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New York to ban fossil fuels in new buildings. 23 states have forbidden such bans.
A widening clash over gas stoves and other fossil fuel appliances has ignited in statehouses across the country as Democratic lawmakers pursue more aggressive climate policies. On one side, environmentalists and left-leaning legislators have championed new construction rules that require homes and other buildings to run off electricity only, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. On […]
A 4-Day Workweek Gains Lawmaker Support in Some States
The Original Oyster House, billed as Pittsburgh’s oldest restaurant, found itself in crisis during the pandemic. Down to seven employees — including owner Jen Grippo and her mother — the staff worked six or seven days a week to keep up with orders. Grippo closed the Oyster House entirely in January 2021, determined to give […]
Activists Aim for Supreme Court With Local Abortion Bans in Blue States
Read more Stateline coverage on how states are either protecting or curbing access to abortions. Nearly 70 cities and counties across rural America have banned abortion in the past few years as part of a slow-burning conservative campaign to outlaw the procedure everywhere. The ordinances, debated in states from California to Ohio, aim to prevent health clinics […]
California’s New Child Privacy Law Could Become National Standard
A new California privacy law might fundamentally change how kids and teens use the internet — not only in California but also across the country. The first-in-the-nation legislation, which goes into effect in 2024, imposes sweeping restrictions on internet companies that serve minors, requiring that they design their platforms with children’s “well-being” in mind and […]
After Uvalde, States Look to New Digital Maps to Keep Schools Safe
In the wake of the devastating shooting in Uvalde, Texas, one of the latest tragedies in a decades-long surge of violence in schools, some state lawmakers are embracing a bipartisan measure that skirts divisive gun debates: school maps and blueprints. Police, firefighters and emergency technicians often reference those maps when responding to school emergencies. But […]
Librarians and Lawmakers Push for Greater Access to E-Books
Librarians and their legislative allies are pushing publishers of electronic books to lower their prices and relax licensing terms, an effort that could make it easier for millions of library users to borrow the increasingly popular digital versions of books. Supporters say the e-book lending legislation in several states would allow libraries to offer more […]
Advocates Look for New Ways to Fill City ‘Food Deserts’
BUFFALO, N.Y. — For six years, Alexander Wright lobbied local politicians, foundations and investors to fund his vision for a grocery store on Buffalo’s East Side. The African Heritage Food Co-Op, he promised, would make affordable, healthy produce accessible in a neighborhood with few convenient options besides dollar and corner stores. The Buffalo Bills Foundation […]
After Mass Shootings, Lawmakers Weigh Body Armor Bans
BUFFALO, N.Y.—Calls for new gun restrictions inevitably follow most American mass shootings, including the one that killed 10 people at a Buffalo supermarket six weeks ago. But in the wake of the Tops supermarket massacre, legislators here and in several other states also have turned their attention to a new target: civilian body armor. Such […]
States Look to Community Colleges to Fill Labor Gap
Editor’s note: This story was updated April 15, 2022, to clarify that the Community College Research Center is part of the Teachers College, Columbia University. Monique Acosta began the month of March as a pre-K classroom assistant in Arizona, with no credential beside her high school degree. She ended it with a certification in a […]
More Americans Can Use Food Stamps for Restaurants, Prepared Meals
Maryland resident Rhona Reiss began speaking out about gaps in the food stamp program the day she learned it wouldn’t cover rotisserie chicken. Under long-standing federal policy, benefits can’t be used to buy hot or prepared foods—even for older adults like Reiss, who is 77. But that policy is shifting in Maryland and in states […]
Pandemic Prompts Officials to Relax Rules on Home Businesses
It took 16 years, a local election and a global pandemic for Jonathan Holtfreter to secure his right to teach tuba in peace. The retired music teacher, a resident of Ann Arbor, Michigan, had for decades supplemented his public school salary by teaching private lessons at a nearby music store or in his home’s soundproofed […]
Biden Administration to Increase Food Aid
Editor’s note: This story and title have been updated on August 16, 2021 to reflect new developments. The Biden administration today announced a 25% increase in food stamp benefits, the largest jump in the history of the program. By revising nutrition standards last updated in 2006, the administration will increase the average monthly benefits under […]