Governing: State and local government news and analysis
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.
Major sources of federal support are about to expire. Investing money will save lives, so several states are stepping up their own efforts.
Once considered a conservative stronghold, new boundaries extending into King and Snohomish counties are altering the political landscape.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Far too often, family courts award shared custody to fathers accused of domestic violence. Hundreds of children have been murdered. There’s much that policymakers could do to prevent some of these tragic outcomes.
Cherelle Parker is the 100th mayor of Philadelphia and the first woman to hold the job. She has forged ahead on her first-year agenda, but some constituencies feel left out.
Millions are falling behind on their retirement goals. There are proven policy solutions at the state level, and federal policymakers could build on those to help all workers save what they will need and reduce the burden on taxpayers.
Child care involves a mix of public, private and nonprofit providers. Mayors are trying to make systems easier for parents to navigate and afford.
Few homeowners are protected against flood damage. What can be done to reduce the burden of recovery on them and their communities?
Democrats receive increasing levels of support from college-educated Americans, but this has triggered a populist backlash and sharpened polarization.
It’s an emerging form of grassroots activism that could have a big impact, from educating voters to calling out political shenanigans.
Nearly 6,000 legislative seats are up but real competition is only taking place in a handful of states, including Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Given tax-exempt financing and other advantages, continued municipal ownership would seem the way to go. But other pressing public needs can make cashing out these valuable assets seem attractive. A new wave of privatization efforts will give localities a lot to think about.
A ballot measure would replace an existing tax with a larger one, raising more than $1 billion annually to fund a wider variety of services. It faces an uncertain future at the ballot box.
There are more ways to vote for mayor of Portland this November than there are people in the state of Oregon. Nearly 100 people are running for City Council.
Future in Context
After guiding the Texas county through the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Philip Huang, its health director, pushed for collaboration and long-term strategies to prepare for future crises. Data modernization proved to be crucial.
Utah state Senate President Pro Tempore Wayne Harper was selected to lead the National Conference of State Legislatures. The bipartisan organization is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Struggling midwestern cities may have a future in military manufacturing.
