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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Virginia's 'tech tax' ignites debate on business taxes
Many states are extending sales tax to digital services, but the Virginia Senate’s attempt to expand it to cover business-to-business transactions raised eyebrows.
Management
State-level conservation action sparks hope for nature
COMMENTARY | Spurred by strong local support and successful conservation ballot initiatives, elected leaders are collectively building a menu of policies that could turn the tide of nature loss.
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Emerging Tech
This state’s ‘unsexy’ AI policy takes transparency to the next level
From AI “nutrition labels” to keeping an inventory of artificial intelligence tools, Connecticut is embracing sweeping rules that would “talk to people about why we're using it, how we're using it.”
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.
Infrastructure
States rethink data centers as ‘electricity hogs’ strain the grid
Worries are rising over what data centers mean for demand, renewable energy goals.
Finance
US long-term care costs are sky-high, but one state's plan to help pay for them could be nixed
COMMENTARY | Washington state's WA Cares Fund collects a 0.58% tax out of residents’ paychecks to fund a new long-term care social insurance program. It’s not clear, however, whether the state’s strategy is going to work out.
Workforce
90 years after 'Lunch Atop a Skyscraper,' are workers any safer?
COMMENTARY | Extreme heat and new technologies have created less obvious but equally potent new dangers in workplaces. State and local governments can address ongoing and new threats.
Finance
States take aim at local basic income programs
The no-string-attached cash assistance initiatives have become the target of some state policymakers who claim the programs are a misuse of public funds.
Emerging Tech
How states can take a ‘quantum’ leap in economic development
Governments are eyeing quantum technology as a way to boost jobs and their economies. But adopting the hard to understand technology, one expert says, will require educating and upskilling your workforce.
Management
Republican attorneys general mount a new attack on the EPA’s use of civil rights law
Twenty-three states want the Biden administration's EPA to curtail its approach to environmental justice.
Management
State legislators are taking the maternal mortality crisis into their own hands
State lawmakers—many of whom are women—are establishing new committees to study and investigate investigating pregnancy-related deaths, their causes and prevention.
Workforce