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.
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Have you ever wondered why you have to use a series of FOIA tools to track, manage, process and produce your FOIA requests?
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The need to improve government programs and processes has taken on new urgency, but accomplishing successful transformation requires the right approach.
The state surpassed 6,000 new coronavirus cases in a 24-hour period for the second day in a row as the state continues to reopen. Twenty-eight percent of the state’s total positive cases were reported within the last two weeks.
Governments need to move promptly to change rules and procedures to maximize eligible-voter participation while safeguarding health and protecting the election's integrity.
Chamber leaders and committee chairs are losing their seats. It's not easy to face voters during a combined health and economic crisis, but many primaries also represent ideological battles.
President Trump continues to attack mail voting without any substantiated evidence that is actually true. Here are some facts about what a vote-by-mail election may mean in November.
Around the country, more than two-dozen top public health officials have left their jobs in recent weeks. If combating coronavirus wasn't stressful enough, several have received death threats or seen protests outside their homes.
The Broadband Internet Service law creates the Florida Office of Broadband and approves $5 million in annual spending to expand Internet access. But the state still has a ways to go before all residents are connected.
Thanks to better video technology and the expansion of social media, citizens now have the means to monitor, disseminate and expose acts of police brutality. They are forcing the country to rethink policing practices.
The state’s daily coronavirus count rose to 18 cases, but, while the spike was unexpected, officials don’t believe it has reached a threshold that would delay reopenings. The state now has a total of 762 cases.
They must feel for themselves — and act on — the suppressed anger and heartache that the deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police have brought to the surface.
A study by Vanderbilt University has found that the state’s COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased 30 percent since early June. Between June 15 and June 16, 448 coronavirus patients were hospitalized across the state.
Mayor Ted Wheeler called for a reorganization of the current civilian oversight system of the city’s police, though many are waiting to see the mayor’s words turn into actions first.
Attorneys general have the power to oversee the police departments in their states that need to be turned around. Solutions handed down from Washington are slow, cumbersome and unevenly applied.
California’s Legislature recessed in mid-March over concerns of the spread of the coronavirus. Now, the legislators are back but many aren’t pleased with how the governor is still enacting his powers.
There have been Black Lives Matter protests in more cities and towns than any set of demonstrations in U.S. history. Rather than traveling to the nearest big city, residents are determined to take a stand close to home.
Google and Apple paired up to produce software allowing health departments to create apps that trace how COVID-19 spreads. But most states aren't interested in the system and most Americans don't want tracing apps at all.
The state is spending millions of dollars on contact tracing, but only 48 percent of those infected are answering the call from contact tracers, reducing the effectiveness of its response to the coronavirus.
Responding to national protests, Gov. Whitmer called for an increase in police training on implicit bias and de-escalation techniques as well as other measures to ensure safety and trust across the state.
From the Great Depression to the 1960s and on, local governments have found innovative ways to cope under extraordinary pressures. The pandemic is testing them once again.
Calbright College in California has been criticized for its high costs per student, lack of accreditation and difficulty providing accurate enrollment data. Others see it as an opportunity for nontraditional students.
All states have begun phased reopening. An updated version of an earlier Governing resource page provides new maps that offer instant insight into progress toward COVID-19 containment in each state.
Our municipal police departments were born amid waves of civil disorder, and their mission and practices have always been disputed. This isn't the first time reform has been in the air.
It's hard for consumers to find the true costs of health services. Strong transparency laws in some states are showing the way toward giving citizens access to the information they need.
In 2018, Mississippi ranked near the bottom of the country in terms of broadband access. Today, evidence suggests a 2019 law could forever change the status quo of high-speed Internet in rural Mississippi.
The third version of the petition language to remove Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has been approved by the Michigan Board of State Canvassers. Now the petition has 60 days to get 1 million signatures.
We used to look to Washington for leadership in times of national crisis. Those days are gone, and we're seeing a transfer of power. Which level of government will come out on top?
Kansas City, Mo., police chief was asked to resign by civil rights groups in the wake of George Floyd’s death and the chief responded by ordering police body cameras. Many don’t think body cams are enough of a change.
The pandemic has hit black people especially hard in terms of health and employment. Those conditions intensified long-simmering anger over police brutality and racism.
They're reimagining the ways they can continue to serve their communities during the pandemic and for the years beyond, taking action to survive, adapt and grow as vital local institutions.
