Author Archive
Sophie Quinton
Health & Human Services
Fed Up With High Health Care Costs, A Community Asks for A Better Deal
A Colorado county where residents are dealing with hospital and medical costs much higher than in other parts of the state is now turning to a new model to negotiate on behalf of some of the largest employers in the region.
Management
Logging, Money Battles Delay Wildfire Prevention Work
While the U.S. Forest Service is trying to work with states on projects to lower fire damage, more money is needed to comply with President Trump's "active management" mandate for public lands.
Management
Wary of Teacher Walkouts, States Aim to Boost School Spending
Lots of new governors campaigned on raising teacher pay and boost education spending. Will state legislatures act on these pledges to come up with more school funding?
Management
As Wildfire Risk Increases, Home Insurance Is Harder to Find
This is particularly a problem in California, where catastrophic wildfires in 2018 caused more than $9 billion in losses to insured property.
Finance
The Little Town That Pot Built
Garden City, Colorado, has fewer than 300 residents, but has spent $3 million on downtown infrastructure upgrades since retail marijuana was legalized.
Public Safety
‘Marsy’s Law’ Protections for Crime Victims OK’d in 6 States
The ballot measures give crime victims new rights during legal proceedings.
Management
Thinning Forests Helps Reduce Wildfires, But There Isn't Always a Market
The Trump administration, states and local leaders—including many environmentalists—agree that more must be done to avert catastrophic wildfire, including thinning trees.
Public Safety
‘Marsy’s Law’ Protections for Crime Victims Sound Great, but Could Cause Problems
Six states have approved the victims' rights constitutional amendments, with voters in six more soon expected to consider similar measures.
Public Safety
Hemp, on the Brink of Being Legal, Still Faces Challenges
Nineteen of the states that allow hemp cultivation reported a crop last year.
Management
Towns Pick Up the Tab for U.S. Forest Service Staff
Some town governments in Colorado's mountains are setting aside money to pay for U.S. Forest Service employees, hoping the extra staff can better maintain national forests that are crowded with tourists each summer.
Finance
As Students Head to Campus, Colleges Fear International Student Decline
Regional colleges and universities may be harder hit financially by an enrollment decline, because they don’t have other sources of revenue—such as multibillion-dollar endowments—to cushion the blow.
Management
Feds Say Marketplace Will Expose Bad Colleges, But States Find It’s Not So Easy
Many states have come up with tools to help college students find out information about future earnings and debt, but they often rely on partial data that can limit their usefulness.
Management
Instead of Razing Buildings, Some Cities Want to Reuse Their Bones
Cities across the country are looking at whether blighted buildings can be "deconstructed" instead of demolished, and whether this can help to create local jobs.
Management
Lawmakers in Blue States Try to Protect Organized Labor
Even before the Supreme Court ruled against public sector unions in June, eight of the 22 states that allowed unions to charge non-member fees took steps to cushion the blow.
Public Safety
Marijuana Bills Increasingly Focus on Social Justice
When advocates now seek marijuana legalization, they also are focusing on investment in poor communities and fixing longstanding criminal justice problems.
Infrastructure
Why 'Orphan' Oil and Gas Wells Are a Growing Problem for States
Nobody knows how many orphan and abandoned drilling sites exist, but the federal government estimates there could be more than a million.
Management
Commercial Spaceports Still Waiting for Liftoff
Can spaceports be the next economic development engine? Camden County in Georgia is betting on the industry.
Management
It’s Wildfire Season in California, and Utilities Want to Tamp Down Their Liability
Power lines coming into contact with trees causes many wildfires in California. Should utilities be held responsible or be allowed to pass on liability to ratepayers?
Health & Human Services
This Jobs Program Just Might Get People Back to Work
But creating evidence-based employment programs can be tricky.
Finance