U.S. State and Local Government Sources

Reliable sources for getting to authoritative information:

• Book of the States
• State Blue Books and Encyclopedias
• National Survey of State Laws (Law Library subscription via Hein Online)
• State Constitutions, Statutes, and Codes  (Cornell University)
• Administrative Rules  (Rules made by state agencies.)
• State Regulations  (from Westlaw database)
• Open States  (tools for tracking legislation and legislators)
• State Agency Database  (American Library Association project)
• Law by Source: State  (Cornell University; see also their Statutes by Topic listing)
• State Legislature Web Sites  (Library of Congress)
• State Court Web Sites  (National Center for State Courts)
• Open Government Guide  ("every state's open records and open meetings laws")

These sites contain links to all state government sites in the U.S.

• GovEngine.com
• State & Local Government on the Net
• USA.gov

Most of these sites are advocacy and research organizations serving professionals working in state government and all are excellent sources on state government and issues.   A Google-based search engine enables you to search the contents of all these sites.

• American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
• Center for State and Local Government Excellence
• Council of Chief State School Officers
• Council on State Governments
• Education Commission of the States
• Federation of Tax Administrators
• Governors Highway Safety Association
• National Association of Attorneys General
• National Association of Secretaries of State
• National Association of State Budget Officers
• National Association of State Chief Information Officers
• National Association of State Election Directors
• National Center for State Courts
• National Conference of State Legislatures
• National Governors' Association
• National Institute on Money in State Politics
• Stateline.org  (Pew Center on the States)