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.
The state will spend $75 million moving more people with mental illness from jails to treatment facilities. “You’re not coming out better after three years at our jail,” said one sheriff.
Lobbying at the state and federal level is a good investment for all cities, but pays off most for ones that are already wealthy.
The governor’s office helped write legislation that will ban offshore wind turbines in state waters and will delete the majority of references to climate change found in state law, according to email records.
Proven measures to protect health such as vaccines and even fluoridation are under increasing threat. Misinformation must be combated with facts about the way these interventions save lives.
Legislators in 27 states have proposed bills this year that could harm libraries or limit the books and services they provide. But a new law in Washington state aims to prevent such efforts.
Veterans were once half as likely as the general population to land in prison. Now, they're twice as likely. State and local officials are trying to prevent this from happening.
State lawmakers are determined to host a convention to rewrite the state’s constitution, but they have not agreed on which aspects they want to address or who should be in attendance.
The unanimous vote will allow the city to exchange some of its own land for a parcel that is currently owned by the state. If the mayor and state commissioner approve, city hall and the Civil District Court will relocate.
Failures were due to a communication breakdown between the Democratic co-chairmen of the General Assembly’s Insurance and Real Estate Committee. It was the first time that a legislative committee failed to approve any legislation.
Health outcomes and life expectancy improve in counties where residents have greater opportunity to engage in civic life.
The legislation would require a person to have “personal knowledge or information other than hearsay” to file a complaint with the state’s Commission on Ethics. It would also bar local ethics commissions from self-initiating investigations.
It’s not only because of increasingly common and costly natural disasters. Can other states learn from Florida’s experiences and its lawmakers’ efforts to cope with the problem?
Nonprofit groups have helped preserve access to abortion even in states where the procedure's been banned.
The fight over the procedure will come to a head in the November election. A proposed ballot initiative would add abortion protections to the state constitution, while two open state Supreme Court seats are up.
Gov. Maura Healey called for a blanket pardon on Wednesday. A few contemporary governors have made far more use of their pardon power than recent predecessors.
Proposed legislation would require users of some websites to submit personal identification before gaining access to sites that contain “material harmful to minors,” focusing on sexual activity.
Evidence-based changes focused on fairness and effectiveness make for safer communities, better uses of government resources and protection of individual freedom. Some states’ policies can serve as guideposts.
The University of Texas at San Antonio intends to launch one of the nation's first colleges devoted to AI and cybersecurity next year.
Celebrities aren't the only victims of deepfakes and revenge porn. With more children being exploited, states are tightening laws.
Hawaii already had a recount law in place, but now recounts are mandatory whenever the margin is as little as 100 votes.
State efforts to restrict kids' social media use have been held up in court. But lawmakers remain concerned about apps and the Internet contributing to mental health challenges.
Lawmakers are pushing legislation to overhaul public records law for the first time in more than two decades. Some are worried the changes would reduce transparency.
Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill that provides legal immunity to doctors and patients undergoing IVF treatment. However, the new law does not address the state Supreme Court’s recent ruling that frozen embryos are considered people.
Lawmakers in several states, mostly conservative and largely rural, have rejoined the debate over whether transgender people may use bathrooms and other facilities that do not match their sex assigned at birth.
Miami-Dade introduced a first-of-its-kind policy that would require employers to provide water, rest and shade to outdoor workers on hot days. The Legislature quickly sought to pre-empt such rules.
State lawmakers considered legislation that calls any federal order to confiscate firearms, gun accessories or ammunition a violation of a law-abiding citizen’s Second Amendment rights.
The legislation would allow lawmakers to meet and communicate in groups small enough that they don’t constitute a voting majority of a committee or chamber, codifying practices that were longstanding prior to being challenged last year.
Legislators are supporting a bill that would prohibit county and municipal governments from accepting IDs or documents provided to undocumented individuals by community programs.
The state will now give consumers a legal right to fix their own home electronics and requires manufacturers to provide access to the tools, parts and manuals to repair them. Oregon’s law goes further with its protections than other states’ rules.
The Florida governor vetoed legislation that would have banned all children under 16 from using social media. He instead opted for a bill that will allow 14- and 15-year-olds to use the platforms with parental consent.
Minnesota state Rep. Frank Hornstein, a 22-year veteran of the state House, will not run for re-election this year. Colleagues say he’s left an imprint on transportation policy and the culture of the Legislature.
