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.

50 stories · page 1 of 2

News · LA

Louisiana sheriff indicted after New Orleans jailbreak

Public safety

Louisiana’s attorney general says a sheriff faces 30 felony counts following a 2025 jailbreak in New Orleans.

The Ballot Louisiana DeskOct 4, 2026

News · TN

Tennessee cancels executions after failed Pike injection

Elections and voting

The state canceled executions after officials were unable to execute Christa Pike by lethal injection.

The Ballot Tennessee DeskOct 3, 2026

News · DE

Meyer vetoes bipartisan emergency-powers measure

Elections and voting

The veto blocks a bipartisan measure that sought to add checks on the use of emergency powers in Delaware.

The Ballot Delaware Policy DeskOct 3, 2026

News · AR

Arkansas launches Rapid DNA at booking stations

Public safety

The Arkansas State Crime Laboratory has begun using Rapid DNA technology at participating booking stations, making Arkansas the third state to do so.

The Ballot Arkansas Policy DeskOct 2, 2026

News · AR

Arkansas starts Rapid DNA testing at booking stations

Public safety

The new system can create and search DNA profiles from qualifying arrestees in about 90 minutes.

The Ballot Arkansas News DeskOct 2, 2026

News · CA

Amber Alert issued for four children in Southern California

Public safety

Police issued an Amber Alert involving four missing children in Southern California.

The Ballot California News DeskOct 1, 2026

News · MI

Claim targets Mike Rogers’ public safety funding votes

Public safety

The Michigan Independent says Rogers repeatedly opposed funding measures, but the claim does not identify the bills or roll-call votes involved.

The Ballot Michigan DeskOct 1, 2026

News · CO

Colorado sues over ICE site as midterm monitoring looms

Public safety

Colorado’s lawsuit over a Hudson ICE facility joins questions about midterm poll monitors and a criminal case involving a former sheriff’s deputy.

The Ballot Colorado Policy DeskOct 1, 2026

News · NM

Flash Flood Emergency issued over McLeod Dam threat

Energy and environment

The National Weather Service acted after operators reported that McLeod Dam in south-central New Mexico faced imminent failure.

The Ballot New Mexico DeskSep 30, 2026

News · OR

Portland deprioritizes psychedelic enforcement

Public safety

The Portland City Council voted to make police enforcement involving psychedelics a lower city priority.

The Ballot Oregon DeskSep 30, 2026

News · ID

Police investigate political sign thefts in West Boise

Public safety

Police are examining a series of political sign thefts that occurred in West Boise over the weekend.

The Ballot Idaho Policy DeskSep 30, 2026

News · LA

Officials announce Gator Task Force in Shreveport

Public safety

The federal, state and local effort will focus on violent crime and gangs in Shreveport and across North Louisiana.

The Ballot Louisiana Policy DeskSep 30, 2026

News · GA

Atlanta police reforms offer a reference point for ICE

Public safety

Atlanta’s use-of-force changes could give ICE a framework for reviewing its own public-safety practices.

The Ballot Georgia News DeskSep 29, 2026

News · WI

Family sues Milwaukee over fatal police chase

Public safety

The civil case brings a fatal police chase involving Milwaukee before a court and raises a public-safety question about legal responsibility.

The Ballot Wisconsin Policy DeskSep 29, 2026

News · CA

California governor signs 10 firearm-related laws

Public safety

The governor described the 10 new laws as gun-safety measures, while Guns.com characterized them as restrictions on guns.

The Ballot California DeskSep 29, 2026

News · HI

Nor’easter, hurricanes affect East Coast and Hawaii

Elections and voting

New York and New Jersey prepared emergency declarations as a nor’easter hit the East Coast and hurricanes moved toward Hawaii.

The Ballot Hawaii Policy DeskSep 28, 2026

News · MN

Justice Department sues Minnesota over gun waiting periods

Public safety

The lawsuit challenges gun-purchase waiting periods involving Minnesota and its two largest cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul.

The Ballot Minnesota News DeskSep 26, 2026

News · MN

Justice Department sues Minnesota and Twin Cities

Public safety

The legal challenge targets Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul over a waiting period for firearm purchases.

The Ballot Minnesota DeskSep 26, 2026

News · MN

DOJ sues Minnesota and two cities over firearm wait periods

Public safety

The Justice Department is challenging firearm purchase waiting periods in Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul.

The Ballot Minnesota Policy DeskSep 25, 2026

News · CA

Why California declared an emergency ahead of El Niño

Energy and environment

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order lets California prepare state personnel, equipment and infrastructure for possible winter flooding and landslides.

The Ballot California DeskSep 25, 2026

News · CA

California sheriff ordered to return confiscated ballots

Elections and voting

The return order changes who holds ballots seized during a voter-fraud inquiry but does not establish that fraud occurred.

The Ballot California Policy DeskSep 25, 2026

News · CA

Why California Declared an El Niño State of Emergency

Energy and environment

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order allows California to prepare resources, personnel and infrastructure for possible winter flooding and landslides.

The Ballot California Policy DeskSep 24, 2026

News · FL

Miami-Dade sheriff backs Florida’s Amendment 3

Public safety

Rosie Cordero-Stutz supports the proposed amendment as a statewide law enforcement group and other officials raise funding concerns.

The Ballot Florida DeskSep 24, 2026

News · MA

Boston councilors seek tighter police surveillance rules

Public safety

A proposed resolution would expand disclosure requirements for Boston police surveillance tools and the companies that operate them.

The Ballot Massachusetts News DeskSep 24, 2026

News · AR

North Little Rock police install no-thru-traffic signs

Public safety

North Little Rock police have posted signs directing drivers not to use designated routes for through travel.

The Ballot Arkansas Policy DeskSep 24, 2026

News · CT

Connecticut IG rules 2009 fatal police shooting justified

Public safety

The inspector general found officers were justified in shooting a man who pointed an unloaded gun at them during a 2009 encounter.

The Ballot Connecticut Policy DeskSep 24, 2026

News · MT

DOJ announces mail-ballot crime amid search for more cases

Elections and voting

The Trump administration is expanding its effort to identify mail-ballot crimes, but the development is not tied to a specific election.

The Ballot Montana DeskSep 24, 2026

News · CT

State Clears Officers After 17-Year East Hartford Delay

Public safety

Connecticut’s inspector general cleared three officers in a fatal East Hartford shooting and attributed the delayed finding to a missing report.

The Ballot Connecticut DeskSep 23, 2026

News · KS

Police investigate cut-down Flock camera in west Wichita

Public safety

Police are investigating after a Flock camera was cut down in west Wichita, making the incident a public safety matter.

The Ballot Kansas News DeskSep 21, 2026

News · WV

Mason County under emergency order after landslide

Energy and environment

Gov. Patrick Morrisey issued the order after flooding eroded an Ohio River bank and pushed a landslide close to railroad tracks.

The Ballot West Virginia News DeskSep 20, 2026