Governing: State and local government news and analysis
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.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves says privatizing the water system is “on the table.” But the city's mayor and others argue that would likely create more problems rather than fix Jackson's broken infrastructure.
The passing of the United Kingdom’s longest serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, sparks reflections on English history and former British kings named Charles. By George, the House of Windsor may have missed the mark on this one.
Ensuring that billions of dollars of federal funding for broadband service are well spent – and that consumers get what they pay for – comes down to knowing the actual speeds internet users experience.
Two-and-a-half years later, cities across the country continue to adjust to the affects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Boston; Mesa, Ariz.; and Oakland, Calif., are using different approaches to address their communities' needs and prioritize digital equity.
New York City has data showing substantial reductions in serious injuries and fatalities resulting from road diets, pedestrian islands and sidewalk extensions. Advocates say it's a rare kind of accountability for roadway designers.
Wastewater surveillance is a valuable tool in the fight against infectious disease, but it has the potential to be used for other purposes that could further erode Americans’ trust in government. It even worries Vladimir Putin.
This year's primary election season reached its conclusion in three Northeastern states on Tuesday and MAGA Republicans succeeded in New Hampshire. Meanwhile, state Supreme Court justices defend their own role and an intergovernmental feud heats up.
The pandemic overwhelmed a long-neglected public health system, pressuring many workers to leave. But a new program hopes to inspire AmeriCorps members to work in public health.
Private equity interests have lurked behind the skirts of public pensions to dodge higher income taxes. Now Big Tech moguls are trying to play public servants for patsies to fight stronger federal antitrust laws.
Efforts to improve the city’s streets for bikers and pedestrians are being held up by the Texas Department of Transportation, which has reasserted its ownership of state roads and is focused on prioritizing traffic flow for drivers.
They have a long history, and they have been our "public living room." Some cities and towns that have lost their central gathering places are trying to re-create them.
Our resident humanities scholar asks, what happens when the glue that holds our society together stops sticking?
Pilot projects using bidirectional charging equipment are turning electric vehicles into battery storage units, feeding energy back onto the grid when needed. Fleet vehicles are seen as prime opportunity for the tech.
Many Americans think they know much more about politics than they really do. It’s bad for democracy that they’re so often wrong.
Temperatures broke records in California over Labor Day weekend 2022 and were well above normal across the U.S. West. The extreme weather has brought renewed attention to the science behind heat waves.
With the help of city school kids, an organization is restoring long-depleted oyster beds that once flourished in the waters that surround New York City. The bivalves are cleaning the water and protecting shorelines.
Water pressure is back in Mississippi's capital but it's still not safe to drink. Residents have been through this so many times that they've learned how to cope. That doesn't mean they're happy.
