Governing: State and local government news and analysis
At a historic low for divided government, thousands of state lawmakers are on the ballot, and control of some statehouses hangs in the balance.
Her poll numbers mean down-ballot Democrats have more hope than they would have under President Joe Biden. Democrats will also be supporting abortion ballot measures in at least eight states.
The median Detroit household spends 1 out of every 7 dollars earned on car insurance. In 2019, Michigan passed a law to improve the situation—but the state’s Black neighborhoods still paid the highest prices.
Despite free speech challenges, state legislators have continued passing laws that age gate websites or override platforms' terms of service. Experts say there are ways to protect users without drawing First Amendment lawsuits.
As surveys old and new show, support for it falters when it comes to speech that goes against people’s values or beliefs. But the First Amendment was intended to protect unpopular speech.
Minneapolis just unveiled a $60 million water tunnel to help the city manage runoff. But what about the state’s small rural communities?
They personify the misinformation inundating the political system, targeting Democrats and Republicans alike and reaching tens of millions of people. There doesn’t seem to be much that can be done about them.
Heath Grimes won national recognition for serving the growing Hispanic student population in Russellville, Ala. Then the district showed him the door.
Automated external defibrillators are safe and easy for just about anyone to use, and they could save the lives of thousands of cardiac arrest victims every year. Making them available in public spaces is a job for state and local policymakers.
Americans used to split their votes between parties a lot more than they do now. There are a lot of reasons things have changed, particularly growing cultural tribalism. Can we ever regain a bipartisan consensus?
The Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations and other federal commodity food programs have faced shortages due to reliance on a single provider. For many Native American households, FDPIR is their only food source.
On July 19, the Los Angeles Superior Court detected a security breach that forced it to temporarily close for two days, postponing trials and other essential courtroom work. The public deserves a thorough report on what happened.
The Inflation Reduction Act includes tax credits that reimburse governments for clean energy investments. New online resources make the program more understandable and accessible.
The databases are fraught with problems from due process to privacy rights to racial and ethnic disparities, raising the question of whether they really make cities safer.
Groups of renters in five cities have formed a Tenant Union Federation to build power locally and advocate for changes to federal housing policy.
The pandemic wrought a nationwide crisis in school attendance. How did Governor Daniel McKee get Rhode Island students back in the classroom?
The continuing injustice of Flint should be a wakeup call. With billions flowing from Washington and millions of lead pipes still in place across the country, now is the time to establish access to clean water as a human right.
Voters would have to approve a $4.4 billion bond package in November, to be financed by property tax increases over 33 years. Including interest, the package would cost $11 billion.
Despite fires and floods, they keep coming in search of affordability and warm winters. But there are strong signs that the stampede is slowing.
Since COVID, there's been an increase in the number of parents not getting their kids vaccinated for diseases such as chicken pox, measles and polio.
States can compensate with vehicle and odometer taxes, but local governments can harness new data technologies — including GPS, 5G and AI — to meet the need for more than states’ hand-me-down dollars.
Many big-city departments are short of officers. It's not a new problem, but young people seem to be shying away from the field.
Zoning changes in cities such as Minneapolis have helped prompt new construction, but allowing more units on formerly single-family lots isn’t a panacea for housing shortages.
It's the power to convene players across a region, as Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin has demonstrated. He's put together an effective coalition to tackle economic and workforce development.
They don't do much to generate economic activity, often hurt taxpayers they’re intended to help, inject instability into revenue streams, and create administrative and compliance costs for businesses, governments and consumers.
Gavin Newsom has been dealing with the issue since long before he became governor, working to undo a Reagan-era legacy of deinstitutionalization. It’s common-sense progress.
As many states move to dismantle their diversity, equity and inclusion programs and politicians turn the term into an insult, we need to keep sight of these efforts’ potential for good.
Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long had been the favorite to win the Delaware governor's race but violated campaign finance law. In two other states, primaries on Tuesday probably determined who will be the new governors.
Out of order ever since Hurricane Katrina, Gulf Coast passenger rail service is expected to start up again next spring after a key City Council vote this week in Mobile, Ala.
It can help in a range of ways, from identifying competitive advantages to training the workforce that will be needed for success. But it can’t replace human judgment.
