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Over the past decade, Richmond, Va., has managed to cut its poverty rate by 36 percent. Many things broke right for the city, but a pair of mayors stuck with a longterm plan to make it happen.
Vincent Fort served in the Georgia Senate for nearly three decades as a forceful, effective voice for “the least of these.” As he copes with cancer, it's important to acknowledge a vanishing breed of leader.
Panhandle businessman Alex Fairly, the father of an incoming state representative, was already a major GOP donor. Now he's funding a new group to support more conservative politicians.
Two years ago, the city crafted heralded policies on requiring electrification of buildings and cars. This week, it softened restrictions significantly.
When Democrat Jay Inslee took office in 2013, the state’s two-year budget was $38.4 billion. Now, as he prepares to leave, he’s released a $78.8 billion spending plan.
The difference between the amount of tax revenue projected by the New York City Council and projections from Mayor Eric Adams. The council has consistently projected revenues that are higher than the mayor’s office. Two leaders on the council, Speaker Adrienne Adams and Finance Chair Justin Brannan, argued that the city has the money to invest in parks, mental health and other programs. “Now, we just need an administration that is committed to investing in New Yorkers' priorities and fulfilling their pledges to working-class New Yorkers,” they said in a statement.
Weld County, Colo., Commissioner Kevin Ross. The county is seeing its assessed value drop from nearly $25 billion last year to less than $20 billion this year, but its budget remains in fairly good shape. That’s in part due to a property tax rate increase but also for finance decisions made over time to take into account the county’s boom and bust sectors, particularly energy. (Denver Post – Dec. 15, 2024)
More than anything it’s the simple result of Americans growing older, a fact of life we haven’t come to grips with politically.
Immigration is no longer the primary lens through which Latinos see the world. They are rapidly becoming more defined as economically populist voters, exasperated with the political failure to address their economic concerns.
A bill would shut down public schools that are among the 5 percent worst performers, matching charter school standards. Critics say basing closures on percentages means schools would be lost every year.
California’s Democratic governor will also expand job training and credential programs to help more residents without degrees find work in the public sector.
Alderman Anthony Beale. He was complaining about Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget, which increases spending from last year and includes accounting gimmicks to avoid a property tax increase. Beale was among a group of 15 aldermen (there are a total of 50 on the board) who called on the mayor to cut spending by an additional $824 million. (The Center Square – Dec. 16, 2024)
Trump promises to seek stiffer sentences, including the death penalty. But there’s still appetite in Congress for policies designed to reduce incarceration.
The taming of inflation was the main financial story. Bond and capital markets were cooperative, even if voters upset about property taxes were not. Governors, mayors, finance directors and pension pros may soon look back wistfully at 2024’s business-as-usual atmosphere.
Mayor Cherelle Parker has ordered city workers to show up at the office five days a week, leading more companies to follow suit. But hybrid work remains a new normal in many places.
For the first time in a decade, the state is seeing a sustained decline, mirroring national trends. After nine months of decreases, drug deaths in the state are down 17 percent this year.
As in much of the country, more kids are missing school in Baltimore, leading both city and state officials to propose new policies and early interventions.
After being suspended by Florida’s governor in 2023, Orlando-area prosecutor Monique Worrell won reelection in November. But DeSantis’ replacement said he might not help her return.
Scott Strazik, CEO of GE Vernova, which makes gas turbines. He exalted about new orders in a recent earnings call with investors. The incoming Trump administration is expected to push for increased energy production. Along with growing demand for power from data centers, that’s setting the stage for industry growth. (Heatmap – Dec. 10, 2024)
Many new laws passed by California contain requirements for progress reports. This year, agencies have sent in such reports only 16 percent of the time.
Iowa has helped prompt other states to adopt flat income tax rates. To bring down property taxes, the state has to address local government spending.
Texas state Rep. Armando Martinez has been arguing for years that a law school would help the Rio Grande Valley economy and reduce brain drain. Local colleges are finally working on a plan.
The Court's decision overturning the Chevron doctrine could affect everything from fishing rules to transgender rights under Trump. It could also hamper red states.
Former Michigan House Speaker Craig DeRoche. He is now the president of the conservative Family Policy Alliance and was summarizing a message Republican legislators and governors are sending to members of the incoming Trump administration — namely, that they are not waiting for Donald Trump to take office to advance more conservative agendas on issues such as gun owners’ rights, abortion, illegal immigration and requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools. (Washington Post - Dec. 13, 2024)
The contest was decided by 48 votes, but about 60 residents were given ballots for the wrong district. A judge may order a new election.
A bill would allow more public employees to shift out of 401(k)-style plans into more traditional pensions, which could help with recruitment. But critics say costs are a reason the state has moved away from such plans for decades.
State and local governments will be forced to return pandemic relief funds if they aren’t properly obligated by the end of December.
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