States & provinces

This archive collects milestones and progress stories involving U.S. states, Canadian provinces, and subnational governments around the world. From landmark legislation to public health wins and environmental gains, these stories highlight the real-world impact of regional policy and governance.

Aerial view of tractor, for article on right-to-repair law for farmers

Colorado passes first U.S. right to repair legislation for farmers

By / / Good News For Humankind

Right-to-repair just scored a historic win: in April 2023, Colorado became the first U.S. state to legally guarantee farmers the ability to fix their own agricultural equipment. The law requires manufacturers to share the same diagnostic tools, software, and manuals they give authorized dealers — closing a digital loophole that often left skilled local mechanics unable to complete a repair without a corporate authorization code. For farmers facing a broken combine mid-harvest, that shift can mean the difference between saving a season and losing it. Colorado’s breakthrough is now serving as a template for similar fights across other states and at the federal level, and for a broader movement extending repair rights to electronics, medical devices, and beyond.

Welcome to Oregon sign amidst evergreen trees, for article on psilocybin license

Oregon approves the U.S.’s first legal psilocybin mushroom farms

By / / Good News For Humankind

Legal psilocybin mushrooms are now being grown in Oregon for the first time in over 50 years of U.S. prohibition, with Satori Farms PDX becoming the first licensed producer in the country. Owner Tori Armbrust, a longtime gourmet mushroom grower, plans to supply two service centers within months, where trained facilitators will guide adults through supervised sessions. The framework, approved by Oregon voters in 2020, has already drawn more than 200 license and worker permit applications, and the first cohort of state-trained facilitators has graduated. Cost and federal scheduling remain real hurdles, but Oregon is quietly turning a decade of promising mental health research into the country’s first working model — one that other states, and people struggling with treatment-resistant depression, will be watching closely.

Shark, for article on Hawaii shark ban

Hawaii becomes first U.S. state to ban shark fishing

By / / Good News For Humankind

Hawaii just became the first U.S. state to protect all shark species—a move that recognizes these keystone predators as both ecologically essential and culturally sacred. Sharks keep ocean food webs balanced, yet more than 100 million are killed annually and populations have plummeted 70 percent since 1970. The law allows Native Hawaiian cultural practices while penalizing illegal capture, with enforcement powers to address bycatch. This sets a template for ocean protection worldwide: when we anchor conservation in both science and culture, entire ecosystems stand a fighting chance.\n\n**Word count: 83**

Rhino, for article on rhino poaching in Assam

No rhinos poached in India’s state of Assam in 2022 for first time in 45 years

By / / Good News For Humankind

Rhino poaching in Assam dropped to zero in 2022, the state’s first clean year since at least 1977. That’s a remarkable turnaround for a species hunted down to fewer than 200 animals a century ago. Kaziranga National Park, where rangers and a dedicated Special Rhino Protection Force now patrol around the clock, alone shelters 2,613 greater one-horned rhinos — the largest population of the species on Earth. Local communities have become partners too, as ecotourism turns these animals into a shared asset rather than a distant abstraction. It’s a hopeful reminder that even species pushed to the brink can recover when protection, science, and community support pull in the same direction.