State and Local on CrossGov.com

FMCSA's Non-Domiciled CDL Rule Will Push Out About 194,000 Truckers as California's $160 Million Penalty Goes to Court

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s rule on non-domiciled commercial driver’s licences has been in force since 16 March. It ends eligibility for about 194,000 current holders as their licences come up for renewal.

Two appeals cases heard in September will test it. On 11 September the DC Circuit heard California’s challenge to the Transportation Department’s decision to withhold about $160 million of its highway money. On 15 September the same court heard the challenge to the rule itself. Neither has ruled.

FEMA Denies More State Disaster Requests With 21,000 Staff and a Surge Force of 240, as States Absorb the Cost

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

On 8 October FEMA turned down Illinois’s request for federal help with damage from storms in August, across eight counties. Administrator Cameron Hamilton said aid was “not warranted.” The state is appealing, and Darin LaHood, a Republican congressman from the area, objected.

It’s the latest in a run of denials that has shifted disaster costs to states. In July FEMA denied requests from New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island for a winter blizzard, together worth about $227 million. All four have appealed.

Transit Fiscal Cliffs: Bay Area Votes on November 3 as the Federal Stopgap Cuts Transit Funding About 20%

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

On 3 November voters in five Bay Area counties decide on a sales tax to keep BART, Muni, AC Transit and Caltrain running. It would add half a cent in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and a cent in San Francisco for 14 years, raising about $980 million a year against a combined operating deficit of more than $800 million a year. A poll found 54% support.

Medicaid Work Requirements Start Nationwide January 1, 2027: Nebraska's First Data and 25 States in Court

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Nebraska started checking work requirements for Medicaid early. From 1 May 2026, adults applying for coverage under the state’s Medicaid expansion had to show they worked, volunteered or studied at least 80 hours a month. From 1 July the rule applied to people renewing. By the end of September, at least 1,090 people had lost coverage or been denied. Of those who lost coverage at renewal, 92% lost it for procedural reasons, paperwork not filed or not processed, and more than half of new applicants were being denied.

State Budgets Go Flat for FY2027 as Rainy-Day Funds Fall and Washington Shifts SNAP and Medicaid Costs to the States

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

On 1 October 2026 every state started paying a bigger share of the cost of running SNAP, the food assistance programme. Their share of administrative costs rose from 50% to 75%, a shift of about $3.4 billion a year from Washington to state capitals. It’s the first of several cost transfers written into the July 2025 reconciliation law, and it arrives as state budgets are already tightening.

The state picture

The National Association of State Budget Officers’ spring 2026 survey shows the slowdown. States spent an estimated $1.38 trillion from their general funds in fiscal 2026, up 7.9%. For fiscal 2027, governors recommended $1.36 trillion, a 1.4% decline in aggregate, though one large state drives much of that. The median state plans growth of just 0.6%. Between 22 and 23 states proposed flat or lower spending.

Login.gov Now Accepts Mobile Driver's Licences, but Only About 20 States Issue Them and Apple Wallet Isn't Supported Yet

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In August 2026 Login.gov, the federal sign-in service run by GSA, began accepting mobile driver’s licences to prove identity. Users with a state ID in Google Wallet or Samsung Wallet can now verify themselves without photographing a plastic card and taking a selfie. Apple Wallet isn’t supported yet. The feature is optional, and the original target was March 2026.

On 30 September GSA’s identity proofing contractor, Xcelerate Solutions, with Socure as subcontractor, said its $163 million, five-year order now supports the mobile licence flow.

CISA's Midterm Election Security Plan Leaves States and Counties Paying for What Washington Used to Provide

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

On 24 September, six weeks before the midterms, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released its 2026 Election Infrastructure Security Plan. It promises monthly classified threat briefings with the FBI and intelligence agencies at more than 70 secure sites, a free threat-sharing platform linked to state fusion centres, and election advice from CISA’s ten regional directors.

What it doesn’t include is the dedicated election staff and funding the agency cut in 2025. The plan gives no staffing numbers or budget, and doesn’t mention the information-sharing centre most counties used.