State and Local Politics and Policy
It’s especially hard to get low-income Americans living in multifamily buildings across the digital divide. But states and nonprofits are finding ways to do it.
Pre-pandemic, just 15 percent of community college classes in California were fully remote; now, 65 percent of classes are online. To retain students, administrators may keep online classes to increase accessibility.
The state’s constitutional Amendment No. 2 will ask voters if they want to clarify that there is no protected right to abortion. If passed, it would eliminate any legal path to challenge the constitution.
Members of the Los Angeles City Council can draw district lines themselves, thereby determining not only which voters they will represent, but also which businesses, institutions and other public assets are within those boundaries.
With party control of several high courts at stake and races driven by issues ranging from abortion to voting rights, the party committees and special interest groups are on the way to setting spending records.
Do cross-party endorsements signal a fracturing GOP? Plus, a Democrat may lose after half a century, how justices gain political advantage and not knowing when to say "when."
The 88-year-old Democrat is retiring from his long-standing role as secretary of state, giving Illinois voters fresh choices to lead the statewide operation with more than 4,000 employees.
There are 129 ballot measures in states this November, with issues ranging from dialysis to term limits.
Millions are serving unjust sentences or struggling with permanent marks on their records. Pardons, expungements and commutations can provide a second chance for an individual, a family and a community.
Gov. Bill Lee announced on Oct. 11 a $100 million “Violent Crime Intervention Fund” from which local law enforcement agencies can apply for grants to improve public safety. Early voting for the Nov. 8 election begins next week.
Bill Leighty served Virginia in a variety of ways, including as chief of staff to two governors. He knew the rules of management — and he knew when to stretch or break them.
Voters in a record number of states face abortion-related measures, as well as traditional topics including marijuana and minimum wage.
We've made it far too easy for minor disputes to erupt into deadly violence. Rather than simply throwing more money at police, we need to get serious about mental health treatment, mediation and other approaches that can save lives.
Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed bills that will slash the state’s carbon emissions, protect vulnerable communities and create a two-decade pathway to a 100 percent clean energy electrical grid.
State governments can best lead and govern distinct and diverse communities. The founders knew that the only way to build a new nation was to avoid taking too much autonomy from them.
The state's water agencies are proposing to reduce water use by up to 400,000 acre-feet per year or 9 percent. California is entitled to use 4.4 million acre-feet of Colorado River water per year, more than any other state.
Phil Murphy wants the president to require an environmental impact statement for the city's traffic program, which would take much longer than the environmental assessment process currently underway.
Counties in the southwest are considering all voting contingencies, including flexibility with mail ballots and the location of polling places. There are about 1.3 million registered voters in the region.
Voters will be asked to make it a "fundamental individual right" to keep and bear arms, and that any restraint on that right is invalid. But firearms remain the primary cause of death in domestic violence homicides.
Service was suspended on one of Amtrak’s busiest lines because of erosion on California’s coastal cliffs. Local authorities are working on emergency repairs, while planning for the track’s long-term future.
Unwelcome drones have been cited for distracting pilots with erratic motion, risking collision and delaying help for those in need. The unmanned aerial onlookers have been found to tail the department’s helicopters.
The state has more than 40 vacancies, and many superintendents increasingly find themselves under attack from conservative groups. Nationally about a quarter of superintendents had left their positions by the end of the last two school years.
More than a dozen states have enacted laws regulating how law enforcement uses it. But federal legislation is needed: A piecemeal approach doesn't keep all citizens safe from misidentification.
Advances in wildlife-migration science can help protect people, animals and economies. New federal investment is available to target and build the infrastructure we need.
The election-denial movement has permeated into the state’s mainstream, perpetuated by leaders of some county GOP organizations and congressional candidates. But not all Republicans are pleased with the theories.
In 2022, leading states are breaking down information silos and assessing the data for more informed decision-making, and elevating efforts to keep all this data secure in a challenging cybersecurity environment.
Amid growing concerns that election deniers may serve as poll workers to infiltrate the election process, experts assure that there are rules in place that protect the system and the majority of poll workers are there for the right reasons.
As they have in recent terms, the court’s conservative majority may set aside precedents and create major change in areas such as affirmative action and voting rights.
Why are so many candidates deciding they’re better off not debating? Meanwhile, GOP candidates struggle to raise funds, Republicans boost legislative candidates and Texas AG Paxton won’t be served.
The continued refusal to accept Donald Trump’s loss in 2020 is fueling an anti-democratic trend as the state heads into a highly competitive Nov. 8 midterm election which, experts worry, could cause lasting damage to institutions.
As one western Florida community celebrates the success of a program to restore what Hurricane Michael took from it, others brace for a storm projected to be among the most damaging to ever strike the state.
