Public Safety
Covering topics such as corrections, criminal justice, emergency management, gun control and police/fire/EMS.
Enhancements and weatherization efforts mean this year’s freezing weather did not overwhelm the state’s electric system. But policymakers face tough decisions as future load projections grow.
Everyone in the criminal justice system — sheriffs, prosecutors, judges, parole boards — has enormous discretion. Some lawmakers believe that authority is now being abused.
Many of the agricultural workers in Pajaro, Calif., are not fluent in English or Spanish and so relied on interpreters to get proper assistance and services after a levee broke, flooding the farm town and sparking evacuations.
The amount that fire victims receive after taxes and attorney fees is sometimes as little as just 25 percent of the original award. A state bill would allow victims to subtract wildfire settlements from their taxable income.
There were 17.9 million drivers in the state as of February, but as of March 9, the state’s digital driver’s license app had been downloaded 154,631 times. The state contractor has been paid nearly all of the $1.8 million contract.
The unanimous vote means that the public will soon be able to see the 114-page agreement between the city and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, which restricts a number of aggressive police tactics.
Although Black women and girls make up just 13 percent of the female U.S. population, they account for 35 percent of all missing women in 2020. “Ebony Alerts” would help ensure resources to California’s Black women and girls.
Accidents like the one that spilled toxic chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, are all too common. It’s time to update rail infrastructure and safety technology while bringing stronger regulation to bear.
The state-run company Citizens has warned it may impose a “hurricane tax” this year if another big, expensive storm, or a series of little ones, hit the state. The company now insures 1.2 million homeowners, a 50 percent increase.
Some states have encouraged or required labor peace agreements when establishing legal cannabis marketplaces. But employers don’t always adhere to them and penalties for misbehavior are weak. So far, 21 states allow recreational marijuana use.
A proposed bill would allow all police and firefighters enrolled in the state’s pension system an option to retire early with a reduced pension after 20 years of service. Opponents warn it could burden taxpayers.
The majority of the nation’s firearm deaths – 57 percent – are gun suicides. To help curb these fatalities, some states have passed legislation that enables residents to limit their own gun purchases.
The technique, which teaches how to identify guilt and deception from the word choice, cadence and grammar of those calling 911, relies on junk science. But law enforcement agencies continue to use it.
A 2021 investigation revealed Chicago’s deeply flawed inspection system for identifying and responding to safety issues in residential buildings. Since the report was published, 53 more people have died in residential fires.
The June ruling struck down New York’s law on who can carry a concealed weapon, expanding Second Amendment rights. Critics say the court focused too much on history and didn’t consider the ruling’s modern-day impacts.
Environmentalists are pushing back against a proposal to install 12 moveable gates in local waterways. They say the plan needs more local input and less focus on the storm surge problem.
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