Governing: State and local government news and analysis
The vast majority of calls are about distress, not violent crime. Dispatching social workers and other professionals rather than law enforcement can improve outcomes in many cases.
On Thursday, the Court sided with Sylvia Gonzalez, a former councilmember in a San Antonio suburb, who spent a night in jail after criticizing the city manager.
States are spending about $20 billion of the flexible funding from the American Rescue Plan Act on water infrastructure. Demand is expected to grow in coming years.
It’s not just the decline in fuel tax revenues and its impact on highway construction and maintenance. Real estate will also be affected, and sales taxes are likely to take a hit. States need to begin developing strategies.
Reparations remains mostly unpopular with the public, but numerous states and localities continue to explore the idea of addressing both past and present harms affecting African Americans.
Gov. Phil Scott argued that residents need tax cuts, not an increase. Legislators felt they had to act to address increased school spending.
Chris Ailman, the chief investment officer for the giant California teachers’ pension fund, is retiring. He showed the way in navigating a landscape of complexity, hazards and challenges to achieve steady investment success.
Kentucky’s Republican-controlled Legislature is sending hundreds of millions of dollars to Louisville this year. Local leaders hope strong cross-partisan relationships will help the city over the long term.
Boston and Dallas have achieved success in bringing down murders and other violent crimes by deploying an array of promising programs and approaches.
Instead of indulging in the sugar high of tough-on-crime legislation, lawmakers should provide the treatment solutions that dramatically reduce deaths, especially in correctional settings.
Many cities view rail transit as an enticing boost to civic fortunes. But there’s a better, cheaper way to accomplish the same thing.
The industry’s troubles are complicated but it’s far from dead. Some policy changes may help it find firmer footing.
Michigan’s first-in-the-nation chief growth officer is working to refresh the state’s brand with help from partners whose survival depends on attracting more workers.
Future in Context
As ridership continues to lag amid a stubbornly slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, cities experiment with free rides and micromobility to prove public transit’s worth in worsening financial conditions.
Since the Great Recession, states have moved to reform their public pension plans, making tough choices and frequently doing so with bipartisan support. Federal lawmakers should keep these lessons in mind.
One resolution would eliminate most judicial re-elections, essentially giving judges lifetime appointments.
Republican Jeff Landry has gotten his way on issues including crime, education and the political operations of the state. His ultimate goal is rewriting the state constitution.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to pull the plug on a congestion pricing plan for New York City was seen as a move calculated for advantage in the November elections, but it hasn’t made her many new friends.
Two of the best alternatives for user-paid infrastructure are toll roads and variable-fee express lanes. States with fast-growing populations are embracing toll projects because they can't wait for federal funding, and private capital is eager to invest.
They not only provide access to green space but make diverse communities feel safe and welcome, as a popular park in St. Paul, Minn., demonstrates.
Two years after Congress passed the CHIPS and Science Act, some significant steps are now underway. Major manufacturers hope to position the nation as a player in global semiconductors.
Sixteen states and D.C. have signed on to California’s latest unworkable mandate for zero-emission vehicles. Virginia is the first of those to abandon California’s regulations. That’s a win for the state, its workers and its businesses.
We need to focus on the need to address the inequalities in our criminal justice system, especially as they impact people of color and the poor.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has struggled to accomplish big things, and his predecessor had an even harder time. History suggests some building blocks of mayoral success.
Storms that have devastated mountain communities and other inland regions are a reminder to prepare. New development in areas that were once thought unlikely to flood may be more susceptible as the climate heats up.
Local governments want to see empty and underused offices converted to housing, but that’s often difficult. An examination of office and housing markets reveals the specific cities where this approach is most promising.
A new commission appointed by Maine Gov. Janet Mills will explore ways to make state infrastructure more resilient to climate change.
Governments and private employers are beginning to reap the benefits of this move, but sweeping changes in state and federal policy and adoption of new technologies are needed to make good on its promise.
During her two terms as mayor of Compton, Calif., Aja Brown focused on improving the lives of the underserved. Now she’s exploring the potential for technology to track how resources are aggregated and used.
Colorado has passed the nation’s most ambitious AI regulatory law. In other states, lawmakers are regulating fake likenesses involving porn, politics and celebrities.
