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.
Lawmakers want to impose new limits on early and mail-in voting to ensure that all ballots are received by the county election office on Election Day to avoid delaying results, which, they claim, sows doubt in the process.
With more than 1,000 civilians being killed by cops every year, mayors and city councils can’t be equivocal about ending the warrior approach to policing.
The pandemic-induced emergency order will end on May 11 and will trigger a variety of changes, including people will likely have to pay more out of pocket for COVID-19 care while Medicaid and CHIP eligibility will be re-evaluated.
The upcoming spring primaries will be a competition between longtime Democratic figures with deep government experience and a new wave of political priorities for Allegheny County executive, County Council and district attorney.
Voters in Black and Latino communities face longer lines at polling places, limited access to mail-in balloting and poor communication of redistricting changes. Spanish speakers make up about 12 percent of the state’s population.
The video of the beating of Tyre Nichols by police officers has, once again, sparked calls for Congress to address law enforcement violence, but the Republican majority has not yet shown signs of prioritizing a policing overhaul this session.
The state implemented its confidential hotline in hopes to combat misinformation and confusion about abortion bans and restrictions. More than 150 lawyers will provide free legal advice.
Tyre Nichols was killed by Memphis police officers who were members of the now-disbanded anti-gun unit. New York City Mayor Eric Adams condemned the beating but defended own anti-gun unit.
A new poll found that voter confidence across the state has increased and about 73 percent of registered voters said they were very or somewhat confident that November’s general election was fair and accurate.
The number of deaths on the state’s roads last year was the highest in more than 30 years. There is bipartisan support for legislation to increase Washington’s road safety and lower the blood alcohol limit.
State lawmakers from the Connecticut Reproductive Rights Caucus in 2023 have introduced several bills that would increase funding, protection and access to reproductive care for residents and out-of-state travelers.
Gov. Greg Abbott’s wide-ranging and controversial initiative deploys thousands of state authorities to apprehend and jail migrants along parts of the Rio Grande and is costing far more than has ever been spent on border security in a budget cycle.
She barely won re-election then her pick for the state's top judge was rejected by the New York Senate Judiciary Committee. Also, don't throw rocks and can states and locals get along?
Elected prosecutors have a critical role to play in responding to policies that can erode trust and endanger public safety.
Joe Lombardo wants to do away with the state’s popular vote-by-mail system and also proposed using a photo ID as a prerequisite for voting. But the Secretary of State assured that the recent elections were secure and successful.
California has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation and yet the state has experienced two mass shootings in the last few days. However, you are still 40 percent less likely to die by gun in the state than anywhere else in the country.
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, anti-abortion activists are pushing for expanded abortion bans and tighter restrictions while Democratic-led states are looking to shore up abortion protections.
Connecticut state Rep. Juan Candelaria has proposed a bill that would allow non-citizens the right to vote in state and municipal elections. But he knows it is unlikely to pass and just hopes it opens a discussion.
Transportation projects often get delayed because of unclear structures and procedures within city agencies. A new report examines how the right mix of structure, people and processes can achieve success.
The idea that the Justice Department and FBI are “deep state” forces aiming to undermine the MAGA movement conflicts with history. Too many state and local officials were complicit in the feds’ efforts to fight the civil rights movement.
Larry Householder and former Ohio GOP chairman and lobbyist Matthew Borges are standing trial this week on charges that they participated in a “criminal enterprise” that took nearly $61 million in bribes.
Car-share operations are turning to electric vehicles as they reimagine the service as an affordable, nonprofit transportation business model. The shift is helping to serve low-income communities where mobility options are limited.
These are the issues competing for priority this year as $60 billion earmarked in the Inflation Reduction Act for environmental justice efforts begins to flow into U.S. communities.
Roe v. Wade, which will have its 50th anniversary on Sunday, is no longer the law of the land. So now, more than six months after the ruling was overturned, what is the status of abortion in the U.S.?
Sworn into office on Jan. 18, Moore is now the nation’s only current Black chief executive. The Democrat beat challenger Dan Cox in November with a 32-point victory, the largest winning margin in nearly four decades.
G. Richard Bevan asked state lawmakers to give pay raises to judges, which were the only class of state employees that did not receive increases this year, and to protect their security amid a perilous political climate.
Two deadly mass shootings in California have renewed calls for laws that can prevent such tragedies. A new report from RAND’s Gun Policy in America initiative looks at the measures best supported by research findings.
The Florida governor announced legislation that would penalize companies that require employees to wear a mask or be vaccinated against COVID-19 and would ban medical boards from reprimanding doctors for spreading misinformation.
After drive-by shootings at politicians’ homes, some lawmakers worry that the violence will deter people from running for an elected office. Threats of violence against public officials have increased in recent years.
Over a two-year period, the state is estimated to have lost nearly half a million people while also returning to about 85 percent of the total jobs it had pre-pandemic. Hochul hopes new housing policies could help.
