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.
Federal law prohibits companies from charging vets for help in filling out disability claims, but there’s no penalty. Maine, New Jersey and New York have passed laws to close this loophole, with more expected to follow.
In a pivotal year, governments enacted AI laws, strengthened defenses, bridged the broadband gap, and prioritized accessible, user-friendly digital services. As 2025 nears, most jurisdictions still lack fully mature AI frameworks.
Bird flu is affecting more and more dairy cattle. There’s no sign yet of human-to-human spread, but new dimensions of the outbreak continue to emerge.
A 1998 ban on dual-language courses was repealed in 2016, but they still have not fully bounced back or hired enough teachers. Texas enrolls 40 percent of its English learners in such programs compared to 10 percent in California.
GOP lawmakers want to alter the way state supreme court justices are selected or elected. Some conservative causes in the states, notably abortion bans, have been undermined by court rulings.
The Biden administration approved the state’s own plan to offer coverage to 42,000 families. But Gov. Ron DeSantis is worried about its requirement to offer coverage for a full year.
The program brings together students from four universities. Coming from different backgrounds, they learn how to interact respectfully and absorb challenging perspectives.
Trump has vowed to eliminate the Department of Education in his second term. Even if he stops short, the administration will bring policy changes to colleges and universities and new scrutiny to diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
Last month, Massachusetts voters approved a measure ending the requirement that students pass a test to graduate. In 2012, half the states required such tests, but the number will soon drop to a half-dozen.
Fearing political backlash, governors use their clemency powers far less than they once did. But it’s a powerful tool for addressing injustice.
In Connecticut, 40 percent say they’re either struggling or just getting by financially.
The Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday in a case contending the ban violates the Equal Protection clause. If the Court upholds the law, Congress could pass a national ban.
Public health experts emphasize the importance of clear and consistent messaging. They may not get that with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as federal health secretary.
Evidence is growing that participation in art has public health benefits. Rhinelander, Wis., is using it as a remedy for social isolation.
Thanks to new funding from the state, county diversion programs for juveniles have increased dramatically. A new report finds that they’re successful more than 80 percent of the time.
Far more seniors live by themselves and can only leave their homes with difficulty than live in nursing homes, yet they receive less policy attention. That can lead to bad health outcomes.
Gov. Kim Reynolds praises districts that have already restricted phones but says a statewide ban will be a 2025 priority. Such policies around the country have run into problems with courts.
The Salt Lake City Public Library's in-house social workers and suite of other services help the unhoused find their way.
Trump and GOP members of Congress are eager to roll back portions of the Obama-era health insurance law. Changes to Medicaid coverage and some patient protections seem likely.
Voters in three states rejected ballot measures promoting school choice. But they didn’t reject the legislators who favor it.
Fitch Ratings issued a report comparing the pension debt in each state to personal income. Connecticut had the highest ratio, at 23 percent, while Tennessee was the best at 1 percent.
Republicans in Congress might force all states to impose such rules. Supporters say they give Medicaid recipients a boost toward self-sufficiency and financial stability. Critics say such rules hurt far more people than they help.
The view of the federal department as a source of malign leftist influence is backwards. Good ideas are out there, and there needs to be a central authority to disseminate best practices and insist on results.
Innovation must come with transparency, safeguards and human oversight. We need to deploy the technology in ways that enhance rather than erode public confidence in the justice system.
A new state law will require public schools to incorporate Native American mistreatment into the Spanish Colonization and California Gold Rush curricula. The state Department of Education will consult with local tribes to make the updates.
Properly trained and integrated into the school leadership team, they can be helpful in some ways, but they cannot fix societal problems and their presence can make students feel less safe.
A 2018 lawsuit claims the level of segregation in state schools violates students’ rights to integrated schools. But a new poll found that most voters don’t know anything about the lawsuit nor do they think the state is segregated.
Sweeping police reforms in 2020 stripped Colorado law enforcement of qualified immunity, a legal defense that previously blocked officers and sheriffs from being sued in their individual capacities in most cases.
State constitutional amendments that voters approved in seven states on Nov. 5 also are vulnerable to federal moves that could essentially override them.
The governors of Illinois, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have called on an electric grid operator to take “swift action” on record-setting electricity prices during times of high demand.
Under a new executive order by Gov. Greg Abbott, hospitals that participate in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program will be required to ask patients to reveal their citizenship status.
