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.
Michigan’s experience illustrates how challenging it can be to stop large numbers of people from inadvertently losing coverage,
Alcohol killed 1,547 residents last year, not much fewer than the 1,799 who died from drug overdoses. While the state increased penalties for fentanyl possessions, voters expanded access to alcohol in grocery stores.
State Rep. Dan Frankel has proposed a measure that would revoke the concealed carry permits of anyone who is caught with a firearm at a TSA checkpoint. State TSA agents seized 44 guns this year, nine more than the previous record year.
The state has not yet signed up for a federal program that would help feed 2 million children who receive free or reduced-cost school lunches over the summer. State officials expect their own funds to be sufficient.
The new rules will require employers to develop plans for medical attention and take action at certain levels of air quality. The change comes after two years of temporary protections.
Proposed legislation would require political ads created with artificial intelligence to include a disclaimer. Another bill would create a new avenue for people to sue for defamation if AI-generated content harms their reputation.
Our federalism expert makes predictions about climate and the culture wars and how states will take the lead in policy in 2024. He also owns up to what he got right — and wrong — over the past year.
Supporters of a proposed ballot initiative have collected nearly 425,000 signatures. The measure would ensure parents have access to the materials their children are taught in K-12 classrooms.
Starting Jan. 1, police officers across the state will be required to tell drivers why they’ve been stopped before they can start asking questions. Agencies will be required to track whether officers are complying.
Kate Cox sued for permission to end her 20-week pregnancy after receiving a genetic diagnosis that made the baby’s survival unlikely. A judge’s ruling has given legal and medical experts little clarity about when an abortion may be administered.
The 2021 law will erase nonviolent crimes from public records in hopes of improving employment and housing opportunities for formerly incarcerated people. Technological upgrades required $8 million for implementation.
Law enforcement across the state have violated Fourth Amendment rights numerous times over the last decade. That has called into question the training and experience requirements for officers.
The state’s Supreme Court has issued a ruling in an eight-year-old school desegregation case, overturning a finding from an appellate court that only “intentional segregation” could violate the state Constitution.
For five decades, Idaho has been putting mental health patients into prisons, despite receiving 14 notices that it needs a secure mental health unit that is not a prison.
Arlington has been using May Mobility to run its Rideshare, Automation and Payment Integration Demonstration program since 2021, which utilizes a fleet of four self-driving vehicles to transport 150 to 200 riders daily.
The new unit will be composed mostly of civilian employees. It will publish an annual accountability report that evaluates the department on its policies and training, compared to best practices nationwide.
Effingham County, Ill., has seen a decrease in the number of inmates and a reduction in caseloads just three months after the state ended cash bail. However, the long-term impacts of the end of cash bail remains to be seen.
A U.S. district judge has scolded the Texas Health and Human Services Commission for ignoring complaints of maltreatment and horrible living conditions for foster children with intellectual disabilities.
It’s happening in red and blue states alike: Policymakers and civil servants are increasingly relying on evidence to transform how taxpayer dollars are spent.
Planting trees along small streams is a simple idea with big consequences for watersheds.
The state executed four people this year, while Texas, Florida, Oklahoma and Alabama executed a total of 20 others. Forty states have abolished the death penalty, paused executions or have not executed anyone in the past 10 years.
In the wake of the Arkansas gerrymandering case, the state will appeal a federal district court ruling that found the state’s 2021 redistricting plan violated the voting rights of Native Americans.
The proposed legislation, which is waiting for a signature from the Texas governor, could cost taxpayers almost $380 per arrest if unlawful entry into the country by undocumented migrants becomes a state law and is locally enforceable.
The state appeals court has overturned a San Diego Superior Court ruling that would have barred the state from sharing registered gun and ammunition owners’ personal information for research purposes.
Democrats at the local, state and federal levels are all using freedom as a catchall, believing the value helps promote their various policy ideas.
After Gov. Greg Abbott signs the legislation, state and local police will be allowed to enforce a new state crime, illegal entry from a foreign nation, and allows state judges to order migrants back to the country of entry.
The city attorney’s office has said that removing the residents’ amortization rights could save millions of dollars, but advocates want to maintain their right to petition in case officials fail to assist with the initiation process.
For the last three decades, the General Assembly has passed an average of 66 bills each session. So far, the Legislature has only passed 12 bills this year. The least productive year on record was 2009, when only 17 bills passed.
The state was among 25 states that received an “F” grade for gun safety from the Giffords Law Center; of the Northeastern states, Maine and New Hampshire were the only ones to receive a failing grade.
The technology has great potential in the future of data analysis and policymaking. But it will only happen if the right guardrails are in place and best practices are developed and followed early on.
There’s no sensible reason to keep doing it. States could opt out, but most do not. Congress should act, and there’s a 30-minute solution.
