State & Local

Jail voting expands in Illinois

Voting from jail is rare throughout the United States, but lawmakers in Illinois are paving the way for more detention facilities to offer in-person voting.

EV charging station map highlights infrastructure disparities

Today’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure is concentrated along the coasts and in major cities.

Austin becomes the first Texas city to experiment with 'guaranteed income'

Austin joins at least 28 U.S. cities, like Los Angeles, Chicago and Pittsburgh, that have tried out some form of “guaranteed income” — financial assistance targeted at needy households.

Senate Dems seek full UI administration funding

Decades of underfunding unemployment insurance programs has left state agencies understaffed, saddled with old tech and vulnerable to fraud, lawmakers said.

6 in 10 Americans would quit current job for remote position

Work-life balance is increasingly important for today’s post-pandemic workforce.

Why rural communities struggle to bring in much-needed federal grants

A new analysis suggests that over half of communities in the West lack the capacity to take advantage of infrastructure bill funding. Now what?

Driverless vehicles are finally hitting city streets

In San Francisco, people can now catch rides in cars without anybody behind the wheel. But as the technology spreads, are regulators ready?

How cities are trying to combat the nation's deadliest weather risk

Heat doesn’t get the same attention as hurricanes or wildfires, but city officials are paying more attention to it as hot temperatures become more common.

USDA opens grants to streamline SNAP

Grants to state and local governments are designed to improve customer experience, streamline operations and expand enrollment to underserved populations.

Maine modernizes election administration with centralized voter registration

The new centralized system will help state and municipal-level election officials maintain voter rolls, facilitate absentee and in-person voting and capture voter participation history.

Tailoring services delivery to life events, not org charts

Pointing to Michigan's "benchmark" work streamlining benefits applications, the White House says cross-government services should revolve around the needs of Americans.

Why the infrastructure bill alone can’t solve digital connectivity challenges

State and local governments must come together with internet service providers to deliver training and devices to Americans that need access to essential services.

Rural America gets help tapping into federal funding

Staff from the USDA will help least 25 rural communities apply for federal economic development assistance.

States get extension to wind down pandemic benefits

Even with the 90-day extension to the public health emergency, states must still reevaluate which of the 80 million aid recipients still qualify for benefits and construct safety nets for those who don't.

How cities are tapping federal aid to make major tech upgrades

Some local officials say setting aside ARPA funds for computers, software and other equipment to make government more efficient and accessible is one of the best ways to use the historic infusion of federal money.

How did public transportation affect COVID's spread?

With data from the Federal Highway Administration’s National Household Travel Survey, researchers examined how mobility patterns in 52 of the largest metro areas affected the spread of COVID.

Diversity can help bridge IT workforce gap, NASCIO finds

Because most job seekers want diversity and inclusion in the workplace, states must prioritize those factors, according to a new report from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers.