State and Local Government

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.

  • By Elizabeth Daigneau

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.

  • By Kery Murakami

Should states and localities be worried about the U.S. downgrade?

Or about the possibility of another one amid the budget showdown in Congress? Fitch Ratings’ decision to knock the federal government’s credit rating down a notch last month doesn’t directly affect state and local credit quality. But it’s a warning shot.

  • By Liz Farmer

How cutting red tape can encourage housing conversions

By streamlining zoning and broadening eligibility for adaptive reuse programs, Los Angeles and Kissimmee, Florida, encourage developers to convert business properties to desperately needed housing.

  • By Molly Bolan

An underused approach to fighting cyberattacks

The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center offers free services to help localities with cybersecurity. Why aren’t more governments using them?

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

Post-pandemic, SNAP benefits aren’t high enough to buy food

A new study finds that people in three-quarters of the nation’s counties don’t receive enough food assistance to pay for their groceries.

  • By Kery Murakami

‘Thready or not,’ the public sector is jumping onto the latest social media platform

One expert shares tips for navigating the still-evolving world of Threads. Plus, a roundup of our favorite state and local government introductory posts.

  • By Molly Bolan

High turnover is disrupting efforts to fix the workforce crisis, a survey finds

The poll of state and local HR managers finds that hiring has increased, but so has the number of people quitting.

  • By Kery Murakami

Despite the controversy, cities are still turning to rent control to address the housing crisis

Many cities have adopted rent control measures in the past year to help with the high cost of housing. But the approach has had less success in statehouses, where opponents argue it’s ineffective.

  • By Molly Bolan

Cities urged to fight antisemitism

In a plan released last month, the Biden administration is calling for all hands on deck in countering antisemitism and has laid out steps that states and cities can take to stop discrimination in their communities.

  • By Kery Murakami

6 takeaways for the government workforce crisis

COMMENTARY | Public servants from coast to coast share their advice on how to successfully hire and retain government talent.

  • By Bob Lavigna

Right-to-charge laws bring the promise of EVs to apartments, condos and rentals

COMMENTARY | Illinois passed the latest law requiring new apartment buildings to be wired for EV chargers. Now apartment communities are figuring out the best ways to make shared charging work for everyone.

  • By Eleftheria Kontou, The Conversation
Featured eBooks
Road and Transit Infrastructure Trends
Federal Recovery Funds at the State and Local Level
Infrastructure at a Turning Point

We’re going to Miami. Join us to learn what’s new in state and local technology.

Our annual Tech Summit is June 26-27. Come hear how local leaders from across the country are using technology to address the biggest issues facing communities.

  • By Route Fifty Staff

Five years after the Wayfair ruling, states' reliance on the sales tax grows

But while the sales tax has brought in billions of dollars for state and local governments, businesses find the patchwork of rules burdensome.

  • By Liz Farmer

Mayors: There’s a Mental Health Crisis in Every City

It is causing drug overdoses and homelessness in cities across America. But with the debt deal to freeze spending, it is uncertain whether federal help is coming.

  • By Kery Murakami

Staffing Challenges Spur Another Look at Four-Day Workweeks

School districts think shorter weeks could attract more teachers, while one Colorado city hopes they can help address chronic staffing shortages at its police department.

  • By Elizabeth Daigneau

A New Texas Law Erodes the Power of City Councils

The long-sought bill stops the state’s bluer urban areas from enacting laws that exceed state law on a number of fronts. Republicans say the patchwork of local laws were hurting businesses.

  • By Joshua Fechter, The Texas Tribune

Senate Passes Debt Ceiling Bill, Approves New Work Requirements for Benefits

States will have to meet stricter rules for those receiving food stamps and welfare assistance. Some worry it will actually hamper states’ ability to help people get back to work.

  • By Kery Murakami

The Pros and Cons of the Debt Deal for States and Localities

The deal doesn’t claw back billions of dollars promised under the infrastructure and climate laws, but it does keep federal spending flat and adds work requirements for food stamp recipients.

  • By Kery Murakami

Fighting Climate Change, State by State

COMMENTARY | Across the country, state and local governments are accelerating their efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions. They are creating approaches that can be borrowed and improved upon.

  • By Debbie Cox Bultan

Local Governments Escape Ruling that Could Have Upended Property Tax Laws

The Supreme Court ruled that cities and counties cannot keep surplus funds from the homes they sell after residents fail to pay property taxes. But local officials nationwide are breathing a sigh of relief that the court didn’t go further.

  • By Elizabeth Daigneau