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California state workers took a two years’ pay cut last year to help lessen the state’s looming budget deficit. The state is set to receive $26B in federal aid, but it may not be enough to return salaries to normal.
The California county unanimously approved trial of a guaranteed minimum wage program. The first cohort of 125 low-income, non-white mothers will receive $1,000 monthly payments for the next two years.
State legislatures will have a lot on their plates. They’ll deal with issues in wildly differing ways. We set the context for the 2021 session with an overview of everything from abortion to redistricting.
Across the country, houses of worship are shuttering by the thousands. Municipalities have a role in finding new uses for abandoned buildings that have long anchored communities and neighborhoods.
Connecticut tops the list of states whose taxpayers receive the least bang for their buck from the feds.
Updated medical and recreational-purpose marijuana laws by state
Six years ago, state police made a big push to catch up on a massive backlog. Now, waiting times exceed eight months and the number of untested kits is three times higher than in 2019.
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A culture change is happening. It’s been happening for a couple of decades now. Data is becoming more accessible through automation. But it’s not easy to make this transition.
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As more governments recognize the power of cloud-based software to drive efficiency and streamline workflows, citizens are also seeing the positive effects of modern technology used in the public sector.
Why are some lawmakers calling each other ‘bastards’ and ‘bat shit crazy’? Because governors in a dozen states now face legislatures controlled by the other party. While some can reach compromises, policy fights and angry words are common.
A once-desolate stretch of waterfront has become home to DC Water, a futuristic hub for managing water treatment in the nation’s capital and an architectural symbol of environmental sustainability.
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The 2019 Ideas Challenge identifies innovative public policy that positively impacts local communities.
Hacking isn't the only problem. Misinformation campaigns and the refusal of politicians to admit defeat all serve to undermine voter confidence. Now, states need to anticipate new threats.
Democrats scored gains in numerous once-Republican suburbs in state and local races Tuesday, most notably in Pennsylvania and Virginia. Republican strategists are nervous about that trend continuing into 2020.
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Why do so many software implementations in the public sector fail, stall or never reach their full potential? Are they buying the wrong software, are they using the wrong consulting firm or is it something completely different?
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Governments of all sizes around the nation, whether they be cities, counties, or states, understand the importance of economic development to building a successful organization.
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Many people have seen the drastic inefficiencies and lack of transparency within government and, in turn, the connection between taxpayers and government officials has suffered.
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Improving election system security requires more than technical solutions. It also requires the funding, trained workforce, and public acknowledgment necessary to ensure the commitment needed to conduct fair elections.
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There’s no easy solution, but state and local government leaders are finding ways to create more sustainable systems. Here’s how.
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Ransomware attacks and payments are on the rise. Between April and June, the average payment from a government rose to $338,700 compared to $36,295 for private-sector victims.
Hundreds of computer servers worldwide that store patient X-rays and MRIs are so insecure that anyone with a Web browser or a few lines of computer code can view patient records. One expert warned about it for years.
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Today’s governments are at a crossroads: leverage modern technology to foster an informed and bought-in populace or ignore technological trends and risk alienating constituents.
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Expanding the definition of “election systems” to include all of the primary and secondary interfaces to voter registration databases can also expand the number of funding sources available for the acquisition of tools and services to protect these interfaces.
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As if weather related events that compromise our safety and security aren’t enough, the critical events driven by man-made actions have been a turning point for our nation.
Without a strategy to rein in costs for its police and fire departments, the city faces the possibility of having to dedicate 100 percent of its property taxes to fund the pensions and not totally address the problem.
New Yorkers will soon provide up to $100 million in public financing to help fund candidates’ campaigns, but exactly how the landmark reform legislation will be implemented is up to a special commission.
Uber and Lyft on Thursday pledged $60 million to a California ballot initiative for the 2020 election that would maintain the status of their drivers as contract workers.
Colorado residents next year will decide whether to allocate the state's electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote in future presidential elections.
Gov. Kay Ivey is contacting state legislators, and apologizing for her role in a racist student skit from her time as an Auburn student.
Two former New York detectives will serve no prison time after pleading guilty to bribe taking and official misconduct for having sex in a police van with a young woman they arrested and released, prosecutors said Thursday.
A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld a dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the assault rifle ban in Cook County, Ill.
Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar on Tuesday fired back at the Alabama Republican Party after it urged her expulsion from Congress and cited Omar's past controversial comments on Israel.
The Democratic National Committee will recommend rejecting a plan for “virtual caucuses” in Iowa and Nevada, introducing a level of uncertainty in the caucus states ahead of the upcoming election season.
A proposed deal for Purdue Pharma LP to resolve more than 2,000 lawsuits over its role in the opioid crisis is facing pushback from a vocal group of state attorneys general who say it doesn’t bring in enough cash to satisfy their demands, according to people familiar with the matter.
Some critics wonder if the new city gig is a legitimate use of government money. Denver thinks so.
This case is the latest signal that the Trump administration is pointedly championing the rights of religious Americans.
A viral cellphone video of a defective voting machine cast some doubt on a Republican primary for governor in Mississippi on Tuesday, sparking broader concerns about U.S. voting infrastructure ahead of 2020.
Word of a growing partnership between police and the popular Amazon-owned doorbell camera company Ring is raising privacy concerns nationwide.
The Trump administration plans to shift at least $155 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster relief fund to support its policy of returning some migrants to Mexico.
Oklahoma’s unusual use of an old nuisance law to win it’s landmark suit against Johnson & Johnson on Monday could spur some states to amend their cases against opioid manufacturers and distributors to include the century-old statute.
Deaths from drivers running red lights reached a 10-year high in 2017, according to a new study.
The deadline passed at midnight Wednesday for candidates to qualify for the next Democratic presidential debate and only 10 made it, narrowing the largest field in history to a more manageable size.
Less than 24 hours before the law was set to take full effect, U.S. District Judge Howard Sachs issued an order blocking enforcement of the bans on abortions at eight, 14, 18 and 20 weeks, pending further review.
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein filed eight lawsuits against eight separate e-cigarette companies on Tuesday, alleging that the companies are "unlawfully targeting children" and not requiring appropriate age verification when selling products.
Tens of thousands of cannabis convictions will be automatically expunged under a partnership between a tech nonprofit and Cook County prosecutors.
The panel recommends redrawing school-district lines citywide to “fully integrate” them within 10 years.
Utah has one of the highest rates of suicide in the U.S. And from 2006 to 2015, 85% of firearm deaths in the state were suicides.
The states, led by California and Massachusetts, argue that the government is already failing to provide detained children with safe and sanitary conditions.
Oklahoma pursued the first case against a drug manufacturer for the national public health disaster, and the ruling may point to what lies ahead in 2,000 more lawsuits.
Several states may be straying into dangerous territory.
A Dispatch analysis found that 1,641 voters who cast ballots after the 2015 primary election — an action that should have prevented them from being placed on a potential purge list — were sent last-chance notices this summer, warning that their registration could be canceled Sept. 6 if they didn’t act.
Five children aged 10 and under have been shot and killed since April and Krewson asked anyone with information to come forward because "conventional policing tactics are not enough."
The proposed gun control reform is set to be considered in mid-November, just days after a Nov. 5 election that will determine who controls Virginia's legislature next year.
The fallout is especially intense in Utah, where Planned Parenthood has been the only provider participating in the nearly 50-year-old Title X family planning program and will now lose about $2 million yearly in federal funds that helped 39,000 mostly low-income, uninsured people.
A former Arizona sheriff who was pardoned by President Trump said he'll run to reclaim the seat he lost in 2016.
The teachers' salaries will be raised incrementally under H.B. 2078, from $32,076 for the 2020-21 school year to $34,576 in 2021-22, $37,076 in 2022-23 and $40,000 in 2023-24.
The issue has come to a head in Wyoming, where rugged terrain and long distances between hospitals forces reliance on these ambulance flights.
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Many governments are looking to implement budget transparency practices that can improve the public’s perception of their performance. Learn how data visualization tools can help your organization tell its financial story, increase data transparency, and improve stakeholder trust and engagement.
5G technology will bring challenges for local government all the way down to the neighborhood level.
With an eye on tourism and development, states keep trying to come up with evocative new taglines. Sometimes they stumble.
Small test-runs can help an entity avoid big mistakes, but there's an art to getting meaningful results.
For many members of the force, the decision to fire the officer whose chokehold led to Eric Garner’s death signaled a shift in the rules of engagement.
Gov. Roy Cooper's veto adds the governor to a growing list of local law enforcement and state government officials who oppose cooperating with ICE within their jurisdictions.
Letter from Greg Abbott warns over ‘illegal immigrants’ and says ‘we’ll need to take matters into our own hands’
The legislation was modeled after a similar law in California.
The data, described as preliminary, show that deaths continue to decline despite the growing presence of illicit fentanyl in the drug supply.
Beyond the disruptions at local city halls and public libraries, the attacks have serious consequences, with recovery costing millions of dollars.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee dropped his 2020 bid for the White House on Wednesday after his climate-focused campaign failed to gain traction in a crowded field of Democratic candidates, marking the third major departure in recent weeks.
Former Colorado governor announced his withdrawal from the presidential race a week ago
The Republican billionaire has frequently been criticized by members of both major parties for being absent from the Charleston statehouse as his business empire of more than 100 companies bogs down in litigation.
While the political focus may be on mass shootings, states are using the laws far more often to prevent cases of individual gun violence, including suicide.
Too often, the debate over transportation funding in Congress revolves around dollars and cents. But many advocates say we should agree on big goals first, so we know what we’re getting for the money we spend.
A new study found that the gap between the states with the highest standards and those with the lowest standards is narrowing.
Richard Ross Jr., the Philadelphia police commissioner, abruptly resigned on Tuesday after what the city’s mayor described as a failure to stop harassment and discrimination in the department.
The decision falls short of governor's promise of a $3000 dividend and reduces proposed cuts that enraged Alaskans enough to start a recall movement
A look at Julia Keleher's life and career reveals that her frustration with the status quo started early.
The decision comes two months after a tense community meeting where residents vented about a well-publicized incident, in which video showed an officer pull a gun on a family during a shoplifting investigation outside a Phoenix dollar store in May.
When it opened in 1990, SMCI seemed like a godsend for Leakesville, a town of less than 1,000 residents halfway between Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and Mobile, Alabama.
Numbers of governments reporting relatively high fine revenues vary significantly across states.
Methodology for "Addicted to Fines" special report.
Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen is caught in a scandal of his own making. He's not the only state legislative leader across the country facing political peril.
Earlier this month, Democratic Gov. Kate Brown signed a law that requires most Oregon cities with more than 1,000 residents to allow duplexes in areas previously zoned exclusively for single-family homes. Cities larger than 25,000 also must allow townhouses, triplexes and fourplexes.
New York City's police commissioner has fired a police officer involved in the 2014 death of Eric Garner. Police Commissioner James O'Neill made the announcement Monday afternoon.
Drawing applause from civil liberties organizations and activists, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Monday that raises the standard for when police can use deadly force.
Investigators hadn't determined the origin of the attacks as of Friday evening and were still working to bring cities' systems back online, according to a news release from the Texas Department of Information Resources.
Labor Cabinet Secretary David Dickerson said the investigation was necessary to ensure that public schools remain open during the upcoming school year and that "similar work stoppages do not occur in the future."
From 2013 to 2017, hate crimes reported in South Carolina increased by 70 percent, according to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Per capita public employment dropped the most in Alaska and Arizona, while other states are expanding their workforces.
More and more communities are considering reviving an old tax idea that’s been tried in only a few places.
Once-popular public golf courses have become a strain on many cities’ budgets. Are municipal greens still up to par?
Small towns in much of the country are dangerously dependent on punitive fines and fees.
A new study reveals the downsides of running a city.
"Park equity" gets a new focus as cities tackle inequality in all facets of public life.
Photos and musings from our photographer.
At one point, there were 18,000 rental bikes in Dallas. Now, they’re all gone.
Soundbites and slogans might work in Washington, but closer to home voters expect results.
Coal isn’t going to bounce back in West Virginia. But tourism and recreation can replace it.
More women are cycling, and more are dying. It reflects an urban failure.
Tension between downtowns and neighborhoods isn’t going to go away.
As a result, border officials in California and Arizona will not be allowed to apply the new rule against asylum-seekers, but agents in Texas and New Mexico may, unless a court elsewhere intervenes.
Of the 17 states and the District of Columbia that have specific taxes on vaping products, half implemented them in 2019, according to the Public Health Law Center at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law, which researches the links between public policy and health.
Some legislatures are trying to create a legal way for dependent teens to get the HPV vaccine without their parents' consent.
California is on track to post a record $3.1 billion in licensed cannabis sales this year, solidifying its status as the largest legal marijuana market in the world, according to a study released Thursday by financial analysts who advise the industry.
The pictures have sparked outrage on both sides of the aisle, with Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker blasting them in a statement Saturday night.
The judge's order came after North Jersey doctor Yosef Glassman filed a lawsuit seeking to block the law on grounds it violates constitutional rights as well as common law barring suicide.
From weak state parties to regional differences, we look at why these states are defying demographics.
Hundreds of small cities and towns throughout the country rely significantly on fines to fund their budgets.
The rule, unveiled on Monday and to take effect Oct. 15, expands the definition of a public charge, allowing denials to visa applicants who fail to meet income requirements or who receive public assistance.
RINO is often used by Republicans to disparage others within the party who are not sufficiently conservative.
The task force will analyze current and emerging state threats and form stronger prevention strategies. Abbott took similar action — which led to sweeping legislation — after last year's school shooting in Santa Fe.
Starting with next year's presidential primary election, paper ballots will be required, according to the ruling by U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg.
The 22-question survey was sent out Thursday -- one day after the ninth NYPD officer committed suicide this year. The survey was also circulated a week ago, police sources said.
Four cases of severe lung disease in the Twin Cities are being linked to vaping and e-cigarette use.
Lead poisoning has been associated with lower IQs and academic achievement, impaired speech, hearing and motor skill difficulties, and cognitive and behavioral delays.
Stacey Abrams told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday she will not run for president in 2020 and will instead focus on a national expansion of her voting rights group.
Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper will end a presidential campaign that never got off the ground Thursday morning and announce that he is seriously considering a run against Republican Sen. Cory Gardner, according to two people familiar with his plans.
Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday said he would sign an executive order intended to increase state government's focus on curbing gun violence.
Jennifer Jermaine, the Chandler Democrat who sponsored House Bill 2570, said the 21-member task force was gearing up to study the scope of the "epidemic crisis."
In June, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency eliminated the agency's Clean Power Plan and replaced it with a new rule that gives states more leeway in deciding upgrades for coal-fired power plants.
D.C. officials and immigration advocates on Tuesday criticized plans by the federal government to house unaccompanied migrant children in Washington.
The new Tennessee law has nonprofits and voting rights activists scrambling ahead of the 2020 presidential election, as they attempt to understand new regulations that could lead to thousands of dollars in fines and even jail time.
Individuals and companies that violate the sexual harassment law can face lawsuits by employees and can be fined by the state.
Gov. Cooper said he signed the directive to his Cabinet agencies to "build on the work we are already doing" around gun violence and safety.
The decision, in a 4-3 vote, means the mural depicting George Washington's life would survive, but be obscured, at least semi-permanently, from public view.
Photos and musings from our photographer.
After two straight years of beating expectations, pension investment earnings have slightly dipped thanks in part to fears of a trade war.
It was a big improvement for permitting and other forms of service delivery, but it's already outdated. The new goal should be no-stop government.
The administration has portrayed the rule as a way to promote sufficiency and independence among immigrants.
New Mexico, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania allow people with an opioid addiction to qualify for a medical marijuana card.
Those arrested were charged with disorderly conduct for obstructing traffic, NYPD detective Sophia T. Mason said.
The insurance, required of all gun owners except law enforcement officers, would cover the costs of harm caused by accidental gunshots, or by intentional shootings by nonowners who borrow or steal the gun.
Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority, which is more than $9 billion in debt, had been expected to sign the contract with Stantec, a consulting firm based in Canada.
The wide-scale water distribution of 247 pallets of water is the first time the city has taken such drastic action since the lead crisis began in 2017.
Led by an Alaska Native spiritual healer and a former coal mine operator, thousands of Alaskans across party lines are teaming up to recall GOP Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
The appeals court overturned a 2018 decision from a federal district judge who ruled that the law, which gives adoption placement preference to Native American tribes, was unconstitutional. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton challenged the law in 2017.
A billionaire with ties to New Mexico faces charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy. Now documents connected to one of Jeffrey Epstein’s associates that were previously sealed have been released.
Supporters of the senior benefits program say the governor has suddenly ripped away monthly income that some of the state's oldest residents have long depended on.
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday asked the Florida Supreme Court justices to issue an opinion on whether felons must pay all fines and fees before they are eligible to register to vote.
Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed a bipartisan bill Friday to create an independent commission proposed to come up with the best way to redraw legislative, congressional and Executive Council districts after the 2020 elections.
The office also added that the bill will provide victims of domestic violence with paid time off and “guarantees 100% of wages to low-income workers."
The Virginia Tech shootings in 2007 claimed the lives of 32 people. The Virginia Beach shooting in May resulted in 12 deaths. In the 12 years between those mass shootings, more than 3,000 people were killed in shootings in Virginia.
Just months before the state's new privacy law is set to take effect, Silicon Valley giants and other corporations are facing off against privacy advocates in a last-ditch effort to alter the measure, the California Consumer Privacy Act, in the supermajority Democratic Legislature.
As climate change makes summers hotter, the health risks associated with these hyperlocal heat islands will grow.
