Trends
Massachusetts is showing the way by going to the end users of the products and services governments buy. It’s good for suppliers as well, and produces better results for everyone.
COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted diverse and low-income communities more than others. The state intends to prioritize those communities first when it comes to vaccine distribution.
State legislatures have introduced more than 300 bills since October to deal with a litany of COVID-related problems, including ICU funding, liability shields, reauthorization of electronic public meetings and more.
As coronavirus case numbers continue to spike, the Indiana General Assembly voted against mask enforcement for lawmakers. Some mask advocates are worried the session will become a superspreader event.
Several Washington state lawmakers are calling upon Congress to enact a coronavirus stimulus package before the Dec. 30 deadline to address a wide range of costs and hardships for health, jobs, local government and more.
The New York governor has been a harsh critic of the Trump Administration’s plan, claiming that the federal government is not providing enough resources to ensure that all communities have access to the vaccine.
Once a tech laggard, government has embraced remote work, virtual meetings and online service delivery. But continued success calls for deeper changes. Here's what needs to be done to maintain progress.
By collecting information on people’s beliefs and practices during the coronavirus pandemic, researchers hope to create a clearer understanding of what policies are useful in the pandemic response.
Attorney General Xavier Becerra is optimistic about the fight, but if the court strikes down the health-care law the effect could be catastrophic. Experts don’t expect a decision from the court until Spring 2021.
Hundreds of thousands of small businesses have closed because of the pandemic. A surge in new cases and unresolved election results are casting shadows on their year-end prospects, but recent bills offer help.
Only a quarter of young adults in Dallas County earn a living wage, a proportion that decreases for Blacks and Latinos. The county hopes to shrink the living-wage inequity by 2040.
Despite the seamless process on Election Day, election officials agree the elections system will need an overhaul if the state expects to see such large numbers of vote-by-mail ballots in future elections.
Portland residents approved five of six citizen referendums in last week’s election which will bump the minimum wage up to $15 an hour, set up rent control protections and strengthen the ban on facial recognition.
The group behind the “no” vote on Proposition 25 wasn’t against it because they like the state’s cash bail system. They just wanted to enact reform from the ground up. But now there’s uncertainty about what happens next.
The only certainty for many people ahead of today’s election is that social media will be blamed, whether for spreading misinformation or unyielding censorship. But this also means that change is likely to follow.
The number of high-propensity business applications reached a record high despite the economic downturn from COVID-19. While there are still hurdles for new businesses, many are encouraged by the state’s resiliency.
Take-out and delivery helped restaurants hang on during the pandemic, but a new wave of cases stands in the way of a return to pre-COVID operations and revenue. Legislative proposals aim to help.
The Trump Administration continues to fight the courts about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, leaving many first-time applicants caught in the middle. The elections could decide the program’s future.
A bill celebrating the late actor Chadwick Boseman is one of many efforts states have undertaken to turn calls for racial change into legislative action. The BLM protests have turned into the country’s largest movement.
A pilot program through the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will determine whether to store state-issued driver’s license on smartphones. The move could curb identity theft, card skimmers and even the spread of COVID.
The state’s Proposition 20 would expand felonies which are ineligible for parole and collect DNA samples of misdemeanor offenders. Californians must decide if it assures public safety or is backward progress.
The annual NASCIO conference concludes with a look at how states are developing governance frameworks around the latest technologies to ensure a focus on citizens and avoid being drawn toward “every shiny widget.”
They employ almost half of all private-sector workers. The pandemic has hit them hard, especially Black and minority-owned businesses. Legislators want to help them bounce back with grants and other assistance.
The state has been chosen as the next testbed site for the latest in hyperloop transportation. More than 40 years ago, the state became home for the country’s only fully operational personal transit system.
The high-speed transportation company will build its $500 million Certification Center in Grant and Tucker Counties. The center will collaborate with local colleges and universities for research and technical training.
They can play a larger role in rebuilding economies, breathing life into broken communities and enhancing diversity. Providing 14 years of free public education is an idea that deserves a closer look.
California has banned the sale of gasoline-powered cars by 2035 and automakers retort with concern about the state’s electric grid and consumer preference for gas vehicles. This back and forth is decades long.
A first round of eviction protections is winding down, and tenants and landlords alike are at significant financial risk. Numerous state legislatures are chipping away at this dangerous instability.
The short answer is yes. But long term, the electric grid will need to be reinforced to support the growing demands of an all-electric California.
Many residents of underserved neighborhoods don’t believe their participation in the 2020 Census will bring the government to put money back into their community. Lack of trust is a major problem.
The state has been making steps towards combating climate change in hopes to quell the cyclical devastation of wildfires, but to continue progress California is going to need statewide, bipartisan support.
