Shaving Costs With Reverse Auctions
It's been a decade since Pennsylvania became the first state to use a technology that is like eBay in reverse to save money on government purchases. But despite the potential to create big savings,...
View ArticleChris Christie's Budget Bruiser
TRENTON, N.J. - New Jersey's new governor wants to erase one of the nation's largest budget deficits almost entirely with spending cuts. The governor's proposal has made him a villain to mayors,...
View ArticleIn Hawaii, an Imbroglio Over an Investment Gone Bad
Hawaii Auditor Marion Higa (left)and Governor Linda Lingle (right) Hawaii holds $1 billion worth of securities that have become nearly impossible to unload since the market froze in 2008. When Auditor...
View ArticleAre State Lands in Good Hands?
During the housing boom, some Western states turned state lands into a development bonanza. Now that development pressure has subsided, some think states should reform their land policies before growth...
View ArticleWhat Do Governors Look For in a Chief of Staff?
Some value administrative skills, while others prefer political savvy, but the one thing all 28 of the nation's new governors can't live without is loyalty.
View ArticleSecretaries of State Up the Political Ante
In most American states, the job of secretary of state has long been seen as a largely non-partisan post, invested for the most part with administrative and caretaker duties. A new crop of activists is...
View ArticleHow a Small Town's Bond Bust Led to a Model State Debt Policy
Lewisburg, Tennessee, got tangled up in an interest rate swap deal gone bad. As the town of 11,000 wrestles with the fiscal fallout, the state comptroller is forcing local governments to think hard...
View ArticleJerry Brown Asks Locals to Do More Work
California's new governor has an ambitious plan to turn more responsibility back to the local level. But the locals worry they won't be given enough money to do the job.
View ArticleFor State Lawmakers, Population Growth Has Its Downsides
A decade of growth, especially in Western states, has left lawmakers with far more people than in 2000, according to Census figures. That has made it difficult for some of them to connect to their...
View ArticleEven in this Economy, States Struggle to Recruit IT Personnel
MANAGEMENT BEAT: Qualified IT staff remain difficult for states to recruit … Legislators eye state websites for ad revenue … A defined contribution plan may raise pension costs in Kentucky, and other...
View ArticleGovernors Set the Agenda For a Lean 2011
In yet another tough budget year, the nation's governors are generally setting a course for contracting the ambitions and role of state government.
View ArticleDecline in Bond Market Has States Nervous
Investors are wary of buying government bonds right now. Taxpayers may end up bearing losses as a result.
View ArticleStates Get Off Revenue Roller Coaster
Two years ago, tax collections were so volatile that it was hard to tell how much money states had to spend. Now the situation is calming down - and looking more favorable.
View ArticleFocus on Privatization Seen in Ohio Budget Proposal
MANAGEMENT BEAT: Kasich looks to turnpike lease and sale of prisons for savings … Debate over workers' benefits heats up in New Jersey … A public employee union in Oregon pitches ideas for cutting the...
View ArticleAre 'Charter Universities' the Future of State-Funded Higher Ed?
With more budget cuts on the horizon, many flagship universities are warming to a new bargain with state government: In exchange for less state funding, they would get more say in running day-to-day...
View ArticleCosta Mesa's Pink Slip Spending Plan
MANAGEMENT BEAT: A California city lays off nearly half of its workers … Illinois considers taking away bargaining rights for managers ... New Hampshire employers may gain new leverage, and other...
View ArticleNew Michigan Law Increases State Role in Local Government
State-appointed emergency managers will move into depressed local jurisdictions with the power to abrogate labor contracts and even break up local governments if they deem it necessary for community...
View ArticleMinnesota Senate Votes to Shrink State Government
MANAGEMENT BEAT: There may be 15 percent fewer workers in Minnesota state government … California Governor Jerry Brown weighs in with a pension overhaul plan … Nebraska looks to compromise on...
View ArticleA Three-Year College Degree in Ohio?
EDUCATION BEAT: Ohio governor wants colleges to offer three-year degrees ... Idaho ends its legislative session after approving three controversial education bills ... Oregon lawmakers want the...
View ArticleLabor Offer Keeps New Jersey Tolls From Going Private
MANAGEMENT BEAT: Toll collectors will keep jobs but see pay cut by 24 percent … Massachusetts looks to take health care off the bargaining table … Missouri may auction more than 1,000 acres of state...
View ArticleAll Public Sector Employees in New Jersey Will Have to Live In-State
MANAGEMENT BEAT: No more commuting from New York and Philadelphia for New Jersey workers … Governments are spending more time collecting and organizing data than using it … A collective bargaining...
View ArticleNew Jersey Wants Shorter DMV Lines
TRANSPORTATION BEAT: A proposal to reduce wait times to get driver's licenses gets the backing of the agency's chief … Maryland demands more disclosure from a French train operator about its role in...
View ArticleNew Governors Drive to Reorganize Agencies
An unusually high number of states are debating merging the functions and offices of state government. But consolidation is often easier to do on the organizational chart than it is in real life.
View ArticleClerical Error Eliminates Indiana's Largest State Agency
TODAY'S TAKE: A clerical error in a new state law accidentally abolished Indiana's largest state agency. Governor Mitch Daniels fixed the mistake through an executive order.
View ArticleMinnesota Legislators Try to Prevent Future Shutdowns
TODAY'S TAKE: Now that Minnesota politicians have ended the longest state government shutdown in U.S. history, many are wondering how to avoid such a major disruption in the future.
View ArticleAs Four-Day Workweek Ends, Utah Opens on Fridays
The nation's most ambitious experiment with an alternative work schedule is over. While many public sector employers offer four-day schedules to some employees, Utah was the only state to try it for...
View ArticleIowa Centralizing Hiring of State Workers
MANAGEMENT BEAT: Many states are moving toward centralized human resources management systems as a way to cut costs. But in Iowa, the change is largely in response to a series of lawsuits alleging...
View ArticleThe Arkansas Approach: How One State Has Avoided Fiscal Disaster
Arkansas defaulted on its debt in the 1930s. The painful memory of that experience has been a help to its budget process ever since.
View ArticleNew Policy Means It's Always 'a Great Day in South Carolina'
TODAY'S TAKE: To improve her state's image, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is asking state workers to answer their phones by saying, "It's a great day in South Carolina. How can I help you?" It's...
View ArticleInfographic: Local Government By The Numbers
There are 89,476 local governments in the United States.
View ArticleInfographic: How California Redevelopment Agencies Work
Under California law, when cities and counties declare an area blighted, a redevelopment agency takes responsibility for urban renewal.
View ArticleInfographic: State and Local Employment Is Down, But Not Everywhere
State and local governments in two-thirds of the states have reduced their workforces in the past three years. The biggest reductions came in Nevada, Hawaii and Georgia. But other states, led by...
View ArticleShort-Staffed and Budget-Bare, Overwhelmed State Agencies Are Unable to Keep Up
PART ONE OF THREE: States across the country are seeing growing backlogs of work, as shrinking staffs struggle to meet rising demand for some services. From public housing to crime labs, restaurant...
View ArticleAnatomy of a Backlog: How Vermont Fell Behind on Adult Protective Services
PART TWO OF THREE: State systems to protect vulnerable adults from abuse and neglect are straining under growing caseloads and budgets that don't keep pace with the amount of work. Vermont's backlog of...
View ArticleOvercoming a Backlog: How Texas Conquered a Mountain of Food Stamps Applications
PART THREE OF THREE: Not long ago, Texas was slower than any other state at telling people whether they could receive food stamps. Today, the state ranks near the top. Here's how Texas did it.
View ArticleFive Lessons From Overwhelmed Agencies
Last week, Stateline took an in-depth look at what's causing growing backlogs of work at state agencies across the country. Here are five lessons gleaned from dozens of interviews with state officials,...
View ArticleNew York Poised to Make Major Management Changes
MANAGEMENT BEAT: In his state of the state address on Wednesday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo promised major alterations in both the organization of the public workforce and the day-to-day operations...
View ArticleMississippi Republicans Challenge Powers of Attorney General
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood hires lots of outside lawyers. They make a great deal of money for the state, and for themselves. Not everyone is happy with that situation.
View ArticleSeven Questions for Michigan Governor Rick Snyder
Rick Snyder hasn't followed the confrontational path of many Republican governors elected in 2010. In a Stateline interview, he explains some of his strategies.
View ArticleStates Push to Shake Up Personnel Practices
Civil service rules that haven't changed in decades are being re-assessed by several governors bent on major changes in the system.
View ArticleOregon Looks to Shrink Middle Management
An unusual mix of Republicans, Democrats and labor leaders are working together to restructure state government.
View ArticleCrime Labs Struggle With DNA Test Demands
State laboratories are being asked to handle more DNA samples every year. They use federal funding to meet part of the expense, but backlogs persist nevertheless.
View ArticleReport Touts Privatization Momentum
Report finds that more states are privatizing services.
View ArticleOklahoma Rejects Bonding for Capitol Renovation
As the legislature adjourns, repairs for the Capitol and state office buildings are put off another year.
View ArticleTroubled Times at the State Fair
State Fairs are facing a budget crunch, and one solution is to turn them over to private ownership.
View ArticleDetroit and Its Unions Fight Over Work Rules
As Detroit’s workforce shrinks, labor and city leaders face tough questions about how to make do with the employees they have left. Antiquated work rules are at the heart of the dispute.
View ArticleMichigan’s Emergency Manager Law Repeal Headed for Ballot
The Michigan Supreme Court has resolved a dispute about whether opponents of the state’s emergency manager law had used the correct type size on their ballot initiative petitions, which was challenging...
View ArticleAlabama’s Past, Future on the Ballot
Alabama voters will get the chance this fall to rid their state constitution of antiquated references to the “telegraph” and use of the gold standard and eliminate racist language adopted during the...
View ArticleIn Michigan and Wisconsin, Some Lawmakers Want to Go Part-Time
Should lawmakers in Michigan and Wisconsin cut their work hours? That’s what some hope to do, as they push constitutional amendments that would convert their states’ full-time legislatures into...
View ArticleStates Brace for Shutdown That Could Hit Revenue and Businesses
With the federal government teetering close to a shutdown, states are facing cuts and uncertainty.
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