Good morning, it’s Friday, May 5, 2023. In today’s edition, N.C. set to ban abortions after 12 weeks; Fla. to move back school start times; AGs investigate the NFL:
Top Stories
ABORTION: The North Carolina Senate voted along party lines to ban nearly all abortions after 12 weeks. Gov. Roy Cooper (D) has pledged to veto the bill, but Republicans appear to have the votes to override that veto. (Associated Press) A Montana county judge has blocked the state from implementing a new law requiring health care providers to perform an ultrasound on a woman seeking an abortion. (Daily Montanan)
HEALTH CARE: The Texas House Public Health Committee has approved a Senate-passed bill requiring itemized medical invoices for patients in a bid to improve billing transparency. (KXAN) California lawmakers have voted to approve $150 million in loans to struggling rural medical centers. At least four hospitals are on the brink of collapse. (Associated Press)
LGBTQ RIGHTS: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is expected to sign legislation approved Thursday that would ban doctors from prescribing gender-affirming care to minors. (Associated Press)
EDUCATION: Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) has signed a bill requiring schools to alert parents of students who ask to be called by a different pronoun. (Indianapolis Star) The Iowa legislature has approved an annual education budget that requires the state Board of Regents to complete a comprehensive study of diversity, equity and inclusion programs at state universities. (Iowa Public Radio)
MORE: The Florida legislature unanimously approved a bill requiring school districts to prove they are teaching African American history to state standards. (Florida Politics) Florida’s legislature approved a bill moving middle school start times back to 8 a.m. and high school start times to 8:30. (Florida Politics) Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) will sign a $32.4 billion state budget that includes raises for more than 200,000 teachers and university employees. (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
CRIMINAL JUSTICE: The Michigan Senate has approved a package of legislation strengthening penalties for sexual assault, restricting health professionals from giving certain exams to minors and requiring schools to improve awareness of sexual crimes, in the wake of Larry Nassar’s years of abuse. (Bridge MI)
GUN POLITICS: The Ohio Senate has approved legislation prohibiting local governments from imposing fees or requiring liability insurance for gun owners. (Ohio Capital Journal)
SPORTS: Attorneys general in California and New York have launched an investigation into the NFL over allegations of hostile work environments and potential violations of equal pay and anti-discrimination laws. California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) says the probe is aimed at the league as a whole, rather than specific teams. (Sacramento Bee)
FLORIDA: The state Senate has given final approval to legislation allowing the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board — the board that governs Disney properties — to cancel development agreements approved by its predecessor. (Orlando Sentinel)
In Politics & Business
INDIANA: Former Indiana schools superintendent Jennifer McCormick (D) launched her campaign to replace term-limited Gov. Eric Holcomb (R). She’ll face the winner of a GOP primary featuring U.S. Sen. Mike Braun (R), Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch (R) and businessman Eric Doden (R). (Indianapolis Star, Associated Press)
No Democrat has won the governorship in Indiana since Frank O’Bannon won re-election in 2000.
CONNECTICUT: The state House has approved a bill creating 14 days of early voting, months after voters approved a constitutional amendment allowing the practice. Fifteen Republicans voted with Democrats to approve the change. (CT Mirror, Hartford Courant)
DELAWARE: The state Senate took the first step toward a constitutional amendment rolling back restrictions on absentee voting. The state House must pass the same bill this year, and the legislature must pass it again next year to take effect. (Delaware Public Media)
WISCONSIN: A bipartisan group of legislators have introduced bills to make it a felony to assault an election worker, requiring military IDs be provided with absentee ballots and barring municipalities from closing more than half its polling places within a month before Election Day. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
ALABAMA: The state House has approved a bill making it a felony to assist another person with an absentee ballot or an absentee ballot application. Family members and some elections officials are exempted from the ban. (AL.com)
By The Numbers
$7,249,424: The amount New Jersey will spend on legal fees for Bridget Anne Kelly, whose conviction in the Bridgegate scandal was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court three years ago. Kelly was the aide fired by then-Gov. Chris Christie (R) after “traffic problems” in Fort Lee during Christie’s re-election campaign. (NJ Advance Media)
$2,000: The amount attorneys for failed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake (R) must pay for repeatedly making “unequivocally false” claims in court. Two attorneys made the claims as late as April, after the state Supreme Court ruled that Lake had not shown evidence to back up her assertion. (Arizona Republic)
$3.7 million: The amount Intuit will pay Virginians who paid for tax filing services even though they were eligible for free filing. Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) said the money will go to about 120,000 eligible Virginia residents. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Off The Wall
The Texas House is considering legislation to block individuals from using technology that allows them to bypass security measures in ticketing systems, targeting resellers who use bots to snap up tickets to prime concerts. The bill was introduced by Rep. Kronda Thimesch (R), whose daughter couldn’t get Taylor Swift tickets. (Texas Tribune)
Thimesch won’t shake it off. There’s bad blood. Okay, we’ll stop the puns.
New Hampshire’s Department of Natural and Cultural Resources has asked Concord officials to remove an historical marker honoring Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, a former leader of the Communist Party who received a state funeral in Red Square. The only problem: Records show the marker was requested by a state employee, not the city itself. (NH Journal)
Quote of the Day
“You can feel the spirit and the resolve of the Ukrainian people. They’re not cowering. They’re standing up. They’re trying to protect their families, their homes, their fellow citizens.”
— Utah Senate President Stuart Adams (R), in Kiev on a humanitarian and trade mission to Ukraine. (Salt Lake Tribune)