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In the midst of a health and economic crisis, the 2020 election is going to be completely unprecedented. While Wisconsin officials attempt to prepare as best they can, “We have literally never seen an election like this before.”
The proposed legislation would impact nearly 30,400 Californians and raise $7.5 billion for the state’s general fund. The tax would be 0.4 percent of net worth that exceeds $30 million for single and joint filers.
Fifty-two municipalities and 30 counties applied for a portion of New Mexico’s $150 million in federal coronavirus relief funding. Santa Fe hopes the money can help fund unemployment, business closures and other services.
The cities that have been the most aggressive about demanding reform and altering policing practices are making it difficult for chiefs to carry out the desired policy changes — or even stay on the job.
For decades, we've embraced openness in everything from city planning to the way our homes are built and our schools and offices are arranged. But the age of openness may be winding down.
Marion County, Fla., Sheriff Billy Woods, explaining in an email to his employees that they would be banned from wearing masks while at work. He continued to say that visitors who do not want to remove their mask while inside the Sheriff’s Office would also be asked to leave. (Ocala.com — August 11, 2020)
The number of unemployment benefit claims that were processed for the week ending on Aug. 8, the lowest amount of claims since the pandemic hit in mid-March. However, claim numbers are still far above the 695,000 peak of the Great Recession.
The Pennsylvania city’s council introduced a police initiative that doesn’t defund the department but does implement stronger programs for training on mental health, addiction and other social issues.
Colorado municipalities have seen a $1 billion drop in retail sales between January and May, compared to last year. But for every city or town that has seen a retail decline, two have shown gains.
The North Carolina Health Department announced that reporting errors since April have over-reported the total number of COVID tests. But key figures, like new cases and positive percent, didn’t change.
There was a time when state and local governments could work out deals with Washington. But as the pandemic struggle illustrates, the glory days of big intergovernmental initiatives have ebbed away.
It can solve problems, but it also can address our communities' hopes and ambitions. Our urban endeavors always have a utopian edge to them, even if things don't always work out well.
Some taxes are more impaired by the pandemic recession than others, and each jurisdiction is impacted differently, but many will still suffer revenue slumps into next year and even beyond.
It’s never been more apparent that schools don’t just educate; they also buoy the stability and emotional health of communities. Since July, state legislatures have introduced numerous bills to keep things afloat.
Idaho state Sen. Steven Thayn, commenting on the ability of health districts to close schools due to the coronavirus pandemic. A new proposal would block the health districts’ authority to close schools. (Idaho Education News — August 10, 2020)
The number of posts containing hate speech that Facebook removed from its site during the second quarter of the year. The figure was a significant increase from the first quarter’s 9.6 million posts that were removed.
Many people who participate in disinformation campaigns are unwitting accomplices and much of the information they spread is accurate, which makes it all the harder to identify the campaigns.
About three-quarters of voters in Mankato, Minn., used mail-in ballots for Tuesday’s primary. The remaining quarter voted in person and saw seamless execution as polling places were prepared with masks and sanitizer.
The police department for the second largest city in Massachusetts has touted the benefits of the $11 million body cam contract for improving transparency. But the public still wants the city to defund the police.
New Jersey’s Supreme Court ruled on Monday that lawfully issued search warrants can call for defendants to turn over their phone’s passcode. But critics say the ruling infringes on privacy rights.
Even as cases of COVID-19 surged, public-sector employment — like the rest of the economy — continued a slow, steady recovery in July. But state and local governments foresee danger as they prep for next year's budgets.
State and local government workers in Washington will continue to work remotely through the end of the year. Officials hope that the advanced notice allows time for adjustment and preparation.
Trump is not the first president to portray his opponent as anti-religion or of the wrong faith. The tradition goes back to the beginning of the republic. But the controversy has gained momentum recently.
Thousands of federal, state workers risk their lives each day by showing up to work. Legally, they should be receiving hazard pay, but many haven’t gotten anything. For those that did, the payments stopped months ago.
Wyoming Rep. Charles Pelkey, commenting on businesses that don’t require or even allow their employees to wear masks and the danger that they are imposing on their employees. Wyoming has enacted a law that protects businesses from liability lawsuits in response to COVID-19, but many are concerned that the law will protect businesses that were acting in disregard to coronavirus protections. (PEW — August 11, 2020)
The proportion of daily COVID-19 cases in the Americas that are from the United States, amounting to 50,000 cases each day.
Legislators want to know if the state agency inadvertently abetted the scam by lowering fraud detection protocols to speed up legitimate claims by hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians left jobless by the pandemic.
A former elections supervisor is alleged to have used election security funds to cover up personal spendings. Along with a lack of oversight, officials also have to sign nondisclosure agreements. “It’s political corruption.”
California has fixed a glitch that underreported the state’s COVID-19 data and the director of the Department of Public Health suddenly resigned. But many are skeptical of the response and worried they’re being misled.
The pandemic's disruptions have raised awareness of the digital divide and energized localities' initiatives to narrow it. To continue making progress, policymakers need to make sure the funding is there.
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