Emergency alert: States confront EMS shortages
Minnesota declared an “EMS emergency” last month, but it’s far from alone. An outdated approach to funding the service is largely to blame, says experts.
In this Legislature’s Civility Caucus, Republicans and Democrats actually like talking to each other
At Civility Caucus gatherings, conversation might go to hot-button issues, but they are much more productive and sometimes even lead to co-sponsored bills.
Oregon rolls back decriminalization of drugs. But is it too soon?
At a time when drug overdoses plague the nation, Oregon will recriminalize hard drugs, walking back a first-in-the nation experiment that critics say the state botched.
As elections loom, congressional maps challenged as discriminatory will remain in place
With control of the House of Representatives hanging in the balance, the time-consuming appeals process means elections in multiple districts will take place using maps that have been challenged as discriminatory to voters of color.
In crisis and on hold: How the 988 hotline revamped callers' experience
To avoid people in need hanging up in frustration, the crisis and suicide hotline has changed the voice and the music that callers hear as they wait to be connected to counselors.
Freedom Caucuses push for conservative state laws, but getting attention is their big success
Eleven states have formal chapters of the State Freedom Caucus Network, which aims to push Republicans to the right.
How teens can be safer drivers
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the U.S. Will raising the requirements for a driver’s license help?
In Georgia, inadequate housing can mean significantly longer stays in foster care
Even after resolving other safety concerns, parents can wait for months to be reunited with their children, often because of what advocates say are stringent requirements sought by the state’s Division of Family and Children Services.
States look to Medicaid to curb maternal mortality
Expanding Medicaid postpartum care from 60 days to 12 months gives states more tools for addressing rising maternal death rates.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
How New Jersey’s new affordable housing law aims to ease the housing crisis
The new law lets municipalities know exactly how much affordable housing they have to build. It’s an approach that states are increasingly trying in an effort to pressure local governments to increase affordable options.
Legislative inaction and dissatisfaction with one-party control lead to more ballot initiatives, with 60% of them in 6 states
COMMENTARY | Citizen-led ballot measures have been used in various states to expand Medicaid, preserve abortion rights and raise minimum wages, but over the past five years, lawmakers have increasingly made it harder to get these initiatives and referendums on the ballot.
GOP attorneys general charge into battle over state election rules
If the 2024 election is contested, Republican AGs look well-placed to push conservative legal arguments that could directly influence court decisions and infiltrate the broader public debate, experts say.
States turn to Medicaid to tackle housing insecurity
Section 1115 Medicaid waivers can help states reduce health inequities by covering housing costs and providing meal support for vulnerable populations.
Longtime state senator announces plans to retire
In an interview from earlier this year, Washington’s Karen Keiser discussed her nearly 30-year career and how to affect change in state legislatures.
Records shed light on program pairing cops with mental health professionals
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced that he plans to double the budget for the community-based program that dispatches a mental health counselor with a plainclothes police officer during certain mental or behavioral health calls.
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