Governing: State and local government news and analysis
She barely won re-election then her pick for the state's top judge was rejected by the New York Senate Judiciary Committee. Also, don't throw rocks and can states and locals get along?
The rate of grid expansion needs to double to bring wind and solar online and would cost $700 billion. Advocates want utilities and grid operators to build infrastructure that aligns with the states’ clean energy goals.
Elected prosecutors have a critical role to play in responding to policies that can erode trust and endanger public safety.
Despite rising grocery prices, a little more than 1 in 10 Americans can’t get enough to eat, which amounts to around the same share of the country that was experiencing food insecurity before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Transportation projects often get delayed because of unclear structures and procedures within city agencies. A new report examines how the right mix of structure, people and processes can achieve success.
The idea that the Justice Department and FBI are “deep state” forces aiming to undermine the MAGA movement conflicts with history. Too many state and local officials were complicit in the feds’ efforts to fight the civil rights movement.
Over the past couple of decades, coffeehouses became centers of sociability and community life. In the wake of the virus, many of them are switching to a grab-and-go model. Can anything replace these vital “third places”?
America’s incoherent immigration policy is caught between the competing instincts of “give me … your huddled masses” and “build that wall.”
Car-share operations are turning to electric vehicles as they reimagine the service as an affordable, nonprofit transportation business model. The shift is helping to serve low-income communities where mobility options are limited.
These are the issues competing for priority this year as $60 billion earmarked in the Inflation Reduction Act for environmental justice efforts begins to flow into U.S. communities.
It’s hailed as the next wave of transformative technology, but artificial intelligence’s market growth and rapid deployment raise a host of issues, from safety to privacy to equity.
Two deadly mass shootings in California have renewed calls for laws that can prevent such tragedies. A new report from RAND’s Gun Policy in America initiative looks at the measures best supported by research findings.
The metro area in North Carolina faces unprecedented population growth and traffic congestion, which has triggered a study of possible commuter rail service. But the legacy of a failed light rail project casts a shadow on the plan.
The factory jobs that used to be a fit for unskilled blue-collar workers are rapidly going high tech and white collar.
By undervaluing publicly owned assets, jurisdictions are missing out on enormous opportunities to help citizens and their communities. A newly launched incubator could change how public assets can be leveraged.
Every state has a law allowing unwanted infants to be surrendered, but the laws lack uniformity, there is no standardized training and there are no data-driven best practices. The result is a chaotic system.
A new federal law will eventually make some data searches and comparisons easier, but implementation will be a challenge. Software vendors will be staking their claims, but public-sector finance associations should take the lead.
As a country, we don’t remember what happened 222 years ago, because we tend not to remember history. But also because that political storm “rolled harmlessly away.” Will we be as lucky?
Following the release of a report from the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation about police technology risks, experts shared insights into what is hype and reality with new policing tools.
Data collected from the 35 states with the highest average annual snowfall suggests that while more schools are using remote learning days instead of canceling classes, the traditional snow day is far from extinct.
Historic federal investments aim to improve building efficiency standards. A new report highlights the states that could benefit the most. But updating the codes won’t be quick or easy, say experts.
So far, nine Democrats have officially declared their intention to run for the mayorship. Meanwhile true bipartisan leadership exists at the state level, Ohio's attorney general does double dipping and more.
Some state DOTs and conservatives in Congress thought it prioritized Biden's newly passed infrastructure bill to emphasize spending on highway maintenance, not expansion. In fact, the memo didn't change how the funds can be used.
As the president honored 14 ordinary Americans who defended democracy, Republicans in Congress engaged in a silly game to elect a speaker of the House. The contrast could not have been greater.
CARES. ARPA. IIJA. These bills and more have put billions into the state and local government market. We break down the major federal funding packages and how they’re being put to use.
Our attention to attacks on political figures fades quickly as we move on, seeing them as the isolated acts of deranged individuals. But we need to face up to the deep problems they reflect in our society.
State coffers are overflowing, but inflation could put a pinch on spending plans and tax cuts. The labor market remains tight just when the demand for more teachers is skyrocketing. And then there are the ongoing culture wars. Welcome to 2023.
They will help fund energy-saving and climate projects for businesses and homeowners. Congress’s approval of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund could supercharge green banks across the nation.
A lawmaker’s change of heart could make North Carolina the 40th state to expand Medicaid.
Nineteen states have never had a woman as chief executive, and only a few have had more than one. What made Arizona such an outlier?
