Good morning, it’s Friday, March 20, 2026. In today’s edition, California senator seeks to ban anticompetitive practices by big tech; Michigan moves to ban kratom; Wisconsin legislative leaders head for the exits:
Top Stories
TECHNOLOGY: California Sen. Scott Wiener (D) has introduced legislation to end what he calls anticompetitive practices by large tech companies. The bill would ban companies like Meta, Amazon and Google from manipulating search results or penalizing sellers who offer lower prices elsewhere. It would also bar the use of a competitor’s nonpublic data to develop competing products. (Pluribus News)
IMMIGRATION: The Kansas House has approved legislation barring undocumented immigrants from receiving in-state tuition. The Senate plans to take up the measure next week after the two chambers negotiated their differences. (State Affairs)
PUBLIC HEALTH: The Michigan House has approved legislation banning the sale of kratom and synthetic versions. Kratom, widely available at tobacco and vape stores, is sometimes used to treat opioid withdrawal symptoms, though it is mostly unregulated across the country. (Detroit Free Press)
PUBLIC SAFETY: The Alabama House has approved legislation to increase penalties for terroristic threats made in schools. The bill would increase the penalty for making a credible threat to at least two years, and up to 20 years, in prison. (AL.com)
GAMBLING: The Kentucky House has approved legislation raising the legal age limit for gambling on sports to 21. The bill would also ban prop bets on Kentucky college athletes. Fantasy sports companies would be required to obtain licenses to operate in the state. (Kentucky Lantern)
ECONOMY: The Georgia General Assembly is working on legislation to suspend the gas tax for 60 days in the midst of the war with Iran. Georgia levies a 33-cent tax on gas and a 37-cent tax on diesel. Gov. Brian Kemp (R) had previously called for a gas tax suspension as prices rise. (State Affairs)
MORE: Attorneys general in eight states have filed suit to block Nexstar’s acquisition of Tegna’s television stations. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Sacramento and led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D), comes after the Trump administration green-lit the takeover. (Los Angeles Times)
HOLIDAYS: California’s legislature will move to change the state holiday honoring Cesar Chavez, after revelations this week that the labor leader allegedly raped at least two women who were minors. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D) said the legislature would change the holiday to Farmworkers Day. (Sacramento Bee)
In Politics & Business
NORTH CAROLINA: The state Board of Elections has denied Senate President Phil Berger’s (R) request for a hand recount of 217 ballots that registered an undervote, in which voters did not choose a candidate in his race. Berger trails Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page (R) by just 23 votes. (Raleigh News & Observer)
NEW MEXICO: Sen. Steve Lanier (R) failed to file enough signatures or a declaration of candidacy in his bid for governor. Lanier said he is considering his legal options after the Secretary of State’s office disqualified him from the June 2 primary. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
WISCONSIN: Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R) will not seek re-election in 2026. LeMahieu has led Senate Republicans since 2021. Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Kevin Petersen (R) will also drop his re-election bid. He served in the Assembly since 2006. (State Affairs, State Affairs)
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) said earlier this year he would not seek a new term.
PEOPLE: North Carolina Rep. Mike Clampitt (R) has died after a battle with cancer. Clampitt, first elected in 2016, was remembered as a thoughtful public servant by local governments in a statement mourning his passing. (Carolina Journal)
By The Numbers
$163.7 million: The cash generated by a lease sale in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, a record amount that could boost oil and gas drilling on the North Slope. The sale resulted in 187 tracts leased, another record. (Anchorage Daily News)
32: The number of inmates Florida has put to death since 2019, when Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) took office. That’s more executions than under any other governor in Florida history. DeSantis has signed two additional death warrants, with executions slated for later this month and in April. (State Affairs)
$1.1 million: The amount South Dakota lawmakers have approved to restore the state capitol building, a little more than a week after a rotten egg smell permeated the House chamber and delayed session. One senator joked that the smell came “from the radiator system, or perhaps it’s from some of their members.” (South Dakota Searchlight)
That reminds us of the old line that used to circulate in Washington, D.C., supposedly from a House Democrat: “House Republicans are not the enemy. They are the opposition. The enemy is the Senate.”
Off The Wall
The Idaho Senate has unanimously approved a new rule limiting lawmakers to a maximum of 25 pieces of draft legislation in any fiscal year. Lawmakers have introduced more bills in the last two years than at any point in at least the last three decades, and maybe ever. (Idaho Capital Sun)
Rhode Island’s legislature has formally named the Senate chamber after the late Senate President Dominick Ruggerio (D). Ruggerio, who served in the General Assembly for nearly 44 years, died last year after a battle with cancer. (Providence Journal)
Finland remains the happiest country in the world, according to an annual report from the University of Oxford. It’s the ninth year in a row they’ve, um, finished first (sorry). Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Costa Rica are among the ten happiest countries. Life evaluations for those under 25 in places like the United States and Canada have sagged in recent years, a drop fueled by social media use. (Associated Press)
Quote of the Day
“I’m kind of agnostic on that issue, but when you’ve got four states surrounding you, you’re probably going to have to address it.”
— Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R), on the possibility of legalizing marijuana in the state. Illinois, Michigan and Ohio have legal recreational marijuana programs, while Kentucky allows marijuana use for medical purposes. (State Affairs)