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‘Time for a reckoning.’ Kansas farmers brace for water cuts to save Ogallala Aquifer.
This story, the second in an occasional series about water challenges facing the American heartland, is a partnership between Stateline and the Kansas Reflector. Read the first story here. JETMORE, Kan. — An inch or two of corn peeks out of the dirt, just enough to reveal long rows forming over the horizon. Sprinkler engines […] The post ‘Time for a reckoning.’ Kansas farmers brace for water cuts to save Ogallala Aquifer. appeared first on Stateline.
States struggle to help patients navigate insurance hurdle known as ‘step therapy’
Cassidy Yermal, 32, began experiencing debilitating migraines when she was 17 years old. As a teenager growing up in northeastern Pennsylvania, she saw numerous neurologists and tried a variety of medications before finding one that provided relief. In 2022, her new insurer asked her to prove it. Yermal now lives...
3 more states could see marijuana legalization on November ballots
Nebraskan Crista Eggers is running up against a July 3 deadline. If she can get at least 87,000 names onto each of two petitions before then, she can put an initiative on the state’s November ballot that would legalize pot for medicinal purposes. The petition effort is personal. Her 9-year-old son, Colton, has epilepsy and […] The post 3 more states could see marijuana legalization on November ballots appeared first on Stateline.
Highway humor is over some drivers’ heads
States have had their fun with highway safety messages, posting everything from Taylor Swift lyrics to discourage texting in Mississippi, to a “vibe check” — winking at Gen Z — to encourage seat belt use in Arizona. Such messages are shown intermittently on thousands of highway signs, known as variable messaging signs, when the billboards aren’t lit up […] The post Highway humor is over some drivers’ heads appeared first on Stateline.
New voter registration rules threaten hefty fines, criminal penalties for groups
ORLANDO, Fla. — On a sticky Sunday afternoon in late May, Mark Wendell ambled through Loch Haven Park, a mossy, oak-covered green space wedged between a trio of lakes and the Orlando Science Center. Among the two dozen food and vendor tents lining the sidewalks at the Orlando Fringe theater and arts festival was People […] The post New voter registration rules threaten hefty fines, criminal penalties for groups appeared first on Stateline.
For some rural communities, a stripped-down hospital is better than none at all
On many days, some small hospitals in rural Mississippi admit just one patient — or none at all. The hospitals are drowning in debt. The small, tight-knit communities they’ve anchored for decades can do little but watch as the hospitals shed services and staff just to stay afloat. The federal government recently offered a lifeline: […] The post For some rural communities, a stripped-down hospital is better than none at all appeared first on Stateline.
States beg insurers not to drop climate-threatened homes
In the coming years, climate change could force Americans from their homes, not just by raising sea levels, worsening wildfires and causing floods — but also by putting insurance coverage out of reach. In places including California, Florida and Louisiana, some homeowners are finding it nearly impossible to find an insurance company that will cover […] The post States beg insurers not to drop climate-threatened homes appeared first on Stateline.
As mpox cases rise, experts urge complete, 2-part vaccinations
The number of U.S. mpox cases has more than doubled compared with last year, and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been urging clinicians across states to encourage vaccinations for those at risk. As of May 25, the nation had seen a roughly 150% increase in cases of the disease formerly known […] The post As mpox cases rise, experts urge complete, 2-part vaccinations appeared first on Stateline.
Election monitors nervously practice for the ‘big dance in November’
MARIETTA, Ga. — Just after 3 p.m. on the third Tuesday of May, Lamont Hart began his shift outside a suburban precinct as a scorching Georgia sun reflected heat off the white-bricked Worship with Wonders Church. Tall, thin, wearing a backward flat cap and holding a notebook, Hart introduced himself to exiting voters and asked […] The post Election monitors nervously practice for the ‘big dance in November’ appeared first on Stateline.
Greater focus on crime sparks another wave of juvenile justice bills
For decades, state legislators and criminal justice advocates have worked to change the juvenile legal system, striving to expand access to rehabilitation and keep young people from returning to crime. During this year’s legislative session, nearly every state has considered some form of juvenile justice legislation, according to a National...
Universities try 3-year degrees to save students time, money
With college costs rising and some students and families questioning the return on investment of a four-year degree, a few pioneering state universities are exploring programs that would grant certain bachelor’s degrees in three years. The programs, which also are being tried at some private schools, would require 90 credits instead of the traditional 120 […] The post Universities try 3-year degrees to save students time, money appeared first on Stateline.
Low-wage states with cheap housing dominated the post-pandemic jobs boom
More than half of the nation’s jobs created in the past five years have come in two states: Texas and Florida. They’re at the forefront of a job creation revolution in which states with lower wages and a lower cost of living are gaining the highest share of new jobs, according to a new Stateline […] The post Low-wage states with cheap housing dominated the post-pandemic jobs boom appeared first on Stateline.
An obscure drug discount program stifles use of federal lifeline by rural hospitals
Facing ongoing concerns about rural hospital closures, Capitol Hill lawmakers have introduced a spate of proposals to fix a federal program created to keep lifesaving services in small towns nationwide. In Anamosa, Iowa — a town of fewer than 6,000 residents located more than 900 miles from the nation’s capital...
Amid mental health crisis, new compact allows social workers to practice across state lines
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. Those hard-won relationships often are upended when clients move away […] The post Amid mental health crisis, new compact allows social workers to practice across state lines appeared first on Stateline.
A bipartisan push to make air travel easier for new parents packing breast milk and formula
As the summer travel season approaches, new parents may be navigating airports with their babies — and the complexities of keeping them fed. Despite federal guidelines for airport agents laying out how to treat nursing moms, stories about problem encounters with security sometimes go viral. In 2023, actress and singer Keke Palmer said she was […] The post A bipartisan push to make air travel easier for new parents packing breast milk and formula appeared first on Stateline.
States shift toward kin-first foster care
When Victoria Gray and her husband took in their grandchild in 1993, there wasn’t a catchall term to explain the difficult task ahead. They just did the work. In the past decade, though, Gray, of Phoenix, has watched as states have worked steadily to recognize the roles of grandparents and other extended loved ones, now known collectively as kinship caregivers, in raising children who otherwise might be in foster care.
Crime victims may get fewer services as federal aid drops. States weigh how to help.
Groups that assist crime victims across the United States are bracing for significant financial pain after the amount available from a major federal victim services fund plunged $700 million this year. Congress recently lowered spending to $1.2 billion from the fund, which provides grants to nonprofit and local programs across the country. This latest round […] The post Crime victims may get fewer services as federal aid drops. States weigh how to help. appeared first on Stateline.
New rules protect pregnant workers, but red states sue over abortion provisions
Natasha Jackson was four months pregnant when she told her supervisor she was expecting. It was 2008, and Jackson was an account executive at a rental furniture store in Charleston, South Carolina — the only female employee there. “I actually hid my pregnancy as long as I could because I was scared about what could […] The post New rules protect pregnant workers, but red states sue over abortion provisions appeared first on Stateline.
States need to keep PFAS ’forever chemicals’ out of the water. It won’t be cheap.
In recent years, Michigan has spent tens of millions of dollars to limit residents’ exposure to the harmful “forever chemicals” called PFAS. And some cities there have spent millions of their own to filter contaminated drinking water or connect to new, less-polluted sources. “We’ve made significant investments to get up to speed,” said Abigail Hendershott, […] The post States need to keep PFAS ’forever chemicals’ out of the water. It won’t be cheap. appeared first on Stateline.
As a key labor union pushes into the South, red states push back
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. Alabama’s move follows similar efforts in Georgia and Tennessee, where GOP leaders also have passed laws […] The post As a key labor union pushes into the South, red states push back appeared first on Stateline.
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