Work requirements remain on the table but Congress will not cut the matching rate for the Affordable Care Act expansion or impose per capita limits on states.
As a new administration takes power in Washington, the work of state and local public officials who champion free and fair elections will become even more critical.
It makes sense that the Trump administration is looking for ways to cut spending. But the way they’re going about it is all wrong.
The way to make the federal government more efficient on a permanent basis is not one-time cuts but devolving authority over many programs to state governments.
Public health experts emphasize the importance of clear and consistent messaging. They may not get that with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as federal health secretary.
Wildfires will continue to rage out of control unless federal forest managers learn from Western states how to properly steward public lands and contain their fires.
Democratic governors are scrambling to mount an effective opposition to the policies of the new administration. They may not be holding a winning hand.
Republicans in Congress might force all states to impose such rules. Supporters say they give Medicaid recipients a boost toward self-sufficiency and financial stability. Critics say such rules hurt far more people than they help.
The view of the federal department as a source of malign leftist influence is backwards. Good ideas are out there, and there needs to be a central authority to disseminate best practices and insist on results.
His second presidency could recolor the landscape for federal spending, with ramifications for states, local governments, schools and public pensions. Governors and mayors will need to try to discern where the political wind is blowing — and what to watch out for.
Texas challenged federal supremacy by creating a state crime for illegal entry into the U.S. The courts will decide whether it's constitutional — and whether other states can follow Texas’ lead.
Millions are falling behind on their retirement goals. There are proven policy solutions at the state level, and federal policymakers could build on those to help all workers save what they will need and reduce the burden on taxpayers.
Law enforcement officials aren’t supposed to appear in campaign ads showing a badge or wearing a uniform. But lots of them are doing it.
It’s good politics for presidential candidates to talk about solving problems that presidents can’t do much about.
The public likes what lawmakers around the country are doing, but the industry’s lobbyists are working hard to embed provisions into trade deals that would undermine much of the progress states have made.
When the 2017 tax law expires next year, Congress will revisit the limits on SALT deductions on federal returns. With elections approaching, it’s time for governors and mayors to offer some viable new policy options — and ways to pay for them.
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