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.
Reporters at nonprofit news outlets now make up 20 percent of the total capitol press corps. The total number of full-time reporters, however, continues to decline.
On Tuesday, Milwaukee voters elected Cavalier Johnson as their first new mayor in nearly 20 years. He harbors great hopes of rebuilding a city that suffers from a serious crime problem.
The bill gives the state’s Bureau of Investigation authority to investigate potential infractions if they could have put the outcome of an election in doubt and allows the public to review ballots after elections are certified.
Despite medical risks and a department policy that requires officers to assist injured people, Los Angeles police officers will often wait several minutes before approaching a person they’ve just shot.
The Michigan governor said the bill, which would have required some residents to send identifying information to their election clerk to ensure their voter registration wasn’t canceled, didn’t advance the state’s election goals.
Recipients of the Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers awards include county CIOs, agency leaders, state CISOs, diversity advocates and technologists.
Arizona Could Force U.S. Supreme Court to Again Consider Proof of Citizenship for Voter Registration
Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill into law that requires Arizona election officials to verify the citizenship status of registered voters and it could go into effect before the state's primaries in August. But Arizona isn't the only state requiring proof of citizenship.
The ruling found that the restriction of drop boxes, creating new requirements for voter applications and banning interactions with voters in line were unconstitutional and unenforceable.
An enthusiasm gap among young voters has Democrats worried about the upcoming midterms. Plus, Andrew Cuomo wants his old job back, the South Dakota AG dodges impeachment and life imitates art in Indiana as candidate takes advantage of “the name you know.”
The national 988 service can be a big improvement over the current system. But it will need adequate call center staffing and more care providers across the country, along with a strong communications rollout.
Mayor Ted Wheeler suggested that the Committee on Community-Engaged Policing “take a breather” to allow the city to hire more support staff, provide more training and find facilitators. The group only has seven of 13 seats filled.
Many could quit their jobs because of harassment and burnout, leaving communities at great risk. The public hostility toward the workers has been referred to as “moral injury.”
The new commission, which was first proposed two years ago in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, will have subpoena power, access to crime scenes and records and will conduct a variety of investigations.
They’re criticized for failing to solve every problem that affects their constituents. But the discrimination and racism they face must be factored in, and they lack access to institutions that could strengthen their hand.
Nearly one-third of cities and counties would be unable to tell if they were under attack in cyberspace. Many lack sound IT practices, while rigid policies, politics and bureaucracy can hinder better defense practices.
The billing would happen when private ambulance services are overwhelmed and the city’s fire department has to fill the gap. Residents already receive a bill from private firms, such as AMR. Staffing shortages are behind the problem.
The governor, who became the state’s Democratic nominee last month, has received $867,000 from real estate moguls and entrepreneurs who also backed Trump, ahead of the November general election.
Many renters could be in peril if they haven’t sought assistance and don’t pay April rent. Housing experts now expect a flood of evictions to hit courtrooms around the state in mid-April.
Municipal broadband is booming, growing 600 percent since 2018. These alternatives to private-sector Internet service promise better access and affordability to communities. But are they really cost-effective?
In a vote along party lines, the state Senate rejected $20 million in matching grants to equip local and county police agencies with body and/or dashboard cameras, with Republicans claiming the bill was premature and open-ended.
It’s killing tens of thousands of Americans every year. Expanding access to highly effective medication-assisted treatment and empowering nurse practitioners to provide primary care are key to meeting the challenge.
A public complaint by the Judicial Tenure Commission accused Judge Kahilila Davis of abusing her contempt of court powers, not properly recording court hearings, improperly recording others and publishing recordings online.
Fourteen people are accused of submitting fraudulent COVID-19 business relief applications totaling more than $183 million; another two dozen cases have already been resolved and dozens more investigations are still open.
To pick a temporary replacement for the late U.S. Rep. Don Young, a special election will be held on June 11 and Aug. 16. The June primary will be the first statewide by-mail election and the August election will be the first to use ranked choice voting.
A new study highlights innovative state-level strategies driven by data that emerged during the pandemic to address social factors undermining the well-being of too many Americans.
Results show 815 ballots were rejected over the bill’s new ID requirement in Tarrant County, alone; 812 of which were in the Democratic primary. Across Texas, 13 percent of ballots were rejected for the same reason.
Small experiments for solving social problems may seem to work, but at least half of them fall apart when they’re expanded to a larger constituency. Costs are the main explanation, although not the only one.
Legal scholars argue the “independent state legislature doctrine” is a radical theory that could disenfranchise voters.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ban on fracking is preventing the small town in Kern County from responding to President Biden’s executive ban on Russian oil with local oil production, which could spur economic revitalization.
Case counts and deaths have dropped dramatically from their January highs, but politicians and the public are giving up protections even as another wave starts forming.
