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.
Georgia once had 'the South's most racist governor,' a man endorsed by the KKK. Now its senators are a Black pastor and a Jewish son of immigrants. A scholar of minority voters explains what happened.
The state Senate began its inquiry into Election Systems and Software, the voting machine company that’s used by seven counties. Company officials are assuring state lawmakers that the election was secure and accurate.
Around the country, legislators who backed the attempt to overturn the presidential election are being stripped of powerful posts. Some are seeking to adopt the mantle of political martyrs.
The police department announced that uniforms must display the officer’s name at all times, unless the officer is policing a protest. The department said the change was for officer safety.
The state has not prioritized residents with developmental disabilities who are currently living in the community, despite their high risk of contracting the virus and suffering from complications.
Gov. Newsom lifted the statewide stay-at-home order, allowing outdoor dining and businesses to reopen, after new COVID numbers have begun to decline. But many are worried it will only trigger another spike.
Kern County officials are turning the local fairgrounds into a mass vaccination site that will eventually administer 5,000 COVID vaccines a day. On the site’s first day, it vaccinated 330 people.
As states begin prioritizing senior citizens for the COVID-19 vaccine, many essential workers are concerned their vaccinations will be delayed, possibly as late as summer.
State legislatures introduced more than 560 LGBTQ rights bills in 2020. An analysis by the Human Rights Campaign finds barriers remain to equal access to housing, employment and health care for the LGBTQ community.
Supply isn't the only issue. Big logistical problems require federal leadership. How quickly can the Biden administration execute a 180-degree turnaround?
Most states set a mandatory retirement age for their judges, typically 70. Does that still make sense in this day and time? The wisdom and stability of longevity are worth something.
Michael Madigan and Mike Miller are the most prominent among a host of legislators who held office for decades and have recently been ousted from leadership, retired or passed away.
Vaccines arrived more than a month before the state’s immunization system was ready, forcing health-care providers to create makeshift systems to record patient data that required hours of administrative work.
Hispanics are almost 19 percent of the U.S. population, but account for only 6 percent of state legislators. Thirteen percent of these officials are Republicans.
The city will try to enroll 5,000 young adults in college this spring and connect over 2,000 high school students with internships and other opportunities to earn college credit.
One of the first actions of the Biden Administration will be the proposed U.S. Citizenship Act, which would provide an 8-year road map to citizenship for approximately 11 million immigrants currently in the U.S.
Authorities remain concerned that right-wing violence could still erupt before or after Wednesday's inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, as it did Jan. 6 when President Trump incited supporters to descend on the Capitol.
Distributed power remains critical in the face of governance crises and federal assaults on liberal democracy. States and localities provide a sturdy popular base for modeling better policy outcomes.
Pennsylvania’s health secretary has been tapped by Joe Biden to act as assistant secretary for health. If confirmed, she will be the first openly transgender person to serve in federal office.
Public officials are nervous about the presence of new strains of the coronavirus and the potential to have yet another spike in case contractions and deaths. But without the proper detection tools, the state can’t do much.
A federal judge is now considering a lawsuit alleging widespread voter suppression that was filed after Stacey Abram’s loss to Gov. Brian Kemp. The state is arguing that the claims of voter suppression are as unsubstantiated as Trump’s claims of fraud.
Rules for COVID vaccine distribution lack consistency between states and as health officials change distribution recommendations. With case numbers continuing to rise, the nation scrambles towards widespread inoculations.
Former Gov. Rick Snyder, one of his top aides and his health director are all expected to soon face criminal charges over the alleged cover-up of the Flint water crisis.
The attack on Congress has led to impeachment and increased security in Washington and state capitols. Governing spoke with historian Jonathan Earle about political violence in the nation's past.
Just under 10 percent of the nearly 7,500 legislators serving in America’s state houses are Black, and only 13 are Republicans.
Children and teenagers need particularly specialized treatment, but what residential programs that exist help only a tiny fraction of victims. Interstate cooperation could make a difference.
The violence at the U.S. Capitol last week has drawn attention to the range of security measures in place at state capitols. About 30 buildings use metal detectors while about 20 allow carrying legal firearms inside.
Preventing political violence, similar to what happened in the U.S. Capitol last week, will require active, collective efforts in combating conspiracy theories.
The first phase of COVID-19 vaccine distribution has been slow in some states and has resulted in confusion on the part of residents, causing concern among officials about the rest of the process.
His appointments are set to break barriers and establish new precedents when it comes to diversity. A look back at past cabinets shows how norms and customs have been slow to change.
