Governing

05/12/2026

Child care can cost as much as housing for many families, and nearly 3 in 10 children nationwide lack access to care because it’s either too expensive or unavailable. Now, New Mexico has become the first state to offer no-cost child care to families regardless of income, funded in part by surplus oil and gas revenue. The state’s funding model could serve as a model for others.

Families can receive state-funded child care at no cost in the Land of Enchantment, regardless of income. The state managed to fund the endeavor in part via surplus gas and oil tax revenues.

05/12/2026

Governments often rush to adopt the newest technology before clearly defining the problem they’re trying to solve. But a “technology-first” mindset can lead to costly missteps, weak public trust and tools that create more complexity instead of better outcomes, write Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene.

Vendors offer “solutions,” but it’s critical to think carefully about what the problem is before starting to invest in software or hardware that may or may not address the real issue.

05/12/2026

Kentucky’s overdose deaths have now fallen for four straight years, with fatalities down nearly 23 percent in 2025 and more than 50 percent from the state’s 2021 peak. Officials credit expanded Narcan distribution, addiction recovery investments and other harm-reduction efforts, but fentanyl and methamphetamine still remain the leading drugs tied to overdose deaths.

After record-high opioid deaths in 2021, the state has managed to turn the tide for several years running.

05/11/2026

Across the country, local racetracks that have long anchored rural and working-class communities are shutting down, squeezed by nuisance lawsuits and rising land values, writes Joshua Vadeboncoeur, an assistant professor of sport management at Gardner-Webb University. In response, at least 13 states have introduced “right to race” bills to shield tracks from lawsuits filed by newer neighbors.

As auto racing disappears from small and rural communities, “right to race” bills target nuisance lawsuits. But land value is the real threat to the tracks.

05/11/2026

The median rent in Austin dropped by 4 percent over the last four years, and even more substantially in older apartment buildings. Housing construction spurred partly by local reforms and public investment in housing has helped ease competition among renters. And yet, the city also had the biggest spike in eviction filings of any major city across the country last year, according to a new report.

The median rent has dropped in Austin over the last few years following a boom in housing construction. But the city also had a substantial spike in evictions last year.

05/11/2026

States are increasingly trying to keep kids off social media, from banning younger users outright to requiring parental consent and disabling “addictive” features. But as lawmakers push ahead, privacy concerns and First Amendment challenges are raising questions about how far these restrictions can go.

Massachusetts is one of the latest states to suggest that social media platforms should either bar, or provide special protection to, young users. But some experts are raising privacy alarms.

05/08/2026

A city needed a new high school but had no land and no $300M budget. So Lynn did something different: It turned a half-empty office building into a school campus for about $30M. Could this be a model for other cities facing tight budgets and limited s**ce? Full Governing story at
https://bit.ly/48PQ6uc

05/08/2026

A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on redistricting could significantly weaken minority representation, threatening hundreds of state legislative seats and reshaping congressional power, writes Governing’s Jabari Simama.

A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling threatens scores of legislative and congressional seats now held by minorities. Public officials committed to fair representation can and should fight back.

05/08/2026

Extreme drought is spreading across parts of the U.S., with the most severe conditions expanding beyond the West into new regions. Find out where “extreme” and “exceptional” drought are taking hold and how quickly conditions can change.

At present, a fifth of the country is facing drought conditions of historic significance.

05/07/2026

On his personal blog, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman mused that ChatGPT might already be “more powerful than any human who has ever lived.” Cause for celebration in some contexts, perhaps — but not if those hoping to disrupt electoral processes have ready access to such tools.

Foreign actors can use this powerful technology for election interference. But election officials have a new tool in their belt, too.