Infrastructure
Biden administration warns of risks to air and rail safety if government shuts down
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also said that a shutdown and proposed GOP cuts could affect efforts to fight the fentanyl epidemic, as well as disaster relief operations.
Digital Government
One city’s ‘data conversations’ help confront pressing challenges
Faced with water shortages, Henderson, Nevada, has turned to a data-driven approach to solve it. It’s now rolling out its approach to other departments citywide.
Finance
With the farm bill set to expire, Congress is still months away from a new version
A looming government shutdown has slowed the process even more. Among the key areas of disagreement is the SNAP program, a huge spending portion of the bill that helps low-income families buy food.
Sponsor Content
Data Is the Key to Thwarting Ransomware
State, local and education networks face rising phishing and ransomware attacks, in which criminals steal a trove of personal identifiable data.
Workforce
Fossil fuel workers have the skills to succeed in green jobs, but location is a major barrier to a just transition
COMMENTARY | In a greener future, what becomes of current fossil fuel workers? Despite possessing skills applicable to green industries, their geographical locations will limit their opportunities.
Finance
Can pensions help address growing wealth inequality?
A new report finds that pensions have significant impacts on household wealth, increasing net worth across race, gender and educational attainment.
Management
Rethinking engagement to support a rapidly growing older adult population
COMMENTARY | Having a reliable, evidence-based planning process can significantly impact how state governments address the immediate needs of their aging residents while planning for the future.
Emerging Tech
Augmented, not artificial, intelligence should be government leaders’ priority
AI should be seen as a “co-pilot, not an autopilot,” said local officials at an event this week, adding that it could be crucial amidst a government workforce shortage.
Infrastructure
For rural communities, broadband expansion is no single thing
Small communities trying to take advantage of massive federal funding now available for broadband expansion deal with multiple hurdles. Resistance from major providers is just one of them.
Management
NYC health department publishes first guidelines for supervised injection sites
The guidance further formalizes the sites, which are federally illegal.
Management
New White House office will work with communities to curb gun violence
The office will look to build off of last year’s landmark gun legislation and has been applauded by national local government associations who have called gun violence an “incredibly serious issue in America.”
Featured eBooks
Finance
Why a government shutdown is complex for state and local governments
It will impact welfare, food stamps, housing and infrastructure, among other things. But planning for a shutdown is difficult for a myriad of reasons.
Sponsor Content
2023 Public Records Complexity Benchmark Report
Read the complexity report to learn what successful public record request management looks like in 2023.
Management
Why some power companies support climate laws, but others don’t
Electric utilities have considerable political juice in state capitols, which a study found they can use to promote or stymie greenhouse gas reduction efforts.
Infrastructure
Traditional downtowns are dead or dying in many US cities—what’s next for these zones?
COMMENTARY | Developers have overbuilt office and commercial space in US cities for decades. Now, in the wake of pandemic shutdowns, many downtowns face hard choices about the future.
Infrastructure
Study looks at climate change effects on rural electrical grids
Investigators from universities in South Dakota, Puerto Rico, Maine and Alaska are working together for the next four years to study severe weather events and electrical grids.
Management
7 million Americans lose Medicaid coverage
Thirty states have wrongly disenrolled people during the “unwinding” of the health insurance program from pandemic-era policies. But nearly half a million individuals—many of them kids—have since been reinstated. Plus, more news to use from around the country in this week's State and Local Roundup.
Management
California enters the ring of drug manufacturing. Could others follow?
As insulin prices have skyrocketed, states have intervened to lower them with price caps. Now, California’s decision to manufacture its own is leading other states to consider similar steps in an effort to ensure essential medicines are affordable to the public.
Emerging Tech
AI will bring dramatic change in the next three years, say local government IT execs
But better training on the emerging technology is needed and should be mandatory, according to a new survey.
Infrastructure
A group of US governors promises to install 20 million heat pumps by 2030
And they want to put at least 40 percent of them in disadvantaged communities.
Management