The rules vary widely from state to state, and they do little to prevent policymakers from pushing costs into the future unsustainably. A couple of states are trying to take a longer-term view.
No Democratic governor has been defeated since 2014. Look for that to change in November.
Gov. Jay Inslee proposed spending $100 million to subsidize the purchase of electric vehicles, but only $25 million was earmarked for EV incentives in the budget that was passed on Thursday.
States that oversee liquor sales directly are getting rid of vodka, while a number of governors and local officials are looking to end investment or break off ties with Russia.
The Maryland governor and his staff have been using the messaging app Wickr, which allows users to automatically delete messages. Democratic lawmakers have expressed concerns about a lack of transparency.
A majority of voters believe the state is headed in the wrong direction and are concerned about rising crime rates and the homelessness crisis. Newsom is up for re-election in the Nov. 2022 midterms.
Health experts say that some of the statements the Florida governor makes about COVID-19 and its vaccines are, sometimes, entirely incorrect, which contributes to the growing number of COVID infections and deaths.
The funding would help provide housing, shelter and transitional services to victims of domestic violence and help replenish funds that were depleted due to steep increases in demand during the pandemic.
They include $64 million to increase police numbers, reduce juvenile crime and revive a gun-tracking task force. The Connecticut governor also wants police to be able to check gun permits for those who openly carry firearms.
A landmark California environmental justice law was supposed to clean the air in 15 key communities, but it’s hard to say if it’s worked.
The proposed office would not have authority to crack down on “ghost” candidates or dark money campaigns because the state prosecutors and state ethics commission already handle campaign finance violations, officials say.
One of Gov. Kate Brown’s priorities last year was to incentivize the expansion of semiconductor manufacturing in Oregon. But the industry appears to have overlooked the state so far.
With elections on their minds, governors’ most watched policy speech of the year had some technology highlights, like luring tech companies and remote workers with robust broadband.
State legislators from both sides of the aisle have voted to table the proposed bill that aims to make the state a hub of hydrogen energy. Gov. Lujan Grisham worries that, without the bill, the state may miss its climate goals.
Last year, pension plans enjoyed big returns in the market, bringing their balances back to levels not seen since the Great Recession. They are still $1 trillion short, however.
The California governor last year poured $12 billion into homeless housing and services and wants to invest another $1.5 billion next year. But advocates want long-term investments instead of one-time grants.
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