Jabari Simama

Atlanta

Senior Contributor at GOVERNING

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Articles

Alaska Gov. Slashes Millions From Education Funding

1 week ago | governing.com | Carl Smith |Jabari Simama

The governor’s vetoes fell heaviest on education, as Dunleavy eliminated more than $50 million from the state’s per-student education funding formula and tens of millions intended for major school maintenance projects. Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, and Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, said lawmakers are not likely to consider a veto override vote until January at the earliest, a schedule that will leave school districts with months of uncertainty. Gov.
The False Promise of Medicaid Work Requirements

2 weeks ago | governing.com | Jabari Simama

If enacted, these proposals would have significant repercussions for millions of struggling Americans. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects that by 2034, 16 million people could lose health insurance if Medicaid work mandates are widely implemented, Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits enacted under the American Rescue Plan Act are allowed to expire, and other policies relating to ACA enrollment become law.
Most Rural Hospitals Are No Longer Delivering Babies

2 weeks ago | governing.com | Jabari Simama |Girard Miller

Both hospitals are located in an agricultural swath of the state that’s home to most of its poorest counties. Many residents of the region don’t even have a nearby emergency department. Stacey Gilchrist is a nurse and administrator who’s spent her 40-year career in Thomasville, a small town about 20 minutes north of Grove Hill. Thomasville’s hospital shut down entirely last September over financial difficulties.
Minnesota’s Mental Health Corps Provides Students With ‘Near-Peer’ Counseling

3 weeks ago | governing.com | Jabari Simama

Whatever the subject, Anjali Hay listens to the St. Paul students’ concerns, points them to others when she can’t meet a need and keeps on them about schoolwork. “They feel they can come to me as a trusted adult,” the 20-year-old said, noting that some students feel lost in a big school system. She works to ensure “they are seen and feel that they are heard. And I think it’s shown through their attendance and their grades.” Sometimes it’s their home life.
New Mexico’s New Militarized Border Zone Is Creating Confusion

3 weeks ago | governing.com | Jabari Simama

Ellison explained the turnabout in a filing in which he said the arrested people had been found in an area his office thought was part of the new National Defense Area. It wasn’t. As a result, three people arrested in recent weeks won’t face newly created criminal charges for trespassing on a military base, punishable by up to a year in jail.
Utah Governor Urges Mayors to Act on Homeless Crisis

3 weeks ago | governing.com | Jabari Simama

Utah has more than 250 cities and towns, but mayors from about 40 cities came to the governor’s “Built Here Housing Summit” to trade ideas in a closed-door meeting. In a news conference held outside the governor’s mansion immediately after, Cox said they came together to work toward a “shared goal” that he described as “very simple, but urgent.”“How can we work together — state and local — to make housing more attainable for Utah families?” Cox said.
The Oklahoma Legislature Spent Its Last Day of Session Overriding Gubernatorial Vetoes

3 weeks ago | governing.com | Jared Brey |Jabari Simama |Mattie Quinn |Girard Miller

He got his income tax cut, business courts and ban on cellphones in schools, prompting him to say Wednesday it was probably the best session in his seven years in office. “Look. The governor should be very happy,” House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, said early Friday. “He got everything he wanted this session.” The legislative session, which ended Friday, was a mixed bag for Gov. Kevin Stitt. But then came Thursday, effectively the final day of the legislative session.
An Old Texas Law is Bleeding The State’s Most Important Aquifer Dry

4 weeks ago | governing.com | Jabari Simama

For years, their measurements have shown what farmers and water conservationists fear most — the Ogallala Aquifer, an underground water source that’s the lifeblood of the South Plains agriculture industry, is running dry. That’s because of a century-old law called the rule of capture.
We Need Digital Equity More Than Ever

4 weeks ago | governing.com | Jabari Simama

President Donald Trump recently terminated programs under the $2.75 billion Digital Equity Act, calling it unconstitutional, racist and illegal. The 2021 law, approved with bipartisan support, established , mostly administered through states, to expand broadband access and help Americans make the most of it by addressing issues including digital literacy, affordability, and training and workforce development.
American Farmers Need Trade, Not Tariffs

4 weeks ago | governing.com | Jabari Simama

Earlier this month the United States and China announced a 90-day pause on their escalating tariff war. While that may sound like progress, farmers across the country should be cautious. This is not a permanent resolution — just a temporary ceasefire. And if we’ve learned anything from the past decade of tariff brinkmanship, it’s that agriculture ends up paying the price when trade becomes a political weapon.