Good morning, it’s Wednesday, May 13, 2026. In today’s edition, red states rethink Medicaid expansion; Missouri court allows redistricting plan to move ahead; Louisiana lawmakers unveil new maps:
Top Stories
HEALTHCARE: Lawmakers in South Dakota, Missouri and Oklahoma — the only three states that adopted Medicaid expansion in their state constitutions through voter referenda — are asking voters to reconsider amid federal budget cuts and rising costs that could make the program unsustainable. Thirteen other states have “trigger laws” that would end Medicaid expansion if the 90% federal match rate drops. (Pluribus News)
CONSUMER RIGHTS: New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) has signed legislation barring the sale or listing of restaurant reservations by entities that do not have an agreement with the eatery. New Jersey joins Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada and New York in banning the resale of restaurant reservations. Similar bills were introduced this year in California and Rhode Island. (Pluribus News)
MORE: The New York Senate is advancing bills this week to require sellers to display the total price of a good or service, including all mandatory fees. Another bill would ban surveillance pricing in retail stores. A third would cap refueling charges on rental vehicles. (State of Politics)
REDISTRICTING: The Missouri Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of a redistricting plan approved by legislators that splits up a Democratic-held seat in the Kansas City area. South Carolina lawmakers came two votes short of the two-thirds needed to redraw a district long held by U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn (D), as five Republicans joined Democrats in opposition. (Associated Press) Louisiana lawmakers unveiled a new congressional district map that would eliminate one of the state’s two Black-majority districts. (Baton Rouge Advocate)
MORE: Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) signed a proclamation calling for special primary elections in four of the state’s seven congressional districts, setting up a potential 7-0 sweep for Republicans. The special elections will be held August 11, without a runoff. Secretary of State Wes Allen (R) said next Tuesday’s primary will happen, but votes in those districts will be voided after the special elections. (Yellowhammer News, AL.com)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) will sign revised legislation requiring companies and governments to tell users when an AI system has been used to deny loans, hiring or other major decisions. The bill would allow for human review of negative decisions. (Colorado Public Radio)
CRYPTO: The Hawaii legislature has given final approval to legislation prohibiting consumers from using cash to purchase cryptocurrency at crypto ATMs. The bill still allows consumers to cash out cryptocurrency they already own at crypto ATMs. (Hawaii News Now)
GAMBLING: The Minnesota House and Senate approved a ban on prediction markets. The bill would make it a felony to host or advertise prediction markets, and would ban bets on athletic events, games of skill, wars, natural emergencies and mass casualty events. (MPR News)
In Politics & Business
NEBRASKA: Former Nebraska Sen. Lynne Walz (D) won the Democratic primary for governor, setting her up for a showdown with Gov. Jim Pillen (R) in November. (New York Times) Omaha businessman Scott Petersen (R) has upset Secretary of State Bob Evnen (R), claiming 55% of the vote in the GOP primary. Petersen promised to conduct full hand counts of future elections. (Nebraska Examiner)
Does the name Walz sound familiar? Walz says her husband is Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s (D) third cousin.
MICHIGAN: A new Glengariff Group poll finds Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) leading U.S. Rep. John James (R) and former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan (I) 34% to 29% to 23% in a hypothetical matchup for governor. Benson leads businessman Perry Johnson and Duggan 34% to 26% to 23%. (Detroit Chamber)
Independent candidates tend to see their vote shares collapse the closer we get to November.
IDAHO: Gov. Brad Little (R) has raised $1.8 million for his re-election bid, more money than all his challengers combined. Retired Supreme Court Justice John Stegner (I) pulled in $264,000, the most of any of Little’s challengers. (Idaho Capital Sun)
OHIO: The House Technology & Innovation Committee has approved legislation requiring political campaigns to use a disclaimer when they use an AI-generated deepfake in an advertisement. The bill also bans deepfakes of a pornographic nature and those altering the speech or actions of people under 18. (State Affairs)
By The Numbers
2.9%: The increase in the price of groceries in April, compared to April 2025. That’s the highest year-over-year inflation rate since August 2023. Prices of fresh fruit and veggies increased 6.5%, while meat prices rose by 8.8%. (Associated Press)
5: The number of states, plus the District of Columbia, were reading test scores showed meaningful growth between 2022 and 2025. Nationally, students remain about half a grade level behind pre-pandemic reading scores. (Associated Press)
20%: The decline in new foreign undergraduate students at U.S. colleges compared with last year, after the Trump administration’s crackdowns on visas for foreign students. (Bloomberg)
Off The Wall
A Santa Rosa woman who robbed a local bank this week was arrested just an hour later. She was identified by her bright blue hair and leopard print jacket, which she wore into the bank. (KRON)
Police in Lancaster County, Pa., closed State Route 441 after a large fertilizer spill covered the highway. The Susquehanna Regional Police Department got the hazmat situation under control and reopened the road in time for the evening commute. (UPI)
Well that stinks.
Quote of the Day
“Once we win, we can fight like hell.”
— Former DNC chairman Jaime Harrison, on controversy around his successor, Ken Martin. (Associated Press)