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.
The public’s relationship with the Census was strained by the unique circumstances surrounding the 2020 count. Robert Santos, the first Latino to direct the Census Bureau, wants to repair this.
The fierce rhetoric flying between state capitols is a reflection of “the big sort,” as we increasingly seek out those with whom we share values. The common ground essential to governing is getting harder and harder to find.
Approximately 50 voting machines across the state malfunctioned during last week’s primary election from high temperatures, some of which partially melted. Many poll workers also experienced heat-related illness.
A report from the HHS showed that 44,000 residents would lose state health insurance coverage entirely while 24,000 would lose subsidies if the tax credits were not extended through the legislative package.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is scrambling to address acute safety and operational challenges while anticipating a long-term funding crisis. What happens in Boston could have lessons for other big-city transit systems.
The share of female governorships could exceed 20 percent this year, more women are registering and more incumbents are losing. There's also a revolution in the courts as states use unconstitutional maps.
The Pennsylvania county found no discrepancies after a hand count of 1,661 ballots was completed. Officials hope the recount reinforces to residents how costly and time-consuming counting ballots by hand is.
Data-informed solutions that prevent rather than punish can break cycles of violence and help neighborhoods heal, and voters support them. They just need to be scaled up.
Gov. Tom Wolf signed an executive order on Tuesday, Aug. 16, that mandates state agencies to discourage the practice, prohibits funding and requires public reporting of professionals who have utilized conversion therapy.
The city requires all elected officials to resign from their current positions before running for another office to help avoid conflicts of interest and leveraging offices for political gain. Some argue the state could benefit from a similar policy.
The most significant climate legislation ever enacted by Congress has become law, without the word “climate” in its title. Here’s how it can benefit state and local energy and climate programs.
As water levels continue to drop, federal officials have warned seven states they will need to dramatically reduce water usage amid worsening drought conditions. But the groups haven’t yet reached an agreement.
After yet another bill was killed in the state’s Senate Appropriations Committee without a vote or public explanation, concerns mount that a legislative instrument called the suspense file has major transparency problems.
The midterms are not looking like a total bloodbath for Democrats, like they were a few weeks ago. The GOP still looks like it will do quite nicely, however.
State and federal officials were quick to respond to rising gas prices earlier in the year. But some of households’ biggest costs, like housing, are still rising.
Justice Unites Us will focus on the state’s Orange County congressional races with hopes of leveraging small business hubs to increase support for Democratic candidates.
Baltimore’s free ferry system gets commuters and others where they need to go.
Lawmakers are seeking to downplay the role that slavery played in the development of the United States, but history tells a different story.
Residents will vote on a ballot measure in November that would give the Legislature veto power over rules and regulations issued by Gov. Laura Kelly. The measure was proposed by Kelly’s opponent, Attorney General Derek Schmidt.
After her primary race win, Finke will face Republican Trace Johnson in November. Currently there are just eight out trans lawmakers in America among the more than 7,300 state legislators across the nation.
A play written by New Mexico state Sen. Bill O’Neill experiments with a partisan taboo in hopes of bolstering collaboration, as the nation’s political climate has become increasingly divided over the last decade.
In addition to a national shortage of vaccines, a promising new antiviral medication requires hours of paperwork before prescription, significantly delaying the treatment of the quickly spreading monkeypox virus.
Removing highways is a tricky business, a costly and time-consuming physical feat, but advocates say even a small commitment to addressing the harms of legacy highway infrastructure is a positive sign.
Nonpartisan Julie Anderson has edged out the Republican candidates and will face Democratic, appointed incumbent Steve Hobbs in the November election. Hobbs won the primary by a wide margin.
An apology by public officials would be the first step toward acknowledgment of government’s role in the sins of our past and the effects that linger today. And it would be the start of racial healing.
Since the state’s red flag law went into effect in 2019, just 228 firearm restraining orders have been granted across the state and 21 in Lake County, home to Highland Park. Some believe more training could increase those numbers.
Osage and Franklin counties haven’t supported a Democrat since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, and yet in the vote last week, the constitutional amendment to ban abortion failed in both localities.
Unprecedented influxes of applications and delays in processing due to the pandemic have caused a backlog of millions of unprocessed visas, work permits, green cards and naturalization petitions within the U.S. immigration system.
Unlike many serious urban problems, this one is eminently solvable. There’s a growing body of useful research of what works to operate a well-functioning transit system.
Most bridges aren’t built offsite and then moved to where they need to be. But that’s what happened in Detroit with an unusual infrastructure project that also called for saving an iconic music recording studio.
