Governing: State and local government news and analysis
For decades, young people chose to move to cities and large metros for greater opportunity. Since the pandemic, that migration has reversed.
If it moves on Taiwan, it’s likely that China would try to distract the United States by attacking our water, power and communications systems. It’s already demonstrated those capabilities here, and we need to be better prepared.
A half-dozen states rejected ranked-choice voting, although Washington, D.C., approved a measure. School choice fared poorly, while increasing criminal penalties proved to be popular.
Oakland voters recalled the mayor and county prosecutor, while Los Angeles voters fired their progressive district attorney. Across the country, several major cities elected new mayors.
Republicans took control of the Michigan House and will share power in the Minnesota House, blocking the home-state agenda of Gov. Tim Walz.
Like some of its Midwestern and Northwestern neighbors, it put the program on a solid fiscal foundation. California and New York show the consequences of failing.
Abortion rights advocates suffered their first post-Dobbs defeats, in Florida and South Dakota, but prevailed in other states.
Republicans have kept their 27-23 advantage, winning the year's most competitive race in New Hampshire.
At least eight states will elect new governors on Tuesday. The outcome is a foregone conclusion in five, so here are profiles of those incoming freshmen.
Chaz Nuttycombe started making election predictions as a kid. He's turned the pursuit into a business that pros rely on.
After years under progressive measures aimed to reduce incarceration, California, Arizona and Colorado voters will all decide measures aimed at cracking down on crime.
After a decade of increasing popularity among endowment funds and pensions, its use in investment decisions is coming under increasing political attack. Financial analysts — and perhaps AI — may be able to point the way to a safer middle ground.
Arizona is the only state to require all jurisdictions to livestream ballot processing, but there are other places to watch.
Public service videos featuring election officials and voices from law enforcement and the military stress the importance of secure elections — and that interference will be punished.
Cities are pulling on a variety of tools to remake post-pandemic downtowns as multipurpose neighborhoods.
Future in Context
Driven by personal experience and an inclusive vision, Patricia Rucker is leading the campaign for universal school choice across her state. An advocate for comprehensive legislation, she supports a range of educational options.
Oklahoma City has invested the proceeds of a one-cent sales tax in dozens of projects in and around its downtown for the last 30 years. The 2028 Olympics will hold softball and canoe slalom events there, 1,300 miles away from the rest of the Games.
Once considered a conservative stronghold, new boundaries extending into King and Snohomish counties are altering the political landscape.
Major sources of federal support are about to expire. Investing money will save lives, so several states are stepping up their own efforts.
Red-state voters have approved a number of liberal ballot measures in recent years. Now, liberal California is moving the other way. And two prosecutors fired by Ron DeSantis in Florida are running to get their old jobs back.
Voters in Massachusetts have an opportunity to open the door to personal and therapeutic use of plant-based psychedelics.
The AI revolution presents great opportunities for cities with the right combination of strengths. Pittsburgh is showing what’s possible.
Democrats look likely to hold the three open governor seats they currently control. There's not a lot of fertile ground for making inroads elsewhere.
They should be encouraged to exercise their rights as citizens. It’s good for building the local-government workforce, and it enriches the community and the professional environment.
Republicans are defending eight of the 11 governor's offices up this year, but Democrats still have little chance for pickups.
Texas challenged federal supremacy by creating a state crime for illegal entry into the U.S. The courts will decide whether it's constitutional — and whether other states can follow Texas’ lead.
Like his father, the city’s longest-serving mayor combined preternatural instincts with sheer audacity. Sometimes Richard M. Daley overreached, but he left his city better than he found it.
Future in Context
Drawing from his experience in San Jose, Seattle Chief Technology Officer Rob Lloyd seeks to address pressing issues like homelessness and public safety in a post-pandemic landscape in the Emerald City.
Oakland and Alameda County, Calif., are holding unusual overlapping recall elections, with two top officials both facing complaints that they have been too soft on crime.
Fear and confusion in the aftermath of disasters create fertile ground for misinformation. Social media and AI can amplify it, but there are ways to weather the storm.
