CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance
@cunyislg.bsky.social
A good governance think-and-do tank crafting research, policy, partnerships, and practices that help governments work for all of us. EST 2013 #CUNY islg.cuny.edu
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We work with local & state governments, public institutions & nonprofit orgs across the country to make sure they have the data, partnerships & protocols necessary to effectively serve their constituents, no matter their zip code.
Our first Institute Intelligence of the year is here. 📩
We're closing out the first month of 2026 with new research, collaborations, and insights shaping policy and practice in NYC and beyond.
Read more: buff.ly/Vr1CYxC
We're closing out the first month of 2026 with new research, collaborations, and insights shaping policy and practice in NYC and beyond.
Read more: buff.ly/Vr1CYxC
Institute Intelligence, January 2026: Revisiting Discovery Reform, Local Data Answers Crime Questions — CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance (ISLG)
A snapshot of the work we’ve done this past month.
islg.cuny.edu
January 30, 2026 at 3:15 PM
Our first Institute Intelligence of the year is here. 📩
We're closing out the first month of 2026 with new research, collaborations, and insights shaping policy and practice in NYC and beyond.
Read more: buff.ly/Vr1CYxC
We're closing out the first month of 2026 with new research, collaborations, and insights shaping policy and practice in NYC and beyond.
Read more: buff.ly/Vr1CYxC
In the Bronx, the Kingsbridge Armory is being redeveloped with local organizations set to own a major proportion and shape what gets built, setting a precedent for what equitable development can look like. @NextCityOrg dives into the progress so far: buff.ly/XuwjYWD
January 29, 2026 at 7:02 PM
In the Bronx, the Kingsbridge Armory is being redeveloped with local organizations set to own a major proportion and shape what gets built, setting a precedent for what equitable development can look like. @NextCityOrg dives into the progress so far: buff.ly/XuwjYWD
We hear “affordability” and “the middle class” all the time—but what does that actually mean? Who is considered middle class, and how are they being affected? New data from @Brookings.edu breaks down who the middle class is and what they're facing: buff.ly/QqqsMmG
In every corner of the country, the middle class struggles with affordability | Brookings
This report also examines the state of affordability for middle-class families across racial groups, finding that affordability across the country is often further out of reach for families of color.
buff.ly
January 28, 2026 at 8:03 PM
We hear “affordability” and “the middle class” all the time—but what does that actually mean? Who is considered middle class, and how are they being affected? New data from @Brookings.edu breaks down who the middle class is and what they're facing: buff.ly/QqqsMmG
Interactive data from @urbaninstitute.bsky.social tracks state-by-state homelessness and housing inventory, including showing where rates are rising, where progress is happening, and how federal funding shapes local responses. See how your state compares: buff.ly/lNIgELQ
Homelessness and Housing Program Trends by State
People experience homelessness in every state and every community. But some groups are more likely to be unhoused, and some communities have more resources t…
buff.ly
January 27, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Interactive data from @urbaninstitute.bsky.social tracks state-by-state homelessness and housing inventory, including showing where rates are rising, where progress is happening, and how federal funding shapes local responses. See how your state compares: buff.ly/lNIgELQ
The AI boom has started to make its way to public services, so it's important that local government recognizes AI's limitations.
In Alaska, courts spent over a year developing an AI chatbot that instead wound up needing more oversight. @NBCNews.com explains: buff.ly/1nrOUsJ
In Alaska, courts spent over a year developing an AI chatbot that instead wound up needing more oversight. @NBCNews.com explains: buff.ly/1nrOUsJ
Alaska's court system built an AI chatbot. It didn’t go smoothly.
A yearlong effort to build an AI probate assistant reveals the limits of government chatbot development.
buff.ly
January 26, 2026 at 7:15 PM
The AI boom has started to make its way to public services, so it's important that local government recognizes AI's limitations.
In Alaska, courts spent over a year developing an AI chatbot that instead wound up needing more oversight. @NBCNews.com explains: buff.ly/1nrOUsJ
In Alaska, courts spent over a year developing an AI chatbot that instead wound up needing more oversight. @NBCNews.com explains: buff.ly/1nrOUsJ
New research from Buffalo dials in on a way we can make sure people are heard: analyzing 911 & 311 calls “not necessarily a signal of worsening conditions, but an indicator that residents were becoming more willing to engage with their community and with city government.”
x.com
January 24, 2026 at 6:13 PM
New research from Buffalo dials in on a way we can make sure people are heard: analyzing 911 & 311 calls “not necessarily a signal of worsening conditions, but an indicator that residents were becoming more willing to engage with their community and with city government.”
The federal government has cut funds for NYC antiviolence efforts, supporting crime victims, housing domestic violence survivors, and counseling at-risk youth. This puts community safety progress at risk. @gothamist.com connected with the orgs affected: buff.ly/tGbcAQo
Federal cuts force NYC nonprofits to reduce services, raising community safety concerns
Nearly 20 organizations in the city lost DOJ funding. Some say they’re worried about potential spikes in neighborhood violence.
buff.ly
January 23, 2026 at 4:30 PM
The federal government has cut funds for NYC antiviolence efforts, supporting crime victims, housing domestic violence survivors, and counseling at-risk youth. This puts community safety progress at risk. @gothamist.com connected with the orgs affected: buff.ly/tGbcAQo
Government data is often incomplete & difficult to analyze. For a DOJ dataset of deaths in custody, clean data matters.
That's why @themarshallproject.org is pairing AI with human review to fix inconsistencies and propose solutions for better data practices. Dig in:
That's why @themarshallproject.org is pairing AI with human review to fix inconsistencies and propose solutions for better data practices. Dig in:
How We Recategorized The Justice Department’s Death In Custody Data
Data collected under the Death in Custody Reporting Act has some serious problems. Here’s how we fixed some of them.
www.themarshallproject.org
January 22, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Government data is often incomplete & difficult to analyze. For a DOJ dataset of deaths in custody, clean data matters.
That's why @themarshallproject.org is pairing AI with human review to fix inconsistencies and propose solutions for better data practices. Dig in:
That's why @themarshallproject.org is pairing AI with human review to fix inconsistencies and propose solutions for better data practices. Dig in:
Maine lawmakers are stepping up with a statewide pilot to collect detailed, local data on food insecurity.
The goal? Target resources effectively, improve accountability, and ensure anti-hunger programs are actually working. More from @statesnewsroom.com: buff.ly/GCmPnDD
The goal? Target resources effectively, improve accountability, and ensure anti-hunger programs are actually working. More from @statesnewsroom.com: buff.ly/GCmPnDD
After feds cut key food insecurity survey, Maine lawmaker urges state to fill data void
With food insecurity on the rise, Maine lawmakers are scrambling to ensure they have a sense of how many people are going hungry after the federal government’s recent cancellation of a key food…
buff.ly
January 20, 2026 at 4:03 PM
Maine lawmakers are stepping up with a statewide pilot to collect detailed, local data on food insecurity.
The goal? Target resources effectively, improve accountability, and ensure anti-hunger programs are actually working. More from @statesnewsroom.com: buff.ly/GCmPnDD
The goal? Target resources effectively, improve accountability, and ensure anti-hunger programs are actually working. More from @statesnewsroom.com: buff.ly/GCmPnDD
Strengthening the partnership between government and nonprofits benefits us all.
In NY, state & local government relies on nonprofits to deliver essential services, but delayed payments are straining resources that communities depend on.✍🏽NY Daily News:
In NY, state & local government relies on nonprofits to deliver essential services, but delayed payments are straining resources that communities depend on.✍🏽NY Daily News:
Hochul must fix nonprofits’ contract problems
Nonprofit organizations keep millions of New Yorkers housed, fed, safe, and supported. They shelter survivors of domestic violence, represent families facing eviction, run after-school programs, sh…
www.nydailynews.com
January 19, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Strengthening the partnership between government and nonprofits benefits us all.
In NY, state & local government relies on nonprofits to deliver essential services, but delayed payments are straining resources that communities depend on.✍🏽NY Daily News:
In NY, state & local government relies on nonprofits to deliver essential services, but delayed payments are straining resources that communities depend on.✍🏽NY Daily News:
Good policy starts with good data. The new SJC Research, Policy, and Practice Hub synthesizes 10 years of findings from 50+ jurisdictions, giving policymakers clear, evidence-based insights on what works in making criminal legal systems smarter and safer. buff.ly/u6AOrbm
Ten Years of Advancing Safety and Justice: A Research, Policy, and Practice Insight Hub — CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance (ISLG)
The Hub connects practitioners and policymakers around the country with the criminal legal research and tools they need to innovate and improve the fairness and effectiveness of pretrial and…
islg.cuny.edu
January 18, 2026 at 11:15 PM
Good policy starts with good data. The new SJC Research, Policy, and Practice Hub synthesizes 10 years of findings from 50+ jurisdictions, giving policymakers clear, evidence-based insights on what works in making criminal legal systems smarter and safer. buff.ly/u6AOrbm
Affordability is top of mind across the U.S., and state minimum wages are one of the most direct ways policymakers can respond. While many states are raising wages in 2026, nearly all increases are under $1 an hour. Governing breaks down what’s changing:
These States Raised Their Minimum Wage in 2026
Nineteen states raised their minimum wage in January. Almost as many are keeping it at the federal level of $7.25 set in 2009.
www.governing.com
January 16, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Affordability is top of mind across the U.S., and state minimum wages are one of the most direct ways policymakers can respond. While many states are raising wages in 2026, nearly all increases are under $1 an hour. Governing breaks down what’s changing:
Your dad's chest is hurting. You call 911. They send an ambulance. What happens in the next minutes can be a matter of life or death - and almost every locality measures it differently. Governing digs how and why this matters for the safety of everyone involved. buff.ly/qS940jR
January 14, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Your dad's chest is hurting. You call 911. They send an ambulance. What happens in the next minutes can be a matter of life or death - and almost every locality measures it differently. Governing digs how and why this matters for the safety of everyone involved. buff.ly/qS940jR
Rural America is disappearing. Its residents are all farmers. They're all white.
These are some of the myths the 1 in 5 Americans who live in rural areas contend with. New research in @us.theconversation.com challenges these myths, showing why getting it right matters for policy, funding & equity.
These are some of the myths the 1 in 5 Americans who live in rural areas contend with. New research in @us.theconversation.com challenges these myths, showing why getting it right matters for policy, funding & equity.
6 myths about rural America: How conventional wisdom gets it wrong
Many people understand rural America through stereotypes. Two scholars who study rural communities bust 6 of those myths, complicating the conventional wisdom.
theconversation.com
January 13, 2026 at 8:15 PM
Rural America is disappearing. Its residents are all farmers. They're all white.
These are some of the myths the 1 in 5 Americans who live in rural areas contend with. New research in @us.theconversation.com challenges these myths, showing why getting it right matters for policy, funding & equity.
These are some of the myths the 1 in 5 Americans who live in rural areas contend with. New research in @us.theconversation.com challenges these myths, showing why getting it right matters for policy, funding & equity.
Communities need transparency and evidence to drive change. The Safety and Justice Challenge Research, Policy, and Practice Insight Hub synthesizes 100+ research products on jail use, racial equity & system performance to help turn data into informed local action. buff.ly/u6AOrbm
Ten Years of Advancing Safety and Justice: A Research, Policy, and Practice Insight Hub — CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance (ISLG)
The Hub connects practitioners and policymakers around the country with the criminal legal research and tools they need to innovate and improve the fairness and effectiveness of pretrial and…
islg.cuny.edu
January 12, 2026 at 2:45 PM
Communities need transparency and evidence to drive change. The Safety and Justice Challenge Research, Policy, and Practice Insight Hub synthesizes 100+ research products on jail use, racial equity & system performance to help turn data into informed local action. buff.ly/u6AOrbm
As measles cases surge, states are creating new data tools to improve access to clear, timely information. In Washington, the creation of new exposure maps from state public health agencies are helping communities stay informed. Learn more in @routefifty.bsky.social: buff.ly/4qM6bg4
Washington enlists data as a public health defense against ongoing measles outbreak
The U.S. has seen nearly 2,000 measles cases this year. The Evergreen State is leveraging data as a tool to inform disease prevention efforts like residents’ vaccination uptake.
buff.ly
January 9, 2026 at 1:15 PM
As measles cases surge, states are creating new data tools to improve access to clear, timely information. In Washington, the creation of new exposure maps from state public health agencies are helping communities stay informed. Learn more in @routefifty.bsky.social: buff.ly/4qM6bg4
Amidst record demand for public assistance, NYC’s Dept. of Social Services is relying on staff overtime to keep up, which not only raises concerns about burnout, but also about low wages growing at a rate slower than inflation. @TheCityNY breaks it down: buff.ly/AaD9De1
Millions in Overtime, Thousands of Vacancies: Inside NYC’s Overstretched Social Services Agency
With nearly 1,500 unfilled jobs and demand for public assistance at record highs, New York City’s Department of Social Services is leaning on mandatory overtime to keep up — and that’s before onerous…
buff.ly
January 7, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Amidst record demand for public assistance, NYC’s Dept. of Social Services is relying on staff overtime to keep up, which not only raises concerns about burnout, but also about low wages growing at a rate slower than inflation. @TheCityNY breaks it down: buff.ly/AaD9De1
AI has yet to be federally regulated. In turn, state lawmakers across the aisle say they plan to continue passing their own AI laws in order to protect their constituents, despite federal government pushback. @statesnewsroom.com explains the latest: buff.ly/veo5uM3
States will keep pushing AI laws despite Trump’s efforts to stop them • Stateline
State lawmakers of both parties say they plan to keep passing laws regulating artificial intelligence despite President Donald Trump’s efforts to stop them.
buff.ly
January 6, 2026 at 11:45 PM
AI has yet to be federally regulated. In turn, state lawmakers across the aisle say they plan to continue passing their own AI laws in order to protect their constituents, despite federal government pushback. @statesnewsroom.com explains the latest: buff.ly/veo5uM3
A first for us in the new year: Introducing our inaugural annual Impact Review.
The Review is a look at (some of) what we did in 2025 with our partners to design and implement public sector solutions grounded in data, community knowledge, and operational reality.
Dig in: buff.ly/HBYhZzj
The Review is a look at (some of) what we did in 2025 with our partners to design and implement public sector solutions grounded in data, community knowledge, and operational reality.
Dig in: buff.ly/HBYhZzj
2025 Research, Policy, and Impact Review — CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance (ISLG)
CUNY ISLG's first-ever annual review captures not just some of what we produced in 2025, but how we worked—and why these approaches matter for good governance.
buff.ly
January 6, 2026 at 6:34 PM
A first for us in the new year: Introducing our inaugural annual Impact Review.
The Review is a look at (some of) what we did in 2025 with our partners to design and implement public sector solutions grounded in data, community knowledge, and operational reality.
Dig in: buff.ly/HBYhZzj
The Review is a look at (some of) what we did in 2025 with our partners to design and implement public sector solutions grounded in data, community knowledge, and operational reality.
Dig in: buff.ly/HBYhZzj
Reposted by CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance
Happy birthday to the nation’s FIRST state constitution! Nathaniel Fouch tells the story of New Hampshire’s first effort at constitution-making 250 years ago. An important part of our national story and the spirit of ‘76. statecourtreport.org/our-work/ana...
The Story of the First State Constitution
New Hampshire’s 1776 constitution and the story behind it set the stage for subsequent state constitutions over the next 250 years.
statecourtreport.org
January 5, 2026 at 4:38 PM
Happy birthday to the nation’s FIRST state constitution! Nathaniel Fouch tells the story of New Hampshire’s first effort at constitution-making 250 years ago. An important part of our national story and the spirit of ‘76. statecourtreport.org/our-work/ana...
Health care jobs may be “recession-proof,” but the workers and their wages aren’t. Despite continued hiring in the health care sector in an otherwise slow job market, wages in the health care sector are lagging. @npr.org breaks down the implications: buff.ly/QiXcKxW
buff.ly
January 5, 2026 at 4:15 PM
Health care jobs may be “recession-proof,” but the workers and their wages aren’t. Despite continued hiring in the health care sector in an otherwise slow job market, wages in the health care sector are lagging. @npr.org breaks down the implications: buff.ly/QiXcKxW
From Minneapolis to Berlin, grassroots housing movements can help inform NYC's policies. These resident-inspired models show how state and local governments can learn from "bottom-up" housing solutions with communities at the center. More from @citylimitsnews.bsky.social: buff.ly/tqSNFn5
Opinion: What NYC Can Learn from Grassroots Housing Movements in Other Cities
"New York City, long positioned at the forefront of housing innovation, is falling behind," the author writes. "The most effective innovations happen when residents are treated as partners with…
buff.ly
January 3, 2026 at 3:30 PM
From Minneapolis to Berlin, grassroots housing movements can help inform NYC's policies. These resident-inspired models show how state and local governments can learn from "bottom-up" housing solutions with communities at the center. More from @citylimitsnews.bsky.social: buff.ly/tqSNFn5
A new NYC City Council bill would create an agency deploying mental health teams to certain 911 calls. It advances a priority of now-Mayor Mamdani and, with 26 co-sponsors, has strong support. As the new administration begins, read about this campaign promise's journey to reality: buff.ly/qc57Er5
City Council Introduces Bill to Create Mamdani’s Community Safety Agency
The proposed Department of Community Safety would send mental health teams to respond to 911 calls, rather than the police, according to Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s plans.
buff.ly
January 1, 2026 at 7:15 PM
A new NYC City Council bill would create an agency deploying mental health teams to certain 911 calls. It advances a priority of now-Mayor Mamdani and, with 26 co-sponsors, has strong support. As the new administration begins, read about this campaign promise's journey to reality: buff.ly/qc57Er5
Something to look forward to in the New Year: The harrowing tale of a new train line in NYC could have a big payoff. A proposed Interborough Express would transform travel between Brooklyn & Queens, benefiting commuters, workforce & housing along the route. @bloomberg.com breaks it down.
A Train Grows in Brooklyn
New York City’s first new transit line in decades, the $5.5 billion Interborough Express, could transform fast-growing parts of Brooklyn and Queens.
buff.ly
December 31, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Something to look forward to in the New Year: The harrowing tale of a new train line in NYC could have a big payoff. A proposed Interborough Express would transform travel between Brooklyn & Queens, benefiting commuters, workforce & housing along the route. @bloomberg.com breaks it down.
Expanding the public safety workforce doesn't just mean hiring more police. It can mean adding professionals whose work complements police—like in community violence intervention and transit—to improve outcomes. @americanprogress.bsky.social highlights lessons from cities. buff.ly/ADCRjtl
Fact Sheet: Expanding the Public Safety Workforce
Cities across the country are investing in safety by incorporating specially trained professionals such as community responders and community violence intervention professionals into their local…
buff.ly
December 29, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Expanding the public safety workforce doesn't just mean hiring more police. It can mean adding professionals whose work complements police—like in community violence intervention and transit—to improve outcomes. @americanprogress.bsky.social highlights lessons from cities. buff.ly/ADCRjtl