I never imagined I’d see the year 2020. When I thought about it – even just a few years ago – I envisioned flying cars and space travel. I foresaw a world where our society’s most basic needs – shelter and safety – would be met. I presumed the tenants of local democracy would win
In November of last year, leaders from across the country met in San Antonio for the National League of Cities’ City Summit to learn from one another and exchange ideas on the issues affecting their cities. Of those issues, cybersecurity was one of the biggest on leaders’ minds. It is not difficult to understand why:
The city of Chicago impounds vehicles where debtors have three or more unpaid fines. Robbin Fulton’s vehicle was impounded, and when she filed for bankruptcy and asked the city to turn over her vehicle, it refused. And so, the question the Supreme Court will decide in City of Chicago, Illinois v. Fulton is whether a local government
The importance of Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) cannot be understated when it comes to poor and/or urban communities that sometimes find themselves to be financially challenged. The EITC is a refundable tax credit for working individuals and families who earns $54,000 or less a year. Tax season is always challenging whether you make $1
2020 is a benchmark year for attaining sustainability and climate goals. Last week, House Energy and Commerce Democrats released a legislative framework for addressing climate change through economy-wide solutions, including the power sector, buildings, transportation, and industry. In July 2019, the Committee adopted the ambitious goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The
Last year, as Congressional action on PFAS drinking water contamination stalled, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) vowed to bring a standalone package to the House floor in January. Last week, he made good on that promise and the House passed the PFAS Action Act (H.R. 535), by a bipartisan vote of 247-159. The bill would
Congress is back in session and America’s cities, towns, and villages are looking for 2020 to be a year of action, partnership, and progress. For local leaders and their residents, this year is about addressing critical community priorities before the legislative process slows during the election cycle. Here are a few key things we expect Congress
In 2018, Anchorage emerged largely unscathed from what could have been a devastating 7.1 earthquake. Following the event, Mayor Ethan Berkowitz and other city officials noted that while strict seismic building codes and significant strides in emergency preparedness had paid off, a gap in communication between limited and non-English speaking communities and the city remained.
At City Summit 2018, 50 cities committed to new initiatives to support their innovation economies. NLC’s City Innovation Ecosystems program collects and tracks these commitments in order to showcase successes, identify best practices and connect peer cities who can learn together. Here we share the story of one city’s work: “What can you build with $2,500
Before leaving Washington for the holidays, Congress made headlines with an agreement to fund the federal government for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2020 and avert a shutdown. However, the federal government also completed a large amount of legislative and regulatory activity that you may have missed. Congress slipped a tax-extenders bill into its FY2020 spending
