Author Archive
Tim Henderson
Infrastructure
Highway humor is over some drivers’ heads
States to drivers: READ OUR WITTY HIGHWAY SIGNS. Feds to states: YOU’RE NOT FUNNY.
Infrastructure
Too many cubicles, too few homes spur incentives to convert offices to housing
States are stepping in with tax breaks and zoning changes to help replace the unwanted cubicle farms with much-needed housing.
Digital Government
Census delay spells election chaos for states
With the census data needed to draw new legislative districts delayed until fall, some states are using alternative data, such as Census Bureau estimates of population and race, or approximations based on births and residential construction to estimate population down to the block level.
Management
Unemployment payments weeks late in nearly every state
Outdated systems have contributed to delayed payments and false fraud accusations, but modernization also has brought automated decision-making that sidelines legitimate applications.
Management
Coronavirus and the states: unemployment sites jam, evictions pause and more
A wave of laid-off workers, mostly from restaurants and bars that together form the nation’s largest private employer, overwhelmed state unemployment systems as states relaxed rules on coronavirus-related unemployment insurance.
Cybersecurity
States battle big tech over data privacy laws
Despite enthusiasm for more privacy rules by legislators and their constituents, many states found themselves bogged down this year in both the details of high-tech operations and industry complaints.
Digital Government
How the census will reach the new urban millennials
With young urban renters unlikely to respond to nudges by mail, phone or strangers at the door, the Census Bureau is developing social media and other internet publicity that will encourage potential respondents to log in and fill out a form.
Digital Government
Census prep vital to states' power -- why some could miss out
Less than a 2 percent difference in the 2020 population count could mean gaining or losing a congressional seat.
Management
The mystery of Pittsburgh: How some shrinking cities are thriving in the new economy
Sterling academic institutions have helped bring tech jobs and innovation to the area, keeping the city's educated young population growing even as the overall number of residents declines.
Management
Census uncertainty spurs state action to prevent undercounting
To ensure that all their residents get counted, states are coming up with creative solutions to verify the Census Bureau's residential address list.
Digital Government
Federal E-Verify law would mean major changes for U.S. employers
Congress is set to debate a national E-Verify mandate that would require every U.S. employer to use the federal online service to screen all new hires and for the first time allow the screening of current employees.
Featured eBooks
Cybersecurity
Attacks, crashes underscore need for new 911 systems
Recent disruptions in legacy 911 emergency-response systems point up the urgent need for new technology, but few states or localities can afford the upgrades.
