State Rep. Mark Hashem won a national award after leading efforts to secure state funding for a new Oʻahu Children’s Justice Center that aims to expand services and open in 2028.

The City Council moved late June to put a charter change on the November ballot that could let it meet as little as once weekly. Watchdog groups say fewer mandated meetings would weaken public access during recovery and housing crises.

A federal complaint says a sixth‑grade Christian student was told she "had no choice" and forced to sit through an inclusion assembly; attorneys are suing Highline Public Schools.

Culver City’s council will consider a citizen‑filed sliding‑scale parcel tax on July 13 that backers say would raise about $18M a year for local schools.

Bath Township trustees will review a proposed $19.8M 2027 tax budget on July 13, with major line items for police, fire, roads and parks.

Commissioners approved a new special-event permit and accepted a $1.57M state road grant tied to the Grand Village at Hocking Hills.

After months of denied entries, an acting assistant chief immigration judge told Baton Rouge court staff to keep courtrooms open; the move ties into a national lawsuit.

Consumers Energy told Michigan’s high court a tax rule on grid sales could add roughly $10–$12M in annual taxes and may be passed to customers. The company has asked the state’s highest court to weigh in.

FEMA9s FY2026 HSGP ties roughly $1.064 billion to sweeping election‑security mandates — SAVE checks, 5% manual audits and a phase‑out of QR/barcode tabulation — setting up legal and budget fights for states.

A new white paper finds most Ohio legislative primaries from 2018–2026 were uncontested, with many races decided before voters had a real choice.

A video from the June 28 Westport Pride Fest shows drag performers twerking near signage bearing Sen. Michael Rodrigues' name, prompting debate over his sponsorship. The clip was posted to the festival's Facebook page and has drawn local attention.

Duke Energy Florida says it will return $50 million to customers in 2027 by accelerating tax credits tied to a battery project, avoiding a planned 2% rate increase.

Startups are using AI to answer campaign texts; vendors say millions of messages have already been sent as the 2026 midterms approach. Regulators and voters are weighing consent and disclosure.