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April Rochford, an Anchorage, Alaska, resident, in a letter to the Legislature regarding a bill proposed by state Sen. Shelley Hughes that would require Alaska school districts to train a volunteer to carry a concealed handgun on school grounds. No public testimony for the bill, but 51 letters, 49 of which were opposing, were received prior to the meeting. (Alaska Beacon — Feb. 2, 2024)
Tech entrepreneurs make the case that government and big tech will both benefit by sharing a focus on the public good.
They’re a complex tangle of technology and services with multiple stakeholders, so regulation is messy. There is a particular decision-making process that could help.
On the heels of a recent report from the state’s AI Task Force, Gov. Kevin Stitt is advocating for the removal of human workforce redundancies in favor of artificial intelligence systems.
Washington provided $800 billion in pandemic relief. With most of that money spent, states now face major funding gaps for Medicaid, while school districts, child care providers and transit agencies are also struggling.
Future in Context
Mental health, climate and workforce are at the core of a complex cluster of issues confronting lawmakers this year.
The court’s unanimous decision means one-third of the Oregon’s Senate cannot run for re-election. Republicans have slammed the decision, calling the court “Democrat-stacked.”
The state has settled a lawsuit filed on behalf of low-income students of color from Oakland and L.A. They claimed the state offered insufficient support for remote learning.
Tennessee state Sen. Richard Briggs, who is fighting to undo some of the abortion-related legislation that he helped put in place. When he co-sponsored legislation to enact some of the nation’s strictest abortion restrictions five years ago, he never thought it would actually be implemented. This is Briggs’ second attempt to amend his previous work. A similar effort last year did repeal some of the harshest restrictions in the 2019 law. (NPR — Feb. 1, 2024)
A few states are proposing massive cash infusions to help struggling transit systems. But most aren’t — at least not yet.
Tens of billions in federal funds are on the way to spread high-speed Internet across the countryside. States should structure their grant programs to make sure markets are competitive.
In 2020, Black homeownership jumped to nearly 46 percent, the highest rate since 2010, and held close to that in 2021 and 2022. But as borrowing costs and home prices rise, it’s unlikely their gains will hold.
The industry paid the highest total of state and local taxes and state royalties last year in all of Texas history, breaking last year’s record by more than $1.5 billion. The taxes translate to $72 million daily for schools, roads, first responders and more.
A pilot program would provide $3,000 to people leaving Colorado prisons for basic living expenses if they agree to participate in a workforce development program. The proposal faces an uphill battle in the Legislature.
The state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority has advised Gov. Jeff Landry that he should declare a state of emergency for coastal Louisiana. This would prod agencies to advance the state’s 50-year Coastal Master Plan.
Georgia state Rep. Steve Tarvin, regarding the proposal to include watermarks on ballots to ensure authenticity. The state House voted 167-1 on Wednesday, sending the bill to the Senate for more debate. (Associated Press — Jan. 31, 2024)
Almost half of working Americans are underpaid. Wage standards for companies that receive government funding could help change this.
Culture-war conflicts obscure our neglect of a responsibility for holistic, constructive legislative oversight of public higher education. Lawmakers should hold governing boards accountable for meeting the needs of their students.
The low-profile primary races in state House District 108 and the contest for Dallas County Republican Party chair will have wide-reaching impacts.
The Georgia county school district didn’t apply for the EPA’s Clean School Bus Grant Program and hasn’t signaled any interest in applying in the future. Officials say the limited mileage range and charging requirements would cause significant route delays.
Leaks in service lines have left residents in several Kentucky counties without access to water for cleaning or drinking. Jan. 29 was the eighth day that hundreds of residents were without water in Harlan County.
South Dakota state Rep. Kadyn Wittman, of Sioux Falls, regarding the legislative proposal to increase the legal marriage age in the state to 18. The House State Affairs Committee rejected the bill and let current law stand, which allows 16- and 17-year-olds marry if they have the consent of a parent or guardian. Between 2000 and 2020, 838 minors got married in the state and 81 percent were minor girls being wed to adult men. (Associated Press — Jan. 30, 2024)
Urban downtowns are navigating a “doom loop” of office vacancy, retail decline and lower transit ridership. Things look both a bit different and somewhat similar in the suburbs.
Legislatures and governors are not afraid of undermining — or even downright repealing — citizen initiatives that win at the ballot box.
Long-term financial incentives for investment success are commonplace in the private sector, but tricky to design in public retirement plans. The implementation challenges are structural, operational, methodological and, yes, political.
The Ogallala Aquifer, which spans eight states along the Great Plains, is the only reliable water source for parts of its region. Farmers have pumped its groundwater for decades and, as it dwindles, rural towns need to preserve their sole water source.
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