Author Archive
Laura Maggi
Finance
These States Collect the Highest Sales Taxes Per Person
Forty-five states and the District of Columbia collect state sales taxes, while local sales taxes exist in 38 states, according to the Tax Foundation.
Management
Amazon Pulls Out of Headquarters Deal in New York City
But the company won't reopen the search for a new location.
Infrastructure
Trump Administration Releases Rural Broadband Strategy
Officials estimate that 24 million people in the United States can't get broadband internet service. Eighty percent of those people live in rural areas.
Public Safety
Feds File Lawsuit to Stop 'Safe Injection' Site for Drug Users
A Philadelphia non-profit, with the support of city leaders, has been moving forward with a plan to open a facility where they said drug users could more safely use heroin and other illegal opioids.
Management
Airbnb Still Isn’t Collecting Local Taxes Everywhere
While the company has stepped up collection efforts in recent years, a new report argues that local lawmakers should ensure Airbnb collects all lodging taxes.
Health & Human Services
President Trump Signs Extension of Federal Welfare Program
“While short-term extensions can be challenging for states, we are committed to working with Congress on a long-term reauthorization that provides certainty for states and families,” according to Scott Pattison, the executive director of the National Governors Association.
Management
A Key in Census Outreach: Finding Trusted People to Pitch Participation
“We are making some progress, as you well know, but certainly not progress enough,” said Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh.
Public Safety
Restrictive Handgun Law to Be Considered by Supreme Court
The New York City law restricts gun owners from transporting an unloaded handgun, locked in a container away from ammunition, outside their homes unless heading to a gun range in the city.
Health & Human Services
As States Monitor Federal Shutdown, One Could Run Out of TANF Funding in February
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program's authorization expired in December, prompting states to use limited leftover funds.
Management
Where Public Sector Union Membership Is Shrinking and Growing
Newly released employment numbers show a small decline last year in the rate of public sector union membership.
Management
Microsoft’s Big Pledge to Help Build Affordable Housing in the Seattle Area
The move by the company is “potentially groundbreaking” and an acknowledgment that “government alone cannot really solve” the housing crisis.
Management
A Warning for Elected Officials on Social Media—Court Says Don't Block Critics
A social media page can be the equivalent of a public meeting, a federal appellate court found for the first time last week.
Health & Human Services
Amid Shutdown, Feds Figure Out Ways to Fund Food Stamp Benefits. For Now.
States have until Jan. 20 to request an early issuance to make sure they receive February SNAP funding.
Infrastructure
The Transportation Quandary for Older and Disabled People Is Two-Fold
A recent survey shows the “great need” to serve those who can’t drive or will no longer be able to.
Management
‘Peace Cross’ Case Could Affect Hundreds of Monuments, States Say
States and localities argue the U.S. Supreme Court should use the case of the 40-foot cross to provide “clear guidance” on war memorials that use religious motifs.
Health & Human Services
Where Asian Longhorned Ticks Will Likely Spread in the U.S.
After being discovered in New Jersey in August 2017, the invasive species has been spotted in 45 counties in eight other states.
Management
The Trickle-Down Impacts of the Federal Shutdown on States and Localities
The disruption in Washington, D.C. “could have a significant impact,” if there is a protracted partial shutdown, according to Steve Benjamin, the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Public Safety
Crime and Murder Rates Drop in Most Big Cities
While the trend isn’t universal, Brennan Center for Justice research findings “definitively reject any claims” of the nation being in a “crime wave.”
Management
Wisconsin’s Outgoing Governor OKs Bills to Limit Executive Powers of His Successor
Democratic Gov.-elect Tony Evers criticized the legislation as ignoring "the will of the people."
Management