Good morning, it’s Tuesday, May 12, 2026. In today’s edition, states explore agrivoltaic programs; SCOTUS gives Alabama go-ahead on old maps; U.S. Sen. Curtis exploring Utah governor bid:
Top Stories
AGRICULTURE: Lawmakers in at least 11 states introduced bills this year to allow or encourage farmers to place solar panels on their land. Supporters of agrivoltaics say incorporating farm operations within solar arrays benefits farmers while helping generate renewable power. Most bills establish legal definitions, create panels to study agrivoltaic practices and establish programs and incentives to encourage co-location of solar and agriculture. (Pluribus News)
REDISTRICTING: The U.S. Supreme Court will allow Alabama to use a congressional map blocked by a lower court, returning the case to a circuit court for reconsideration. The high court had upheld a challenge to the old maps under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in 2023. The court’s three liberal justices dissented, arguing new maps would cause confusion in primary elections scheduled for next week. (SCOTUSblog)
MORE: Democrats filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to overturn the Virginia Supreme Court’s ruling against the redistricting ballot measure that passed last month. Attorney General Jay Jones (D) argued the Virginia court overruled the will of the people, citing U.S. Supreme Court precedent over the definition of Election Day. (Associated Press) The Missouri Supreme Court will hear arguments over its new congressional district maps, which carve up a Democratic-held seat in Kansas City. (Associated Press)
EVEN MORE: North Carolina Democrats have dropped a lawsuit challenging the state’s congressional district lines following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais. (State Affairs) The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Mississippi no longer has to draw a Black-majority state Supreme Court seat after the Callais decision. (Mississippi Free Press) Louisiana lawmakers will vote on their redistricting proposal today. (Baton Rouge Advocate)
CRIMINAL JUSTICE: The Louisiana legislature has signed off on legislation expanding the definition of first-degree murder, allowing prosecutors to seek the death penalty more easily. The bill includes killings carried out in public places when a defendant puts at least three people at risk of great harm. (Baton Rouge Advocate)
ABORTION: The Missouri legislature is advancing legislation promising the right to healthcare to any baby born alive after a failed abortion. The bill has been amended to include bipartisan measures like forming a committee to study maternal mortality. (KY3)
LGBTQ RIGHTS: The New Jersey Senate health committee has advanced legislation protecting transgender patients and healthcare providers. The bill will enshrine civil and criminal protections for those who treat and receive care for gender dysphoria. (New Jersey Monitor)
CHILDCARE: New California parents will begin receiving 400 free diapers as part of a new Golden State Start program launched by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). The program will partner with a Los Angeles nonprofit to offer free diapers at 65 hospitals that primarily serve low-income patients on Medi-Cal. (Sacramento Bee)
In Politics & Business
UTAH: U.S. Sen. John Curtis (R) is considering a run for governor in 2028. Curtis, who replaced Sen. Mitt Romney (R) in 2025, is asking potential donors to hold off on choosing a gubernatorial candidate as he seeks to amass $10 million in pledges. He is planning a solo 250-mile walk across Utah to honor the country’s birthday. (Politico)
SOUTH CAROLINA: Business owner Jacqueline Hicks DuBose (R) has been disqualified from the race for governor for failing to pay a filing fee, the state GOP said. DuBose filed to run for governor at the last minute last month. She wrote a check for the $4,234.12 filing fee, but the check bounced. (SC Daily Gazette)
PENNSYLVANIA: State Supreme Court Justice David Wecht has left the Democratic Party and has registered as an independent. In a news release, Wecht said his decision was motivated by what he called rising antisemitism in the Democratic Party. Wecht was married in 1998 at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, which was the site of the worst antisemitic attack in U.S. history. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
TEXAS: The number of students enrolled in state public schools fell by 76,000 this academic year, the first non-pandemic decline in nearly four decades. Hispanic students accounted for the vast majority of the decline. Texas educates about 5.5 million public school students, about 53% of whom are Hispanic, 24% are white and 13% are Black. (Texas Tribune)
By The Numbers
More than 25%: The share of Florida’s gross domestic product that came from the real estate industry in 2025, the highest share of any state in the country. The real estate industry is worth about $473 billion in Florida, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors. (Tampa Bay Times)
236: The number of election-related bills that have won passage in state legislatures this year. That’s up 66% from the same period last year. Most of the bills have won passage in Republican trifecta states. (Ballotpedia)
Off The Wall
Former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R) visited a 36-mile section of Highway 9 recently designated in his honor. The stretch honoring the nation’s longest-serving governor stretches from Buffalo Center through his hometown Leland and on to Hanlontown. Improving the highway was one of his earliest priorities when he ran for the state House in 1972. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
Repairs to the Washington State Capitol building will cost millions of dollars after a man allegedly vandalized the building last year. The legislature has allocated $250,000 to repair damages, including to busts of Martin Luther King Jr. and George Washington and a smoke-damaged piano. A historic rug could cost up to $960,000 to repair. (Tacoma News Tribuine)
Quote of the Day
“As a high school student, I think I was very optimistic about the idea of government and policymaking, and then when I actually visited the state Capitol, I was gravely disappointed.”
— Arizona Sen. Flavio Bravo (D), 31, who first won election at age 28. At least 16 candidates under 30 are running for the Arizona legislature this year. (State Affairs)