Management
The possibility of parole: A powerful incentive that makes us all safer
COMMENTARY | Researchers have found that offenders incarcerated under truth-in-sentencing laws racked up more disciplinary infractions and engaged in fewer rehabilitation programs. And after release, they were much more likely to reoffend.
Infrastructure
With only three weeks to go, lawmakers weigh ways to save federal internet subsidy
Congress is exploring several options to fund it. All face long odds of success despite widespread and bipartisan support for the Affordable Connectivity Program.
Finance
Neediest areas are being shortchanged on government funds
COMMENTARY | A recent study of the Community Development Block Grant program showed that neighborhoods with the largest share of low- to moderate-income families were less likely to receive CDBG funds than communities that were closer to the 51% threshold.
Sponsor Content
20 Questions to Ask When Purchasing Public Records Request Management Software
This 20-question checklist helps ensure you consider every critical factor before signing a contract with a new software vendor.
Emerging Tech
HUD warns on AI-fueled housing discrimination
The Department of Housing and Urban Development confirmed characteristics like race and income are protected from AI algorithmic discrimination.
Management
Data for dementia: State’s brain health registry helps prep for an aging population
The Virginia Memory Project will catalog dementia cases and caregiving needs to inform policy and programming for aging adults.
Digital Government
Don’t pull the plug on internet access for 23M families
COMMENTARY | No family should be forced to choose between one essential and another. And they don’t have to, as long as Congress acts to renew the Affordable Connectivity Program.
Management
As cities ban them from public spaces, homeless people scatter in search of refuge
Attorneys say bans could become more common nationwide if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns lower-court rulings in Oregon and Idaho that protect homeless people from being ticketed, charged or arrested for sleeping on public property.
Digital Government
States get streamlined access to Treasury’s Do Not Pay system for unemployment
The move comes as federal agencies work with states to combat the rise in jobless aid fraud following the pandemic.
Management
Illinois' child welfare agency goes on a hiring spree
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has reduced hiring times for frontline workers from nine months to just a few weeks. Agency leaders hope a bigger staff will help improve the lives of kids it serves.
Finance
State, local govs crack down on menthol cigarettes by pumping prices up
Setting minimum retail prices and increasing taxes can help officials address public health concerns surrounding menthol cigarettes.
Featured eBooks
Finance
As property tax bills rise, states look for long-term solutions
Lawmakers in the Mountain West seek to provide permanent tax relief without harming local revenue.
Sponsor Content
Securing Support for Short-Term Rental Revenue Collection Projects
Watch this webinar featuring industry experts, to learn how to get your project off the ground.
Management
AC, power banks, mini fridges: State equips Medicaid patients for climate change
Oregon wants to be proactive and pay for equipment that will help an estimated 200,000 residents manage their health at home before extreme weather or climate-related disaster hits.
Finance
New Maryland law enables local jurisdictions to impose higher taxes on vacant properties
The legislation aims to reduce the number of lots and houses that sit vacant for years on end in an effort to solve the state's affordable housing shortage.
Finance
Measuring and managing risk in the quest for resilience
COMMENTARY | Incidents like the Baltimore bridge collapse should motivate local leaders to think carefully about risk management, prevention and mitigation.
Infrastructure
E-bikes are a ‘game changer’ for bike shares
Ridership on the systems in cities big and small after the pandemic is stronger than ever, and bike-share operators say the electric devices are a big reason why.
Infrastructure
Federal broadband subsidy cut amid fears over its future
The Affordable Connectivity Program will pay some households just $14 in May, down from $30. Unless Congress acts on a $7 billion extension bill, it will run out of money at the end of the month, plunging some families, supporters warn, into “digital darkness.”
Management
LGBTQ students wonder what’s next as conservative states seek to block new Title IX rules
Days after the new Title IX rules protecting LGBTQ youth from discrimination at school were published, top officials in 15 states announced they were suing to block the rules from going into effect.
Infrastructure
A water crisis in Mississippi turns into a fight against privatization
Thanks to a federal judge, residents of Jackson will have a say in how the city resolves its yearslong water crisis.
Finance