Author Archive
Matt Vasilogambros
Emerging Tech
Chicago is the latest city rethinking disputed technology that listens for gunshots
More than 150 U.S. cities use ShotSpotter, but a growing body of research shows that the tool has not succeeded in reducing gun violence, has slowed police response times to emergency calls and often did not lead to evidence recovery.
Management
Gunfire, screams, carnage: As mass shootings proliferate, training gets more realistic
Law enforcement and medical workers experience the sights, smells and sounds of gun violence to prepare for tragedy.
Workforce
In face of threats, election workers vow: ‘You are not disrupting the democratic process’
But the threats, including a recent fentanyl scare, have spurred some officials to leave.
Management
In scrapping its LGBTQ-related travel ban, California pivots to ‘hearts and minds’
Lawmakers nixed a seven-year ban on state-funded travel to states that enact discriminatory laws.
Management
As ranked choice voting gains momentum, parties in power push back
This year, several states banned the increasingly popular voting system.
Management
In reversal, some states make it harder for people with felony convictions to vote
Voting rights groups have filed a flurry of legal challenges to felony disenfranchisement laws this year.
Management
Cities have ways to curb gun violence; feds are giving them more money
Lawmakers have recognized community violence intervention programs save lives and taxpayer dollars.
Digital Government
Why Republican-led states keep leaving a group that verifies voter rolls
Some cite ‘election integrity’ in their decision to depart.
Management
More States Allow Residents With Felony Convictions to Vote
Nearly half the states in the U.S. now allow people previously convicted of felonies to vote.
Management
The Fight Against Election Lies Never Ends for Local Officials
Election officials are working across state and partisan lines to earn back voters’ trust.
Cybersecurity
Feds push local election officials to boost security ahead of 2024
Local election officials are encouraged to beef up their cybersecurity practices to safeguard their voting systems against potential threats heading into the 2024 presidential race.
Featured eBooks
Infrastructure
California Takes Leading Edge on Climate Laws. Others Could Follow.
The Golden State wants carbon neutrality by 2045.
Management
Jail voting expands in Illinois
Voting from jail is rare throughout the United States, but lawmakers in Illinois are paving the way for more detention facilities to offer in-person voting.
Cybersecurity
Russian cyberattack could capitalize on election doubts
The U.S. has better cyber defenses than it did during the 2016 presidential election, but multifaceted efforts to delegitimize democracy and spread misinformation are creating new vulnerabilities.
Management
Contentious Fringe Legal Theory Could Reshape State Election Laws
Legal scholars argue the “independent state legislature doctrine” is a radical theory that could disenfranchise voters.
Management
A Parched West Remains Divided on Desalinating Seawater
Environmentalists criticize the technology as economically and ecologically harmful.
Management
Rising Gun Deaths Push Cities to Shore Up Police and Services
Sixteen major U.S. cities saw a rise in homicides last year.
Management
California’s Drought Reckoning Could Offer Lessons for the West
State officials and experts argue strongly for water-saving measures.
Management
Booster Mandates Are a Tough Call for States, Businesses
New Mexico is the first and only state to require boosters for its employees.
Management