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Dental therapists, who can fill cavities and check teeth, get the OK in more states
During a game of Red Rover when she was 16 years old, Rochelle “Roz” Siuvuq Ferry lost a front tooth. Ferry, who is Inupiaq, remembers having to get on a plane to get from her remote Alaskan village to the city of Nome to start the tooth replacement process. Traveling to Nome for dental care […] The post Dental therapists, who can fill cavities and check teeth, get the OK in more states appeared first on Stateline.
Angry patients spur new state watchdogs to bring down drug prices
Spurred by fed-up consumers, states are trying to curb spiraling prescription drug costs by assembling special public boards to investigate and regulate pricing. The idea is similar to a local utility board: a public group that sets rules or makes recommendations to ensure that what they’re regulating — in this case, prescription medications — is affordable.
Red-state cities and suburbs are becoming more diverse
Growth in Asian, Black and Hispanic communities is transforming cities and suburban counties, especially in red states such as Florida, Indiana and Texas, according to a new Stateline analysis. The presidential swing states of Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania also were among the fastest-changing states. Nationally, the share of the non-white population grew in 47 states […] The post Red-state cities and suburbs are becoming more diverse appeared first on Stateline.
If a presidential nominee drops out, what happens to states’ ballots?
This special report was written with contributions from States Newsroom’s 39 state news outlets. WASHINGTON — The Electoral College could help Democrats avoid a complicated situation in the event President Joe Biden withdraws from the race after his name is printed on ballots. States Newsroom reporters and editors in the network’s 39 states explored how […] The post If a presidential nominee drops out, what happens to states’ ballots? appeared first on Stateline.
Why Washington’s wolf count is under scrutiny
This story first appeared in the Washington State Standard. With a controversial vote planned next week on whether to loosen protections for wolves in Washington, wildlife advocates are raising alarm that officials could be relying on flawed wolf count figures from a tribe in the northeast corner of the state.
Some police officers leave big cities for smaller towns to avoid heightened scrutiny
Four years after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and the police murder of George Floyd, many big-city law enforcement agencies are struggling to fill their ranks. Departments have tried offering hiring bonuses, expediting background checks and increasing salaries. Some have dropped bans on visible tattoos, lowered physical fitness exam requirements and expanded eligibility to […] The post Some police officers leave big cities for smaller towns to avoid heightened scrutiny appeared first on Stateline.
Confusion, clinic closures may have caused big declines in contraception use, study shows
Clinic closures in the wake of the Dobbs decision and questions about the legality of emergency contraceptives, including disinformation that some are abortion drugs, may have contributed to a sharp drop in the rate of prescriptions for contraceptives in states with the most restrictive abortion bans, according to a University of Southern California study.
As public health becomes political, state surgeons general play delicate role
When Louisiana Republican state Rep. Brach Myers stood on the House floor this past April to advocate for his bill to create a state surgeon general position, the questions were sparse, and the debate lasted only a few minutes. Democratic Rep. Matthew Willard asked whether the new role “could create chaos or maybe even division” […] The post As public health becomes political, state surgeons general play delicate role appeared first on Stateline.
More states enact salary transparency laws to fight gender, racial pay gaps
To combat gender and racial wage gaps, nearly a dozen states recently have enacted pay transparency laws that require employers to be more open about the wages and benefits they offer. Most of the laws require employers to disclose wages in job postings and some bar them from asking a job candidate about their salary […] The post More states enact salary transparency laws to fight gender, racial pay gaps appeared first on Stateline.
Gas taxes can’t pay for roads much longer, but Amazon deliveries might
For decades, states have relied on gas taxes to provide much of the money to maintain roads and bridges. But as cars become more fuel efficient, and some Americans switch to electric vehicles, state leaders say the gas tax won’t pay the bills for much longer. At the same time, many cities have seen their […] The post Gas taxes can’t pay for roads much longer, but Amazon deliveries might appeared first on Stateline.
‘Compounded’ weight-loss drugs are a growing problem for state regulators
Anna Wysock’s “aha” moment arrived in an Ohio amusement park, as she got ready to ride a roller coaster with her 7-year-old son: The safety bar across her lap would only click into place once. The attendant told her it had to click twice, or she couldn’t ride. She was mortified. “I had to do […] The post ‘Compounded’ weight-loss drugs are a growing problem for state regulators appeared first on Stateline.
Mishandled bodies, mixed-up remains prompt tougher funeral home regulations
The headlines were the stuff of nightmares. One Colorado funeral home owner let the body of a woman decompose for two years in a hearse parked outside a house he rented, while hoarding the cremated remains of dozens of others inside. Last year, authorities discovered nearly 200 improperly stored bodies at another Colorado funeral home […] The post Mishandled bodies, mixed-up remains prompt tougher funeral home regulations appeared first on Stateline.
The Supreme Court limited federal power. Health care is feeling the shockwaves.
This story first appeared on KFF Health News. A landmark Supreme Court decision that reins in federal agencies’ authority is expected to hold dramatic consequences for the nation’s health care system, calling into question government rules on anything from consumer protections for patients to drug safety to nursing home care. The June 28 decision overturns a 1984 precedent […] The post The Supreme Court limited federal power. Health care is feeling the shockwaves. appeared first on Stateline.
When ‘universal’ pre-K really isn’t: Barriers to participating abound
When Tanya Gillespie-Lambert goes to an event in a local park in Camden, New Jersey, she takes a handful of brochures about free preschool with her. She has no hesitation about approaching strangers — moms with kids especially — to plug the service in the local public school district, where she’s director of community and parent involvement.
As bird flu spreads on dairy farms, an ‘abysmal’ few workers are tested
Public health officials are concerned about bird flu, which so far has been detected in three dairy farmworkers — two in Michigan and one in Texas — as well as in cattle in a dozen states. The farmworkers’ symptoms were mild, and researchers have not found that the...
More states consider voter ID laws amid conflicting research on their impact
Nevada voters may decide in November whether they should join three dozen other states in requiring voters to present valid identification before casting a ballot. And Maine may not be far behind, as the push for voter ID requirements grows nationwide despite conflicting studies over their effects. Conservative organizers in Nevada say they have gathered […] The post More states consider voter ID laws amid conflicting research on their impact appeared first on Stateline.
US Supreme Court sides with Oregon city, allows ban on homeless people sleeping outdoors
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court Friday sided with a local ordinance in Oregon that bans homeless people from sleeping outdoors, and local governments will be allowed to enforce those laws. In a 6-3 decision, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the opinion that the enforcement of those local laws that regulate camping on public property […] The post US Supreme Court sides with Oregon city, allows ban on homeless people sleeping outdoors appeared first on Stateline.
Despite what some politicians say, crime rates are decreasing
Violent crime in the United States dropped significantly in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the same period last year, according to the FBI’s Quarterly Uniform Crime Report released earlier this month. The FBI’s data, collected from nearly 12,000 law enforcement agencies representing about 77% of the country’s population, suggests violent crime dropped by […] The post Despite what some politicians say, crime rates are decreasing appeared first on Stateline.
US Supreme Court sends Idaho abortion case back down to lower courts
As expected after the court said it inadvertently uploaded the opinion prematurely on Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision Thursday remanding a case about emergency abortions in Idaho back to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for now. The decision was 6-3, with conservative Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissenting. […] The post US Supreme Court sends Idaho abortion case back down to lower courts appeared first on Stateline.
13 states with Republican governors opt out of summer food program for kids
A new, permanent summer grocery program will help nearly 21 million kids across 37 states get enough to eat this year while school’s out. But 13 states with Republican governors have opted out of the federal program, citing their opposition to what they deride as “welfare” and their unwillingness to cover administrative costs.
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Stateline provides daily reporting and analysis on trends in state policy. Since its founding in 1998, Stateline has maintained a commitment to the highest standards of nonpartisanship, objectivity and integrity. Its team of journalists combines original reporting with a roundup of the latest news from sources around the country. In 2023, Stateline transitioned from its longtime home at The Pew Charitable Trusts to States Newsroom.
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