State Government

GOP Governors Respond to Texas' Call for Troops at Border

Four more governors have joined a growing list of Republican-led states sending personnel to the U.S.-Mexico border. But is it effective? Plus, more news to use from around the country in this week's State and Local Roundup.

  • By Elizabeth Daigneau

The Latest ‘Right to Repair’ Law Is the Broadest One Yet

Minnesota is the fourth state to require manufacturers to share parts and repair information with equipment owners and independent shops to more easily fix devices like phones, laptops and appliances.

  • By Elaine S. Povich, Stateline

GOP-Led States Plan New Voter Data Systems to Replace One They Rejected

But few states offer details on how these new systems will work.

  • By Zachary Roth, New Jersey Monitor

For Some Convicted Sex Offenders, Finishing Their Sentences Doesn’t Mean They Get To Go Home

Several states are civilly committing sex offenders when their prison terms end. Observers say nationwide data on the practice is needed to shed light on how widespread it is and whether it is effective.

  • By Rachel Gottlieb

Montana Ban Targets TikTok, Along with China and Big Tech

State lawmakers are treading on new ground with an outright ban, but legislators around the country are concerned about the reach of social media. Plus, more news to use from around the country in this week's State and Local Roundup.

  • By Elizabeth Daigneau

In Their Fight Against Big Oil, Cities Turn to Laws That Took Down Mobsters

The use of RICO laws could be the start of a new wave of climate lawsuits and a sign that cities and states are trying to learn from the successes and failures of the tobacco and opioid litigation movements.

  • By Kate Yoder, Grist

Amid Economic Uncertainty, State Tax Revenues Decline

If there’s good news in April's numbers, though, it might be that most states were already planning for softer revenue growth in fiscal 2024 and many have robust rainy day funds to weather a potential downturn. Plus, more news to use from around the country in this week's State and Local Roundup.

  • By Elizabeth Daigneau

The Fight to Reverse Increasing Maternal Mortality Rates

The U.S. has some of the highest mortality rates in the world. A study in North Carolina found approaches that are making a difference.

  • By Rachel Gottlieb

States Should Improve Opportunities for Older Youth in Foster Care Systems

An Annie E. Casey Foundation report said more investments are needed toward job training, post-secondary education and stable housing for those in foster care between the ages of 14 and 21.

  • By William J. Ford, Maryland Matters

The Real Impact of State Tax Cuts

COMMENTARY | The debate over tax cuts that’s happening in statehouses across the country is about much more than revenues and spending. It’s a fight over whether we will have an inclusive democracy where everyone—all races in all places—can thrive.

  • By Aidan Davis and Wesley Tharpe

New York To Ban Fossil Fuels in New Buildings. 23 States Have Forbidden Such Bans.

A partisan rift is widening as states clash over electrification of buildings.

  • By Caitlin Dewey, Stateline

The Montana Legislator's Censure Shows That American Standards of Political Decorum Are Failing

COMMENTARY | The move violates the spirit of legislative rules set by none other than Thomas Jefferson, one of the founders of this country, more than 200 years ago. Those rules were written to protect minority views.

  • By Alauna Safarpour, The Conversation
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Nation’s Longest-Serving Governor Won’t Run for Reelection

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee made a name for himself at home and nationally as an environmental champion.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

Half of Lieutenant Governors Are Women. Could It Pave the Way to Higher Office?

New research shows the opportunities and challenges for women who are second in command.

  • By Barbara Rodriguez, The 19th

States Abandon Access to Shared Voter Registration Data

As states gear up to leave the Electronic Registration Information Center, few have specific plans in place to maintain accurate voter rolls on their own.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Voting to Raise Their Own Pay Puts State Lawmakers in a Bind

Persistently low salaries discourage everyday citizens from serving in state legislatures. Unless salaries are raised, “we’ll have a legislature of only wealthy or retired people.”

  • By Marsha Mercer, Stateline

Some States Want to Give You a Constitutional Right to a Clean Environment

Grassroots efforts have boosted the number of states considering so-called green amendments to 15 this year.

  • By Erika Bolstad, Stateline

An Attack on Auditor Independence Jeopardizes One State’s Fiscal Future

The Iowa Senate passed a bill that severely limits its auditor’s access to critical documents. The ramifications could be severe.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

How Washington Raised $300 Million for Climate Action From Polluters

The state's first "cap-and-invest" auction nearly doubled the price of carbon recently sold in California.

  • By Kate Yoder, Grist

Biden Administration Recognizes States’ Role in Highway Spending

A new memo from the Federal Highway Administration that replaces one from last year explicitly acknowledges the role of states in deciding how to use federal highway dollars—allaying concerns raised by Republicans in Congress.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

Legislative Staffs Are Pushing to Unionize

Since Oregon successfully unionized in 2021, statehouse employees in half a dozen states have also sought to organize.

  • By Kyle Chouinard