Social Issues
Covering topics such as homelessness, immigration, racial justice, transgender rights and women’s rights.
Though Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has said she wants to keep the July special session narrowly focused on public safety, a group of Republican state senators has proposed packages that aim to secure a porous border.
State Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley won’t run for re-election in 2025, giving conservatives a better shot at regaining their majority. Bradley was first elected to the court in 1995.
When Raúl Ureña was first elected in 2020, she earned 70 percent of the vote. Now the mayor of the California border town of Calexico faces a recall over homelessness and economic development – but also gender identity.
The state auditor’s office found that a council created to oversee the implementation of homelessness programs has not consistently tracked spending or outcomes.
As with society as a whole, the homeless population is naturally aging. But now more people are falling into homelessness for the first time in their later years due to high housing costs.
City officials are optimistic that the pilot program will help connect homeless people with needed services and shelter or housing, as well as identify trash, graffiti, potholes and parking violations.
The state launched an investigation into the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department three years ago after a string of controversial shootings and costly lawsuits. Now the case is expected to settle.
With their numbers up more than 50 percent since 2016, women have achieved near-parity on councils in 15 major cities. Salaries on those councils have climbed an average of 27 percent.
American Indians were not granted citizenship by Congress until 1924. A prominent attorney discusses civil rights progress since then.
After serving for years as a top prosecutor, Liz Murrill was elected as AG last November. She spoke with Governing about some of her priorities.
Lacey Beaty came into office as mayor of Beaverton, Ore., with less power than her predecessor. That hasn't stopped her from taking on the city's biggest issue.
Total hired farm labor in the state dropped 23 percent from 2017 to 2022, more than twice the national rate of decline. Migrant farm labor fell even more.
The state is home to 23 of the top 300 most unequal school system borders in the country, including eight of the top 100. Only three states have more entries in the top 100, all of which have significantly larger populations.
New research finds that Native Americans are more exposed to flood risk than other groups, but Black and Asian communities are less exposed than predominantly white ones. Overall, the risk to property is much greater than depicted in official FEMA maps.
Public data from a network of state air monitors around the Houston Ship Channel is hard to interpret and is often inadequate, leaving Latino-majority neighborhoods unaware whether the air they breathe is safe.
Last year, the city gave a lease to a homeless encampment. Although that created some autonomy, it certainly didn't solve the problems faced by its residents.
Most Read
