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.
As COVID fears lift in Arizona and other states, people with disabilities are using ride services again, but there's a dire driver shortage. That has left many riders waiting in extreme heat.
Bristol, R. I., has celebrated July Fourth for nearly 240 years, making it “The Most Patriotic Town in America.” Legendary Providence Mayor Buddy Cianci made the festivities not only historic, but infamous.
As the nation’s Independence Day approaches, a report analyzes which state is the most patriotic based upon its military and civic engagement. Montana scored the highest. Republican states are more patriotic than Democratic ones, but just barely.
The state has lifted most of its indoor capacity limits, mask mandates and social distancing requirements, as nearly 70 percent of residents aged 16 and older have received at least one shot of the vaccine.
There are high-tech tools that allow inspectors to better analyze a building’s structural integrity, but neither Miami-Dade County nor Florida requires them. Some experts believe they should.
The governor has vetoed an election overhaul bill due to a voter identification requirement. Republicans believed the bill would have restored voter confidence, while Democrats said it decreased ease of voting.
The gunshot detection technology, ShotSpotter, identified gunfire more than 15,000 times last year in St. Louis and St. Louis County. However, for the large majority of those instances, there were no shootings to investigate.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has extended the state’s eviction moratorium until the end of September and has increased funding for a rent relief program, despite protests from landlords and realtors.
Assuming the Supreme Court casts a hostile eye toward Roe v. Wade, abortion rights would disappear overnight in half the states.
The California city received $35 million to assist with rental relief during the pandemic, but as of June 7, had only allocated 7 percent of the funds. Advocates are questioning why it’s taking so long to distribute the assistance.
One of the new laws removes the term “illegal alien” from state statutes and another allows those without documentation to apply for housing assistance. One in 10 of the state’s residents are immigrants.
With 90 percent of the state’s law enforcement agencies using body cameras, the state patrol troopers remain outliers. The department cites cost as an impediment, while advocates say the state should mandate the tech.
With the final CDC eviction moratorium set to expire at the end of June, three Texas families recount their experiences facing their own housing struggles over the past year.
Are the election law changes proposed in statehouses across the country really as bad as some say? An election law scholar cuts through the yelling to take a sober look at the new voting landscape.
The city has approved a two-year budget that will cut millions from the police department budget and reallocate the money to fund violence prevention programs and other social services.
While wealthy cities have managed to grow transit ridership, overall numbers have dropped by nearly 50 percent since 1970. The decrease in riders makes it harder for officials to support future transit investments.
Civil debate about American democracy is possible if it’s grounded in civic literacy. The new president of the Center for Civic Education says civics and constitutional education offers a chance for special unity.
While California has one of the highest vaccination rates in the nation, the rates for firefighters and police are often much lower. Are unvaccinated safety workers a public health risk?
As the coronavirus pandemic forced Americans outside, states are now investing some of their federal aid in updating park infrastructure to keep up with the record crowds.
A report from the state’s Oversight Committee has recommended that Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office conduct an investigation of individuals who pushed claims of fraud during the 2020 presidential election.
The new open data portal will be accessible to the public, to increase transparency as the department continues to work towards police reform. Officials hope to develop a long-term public safety plan with the community.
Billions in federal aid give state and local governments the opportunity to leverage evidence-based approaches to help disproportionately impacted communities and address long-term systemic challenges.
In the public sector, customer service can easily devolve to “our way or the highway.” The head of the Arlington, Texas, planning department is transforming its service culture into a place where your “dream comes true.”
The state upgraded its antiquated human resources management software, and when the project failed, Maine blamed the contracted company. But an investigation reveals the state is also at fault.
Many parts of the country still do not have access to high-speed Internet, despite requirements that forced schools and workplaces to operate remotely during the pandemic. Lawmakers are trying to fix that by getting homes connected.
The idea has come up again and again, and now there’s a flurry of experimentation. But it never seems to take hold.
The pandemic made it easier to get—and keep—food assistance. In some places, those expanded benefits are drawing to a close.
When the rush for unemployment insurance crashed government websites in 2020, we learned how to navigate traffic surges in a crisis. So why weren’t sites prepared to handle vaccine appointments?
The state’s eviction moratorium is coming to an end June 30. Since the earliest days of the pandemic, housing analysts have worried about a wave of evictions whenever the state lifts protections for renters. Carolina Reid, associate professor of city and regional planning at the University of California, Berkeley, has been tracking vulnerable renters throughout the pandemic. She says the state could help renters facing eviction — if enough money gets to them in time.
North America’s largest subway system is run by a board that’s disproportionately controlled by state government. A city-run system has merits, but so far only one mayoral candidate is interested in changing the status quo.
