Policy
This coverage will look at how public leaders establish new policies in a range of crucial areas of government – health, education, public safety, for example – and how these policies impact people’s lives through better services, effective regulations and new programs. This will include stories examining how state and local government approaches policymaking around emerging areas, including artificial intelligence.
States are taking a look at tax credits, cost-sharing, regulation reductions and more as they look to support families and their economies.
Texas offered the benefit for 24 years. The move came in response to a federal lawsuit, but state leaders hailed it as a win.
Florida reopened schools earlier than some states but faces the same challenges of large shares of students missing a lot of school.
Currently, as part of their training, students work for free for a year as teachers or classroom aides. That creates an economic hardship that discourages some potential recruits.
The one-time grant funding let cities and counties demonstrate new ideas and expand existing efforts to curb gun violence. When the ARPA sunsets, some efforts may scale down, but local governments have been planning to maintain the bulk of the work.
Older, sick prisoners cost far more to incarcerate. Since they pose little or no risk to public safety, states should ease the path to medical parole.
Hundreds of Alabama church leaders are being certified as substance use support specialists, gaining insight into the nature of these disorders and connections with professionals who treat them.
A new cost-cutting law will move the system toward managed care, likely over a period of about four years.
In recent years, conservatives have championed family-friendly workplace policies as “pro-life” measures.
Funding for a half-dozen tech hubs has been canceled in a setback for promising industrial policies. Local and regional actors must continue the work these valuable projects have begun.
President Donald Trump has terminated funding for programs ranging from broadband access to digital literacy. Public officials need to step up to help Americans still trapped on the wrong side of the digital divide.
No sector stands to lose more from trade wars than agriculture. With the economies of rural communities at stake, states should call for trade policy that supports long-term growth.
The public health department in New York is one of the largest agencies of its kind. In addition to local health challenges, the city is a place where new diseases can enter the country.
The proposal, which cleared the Texas House over the weekend, would increase state oversight of universities and place restrictions on what professors can teach.
Conflicting mandates chill innovation and create a compliance nightmare while putting national security at risk. A federal moratorium on state regulation would be a good step toward developing a coherent national strategy.
Utah Republicans have sometimes been critical of President Donald Trump, but the state has already enacted several laws that advance “Make America Healthy Again” goals.
On a bipartisan basis, governors are rolling out new initiatives and facilities. Workforce remains a challenge.
A tie vote, with Justice Barrett recusing, upholds an Oklahoma Supreme Court decision blocking state funding for a Catholic-run school.
Taxing sodas and taking them off SNAP will reduce intake — which in turn will cut down on diabetes, obesity and heart disease.
There are lessons for other states in Colorado, where policymakers are struggling to walk back legislation that would do more harm than good.
The study is meant to answer doubts about the expensive proposal, which has already been rejected by voters. Separately, Gov. Jared Polis also signed bills guaranteeing access to emergency care.
The state insurance commission is allowing the insurer to raise rates due to financial distress caused by $7 billion in claims from Los Angeles County fires. Rates will rise an average of 17 percent for homeowners.
Given easy accessibility, more young people are using cannabis. Public health experts recommend lawmakers combat misinformation, expand prevention programs, set stricter potency limits and enhance law enforcement against false advertising and repeated use by minors.
During the pandemic, California released about 15,000 prisoners early. About a third ended up back in prison by the start of this year.
The state’s suicide rate consistently outpaces the nation’s and it ranks among the worst for treating adults with substance abuse disorders, according to a new report.
The South accounts for nearly half the nation's new HIV diagnoses. Prevention programs are trying to stem the tide, and in Dallas County, they're working — but now they're facing funding cuts.
Gov. Ron DeSantis described the change as a blow for freedom of choice, but dental and health experts warn that the ban will lead to bad outcomes.
The new administration has aggressively pulled back from consumer protection and corporate regulation, leaving it up to the states to protect Americans from abusive business practices.
A bill passed by the state Senate would allow the state attorney general to freeze sales and property tax revenues if a city or county passes laws that don’t conform with state policies.
States are anxiously awaiting potential cuts from Congress. In the meantime, their costs are already rising even as enrollment has decreased.
More than half of the funding from National Science Foundation grants canceled by the Department of Government Efficiency was meant to further STEM education.
