Policy
At first the bill would protect outdoor workers on days with a heat index of 90 degrees, which has occurred about five and a half months out of every year since 1981. The updated version doesn’t kick in until the air temperature hits 95 degrees, a rare occurrence.
But there's no agreement on details, according to Sen. Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer. Disagreements arose around licensing, testing and other forms of regulation for artificial intelligence.
Three years after the first-in-the-nation law was passed, a record number of opioid overdoses, bad press and a growing homelessness crisis could slow the movement to treat addiction as a public health matter.
The state law that went into effect on July 1 enacts a series of immigration-related restrictions, which has deterred many undocumented workers from assisting in the debris clearing and rebuilding after a storm.
Demand for nonprofit services is on the rise, and legislators are paying more attention to ways they can support the sector.
Gov. Mike DeWine announced the formation of a safety task force that will be charged with finding ways to improve safety on school buses, including possibly requiring seat belts. Last week an Ohio school bus crashed, killing one student and injuring 23.
Six people died on Feb. 11, 2021, in one of the most destructive crashes in state history when a winter storm caused cars to skid along a two-lane tollway. On Sept. 1, two bills that aim to prevent similar crashes in the future will go into effect.
How regulations are created, updated and challenged can make it easier — or harder — for citizens and businesses to weigh in on the rules that impact them. New research shows what states can do to improve their processes.
Proposed legislation would give Atlanta Public Schools ownership of a 1.5-acre building parcel in exchange for a two-acre vacant property so that the city can develop housing and services for homeless residents.
State legislators have passed more than 700 new laws and a variety of notable or controversial laws will take effect this week, including policies surrounding transgender athletes, chaplains in schools and a tampon tax.
A federal judge who experienced the unthinkable is advocating for laws that restrict access to personal information about state and local judges.
Experts worry that curfews disproportionately target young people of color.
It isn’t just about constitutional rights and fairness. Underfunded, undervalued public defense is also costly to taxpayers. A few states are showing the way toward meaningful reforms.
A report by Morgan State University found that the law enforcement agency does not support employees to speak out against the culture or problematic events and troopers of color have said they were subjected to micro- and macroagressions.
At least 14 school resource officers will be at campuses across the city, one of the most significant changes since the shooting at East High School five months ago, overturning a three-year-old policy which had previously removed the officers.
An advocacy group for nude recreation has been a presence at the annual meeting of state legislators for decades — not to advertise, but to prevent inadvertent disruption of a way of life and a multibillion-dollar industry.
Federal pandemic aid that supported thousands of child-care providers will end soon, leading to downsizings and closures. There are innovative ways for states, local governments and businesses to mitigate the blow to working families and employers.
The study scored Indiana’s voter removal practices at 76 percent, but the state’s safeguards at just 20 percent, along with five others, for not allowing same-day voter registration. The study has received pushback from state and local officials.
The advocacy group for press freedom has called for a “thorough investigation” into the Marion, Kan., Police Department after its raid at a local newspaper, which many claim was a violation of state and federal laws.
Spalding County’s election board voted last month to require a manual tally before results are certified, but experts are concerned about the accuracy and efficiency of a hand count.
Some professors have decided to ban the use of generative artificial intelligence technology programs while others have worked to incorporate it into their curriculum. Now colleges are working to establish clear policies for the tech.
The state has the nation’s highest rate of gun violence per capita. Residents experience more gun violence than even those living in California, and a survey found that more than half of residents have experienced physical violence.
A state judge delivered a huge win to young climate plaintiffs. Montana is one of just three states that have the affirmative right to a healthful environment. Montana’s attorney general called the ruling absurd and said the state would appeal the decision.
The Democracy Restoration Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas, Texas, would restore voting rights in federal elections for all released felons regardless of parole or probation status and regardless of state laws.
The federal agency found Alabama’s program of managing its own coal ash is “significantly” less protective than what the federal rules require. For many the decision is evidence that other states, like Georgia, need to adjust their plans.
The bills will make it easier to distribute the opioid reversal drug Narcan, create a curriculum on the dangers of certain drugs, fund a coordinated crisis services system, establish a task force to study alcohol pricing and addiction services, and more.
It will provide protections to health-care practitioners who refuse to prescribe marijuana, participate in procedures such as abortion, medically assisted death, gender-affirming care and other treatments that go against their personal beliefs.
The Aug. 1 rule establishes the state’s open meetings provision for the judicial branch, removing any doubt about the accessibility of court meetings. However the court has not established open records for remote access.
The proposed legislation would hold companies liable for accusations of harassment, wage theft and other forms of mistreatment. The fast food industry has spent $3.9 million from Jan. 1 through June 30 on lobbying efforts to kill the legislation.
Lakewood, Colo., voted four years ago to limit the number of new housing units that can go up in the city in any given year, but a law recently signed by Gov. Polis prohibits the implementation of “anti-growth” policies.
A new state law requires armed personnel on every public school campus starting on Sept. 1, a change intended to increase security and safety after last year’s Uvalde massacre. There are 318 registered school marshals across the state.
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