Cities, counties and school districts are facing a one-two punch: simultaneous drops in property tax revenue and state aid. The blows come even as demand for services is growing. This fiscal squeeze—not seen since 1980—has resulted in painful choices for local governments large and small.

Governor John Kitzhaber reappointed his Oregon Commission on Public Safety, which last year recommended reforming the state’s sentencing laws and increasing spending to bolster prevention and drive down recidivism. more

The outdated systems we use to register voters are often inaccurate, costly and inefficient. A new collaboration among states promises to go a long way toward bringing these systems into the modern age.

If there is any voting group which is more conscious of the meaning of the right to vote, it is members of the military. Overseas military personnel, especially those serving in war zones, are putting their lives on the line to protect our rights, including our right to vote.

As spring break begins across America, many college students are looking forward to an escape from classes. But some state lawmakers across the nation have something else on their minds: how to limit the influence of students by making it harder for them to cast ballots in their campus towns. more