Choose your location
Route Fifty
A new initiative looks to combine child care and care for older adults under one roof
This article was first posted on the Nebraska Examiner. Read the original here. As a number of long-term care and child care facilities continue to face challenges, even closures, in Nebraska, a new intergenerational care grant program seeks to turn the tide. Legislative Bill 1178, introduced by State Sen. Anna...
Water conservation standards are crucial to addressing future challenges
The Biden administration recently announced an additional $5.8 billion in targeted investments for drinking and wastewater infrastructure nationwide. Washington, D.C., has been allotted $42 million to replace lead pipes and support ongoing efforts to upgrade aging wastewater and sanitation infrastructure. With guidance from Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office, DC Water will be allocating part of this funding to its ongoing program to replace deteriorating water systems in a safe, environmentally friendly and efficient manner. DC Water delivers 900 million gallons of drinking water a day via 1,300 miles of pipes and cleans 300 million gallons of wastewater, returning it to the Potomac River cleaner than before. In this monumental task, water conservation is key to the entire enterprise.
Colorado takes a new—and likely more effective—approach to the housing crisis
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. In recent years, Colorado has been a poster child for the U.S. housing crisis. Previously a relatively affordable state, it has seen home prices increase nearly sixfold over the past three decades, outstripping even Florida and California.
Amid mental health crisis, new compact allows social workers to practice across state lines
This story was first published by Stateline. Read the original here. Stefani Goerlich, a certified sex therapist and social worker with a private practice in Detroit, sees several dozen clients a month, most of them from underserved and minority backgrounds. She speaks to them about sensitive matters such as gender-affirming care, and building trust takes time.
Successful city parks make diverse communities feel safe and welcome
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. What makes a city a good place to live? Practical features are important, such as well-maintained streets, good public transit and reliable trash collection. So are amenities that make cities attractive and interesting, such as museums and public parks. Access to green space is especially valuable for residents who may not be able to travel easily beyond city limits.
New veteran justice program aims to steer veterans back to ‘hero status’
This story was first published on Nebraska Examiner. Read the original here. A national panel of senior military and criminal justice leaders is hailing Nebraska landmark legislation that they say could help restore justice-impacted veterans to “hero status.”. Nebraska state lawmakers voted 44-0 in April to approve Legislative Bill...
Meet Emma, Amarillo’s AI assistant and ‘digital human’
Tucked alongside Route 66 in the thick of the Texas panhandle, the city of Amarillo is known by most for its windy and wildly erratic weather, agricultural élan and its historic status as one of America’s true Western cow towns of yore. Yet the city once famous for...
Bans on gender-affirming care have 'chilling effect'
Twenty-five U.S. states have now limited at least some form of gender transition-related health care such as hormone replacement therapy, with laws mostly impacting minors’ access to such care. That means 1 in 3 transgender youths are living in a state “where they are categorically barred from accessing lifesaving...
New York’s slow progress moving to EVs highlights obstacles cities face
New York City has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. To reach that target, the city has undertaken major efforts to switch from fossil fuels to electric power. But the sluggish rollout of public charging stations in the nation’s biggest city shows how difficult the transition can be, a panel of experts said Wednesday.
Inside the Department of Labor’s collaboration with New Jersey to overhaul unemployment programs
New Jersey has a new front door for unemployment insurance. The simplified application, fully phased-in on April 11 after months of a limited rollout, is the first substantial update to the application in over a decade, according to the state administration, and is the result of years of federal-state collaboration started during the pandemic.
Texas schools illegally suspended thousands of homeless students—and nobody stopped them
This article first appeared as an exclusive on Houston Landing and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. Channelview High School senior Danielle Stephen trudged out of the assistant principal’s office, defeated and desperate. In the fall of 2021, an administrator at the east Harris County campus had...
How do women in the public sector assess their retirement security?
This article was first published by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Read the original here. The public sector has long been seen as a reliable provider of retirement security. But a recent survey suggests that some younger workers—especially women—have significant concerns about their future financial health. Published by the...
Can a ‘sprint’ to a medical emergency solve states’ EMS shortages?
The “EMS emergency” declared by Minnesota lawmakers in February is far from over, but rural services in the state recently got some good news. Despite the 2024 session coming to a close on Sunday amid a raucous cacophony of angry shouting over a tax bill, legislators started the weekend off harmoniously with the approval of a $30 million aid package for rural emergency medical services.
AI guardrails vs. ‘guiderails’: Navigating the curvy road ahead
Generative AI adoption and experimentation have exploded in a remarkably short time. According to the business intelligence firm Domo, ChatGPT gets approximately 7,000 prompts (or questions) every minute of every day. And as the technology continues to improve and become more familiar to people, that number will certainly continue its steep climb.
New cyber range helps future tech workers wargame cybersecurity
In central New York, a dozen men and women gathered in a pared down, “War Games”-like room earlier this month. It was a small room, about 800 square feet, with mostly white walls and commercial carpet. There were three rows of desks, each lined with computers and facing three large panoramic monitors that spanned one entire wall of the room.
Drivers score win against Uber and Lyft in Minnesota
Uber and Lyft drivers in Minnesota notched a significant win against the ride-hailing companies this weekend, as state lawmakers passed a law guaranteeing minimum pay rates for drivers. It’s a noteworthy development at a time that the ride-hailing giants continue to fight state regulators and their own drivers on job protections.
Colorado becomes first state with sweeping artificial intelligence regulations
This story was first published on Colorado Newsline. Read the original here. Colorado is the first state in the country to create a regulatory framework for artificial intelligence after Gov. Jared Polis signed Senate Bill 24-205 into law Friday evening. The bill sets guardrails for companies that develop and use...
Prioritization key to prep for website accessibility rule
The announcement by the Department of Justice of a final rule last month to improve government website accessibility for people with disabilities started what may feel like a multiyear, multimillion-dollar scramble to comply for states and localities. The directive marked the first time the federal government had issued a rule...
As a key labor union pushes into the South, red states push back
This story was first published on Stateline. Read the original here. Just days before workers at a Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama began voting last week on whether to unionize, Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed a new law that would claw back state incentives from companies that voluntarily recognize labor unions.
Passenger rail keeps chugging forward during Infrastructure Week
You're reading Route Fifty's State and Local Roundup. To get the week’s news to use from around the country, you can subscribe here to get this update in your inbox every Saturday. In the meantime, be sure to read to the end as we've rounded up headlines from the week.
Route Fifty
5K+
Posts
14M+
Views
Route Fifty covers state and local government news across the country.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.