Politics and government news

What government is actually doing — laws and executive action, budgets and taxes, housing, schools, health, courts, public safety, transport, energy, voting and campaigns — across Washington, the states and city hall. Filter below or page through the full archive.

924 stories · page 26 of 31

News · IA

Iowa City council narrowly approves downtown police unit

Public safety

A closely divided Iowa City council approved a new police unit focused on downtown public safety.

The Ballot Iowa DeskSep 17, 2026

News · WI

Crowley calls for repeal of Wisconsin fuel markup law

Energy and environment

David Crowley says repealing the state’s minimum markup law would lower fuel prices and blames federal policies backed by Tom Tiffany for rising costs.

The Ballot Wisconsin DeskSep 16, 2026

News · PA

Pennsylvania sues TikTok and Snapchat over child safety

Elections and voting

Attorney General Dave Sunday says the platforms mislead users about addictive features, disappearing content and children's exposure to adult material.

The Ballot Pennsylvania Policy DeskSep 16, 2026

News · OK

Judge sets deadline for Illinois River settlement arguments

Energy and environment

Parties in the 21-year-old pollution lawsuit have until Sept. 30 to explain why the judge should consider their proposed settlement.

The Ballot Oklahoma News DeskSep 16, 2026

News · NY

New York plan ends Regents passing requirement for diplomas

Education

The Board of Regents approved a plan to overhaul graduation requirements so students will not have to pass Regents Exams for a diploma.

The Ballot New York News DeskSep 16, 2026

News · MD

Harris proposes federal gas tax pause through 2026

Economy and jobs

The Maryland Republican’s bill would suspend federal gasoline and diesel taxes through the end of 2026 if Congress approves it.

The Ballot Maryland DeskSep 16, 2026

News · NM

New Mexico lawmakers weigh fuel tax increases

Economy and jobs

A proposal would add 3 cents per gallon to the gasoline tax and 4 cents per gallon to the special fuel tax, including diesel.

The Ballot New Mexico Policy DeskSep 16, 2026

News · FL

Moody files bill to place U.S. Space Academy in Florida

Education

The STARS Act would locate the new federal academy in Florida, but the federal government has not made a final site decision.

The Ballot Florida News DeskSep 16, 2026

News · NV

Supreme Court leaves Nevada mail ballot system unchanged

Elections and voting

The justices rejected a Trump administration appeal that sought to disrupt Nevada’s existing process for mail ballots.

The Ballot Nevada News DeskSep 16, 2026

News · MI

Court ruling and Michigan probe spotlight voting rules

Elections and voting

The Supreme Court blocked federal mail-ballot restrictions as Michigan lawmakers began examining a citizenship petition’s rejection.

The Ballot Michigan Policy DeskSep 16, 2026

News · SD

Johnson warns mail ballot rule could disrupt midterms

Elections and voting

South Dakota’s secretary of state says immediate implementation could cause mistakes and delays, while the attorney general supports lifting a court block.

The Ballot South Dakota Policy DeskSep 16, 2026

News · OH

Supreme Court rejects Trump mail-vote screening order

Elections and voting

The justices left in place a lower court ruling against required U.S. Postal Service screening of mail-in ballots.

The Ballot Ohio Policy DeskSep 16, 2026

News · AR

Sanders announces plan for families on CES waitlist

Elections and voting

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced a new state plan aimed at Arkansas families waiting for CES services.

The Ballot Arkansas Policy DeskSep 16, 2026

News · AR

Dismang resigns Senate, joins Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas

Economy and jobs

The Searcy Republican ended a legislative tenure that began in 2009 and accepted a job with Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas.

The Ballot Arkansas News DeskSep 16, 2026

News · MO

Missouri announces $10 million in Blue Shield grants

Education

The 2026 grants cover 350 counties, cities, towns and a school district participating in Missouri Blue Shield.

The Ballot Missouri DeskSep 16, 2026

News · TX

Abbott orders water penalties for Texas data centers

Elections and voting

Greg Abbott has ordered new water-related penalties targeting data centers in Texas.

The Ballot Texas News DeskSep 16, 2026

News · ID

Kennedy Center board votes to close amid disputes

Elections and voting

The board’s action follows financial problems and a federal order barring President Donald Trump’s name from the performing arts venue.

The Ballot Idaho News DeskSep 16, 2026

News · ID

Supreme Court rejects Trump mail ballot restrictions

Elections and voting

The court rejected Trump’s effort to restrict mail ballots ahead of the midterm elections, leaving election administration unchanged by that effort.

The Ballot Idaho DeskSep 16, 2026

News · UT

Supreme Court rejects Trump mail-ballot restrictions

Elections and voting

The Supreme Court turned aside Trump’s requested mail-ballot restrictions ahead of the midterm elections.

The Ballot Utah News DeskSep 16, 2026

News · TX

Texas charges align with Trump focus on noncitizen voting

Elections and voting

Federal charges in Texas put election enforcement at the center of Trump’s broader attention to voting by noncitizens.

The Ballot Texas Policy DeskSep 16, 2026

News · TX

Texas federal charges spotlight noncitizen voting

Elections and voting

Federal charges announced in Texas align with Trump’s broader focus on noncitizen voting, without a direct link to a specific election or race.

The Ballot Texas News DeskSep 16, 2026

News · VT

Vermont officials welcome block on USPS ballot rules

Elections and voting

The Supreme Court left in place an injunction preventing new Postal Service rules for mail ballots ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

The Ballot Vermont Policy DeskSep 16, 2026

News · KY

Beshear launches Kentucky medical debt relief program

Health care

The program is expected to eliminate about in medical debt for more than 130,000 Kentucky residents.

The Ballot Kentucky DeskSep 16, 2026

News · CO

Supreme Court blocks mail ballot rules for 2026 election

Elections and voting

Colorado can continue sending mail ballots to active registered voters under state law during the 2026 midterm election.

The Ballot Colorado DeskSep 16, 2026

News · TX

Texas federal charges tie into noncitizen voting focus

Elections and voting

Federal charges announced in Texas come amid Trump’s broader attention to noncitizen voting, but they are not tied to a specific election or race.

The Ballot Texas DeskSep 16, 2026

News · WI

Federal focus on Wisconsin elections continues after ruling

Elections and voting

The Supreme Court rejected voting changes, while federal officials remain focused on Wisconsin election administration.

The Ballot Wisconsin News DeskSep 16, 2026

News · AK

Kreiss-Tomkins signed 2021 Biden, clean-energy letter

Energy and environment

The 2021 letter praised President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 policies and called on Congress to pursue 100% clean energy.

The Ballot Alaska News DeskSep 16, 2026

News · UT

Evidence loss prompts another Rubicon suit against Utah AG

Elections and voting

Rubicon has filed another lawsuit against Utah Attorney General Derek Brown’s office over evidence tied to a billion case.

The Ballot Utah DeskSep 16, 2026

News · CA

Newsom rules out 2028 run if Harris enters race

Elections and voting

California Gov. Newsom says he would not seek the presidency in 2028 if Harris becomes a candidate.

The Ballot California Policy DeskSep 16, 2026

News · VT

Vermont secretary of state praises Supreme Court ballot ruling

Elections and voting

Sarah Copeland Hanzas welcomed the court’s decision to block federal requirements for distributing and returning mail-in ballots.

The Ballot Vermont News DeskSep 16, 2026