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States are spending a lot of their federal TANF money on things that don’t help families that need it the most, and work reporting requirements keep too many families from accessing benefits.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has issued a notice to lawmakers that they cannot use the state budget to restrict the funds of local health departments that institute local mask mandates; doing so would violate the state constitution.
The proposal could draw up to 200 high-wage remote workers to the area over the next two years by offering $10,000 in moving allowances. The program is based on one that Tusla and other cities have enacted.
As state and local debt continues to rise, governments may be forced to raise taxes or cut spending to control their budgets. New York has the most per capita government debt, largely due to school district debts.
The plan would train officers how to use less violent tactics when responding to mass protests and implement a new team that would monitor social media. But the community-created plan doesn’t please everyone.
The state has already spent $200 million over its emergency fund budget for the entire fiscal year that started in July. While some of the bill will be paid by state agencies, taxpayer dollars will also be used.
Law enforcement agencies in Skagit County, Wash., are purchasing and installing body cameras on their officers to adhere to a law that goes into effect in the new year. Many see the tech as beneficial, despite the costs.
With billions in grants about to start flowing from Washington, they will need comprehensive, timely information on what’s available. They shouldn’t have to wait for the feds to supply it.
Democrats say the Transportation and Climate Initiative, a regional cap and trade plan to reduce vehicle emissions, will help fight climate change. But Republicans are calling the plan just another gas tax.
State, local, territorial and tribal entities have used $150 billion from the Coronavirus Relief Fund — part of the CARES Act — for many things. But with the Dec. 31 deadline approaching, some still have a lot left.
Leaders of several state agencies are seeing large pay increases compared to their predecessors, some getting boosts in the tens of thousands. Officials say they’re trying to achieve parity as compared to other states.
Thousands of Connecticut residents were overpaid in unemployment insurance, meaning they now owe millions. But some lawmakers want the state to waive repayment and reimburse the unemployment fund.
A new report found four tolling sites had problems correctly counting vehicle axles, billing customers twice and overbilling others with commuter payment plans. The problems could be larger than MDTA wants to admit.
Demand for homeless services is increasing. Scores of communities are finding that when providers work in teams and use better data and systems, they can solve the problem person by person.
Scholars have always placed two New Deal era federal agencies at the center of the racist policy that steered private mortgage lenders away from Black neighborhoods. However, new research paints a different picture.
CalPERS has yet to recover the approximately $42 million in pension payments to 22,000 dead people, according to an internal audit. About 1,800 CalPERS recipients die each month, and the agency isn’t immediately notified.
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