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.
When a police officer exhibits courtesy and empathy, it brings into focus the nuanced, complex relationship between law enforcement and the African American community.
A study found that of the abortions in the state over the last 11 years, only 9 percent of those pregnancies would have met the 6-week cutoff under the new state law that took effect in July 2022.
The new law will take effect in April during the first week of early voting and will require voters to provide photo identification when casting an in-person ballot. The law also changes the timeline for absentee voting.
With a life-long love of government and politics, Sarah McBride is starting her second term in the Delaware Legislature.
Supporters of the so-called ‘skill games’ say they bring in significant revenue for convenience stores and other establishments that host the machines, while opponents argue they could harm the state’s horse industry.
For decades, America dropped the ball on teaching students about democratic governance processes. Now it’s being seen as essential to repairing a battered democracy.
The river’s Lower Basin states need a water-sharing agreement. It’s time for them to check their historical grievances at the door, make difficult compromises and be open to new and innovative solutions.
The state’s House Judiciary Committee heard extensive testimony for a package of 11 bills that would implement safe storage laws, require universal background checks for the purchase of all firearms and establish red flag laws.
A Colorado bill would allow farmers and third-party technicians to repair agricultural equipment without waiting for dealers to intervene. But some rural legislators seem more concerned with dealer revenue than their constituents.
Patients from abortion-banned states are traveling thousands of miles to receive the service in Washington state, where the procedure remains legal and where efforts are being made to protect abortion patients and providers.
Local opposition has blocked towns from building utility-scale solar installations. But there is an unexpected and newly incentivized alternative — thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act — the dump.
A federal judge overturned the prior age restriction allowing adults as young as 18 to carry licensed concealed handguns on public university campuses, into some businesses and across state lines.
Nearly 70 cities and counties across the nation have banned abortion in the past few years as conservative activists hope that legal battles will drive the abortion issue to the Supreme Court for review and, eventually, a federal ban.
Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson will run against former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas for mayor. The final matchup was a stunning blow to Lightfoot who became the first full-term incumbent to fail to win reelection since 1983.
Lawmakers in several states are pushing legislation banning the use of a new credit-card merchant code for firearms retailers. But its use to flag unusual purchases might have prevented some mass shootings.
The state recently voted to legalize marijuana for recreational use, joining 20 other states across the nation. Some hope growing support for the drug will encourage members of Congress to drop their resistance.
To be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, polling stations were supposed to be fully accessible by last November, but just 36 percent of voting places met the standards for the Feb. 28 election.
Weeping Water Public Schools will transition to a four-day school week beginning next year, making it at least the sixth school district in Nebraska to do so. But research on the schedule’s benefits for students is unclear.
Farmers are hopeful the laws will allow them to repair their tractors. New York passed the first broad right-to-repair law, in 2022, and nearly two dozen states have active legislation — about half of them targeting farm equipment.
A bill would require jails to establish polling places exclusively for prisoners to ensure those in detention centers are able to enact their right to vote. The legislation does not extend to those convicted of a felony.
Holding a state’s executive branch accountable has a lot more impact on the day-to-day lives of Americans than congressional efforts to embarrass political opponents. We need to expect better of state lawmakers.
The real problem is that being a big-city mayor during the pandemic was a no-win proposition. Meanwhile, the race for a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat has already cost more than $10 million and special elections are likely to be nastier and more expensive than before.
Lots of other Republican governors and senators hoped to be the one who could take down Donald Trump. At this early stage, DeSantis has the best shot, thanks to his ability to frame hot-button issues and attract media attention.
These teachings challenge the biased view that enslaved people brought nothing of value from Africa. Banning them is robbing all students of vital history and knowledge of how the nation got to be what it is today.
The Environmental Protection Agency issued a formal order mandating the company to conduct a cleanup operation and pay for the remediation costs of the freight derailment that released toxic chemicals into the area.
The Democratic state lawmaker and lawyer received 67 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s special election to replace the late Rep. A. Donald McEachin. The victory makes this the second time that McClellan has succeeded McEachin.
Proposed reforms to several states’ antitrust laws would give workers, small businesses and entrepreneurs a fighting chance against abusive monopolistic practices and workplace dominance.
Five months after a federal court reaffirmed that voters with disabilities are entitled to receive help with their ballots, not all local Wisconsin election officials are clear about the rules on helping residents to vote.
State lawmakers have filed dozens of bills in an effort to address how Texas administers its elections and prosecutes fraud. It’s unlikely that the Democratic efforts to expand voting access will pass.
The state is carrying out an ambitious offshore wind program as part of a plan to decarbonize its power grid. Some coastal residents don’t want to see it.
