Governing: State and local government news and analysis
American Indians were not granted citizenship by Congress until 1924. A prominent attorney discusses civil rights progress since then.
Her prosecution of Trump has drawn controversy and legal challenges, but it hasn't hurt her at home. The speaker of the Texas House, however, faces serious challenges to his leadership.
A new report tracked pedestrian fatality rates in the largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. Almost all of them are becoming more dangerous.
They’re resolved through bizarre, often comical procedures, involving everything from coin tosses to cowboy hats to ping-pong balls. But nothing is as bewildering as the way a tied presidential election is decided — an exercise in nonsense.
There are powerful arguments against cities spending lots of money on professional sports. On the other hand, the prestige of having home teams carries some tangible benefits.
Unions have recently enjoyed some success in both recruitment and labor actions. They now face resistance from lawmakers in red states, particularly in the South.
The movement to build tiny houses has gotten a lot of attention, but it hasn’t gained much traction in the market. Still, there may be some applications for homes of just a few hundred square feet.
Future in Context
The assessment and educational tool offers insights and solutions for improving government web performance. Based on its criteria, many state and federal agencies have updated their sites.
Election skeptics haven’t taken their eyes off Georgia since the last presidential election. Officials there are working to make sure 2024 outcomes are as bulletproof as its 2020 results have proved to be.
The U.S. Dept. of Transportation awarded Safe Streets for All grants to 99 communities this month. The grants help fund planning and demonstration projects to reduce dangerous conflicts between road users.
Tuberculosis has reclaimed from COVID-19 the title of the world’s deadliest infectious disease. We have no excuse not to succeed in ending it.
Florida has a reputation as a low-tax state, thanks to its lack of a personal income tax, but top earners get bigger breaks than low-income individuals.
Most U.S. states offer Medicare Advantage plans to their state retirees, while 12 states offer Medicare Advantage exclusively.
The numbers don’t seem to support the need for new state laws cracking down on illegal occupancy. There are better things policymakers could do to deal with the larger issues around housing.
Transit agencies are facing overlapping crises, including a shortage of maintenance workers. They’ll need new recruiting and training regimens to hire more workers and transition to zero-emission fleets, per a new report.
Florida and Alabama have made it a crime to produce or sell meat grown in a lab, and a U.S. senator has joined what he calls the “pro-bio slop caucus.” Instead, they should be celebrating good old American innovation.
Wealthier families have always had options for educating their children. States have ways to provide options to everyone.
Too many children die as the result of abuse and neglect. The hard truth is that no one is working hard to count how many of them, or what’s behind outcomes that may be largely preventable.
States are sitting on near-record surpluses. How and where exactly do they store their savings?
The end of the college term means campus protests are done, at least for now. But Democrats are split over the war in ways that may hurt the party in the fall.
Hundreds of billions of state and local dollars are sitting stagnant in bank accounts earning almost nothing — balances that have tripled in recent years. It’s not clear why this is happening, but it’s far too much foregone income.
Other local governments and regions can learn from a range of strategies such as zoning changes, encouraging EVs and making freight systems more efficient.
A new report shows foot traffic in downtown Philadelphia has reached 85 percent of pre-pandemic levels. Office occupancy is still down, but local leaders say it’s time to think differently about the future of downtown.
A big slice of Inflation Reduction Act funding comes with a mandate to help underserved communities. Cincinnati is already delivering on the promise.
Future in Context
From digital inclusion to AI innovation, we take a look at Government Technology’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers and how five of these government technologists are making an impact on state and local policies.
Redistricting used to happen every 10 years. Now, thanks to legal challenges and partisan competition, it's an ongoing battle throughout the decade.
On Wednesday, senators rejected efforts to roll back guidance from the Treasury Department regarding how state and local governments can spend pandemic recovery funds.
Some interest groups don’t like project labor agreements, but new research shows that they benefit taxpayers and the construction industry while strengthening our skilled trade workforce.
In multiple states, voters will decide whether to reject justices who upheld abortion bans and restrictions. Separately, many prominent Republicans continue to oppose Trump, but that probably won't sway many voters.
Colorado is the latest state to take a big swing at housing policy, with half a dozen housing-related bills approved by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Jared Polis over the last few weeks.
