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,
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.
J.B. Pritzker signed a bill this week requiring public school districts to establish full-day kindergarten by the 2027-28 school year. The bill also requires a half-day program.
Georgia is just one of 19 states that have laws regarding the disconnect of customer power in summer months. No company in the state may shut off power in the extreme heat or when temperature falls below 32 degrees.
After an unsuccessful attempt to identify their unsheltered population in January, one Pennsylvania county hopes for better results in the summer.
AM radio stations provide a free-to-listen voice for underrepresented communities and act as a reliable source of public safety information during emergencies. Proposed legislation would require car manufacturers to keep the AM dial on EV dashboards.
We don’t bulldoze poor neighborhoods the way we used to. But African countries are heavily into it.
The California city became one of the first to implement a strict set of guidelines for use of the artificial intelligence tool and clarified that ChatGPT is subject to the state’s Public Records Act.
