The pandemic-induced economic downturn hit the nation’s state and local governments harder and faster than any other in almost 70 years. In May, public-sector employment plummeted, with fewer people working for state and local governments than at any point since 2001, according to the Labor Department.

Local governments have done commendable work addressing urgent challenges to the way they work and serve their communities during the pandemic, while nearly all face revenue shortfalls, according to analysis of over 500 responses to OpenGov’s State of Local Government Survey.

Atrio of local government officials is urging community members to follow COVID-19 precautions following the continued rise in case numbers both local and statewide.

The public could experience cuts to government services in areas such as parks and recreation, libraries, and cultural programs as local officials across Indiana prepare for revenue declines caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This was one of the most significant findings in recent research from Ball State University.

California is closing state government offices in response to Governor Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order. State offices will close Monday and will stay closed for three weeks. Newsom’s stay-at-home order comes as positive coronavirus tests reach record highs in the Golden State.

Two days after handily winning a full four-year term as governor, Mike Parson stepped to the podium and made it clear that he doesn’t want to waste the opportunity to fundamentally reshape Missouri. “I hear everybody say I got a plan, I got a plan, I got a plan,” Parson said. “You know, people are tired of hearing about plans. People want to know if they’re going to deliver on those plans.”

The House of Representatives approved decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level on Friday in the first time Congress has acted on the issue. The vote was largely along party lines – 228-164. Five Republicans and the lone independent member joined Democrats to pass the bill, and six Democrats voted no.

The federal government must take "urgent actions" in its response to the coronavirus pandemic, a new report from the US Government Accountability Office finds. Medical supply shortages persist, despite efforts by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to mitigate shortages and expand the supply chain, the report found.