Utah declares emergency in Beaver, Piute and Sevier counties after wildfires and flooding
Gov. Spencer Cox signed a state emergency declaration July 22 for Beaver, Piute and Sevier counties as wildfire and flooding response operations continued.
Politics & Government
Elections, public policy, government decisions, budgets, regulation, ethics, civil rights, and public administration.
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Los Angeles City Council shelves proposed ballot measure to repeal apartment ‘mansion tax’
The Los Angeles City Council voted 14-0 on July 1 not to place a proposed rollback of the city’s high-value real-estate transfer tax on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot.
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Cedar Rapids advances Caledonia Haulers urban-renewal and TIF package
Cedar Rapids City Council moved forward with hearings and initial actions tied to a proposed transportation and logistics facility at 420-550 French Court SW, but the urban-renewal, tax-increment-financing and development-agreement package still requires further consideration.
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Hinds County District 2 special election canceled after judge vacates election order
A court-ordered July 14 special election for the Hinds County Board of Supervisors District 2 seat was canceled after Judge Barry Ford vacated the order setting the contest.
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North Dakota certifies 2026 primary results; House District 26 contest qualifies for recount request
North Dakota’s State Canvassing Board certified the June 2026 primary results, while the Republican House District 26 nomination met the threshold for a demand recount request.
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Baltimore approves approximately $4.9 billion FY2027 city budget
Baltimore City Council approved the approximately $4.9 billion FY2027 budget in a reported unanimous 14-0 vote on June 24, 2026. Mayor Brandon M. Scott signed the measure June 25, and it took effect July 1.
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Missouri emergency order for severe storms and flash flooding is set to remain in force through Aug. 10
Missouri’s emergency order for severe storms, flooding and flash flooding activates the state emergency operations plan and is scheduled to end Aug. 10 unless extended.
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Spokane County identifies third ballot-style error before Aug. 4 primary
Spokane County says 804 voters in Precinct 6065 received ballots that omitted the proposed West Plains Aquifer Protection District measure. The county said it will mail supplemental ballots and instruct voters to return both ballots.
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Pillen reissues order allowing hay, supply deliveries to Nebraska wildfire-hit areas
Gov. Jim Pillen reissued an executive order July 15 allowing continued delivery of hay and other supplies to Nebraska areas ravaged by wildfires.
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Louisiana congressional candidates face a new Aug. 5-7 qualification window after House-race cancellations
Candidates seeking Louisiana’s U.S. House seats must qualify Aug. 5-7 for the Nov. 3 open-primary ballot under a new process enacted after the state canceled previously scheduled House contests.
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Augusta shifts remaining City Hall offices to four-day operating schedule
Augusta announced that remaining City Hall offices, including Development Services and Assessing, moved to a four-day operating schedule effective July 13, 2026.
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Illinois attorney general says court ruling protects billions in federal funding for state programs
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said a judge rejected the Trump administration’s claimed authority to use an OMB regulation to broadly cancel or withhold grants Congress authorized.
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New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill signs FY 2027 state budget
Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed New Jersey’s FY 2027 Appropriations Act on June 30, making it the state’s governing spending plan for the fiscal year that began July 1, 2026.
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Virginia primary election is set for Aug. 4 after legislature changes 2026 schedule
Virginia’s statewide primary election will be held Tuesday, Aug. 4, after House Bill 29 moved it from June 16. Early voting has ended, and mailed absentee ballots must arrive by noon Aug. 7.
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San Diego sets Aug. 5 ballot-order drawing for four City Council races
San Diego’s City Clerk will hold a public random drawing Aug. 5 to set ballot order for City Council races in districts 2, 4, 6 and 8 ahead of the Nov. 3 general municipal election.
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Indianapolis-Marion County road-funding proposal moves through City-County Council
Indianapolis-Marion County leaders are considering Proposal 26-192 on road funding and transportation obligations, while a related plan to raise vehicle excise surtax and wheel-tax charges faces opposition from Mayor Joe Hogsett.
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Boston sets Aug. 22–28 early-voting period for Massachusetts’ 2026 state primary
Boston’s Election Department says early voting for the 2026 Massachusetts state primary will run from Saturday, Aug. 22, through Friday, Aug. 28.
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Nashua schedules July 27 Board of Aldermen public hearing on proposed ordinance and resolution
Nashua’s calendar listed a 7 p.m. special Board of Aldermen public hearing for July 27, 2026, on proposed Ordinance O-26-017 and Resolution R-26-048.
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Rhode Island enacts law allowing state-court suits against federal officials over constitutional-rights violations
A new Rhode Island law allows residents to bring certain constitutional-rights claims against federal officials in state court and limits the officials’ ability to invoke legal immunity.
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Huntington council’s Flock technology vote prompts questions about privacy and next steps
Huntington City Council voted on Flock technology before a July 15 report in which members explained their positions, with public-safety and privacy questions remaining central to the decision.
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Kansas voters to decide whether Supreme Court justices should be elected
Kansas voters will decide Aug. 4 whether to amend the state constitution to replace the current Supreme Court selection system with elections, with future procedures to be set by law if the measure passes.
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Montgomery says it is financially positioned to support proposed $375 million bond initiative
Montgomery officials say the city is in a strong financial position to support a proposed $375 million bond initiative tied to the Momentum 2040 investment strategy. The proposal has not been approved, and the city has not yet detailed projects or an authorization timeline.