Governing: State and local government news and analysis
Neither Trump nor Harris seems to be running away with the contest in Clallam County, Wash. Its residents reflect the nation’s passions and polarization.
As a recent study documents, federal fiscal stimulus created a budget windfall for states. Most cut taxes, and some now must scramble to make up for shortfalls. Congress is likely to impose tighter restrictions on future countercyclical aid, so it’s a time for all levels of government to get their acts together.
Good jobs are a bedrock of resilient communities. State and local governments can spar over who sets standards, but there are ways to meet both state standards and local needs.
Future in Context
From expanding the role of state CIOs to building federal partnerships, the head of NASCIO makes the case for technologists in shaping the future of how government works.
Millions of Americans, particularly people of color buying lower-cost homes, have turned to land contracts and other alternative financing that lack the protections of traditional mortgages. Lawmakers could make these processes a lot safer.
Regional library systems provide vital services for small and under-resourced communities. But what happens when political divisions threaten to dismantle them?
Innovative wage subsidy programs and other services can help workers without college degrees demonstrate their skills to the employers who need them.
Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party is zooming in on just over a dozen House races to try to keep its control of the state government. Also: Young women are more liberal than ever.
Tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act were designed to drive private-sector investments in clean energy. Where are investments and jobs landing?
Turning some of it into fuel, as a Michigan facility plans to do, is labeled as “recycling,” but it may be worse for the environment than dumping the waste into a landfill.
It could be a very different landscape than the one that will decide this year’s election. Will North Carolina be the next Pennsylvania?
Michigan appointed a chief infrastructure officer to help localities apply for federal dollars and meet statewide infrastructure goals. What can other states learn from this approach?
We need more welcoming public places where people can connect in person — high-quality, well-maintained parks, trails, libraries and community centers. Investing in them is good for us and good for democracy.
They do better in school, parents have to spend less money on food and all households benefit from lower grocery prices.
Nine towns are suing New Jersey over a law implementing aspects of the state’s affordable housing requirements. The rules have pushed states to produce more multifamily and low-income housing.
The public likes what lawmakers around the country are doing, but the industry’s lobbyists are working hard to embed provisions into trade deals that would undermine much of the progress states have made.
Future in Context
The organization that popularized civic hackathons is now taking on the responsible use of AI in government. Code for America draws on the collective expertise of the public, tech and nonprofit sectors to tackle societal challenges.
Local governments have jurisdiction over the third-largest source of methane emissions: the decomposition of organic waste in municipal solid waste landfills.
An economist is making the case for such a correlation, and it carries a ring of plausibility.
In much of the country, downtowns remain relatively empty. The implications for property values, mortgage debt and property tax collections have not yet fully played out, says a Columbia University economist.
We know what works to prevent tragedies like the recent one at a Georgia high school. Effective gun policies could save thousands of lives.
Rainfall patterns are changing. What can local leaders do to curb the growing risks?
Members of the state’s Election Board need to be referees, not cheerleaders, but Donald Trump has made clear he considers some of them on his team.
They face a unique long-term threat from global efforts to address climate change, strategies that will sharply reduce demand for fossil fuels. The best time to build a more resilient economy is before a crisis arrives.
State revenue collections are returning to earth after several years of high budget surpluses. In many cases, they used the unexpected funds for one-time investments and to shore up reserve funds.
The idea that the lakes’ bounty will quench the thirst of the western United States is an obstacle delaying the West’s inevitable reckoning with the unsustainable status quo.
And how does that overlap with reported deaths from firearms?
Through boot camps and training sessions, a group is helping smaller cities and towns with limited resources put together competitive grant applications. More mayors should take advantage of it.
When the 2017 tax law expires next year, Congress will revisit the limits on SALT deductions on federal returns. With elections approaching, it’s time for governors and mayors to offer some viable new policy options — and ways to pay for them.
Charlotte’s City Council has approved a sales tax increase to fund transportation. It faces long odds gaining approval from the state Legislature, not to mention spiraling construction costs.
