Governing: State and local government news and analysis
The future of an EPA program for disadvantaged communities may be uncertain, but there are lessons for the future in how local governments have gone after the funds. Authentic, cross-sector collaborations are key.
It’s not a panacea, but skillfully assembled systems have a huge amount of value.
New York City’s Democratic mayoral nominee has idealism and charisma. If he wins, he’ll need someone with a deep understanding of how a city works to translate passion into governance. There’s an obvious candidate.
For incarcerated people, books can bring hope and new understanding, prepare them for jobs on the outside or simply help pass the time. But they’re often hard to get.
The state is the nation’s electric-vehicle leader. It could step in to keep America’s industry — and the jobs it supports — competitive.
Kristi McKenney was named director of the Port of Oakland in February, the first woman to hold the post at the nearly century-old port. She’s also overseeing a name change for Oakland's airport and a shift to zero-emissions operations.
Miserable conditions are bad not only for the incarcerated but staff who are severely stressed. There is a better way.
Higher federal income tax offsets for state and local tax payments have morphed into a mostly upper-middle-class political perk, one unlikely to have any meaningful impact on state or local fiscal policies or politics. It’s time to look ahead to the next iteration of federal tax policy.
An economist who helped convince the Biden administration to spend more on research bemoans the deep cuts proposed by President Donald Trump.
Syracuse, N.Y., is having renewed success. Mayor Ben Walsh helped make it happen.
Employee-created AI tools process purchase receipts, identify patterns in 311 requests, examine parking challenges and more.
Beaverton, Ore., is looking for new ways to support cooperative housing development for senior residents. It’s among 50 finalist cities in the Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge.
The organization has shaped state laws for 50 years. It may be at the height of its influence.
The right policies can help more regions take advantage of AI for economic growth and prepare against some of its harms, according to a new report.
Ideas are now flowing down from Washington into the states, rather than the other way around.
Over recent decades we’ve moved toward a much more effective and humane system to deal with youth crime. Evidence and research, not hyperbole and hysteria, should be guiding today’s debate.
There’s a reason so many local governments rely on the council-manager system: It balances democratic accountability with operational expertise.
Daniel Perez, the Florida Speaker, has been combatting the governor over various proposals and personal ambitions all year.
We need competent responders every hour of the day, every day of the week. But we often don’t have them.
The nation’s warmest large city can’t turn down the temperature, but it is finding ways to address factors that make heat dangerous for residents.
James Hochman has resumed prosecuting even low-level crimes, but the number of felony charges hasn’t increased compared with his reform-minded predecessor’s count.
Urban Democrats and state-level Republicans have long been at odds. Could what’s happening in Charlotte signal a ceasefire?
A transit agency’s social media strategy shows how to communicate a winning message.
Political experts see no upside for Texas Republicans in an effort Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday.
A deal that would have raised billions for the state’s roads, bridges and transit imploded in the last days of the legislative session. The path forward isn’t clear, but layoff notices are already going out.
Downtowns have always evolved. A look at history shows they’ll never go away.
It’s a common complaint by executive branch managers: Lawmakers don’t always grasp the importance of providing resources for more efficient use of tax dollars down the road.
The landmark environmental bill, CEQA, has been credited with preventing irreversible damage to natural habitats. But it’s also provided an avenue for resistant neighbors to block new housing in urban areas.
Its ideals, expressed by New York’s Democratic mayoral nominee, have seen plenty of success around the world. Maybe it’s time for a third party that would unapologetically stand for working- and middle-class Americans.
Supporters of vouchers and other funding for private schools are on a winning streak.
