Finance
Some low-wage earners must choose between pay raises and government assistance
Lawmakers in North Carolina heard from experts about the “benefits cliff” and how other jurisdictions are developing strategies to lessen its impact on low-income families.
Infrastructure
Congestion pricing plan OK’d in New York
The plan would bring in billions of dollars for the city’s aging subway system. But some details of how it will be enforced are unclear.
Workforce
Why so many election officials are leaving
Some states are seeing high rates of turnover among local election officials, according to new research. It’s a troublesome trend that may have a silver lining.
Sponsor Content
State and local agencies evaluate their AI future
The recent surge of interest and investment in AI tools has presented fascinating new opportunities in the government landscape.
Management
Pretrial diversion programs are effective. And expensive for participants.
Courts often charge high fees for people to get into programs that allow them to avoid prison. Alabama's Jefferson County is trying a different approach.
Management
Deadly fires from phone, scooter batteries leave lawmakers playing catch-up on safety
Lithium-ion battery fires move fast, blaze hot and are tough to extinguish.
Infrastructure
Massive ships make protecting bridges a much tougher task
As officials evaluate replacing Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, they must consider the weight and size of increasingly large vessels.
Digital Government
For effective community research, get the right people at the table
When people with lived experience participate in a research project’s design, data collection and analysis, they can increase engagement, build trust and lay the groundwork for system-level change.
Digital Government
New Florida law bans kids under 14 from social media
It is the latest in a series of efforts by states to regulate social media in a way that protects minors and stands up to legal challenges. But opponents say Florida’s law still runs afoul of the First Amendment.
Workforce
Is the deal with the NBA Milwaukee Bucks a model for city development projects?
The community benefits agreement that the Bucks owners signed for $250 million in state aid to build the Fiserv Forum included provisions allowing arena workers to freely unionize. It has turned their low-wage, insecure work into sustainable jobs, according to a new report.
Management
One city's long and historic lawsuit against the gun industry appears to have met its end
After surviving 25 years of appeals, Gary, Indiana's efforts to hold firearm manufacturers responsible for illegal gun sales is likely over after the governor signed a bill aimed at extinguishing the suit.
Infrastructure
Rebuilding the collapsed Baltimore bridge will be a ‘FAR bigger challenge’
While recent bridge replacements have been completed in a matter of weeks, this incident will be tougher to recover from and have wider impacts.
Sponsor Content
Tips for Dealing with Excessive Public Records Requesters and the Media
Veterans records manager, Cindi Mansell, shares tips and tricks for fulfilling records requests from the media and excessive requesters
Cybersecurity
Survey: Few states have ‘established’ privacy program
As states race to protect Americans’ data, the number of chief privacy officers has increased in state government. Still, a majority reported in a recent survey that they are building their programs.
Management
Freedom Monument Sculpture Park in Montgomery to honor victims of slavery
The park features sculptures and wall with 122,000 surnames of the 4.7 million people formerly enslaved recorded in the 1870 Census.
Management
With addiction bill passed, now Oregon faces biggest challenge
Counties have to build new treatment facilities to deflect people away from the criminal justice system but they only have a few months before possession is recriminalized.
Finance
States love March Madness. That’s a problem for many.
As more states have legalized sports betting, they’ve also seen a dramatic uptick in gambling addiction.
Workforce
It’s time for local policymakers to cement the Biden administration’s workforce gains
COMMENTARY | By adopting strong job quality standards for government spending, state and local policymakers can improve residents’ quality of life and support a strong, stable workforce for generations to come.
Workforce
County supports its aging residents by focusing on family caregivers
To ensure its older adults receive quality care, Fairfax County, Virginia, steps up services for their families.
Infrastructure
Florida is about to erase climate change from most of its laws
The state is spending big on adapting to sea level rise, but Republicans don't want to name the cause.
Infrastructure