Government / Politics

Texas State Capitol building

Local Government Expect a Pinch After Texas Caps Property Taxes

Texas overhauled its property tax system with two bills in June. The debate about the consequences of that bill continues.

July 8, 2019 - The Texas Tribune

Supreme Court

Cities Lost Political Power in that 'Other' Supreme Court Ruling Last Month

On June 27, the Supreme Court didn't just rule on the Census Bureau's citizenship question. It also decided that it wasn't their business to consider how congressional districts are drawn, which will likely reduce the influence of cities.

July 7, 2019 - The New York Times

Gas Pumps

ICYMI: 12 States Hiked Gas Taxes on Monday

On July 1, Illinois and Ohio increased gas taxes by double digits: 19 cents per gallon and 10.5 CPG, respectively, followed by California at 5.6 CPG, all due to legislation passed this year or in 2017. Diesel tax hikes were even higher.

July 5, 2019 - Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

California Homeless

Trump's Remarks on Homeless Make Cities an Ideological Battlefield

President Donald Trump has low opinions on the state of a few very specific cities.

July 4, 2019 - The Washington Post

National Parks Service

Scarce National Park Fee Money Will Fund Today's 'Salute to America'

The Trump administration's lack of concern for the National Park Service's growing maintenance backlog will be on display today, along with everything else.

July 4, 2019 - The Washington Post

Campaign Rally

Updated: Census Citizenship Question Officially Cancelled

The U.S. Department of Commerce was not successful in achieving a highly consequential change to the 2020 Census form, after the Supreme Court ruled it needed a better reason to make the change.

July 3, 2019 - BuzzFeed News

Miami, Florida

All the Places Mentioned in Last Week's Democratic Debates

Candidates drop names for a reason.

July 3, 2019 - CityLab

Subway Homeless

A New—and Hopefully Better—Way to Deal with the Homeless Crisis on the N.Y.C. Subway

More homeless people are using the subway as temporary housing, and the delays and disruptions have increased as well. A new city program will replace fines with outreach to provide better access to social services.

July 2, 2019 - The New York Times

Portland, Oregon

What Went Wrong With Oregon's Climate Bill?

The Oregon Climate Action Program, which would have priced carbon emissions by establishing a cap-and-trade program similar to the one in California, was defeated on Saturday, the penultimate day of the 2019 legislative session.

July 2, 2019 - The Oregonian

Dublin Cycling

Dublin's Grand Biking Vision That Never Came to Fruition

Dublin’s future as a leading cycling city was once bright, but many plans have stalled or fallen by the wayside.

July 1, 2019 - The Guardian

Bus Lane New York City

More Bus Lane Cameras Coming to N.Y.C.

New state legislation will allow the city to expand the network of cameras and step up enforcement.

July 1, 2019 - Crain's New York Business

Housing Homeless

Disaster Shelters Housing the Homeless in Washington

Structures initially intended to temporarily house disaster victims are serving a new purpose in Tacoma, Washington—sheltering homeless people and getting them on the path to more permanent housing.

July 1, 2019 - Fast Company

Southern California

Courts May Fine Cities That Fail to Build Housing in California

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed his first budget, the state's largest ever at $215 billion. Housing activists will be pleased to learn that it has, to use Newsom's terms, both "carrots and sticks" to compel cities to produce more housing.

July 1, 2019 - The Sacramento Bee

Hudson Yards Towers

New York City Agencies Gain Design-Build Authority

Agencies in the city of New York needed to state clearance to win design-build authority. Mayor Bill de Blasio hopes the change will allow more efficient development of capital projects.

June 29, 2019 - Crain's Business New York

Deaths of Seven Motorcyclists Results in Resignation of Motor Vehicle Registry Chief

A pickup truck driver towing a trailer on a two-lane rural road in New Hampshire on June 21 is charged with seven counts of vehicular homicide after colliding with a group of motorcycle riders. Attention has turned to his commercial driver's license.

June 28, 2019 - USA Today

Supreme Court of the United States

Updated: Supreme Court Falls Short of Clarity on Census Citizenship Question

Those hoping for resolution of a major controversy impacting the 2020 Census, and all of the governance and policy decisions that depend on it, will have to wait.

June 27, 2019 - The New York Times

New Jersey Power Plant

New Jersey to Price Carbon Emissions from Electricity Generation

When the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection adopted new rules for power plants on June 17, the Garden State becomes the tenth to participate in a cap-and-trade program known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

June 26, 2019 - Utility Dive

Scooters Portland

Research Shows Little Consistency in ‘Rules of the Road’ for Micromobility Devices

A new study indicates that cities across the country are defining and regulating personal transportation devices in very different ways.

June 26, 2019 - Mineta Transportation Institute

Virginia

Sustainable Mobility Goals in Reach in Richmond

As Richmond, Virginia grows, the city’s network of fixed-route transit and shared ride service is evolving to meet travelers’ needs.

June 25, 2019 - Mobility Lab

Madrid Street

Madrid’s Bold Car Ban May Become a Thing of the Past

A new conservative administration says it wants to do away with the ban on cars in the city center.

June 24, 2019 - CityLab

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