State and Local Government

Federal Spending on Kids is Up, But Expected to Fall

Pandemic-era programs gave the funding a boost. As it phases out, more costs could shift to states and localities.

  • By Molly Bolan

Rethinking How to Solve the Nation’s Housing Shortage

Industry experts are floating ideas they say could help, many of which would involve state and local policy-makers taking action.

  • By Molly Bolan

‘Robo-lawyers’ are Coming. Are States Ready?

Automated legal services are becoming more widely available for routine proceedings, offering possible cost savings and other benefits. But for the emerging tech to thrive, experts say regulations need to be updated.

  • By Molly Bolan

States Look to Help Tenants Pay for Air Conditioning as Climate Warms

“We don’t want anybody to pass away because of something we can fix; that’s just not right.”

  • By Elaine S. Povich, Stateline

New Data Resource Focuses on Racial Wealth Gap

The Black Wealth Data Center consolidates different data sets to allow users to compare inequities across their communities and the nation.

  • By Molly Bolan

New Analysis Looks at Where People Pay the Most in Property Taxes

The report breaks down county level payments and offers a state-to-state comparison that takes into account property values and differences in how the taxes are assessed.

  • By Molly Bolan

Does a Fetus Count in the Carpool Lane? Texas' Abortion Law Creates New Questions About Legal Personhood

A pregnant Texas woman said her fetus should count as a person in an HOV lane. That legal question is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the thorny question of “personhood.”

  • By Pooja Salhotra, The Texas Tribune

As State Institutions Close, Families of Longtime Residents Face Agonizing Choices

Iowa, under federal pressure to improve care for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, is set to join 45 other states that have closed most or all of their state institutions for such residents.

  • By Tony Leys , Kaiser Health News

More Than 1 in 3 Government Employees Haven’t Taken a Vacation in Last Year, Survey Says

Public sector employees cite the cost of taking time off as a key reason why they aren’t vacationing.

  • By Frank Konkel

A New Tech Tool to Help Communities Confront Climate Risks

The just-launched federal website provides a range of information around extreme weather and natural disasters.

  • By Molly Bolan

New Index Ranks Best and Worst States for Workers

Researchers looked at over two dozen types of policies in all 50 states as part of their analysis.

  • By Molly Bolan

State Lawmaker Discusses New $125M Program That Will Help Pay for Home Repairs

Pennsylvania State Sen. Nikil Saval's Whole-Home Repairs Program was included in this year’s state budget.

  • By Justin Sweitzer
Featured eBooks
Road and Transit Infrastructure Trends
Federal Recovery Funds at the State and Local Level
Infrastructure at a Turning Point

A Library Struck by Controversy That Began Over a Book It Didn’t Own

In Boundary County, Idaho a local librarian decided to resign citing a “political atmosphere of extremism.” The situation there mirrors a trend affecting libraries around the country.

  • By Molly Bolan

Local Election Offices Often Are Missing on Social Media

COMMENTARY | But election boards that use their social media accounts to share information may improve voter registration and participation, especially among young voters, two professors write.

  • By Thessalia Merivaki and Mara Suttmann-Lea, The Conversation

Despite New Funding, Infrastructure Jobs Prove Tough to Fill

Projects can't get built without the right workers, but a National League of Cities analysis shows how hiring for infrastructure jobs can be time consuming compared to other fields. NLC also offers tips for how governments can help to ease the problem.

  • By Molly Bolan

‘Really Disappointing’: For Housing Advocates, Democrats’ New Spending Law Is a Major Letdown

After $150 billion for affordable housing was stripped from the legislation, they’re looking for alternatives to secure funding they say is urgently needed to address rising rents and home prices.

  • By Kery Murakami

Best US Cities to Rent an Apartment

Five of the top 10 cities are small, including No. 1 Round Rock, Texas, near Austin.

  • By Molly Bolan

Feds Launch Website to Push Out Information on CHIPS Act Funding

Also on Thursday, President Biden signed an executive order laying out priorities for implementing the bipartisan semiconductor measure.

  • By Kery Murakami

Economic Development Efforts Thriving in Repurposed Prisons

In recent years, former correctional facilities in seven states were converted into apartments, a sports complex, a movie studio and more, initiatives that are generating jobs and boosting local economies, according to a new report.

  • By Molly Bolan

GOP Governors Bus Migrants to Blue Cities, but Many Exit in Red States

Many migrants sent to Washington, D.C., and New York are disembarking before they arrive.

  • By Tim Henderson, Stateline

Home Sale Prices Fall Swiftly in Pandemic Boomtowns

Many homes for sale in July nationwide experienced price drops, especially those in cities that saw an influx of residents during the pandemic. Boise, Idaho, led the pack with nearly 70% of houses on the market falling in price.

  • By Molly Bolan