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The Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers ranked the state first in terms of the share of women who serve in municipal government, at 46.1 percent. The center also ranked Colorado second among states for women legislators.
Several major bills went unresolved when the main legislative session ended in June. Now lawmakers have just a few days remaining in session each month.
The 4-3 decision ensures that the public is “guaranteed access to public records unless a law specifically and unequivocally provides otherwise.”
Drew Belt, a resident of Tupelo, Miss., regarding his recent stop in Death Valley, Calif., to experience extreme temperatures amid a heatwave over the Fourth of July weekend. A high temperature of 128 F was recorded Saturday and Sunday at Death Valley National Park. (Associated Press — July 9, 2024)
The leader of San Antonio’s public housing authority built strong relationships with tenants and committed to preserving public housing units. The board fired him last month.
New York and other cities are changing their zoning codes to allow clean, small-scale production in their commercial corridors. Opening up retail spaces to “artisanal manufacturing” has many benefits for communities.
Do some politicians get into trouble because they believe they can get away with anything?
The changes in Houston Independent School District rival some of the most significant shake-ups to a public school system ever. Could it change schools nationwide?
Nearly 40 percent of Mississippi’s population is Black and yet only 1 in 10 doctors across the state are Black. As a conservative push to ban diversity programs continues to gain strength, it’s unlikely that the state’s racial equity in health care will improve soon.
In the Cuyama Valley, north of Santa Barbara, water continues to be heavily pumped to irrigate thousands of acres of farmland. A plan to prevent over-pumping has sparked a legal battle.
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng, regarding googly eye decals that have been attached to some subway trains in an effort to bring a smile to riders’ faces. (Associated Press — July 1, 2024)
Voters in at least seven states will decide property tax measures in November. Most would limit what homeowners have to pay, but two would eliminate the tax completely.
The lost water costs the cities millions and heightens the state’s water supply challenges.
From cars to school buses to battery manufacturing, no state can match Georgia's corporate investments. They’re making a real impact in communities across the state, creating thousands of permanent jobs.
Women make up only 12 percent of police officers nationwide. One initiative aims to triple that.
The new program aims to close health-care gaps when people are released and tackle addiction problems.
Absenteeism rates in K-12 schools are falling but remain higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Motto of a solar-powered city-owned liquor store in Morris, Minn., a conservative prairie community of 5,206 residents that has gone all in on wind and solar power, composting, electric school buses and geothermal heating. Its residents cite rural self-sufficiency, high energy and fuel costs, saving tax dollars and eliminating inefficiency and waste. The town had gone far beyond energy independence to make many times the energy it needs for itself, selling the bulk of the renewable power for a profit. Thirteen other towns in Minnesota are at various stages of adapting projects modeled on Morris' efforts. (Wall Street Journal — July 3, 2024)
After years of rapid growth, states are starting to see revenue declines. Tax cuts red states enacted could become more costly in future years, while some blue states are debating tax increases.
“YIGBY” is a hot trend, but there are better uses for some faith-based organizations’ surplus real estate.
Poor planning, bad timing and political considerations all make overruns practically a given.
Seventeen vehicles were set on fire in May. The city’s fleet of police cars may not be fully replenished due to supply chain delays and a narrow ordering window.
State lawmakers will likely place two bonds, one for climate change impacts and one for school repairs – each worth $10 billion – on the November ballot. The bonds will require a two-thirds approval from both chambers to reach the ballot.
A 2023 study found that 90 percent of the state’s beaches tested positive for unsafe levels of fecal bacteria for at least one day. Fecal contamination can come from urban runoff, sewage overflows and factory farms.
A tweet from Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales. His office sent letters warning more than 120 federal agencies operating in Indiana not to provide voter registration services without the state’s approval. In May, Morales joined eight other Republican secretaries of state in asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case challenging the order. (News from the States — July 3, 2024)
Workforce shortages are affecting many areas of government, but public finance is particularly hard hit. Shortages of accountants are a severe problem, with too few candidates replacing aging employees.
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