, made as the city faces a $300 million shortfall in 2020, has triggered criticism from some council members. The funds were to combat displacement and advance community equity.
A pilot program through the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will determine whether to store state-issued driver’s license on smartphones. The move could curb identity theft, card skimmers and even the spread of COVID.
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North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, pointing out that, while COVID cases are surging in the state and people would need to keep their distance, wear masks and avoid gatherings, the state did not need legal limits on reckless behavior. (Washington Post – October 19, 2020.)
The target annual return on investment set by CalPERS (California Public Employees’ Retirement System) by directing more of the fund’s billions into private equity. The effort has fallen short for the $410 billion retirement fund, the largest in the country.
President Dwight David Eisenhower in 1958, commenting on the justices he nominated to the Supreme Court: Earl Warren, who proved to be perhaps the most liberal chief justice in American history, and William Brennan, who opposed the death penalty, championed women’s rights, and supported the legalization of abortion. (Governing — October 19, 2020)
The amount that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have donated to state and local governments across the nation to help ensure a secure November election. The funds will be used to cover rental costs for polling places and PPE for poll workers.
The state’s Proposition 20 would expand felonies which are ineligible for parole and collect DNA samples of misdemeanor offenders. Californians must decide if it assures public safety or is backward progress.
Dayton and Yellow Springs are among several cities that are using some of their CARES Act funding to expand broadband access. Dayton plans to spend $1.4 million in certain neighborhoods lacking high-speed connectivity.
The city council has approved $2.75 million from the city’s CARES Act funding to support Black business owners who weren’t eligible for aid from federal pandemic relief programs.
King, Snohomish and Thurston counties are all taking extra steps to ensure that the November election’s voting is secure. Officials are confident that they will be able to take in, process and count ballots.
The annual NASCIO conference concludes with a look at how states are developing governance frameworks around the latest technologies to ensure a focus on citizens and avoid being drawn toward “every shiny widget.”
It may depend on what millennials really want. But none of the ideas aimed at that generation would make more than a dent in America's acute housing shortage.
If Trump’s third Supreme Court nominee is confirmed by the Senate, there is no guarantee she will continue to hold views congenial to the president. But does America still want its justices to be unelected and unaccountable?
There is much that they can do to support what state and local election officials are doing to counter efforts by those who would weaken our democratic institutions through distrust and suspicion.
Kindergarten and first grade teacher Eric Hale, commenting on becoming the first Black man to be named Texas Teacher of the Year. The award has been given out since 1969. (The Hill — October 14, 2020)
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