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A total of eight African Americans are serving as the top chamber leaders in state legislatures. Meanwhile, the fallout from an Oregon Supreme Court ruling that barred some state senators from seeking re-election won't be as great as you might think.
Intercity bus ridership is up and should return to pre-pandemic levels by 2026. Other trends, including the closure of Greyhound stations in big cities such as Philadelphia, are less positive.
State and local governments have an opportunity to fill a sizable gap by subsidizing the conversion of market-rate properties into affordable housing. While costly, it's still cheaper than building new.
The 2023 legislation establishing the grant program also includes new equipment for rural sheriffs.
An anti-union bill that passed last year requires most public-sector unions to increase the rate of members paying dues or be disbanded. Some unions, including police, firefighters and correctional officers, are exempt from the new law.
Adams State University, Fort Lewis College and Western Colorado University are hoping for $3 million per institution from the state to ensure access for students from less populous areas.
State Rep. Jon Hansen has proposed making it easier for people who have signed a ballot initiative petition to be able to remove their signatures, which he says is “practically impossible” now.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, referring to carjackers in a speech to the Legislature on Monday, Feb. 19, the first day of a crime-focused special session. Proposed legislation would impose tougher sentences for certain crimes that plague urban areas, including carjacking, which would carry an elevated minimum sentence of five years. (Associated Press — Feb. 20, 2024)
In 47 states, schools have a higher proportion of students from elsewhere than they did 20 years ago.
Special elections offer some clues about the mood of the electorate. Recalls might be an even better predictor.
Umatilla Electric Cooperative is responsible for 1.8 million tons of carbon emissions annually despite having just 16,000 customers. One of those customers is Amazon, which has data centers in areas where renewable energy access is limited.
The rising number of gun deaths in Texas has inspired a $3 billion industry of active shooter training, consultants, surveillance technologies and safety infrastructure. Some experts aren’t certain the touted strategies are effective.
Assessments and additions that would make a home more climate-friendly also have significant price tags, driving up housing costs. Local officials in Lacey, Wash., are trying to reconcile competing goals.
Angelique EagleWoman, a Native American Law professor in St. Paul, Minn. Despite the fact that overdose deaths are ravaging Native American communities, Native law enforcement is not allowed to prosecute non-Natives for most crimes, including drug trafficking. Many Native American leaders want to see the rules changed. (NPR — Feb. 20, 2024)
Professional sports teams are on the move and they’re leaning on state and local officials to help them. Subsidies exceeding $1 billion per deal are on the table.
Given the state’s budget deficit, legislative leaders are calling for reviews of how existing programs are working. But more than 70 percent of the 1,118 agency reports due in the past year have not been submitted yet.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis hasn’t just used Georgia’s RICO law to prosecute Donald Trump. Schoolteachers and rappers have also been charged, and the state has used the law to go after protesters. Shouldn’t these tools be reserved for the kinds of prosecutions they were intended for?
The state prison system’s medical provider, Wellpath, backed out of its contract with the Department of Corrections after spending millions in unanticipated costs, mostly due to prison violence.
State Attorney General Kris Kobach wants to amend state law so that death warrants may be obtained by district judges, instead of the Kansas Supreme Court, and wants the state to allow executions by hypoxia.
To try to further discourage Spring Breakers from coming to the city, the city will charge a flat $100 parking rate in city garages and parking lots, close sidewalk cafes on Ocean Drive, host a sobriety checkpoint and limit beach access.
Jonathan Adkins, CEO of the Governors Highway Safety Association, regarding the use of automated cameras to enforce speed limits. (NPR — Feb. 16, 2024)
Bomb threats, misinformation, AI advancements and ransomware are just some of the challenges election officials will deal with this year.
Louisiana is one of the nation's leading oil and gas producers. The state is now getting seriously into wind as well.
Returning predators to wild places is a good starting point for dealing with our biodiversity crisis. Colorado can be a model for what states can do to repair their ecosystems.
The state has required all schools to develop an emergency plan since 2001, but some public schools still don’t have one or their plans don’t meet updated requirements.
Last May, Oregon became the first state to veer away from the CDC’s COVID-positive recommendations to stay home for five days and wear a mask for another five. Now, the CDC is considering revising its policy to follow Oregon’s.
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