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.

Trump administration proposes new rules for prediction markets
Stateline

Trump administration proposes new rules for prediction markets

4:57pm ET
Kevin Hardy
The Trump administration Wednesday proposed new regulations for online prediction markets that would ban bets on war, assassination and other extreme events, but still allow many sports bets to operate on the growing platforms. Critics say the proposed rules don’t...
States face more budget pressures amid rising costs, slow growth
Stateline

States face more budget pressures amid rising costs, slow growth

Jun 08, 2026
Kevin Hardy
The most recent budgets proposed by governors across the country reflect ongoing financial pressures for states as they expect modest revenue growth, rising prices and federal policy changes. Most governors recommended state budgets for fiscal year 2027 that would essentially...
Animal welfare rules might be rolled back by Congress
Stateline

Farm animal welfare rules might be rolled back by Congress

Jun 03, 2026
Kevin Hardy
Congress is looking to roll back state animal welfare laws as it wrangles over reauthorization of the federal farm bill. The farm bill, which Congress generally reworks every five years, includes money and federal rules for food assistance programs, farm...
Racial wealth gap widens as many workers of color lack retirement savings
Stateline

Racial wealth gap widens as many workers of color lack retirement savings

Jun 01, 2026
Kevin Hardy
The racial wealth gap is widening as many workers of color go without retirement savings. The median wealth gap between Black and Hispanic families and white families expanded by about $50,000 between 2019 and 2022, according to research from The...
Flesh-eating screwworms head for American livestock
Stateline

Flesh-eating screwworms head for American livestock

May 28, 2026
Kevin Hardy
Southern states are bracing for a potential invasion of the New World screwworm that could disrupt livestock markets and raise already high meat prices. So far, the parasite has yet to land in the United States, but it has been...
Vermont is first state to ban toxic herbicide paraquat, as others may follow
Stateline

Vermont is first state to ban toxic herbicide paraquat, as others may follow

May 27, 2026
Kevin Hardy
Vermont became the first state to ban the use of the highly toxic herbicide paraquat after Republican Gov. Phil Scott signed Democratic-sponsored legislation this week. Vermont’s new law bans the sale or use of paraquat without explicit approval from the...
Automatic retirement plans spread as states, cities push workers to build nest eggs
Stateline

Automatic retirement plans spread as states, cities push workers to build nest eggs

May 21, 2026
Kevin Hardy
Philadelphia is poised to launch the nation’s first city-sponsored retirement plan for workers whose employers don’t offer them. Voters on Tuesday sanctioned the city council’s PhillySaves program by adopting a change to the city charter. The move will require employers...
State officials demand transparency as businesses get billions in Trump tariff refunds
Stateline

State officials demand transparency as businesses get billions in Trump tariff refunds

May 14, 2026
Kevin Hardy
The fiscal leaders of several states are demanding transparency and consumer fairness as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to refund billions in international tariffs following a recent Supreme Court loss. In a February decision , the high court dealt a...
As Trump looks to punish foes, Democratic states find ways to push back
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As Trump looks to punish foes, Democratic states find ways to push back

May 11, 2026
Kevin Hardy Jonathan Shorman
Editor’s note: This is the second article in The 50 vs. The One, an occasional series examining the current fraught moment and what evolving — and often deteriorating — state-federal ties mean for the country. Read the first article here...
Americans’ air conditioning costs expected to rise again this summer
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Americans’ air conditioning costs expected to rise again this summer

Apr 29, 2026
Kevin Hardy
After facing costly heating bills this winter, consumers shouldn’t expect relief for the summer months, according to new projections for household utility costs. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association projects the average electricity cost to cool homes between June and...
Millionaire taxes gain steam as states face budget crunches
Stateline

Millionaire taxes gain steam as states face budget crunches

Apr 29, 2026
Kevin Hardy
While the idea of a special tax on millionaires is hotly debated across the country, Maine state Rep. Cheryl Golek characterized her state’s new tax as a modest and reasonable step toward fairness. That’s because, she said, working- and middle-class...
Nitrate contaminates the drinking water of millions of Americans, study finds
Stateline

Nitrate contaminates the drinking water of millions of Americans, study finds

Apr 23, 2026
Kevin Hardy
Nearly one-fifth of Americans relied on drinking water systems with elevated and potentially dangerous levels of nitrate in recent years, according to a new study released Thursday. The nonprofit Environmental Working Group examined test data collected by water systems across...