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.
The state could lose $195 million annually for every 1 percent of the population that is undercounted. Officials hope that the coronavirus pandemic doesn’t dissuade residents from participating in the Census.
Shortages of badly needed hand sanitizer for public safety workers led the owners of the Catoctin Creek Distillery to retool their whiskey manufacturing into a hand sanitizer production line.
Lobbyists can't grab lawmakers outside of chambers and committee rooms anymore. They're doing their best to stay in the loop through calls and texts but complain the legislative process has become a lot less transparent.
In confronting a deadly challenge like the coronavirus pandemic, they create a unified command and a compelling scoreboard, while maintaining a cadence of action, accountability and communication.
Local governments wish state officials would do more to combat coronavirus. In a few states, they’re angry that governors have issued orders that preempt cities and counties from setting their own course.
Saturday marks the 52nd anniversary of King’s assassination. In looking back at the campaign to end legalized segregation, the participants in the civil rights movement were willing to risk their lives to ensure that everyone could vote and that anyone could aspire to public office.
The coronavirus has delayed immigration processes, suspended jobs that might have provided VISAs and made the future for non-citizens even more uncertain. “There are many people who are struggling right now.”
California’s governor believes that residents should be persuaded but not punished into abiding by the stay-at-home order. The governor has urged cities to do the same, but some cities are enacting their own rules.
More than 100 years ago, the world struggled with another epidemic, known as the Spanish Flu. In many cities at the time, streetcars were the main form of transportation, so cities set strict rules on social distancing.
New York attorneys have claimed that the Social Security Administration was risking disabled applicants’ health by requiring in-person appointments at a Buffalo health clinic. The SSA says it was done for fraud prevention.
Communicating during a crisis calls for government to deliver a balance of credible, correct and timely information. It’s not easy, but tested strategies and tools are available.
Gavin Newsom and Andrew Cuomo have seemed to take on managing the coronavirus pandemic as they govern the two states with the most cases. Even the federal government is taking notice of ‘America’s Governors.’
Nearly half the nation's legislatures have adjourned or canceled sessions. Where they're still meeting, lawmakers are improvising to keep a safe distance from one another.
The economic devastation of the coronavirus pandemic is making benefit programs more important than ever. It's critical to get information to people who need it and simplify application processes.
California’s Department of Motor Vehicles has experienced an 82 percent drop in visits since requiring customers to have an appointment. Frustrated, concerned workers are still required to come in.
In an emergency like the coronavirus pandemic, local leaders can use powerful tools for visualizing data to highlight our residents' interconnectivity and the need for collective action.
Last week, Governing’s senior writer Alan Greenblatt gave us his top 10 tips on how to stay on task while away from the office and co-workers. This week, we bring you Dustin Haisler’s 10 best apps for remote work.
State legislatures have introduced more than 200 bills relating to COVID-19 since the beginning of the year to address public health issues only government can handle. Here’s our rundown.
Disruption has long been a cornerstone of technology innovation, and new “hacks” to old problems remain essential to dreaming up and creating what’s new and what’s next — and asking whether we even need it.
Governors across the nation are enacting their own rules and guidelines as the federal officials lack strategy for the coronavirus pandemic. “People are gaining a new perspective on what their governors can do.”
The courts will suspend criminal and civil trials for 60 days unless the case has “good cause” or can be done remotely. Otherwise, the Chief Justice has ordered that courts only remain open for essential services.
Nature still abhors a vacuum.The coronavirus pandemic could prompt renewed public dialog around universal healthcare, paid sick leave and general government trust. “It may advance the policy [much] faster and further than anyone thought.”
Using satellite imagery, California's Humboldt County has found an effective way to deal with unpermitted and illegal cannabis-cultivation operations and reduce their environmental impact.
No handshaking or rallies are allowed. Politicians are scrambling to find ways of getting their messages in front of voters who are distracted and in many places barely leaving their homes.
Testing has become one of the most important methods for controlling the pandemic known as coronavirus. In the U.S., a nation of car drivers, that means setting up drive-through testing sites to speed along the process.
The federal government is bumping tax day until July 15. The extended deadline comes without interest or penalties. Taxpayers will also be protected from foreclosures or evictions for at least 60 days. “We applaud these bold actions.”
Two House members have contracted the coronavirus and several others are quarantined. Though it’s feasible, some are opposed to remote work. “It’s 2020. Congress can and should be able to operate in all circumstances.”
The novel coronavirus has tested the durability of federal, state and local governments around the country and the world. This list of resources is meant to connect leaders with useful tools to aid in response efforts.
Two more San Diego companies join the small group of private firms that have been given emergency authorization to provide COVID-19 test kits. The test kits are being sent across the nation to assist cities in need.
The pandemic has radically altered the movement of Americans as government-ordered shutdowns have forced people to stay home. The results can be found by comparing before and after photographs of once-busy locations.
