Kevin Hardy

Kevin Hardy

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Kevin Hardy covers business, labor and rural issues for Stateline from the Midwest. Before joining Stateline, he covered business and the economy for The Kansas City Star. At The Star, Hardy was part of an award-winning team that uncovered the biggest land grab on Kansas City’s poor East Side since the creation of the suburbs and part of a team that investigated the safety shortcomings of American freight railroads after a deadly train crash in rural Missouri. Previously, he worked at the Des Moines Register and the Chattanooga (Tennessee) Times Free Press. Hardy has covered everything from snake-handling churches in the South to presidential campaigning ahead of the Iowa caucuses. His work has won numerous local and national journalism awards, including a National Headliner Award for best political coverage and the Gerald A. Renner Award for Excellence in Enterprise Reporting from the Religion News Association.

A record number of women are running for state legislatures this year
Stateline

A record number of women are running for state legislatures this year

Oct 22, 2026
Kevin Hardy
A record number of women are running for state legislative seats this November, more than two-thirds of whom are Democrats. Across the 46 states with legislative seats on the ballot, a total of 3,824 women are running — up from...
City, state employees are proud of their work but face burnout, harassment
Stateline

City, state employees are proud of their work but face burnout, harassment

Oct 21, 2026
Kevin Hardy
State and local government employees report high levels of job satisfaction across the country, but face significant rates of burnout and on-the-job harassment. That’s according to a new national survey of nearly 5,000 public servants across all 50 states released...
Democrats could flip legislative chambers, break GOP supermajorities, analysis finds
Stateline

Democrats could flip legislative chambers, break GOP supermajorities, analysis finds

Oct 16, 2026
Kevin Hardy
Party control is up for grabs in 15 state legislative chambers across the country as Republicans are increasingly on the defensive this midterm election cycle, a new analysis found. 2026’s most competitive legislative chambers These are the state chambers considered...
Americans’ water bills are growing faster than groceries, overall inflation
Stateline

Americans’ water bills are growing faster than groceries, overall inflation

Oct 06, 2026
Kevin Hardy
Household water bills are increasing faster than inflation and income, according to a new analysis. The environmental advocacy nonprofit Food and Water Watch analyzed water bill data among the nation’s 500 largest community water providers. Those systems serve a collective...
Democrats could win majority of governor’s offices for first time in 16 years
Stateline

Democrats could win majority of governor’s offices for first time in 16 years

Oct 06, 2026
Kevin Hardy
As the political prospects for Republicans worsen ahead of November’s midterm elections, the GOP is increasingly playing defense over its yearslong grip on state governments. That’s particularly true for gubernatorial elections, as Democrats could win a majority of governorships for...
Prediction markets spend millions to influence state, federal governments
Stateline

Prediction markets spend millions to influence state, federal governments

Oct 01, 2026
Kevin Hardy
Kalshi, Polymarket and the Coalition for Prediction Markets have spent at least $3 million this year on lobbying and campaign contributions across the federal and state levels, according to a new report from the government watchdog group OpenSecrets. Prediction market...
Governors pledge to oppose federal overreach — even when their party runs Washington
Stateline

Governors pledge to oppose federal overreach — even when their party runs Washington

Sep 28, 2026
Kevin Hardy
Democratic and Republican governors say they will more aggressively push back on federal overreach regardless of which party controls Washington. Earlier this month, the bipartisan National Governors Association for the first time in over a decade updated its internal principles...
The signs offer quick cash for homes. But states want more oversight.
Stateline

The signs offer quick cash for homes. But states want more oversight.

Sep 28, 2026
Kevin Hardy
WE BUY HOUSES. CASH 4 HOMES. FA$T CA$H. The signs, text messages and mailers promise cash, quick sales and a seamless means of unloading unwanted homes. But advocates say the business of buying homes for cash can confuse vulnerable homeowners...
More Americans lose SNAP as Congress weighs food stamps’ future
Stateline

More Americans lose SNAP as Congress weighs food stamps’ future

Sep 23, 2026
Kevin Hardy
Tens of thousands of Americans continue to lose access to food assistance each month, even as Congress debates slowing down major cuts to federal food stamps. New data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows more than 330,000 Americans lost...
Trump’s Canadian trade war stirs up trouble for Republican candidates
Stateline

Trump’s Canadian trade war stirs up trouble for Republican candidates

Sep 09, 2026
Kevin Hardy
President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war with Canada is creating headaches for Republicans ahead of November’s midterms as high prices remain a top concern among voters. Responding to Trump’s increased tariffs, Canadian officials have said they’re deliberately targeting goods from...
Labor unions are growing, but where depends on state politics
Stateline

Labor unions are growing, but where depends on state politics

Sep 04, 2026
Kevin Hardy
Labor union membership continues to climb in the United States, though the increase remains sharply divided by the politics of individual states. Last year, the nation added more than 411,000 union members — the largest annual growth since 2008, according...
SNAP cuts could lead to kids losing free school breakfast and lunch
Stateline

SNAP cuts could lead to kids losing free school breakfast and lunch

Sep 01, 2026
Kevin Hardy
Cuts to the nation’s largest food assistance program will likely spill over into schools, causing students to lose access to free breakfast and lunch. More than 1 million American children have lost access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or...