States

WASHINGTON — A growing number of states are dropping degree requirements for public sector jobs, finding that skills-based job postings and better hiring enables them to assemble a diverse and adaptable workforce, according to a new National Governors Association study. ... Read More

WASHINGTON — As revenue from gas taxes declines with the growing popularity of electric and hybrid vehicles, more states are considering charging fees based on miles driven to cover maintenance costs for roads and bridges, according to a new Stateline... Read More

WASHINGTON — A lawsuit filed last week by predominantly Republican states says the U.S. Department of Transportation exceeded its authority with new stricter fuel efficiency standards for automobiles. Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, Texas and Utah are among states asking a federal... Read More

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Their state budgets flush with cash, Democratic and Republican governors alike want to spend some of the windfall on projects aimed at slowing climate change and guarding against its consequences, from floods and wildfires to dirty... Read More

ST. LOUIS — Traditional Republican states showed their opposition to the Biden administration’s announcement Thursday of a COVID-19 vaccine mandate by filing lawsuits to oppose it only a day later. The mandate orders companies with at least 100 employees to... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration began notifying governors and state refugee coordinators across the country about how many Afghan evacuees from among the first group of nearly 37,000 arrivals are slated to be resettled in their states. California is... Read More

DENVER (AP) — Anxiety in the United States over COVID-19 is at its highest level since winter, a new poll shows, as the delta variant rages, more states and school districts adopt mask and vaccination requirements and the nation's hospitals... Read More

Secretaries of state and county election officials nationwide resisted calls by former President Donald Trump and his allies to decertify the results of the 2020 presidential election. Now, Republican legislators in at least 14 states have enacted 23 new laws... Read More

More than a dozen states have dropped their longstanding objections to OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma's reorganization plan, edging the company closer to resolving its bankruptcy case and transforming itself into a new entity that helps combat the U.S. opioid epidemic... Read More

Vaccination rates, which reached a peak of 3.38 million shots per day in April slowed to fewer than 2 million doses per day in May. In response on Wednesday, President Joe Biden announced a “month of action” to urge more... Read More

STOWE, Vt. (AP) — Eduardo Rovetto is hoping the state of Vermont's reinstated requirement that people who are collecting unemployment benefits must seek work to qualify will help him hire enough staff for his restaurant in the resort town of... Read More

Though still awaiting money from the latest federal coronavirus relief act, some governors and state lawmakers already are making plans to add the multibillion-dollar boon to their budgets. Among their priorities: bailing out depleted unemployment accounts, expanding high-speed internet and... Read More

Stefani Jahjahrova, a 30-year-old Costco employee, received her first vaccine shot in Denver only five days before transferring to a new work location in Virginia.  “I was told I need to reach out to arrange an appointment, and it’s up... Read More

Thirty-five states are at extreme or high risk of partisan gerrymandering, according to an in-depth report by the nonpartisan RepresentUs organization. The Gerrymandering Threat Index rates all 50 states, and its authors argue their findings underscore the urgent need to... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden White House is amplifying the push for its $2.3 trillion infrastructure package with the release of state-by-state breakdowns that show the dire shape of roads, bridges, the power grid and housing affordability.The figures in the... Read More

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Democrats' nearly $2 trillion coronavirus relief package includes a big financial incentive for the states that have opted against expanding Medicaid to provide health coverage for more low-income Americans. It's proving to be a tough sell.... Read More

After an election season dominated by conspiracy theories and false claims about voting, top election officials across the country say they already are bracing for what comes next. They are grappling with ways they can counter waves of misinformation in... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Signs of hope are emerging to end the COVID-19 pandemic but they will continue only if the United States speeds up its rate of vaccinations, state health officials told a congressional subcommittee Tuesday. The number of vaccinations administered... Read More

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Republican lawmakers in statehouses across the country are moving swiftly to attack some of the voting methods that fueled the highest turnout for a presidential election in 50 years. Although most legislative sessions are just getting underway, the Brennan... Read More

As the first week of the new year comes to an end, the vaccine distribution system across the country continues to face numerous challenges in producing an effective rollout as the public remains confused on who is supposed to get... Read More

It's the time of year when many of us start to think "it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas," but for residents of an ever-growing number of states, this November is starting to look an awful lot like March... Read More

Eight months into the pandemic, the coronavirus is infecting Americans at an increasing pace no matter where they live. The seven-day average of new cases was climbing in every state in the U.S. on Sunday, a shift from earlier waves of the... Read More

ANCASTER, Pa. — With one envelope slicer, three ballot scanners and around 175 people, it took election officials roughly 37 consecutive hours to process 91,000 mail-in ballots in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. "It's taking a little longer to scan than we had hoped,"... Read More

Imagine this scenario: It's been weeks since Election Day, and in one state, it's not clear which presidential candidate won. In an initial count, the Democrat won by roughly 100 votes. Then an audit found a counting error that put the... Read More

The COVID-19 pandemic, which set records for infections and hospitalizations across the U.S. on Wednesday, is now predicted to kill 180,000 Americans by October, adding to dire signs that prompted a stock-market selloff and drastic measures from government leaders. The... Read More

Everyone wants to know: When, oh when, will it go back to normal? As some governors across the United States begin to ease restrictions imposed to stop the spread of the coronavirus, hopes are soaring that life as Americans knew... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General William Barr on Monday ordered federal prosecutors across the U.S. to identify coronavirus-related restrictions from state and local governments “that could be violating the constitutional rights and civil liberties of individual citizens.” The memo to... Read More

WASHINGTON - Seven House members have come together in a bipartisan effort to help state and local governments address cybersecurity weaknesses in their networks. The lawmakers engaged in the effort are Reps. Cedric Richmond, D-La., John Katko, R-N.Y., Derek Kilmer,... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Fourteen states have joined a lawsuit that seeks to block the Trump administration from reducing food benefits for about 700,000 people nationwide. The cuts represent a rule change the U.S. Department of Agriculture finalized shortly before Christmas for... Read More

WASHINGTON - States will now have the ability to convert part of their Medicaid funding into a block grant under a new program announced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Thursday. According to Seema Verma, administrator of... Read More