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Governing The Future of States and Localities Governing connects America's leaders and citizens by providing news and analysis on management, policy and politics.

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Americans may be more optimistic about government than you think. A new national survey reveals surprising attitudes abo...
10/08/2025

Americans may be more optimistic about government than you think. A new national survey reveals surprising attitudes about what people expect from state and local leaders — and how much faith they still have in government’s ability to deliver.

A new national study finds that people believe state and local governments can make their communities better — and they want to help.

Over the next two decades, trillions of dollars in real estate will shift from baby boomers to millennials — and with it...
10/08/2025

Over the next two decades, trillions of dollars in real estate will shift from baby boomers to millennials — and with it, the power to reshape cities. Erin Lonoff of HR&A Advisors writes that millennial values — walkability, mixed-use design, sustainability — could redefine how we build and live. To get ahead, she argues local governments may need to retool zoning, partner with future landowners, and begin planning for this generational transfer today.

Trillions of dollars of wealth, much of it in homes and other property, will be moving from baby boomers to millennials. Local governments should begin preparing for dealing with that generation’s values.

Connecticut AG William Tong doesn’t back down. From one of the nation’s smallest states, he’s led billion-dollar settlem...
10/08/2025

Connecticut AG William Tong doesn’t back down. From one of the nation’s smallest states, he’s led billion-dollar settlements, sued the Donald Trump administration, and clinched bipartisan wins with his Republican counterparts in other states.

Democratic Attorney General William Tong has earned bipartisan admiration from his peers even as he takes on the Trump administration and major corporate interests.

Federal law sharply restricts when troops can be used for domestic law enforcement. The Posse Comitatus Act and Insurrec...
10/07/2025

Federal law sharply restricts when troops can be used for domestic law enforcement. The Posse Comitatus Act and Insurrection Act set boundaries — and courts have pushed back when those lines are crossed. Even “support roles” like guarding property can blur the limits of federal authority.

But during the first year of his second term, President Donald Trump has continued testing those boundaries. Even as courts have slowed his efforts, the president appears determined to send National Guard troops into blue cities against governors' wishes. (From Sept. 2025)

Mobilizing troops in L.A. against the governor’s wishes and deploying troops to D.C. to respond to crime tests new ground for how the Guard is used.

After 20 years, passenger rail is back on the Gulf Coast. Amtrak’s new Mardi Gras Service now runs twice daily between N...
10/03/2025

After 20 years, passenger rail is back on the Gulf Coast. Amtrak’s new Mardi Gras Service now runs twice daily between New Orleans and Mobile, with four Mississippi stops along the way. Early ridership is beating expectations (some trains nearly sold out) as cities hope the line boosts tourism and regional recovery.

Amtrak’s Mardi Gras line began running twice-a-day service between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., in August. Gulf Coast cities are hoping it will bring new people to town.

Columbus doesn’t have mountains or a coastline — but it does have Mayor Andrew Ginther. For two decades, the city has qu...
10/03/2025

Columbus doesn’t have mountains or a coastline — but it does have Mayor Andrew Ginther. For two decades, the city has quietly become one of the fastest-growing metros in the country. At the center of it all is Ginther, who functions almost like a regional mayor, pulling together suburbs, businesses, nonprofits and the state to drive growth.

Columbus, Ohio, is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, its economy driven by an unusual culture of cooperation led by Mayor Andrew Ginther.

State and local governments have endured federal shutdowns before, but this one is different in a few key ways. For one ...
10/01/2025

State and local governments have endured federal shutdowns before, but this one is different in a few key ways. For one thing, states may not be able to count on reimbursements from the federal government when all this is over -- and the budget pinch is coming when many local coffers are already low.

This shutdown could last for a while, leaving states short of funds for a variety of programs. There’s no guarantee this time that they’ll be reimbursed in the end.

Illinois lawmakers are advancing a bill that would impose a licensing fee on firearm manufacturers. The twist? The fee w...
09/30/2025

Illinois lawmakers are advancing a bill that would impose a licensing fee on firearm manufacturers. The twist? The fee would increase based on how often their fi****ms are involved in crimes. The revenues would go toward victims of gun violence or costs associated with shootings.

The bill aims to get around federal protections for gun manufacturers.

For decades, “stat” programs have helped city leaders track performance data and drive accountability. Now, artificial i...
09/30/2025

For decades, “stat” programs have helped city leaders track performance data and drive accountability. Now, artificial intelligence could take that model to the next level — opening up real-time insights, reducing the burden of data analysis, and broadening who can participate in problem-solving. Stephen Goldsmith, director of Data-Smart City Solutions at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University and Santiago Garces, chief information officer of Boston, argue that AI isn’t just an add-on to stat programs — it could redefine how governments measure, manage and improve results.

Bringing generative artificial intelligence to bear on a staple of local government promises substantial improvements.

Clean energy jobs exploded in 2024, growing more than three times faster than the overall job market. Nearly 100,000 new...
09/26/2025

Clean energy jobs exploded in 2024, growing more than three times faster than the overall job market. Nearly 100,000 new positions pushed the total U.S. clean-energy workforce to 3.6 million, and most of these jobs were concentrated in the South. See a detailed breakdown of job growth and renewable energy by state.

Southern states saw huge amounts of growth in renewables last year, but they'll need to work to keep the momentum going.

Too often, housing policy has focused on buildings, not the people who live in them. Contributing editor Alan Ehrenhalt ...
09/26/2025

Too often, housing policy has focused on buildings, not the people who live in them. Contributing editor Alan Ehrenhalt argues that past urban renewal erased vibrant low-income neighborhoods and replaced them with high-rise towers that failed to restore community life. He writes that real solutions must center on social ties, local voices and dignity — not just design.

Forbidding high-rises were a product of a misguided, elitist ideology. We could have done better than leveling vibrant neighborhoods.

From “forever chemicals” to pesticides, states are taking the lead on public health where Washington has stalled. Susan ...
09/23/2025

From “forever chemicals” to pesticides, states are taking the lead on public health where Washington has stalled. Susan Kaplan, an environmental health lawyer and professor, highlights state efforts — from PFAS bans to toxic reduction laws and “health in all policies” programs — as proof that real progress is happening at the state level.

When it comes to protecting their residents from environmental harms, lawmakers in red and blue states alike are making progress without waiting for Washington.

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