Trump’s Lame-Duck Status Leaves Governors to Wing It on COVID
President-elect Joe Biden has promised a more unified national effort once he takes office on Jan. 20. But with record hospitalizations and new cases, many governors have decided they can’t afford to wait.
Election Disinformation Fears Came True for State Officials
False attacks on the voting process seeped into local elections.
States Launch Broadband Grant Programs with CARES Act Money
Experts say broadband infrastructure projects will be more helpful in improving connectivity in the long run than the type of WiFi deployments that were quickly rolled out at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Study: The Best—and Worst—State Highway Systems
North Dakota maintained its first-place ranking in the 25th Annual Highway Report, which uses 13 categories to evaluate the condition and cost-effectiveness of state-run highways.
States’ Face-Covering Mandates Leave Gaps in Protection
Not all masks provide the same level of protection, but state guidelines often fail to spell out exactly what is allowed and what is not.
Texas Democratic Losses Reflect Broader Statehouse Trend
There was no blue wave to topple the red statehouse wall.
States Need Federal Money to Do the Right Thing
COMMENTARY | Bailing out bars and restaurants would allow them to remain closed—and curb the spread of the coronavirus.
One City Council Tried to Dissuade Protesters from Targeting the Governor's Private Home. (It Didn't Work.)
The city council in Orem, Utah, convened an emergency meeting to pass an ordinance restricting protests that target public officials' private homes. Two days later, protesters were back at Gov. Gary Herbert's house.
GOP Lawsuits Restrain Governors’ COVID-19 Actions
In most states, judges have tossed out the lawsuits or sided with governors.
North Carolina Will Help Test College Students for Covid-19 Ahead of Holidays
The state will distribute more than 74,000 rapid antigen Covid-19 tests to colleges and universities.
State Climate Action Unlikely After Democrats Fail to Flip Statehouses
After Democratic gains failed to materialize, the prospects of sweeping climate action—at least at the state level—have dimmed.
Few Big Changes—But Lots of Newcomers—In State Legislative Elections
Voters elected roughly 1,500 new state lawmakers in last week's election, but only one state legislature flipped party control.
Most States Aren’t Ready to Distribute the Leading COVID-19 Vaccine
A review of state distribution plans reveals that officials don’t know how they’ll deal with the difficult storage and transport requirements of Pfizer’s vaccine, especially in the rural areas currently seeing a spike in infections.
States Go After Small Businesses on Amazon—and Sometimes Amazon—for Millions in Back Sales Taxes
The Supreme Court in 2018 gave states the power to make new rules for collecting sales taxes online. But back taxes on products sold by small businesses on Amazon’s marketplace are still a major point of dispute.
Report: State Election Officials Find No Evidence of Fraud
STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Oregon sex workers and strippers can apply for grants to help them through the pandemic … CDC says masks protect wearers from others … Texas rolls out mobile pollution monitoring.
The Worst Day of the Pandemic Since May
Covid-19 hospitalizations are now at an all-time high.
Georgia to Hand Recount All 4.9 Million Votes in Presidential Race
The state’s Republican secretary of state says the recount is not being driven by requests from the Trump campaign, but rather the narrow outcome in the contest. The current count shows Democrat President-elect Joe Biden leading.
We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Server: Preparing Network Infrastructure for Future Elections
COMMENTARY | Elections are times of both predictable and unpredictable surges in IT infrastructure strain. Adequately preparing for this reality ahead of time is imperative for state IT leaders.
One Republican Governor Reversed Course on a Mask Mandate. Others Are Still Resisting.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert declared an indefinite statewide mask mandate on Sunday as coronavirus cases continue to spike around the country, but other governors—including those in states hit hardest by the virus—haven't budged.
Masks, Plexiglass on Tap for Upcoming Legislative Sessions
One state even considered an NBA-style bubble.
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