Governing: State and local government news and analysis
We could save billions by transforming these shuttered monuments to mass incarceration into something far more useful, humane and fiscally responsible. What the military did decades ago offers a proven blueprint.
A month after she was sworn in, Cara Spencer had to deal with a devastating tornado.
The city’s movement toward free care for kids up to age 2 could be a gamechanger with national implications. And it’s a sign of the growing political strength of working parents.
Washington wants to prune federal regulations. The feds should pay attention to what the Old Dominion is doing. And AI can help.
Hurricane season begins in earnest in August. The devastating floods in Texas earlier this summer underscored the importance of state and local readiness as the federal government rethinks its role in disaster response.
The park in Portland, Ore., takes up little space but has a whimsical history.
The new tax and spending law’s requirements for food assistance and Medicaid impose costly administrative burdens on states and localities. Widely misunderstood rules for taxing overtime will intensify the administrative pain. Public employers should start preparing their workers for the confusion to come.
The Trump administration is trying to stop wind projects, but the Great Lakes states have a powerful say in what happens on the lakes, where turbines could power the entire region and beyond. They should lay the groundwork now.
Monique Limón, a Santa Barbara Democrat, was chosen to serve as the next president pro tem of the California state Senate. A former educator, she’s the first woman of color to serve in the role.
Cities that depend heavily on federal research dollars will necessarily take a hit. But a look at two different cities suggests two possible futures.
Groups focused on food security are scrambling following the cancellation of federal programs supporting purchases from local farmers.
Many voters are switching party allegiances during the Trump era, but the parties aren't changing in ways that reflect their preferences.
Denver’s new sidewalk program shifts the responsibility from property owners to the city. It’s a far-reaching plan to improve thousands of miles of infrastructure.
It’s threatened with extinction in many places and the relationship can be fraught, but it has a lot of value both to communities and their governments. Social media alone isn’t a substitute.
Legislators on both sides of the aisle have moved to regulate these kiosks, which allow customers to purchase cryptocurrency and send it to a digital wallet.
They raise issues of fairness, and critics claim they’re only about revenue. More speed and red-light cameras, however, would prevent a lot of deaths and injuries.
Congress voted this month to claw back funding from some awards made during the Biden administration, particularly those focused on equity. The rescissions will leave dozens of transportation projects partly planned and without promised funds.
Despite all the rhetoric about an environmental "war on coal," what drove its decline were falling prices for natural gas.
The power of legislatures has waxed and waned over the centuries. It's been on an upswing during the 50 years since the founding of NCSL.
Virginia has the nation’s oldest legislature. It’s also arguably the most powerful.
Subsidies distort fair competition. If these technologies are the future of America’s energy sector, they should compete without the crutch of federal aid.
From politics to economics, closing old or bad prisons is not always straightforward. Even some incarcerated people have mixed emotions.
Our universities’ real problems have little to do with DEI or antisemitism. Genuine reforms would encompass expanding access and equity and confronting a history of institutional racism.
The future of an EPA program for disadvantaged communities may be uncertain, but there are lessons for the future in how local governments have gone after the funds. Authentic, cross-sector collaborations are key.
New York City’s Democratic mayoral nominee has idealism and charisma. If he wins, he’ll need someone with a deep understanding of how a city works to translate passion into governance. There’s an obvious candidate.
It’s not a panacea, but skillfully assembled systems have a huge amount of value.
For incarcerated people, books can bring hope and new understanding, prepare them for jobs on the outside or simply help pass the time. But they’re often hard to get.
The state is the nation’s electric-vehicle leader. It could step in to keep America’s industry — and the jobs it supports — competitive.
Kristi McKenney was named director of the Port of Oakland in February, the first woman to hold the post at the nearly century-old port. She’s also overseeing a name change for Oakland's airport and a shift to zero-emissions operations.
Miserable conditions are bad not only for the incarcerated but staff who are severely stressed. There is a better way.
