Governing: State and local government news and analysis
Growing distrust of vaccines and public health in general is keeping more people from protecting their kids against polio, measles and other killers. Some lawmakers are encouraging this trend.
The ballot proposals include a tax on millionaires in Massachusetts, bus system improvements in the Detroit region and a penny sales tax in Orange County, Fla.
How the midterm elections play out — including how many turn out to vote, how election workers are treated and whether the results are accepted — will tell us a lot.
Pre-pandemic, just 15 percent of community college classes in California were fully remote; now, 65 percent of classes are online. To retain students, administrators may keep online classes to increase accessibility.
CISOs are gaining attention outside the IT office and cyber funding isn’t a top challenge — for the first time in survey history. But CISOs still wrestle with talent gaps and need to strengthen local relationships to build whole-of-state approaches.
In the 1920s, a Studebaker dealer led the successful national effort to give motorists priority and marginalize walking, blaming pedestrians for their own injuries and deaths. We need a radical revision in our conception of city streets.
In its annual survey of the fiscal condition of U.S. cities, the National League of Cities finds cause for both hope and concern. Federal funds have improved municipal fiscal health, but inflation and recession fears are on the horizon.
The Corn Palace in South Dakota romanticizes the history of corn in rural America. But the current reality is that corn is now less of a food than an industrial product, raising questions about sustainability.
Disadvantaged communities have suffered disproportionately from underinvestment in clean and affordable water. But a historic increase in federal water infrastructure funding can change the equation if managed correctly.
When state and local government suffers a cyber attack, officials are faced with a dilemma: How much is the public entitled to know? How much can you reveal while keeping systems secure?
The state wants to quickly rebuild the Sanibel Causeway, heavily damaged by Ian, and the only road onto a barrier island. But researchers say the focus should be on building more resilient infrastructure for a changing climate.
With party control of several high courts at stake and races driven by issues ranging from abortion to voting rights, the party committees and special interest groups are on the way to setting spending records.
Do cross-party endorsements signal a fracturing GOP? Plus, a Democrat may lose after half a century, how justices gain political advantage and not knowing when to say "when."
There are 129 ballot measures in states this November, with issues ranging from dialysis to term limits.
Millions are serving unjust sentences or struggling with permanent marks on their records. Pardons, expungements and commutations can provide a second chance for an individual, a family and a community.
Bill Leighty served Virginia in a variety of ways, including as chief of staff to two governors. He knew the rules of management — and he knew when to stretch or break them.
Voters in a record number of states face abortion-related measures, as well as traditional topics including marijuana and minimum wage.
We've made it far too easy for minor disputes to erupt into deadly violence. Rather than simply throwing more money at police, we need to get serious about mental health treatment, mediation and other approaches that can save lives.
With inflation taking root, state and local treasurers were warned of the risks of blindly investing their cash longer term for minuscule returns. It was advice that many ignored, leaving their portfolios squandering billions.
Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed bills that will slash the state’s carbon emissions, protect vulnerable communities and create a two-decade pathway to a 100 percent clean energy electrical grid.
State governments can best lead and govern distinct and diverse communities. The founders knew that the only way to build a new nation was to avoid taking too much autonomy from them.
The outside mosaics of the Corn Palace change every year, the inside mosaics almost never. A committee meets to choose each year’s theme.
Even though mental illness is just as pervasive in rural communities, crisis response teams have been slow to grow beyond cities partly due to a lack of resources. Unfortunately, there's not a simple solution.
With the 2022 midterms looming, elections officials around the country are working to keep false claims out of the headlines, push for free and fair elections, and foster constituent trust in the process.
Service was suspended on one of Amtrak’s busiest lines because of erosion on California’s coastal cliffs. Local authorities are working on emergency repairs, while planning for the track’s long-term future.
The success of remote work could revitalize the economies of America’s small communities. But there are things they need to do to maximize their economic growth.
The state has more than 40 vacancies, and many superintendents increasingly find themselves under attack from conservative groups. Nationally about a quarter of superintendents had left their positions by the end of the last two school years.
Our prisons don’t have enough staffers to protect inmates or themselves. Better pay, benefits and working conditions are needed, and there are other effective strategies.
More than a dozen states allow homeowners to lose not only their houses but also years of mortgage payments if they fail to pay their property taxes. Some lawmakers are hoping to change the rules.
More than a dozen states have enacted laws regulating how law enforcement uses it. But federal legislation is needed: A piecemeal approach doesn't keep all citizens safe from misidentification.
