Governors react to violence in Israel
As violence in the Middle East rages on, governors are making sure constituents—and the world—know where they stand on the conflict. Plus, more news to use from around the country in this week's State and Local Roundup.
How one city is streamlining housing construction
San Francisco is required by state law to build 82,000 housing units by 2031, but it won’t even come close if the city maintains its current pace. Mayor London Breed hopes that reducing fees and red tape will spur more development.
County cuts recidivism with juvenile justice diversion programs
King County, Washington, is pushing counseling and diversion programs and considering closing its juvenile detention facility.
10 Medicaid holdout states scramble to improve health coverage
But such efforts are more expensive and help fewer people, critics say.
Who gets to decide what the truth is when social media is rife with misinformation?
As state and local governments consider the balance of free speech and misinformation, observers question whether officials should be able to remove controversial posts from social media platforms.
Why support for local public health leaders is higher than you think
COMMENTARY | Health departments fight for policies that make it easier for all people to live their healthiest lives: safe schools and communities, livable wages, affordable housing and healthy food.
COVID-19 vaccine mandates have come and mostly gone in the US: Here's why their messy rollout matters for trust in public health
COMMENTARY | Vaccine policies fall on a spectrum, from mandates to recommendations. Deciding what to use and when is not so much a science but a balancing act between personal autonomy and public good.
Tree nurseries sprout up as a climate mitigation strategy
New Mexico’s Climate Ready Trees Program helps officials identify which tree types are most likely to survive in future climate conditions.
How one city added hundreds of new homes amid an affordable housing crunch
In Missoula, Montana, the city and county government donated land to support the development of three new affordable apartment sites. About 1,000 people, including those who were previously homeless, have signed the interest list for units, one official says.
Communities boost climate resilience by protecting pollinators
More cities are planting native plant-based gardens to slow loss of pollinators, which play a critical role in achieving climate adaptation goals.
No longer above the fray, state supreme courts pulled into overtly political conflicts
The courts have become top-tier targets for party leaders, often considered the key to unlocking control of state legislatures, gubernatorial mansions and even Congress.
Texas quietly moves to formalize acceptable cancer risk from industrial air pollution. Public health officials say it’s not strict enough.
Without public hearings, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is proposing to adopt its 17-year-old standard that scientists and public health officials say fails to account for cumulative air pollution.
Why are Black homeownership rates still so low?
Local leaders are experimenting with creative financing, zoning changes and cooperative housing to reverse long standing housing discrimination.
Police resistance and politics undercut the authority of prosecutors trying to reform the justice system
After major American cities began electing prosecutors who campaigned on the promise of systemic reform, law enforcement unions labeled these DAs as soft on crime while lawmakers made legal and legislative efforts to remove them from office.
Supreme Court to hear arguments in key case about gerrymandering
COMMENTARY | An upcoming Supreme Court case that turns on race and party could affect how state legislatures shape voting maps and how Americans vote for decades to come.
Exxon, Apple and other corporate giants will have to disclose all their emissions under California’s new climate laws that will have a global impact
COMMENTARY | California is the world’s fifth-largest economy. Laws tested there often spread across the U.S. and around the world.
How efforts to restrict democracy in Ohio also make it harder to fight climate change
Gerrymandering, voter suppression, dark money and other moves insulate policymakers from accountability when they prop up fossil fuels at the expense of clean energy.
Governors press Biden to help with migrant surge
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is the latest state leader to outline changes in federal policy the Biden administration could make to alleviate some of the strain on states and cities.
Are elections enough to keep state legislators in check?
In a new book, political science professor Steven Rogers argues that voters don’t have the tools to keep tabs on their lawmakers. That could impact how legislators do their jobs.
Data map reveals local drivers of climate risks
The climate vulnerability index shows the intersection of increasing climate risks and long-term health, social, environmental and economic conditions so state and local officials can target the most effective solutions for their communities.
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