Governing

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

page managed by Zoe Manzanetti ([email protected])

As prison populations decline, shuttered facilities can be transformed into assets like housing, wellness centers and co...
08/07/2025

As prison populations decline, shuttered facilities can be transformed into assets like housing, wellness centers and community spaces, argues Deanna Van Buren of Designing Justice + Designing Spaces. With the right planning, places once built to punish can become places that heal.

We could save billions by transforming these shuttered monuments to mass incarceration into something far more useful, humane and fiscally responsible. What the military did decades ago offers a proven blueprint.

A dozen years after bankruptcy, Detroit is in better shape than almost anyone could have imagined. But too much of the c...
08/07/2025

A dozen years after bankruptcy, Detroit is in better shape than almost anyone could have imagined. But too much of the city remains poor, says Mary Sheffield, the probable next mayor. In an interview with Governing, Sheffield emphasizes that growth must be shared more equitably—and as mayor, she’ll make sure it is.

A dozen years after bankruptcy, Detroit is in better shape than almost anyone could have imagined. But too much of the city remains poor, says Mary Sheffield, the probable next mayor.

New York City’s movement toward free care for kids up to age 2 could be a gamechanger with national implications, argue ...
08/06/2025

New York City’s movement toward free care for kids up to age 2 could be a gamechanger with national implications, argue Councilmember Justin Brannan and senior organizer for New Yorkers United for Child Care Allison Lew. It’s also a sign of the growing political strength of working parents.

The city’s movement toward free care for kids up to age 2 could be a gamechanger with national implications. And it’s a sign of the growing political strength of working parents.

Washington wants to prune regulations across the country. If it’s looking for some successful examples, it should turn t...
08/06/2025

Washington wants to prune regulations across the country. If it’s looking for some successful examples, it should turn to Virginia, argues Patrick A. McLaughlin of the Hoover Institution. With some help from AI, the Old Dominion has painstakingly inventoried its regulations and begun making changes, saving Virginia businesses and citizens more than $1.2 billion per year.

Washington wants to prune federal regulations. The feds should pay attention to what the Old Dominion is doing. And AI can help.

A month after she was sworn in as mayor of St. Louis, Cara Spencer was faced with a devastating tornado that damaged 5,0...
08/06/2025

A month after she was sworn in as mayor of St. Louis, Cara Spencer was faced with a devastating tornado that damaged 5,000 structures and caused $1.5 billion in damage. “I remember those first few hours and days almost like a blur,” she tells Governing in an interview. “But the mayor's office, many of whom were new staff persons, just really sprung into action and didn't look back.”

A month after she was sworn in, Cara Spencer had to deal with a devastating tornado.

FEMA’s role is shrinking — with cuts to funding, staffing, and grants — just as peak hurricane season begins. What can e...
08/05/2025

FEMA’s role is shrinking — with cuts to funding, staffing, and grants — just as peak hurricane season begins. What can emergency managers do to adapt to the federal retreat?

Hurricane season begins in earnest in August. The devastating floods in Texas earlier this summer underscored the importance of state and local readiness as the federal government rethinks its role in disaster response.

Portland’s Mill Ends Park is the nation’s smallest at just 452 square inches. What began as a planted flower bed in an e...
08/05/2025

Portland’s Mill Ends Park is the nation’s smallest at just 452 square inches. What began as a planted flower bed in an empty light-pole hole (plus an imaginary leprechaun colony) is now a beloved city landmark. It may take only seconds to walk around, but even the tiniest public spaces can have outsized charm.
Read more:

The park in Portland, Ore., takes up little space but has a whimsical history.

The Great Lakes could generate three times the electricity the surrounding eight states use — but much of that wind powe...
08/05/2025

The Great Lakes could generate three times the electricity the surrounding eight states use — but much of that wind power remains untapped. Cora Sutherland and Melissa Scanlan of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee argue that with federal offshore wind permits stalled, states can control their own destiny when it comes to leasing and permitting in Great Lakes waters.

The Trump administration is trying to stop wind projects, but the Great Lakes states have a powerful say in what happens on the lakes, where turbines could power the entire region and beyond. They should lay the groundwork now.

California Sen. Monique Limón will become the next Senate president pro tempore in 2026 — the first woman of color to ho...
08/04/2025

California Sen. Monique Limón will become the next Senate president pro tempore in 2026 — the first woman of color to hold the post. She’ll inherit a chamber facing a projected $12 billion budget shortfall and deep divisions over how to balance the books while protecting funding for health care, housing and the environment. Governing Senior Staff Writer Jared Brey spoke with Limón about her priorities for the coming session.

Monique Limón, a Santa Barbara Democrat, was chosen to serve as the next president pro tem of the California state Senate. A former educator, she’s the first woman of color to serve in the role.

The Trump administration’s cuts to research agencies like the NIH and NSF are raising alarms in cities where hospitals a...
08/04/2025

The Trump administration’s cuts to research agencies like the NIH and NSF are raising alarms in cities where hospitals and universities drive the economy. In places where “meds and eds” make up a third or more of jobs, the impact could be serious. Pittsburgh and St. Louis may offer models for adapting without heavy federal support.

Cities that depend heavily on federal research dollars will necessarily take a hit. But a look at two different cities suggests two possible futures.

Federal cuts to farming programs are rippling through local communities, leaving food banks strained, school meal progra...
08/01/2025

Federal cuts to farming programs are rippling through local communities, leaving food banks strained, school meal programs scrambling, and small farmers uncertain about their future.

Groups focused on food security are scrambling following the cancellation of federal programs supporting purchases from local farmers.

There’s a disconnect in American politics that’s truly bipartisan, writes Governing Editor Alan Greenblatt. Tax cuts for...
08/01/2025

There’s a disconnect in American politics that’s truly bipartisan, writes Governing Editor Alan Greenblatt. Tax cuts for the affluent remain gospel for Republicans — even though the wealthy are much less likely to vote Republican these days. Meanwhile, working-class voters who’ve shifted to the GOP aren’t demanding the government benefits their Democratic forebears counted on. What’s behind this seeming ideological mismatch?

Many voters are switching party allegiances during the Trump era, but the parties aren't changing in ways that reflect their preferences.

Address

Sacramento, CA

Telephone

+19169321300

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Governing posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Governing:

Shortcuts

Share

Category