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,
They can help clear the air over UFO sightings by letting residents know if they live near military operations airspace, says a new RAND report. Public help is most needed to spot and report human misbehavior.
A new state law that goes into effect in September blocks city, county, school district and other authorities from limiting or banning the use, sale or lease of an engine based on its fuel source.
As the presidential campaign gets underway, some Republicans are pledging to wield federal power to nationalize their states’ policies. It’s an approach that seems at odds with the party’s history.
The state’s Vehicle Code says a person cannot drive a vehicle unless they hold a valid driver’s license. While the DMV still requires a physical license, it is working toward a mobile version for their app.
A proposed bill would pave the way for night markets and farmers’ markets across the state by cutting red tape and costs through a dedicated permit to regularly occurring market events.
About a quarter of businesses across the nation have adopted AI and many are beginning to use the tech in their hiring process. Only three states currently require employers to ask for consent first if using AI in hiring.
Future prosperity depends not only on local resources, but on size. Academic centers that don’t lure new residents are apt to fall behind.
The District of Columbia’s approach isn’t perfect, but overall it’s a balanced and well-thought-out effort that protects individuals and doesn't overly burden businesses. It could serve as a model for other governments.
The law goes into effect on Sept. 1 but it’s still unclear how officials will respond or how many local government laws will become illegal. Dallas has declined to say whether the city is preparing a lawsuit against the state.
Just 19 percent of the Dallas Police Department’s sworn officers are women, but they hope to establish a support system for each other and to fight the industry’s culture of harassment and sexism.
A freshman Virginia delegate has jump-started the Legislature’s technology and innovation caucus. Her inclusive way of dealing with AI and facial recognition policies has drawn positive attention from both sides of the aisle.
For Chicago and other cities hit by gun violence, a massive injection of federal grant money will help more programs offer an alternative to law enforcement that, supporters say, gets at the root drivers of violence.
Liliana Bakhtiari, the state’s first queer Muslim to serve in public office, introduced legislation that asks the city police department to prioritize criminal cases under the law at the “lowest possible level” and avoid any investigations of reported cases.
Dallas County is locking up minors for months longer than national standards recommend and administering more punitive rulings than other counties. Families worry their children are locked inside for most of the day.
Anti-LGBTQ and anti-semetic flyers were distributed in a city neighborhood just weeks after an outpouring of anti-semitic commentary at City Council meetings and rising hate crimes against LGBTQ people across the state.
A new edition of a book by a former government official argues that human-centered steps taken before technology implementation are the key to success.
Some worry that the state’s new “sprawl bill” could negatively impact affordable housing, conservation efforts and hurricane evacuation routes by requiring citizens to pay for legal challenges against local governments and developers.
"Nonstandard" workers keep growing as a percentage of the workforce, but the technology we use to determine benefits eligibility is decades behind. It’s about designing systems around the recipients themselves, and the tools are available.
Elias Fretwell, a 14-year-old self-taught coder, has discovered that government data, together with APIs, can be a fun and useful way to make bureaucracy more accessible.
A legal scholar explains why federal agencies are purchasing so much of the data on the open market and what it means for privacy in the age of AI.
The handful of new laws include a ban on non-compete clauses, a requirement to address increasing violence against health-care workers and an expansion of voting allowances for incarcerated individuals.
The $380 million plan will turn a portion of the Marin County, Calif., prison into a Scandinavian-inspired rehabilitation center, including a new education and vocation space. However, the plan does not commit to a set number of prison closures.
Dispensaries across the state are preparing for an influx of customers, including some from out of state, as it will be legal for any individual 21 or older to buy vapes, gummies, pre-rolled joints and edibles starting this weekend.
The rollout of facial recognition technology in cities and states nationwide — as well as some overturned bans — could offer lessons on how to regulate other technologies that haven’t yet reached broad adoption.
A new state law increases what SNAP applicants’ vehicles can be worth before they’re disqualified for federal food assistance. But most states don’t take car values into consideration at all.
A trip to the birthplace of the blues is also a visit to a region soaked in the history of bigotry and the struggle for civil rights. It’s a past that we need to acknowledge and that today’s students need to learn about.
For many, Suza Francina’s struggle for housing and her council seat is a stark example of California’s ever-growing housing crisis. Last month the Ventura County grand jury gave her 30 days to establish new residency or lose her seat.
Nationally, nearly 900 unique titles had been targeted for bans during the first half of the 2022-2023 school year. Most bans target stories by and about people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals, but some include books on history and art.
A judge ruled that the state’s Attorney General Andrew Bailey did not have the authority to inflate the estimated cost of a ballot measure to restore abortion rights from $0 to $12.5 billion of state funds.
Chief privacy officer roles exist in 21 states and counting. As the job evolves, we look at where those IT leaders sit, how they collaborate with their peers and where the field is going.
