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.
The state has signaled its support for allocating an additional $70 million to Gov. Tina Kotek’s initial request of $130 million in emergency funds to help move residents off the streets and keep them housed.
Missouri's Legislature has a plan to take over the police force in St. Louis. It's just one example of states taking direct control of public safety in their largest cities.
A tale of two trains: When something bad happens, local and state officials increasingly are shouldered aside. The people and the pundits now expect all solutions to come from Washington.
Lawmakers in some states are pushing to make it harder for defendants to avoid pretrial detention. There are better ways to protect public safety that don’t conflict with the presumption of innocence.
When a police officer exhibits courtesy and empathy, it brings into focus the nuanced, complex relationship between law enforcement and the African American community.
With its residents upset by crime, homelessness and high taxes, it’s become a depressed and discouraging place. Can it once again be a shining exemplar of modern urbanist success?
The state’s House Judiciary Committee heard extensive testimony for a package of 11 bills that would implement safe storage laws, require universal background checks for the purchase of all firearms and establish red flag laws.
Lawmakers in several states are pushing legislation banning the use of a new credit-card merchant code for firearms retailers. But its use to flag unusual purchases might have prevented some mass shootings.
The state Legislature has continued its use of virtual sessions to allow virtual participation in the legislative process. But as Zoombombing occurrences have increased in recent weeks, some are reconsidering the access.
The First Step Act was meant to compassionately release people from federal prison who are terminally ill or aging and who pose little to no safety threat. But data shows that judges rejected more than 80 percent of requests.
Just four members of the public were allowed to speak on a bill that would increase penalties for inciting a riot, allows police and prosecutors to determine what constitutes a riot and escalates punishment for property damage.
Investigations revealed communication flaws and unclear lines of authority in the medical response that further hampered lifesaving efforts. Nineteen children and two adults died in the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary.
President Joe Biden urged lawmakers to “finish the job” on a range of economic and social issues in his second State of the Union address.
When it comes to addressing gun violence, local governments are on the front lines. But a successful decades-long campaign by the NRA for state laws preempting localities from regulating firearms is undercutting them.
The state has ambitious goals to end natural-gas usage over the next several years as a way to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. But storms and fires are more routinely causing residents to go days or weeks without power.
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