Good morning, it’s Monday, May 4, 2026. May the fourth be with you. In today’s edition, Connecticut, Colorado advance AI bills; Oklahoma moves ban on abortion-inducing drugs; Alabama, Tennessee join redistricting wars:
Top Stories
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: The Connecticut House gave final approval to legislation aimed at regulating companion chatbots and protecting workers from AI discrimination. The bill requires disclosure to workers and job applicants when AI is a “substantial factor” in making employment-related decisions. Chatbots would have to remind users they are not communicating with a human and refer users to crisis services in cases of mental distress. (Pluribus News)
MORE: Colorado Senate President James Coleman (D) and Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez (D) have introduced legislation requiring developers of automated decision-making systems to share certain information about their systems with deployers. Deployers would be required to notify consumers when AI is used in consequential decisions. (Pluribus News)
Longtime readers will recall that both Rodriguez and Connecticut Sen. James Maroney (D) have been on the front lines of AI legislation for the last several years.
ABORTION: The Oklahoma Senate has given final approval to legislation making it a felony to deliver abortion-inducing medication. The measure does not apply to drugs used to treat ectopic pregnancies or spontaneous miscarriages. The measure now heads to Gov. Kevin Stitt (R). (Oklahoma Voice)
GAMBLING: The Minnesota Senate approved legislation making it a felony to host or advertise a prediction market in the state. The state House included the same provision in a broader public safety bill. The bills passed in bipartisan votes, but GOP leadership is opposed, making final agreement difficult. (MPR News)
MORE: Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) has directed senators to explore ways to close “gambling loopholes” that allow prediction markets to operate in the state. Any legislative efforts would likely run into federal opposition, as the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has sought to retain its right to regulatory oversight of markets. (Texas Tribune)
PUBLIC SAFETY: Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) has signed legislation requiring ride-share companies to allow in-app audio and video recording during rides, and to implement stronger identity verification for new drivers. Another bill Spanberger signed would require background checks that include all addresses where a driver has lived since the age of 18. (Virginia Mercury)
PUBLIC HEALTH: Iowa lawmakers have approved legislation requiring adult websites to verify users are at least 18 years old. The bill, headed to Gov. Kim Reynolds (R), would add Iowa to the 25 other states that already require age verification for adult content. (Des Moines Register)
LABOR: The Connecticut Senate has given final approval to legislation providing protections for healthcare providers. The bill would require healthcare facilities to notify providers of patients with a history of violence. It also provides tuition waivers, healthcare benefits and recruitment programs for firefighters and public safety officers. (CT Mirror)
In Politics & Business
ALABAMA/TENNESSEE: Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) have called lawmakers back into special session to redraw congressional district maps, following last week’s Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais. Both states have majority-Black districts that Republicans hope to redraw into GOP-leaning seats. (Associated Press)
NEW JERSEY: Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) is open to redrawing congressional district map lines, which would require a constitutional amendment to unwind the state redistricting commission. Democrats have the votes in the Assembly and Senate to pass an amendment, which requires a three-fifths vote. (New Jersey Globe)
MARYLAND: Gov. Wes Moore (D) has formally launched his bid for re-election, with stops in Baltimore and Prince George’s County. Moore kicks off his re-election bid with more than $8 million in his campaign account. (Maryland Matters)
MINNESOTA: State Rep. Kristin Robbins (R) is ending her bid for governor, saying she didn’t see a path forward. Robbins’s exit leaves House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R), healthcare executive Kendall Qualls (R) and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell (R) in the race to replace outgoing Gov. Tim Walz (D). (Fox News)
By The Numbers
$4.457: The average price of a gallon of gas in the United States. Last year at this time, a gallon of regular unleaded would set you back $3.165. (AAA)
2.2 million: The number of voters who cast a ballot in last year’s New York City mayoral election. That’s 42% of registered voters, the highest turnout since John Lindsay (R) was re-elected in 1969. (City & State)
30%: The decline in cellphone pings from school grounds that adopted Yondr pouches, cubbies where students stash their phones during the day. The share of students using cellphones in class for nonacademic reasons plunged from 61% to 13% in those schools, researchers found. (New York Times)
Off The Wall
Third-graders in Big Bear Valley, Calif., have named the recently hatched eaglets born to Jackie and Shadow, the famous bald eagle pair whose nest is live-streamed. The students chose Sandy and Luna from thousands of public submissions. (Los Angeles Times)
The Eta Aquaria meteor shower will peak Tuesday night into Wednesday morning as the earth passes through a debris field left by Halley’s Comet. But the bright moon will spoil much of the show: Viewers will see less than half the number of shooting stars expected during a moonless night. (Associated Press)
Quote of the Day
“I’m not the angry young man I used to be, and I think I’m more collaborative and more thoughtful in my approaches. There’s a maturity you develop when working on legislation and trying to see someone else’s viewpoint.”
— Wyoming Sen. Cale Case (R), first elected in 1992, on his career in the legislature. (NCSL)