Good morning, it’s Tuesday, January 20, 2026. In today’s edition, lawmakers eye data center energy rates; Utah debates transgender employment restrictions; Spanberger sworn in, Sherrill up today:
Top Stories
ENERGY: Legislators are considering new bills to shield consumers from rising electricity prices as data centers strain the grid. Oregon lawmakers approved a measure last year to create special rates for large load users, including data centers and crypto miners. Lawmakers in California, Indiana, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma and Wisconsin have introduced similar bills this year. (Pluribus News)
MORE: Thirteen Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic governors have signed an agreement with the Trump administration to urge power grid operator PJM to build $15 billion in new power sources, paid for by data center companies. Environmental groups have criticized PJM’s own plan to boost capacity for relying too much on fossil fuels. (Maryland Matters)
LGBTQ RIGHTS: Utah Rep. Trevor Lee (R) has introduced legislation to remove anti-discrimination protections for transgender residents. The measure would bar businesses from employing transgender residents in some positions working with children and ban residents from changing their gender on their birth certificate. (Salt Lake Tribune)
GUN POLITICS: The U.S. Surpeme Court will hear arguments Tuesday over Hawaii laws that ban carrying firearms at beaches, banks, bars or restaurants that serve alcohol. The court will decide one aspect of the law, the default rule that guns cannot be carried on private property unless the owner gives permission. (Associated Press)
TECHNOLOGY: Washington’s House Consumer Protection and Business Committee heard bipartisan testimony on legislation requiring age verification for websites that host adult content. The bill, introduced by state Rep, Mari Leavitt (D), is modeled after Texas legislation already upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. (Seattle Times)
GIG ECONOMY: Lawmakers in Maine and Illinois will consider measures to allow gig economy drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft to join unions. The Maine bill would allow drivers to earn a minimum rate per trip, based either on miles or minutes driven. The Illinois bill would allow drivers to bargain collectively with ride share companies (Maine Public Radio, Chicago Tribune)
Washington, Minnesota, Massachusetts and New York City all set minimum rates for rideshare drivers.
IMMIGRATION: The Justice Department has issued subpoenas to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) as part of a criminal investigation into whether they impeded federal immigration enforcement. Walz and Frey issued defiant statements. (Minnesota Reformer)
In Politics & Business
GOVERNORS: Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) was sworn into office Saturday, becoming the first woman to govern the Commonwealth after a string of 74 men. (Associated Press) New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill (D) will be sworn into office as the state’s 57th governor today. (Associated Press)
COLORADO: U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet (D) raised $800,000 in the last quarter and has $1.6 million on hand, along with $3.3 million in the account of a super PAC that backs his gubernatorial bid. Attorney General Phil Weiser (D) raised $822,000 last quarter and has $3.5 million in the bank. (Colorado Public Radio)
WISCONSIN: Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley (D) leads the Democratic field in fundraising, pulling in $800,000 since September. Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez (D) raised $618,000, while former Administration Secretary Joel Brennan (D) and Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (D) raised about $500,000. U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany (R) led the GOP field with more than $2.1 million raised. (Wisconsin Examiner)
CALIFORNIA: Billionaire developer Rick Caruso will not run for governor next year, he said Friday. Caruso, who spent more than $100 million running for mayor of Los Angeles, had been considering entering the crowded field next year. (Sacramento Bee)
DEMOCRATS: The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee is evaluating applications from 12 states to kick off the 2028 presidential primary process. The DNC will chose one state from each of four regions, plus a possible fifth state to go first. (CNN)
The applicants; Delaware, New Hampshire, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Nevada and New Mexico.
By The Numbers
$419 million: The amount California will award to Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego in funding to tackle homelessness. The money comes with reporting requirements that will make the cities account for how they spend Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program funding. (State Affairs)
35: The number of illnesses caused by death cap mushrooms reported by the California Department of Public Health since Nov. 18. An unusually wet winter has led to an unprecedented surge of the poisonous fungi on the Central Coast and in Northern California. (Los Angeles Times)
Off The Wall
A bipartisan group of Nebraska lawmakers have introduced legislation to require new members to take a 20-question civics test — and publicly post the results. The bill would not require lawmakers to pass the test to become members. (Nebraska Examiner)
A new advertisement for Fannie Mae includes the AI-generated voice of President Trump — with Trump’s permission. The artificial voice pledges to create an “all new Fannie Mae” that will protect the American dream. First Lady Melania Trump used an AI-generated voice to read her autobiography. (Associated Press)
Quote of the Day
“As a pet lover, I want to protect their integrity — genetic integrity. I had no idea that we needed to take state action to do that.”
— California Assemb. Diane Dixon (R), backing legislation to outlaw the sale of pets that have been genetically modified to give them a trait for purely cosmetic reasons, such as glow-in-the-dark rabbits. (State Affairs)