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.
It takes entrepreneurial skill to win high office, but timing may be even more important.
Currently, there are 600 patients with COVID in hospitals, a 10 percent increase from the previous week, and state leaders are concerned by the rising numbers, fearing a new COVID surge could be imminent.
A proponent of data and performance analytics, the three-term mayor is equally invested in compassionate government.
The partisans make a lot of noise because it drives voters. But solid majorities have reasonable views about how and what we should teach kids about our history and the need for equality of opportunity.
Oregon’s Clackamas County Clerk did not react quickly to the news of a printing error on thousands of ballots just a week before the primary election. But this year’s error is just one of many for the clerk.
The Biden administration has taken its first steps toward releasing $45 billion of federal funding for broadband and digital equity, with the money going first to state governments tasked with executing the vision.
Traffic crashes kill and injure millions worldwide every year and are a major drain on economic development. Improving road safety would produce huge payoffs, especially in lower-income countries.
New admissions rose 38 percent, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, which reported 225 people were hospitalized this week, a significant increase compared to mid-April.
The state Legislature also passed a package of bills aimed at reducing the likelihood of mass shootings by tightening rules to purchase firearms and other military equipment. Gov. Kathy Hochul is expected to sign the bills into law.
Alexandria, Va., went fare free in 2020 and has seen ridership remain close to pre-pandemic levels. With frequent service and plenty of money to fund the buses, the transit experiment appears to be working, for now.
The small Illinois town of 6,000 has a giant statue, a museum and an annual celebration linking the Man of Steel with the namesake fictional city where he battled for truth, justice and the American way.
The Assembly postponed voting on legislation that includes a process for removing a mayor in instances of a “breach of the public trust” after public testimony vehemently opposed the measure.
The state continues to push back against “environmental, social and governance” reporting requirements, claiming that the federal efforts are overlooking the state’s sound financial management in favor of political priorities.
Conservatives have targeted District Attorney Chesa Boudin, blaming him for the city's theft and murder rates. It's a sign that a public weary of crime may be growing dubious about reform.
Last week, the Maryland governor made decisions on hundreds of remaining bills the General Assembly had passed in the 2022 session, including legislation on abortion access, early vote counting and absentee ballot signatures.
To meet the daily benchmark set by the Oregon secretary of state, election officials would have needed to hand-copy 8,000 ballots on Wednesday; they only processed 2,400. The county estimates it still has 35,000 ballots to duplicate.
The California county’s Board of Supervisors approved millions in federal pandemic funding for 27 local projects that aimed to uplift communities that were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
Ken Paxton shows how it's done. Meanwhile, five Michigan candidates for governor are disqualified for submitting forged signatures and a reminder why it's so hard to beat incumbents.
The most devastating school shooting in decades is prompting calls for Congress to act on gun control. State leaders don’t have to wait.
The president's party always loses seats in midterms. This year, just about everything — fundraising, voter enthusiasm, demographic shifts, the issues mix — is going the right way for Republicans.
The state’s House Democrats tried, unsuccessfully, to force a vote on an assault weapons ban on May 25, following the Texas school shooting. Republicans say they are already proactive with school safety and mental health programs.
Some states have responded with restrictions, but many more have loosened requirements. Dan Malloy, governor of Connecticut during Sandy Hook, reflects on how he was able to get a gun-safety law passed.
A young state lawmaker’s life, dedicated to helping the most needy, was cut short by a white supremacist in a Charleston church. What happened there, in Buffalo and elsewhere is symbolic of a society corroding from inside out.
Many communities across the country are experiencing big changes to voting procedures due to redistricting. Election officials and groups are working hard to update voters to ensure their voices are heard.
Despite often winning a majority of votes, the Democratic Party is at an electoral disadvantage in legislatures that appears to be worsening. Author Jonathan Rodden explains the current problem and why national reform is unlikely.
A minor change to the state’s registration website instantly fixed the automatic voter registration system, which had been broken for 15 months. April saw a 45 percent increase in registration applications.
Schools have a big impact on everything else. A new analysis can help metro areas benchmark themselves and learn what works to build quality into K-12 education.
The state claims that the number of hospitalizations and deaths among unvaccinated, vaccinated and vaccinated and boosted people were removed because it isn’t a clear indicator of vaccine effectiveness.
Several county clerks claimed that state Rep. Daire Rendon requested access to the voting tabulators after the 2020 general election. State police and the attorney general have begun investigating election machine access.
The state’s new law will increase penalties for voter fraud, expand election audits, create a voter fraud hotline and ban third-party funding of elections. GOP lawmakers are hopeful that it will make it “harder to cheat.”
