Governing: State and local government news and analysis
States define recidivism differently, which can result in misleading interpretations of the statistics.
In the last decade, the state’s retention rate of physicians post-residency has declined. The Legislature hopes that funding 700 additional slots for medical school graduates, at $100,000 each, will incentivize the doctors to stay.
Tourist-dependent Clatsop County, population 41,000, has the highest rate of homelessness in Oregon. A project to convert a hotel into housing units for healthcare workers and the unhoused is a step in the right direction, leaders say.
A new poll of the state’s Hispanic voters found that 53 percent said inflation was the most important policy ahead of the 2024 election with the economy ranking second. Latinos are the state’s second-fastest growing group.
The Judiciary Compensation Commission has endorsed a salary increase for the state's 370 judges, claiming their pay has not kept up with inflation. The current average annual salaries for Louisiana judges range from $173,788 to $193,227.
With boosts in private capital and federal initiatives, the tech and digital services industry is expanding into a variety of cities across the nation. As growth continues, ancillary industries are also expected to develop.
City leaders must ensure that the voices of all residents are heard. It’s easier said than done.
Homeownership is more common in rural areas, but the rental market can be tight, especially for lower-income families. A new report from the Housing Assistance Council analyzes the central role of housing in community resilience.
The latest data from HUD shows a 12 percent increase in the homeless population. After declines over the last decade, current trends are troubling, but it's not clear how long the upward swing will last.
Our federalism expert makes predictions about climate and the culture wars and how states will take the lead in policy in 2024. He also owns up to what he got right — and wrong — over the past year.
Supporters of a proposed ballot initiative have collected nearly 425,000 signatures. The measure would ensure parents have access to the materials their children are taught in K-12 classrooms.
James Brainard is stepping down after leading Carmel, Ind., for 28 years. He’s best known nationally for building roundabouts and promoting local climate efforts, but his legacy rests with how he rebuilt the Indianapolis suburb.
Omaha Housing Authority has filed more than 400 evictions this year, with 85 percent of those filings over debts allegedly owed to the agency. More than four-dozen filings involved debts of less than $300.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore promised to revive long-neglected transit projects when he took office earlier this year. Instead, he’s now proposing broad-based transportation cuts.
Increased education, the demand for service workers and an increased share of citizens within the Latino population are combining to boost incomes.
There’s not much research on getting a new program in place, but police chiefs who have been there have a lot of ideas about what to do — and what not to do.
Chicago is pondering city-owned grocery stores in its poor neighborhoods. It might be a worthwhile experiment.
Wealthier, healthier states receive far more than those with fewer taxable resources and less healthy populations. Congress could do a lot to narrow this fairness gap.
They’re a costly form of welfare for the wealthy that hurts rural and low-income students. They provide no educational accountability and lead to state-funded discrimination.
More than 95 percent of PAC spending from the four biggest public-sector unions went to Democrats, according to the Commonwealth Foundation.
The state’s Supreme Court has issued a ruling in an eight-year-old school desegregation case, overturning a finding from an appellate court that only “intentional segregation” could violate the state Constitution.
Many of life’s little enjoyments used to be concentrated in university communities. Now they are turning up almost everywhere.
Metro Transit in Minneapolis-St. Paul is using new methods of fare enforcement, as well as partnering with social service nonprofits, in an effort to combat open drug use and generally make trains feel safer.
Government centers can be more than simply places where official business is conducted. They can be places for residents to meet, interact and celebrate each other.
Republican-led states that withdrew from the Electronic Registration Information Center are now struggling to find new ways to adequately update their voter rolls. Prior to 2022, more than half the states participated in the program.
A successful lawsuit based on 19th-century laws to combat the Ku Klux Klan has renewed attention on how police officers can help protect voters. It's part of a broader effort to crack down on intimidation.
The state's projected $68 billion shortfall for the coming fiscal year represents a big challenge. Still, California’s deep reserves can reduce the burden.
Legislative veteran John Whitmire should be able to improve Houston's relations with the state, while pledging to crack down on crime and deficit spending.
States and localities may have hidden treasure in their data that can be profitably unearthed by commercial interests. Governments need to be able to realize the value of their data while still protecting the public.
Its sprawling size is one reason. But there are other factors at work, including discouraged Democrats and Republicans’ success at courting Hispanic voters.
