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.
Officials across the state voiced concerns about proposed legislation that would hold the gubernatorial recall election as early as Aug. 24 and would push costs beyond the projected $215 million price tag.
The primary to succeed Bill de Blasio will be held on Tuesday. No one from the huge field has emerged as a clear favorite, with Andrew Yang fading fast.
Dissatisfied voters targeted election administrators in 2020. Accustomed to working behind the scenes, many were cast as villains and now fear for their personal and professional safety.
The City Council unanimously approved an ordinance to regulate the police department’s use of “militarized” gear, and the department will be required to submit reports of equipment use and purchases.
Texas and 19 other states had challenged the Affordable Care Act. For the third time, the nation's highest court upheld it.
Any community’s civic culture has deep and stubborn roots in local history. But with the right sort of leader, new and innovative attitudes and practices can emerge.
Public officials need the private sector to step up and use its moral and financial clout to counter the right-wing extremists who are bent on ending the American republic.
Stockton emerged from bankruptcy years ago, but a culture of caution lingered that wasn’t conducive to growth. Harry Black, its new city manager, aims to speed resurgence and innovation through data-based plans and programs.
“No industry should feel entitled to use up a human body.”
State lawmakers have proposed a 13-bill bipartisan reform package to better address police accountability and improve training, but it's unclear if there will be a vote on the package before the end of session.
Housing and crime round out top urban concerns and mayors are scrambling to use much-needed federal funding as austerity issues recede, according to the latest State of the Cities report from the National League of Cities.
It's been strong for decades, but the poisonous polarization at the federal level has begun to flow downhill, threatening to undermine the service to citizens that is the foundation of that trust.
A program has been placing homeless clients into housing while guaranteeing rent, utility payments and damage repairs. But it’s a scramble to get landlords to sign on before the eviction moratorium ends in August.
South Carolina’s gas tax will increase another 2 cents in July to increase funds for road maintenance. But officials predict the state may still need an additional $240 million annually for all of the necessary repairs.
In 1978, one conservative politician sought to remove gay teachers from California schools. A coalition of protestors, along with local and national politicians, moved swiftly to stop him.
Political partisanship is playing out across the country as lawmakers move to change how their states’ supreme courts are elected.
Community colleges are well situated to provide the skills needed to thrive in the evolving post-pandemic economy. States have the resources to provide a tuition-free path right now, but they need to do it right.
A new study has found that 68 percent of frontline organizations like food pantries and 80 percent of hunger advocacy organizations believe they should focus more effort on tackling the root causes of food insecurity, including poverty and structural racism within the food system.
The project is essentially an advisory committee designed to promote the state’s history to Texas residents, largely through pamphlets given to people receiving driver’s licenses.
The rollout of 5G antennas, commonly known as small wireless facilities, have city residents pushing back against plans to install even more of the devices. Some residents say they weren’t notified by the city.
Several big-city mayors have announced retirements or have been defeated this year, their approval ratings driven down by the pandemic and policing.
The majority of California’s nine Bay Area counties plan to drop their COVID-19 restrictions when the state does the same next week. The area has had some of the strictest restrictions during the pandemic.
The Braddock Carnegie Library opened in 1889, equipped with a swimming pool, billiards room, theater and bowling alley. Nearly demolished in the 1970s, the library is undergoing a massive renovation, thanks to local help.
The state approved legislation that will require all uniformed police officers to wear body cams by Jan. 1, 2025, but many local agencies cannot afford the technology without financial assistance.
They suffer from sexual assaults at alarming rates. The much-maligned private prison industry can have an important role to play.
Alexander Hamilton used pamphlets and broadsides to connect with constituents. Donald Trump loves Twitter. Politicians haven’t been shy about using the latest technological marvel to spread their message.
Thanks to more hybrid and remote work, some people are moving out of New York and San Francisco, but so far, there has been no exodus to Oklahoma City or Peoria, no revival of rural America or the Rust Belt.
A school nurse's caseload can vary dramatically based on a school's size and the number of students dealing with chronic disease, poverty, housing insecurity and many other concerns.
The proposed California bill would have created excise taxes on the sale of new guns and would have raised more than $100 million annually for gun violence prevention programs. It failed by nine votes.
The Senate Elections Committee has advanced the Republican-sponsored election bill that would overhaul the state’s election laws and it would increase voter identification requirements for voting in person or by mail.
