Governing: State and local government news and analysis
The Inflation Reduction Act has funding to help states and localities implement better energy codes. Energy-efficient buildings can save their owners a lot of money while dramatically reducing emissions.
For 30 days, the city made dozens of changes to its streets and saw bike-share use soar. For Boston’s chief of streets, it was a reminder that “there’s no substitute for trying something and learning from it.”
Keeping up strong data breach defenses is tricky as technologies evolve and governments adjust to hybrid environments. Maricopa County CISO Lester Godsey explains why data inventorying, vendor risk management and cybersecurity audits are key.
Advances in wildlife-migration science can help protect people, animals and economies. New federal investment is available to target and build the infrastructure we need.
Burnout, retirements and uncompetitive salaries have exacerbated a growing scarcity of workers in critical job positions for managing infrastructure, transit and disaster preparedness.
There are contemporary lessons to be learned from the way Theodore Roosevelt, then the most popular man in the world, navigated a royal funeral 112 years ago.
A study by Carnegie Mellon University found that if at least 20 percent of cars are autonomous vehicles, traffic systems may start to see the operational improvements these vehicles are expected to bring.
In 2022, leading states are breaking down information silos and assessing the data for more informed decision-making, and elevating efforts to keep all this data secure in a challenging cybersecurity environment.
As they have in recent terms, the court’s conservative majority may set aside precedents and create major change in areas such as affirmative action and voting rights.
Why are so many candidates deciding they’re better off not debating? Meanwhile, GOP candidates struggle to raise funds, Republicans boost legislative candidates and Texas AG Paxton won’t be served.
Policy decisions that seem to make sense at the national or regional levels should not sacrifice the environmental quality and economic future of communities directly impacted by them.
In 1968, thousands of Mexican American high school students in East Los Angeles walked out of classrooms to protest discriminatory and substandard education. Despite mixed results, their demonstration ignited a new civil rights movement.
As one western Florida community celebrates the success of a program to restore what Hurricane Michael took from it, others brace for a storm projected to be among the most damaging to ever strike the state.
The decision of the world’s fifth-largest city to shift road space from cars to other uses has produced increasingly vibrant urban neighborhoods.
We teach schoolchildren that the U.S. Supreme Court is the ultimate arbiter of our laws. But they need to learn that their states’ supreme courts have the final word when it comes to state laws.
As Prince of Wales, Charles had a lot to say about architecture and planning. But there are things that princes can do that monarchs might not be able to.
The president’s forgiveness of student loans aroused plenty of controversy. State and local governments can help craft a more sustainable federal plan that could help to relieve their own workforce shortages and staffing costs.
In 1990, a quirky campaign run by the then-upstart music channel MTV encouraged its viewers to Rock the Vote. Now, three decades later, we need a similarly audacious bid to have Americans trust the validity of the vote.
As broadband expansion efforts increase nationwide, digital equity advocates are working to ensure that urban communities are included. New federal funding opportunities are adding fuel to these efforts.
While female candidates still face challenges, voters could elect a record number of women to the state Legislature in November. The roster of female lawmakers could rise to 45 of the 120 seats.
New rules that require measuring greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector as well as concerns about air pollution have led to the cancellation of what critics are calling highway “boondoggles.”
We focus on people leaving cities, but we tend to ignore where they came from and what they take with them.
With its recent $105 million purchase of the State of Illinois Center in downtown Chicago, the tech giant reimagines the future for an unappreciated government complex.
The larger issue is the high and rising cost of higher education. There are ways to hold those costs down. An educated workforce is good for everybody.
Abandoned vehicles have long been a problem in Oakland. The city has increased resources and manpower to address not just cars but the illegal activity they encourage.
A harsh analysis of the global pandemic response has public health leaders in the U.S. pointing to a fractured, underfunded public health system, partisan politics and low health literacy as barriers to better outcomes.
COVID-19 illustrated how paid sick leave doesn’t just protect people’s livelihoods; it can save lives. Seventeen states now have mandatory paid sick leave laws; at least 20 cities and counties have similar requirements.
Adversarial foreign nations might use data about specific politicians to blackmail them or troves of data about the public to refine disinformation campaigns, according to a Senate hearing. Getting that data could entail hacking or simply purchasing from data brokers.
For decades, superstar cities could thrive and grow despite high taxes, expensive housing and poor policy choices. The pandemic’s surge in remote work has changed that for good. Governance matters more than ever.
Gun suicide rates in American cities are going up, according to a new analysis of CDC data. The numbers are highest in states with the fewest gun laws.
