Policy

While enrollment at many institutions continues to plummet, California Community Colleges and student advocates say pass/no pass grades would help alleviate stress and stop some students from dropping out.

To promote alternative, less expensive pathways to in-demand careers, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced new investments in community colleges, dual enrollment, apprenticeship programs, educator resources and other programs.

Yesterday, Washington’s Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee passed a bill that would create a working group that would examine different ways that blockchain technology could be used in government.

Under Michigan Rep. Brenda Lawrence’s bill, a $50 million program in the Department of Transportation would distribute grants of up to $5 million for static or dynamic electric vehicle charging projects.

Florida might soon establish a national first within its Secretary of State’s Office: the Office of Election Crimes and Security. The 15-person office would be required to report its activities to the Florida Legislature.

Across the country, legislatures in blue and red states are considering bills to bolster charging infrastructure, expand consumer incentives, electrify state fleets or mandate charging stations in new buildings.

Michigan’s state unemployment agency is staring at a class-action lawsuit after it, through notices, told residents they must pay back overpayments in unemployment benefits that were approved by the state.

The editorial board of the Buffalo News implores New York state lawmakers to set aside funding and other resources to help school districts, including rural ones, prepare for cyber threats such as ransomware.

The Indiana Department of Education’s transparency tool shows how locally developed spending plans are putting to use three rounds of federal ESSER funding, as well as competitive state grants.

Legislation advancing toward a final vote in the Alaska Legislature would allow the governor to declare similar cyber attacks a formal “disaster,” unlocking quicker funding and emergency responses.

Not everyone is seeing eye to eye with President Joe Biden and his team's plan to implement the infrastructure law. Getting the most out of the law will require continued level-headed conversation.

In this week's episode we take a look at artificial intelligence news from Vermont, which governors are showing the most tech interest and talk with Teri Takai about government's changing workforce.

The Portsmouth City Council is looking at the pros and cons of adopting the gunshot detection product Shotspotter, a technology that is both popular and controversial. City officials are concerned about the tech's price.

States are grappling with how they will continue to collect money for building and repairing roads once Americans stop going to the gas pump. Kansas is weighing its options carefully.

Later this year, the Internal Revenue Service will require IRS website users to agree to biometric scanning to access tax records. Why should the IRS have the ability to put citizens' privacy at such substantial risk?

Operational changes forced by COVID-19 proved schools can shift gears when they have to. Given all that educators have learned about the limits of one-size-fits-all instruction, now is a time for exploring alternatives.

In a co-authored piece for the Miami Herald, the mayor of Miami and the president of The James Madison Institute explain the city's plan to offer space and lease land to STEM-focused charter-school associations.

The bill would add privacy as a natural right and protect electronic data and communication from unreasonable seizure by government. Opponents include advocates for the First Amendment as well as religious groups.