Voluntary immigrant departures during the second Trump administration reached 89,494 cases as of May 1, according to a Stateline analysis. That’s more than seven times the number recorded in the last 16 months of the Biden administration (11,977): stateline.org/2026/05/26/v...

An anti-abortion group last month sued sevenUT fertility clinics, claiming their disposal of embryos as part of the in vitro fertilization process violates the state’s wrongful death law. Other states offer opportunity for similar lawsuits against IVF: stateline.org/2026/05/20/l...

From local streets in small towns to major urban corridors, transportation agencies are grappling with deferred maintenance, rising construction costs and limited revenue streams: stateline.org/2026/05/19/t...

State lawmakers are grappling with the question of who should be required to report suspected child abuse or neglect, known as “mandated reporters.” One sticking point: whether clergy should be forced to reveal information from confessions: stateline.org/2026/05/18/f...

The redistricting frenzy is scrambling the midterm elections. Here’s where things stand now. stateline.org/2026/05/15/t...

The topic of menopause used to be taboo, but there has been a generational shift in recent years that has led to more legislation in statehouses around the country, providing more access to treatments and preventive care: stateline.org/2026/05/14/s...

An increasing number of conservative states are mandating that state and local social service providers verify and report the immigration status of the people they serve — in some cases threatening stiff penalties for public employees who fail to comply: stateline.org/2026/05/13/r...

Presidents and Congress have long leveraged federal power to influence the states. But the Trump administration has begun wielding federal resources as a weapon, using dollars to cajole and threaten states into complying with its political agenda: stateline.org/2026/05/11/a...

In red MO, OK and SD, residents in recent years voted to amend their state constitutions to expand Medicaid. Now GOP lawmakers in all three states want voters to alter or scrap those amendments: stateline.org/2026/04/22/r...

Culture of silence around abortions for active-duty military intensifies, researchers say stateline.org/2026/04/21/c...

The U.S. Forest Service’s plan to close scores of research stations could threaten the nation’s wildfire readiness, many foresters fear, and erode decades of work to understand timber production, soil health, pests and diseases, watersheds and wildlife: stateline.org/2026/04/17/f...

The WH is taking aim at what it calls rampant fraud in state Medicaid programs. But by focusing almost exclusively on blue states, it has handed ammunition to critics who say it mainly wants to embarrass its political enemies, not save taxpayer dollars: stateline.org/2026/04/16/t...

Illinois is the destination for nearly 1 in 4 people traveling to another state for abortions: stateline.org/2026/04/15/n...

A sweeping reorg of the U.S. Forest Service signals that the agency is planning to lean heavily on states to help manage millions of acres of federal land. But many forestry veterans fear the shake-up will cause attrition in an agency already shrunk by federal cuts: stateline.org/2026/04/14/f...

Some anti-abortion state lawmakers are pushing to revise the definition of “abortion” so abortion bans don’t apply to cases in which the death of an “unborn child” is the result of medical care provided to the pregnant woman: stateline.org/2026/04/13/a...

More states are piling up gold bars, or encouraging residents to use gold-backed debit cards, to hedge against inflation. Proponents say they can help bring gold to the masses: stateline.org/2026/04/10/a...

GOP state lawmakers are pushing for state takeovers of police departments and other municipal agencies in Democratic cities that often have significant Black populations, sparking debates over race, democracy and power: stateline.org/2026/04/09/r...

The millions of migrants released into the country during the immigration surge from 2021-2023 caused a political firestorm when GOP states bused them to Democratic cities. Now, according to a new analysis, many of them are working in the states that expelled them: stateline.org/2026/04/08/i...

State lawmakers are reaching across the aisle to boost the housing supply, from requiring cities to allow manufactured homes in areas with single-family homes to easing regulations for accessory dwelling units to allowing housing on church-owned land and strip malls: stateline.org/2026/04/07/d...

For four years, Kimberly Dudley has worked as an Obamacare a navigator, helping Ohioans solve the puzzle of buying private insurance on the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace. The job is harder now, the answers scarcer: stateline.org/2026/04/06/n...

In June, 11 US cities will welcome millions of World Cup fans. Staging the planet’s most popular sporting event is never easy, but this year the Iran conflict and the impasse over funding for Homeland Security are creating additional complications: stateline.org/2026/03/31/t...

Tensions between the states and the central government are as old as the nation itself, but we're in a period of sustained state and federal conflict without parallel in modern U.S. history. The consequences will shape the very nature of our government: stateline.org/2026/03/30/h...

The weekend promises massive crowds for No Kings protests across the nation. But political observers and protesters alike wonder whether the demonstrations signal a coming wave of change at the polls, or whether momentum will fizzle after the crowds go home: stateline.org/2026/03/26/a...

The weekend promises massive crowds for No Kings protests across the nation. But political observers and protesters alike wonder whether the demonstrations signal a coming wave of change at the polls, or whether momentum will fizzle after the crowds go home: stateline.org/2026/03/26/a...

With gas prices rising, local leaders and state lawmakers in several states — including California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland and Utah — have weighed gas tax holidays as a way to provide relief at the pump. stateline.org/2026/03/25/g...

Several GOP-led states are pushing higher sales taxes as a way to pay for other tax cuts. The moves will force lower- and middle-income residents, who spend a larger share of their earnings than the wealthy, to foot more of the bill for state services: stateline.org/2026/03/18/r...

The deportation of a breadwinner, the potential exposure of tenants’ personal data and stricter federal housing policies can all stress families: stateline.org/2026/03/16/i...

The Department of Justice is connecting its push to obtain personal data on millions of voters to whether the upcoming midterm elections will be fair and secure, laying the groundwork for the Trump administration to cast doubt on the results: stateline.org/2026/03/13/i...

Since the 90s, there has been bipartisan federal support for bicycle and pedestrian projects. But in his efforts to eliminate DEI initiatives, Trump has targeted hundreds of millions in federal grants for biking and pedestrian projects: stateline.org/2026/03/12/b...

Most states have 'medical conscience' laws, aimed at preventing providers from having to participate in abortion. But conservative lawmakers in multiple states are pushing to expand such protections as cultural battles over health care have exploded: stateline.org/2026/03/11/m...

Thousands of low-income people living with HIV could be losing drug coverage as states impose limitations on HIV assistance programs amid constrained budgets — raising alarms over consistent access to lifesaving medications: stateline.org/2026/03/10/s...

Over the past year, Trump and GOP leaders have used the Congressional Review Act to push for coal mining in Montana, oil drilling in Alaska and copper mining in Minnesota, while also attempting to reverse protections for a national monument in Utah: stateline.org/2026/03/09/r...

Several Democratic states are moving to bar federal immigration agents from being near polling places and other election sites, amid persistent worries that President Trump will use federal law enforcement or the military to disrupt the midterm elections: stateline.org/2026/03/05/b...

Crisis pregnancy centers advertise free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds but dissuade women from pursuing abortions and contraceptive options. Since the Dobbs ruling, the centers have seen an infusion of taxpayer dollars in many GOP-led states: stateline.org/2026/03/04/r...

Trump’s mass deportation plan depends heavily on cooperation from state and local politicians and law enforcement officials. As the number of partnerships climb, statehouses are split over whether local police should be in the immigration business at all. stateline.org/2026/03/03/a...

Nearly two decades ago, progressives fought to include a so-called public option — a government-run health plan — in the broad health care overhaul known as Obamacare. That effort failed, but now some states are giving it a try: stateline.org/2026/03/02/s...

Millions of worksites around the country use E-Verify to ensure new hires are legal to work in the US. But going after employers isn't as popular with the GOP as immigration enforcement aimed at detaining and deporting people living here illegally: stateline.org/2026/02/26/e...

State officials across the country are looking to crack down on fraud and mistakes in the nation’s largest food assistance program, spurred by looming federal rules that will force states with high error rates to pay more. stateline.org/2026/02/25/r...

After years of states pushing legislation to accelerate the development of data centers and the electric grid to support them, some legislators want to limit or repeal state and local incentives that paved their way. stateline.org/2026/02/24/d...

States are scrambling to meet rising demand for newly expanded school choice initiatives, pouring more money into the programs as waiting lists — and budget concerns — grow: stateline.org/2026/02/23/s...

As Trump and Republicans in Congress try to impose a proof-of-citizenship voter registration requirement nationwide, blue states have a major tool to push back. Whether they would use it is less clear: stateline.org/2026/02/20/a...

The 5 East Coast offshore wind projects that won court victories over the Trump administration have restarted construction, but dozens more have little chance of advancing while Trump remains in office: stateline.org/2026/02/19/o...

Ten Democratic-leaning states are using their own money to help people buy Obamacare health plans, at least partially replacing the federal tax credits that expired at the end of last year. But only New Mexico is offering it to people of all incomes: stateline.org/2026/02/18/s...

I'm a health reporter at @stateline.org and @statesnewsroom.com. I'm looking for experts and researchers following the effects of #ACA subsidy expiration and #Medicaid coverage loss on chronic illness, specifically #diabetes. DM's are open and open to research links. s chatlani AT stateline dot org

ICE plans to convert industrial buildings — often warehouses — into detention facilities have faced fierce opposition over humanitarian and economic concerns. From UT to TX to GA, local governments have sought to block these massive facilities: stateline.org/2026/02/17/c...

Critics say new state restrictions on protests at religious services infringe on the First Amendment right to free speech, even as supporters tout them as safeguards against those who would impede the free exercise of religion: stateline.org/2026/02/16/a...

More states are requiring their Medicaid programs and health insurance companies to cover non-opioid pain medications as an alternative to opioids, which can be cheaper for insurers but also more addictive for patients: stateline.org/2026/02/13/m...

Criminal justice is one of the most wide-ranging and politically charged areas on lawmakers’ agendas in this year’s state legislative sessions. Legislators are weighing proposals on policing, gun policy, solving crimes, sentencing, prison oversight and reentry support: stateline.org/2026/02/12/c...

The millions of immigrants who have crossed the border with Mexico since 2020 could change the balance of political power in Congress — in a way likely to boost GOP states that emphasize border security, at the expense of more welcoming Democratic states: stateline.org/2026/02/11/i...

Mayors hold mostly nonpartisan jobs in an increasingly hyper-partisan political environment. While some view confrontation with the White House as the right approach, others are opting for accommodation — or just keeping their heads down. stateline.org/2026/02/10/m...