Politics and Elections
Covering topics such as governors, legislatures, local government, redistricting and voting.
There’s a botany boom going on in Latin America’s most exclusive neighborhoods. It should be happening in parts of the U.S., but a difference in civic and governing culture has stymied its growth.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is backing a return of rent control, decades after it was banned in a state referendum. But disappointment among tenant activists raises questions about what rent control is supposed to achieve.
Restrictive codes can severely limit housing development, but a new survey of mayors finds that few take them into account in their plans to address homelessness.
There's no question that a responsive, innovative government is more critical than ever. Here are some issues that are top of mind for state and local technology leaders as we take on the new year.
The number of deaths on the state’s roads last year was the highest in more than 30 years. There is bipartisan support for legislation to increase Washington’s road safety and lower the blood alcohol limit.
State Sen. Barry Finegold used the artificial technology software to draft a bill that would regulate generative AI models and would require companies to obtain “informed consent” from individuals before using, collecting or disclosing their data.
The California county has terminated its use of Dominion Voting Systems over widely debunked claims of mass voter fraud. The state only has three voting systems it allows its counties to use and it is unclear which one Shasta will select.
State lawmakers from the Connecticut Reproductive Rights Caucus in 2023 have introduced several bills that would increase funding, protection and access to reproductive care for residents and out-of-state travelers.
The state is the nation’s fourth-largest producer of marketed natural gas, but it powered just 4 percent of the state’s net electricity generation in 2021. The legislation would designate suitable sites for natural gas electric generation projects.
Gov. Greg Abbott’s wide-ranging and controversial initiative deploys thousands of state authorities to apprehend and jail migrants along parts of the Rio Grande and is costing far more than has ever been spent on border security in a budget cycle.
Due to the state Legislature’s rush to fix an oversight in a previously passed property tax reform package, the property tax rollback rate is higher than it should be, which could mean relief for taxpayers and millions less for localities.
She barely won re-election then her pick for the state's top judge was rejected by the New York Senate Judiciary Committee. Also, don't throw rocks and can states and locals get along?
Joe Lombardo wants to do away with the state’s popular vote-by-mail system and also proposed using a photo ID as a prerequisite for voting. But the Secretary of State assured that the recent elections were secure and successful.
The city has suggested the TIF district could help deliver $115 million to South Side’s housing, streets, parks, public transit, small-business assistance and more. But TIF districts take time before they start producing revenue.
California has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation and yet the state has experienced two mass shootings in the last few days. However, you are still 40 percent less likely to die by gun in the state than anywhere else in the country.
Connecticut state Rep. Juan Candelaria has proposed a bill that would allow non-citizens the right to vote in state and municipal elections. But he knows it is unlikely to pass and just hopes it opens a discussion.
