Shifting the Focus: State and Local Politics Spotlight
“They can’t get anything done!” “They only care about their party!” “They are so out of touch!” These are just a few of the complaints Americans have about Congress. According to the most recent Gallup poll, only 20% of Americans approve of the way Congress is handling its job. In the first two months of 2022, gridlock in the Senate dominated the news cycle. People are frustrated hearing about constant inaction, especially as their lives have been upended by COVID-19. Meanwhile, state and local governments have been working in relative silence, forming many of the policies that have guided us through the last two tumultuous years. Instead of pulling out our hair because of the overly partisan, electorally focused Congress, Americans should redirect some of our attention to state and local politics, where the action happens.
In the past years, American politics has become nationalized. In other words, national political figures, party positions, and debates guide political behavior at every level. Individual candidates matter less, and voting at every level of government is essentially a referendum on the president. This causes a vicious cycle where diminishing interest in local politics leads to a lack of funding for local institutions to educate the public on politics. As a result, local news media has been decimated, and because of this, local voter turnout and knowledge are declining (Hayes and Lawless, Page 89). As local newspapers try to maintain financial viability, national politics and sports are increasingly replacing local government coverage (Hayes and Lawless, Page 39). Furthermore, more Americans are turning to cable or social media for news which also have a bias toward national media narratives.
All of this is to say that we have to make a distinct effort to restore attention to state and local politics. Everyday issues such as transportation, education, and public services like police and fire departments are in the hands of our local politicians. City and state governments have significant jurisdiction in tax rates, infrastructure, wages, and climate change policy. There is no denying that national politics still has a vital role in our lives. Media sources constantly remind us of this fact every day. However, it is time for a shift in focus. Instead of reading about the stalled Build Back Better agenda, failed voting rights legislation, or endless debate on the Senate filibuster, take a couple of minutes to read about these interesting and significant developments from state and local politics around the country.
Washington’s Insulin Cap
While the federal government remains in debate over installing insulin price caps, many state governments, both Democrat and Republican controlled, are making moves to provide their citizens with reasonable costs for insulin. Most recently, on March 4, Washington Governor Jay Insle signed legislation capping the cost of thirty days of insulin supply at $35. The law passed the state Senate in an overwhelmingly bipartisan 48-1 vote. The price cap will last until January 1, 2024, a date intended to give time for a commission created in 2020 to come up with long-term solutions for reducing the price of insulin.
Norfolk’s Affordable Housing and Gun Buybacks
America faces an affordable housing crisis, and city governments are bearing the responsibility of solving it. The Norfolk City Council has passed a resolution that will provide additional land for an ongoing redevelopment project. One of the new buildings will provide eighty five affordable housing units, with twenty one units set aside for people affected by the demolition of the Tidewater Gardens neighborhood. and an additional six units for homeless individuals. The other new building will provide eighty units of mixed-income housing with twenty nine units reserved for people affected by demolition. Additionally, city council members voted to institute a no questions asked gun buyback program as part of an ongoing effort to fight crime. To fund this effort, the Norfolk city council accepted a $300,000 grant from the office of Virginia’s Attorney General to build a safer city.
Georgia’s Abortion and Gun Laws
Georgia Republicans passed two significant bills along party lines, making it more challenging to receive abortion pills and easier to carry handguns in public. The bills represent major wins for conservatives across the state. The Women's Health and Safety Act bans women from receiving abortion pills through the mail and requires an in-person doctor's visit that includes an ultrasound. The legislation comes almost a year after the Biden Administration allowed the medication to be mailed with a doctor's prescription. Next, the state Senate approved a law allowing "constitutional carry" as referred to by supporters, or "permitless carry" as its opponents label it. The law eliminates the requirement for a license to carry a handgun in public. This gets rid of a previous background check requirement in Georgia. Republicans argue that the law empowers law-abiding citizens to protect themselves and their families. Critics of the bill have been outspoken. For example, Democratic State Senator Nan Orrock contends that the legislation would continue "the bloody trail of people injured and killed with gun violence here in our state."
Philadephia’s Paid Sick Leave
There have been numerous state and local initiatives to provide workers with paid leave in the past two decades. Fourteen states and even more cities have passed laws requiring employers to pay their employees as they recover from illness or take care of their sick children. In 2020, the Federal Government stepped up when Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which temporarily required employers to provide paid leave related to COVID-19 absences. However, this act has since expired, and there has been no replacement at the federal level. As the federal government continues to fall short in taking care of workers, state and local governments from all parties have started to pick up the slack. For example, this month, the Philadelphia City Council approved a bill that requires large employers to provide employees with paid sick leave for absences related to COVID-19. The bill makes it so that companies with twenty-five or more employees must give a week's worth of paid sick leave.
Iowa’s New Tax Cuts
At the start of March, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a slew of new tax reforms into law. The bill changed Iowa’s income tax from a progressive tax to a flat rate of 3.9%. Additionally, tax on retirement income will be completely eliminated by 2023, and retired farmers will be eligible for new tax exemptions. Lastly, the corporate tax rate will gradually decrease from 9.8 percent to 5.5 percent. The bill will provide $1.7 billion in tax cuts for Iowans and another $200 million for corporations. Reynolds says the cuts tell the rest of the country that “Iowa is open for business.” Iowa Democrats argue that the cuts unfairly benefit wealthy Iowans, and working-class families will not see the same effects.
Tampa Bay’s Tenant Rights
In Tampa Bay, the city council unanimously passed an ordinance advancing tenant rights. The rule requires that landlords provide tenants with a list of their rights. More importantly, landlords are now prohibited from discriminating against tenants who receive housing assistance from the government. Assistance, such as Section 8 vouchers, is most commonly used by low-income families, disabled people, and the elderly. The bill has been described as a small part of a larger effort to tackle the housing crisis in Tampa.
Even for readers who are not from any of the places mentioned above, it can be refreshing to see politics leading to substantial changes. If we start paying attention to the actions of our local governments instead of the inaction of the U.S. Congress, we might develop a more positive attitude toward politics. Lastly, studies have shown that Americans are more engaged in national politics than local and state politics. This is evident in their knowledge, internet searches, campaign contributions, and turnout decisions (Hopkins, page 13). In a system where local politics has the greatest impact on our lives, achieving an effective democracy requires us to close these gaps and direct more time and resources toward local politics. Only then can we have governments that effectively represent the concerns of its constituents.