A Last-ditch Effort to Revive the Expanded Child Tax Credit
The more generous credit, in place for part of last year, helped slash child poverty rates and likely boosted state and local economies and tax revenues. Democrats are trying to bring it back before losing control of Congress.
Fears Grow Over Plan to Distribute Billions in Broadband Dollars
State and local officials are raising alarm about what they say are major flaws with a federal map that will guide where the infrastructure money is sent. They want the Biden administration to extend a timeline for flagging the problems.
Permitting Revamp and Pot Banking Left Out of Must-pass Defense Bill
In brokering the National Defense Authorization Act, congressional negotiators didn’t include a controversial overhaul of environmental permitting for energy projects, or provisions to open banking to state-regulated marijuana businesses.
Congress Moving Ahead on New State and Local Government Financial Reporting Rules
The new requirements, tacked on to a must-pass defense bill, call for financial data to be standardized, machine-readable and searchable. State and local advocates argue the plan is an “unfunded mandate” that will create significant costs.
The Fight to Expand the Low-income Housing Tax Credit
With the nation’s home shortage grinding on, advocates and some lawmakers want to restore, and possibly go beyond, a previous increase in the federal credits, which are key in helping finance the construction of affordable housing. But will Congress act?
America’s Massive Gap Providing Mental Health Services
Counties are pushing Congress to help fix the problem, which is especially bad in rural communities. But whether lawmakers will do so as part of upcoming budget legislation is unclear.
Federal Watchdog Calls for National Online Sales Tax Standards
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have shown interest in the idea. But any plan along these lines is sure to draw skepticism from states and localities worried about ceding their power over tax policy.
New National Broadband Map Offers Granular Look at Service and Gaps
The draft release kicks off a process where states, localities and the general public can challenge inaccuracies. The new data will be crucial in guiding how the federal government divides billions in broadband funding between states.
The House Republican Plan to Slash One of Democrats’ Signature Laws
Lawmakers set to lead key committees when the GOP takes control of the chamber say they are looking at ways to drain funding from climate initiatives and other Inflation Reduction Act programs.
The Infrastructure Law, One Year In
Local officials are still expressing appreciation for all the extra federal funding. But some, along with Republican lawmakers, are seeking tweaks on permitting and in other areas to make accessing and spending the money easier.
Voters in One State Approve a Tax on Millionaires
And in another they eliminated tax breaks for higher earners. But national trends with ballot initiatives to tax the wealthy are mixed overall this year and hard to interpret.
The Winners and Losers in the 2022 Midterm Election Governors Races
Get caught up on all the action from Election Day, and who the next top government executives will be in the 36 states that held gubernatorial contests this year.
West Virginia Ballot Measure Has Local Officials ‘Very, Very Nervous’
A proposal before voters would eliminate a key source of revenue for the state’s local governments and end a tax on people’s cars.
A Fight Over How Tax Hikes are Passed at the Ballot Box
A proposal before Arizona voters would change the threshold for approving tax initiatives from a simple majority to 60%. Is it a check on outside groups funding tax-and-spend measures? Or a hit to citizens' power to approve new funding for their priorities?
Local Election Officials Brace for Possible Violence and Threats
With worries over armed poll “monitors,” voter intimidation and risks to staff, some are coordinating with law enforcement or conducting special training ahead of Election Day.
Biden Administration Looks for Ways to Provide More Free School Meals
With a pandemic-era program expired and no help from Congress on the horizon, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says his department is considering options for how it can take action.
Low-Income Renters to Receive Hundreds in Extra Aid Each Month
The added federal assistance is the result of changes in how the Department of Housing and Urban Development calculates rental costs. Its new approach factors in data from companies like Zillow.
The States That Still Owe Billions in Federal Unemployment Loans
They took on the debt after Covid hit. If they don’t repay it soon, it will mean tax hikes for businesses. Republicans are knocking Democratic governors who’ve let the balances linger.
Cities and States Bristle Over Proposal to Change How They Report on Finances
Congress is weighing a plan that calls for overhauling how state and local government financial data is made public, stirring worries about new costs for software and staff. But supporters of the revamp say it’s long overdue.
Court Fights Begin Over Gun Bans in Places Like Subways and Bars
The legal wrangling comes after the Supreme Court placed new limits earlier this year on the restrictions states and localities can impose on where people can carry firearms. For now, it’s left to lower courts to hash out how that looks in practice.
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