Carl Smith

Pasadena

Senior Staff Writer at GOVERNING

Writer at https://t.co/hWCOGB1x48

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Articles

New Clean Energy Training Hub Flourishes in a Factory Town

1 week ago | governing.com | Jared Brey |Carl Smith

It was 1999 when he and a group of teen boys were expelled and faced criminal charges over the incident. The story of the “Decatur Seven” drew national headlines and protests led by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who framed their harsh treatment as blatant racism. The governor eventually intervened, and the students were allowed to attend alternative schools.
Middle-Income Earners Struggle to Afford Homes Across the Country

1 week ago | governing.com | Carl Smith

“We never felt homeownership was in our cards. But we did it!” Julia Whitnall said. “We’re extremely happy.”The couple moved May 16 to a $509,000 two-bedroom house in Ripon, east of San Francisco in the Central Valley region. Like many moderate-income workers, public school teachers Julia and Scott Whitnall didn’t think they’d become homeowners in their early 30s. Especially in California. It wasn’t easy.
A New York Public Health Expert on the Danger of Federal Funding Cuts

1 week ago | governing.com | Carl Smith

New York City’s public health department is charged with safeguarding the health of 8 million residents, doing work that is often invisible. In addition to its other responsibilities, it monitors infectious diseases entering the country. Michelle Morse, the acting health commissioner, talked to Governing about how her department is adjusting to shifting federal priorities.
Tornado Alley? Think Tornado Nation.

1 week ago | governing.com | Carl Smith |Jared Brey |Zina Hutton

Violent tornado outbreaks, like the storms that tore through parts of St. Louis and London, Ky., on May 16, have made 2025 seem like an especially active, deadly and destructive year for tornadoes. The U.S. has had more reported tornadoes than normal — more than 1,000 as of May 27, according to the National Weather Service’s preliminary count.
California Lawmakers Swiftly Reject Hundreds of Bills Amid Budget Deficit

1 week ago | governing.com | Carl Smith |Jared Brey |Zina Hutton

Those are among the hundreds of proposals California lawmakers swiftly rejected Friday under the banner of cost savings, as they cited the state’s $12 billion budget deficit — a worsening figure due to the threat of unprecedented federal funding cuts and California’s ballooning spending on health care for low-income residents.
Why the Feds - Not the States - Should Take the Lead on Regulating AI

1 week ago | governing.com | Carl Smith |Jared Brey |Zina Hutton

When it comes to artificial intelligence regulation, however, the answer is easy: The economic and national security implications of AI development place it squarely in the domain of the federal government pursuant to the commerce clause. That’s precisely why Congress has the authority to move forward with a proposed moratorium on state regulation of AI. A bill working its way through the House includes a prohibition on states enforcing a broad range of AI regulations for 10 years.
Why Utah Went All in on Make America Healthy Again

1 week ago | governing.com | Carl Smith

Utah has earned praise from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for enacting legislation to advance priorities of his Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative. Several factors, including consensus about healthy living and a Republican trifecta contributed to enthusiasm for food-based elements of his agenda. It’s less clear what may come in regard to MAHA goals of reducing exposure to environmental toxins associated with chronic diseases.
The Treatable Scourge of Fentanyl Among the Homeless

2 weeks ago | governing.com | Carl Smith

You see it most painfully among the unhoused living on the streets, where fentanyl is an escape, a trap and far too often a death sentence. Fentanyl has become an inescapable presence across homeless encampments, shelter systems and public spaces. We need to rethink how we deal with this devastating crisis, particularly among people who are living on the edge of existence.
The 1964 Federal Law That Keeps Transit Costs Too High

3 weeks ago | governing.com | Jared Brey |Carl Smith

Lower fare revenue plus higher wage costs equals a bigger deficit. Unless state governments fill that gap, agencies will need to dramatically curtail service. Yet service levels are one of the primary determinants of ridership. Hence the increasing risk of a “death spiral,” where revenue shortfalls lead to service cutbacks, which lead to lower revenue, which lead to service cuts, and so on. State legislatures should try to avoid this doom cycle, even though finding the money may be difficult.
Colorado Calls for Study of Universal Health Care Coverage

3 weeks ago | governing.com | Carl Smith

The emergency protections law will give Coloradans confidence that they’ll receive emergency care, no matter what’s happening at the national level, Polis said during the afternoon ceremony. But, in signing the bill ordering a study of universal health care, he added that “we should aim higher” than guaranteed coverage only in the emergency room. “In this country and in this state, we do health care poorly.