Rockefeller Institute of Government

The application period for our New York State Science Policy Fellowship is now open! PhDs in science, technology, or engineering should apply. Fellows will work closely with senior policymakers in the governor's office, the legislature, and state agencies. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eUfUyVB2

Medicaid is a crucial public insurance program to provide access to healthcare and other related services for low-income populations. It also plays a significant role in state budgets, especially during economic downturns when enrollment and spending increase, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a new policy brief, Richard P. Nathan Public Policy Fellow Shihyun Noh provides an overview of policy options available to state policymakers for containing Medicaid spending by examining what Medicaid cost-containment strategies states designed and implemented both before and after the onset of the public health emergency. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/eU_NuXvF

For Domestic Violence Awareness Month, read some of the research from Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium members on firearm-involved intimate partner violence and the role of policy in preventing domestic violence. • "Access to Firearms by Domestic Abusers: Before and After Rahimi" examines the impact of the Supreme Court's recent ruling in the Rahimi case and its consequences for victims of IPV: https://lnkd.in/eJWbVXwi → Liz Tobin-Tyler, JD, MA → Dr. Esprene L. → Kaitlin Sidorsky → Wendy Schiller • Episode 95 of Policy Outsider—"Rahimi Reactions"—also covered the Rahimi ruling: https://lnkd.in/ekgREXvU → Liz Tobin-Tyler, JD, MA → Kaitlin Sidorsky → Jaclyn Schildkraut • "Understanding and Addressing Intimate Partner Homicide", takes a close look at intimate partner homicide (IPH), the role that firearms play in IPH, and the interventions that are available to try and prevent it: https://lnkd.in/g4Cd8Q-t → Jesenia Pizarro • In a blog on IPV, Consortium members highlighted the threat posed by firearms in relationships with intimate partner violence and the effectiveness and limitations of civil restraining orders: https://lnkd.in/eWDAUAXZ → Jen Paruk → Dr. Esprene L. • In "Reducing Domestic Violence with Gun Violence Prevention Policies," we share evidence-based policies to prevent firearm-involved domestic violence: https://lnkd.in/gpyacd6A → Lisa Geller

In 2016, voters in households with guns voted for Donald Trump at rates that exceeded virtually all demographic divides other than party identification. But a weakened National Rifle Association (NRA) and the rise of a much stronger, robustly resourced, and more organized gun regulation movement has changed the political calculus around gun rights and regulations, writes Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium member Matt Lacombe. Read the blog: https://lnkd.in/eSAuZN5X

Margaret Blachly, Co-Director, Center for Emotionally Responsive Practice at Bank Street, and Romelle Moore, Mental Health Specialist, Center for Emotionally Responsive Practice at Bank Street, discuss how emotionally responsive practice can be used in the classroom to support immigrant children and other students navigating adversity in a new "Policy Outsider" podcast episode from the Rockefeller Institute of Government https://lnkd.in/exFbdwEg

While next month's election is dominated by the presidential race and control of Congress, there are significant marijuana policy issues on the ballot as well. At the federal level, Republican and Democratic presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have weighed in on rescheduling and federal legalization of marijuana. At the state level, several citizen-initiated ballot measures would legalize either recreational or medicinal marijuana (and in Oregon, a ballot measure will decide a cannabis labor issue). And at the local level, some municipalities may decriminalize marijuana in their jurisdictions while others opt out of marijuana retail sales. Read the blog from Heather Trela: https://lnkd.in/eT2nS8-W

Last month's Executive Order from President Biden directing the US Departments of Education and Homeland Security to publish updated guidance on active shooter drills came amid ongoing concerns about the potential negative impacts of such drills. But the conversation around drills often confuses "active shooter drills" and "lockdown drills" (the two are not synonymous), and new research suggests some amount of perceived risk is inherent to effectively training preparedness. In a new blog, members of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium Jaclyn Schildkraut Amanda Nickerson & Emily Greene-Colozzi explain why the terms and the new research matter. Read the blog: https://lnkd.in/gdU3uD_D

Recent cases of soil contamination in several US states by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have heightened concerns about the safety of biosolids—organic materials produced from wastewater treatment often used as fertilizer. PFAS can enter biosolids through wastewater and subsequently contaminate groundwater, crops, and animal byproducts. As research links PFAS exposure to health risks like cancer, questions arise about regulatory standards for biosolids. In a new blog series focused on PFAS and biosolids, Laura Rabinow, PhD outlines how (and how much of) this material is produced and how it gets used. https://lnkd.in/erRnVFAA

Schools are back in session and school leaders and policymakers continue to grapple with how best to ensure school safety. In the context of school gun violence, the emphasis on deterring and responding to major attacks in school security discourse can come at the cost of a lack of prioritization on prevention, writes Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium member Jack Rozel, MD, MSL, DFAPA in a new blog. And one of the most effective tools in the gun violence prevention toolkit is behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM). Read the blog: https://lnkd.in/e-ccDdUh

Excited to welcome the 2024-25 Nathan Fellows! The fellows will work on timely public policy issues in artificial intelligence, criminal justice and cannabis, veterans affairs and higher education, health, taxes, and emergency services. Fellows: • Carol O’Cleireacain • Dr. Jasmin Cowin • Nyron N. Crawford • Chun-Yu Ho • Allison G. S. Knox • Scott Taylor Read the announcement: https://lnkd.in/e7zE77R5