Trenton, NJ, USA. Chris Christie wants a more business-friendly version of New Jersey’s tough regulatory climate, but environmental groups say new waiver rules go too far.

Buried under seven snowstorms in rapid succession, New Jersey communities faced a crisis in January 2011: where to put all the snow that was blocking roads, parking lots, and front doors.

Montpelier, VT, USA. As natural gas drilling expands throughout America, states try to balance their economic and environmental interests. Finding agreement isn’t easy.

Vermont lawmakers last week made an emphatic statement on the issue of fracking: Not in our state, at least not yet.

Montgomery, AL, USA. Alabama legislators are tweaking an anti-immigration law that is considered even harsher than the Arizona law under review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

A year after approving the toughest state anti-immigration legislation in the country, Alabama lawmakers want to revise the law to make it easier to comply with and enforce. But their efforts have rekindled the same emotional fight that was so contentious in the first place.

Washington, DC, USA. Voluntary courts try drug-addicted nonviolent offenders in all 50 states. Would mandatory courts be a better option or ensnare more people in the system?

Since the first drug court opened its doors in 1989 in Miami, every state has embraced the popular drug treatment program for nonviolent drug offenders.

Sante Fe, NM, USA. Many courthouses around the country are in dreadful physical shape. But spending the money to replace them can be a politically dicey proposition.

The First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe, New Mexico, operates in a dilapidated building that was converted from a junior high school in the 1970s. Wastebaskets line the hallways to collect water when it rains.