Governing: State and local government news and analysis
How regulations are created, updated and challenged can make it easier — or harder — for citizens and businesses to weigh in on the rules that impact them. New research shows what states can do to improve their processes.
Houston has created a real system to address homelessness, aligning city, county and nonprofit efforts. That innovative program is now under threat, due to changes in leadership and funding.
A federal judge who experienced the unthinkable is advocating for laws that restrict access to personal information about state and local judges.
With little in local tax revenue to help pay staff, rural Texas sheriffs are often forced to do more with less. Lawmakers hope a new grant program will help rebuild the ranks of rural law enforcement.
Experts worry that curfews disproportionately target young people of color.
They’re an important part of community social life, but too many cities and suburbs neglect them.
They are intended to stop victims from paying cyber criminals and cut off lucrative profit streams bring plenty of practical difficulties and risks that attackers will redouble focus on the most vulnerable entities.
Billions of federal dollars are coming to states to make broadband for all a reality, but funding alone doesn’t ensure results. Powerful resources are available to help state and local governments succeed.
It isn’t just about constitutional rights and fairness. Underfunded, undervalued public defense is also costly to taxpayers. A few states are showing the way toward meaningful reforms.
Misinformation can thwart the work of public health. Leaders from the field are bringing the mindset they use to detect and contain disease to the rapid, far-reaching spread of an information epidemic.
As funds flow from the Inflation Reduction Act for projects across the country, getting the full benefit of this landmark law will depend on governors seizing the moment.
It is on track to become ubiquitous in public services, but it will introduce unpredicted challenges. Success will require not only an understanding of coding and statistics but also the knowledge that humans apply from their lived experience.
New research describes transportation engineers as part of the public health workforce, and argues they should emphasize strategies that reduce risk for greater proportions of the population.
A patchwork of confusing and sometimes contradictory policies, involving all levels of government as well as health care providers, resulted in a chaotic response. We need to figure out how to upgrade the system for future health emergencies.
An online resource now being built out has the potential to become an important intellectual hub for public-sector investment practitioners. They need to articulate what they most want to find there.
Municipal strikes have been rare for decades, but union activity in California suggest they might be making a comeback. Blame it on inflation and staff shortages.
An advocacy group for nude recreation has been a presence at the annual meeting of state legislators for decades — not to advertise, but to prevent inadvertent disruption of a way of life and a multibillion-dollar industry.
Federal pandemic aid that supported thousands of child-care providers will end soon, leading to downsizings and closures. There are innovative ways for states, local governments and businesses to mitigate the blow to working families and employers.
If you live in rural America, your Internet access can still be hard to come by. States can change the situation.
This week in state and local politics: San Francisco Mayor London Breed is in real trouble while there's handwringing over hand-counting ballots.
Local governments are considering rent control initiatives to protect struggling tenants, but some analysts say restrictions only exacerbate the housing crunch and others have questioned if the true beneficiaries are actually low-income renters.
The city’s Revenue Stabilization Workgroup was tasked with crafting progressive taxes. Here’s what they came up with.
Many sites tied to the national mental health crisis hotline transmitted information on visitors through the Meta Pixel analytics tool despite promises of anonymity to their users.
Data from cities, counties and states reveals the roles they have the toughest time filling (and they’re not just in cybersecurity). Here are some of their innovative approaches to navigating these workforce shortages.
Some states have taken steps to shield their election workers from intimidation and harm, but there’s a lack of urgency at the federal level. A nationwide threat requires a nationwide response.
Boston has a new tax incentive program to help developers convert downtown office space to housing. Conversions remain relatively rare, but more cities are looking at ways to push them forward.
It offers significant cost, efficiency and sustainability benefits, but its widespread use is hampered by a patchwork of state and local regulations. Regulatory consistency could help builders deliver the housing we need.
The work that public health officials do is determined by policy, but engaging with policymakers hasn’t been a strong suit for the field. A new book aims to help them do better.
The governor’s ambitious plan bets heavily on competition, through vouchers and school choice, but there’s no reliable evidence that competition can make a real difference.
The state lets workers own and register their vehicles, but they aren’t allowed to drive them, forcing many farm workers to risk fines and arrest. “It’s a Catch-22 for a lot of folks,” advocates say.
