Local Insights is an independent civic data lab dedicated to improving public trust in local government through transparent, accessible, and reproducible analysis.

Who We Are

Local Insights was founded by Charles Blain, a Houston-based civic policy analyst, Fox 26 "What's Your Point" panelist, and contributor to the Houston Chronicle and City Journal. Charles serves on the board of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) and produces Texas Tomorrow, a weekly video series on state policy.

The work draws on years of experience at the intersection of public finance, local governance, and civic accountability — turning complex public records into tools citizens can actually use.

Our Focus Areas

Our work focuses on:

• Public finance and procurement — tracking how governments collect, spend, and contract
• Judicial system performance — measuring delay, backlog, and efficiency
• Water safety and regulatory compliance — monitoring drinking water systems statewide
• Civic participation and trust — evaluating engagement and institutional confidence
• Legislative process — illuminating how bills live and die in the Texas Capitol
• Political sentiment — tracking public opinion on Texas political figures in real time

Work With Us

Beyond our published investigations, Charles Blain is available for commissioned work in this space — custom civic-data builds, investigative data analysis, public-records and TPIA pipelines, dashboards, and advisory engagements for newsrooms, nonprofits, campaigns, and government-reform efforts. If you have a project where public data could tell the story, get in touch.

Our Principles

We do not advocate for political parties or candidates. We advocate for clarity, accountability, and institutional integrity.

Every product published by Local Insights is grounded in publicly available data, documented methodology, and conservative statistical interpretation. When uncertainty exists, it is disclosed.

Our Mission

Local Insights exists to answer a simple civic question:

Are our institutions working as intended — and if not, where, why, and at what cost?

Independence

Local Insights does not accept funding tied to editorial or analytical outcomes. Our work is supported by subscriptions, client engagements, and partnerships that respect our editorial independence.

Get in Touch

Questions, a tip, a dataset, or want to work together? Reach out — we read everything.

Contact us