Governors’ strategies for geographic and racial inclusion by Brookings Institution

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ARTICLE SUMMARY

To better understand governors’ approaches to closing geographic and racial divides within their states, we examined their State of the State addresses to identify new policy ideas and proposals. At least a dozen governors offered tangible proposals to address regional disparities. Several governors described plans to leverage Opportunity Zones, which represent the federal government’s latest attempt to revitalize struggling places through tax incentives. Lastly, several governors described plans to leverage Opportunity Zones, which represent the federal government’s latest attempt to revitalize struggling places through tax incentives. Few governors explicitly discussed the topic of race in their speeches; even fewer proposed concrete ideas to address racial disparities. Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak offered a more structural solution to promoting racial inclusion by declaring his intention to open a “Governor’s Office for New Americans,” which will serve a predominantly minority population. Citing a range of motivations including racial justice, fairness, opportunities to boost economic growth, and management of the cost of corrections, these governors championed new programs to provide mental health services, substance abuse prevention, skills training, and re-entry assistance for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people.

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