Latest News

• Local Health Departments Tested by Meningitis Outbreak
• SOURCE: GOVERNING | Dylan Scott | Oct. 17, 2012

• Fracking Report Shows No Impact on Environment, Health
• SOURCE: GOVERNING | McClatchy Newspapers | Oct. 16, 2012

• New Jersey's 1st Medical Marijuana Dispensary Wins Final Clearance
• SOURCE: GOVERNING | McClatchy Newspapers | Oct. 16, 2012

• Some Texas Inmates Forego Health Care to Avoid Higher Fees
• SOURCE: GOVERNING | The Texas Tribune | Oct. 16, 2012

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• Court: Seattle Can't Curb Yellow Pages
• SOURCE: Seattle Times | Oct. 16, 2012

• Teacher Evaluations Change as School Districts Seek Federal Aid
• SOURCE: New York Times | Oct. 16, 2012

• California City's Smoking Ban for Multi-Family Homes Could Spark National Movement
• SOURCE: Reuters | Oct. 16, 2012

• Citing Sandusky Case, S&P Gives Penn State a Negative Outlook
• SOURCE: Businessweek | Oct. 16, 2012

• Teachers Strike in North Shore School District Outside Chicago
• SOURCE: Chicago Sun-Times | Oct. 16, 2012

Daily Digit

Idea Center

• Using Radar to Detect Wrong-Way Drivers
• Milwaukee County hopes that radar detection coupled with new signage will stop wrong-way drivers in their tracks.
• By: Brian Peteritas | October 15, 2012

• Seattle Police Use Neighborhood Twitter Accounts
• The police department has created 51 hyper-local accounts to keep residents informed about crime and police response.
• By: Brian Peteritas | October 9, 2012

• New Mexico Creates App to Reduce DUIs
• The state has unveiled a new smartphone application, ENDWI, that has a suite of features to promote responsible drinking.
• By: Brian Peteritas | October 1, 2012

Analysis and Insight

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• Daybook
• Every week, Governing.com compiles state and municipal government-related events happening around the country.

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• What 2012 Races (Besides the White House) Should You Be Watching?
• The folks at Ballotpedia have highlighted 15 non-presidential races that they say people should be watching.…
• Politics | October 16, 2012

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• Judicial Races in Four States Draw Big Money, Partisanship
• Often, judicial races are sleepy. But sometimes they’re hard-fought, high-stakes, big-money affairs. And that’s the case this year in at least four states – Michigan, Florida, Iowa, and North Carolina.…
• Politics | October 16, 2012

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• Growing Wind-Turbine Opposition Creates Hurdles for States
• As wind energy rapidly expands, its reputation as a harmless alternative to fossil fuel is increasingly under attack.…
• View | October 16, 2012

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• Meningitis Outbreak Puts State Regulations Under Microscope
• The health crisis, which has led to more than 200 infections, could lead to shift from state to federal oversight of compounding pharmacies.…
• View | October 15, 2012

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• The Opening Door to Government Transformation
• When the elections are over, a new crop of leaders will face the same old challenges. Let's hope they will approach those challenges with new thinking.…
• Better, Faster, Cheaper | October 15, 2012

Who said that?

Columns

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• States and the Federal Fiscal Cliff
• The effect of higher federal taxes and sequestration cuts on state budgets and revenue.
• BY: Penelope Lemov | October 11, 2012

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• Why Public-Sector Strikes Are So Rare
• Public employees don't have the right to strike in 39 states. What other options do they have for getting what they want?
• BY: Heather Kerrigan | October 10, 2012

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• Politics and the Discouraged Public Servant
• The meaningless dialogue we're hearing in this campaign season can leave people in government feeling pretty low. There are some ways to try to get past the blues.
• BY: Babak Armajani | October 10, 2012

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• The Politics of Children and Family Services
• A toxic election cycle in Indiana has ended in the resignation of the state's director of children services.
• BY: Jonathan Walters | October 9, 2012

Events & Webinars

• Big Data: Big Innovations for State and Local Government?
• October 17, 2012
• Join GOVERNING’s editorial staff on Wednesday, October 17 at 2 p.m. ET for a live, interactive online forum as we discuss the purpose of big data and how state and local governments are putting it to use.

• Moving Out of the Red: Improving Government’s Collection of Delinquent Receivables
• November 13, 2012
• Delinquent receivables owed to governments have increased at rapid rates in recent years and tax revenues from most sources have also declined due to the great recession. This scenario, coupled with consumers shifting viewpoints on how they manage their finances have put increased pressures on governments to provide services with constrained budgets. Currently, there are several hundred billion dollars of delinquent receivables, especially aged receivables, owed to governments that could be collected and used to provide valuable services to citizens.