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Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham defended her executive orders allowing up to $30 million in coronavirus response spending after a legislative inquiry questioned her authority to do so. Only $1.1 million has been spent so far.
President Trump remains opposed to a bailout for "poorly run states." The administration may end up agreeing to help, but warnings about dire spending cuts have not yet prompted action.
For local governments coping with the fiscal pressures brought on by the pandemic, it might seem that now is the time. But public leaders first should ask themselves some important questions.
Voting by mail may have started during the Civil War, but the template for the 2020 general election is being created in real time. Legislators are working to bring clarity to vital details.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said of the state’s unemployment system and how it was designed to pay the fewest number of claims and deter applicants from filing applications. (Business Insider — August 5, 2020)
The proportioned decrease of daily COVID-19 testing over the past two weeks. Coronavirus testing has fallen in 22 states even though the U.S. is still seeing more than 1,000 deaths each day.
A group of voters have sued Tim Walz and other officials over the governor’s mandate, requiring people to wear masks when they vote in-person for next week’s primary. This is the 11th challenge to the state’s COVID-19 rules.
State officials were reminded repeatedly of the outdated unemployment system through several audits, but continued to ignore the issue. Now COVID-19 is forcing the state to deal with the antiquated system.
A technological glitch in the electronic data system used by the state’s health departments could be hampering California’s ability to track COVID-19 cases. Officials are uncertain as to when the issue will be resolved.
In 2013, Deloitte was paid $40 million to overhaul Florida’s unemployment system. In March, the system failed immediately. Now, the state is paying Deloitte $135 million to take on the state Medicaid system.
In responding to COVID-19, governments have been forced to move far more quickly and flexibly. What they've learned will prove invaluable as they prepare for the crises of the future.
With the COVID-19 pandemic raging across much of America, a return to full-scale classroom instruction poses too grave a risk to students, teachers, school staff, parents and their communities.
Stacey Abrams, former leader in the Georgia state legislature, commenting on the delayed election outcome that Americans should expect for the Nov. 3 election. (Reuters — August 4, 2020)
The number of people across the nation who are at risk of losing their home once the eviction moratoriums expire.
After months of delay, the Portland city council voted unanimously to ban use of facial recognition technology. The ordinance will begin in 30 days. The police say they have no intention of using it.
The focus has been on ensuring hard-to-count neighborhoods are included in the 2020 Census. But now wealthy neighborhoods aren’t responding due to COVID-19. Census workers have until Sept. 30 to get the full count.
Latest unemployment figures show the state has recovered about 500,000 jobs so far. While some industries have mostly rebounded, others, like government, travel and education, still struggle.
Which states have shed the most public employees? Which have added the most? And what types of jobs are leading the pack? New numbers from the Census Bureau help to illustrate the big picture.
As president and CEO of the New York YMCA, Sharon Greenberger is constantly working to make New York a healthier, happier community. Now she uses her decades of experience to transform The Y into a place of hope amid COVID-19.
Heather Morton, of the National Conference of State Legislatures, commenting on the states’ struggle to expand broadband using the CARES Act funding while also adhering to the short spending timeline. To comply with the rules of the CARES Act, states must implement broadband projects by Dec. 30, 2020, even though broadband projects often take years to complete. (AP News — August 1, 2020)
The number of student laptops that have gone missing from South Carolina’s Greenville County school district, amounting to $1.2 million. Since the end of the school year, the district has made multiple attempts to retrieve the missing Chromebooks, but have been largely unsuccessful.
The Legislature has approved an IT bond bill that aims to improve cybersecurity and technology use in several sectors. The bill includes $50 million for remote learning technology and $20 million for police body cameras.
Courts across the state made major hardware and software upgrades as the pandemic forced people to stay home and socially distance. After seeing the benefits, many courts will keep the improvements after the pandemic.
As voters stay home to avoid COVID-19 risks, the amount of absentee ballots has greatly increased. But election clerks must also prepare in-person precautions for the Tuesday primary. “You have to be prepared for the unknown.”
Last February, Stockton, Calif., began providing 125 of its residents with a monthly payment of $500 as an economic experiment. Now the idea is gaining national traction as lawmakers see the benefits of stimulus payments.
Over a half-century in office — and running for office — this man of paradox broke virtually every rule in the politico's rulebook. Californians loved him for it.
The volume of 311 calls New York City received in a single day at the height of the pandemic. On average, the city takes 25,000 calls for assistance.
Mayor Leeman Kessler of Gambier, Ohio, home of Kenyon College, commenting on the special problem facing college towns during the pandemic. In many cases, half or two-thirds of their population abruptly packed up and left, months ahead of their usual summer migration. (Governing – July 27, 2020)
Gov. David Ige vetoed a spending plan that would have added $100 in state weekly unemployment benefits, and hopes Congress comes up with a compromise to continue the $600-a-week federal benefit or something close to it.
Following a whistleblower lawsuit alleging illegal spying on citizens and a data breach that exposed thousands of confidential intelligence reports, state police showcased to the media how the center provides assistance.
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