State and Local Government
What is ‘reasonable cybersecurity’?
The term is used in policy after policy. But with no standard definition, networks are often left unprotected and open to lawsuits. That is changing.
Don’t rush into AI experiments too quickly, experts say
Speakers at Route Fifty’s latest Innovation Spotlight cautioned the need to balance innovation in artificial intelligence with good governance, despite the desire for adoption to happen quicker.
How local government fraud has—and hasn’t—changed since the pandemic
We spoke to a leading state auditor about how remote work and artificial intelligence are ushering in new kinds of fraud in state and local governments.
After a 7-year experiment, New Orleans is an all-charter district no more
The closely watched experiment is coming to an end. New Orleans Public Schools will now act both as a charter school authorizer and an old-fashioned school district.
Can cash payments reduce childhood poverty?
Money may not be able to buy happiness, but observers say it could help protect some of the nation’s most vulnerable: children living in poverty.
Survey: More college grads want to work in government
COMMENTARY | Compared to 2023, more graduating college students are applying for jobs in the public sector. The survey also found key takeaways that will help governments become employers of choice.
With the rise of AI, workforce planning is critical. But many governments don’t do it.
That’s a problem when state and local government officials are seeing daily evidence that the nature of their workforce is quickly changing.
Celebrating Public Service—and Public Servants
COMMENTARY | Government is asked to solve our toughest and most intractable problems. That’s why we need to celebrate the people who make a difference through government service.
90 years after 'Lunch Atop a Skyscraper,' are workers any safer?
COMMENTARY | Extreme heat and new technologies have created less obvious but equally potent new dangers in workplaces. State and local governments can address ongoing and new threats.
‘We can’t exist without child care’: Rural towns use state funding to open local centers
State grants are infusing over $3.7 million into helping rural communities build collaborative, innovative solutions to address child care needs across South Dakota.
Featured eBooks
Justices appear willing to limit bribery law used in corruption cases
The U.S. Supreme Court appeared to be sympathetic to a former Indiana mayor’s argument that the federal bribery statute is vague. A ruling would resolve a disparity in which “gratuities” from outsiders are considered OK in some courts, but not in others.
‘Artificial intelligence is not innovation,’ it’s a tool. How governments use it will vary.
Some state and local governments may embrace AI wholly, while others may take a more measured approach. Either way, experts said, the competition to be first is moot.
Lessons learned from whole-of-state cybersecurity efforts
More than two years into the federal cybersecurity grant program, state and local tech leaders say information sharing between the different levels of government is the most important aspect of the approach.
Congress finally approves spending budget, nearly six months late
The vote in the House and Senate averts a shutdown and brings funding certainty. But several programs significant to state and local governments will see cuts.
Spending package cuts grants to cities to help with influx of migrants
The six spending bills also fail to fund internet subsidies and security for places of worship.
The 5 best movies about state or local government, part 2
Lights, camera, action! In honor of this weekend’s Oscar Awards, here are our team’s top picks.
As millions wait on food stamp approvals, feds tell states to speed it up
To adequately staff safety net programs, some states are boosting workforce funding, and others are investing in new computer systems to speed up claims processing. But food security advocates say recent backlogs are a symptom of long-term disinvestment.
Israel, Ukraine package would increase funding to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia
As hate crimes increase in cities nationwide, some mayors and advocates are backing an effort in Congress to fund grants that would help synagogues and mosques bolster security.
Trust in government, and opportunities to rebuild it
Confidence in state and local government may have been waning in recent years, but there are ways communities can help to bolster their resident’s faith in them.
House rejects an increase to the SALT cap
Election-year politics derailed an effort to raise the amount in state and local taxes married couples could deduct. Local governments argued an increase in the cap would help “hardworking American families facing higher federal tax bills.”
