Politics
Polarized politics has changed the dynamics of legislation and policymaking at the state and local level. Political parties with supermajorities are increasingly in control in many states and cities. These stories explain what that means for legislators, governors and mayors and how politicians can navigate this new political landscape.
Jurors deadlocked in a bribery case involving Democratic state Sen. Emil Jones III, the third high-profile Illinois public corruption case to end inconclusively over the last several months.
Ron DeSantis started his presidential run as a Republican rock star. As he returns to Florida, it’s not clear what he’ll do next.
More than 20 percent of Hispanic adults in the U.S. rely on social media for news consumption, where discerning between fact and fiction, especially in Spanish, will be crucial ahead of this year’s elections.
Better pay for legislators is on the table in several states. It’s a sticky subject, even when their work is compensated below the minimum wage.
A record number of women were elected to statehouses last year. But in the Southeast, where some legislatures are more than 80 percent male, representation is lagging as lawmakers pass bills that most impact women.
The GOP has usurped Democrats among working class voters, increasingly including those who aren't white. Also: Several states will have new maps due to redistricting court fights, while Joe Arpaio decides to run for another office at 91.
Gov. Jeff Landry wants to end Louisiana’s jungle primary as early as next week. The change is opposed by some other top Republicans.
State lawmakers will be rushing to address crime, AI, housing and a host of other issues – including growing budget gaps – ahead of elections this year.
New rules would bring back silencing provisions and create a new system to limit the debate time on certain pieces of legislation.
To get ahead of the state’s fundraising freeze, which bars state elected officials from raising money during the 90-day legislative session, nearly 80 fundraising events were scheduled this week.
Kshama Sawant, who just left office, became famous nationally for her fights for workers' rights. But her party had no one to replace her and the council became more conservative in last year's elections.
The complaints accused judges of showing bias, disregarding civil rights and engaging in personal misconduct. Yet state officials sided with the judges 98.5 percent of the time, dismissing the complaints.
Spencer Cox knows people are going to disagree politically, but calls on Americans to find ways to express their differences without resorting to hatred or violence.
AI can generate vast numbers of public comments masquerading as citizen input. Other methods of public consultation can improve confidence in government.
One-third of the state’s legislators have collectively reported at least $14 million worth of investments. But analysis has found that their stocks don’t always align with their political stances.
Only 75,490 votes were cast nationally for a candidate other than Joe Biden or Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. And yet, 1,500 voters have already registered with Oregon's newest party: the No Labels Party.
A poll found that 42 percent of North Dakota Republicans ages 18-34 said climate change was human-caused, as compared to just 11 percent of those ages 50-64. But this wouldn’t be the first GOP generation to prioritize the environment.
A new poll of the state’s Hispanic voters found that 53 percent said inflation was the most important policy ahead of the 2024 election with the economy ranking second. Latinos are the state’s second-fastest growing group.
The state has not been able to find an adequate successor program after leaving ERIC in October. Texas officials are now considering how they might build their own voter roll cleaning system.
More than 95 percent of PAC spending from the four biggest public-sector unions went to Democrats, according to the Commonwealth Foundation.
Government centers can be more than simply places where official business is conducted. They can be places for residents to meet, interact and celebrate each other.
Republican-led states that withdrew from the Electronic Registration Information Center are now struggling to find new ways to adequately update their voter rolls. Prior to 2022, more than half the states participated in the program.
The Dallas native was the state’s first Black district attorney and used DNA testing in cases, leading to about two dozen exonerations. His Conviction Integrity Unit has been nationally and internationally recognized.
A successful lawsuit based on 19th-century laws to combat the Ku Klux Klan has renewed attention on how police officers can help protect voters. It's part of a broader effort to crack down on intimidation.
Legislative veteran John Whitmire should be able to improve Houston's relations with the state, while pledging to crack down on crime and deficit spending.
Its sprawling size is one reason. But there are other factors at work, including discouraged Democrats and Republicans’ success at courting Hispanic voters.
The primary is often the only real contest in choosing those who will represent us. Closed party primaries are unrepresentative and undemocratic, and they disenfranchise more than half of the voting public: independents.
The state’s new maps added more majority-Black districts but added them to areas that already had Black representation and whitewashed or combined other districts, leading to maps that offer little chance of partisan competition.
The Michigan GOP is not the only state party with a treasury running dry. Meanwhile, in New Jersey, the fix is in for the governor's race. Plus, a reflection of Sandra Day O'Connor, legislator.
Election offices in California, Georgia, Nevada, Oregon and Washington received powder-filled letters around the November election. But states and workers are increasing efforts to protect democratic elections amid continued risk.
The National League of Cities has created a task force to make presidential candidates aware of local concerns — and to forge relationships with officials who'll move from the campaign into the next administration.
