Governing: State and local government news and analysis
Watchers of micromobility are seeing closer partnerships and collaborations between scooter and bike-share operators and other providers of mobility services such as public transit and ride-hailing.
Ken Paxton shows how it's done. Meanwhile, five Michigan candidates for governor are disqualified for submitting forged signatures and a reminder why it's so hard to beat incumbents.
The most devastating school shooting in decades is prompting calls for Congress to act on gun control. State leaders don’t have to wait.
The president's party always loses seats in midterms. This year, just about everything — fundraising, voter enthusiasm, demographic shifts, the issues mix — is going the right way for Republicans.
Some states have responded with restrictions, but many more have loosened requirements. Dan Malloy, governor of Connecticut during Sandy Hook, reflects on how he was able to get a gun-safety law passed.
The effort caught national attention, but the real story is the rest of the package of land use reforms that the city council passed to open up the housing market. However, opposition to further reform is growing.
A young state lawmaker’s life, dedicated to helping the most needy, was cut short by a white supremacist in a Charleston church. What happened there, in Buffalo and elsewhere is symbolic of a society corroding from inside out.
Despite often winning a majority of votes, the Democratic Party is at an electoral disadvantage in legislatures that appears to be worsening. Author Jonathan Rodden explains the current problem and why national reform is unlikely.
George Washington and John Adams were no fans of the Boston Tea Party, but the disruptive protest has endured as a prime example of how some Americans will express their desire for change.
Issues ranging from severe paper shortages to cyber threats and disinformation are looming ahead of the 2022 elections, threatening voter confidence. Officials shared their concerns with members of the U.S. Senate May 19.
Rising interest rates have triggered substantial market losses from Golden State treasurers’ untimely investments of idle cash. It’s time for reforms wherever similar portfolios are now bleeding red ink.
Schools have a big impact on everything else. A new analysis can help metro areas benchmark themselves and learn what works to build quality into K-12 education.
States keep trying to rein in the offensive language people want to affix to their cars, but issues of free speech come up again and again. What are reasonable societal boundaries?
The federal government’s historic investment in broadband could fall short of its goals if it doesn’t improve digital skills. A leading expert explains the importance of digital human capital.
A leading observer reminds us that the war is also a cultural and religious one. He cautions the U.S. not to underestimate the risk it’s taking nor overestimate its support from the international community.
Despite a series of federal measures requiring greater efforts to preserve family unity, many policies make life harder for people swept up in the system.
The Justice in Forensic Algorithms Act aims to ensure that when algorithmic analyses are used as evidence in court, defendants get to know how the tools reached their conclusions and allow them to contest the results.
Extreme weather events, water scarcity, risks of illness: Climate change is here, and it’s already affecting Texans.
Nearly 35 states have ended their health emergency declarations, which have given governors authority to mandate pandemic mitigation measures, and most of those remaining are set to expire before August.
The famous road in Austria’s capital is a masterpiece of monumental design. But it’s no model for American planners to emulate.
Urban residents know about the housing-related problems that hurt their city, from overcrowding to redlining. What if they had a visual display of where things are worst?
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law gave the Department of Energy billions to invest in clean hydrogen hubs. There’s broad agreement hydrogen is needed for the energy transition, but not about how it should be produced and used.
In Idaho, one of the most conservative states in the nation, GOP voters largely backed incumbent Brad Little for governor. Progressives in Oregon now represent the mainstream, but a moderate Republican can still win.
The result highlights extremist tendencies growing within the Republican Party, which may boost the general election prospects for Attorney General Josh Shapiro who won the Democratic nomination for governor.
Boosted by an unprecedented infusion of federal funds, they have an opportunity to bring innovative collaborative efforts to bear on issues of economic inequality and mobility that cross jurisdictional lines.
Housing advocates want HUD to push the state’s planning board to open up housing options in the region’s more affluent suburbs and, in doing so, help tackle a growing segregation problem.
The predominantly Black college in Illinois announced they were closing their doors as a result of COVID-19 and cyber attack disruptions. Who’s next?
Wisconsin’s largest city suffers from a soaring murder rate and serious budget problems. Cavalier Johnson, the first new mayor in nearly 20 years, can’t wait to turn the city around.
The California Coastal Commission denied approval to construct a $1.4 billion plant after 20 years of debate. Gov. Newsom supported the plans, but it wasn’t enough to overcome worries about water costs and environmental damage.
Counties and their public health officials have been on the front lines of the COVID pandemic, struggling amid white-hot politics that has weakened the nation’s response. Can we do better when the next pandemic strikes?
