Higher ed appropriations bill cutting over half of funding to MSU, U-M passes House subcommittee The Michigan House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education and Community Colleges voted to advance a Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations bill that would cut over 62% of the state’s funding for bot...

A higher ed appropriations bill cutting over half of funding to Michigan State and the University of Michigan passed a House subcommittee, part of a broader effort to close MI's $1.8B budget gap. Insightful story from @kdailey.bsky.social. www.newsfromthestates.com/article/high...

Maryland Legislature Passes the Nation’s First State Advertising Set-Aside for Local Newsrooms The legislation, backed by bipartisan support, will require state agencies to direct 50 percent of their advertising budgets to eligible local news outlets and mandate public reporting of their ad spe...

Maryland lawmakers passed a first-in-the-nation bill requiring state agencies to direct 50% of ad dollars to local news outlets—potentially redirecting millions without new spending. Big implications for journalism, as most outlets operate on <$250K/year.
www.rebuildlocalnews.org/maryland-leg...

States are getting crypto‑curious At least 19 states have either passed or considered legislation that would allow state governments to invest in cryptocurrency or other digital assets, according to Liz Farmer, senior officer at Pew C...

At least 19 states have passed or considered letting their governments invest in crypto. What's driving the trend—and what are the risks? Fiscal 50's Liz Farmer breaks it down on @marketplace.org.
www.marketplace.org/episode/2026...

While many states face major budget woes, some experts say they're "wholesale ignoring" a revenue source that could add billions to their coffers: unpaid taxes.

States would do well to get a handle on these tax gaps, reports Pew's @josh-s-goodman.bsky.social.

www.pew.org/en/research-...

What good AI in government actually looks like By deploying frontier models to help communities access federal money, a new tool is showing how to build AI in the public interest.

Grant admin costs are real capacity drains that rarely show up in budget conversations. @bethnoveck.bsky.social on a new AI tool designed to reduce that burden for state and local governments. www.fastcompany.com/91525531/gra...