With the Clock Running Out on CHIP Reauthorization, State Officials Are Preparing to Panic

“It’s just insane that it’s come this close and it’s so embroiled. With all the terrible decisions to be made, surely this isn’t a hard decision.”

  • By Quinn Libson
  • 11 hours ago
Finance

Local Governments Prepare for a Federal Fight Over ‘Double Taxation’

Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola: “Coupled with the declining federal support in cities, removing the SALT deduction would only further strain our already stressed municipal budgets."

  • By Bill Lucia
The 3rd place pumpkin at the Washington State Fair was 894 pounds! The 3rd place pumpkin at the Washington State Fair was 894 pounds!
Management

Check Out These Giant Pumpkins and Cabbages From 2017 State Fairs

PHOTOS: At one agricultural showcase, the bounties from many counties take center stage.

  • By Michael Grass
The Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta The Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta
Health & Human Services

Can Block Grants Save the Day on Health Reform?

States haven’t necessarily proven to be more efficient managers of health care funding than the federal government.

  • By Donald F. Kettl, Special to Route Fifty
Sponsor Content
Sponsor Content

An Effort for More Efficient, Agile, and Innovative State and Local Government

In order to better understand cloud migration in state and local government, Government Business Council (GBC) undertook an in-depth research study.

Tech & Data

How One Minnesota City Streamlined Its Web Content Strategy

St. Louis Park’s new site understands residents seek transactional government.

  • By Dave Nyczepir
Finance

After Long Fight, Some Farmers Get Relief From High Property Taxes

Agricultural property taxes have skyrocketed and crop prices are down. Farmers are fighting back, sometimes successfully.

  • By The Pew Charitable Trusts
States
The Eisenhower Office Building in Washington, D.C., in March 2017.
Trump Administration Hosts Forum on State-Federal Relations
John Thompson, former director of the US Bureau of the Census speaks about his recent resignation at a National Press Club press conference on July 27.
2020 Census Has Big Implications for Federal Funds Flowing to States
The Trans-Alaska oil pipeline.
Would You Know If Your State Was in a Recession?
See More »
Counties
One California County’s Alternative Housing Model for Its Local Homeless Population
Minot, North Dakota
Rural Access to Obstetric Services Continues to Decline
Sunset over Glacier National Park, in Montana, with forest fire haze.
Federal Payments for Tax-Exempt Lands Not a ‘County Welfare Program’
See More »
Municipalities
How One Minnesota City Streamlined Its Web Content Strategy
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford Nears Bankruptcy as State Aid Remains Uncertain
Candace Marbury and Christopher Farmer, cofounders of GRAD, demo their graffiti-cleaning drone.
San José Innovation Challenge Leads to Graffiti-Cleaning Drone
See More »
Featured: Local Economies
The historic downtown of Ames, Iowa.
A Twist in the Narrative About the Nation’s Urban-Rural Economic Divide
Orlando, Florida
How More Cities Are Trying to Better Manage Their Nighttime Economies
New Bedford, Massachusetts
A Former Whaling and Textiles Hub in New England Seeks Regeneration
See More »
Tucson, Arizona gifted the company a 21-foot cactus. Tucson, Arizona gifted the company a 21-foot cactus.
Smart Cities

America Needs Amazon More Than Amazon Needs America

U.S. cities are already wining and dining the tech giant over its HQ2.

  • By Alison Griswold, Quartz
Supporters of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program demonstrate on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 9. Supporters of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program demonstrate on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 9.
Management

Wisconsin Mayor Fears Concessions on DACA Could Threaten Other Immigrants

“We’re not willing to trade DACAs for their parents, DACAs for their siblings, DACAs for a wall,” according to Madison’s Paul Soglin.

  • By Dave Nyczepir
An Uber self-driving car in San Francisco An Uber self-driving car in San Francisco
Smart Cities

Why Cities Are Concerned About Self-Driving Vehicle Legislation in Congress

Language related to preemption and data-sharing are two areas where cities and advocacy groups would like to see changes.

  • By Bill Lucia
The Kaiser Permanente Medical Building in the Northridge Reseda area of Los Angeles following the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The Kaiser Permanente Medical Building in the Northridge Reseda area of Los Angeles following the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
Smart Cities

The Smartphone App That Tells You An Earthquake Is About to Hit

This week's deadly quake in Mexico was yet another test for the country’s sophisticated earthquake warning system.

  • By Krishnadev Calamur, The Atlantic
Electricity poles and lines lay toppled on the road after Hurricane Maria hit the eastern region of the island, in Humacao, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017. Electricity poles and lines lay toppled on the road after Hurricane Maria hit the eastern region of the island, in Humacao, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017.
Public Safety

Puerto Rico Devastated: ‘When We Can Get Outside, We Will Find Our Island Destroyed’

STATE AND LOCAL NEWS ROUNDUP: More states announce their FirstNet opt-in decisions; Mich. Civil Service Commission gives state more power over its workers; and Louisiana has some good budget news for a change.

  • By Route Fifty Staff
Health & Human Services

Combating Child Abuse: States Take Action

The number of minors in the child welfare system rose to 7.2 million in 2015, up from 6.6 million in 2014.

  • By The Pew Charitable Trusts
The White House. The White House.
Management

Leaders of State and Local Groups Offer Their Thoughts on a ‘Transactional’ White House

The executive directors of the National Governors Association, National League of Cities and National Association of Counties joined Route Fifty on Tuesday for a discussion about intergovernmental affairs.

  • By Bill Lucia
Health & Human Services

Using Data to Reduce Stigma and Discrimination Around Mental Illness

“There’s a way to start quantifying things we wouldn’t normally capture,” according to San Bernardino County’s chief of behavioral health informatics.

  • By Dave Nyczepir
Sen. Bill Cassidy, , ... ] Sen. Bill Cassidy, , ... ]
Health & Human Services

Louisiana Health Secretary to Sen. Bill Cassidy: Your Health Bill Would Hurt Our State

“In its current form, the harm to Louisiana from this legislation far outweighs any benefit,” Rebekah Gee says in an open letter.

  • By Quinn Libson
Infrastructure

An Electric Bus Just Snagged a World Record by Driving 1,100 Miles on a Single Charge

Range anxiety? Get an 18-ton electric bus.

  • By Michael J. Coren, Quartz
Public Safety

Why It’s Hard to Punish ‘Bad Samaritans’

Thousands attended a funeral for Jamel Dunn, a Florida man who drowned in a pond while teens recorded and mocked him. Lawmakers in Florida and Arizona now want to make it illegal to not try to help someone in an emergency.

  • By The Pew Charitable Trusts
An Oxycontin bottle on a shelf in a pharmacy. An Oxycontin bottle on a shelf in a pharmacy.
Health & Human Services

State AGs Urge Insurers to Incentivize Non-Opioid Treatments

The attorneys general argue in a letter that health insurers are in a position to “make a very positive impact” in the way that providers treat patients with chronic pain.

  • By Bill Lucia
A Waymo car in Mountain View, California. A Waymo car in Mountain View, California.
Smart Cities

When Will Self-Driving Electric Cars Make Conventional Cars Worthless?

We're entering a new era where transportation is an on-demand mobility service, not a product. Most owners will become real-time renters.

  • By Michael J. Coren, Quartz
The Trans-Alaska oil pipeline. The Trans-Alaska oil pipeline.
Finance

Would You Know If Your State Was in a Recession?

Analysts do not perceive the germs of a crisis that might infect the nation, but signs of economic slippage outside the energy patches or into new industries could signal the potential start of the next national downturn.

  • By The Pew Charitable Trusts