Governing: State and local government news and analysis
There's turnover in Washington with each new administration. Departing federal workers can bring valuable skills and experience to state and local governments.
Recent laws to improve pension financing should save states tens of billions of dollars over the long term.
Human services officials say more treatment options are needed to place children, but lawmakers are concerned lighter regulations will create more problems.
With 13 states offering coverage, it’s already a $3.9 billion cost. Some state officials say reducing obesity will save programs money in the long run.
Governors, mayors and finance officers are treading water, awaiting the outcome and impact of a new Washington regime’s vows to slash federal spending and taxes. Meanwhile, state and municipal budgeters and debt managers will need to make intelligent guesses and pay more attention to their rainy-day funds.
Arrests connected to the home-built weapons are growing rapidly in the U.S. and around the world. It’s likely to prove harder for governments and police to keep them out of the hands of criminals and extremists.
Iowa leads the nation in the percentage of its electricity it generates from wind and solar, showing that the transition doesn’t have to be expensive or scary or even constrained by politics.
State officials face challenges from shrinking revenue and major changes from Washington in shared programs such as education and Medicaid.
New York City’s Department of Transportation awarded a third of its contracts to minority- and women-owned businesses last year, a priority of Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez.
They face more challenges than urban schools. But there are strategies they can use to prepare and cope.
Every few decades, we have an opportunity to change what our cities can be. This is one of those moments.
They’ve generated over $100 billion in investments in thousands of struggling communities. We have the opportunity to extend and expand the program — and to make it permanent.
Some communities are investing in new infrastructure and designs not only to protect residents but improve quality of life.
There's a reason states with big-city capitals produce different policies than those headquartered in out of the way places.
Our first print magazine of 2025 concentrates on this moment of change and challenges for cities.
Local foundations have gone beyond funding charities to changing economic activity and strategies in several major cities.
As governor, Carter completely reorganized the state government and helped bring Black officials into positions of power. All that came after a run for the office rooted in race-baiting.
All but two states completed a review, but only 22 states reached or surpassed the recommended minimum levels of security in their systems.
This is a nation in need of de-escalation training. Bad behavior has been normalized to the point that some people are celebrating assassins.
Republicans gained a tie in the Minnesota House in November, ending the Democrats' trifecta and halting their heavily progressive agenda.
Being selective about the audiences they reach has some political benefits, but doesn't help inspire trust in government more broadly.
Over the past few months, gun laws in Illinois, New York and Minnesota have all been tossed out. Federal courts are more protective of Second Amendment Rights in the wake of a 2022 Supreme Court decision.
Over the past decade, Richmond, Va., has managed to cut its poverty rate by 36 percent. Many things broke right for the city, but a pair of mayors stuck with a longterm plan to make it happen.
Vincent Fort served in the Georgia Senate for nearly three decades as a forceful, effective voice for “the least of these.” As he copes with cancer, it's important to acknowledge a vanishing breed of leader.
Panhandle businessman Alex Fairly, the father of an incoming state representative, was already a major GOP donor. Now he's funding a new group to support more conservative politicians.
Two years ago, the city crafted heralded policies on requiring electrification of buildings and cars. This week, it softened restrictions significantly.
When Democrat Jay Inslee took office in 2013, the state’s two-year budget was $38.4 billion. Now, as he prepares to leave, he’s released a $78.8 billion spending plan.
More than anything it’s the simple result of Americans growing older, a fact of life we haven’t come to grips with politically.
Immigration is no longer the primary lens through which Latinos see the world. They are rapidly becoming more defined as economically populist voters, exasperated with the political failure to address their economic concerns.
A bill would shut down public schools that are among the 5 percent worst performers, matching charter school standards. Critics say basing closures on percentages means schools would be lost every year.
