Governing: State and local government news and analysis
Seared in America’s collective memory and pilloried in popular culture, Jimmy Carter delivered a speech 44 years ago that chose to tell the American people the truth, rather than sing the Song of America.
New federal funding presents opportunities to help families in affordable housing gain high-speed internet and all the benefits that come with it.
For years, countries in Europe and Latin America have out-innovated the U.S. in providing quality bus service. Now, Many U.S. cities are coming around to the idea that buses are the future of public transit.
For decades, America dropped the ball on teaching students about democratic governance processes. Now it’s being seen as essential to repairing a battered democracy.
The river’s Lower Basin states need a water-sharing agreement. It’s time for them to check their historical grievances at the door, make difficult compromises and be open to new and innovative solutions.
Local opposition has blocked towns from building utility-scale solar installations. But there is an unexpected and newly incentivized alternative — thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act — the dump.
It has put the ability to deliver essential services at risk, and when government fails, people can die. There are real solutions that will make the public sector more competitive to attract and retain talent.
Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson will run against former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas for mayor. The final matchup was a stunning blow to Lightfoot who became the first full-term incumbent to fail to win reelection since 1983.
The gap between Black and white homeownership rates in 2022 was wider than it had been in 1960. Habitat for Humanity is leveraging a generous donation and government assistance to expand the number of homeowners in priority markets.
Lawmakers in several states are pushing legislation banning the use of a new credit-card merchant code for firearms retailers. But its use to flag unusual purchases might have prevented some mass shootings.
BART and other transit agencies are budgeting the last of their pandemic-era federal relief and looking ahead to big, ongoing deficits. Solutions are still hard to find.
Americans can learn some valuable lessons from motorcyclists south of the border.
With a bond issue earmarked for community projects and marketed to individual investors as well as institutional buyers, Chicago is trying to move the needle on social equity. Is it the start of a durable trend, or just a cute public finance anomaly?
Weeping Water Public Schools will transition to a four-day school week beginning next year, making it at least the sixth school district in Nebraska to do so. But research on the schedule’s benefits for students is unclear.
Federal pandemic aid that has helped many rural hospitals stave off collapse is rapidly drying up. But the small town of Bowie is trying to save some of its health care services and may act as a case study for other rural areas.
From the White House tennis courts to the Camp David peace accords, along with an energy crisis and a hostage standoff, Jimmy Carter had a singular vision of how things should work.
Proponents say open software code means new security features and transparency. What does it take to harness volunteer contributions, block out malicious saboteurs and keep these projects maintained for the long term?
Farmers are hopeful the laws will allow them to repair their tractors. New York passed the first broad right-to-repair law, in 2022, and nearly two dozen states have active legislation — about half of them targeting farm equipment.
Holding a state’s executive branch accountable has a lot more impact on the day-to-day lives of Americans than congressional efforts to embarrass political opponents. We need to expect better of state lawmakers.
The real problem is that being a big-city mayor during the pandemic was a no-win proposition. Meanwhile, the race for a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat has already cost more than $10 million and special elections are likely to be nastier and more expensive than before.
Lots of other Republican governors and senators hoped to be the one who could take down Donald Trump. At this early stage, DeSantis has the best shot, thanks to his ability to frame hot-button issues and attract media attention.
These teachings challenge the biased view that enslaved people brought nothing of value from Africa. Banning them is robbing all students of vital history and knowledge of how the nation got to be what it is today.
Hardscaped schoolyards present health risks in a warming world. A school forest initiative in California reflects a potential national trend to change the character and function of outdoor spaces.
Proposed reforms to several states’ antitrust laws would give workers, small businesses and entrepreneurs a fighting chance against abusive monopolistic practices and workplace dominance.
The state is carrying out an ambitious offshore wind program as part of a plan to decarbonize its power grid. Some coastal residents don’t want to see it.
It’s doubtful that taxing art collections, yachts or big inheritances will attract a significant political constituency. It’s all about the “endowment effect,” the value we place on the things we possess.
Things that go beep beep beep in the night are generating more heat than light. They always have. But history suggests that a little panic can be a catalyst for positive public policy changes.
New orders for electric buses experienced unprecedented growth in 2022 driven, in part, by robust state and federal incentives, policy pressures and cost savings. With plenty of money in the pipeline, those purchases will continue.
Investigations revealed communication flaws and unclear lines of authority in the medical response that further hampered lifesaving efforts. Nineteen children and two adults died in the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary.
For hard-liners in both parties, aggressive action from Washington at the expense of state and local autonomy is more popular than ever. With both parties’ centrists also in the mix, the presidential election looks to be a four-way battle.
