Roundup: Governors react to violence in Israel, a new record in apartment construction and a study on obstructed bus stops

It’s Saturday, Oct. 21, and we’d like to welcome you to the weekly State and Local Roundup.

With the world watching the war in the Middle East, governors have stepped out onto the global stage to make sure people both at home and abroad know where they stand and how they think the federal government should respond.

At least two governors have visited Israel following the deadliest attack in Israeli history, an attack by Hamas that killed 1,400 people. One governor is arranging free state-paid trips for Americans who want to leave the area. And almost all governors have weighed in on the role of the federal government in response to the attacks.?

Militants from Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist group, attacked Israeli residents living in areas around the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, reigniting hostilities in one of the world’s most troubled hotspots. Israel retaliated by cutting off food, water and electricity to the Gaza Strip, home to 2 million Palestinians. It has also launched air strikes that, according to Palestinian authorities, have killed nearly 3,800 people. With tensions escalating, President Joe Biden visited Israel briefly this week to signal support for Israel. Biden delivered a prime time address from the Oval Office on Thursday to make the case for increased aid to Israel and to Ukraine, which is trying to fend off an invasion from Russia.

“I know the conflicts can seem far away, and it’s natural to ask: Why does this matter to America?” Biden said. “So let me share with you why making sure Israel and Ukraine succeed is vital for America's national security. You know, history has taught us that when terrorists don't pay a price for their terror, when dictators don’t pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, made a separate journey to Israel on Wednesday. The purpose, she said, was to make a symbolic gesture to show the state’s support of Israel. She visited a shelter where 400 people had evacuated from a kibbutz along the Gaza border where dozens of people were killed. She later traveled to a hard-hit area along the border itself.

“There is a deep, direct connection between New York State and Israel that has always been there, a bond steeled over decades,” Hochul told The New York Times. “And it’s easy to go when the sun is shining and everything is fine…. The community feels, in Israel and in New York, that my going during these times will be the most significant symbol of their importance to us than anything else we could do.”

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News to Use

Trends, Common Challenges, Cool Ideas, FYIs, and Notable Events

• RENTALS: Construction boom catching up with demand for apartments. An unprecedented surge in the nationwide construction of new housing—mostly apartments—may finally be making a dent in fast-rising rents that have been making life harder for tenants. More than 1.65 million housing units were under construction last year, the highest annual number since federal record-keeping started in 1969. This year, the number was even higher—almost 1.7 million in September. Industry watchers caution that the pandemic building boom will likely level off. Nationwide, the number of building permits issued in 2023 is down compared with a peak in late 2021 and early 2022. Even as the numbers remain high in some states, building permits are considered a leading indicator of housing demand.
• MIGRANT HOUSING: Protesters attack Chicago city council member. Alderwoman Julia Ramirez and her aide were battered during a Thursday morning protest of plans for a massive tent to house some of the nearly 3,800 migrants now living at police stations and O’Hare International Airport. Mayor Brandon Johnson first unveiled the plan to build the massive tents—which could shelter, feed and care for as many as 1,000 migrants in a single location—more than a month ago, triggering intense criticism from some of his closest allies. Ramirez said she attended the protest to try to clarify her involvement with the plan and discuss how the community should move forward now that the plan seems to be a done deal. After a few conversations with protesters, Ramirez said she realized that most “did not want to engage in a peaceful dialogue with me” and attempted to leave before being attacked. “It was truly a disappointing experience,” she said.
• DOWNTOWN: Underused federal buildings slowing DC recovery. Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser says restoring downtown may depend on rethinking how to use federal buildings that are particularly hard to repurpose. With federal employees making up one-third of downtown workers, the federal government’s plans for building consolidation and personnel management is vital for the District’s post-pandemic recovery. The sheer size and security features of some of these aging, underused buildings would make it hard to repurpose them for retail or housing even if they were empty.? Even with President Joe Biden's 17-month push for more in-office work, Bowser lamented that sprawling federal office complexes remain underused as the city awaits more concrete federal action. “I look out of my office at [the Department of] Treasury every single day and I can see the level of activity or inactivity at work,” Bowser said in an interview with Bloomberg. “What do you do with a building like that?”

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Government in Numbers

36,392?

The number of illegally parked vehicles blocking bus-only lanes and bus stops during a 70-day trial along three bus routes in Philadelphia. Based on data from video cameras mounted on windshields of buses, ?the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority found that on two of the routes over half of bus stops are obstructed at some point during the day, an average of 4,000 weekly violations. “This study provides us with data that clearly illustrates the high frequency of these violations and how we can use cutting-edge technology to combat these problems,” said SEPTA CEO and General Manager Leslie S. Richards. “Reducing these violations will improve safety for our customers, pedestrians, and motorists, along with making our bus service more efficient and reliable.”

ICYMI

County cuts recidivism with juvenile justice diversion programs

King County, Washington, is pushing counseling and diversion programs and considering closing its juvenile detention facility. BY KERY MURAKAMI

Recharging the Rust Belt through climate innovation

The cross-sector Chicagoland Climate Investment Alliance aims to transform the Midwest into a leading hub for climate technologies, economic development and investment. BY KAITLYN LEVINSON

Building trust in local government with better budgeting

A more transparent, collaborative and data-driven budget process can help municipalities implement real change. BY MOLLY BOLAN

States pitch mileage tax to bridge gap in federal highway funding

The main source of federal funding for highways and transit could run out of money by 2028, unless Congress finds a way to fix long-standing problems with the gas tax.

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