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.
State Reps. Cyrus Javadi and Tom Andersen aim to amend the state constitution to mandate visible identification for all law enforcement officers.
Devastated by fire, then shut down by COVID-19, the school district in Paradise, Calif., has emerged as a leader in keeping homeless students in classrooms.
Head Start programs run on slim margins that are now threatened by Trump administration cuts, including the closure of five of the 10 regional offices that administer them.
The high-poverty Rust Belt district is exceptional at teaching kids to read — and has been for more than a decade. Other school districts can learn from its success.
The state has devoted $350 million to a rural broadband initiative over the past four years but seen little progress due to fights between telecoms and utilities over access to poles.
The State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program expires in September. State CIOs told a congressional subcommittee that the program is a success that should be built on, not ended.
Universal vouchers and other private school choice programs have had a lot of momentum in red states. Support from Trump and Congress could push them further.
Utah’s new legislation addresses parents’ concerns, doesn’t tax state or local resources for enforcement, and is popular with the public. Other states should see it as a model.
Some schools have offered free tuition, grown dual credit programs or helped students’ credits transfer when they move on to four-year schools.
Much has been said about the health consequences of severe Medicaid cuts. A new analysis from the Commonwealth Fund considers the jobs and revenue that states could lose.
Methadone is an effective treatment but too often state rules and health-care providers’ practices create barriers to successful outcomes. More sensible approaches are needed.
Too often people think of jury service as a hassle and a financial burden, rather than an empowering way to participate in justice. Some courts are trying to fix that and, in the process, make it easier to diversify their jury pools.
The storm damaged about 20 percent of western North Carolina’s child-care centers. Early childhood education is often neglected in disaster recovery plans and efforts.
If Congress reduces matching funds for the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, many states would suddenly face $2 billion shortfalls apiece.
Downsizing the Department of Education won’t fix what's wrong with our schools. We should mobilize state and local leaders to tackle its problems. Nobody is better qualified to lead such an effort than Lamar Alexander.
The two legislative chambers have passed a bill that would ban diversity efforts and faculty strikes. Critics say the bill's limits on discussions about “controversial beliefs” will stifle academic freedom.
Criminal justice experts say understaffing and trauma can contribute to prison violence. Mental health support and a sense of community may help.
Providing parents with tax credits has mostly been a Democratic priority but the idea has gained traction in Ohio, Indiana and other Republican-led states.
Americans believe that their local governments spend money more wisely than their state and federal counterparts. But forcing localities to do more with less isn’t a recipe for government efficiency.
Lawmakers approved a bill with mandatory work requirements for Medicaid and new oversight measures, restricting the governor's ability to alter the program.
Critics say the Biden administration encouraged banks to remove politically controversial customers in the name of reputational risk. Some politicians and banks are speaking out against the practice, arguing it’s discriminatory.
It’s often legal for officers to deceive suspects — but critics say this can lead to false confessions. Experts have mixed opinions about whether restricting the practice would affect case closure rates.
Discussions with 10 individuals about how their lives changed course as a result of school shutdowns.
Health departments across the country rely on manual processes, like phone calls and fax machines, to get access to crucial data, a new study finds.
Florida, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Arizona are pursuing statewide plans to help find immigrants for possible deportation.
Republicans are promoting private school choice, while Democrats are discussing K-12 funding increases. Most governors, however, are dodging the question of how to boost student achievement through curriculum changes.
Democrat Tina Kotek is backing legislation that would allow the state to take control of a quarter of underperforming schools’ budgets, as well as require those schools to hire tutors.
Medicaid covers nearly half of all births in the U.S. and 80 million children. But the age and working status of recipients varies widely across the country.
Legislators are expected to pass a bill this week that would take oversight of the police away from the city. That Civil War-era approach had been ended by state voters in 2012.
Citizens in half the states have the power to place initiatives or referendums on the ballot. That process is under threat, but in an era of partisan gerrymandering and unresponsive legislatures we must keep it viable.
Local governments and school districts are now forbidden from requiring masks to prevent the spread of disease. Masks can still be required for certain types of jobs such as health care and working with hazardous materials.
