Governing: State and local government news and analysis
The pandemic has made the shortage worse for both permanent residents and the workforce. Some towns are beginning to find solutions.
Major tech firms have signed an accord to fight the deceptive use of AI in 2024 elections. It’s a welcome signal, if not a promise to solve the problem.
A bill would require each county to offer a treatment option as an alternative to the traditional court process for veterans and active military members. About 8 percent of the state’s corrections system population served in the military.
Under a new ordinance, Internet providers can’t provide better service to wealthier neighborhoods. A 2022 investigation found that households in L.A.’s poorest neighborhoods paid high prices for slow service.
Billions of dollars in tax-sheltered municipal bonds are sold to fund stadiums and arenas that enrich team owners while fueling federal deficits. Local politicians can’t say no, but Congress should.
A group of American cities are working to reverse practices that have held down Black homeownership — and the generational wealth it brings — for nearly a century.
Land subsidence is making major seafront metropolises from New York to Jakarta more vulnerable to rising waters. Local decisionmakers need to account for it.
Future in Context
The co-author of a new book suggests that when technology, data and collective effort converge, government, the tech industry and higher education can tackle major challenges while bringing a new generation into the workforce.
Ten states have yet to expand eligibility under the Affordable Care Act. Doing so would save lives, improve financial well-being, save states money and support regional economies.
They should. Charters schools aren’t magic, and plenty of them are worse than the average public school. But on average, charters are superior.
A total of eight African Americans are serving as the top chamber leaders in state legislatures. Meanwhile, the fallout from an Oregon Supreme Court ruling that barred some state senators from seeking re-election won't be as great as you might think.
Intercity bus ridership is up and should return to pre-pandemic levels by 2026. Other trends, including the closure of Greyhound stations in big cities such as Philadelphia, are less positive.
State and local governments have an opportunity to fill a sizable gap by subsidizing the conversion of market-rate properties into affordable housing. While costly, it's still cheaper than building new.
The 2023 legislation establishing the grant program also includes new equipment for rural sheriffs.
In 47 states, schools have a higher proportion of students from elsewhere than they did 20 years ago.
Special elections offer some clues about the mood of the electorate. Recalls might be an even better predictor.
Professional sports teams are on the move and they’re leaning on state and local officials to help them. Subsidies exceeding $1 billion per deal are on the table.
Given the state’s budget deficit, legislative leaders are calling for reviews of how existing programs are working. But more than 70 percent of the 1,118 agency reports due in the past year have not been submitted yet.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis hasn’t just used Georgia’s RICO law to prosecute Donald Trump. Schoolteachers and rappers have also been charged, and the state has used the law to go after protesters. Shouldn’t these tools be reserved for the kinds of prosecutions they were intended for?
Bomb threats, misinformation, AI advancements and ransomware are just some of the challenges election officials will deal with this year.
Louisiana is one of the nation's leading oil and gas producers. The state is now getting seriously into wind as well.
Returning predators to wild places is a good starting point for dealing with our biodiversity crisis. Colorado can be a model for what states can do to repair their ecosystems.
Downtowns were all the rage for most of this century. There’s still a market for density, but many people want it to be carefully managed.
Project delays and slow bureaucratic processes are costly for constituents, businesses and governments themselves. What’s needed is a culture of urgency.
Legislatures across the nation are confronting several social issues including crime, drug use, immigration and poverty. These issues will continue to hold resonance, of course, in the November elections.
A conservative coalition is hoping to make private school choice universally available in half the states by the end of 2025.
Charleston exemplifies an infill strategy that produces attractive new houses and greater density, but comes up short on affordability.
A plant in Michigan might become the first to reopen after closing.
Thousands of county officials came to Washington, D.C., to make the case with Congress that funding counties directly is the best way to improve lives across the country’s diverse rural and urban communities.
