Good morning, it’s Tuesday, June 2, 2026. In today’s edition, voters are voting in six primary states; lawmakers seek limits on sports betting amid surging addiction; New York Dems set redistricting plans:
Ed. note: We had a typo in yesterday’s edition. Eagle-eyed readers rightly ribbed us for our mention of “nonmusical” students getting vaccine exemptions. That should have read “nonmedical.”
Top Stories
GAMBLING: Lawmakers are calling for new limits on sports betting almost a decade after legalization began, as the number of Americans addicted to gambling surges. Lawmakers in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Colorado and Minnesota have all introduced measures to limit or ban some forms of online betting, and to expand help services for problem gamblers. (Pluribus News)
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) has repeatedly called legalizing sports betting his “biggest mistake” as governor.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) filed a civil suit against OpenAI and its founder Sam Altman for alleged deceptive marketing of its chatbot. The suit challenges OpenAI’s claim that ChatGPT is “built with safety in mind.” It alleges the company violated Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. (State Affairs)
REDISTRICTING: New York Democrats have introduced a proposed constitutional amendment to allow mid-decade redistricting in 2028. The amendment would make clear the legislature has authority to draw maps if the Independent Redistricting Commission fails to produce one. Voters would have to approve the amendment before it takes effect. (State of Politics) Republicans are already planning the campaign against the measure. (Albany Times Union)
JUDICiARY: The Louisiana legislature has given final sign-off to legislation that would allow lawmakers to form a joint committee to consider whether a judge should be impeached. The bill heads to Gov. Jeff Landry (R) for a likely signature, though voters would have to approve the constitutional amendment. (WBRZ)
MORE: The Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee will take up legislation to expand the statute of limitations on expired civil claims of sexual abuse against institutions including the Catholic Church. The bill would create a “revival window” giving survivors two additional years to bring cases to courts. (Rhode Island Current)
CHILD WELFARE: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) has signed legislation extending foster care services up until a person’s 21st birthday. The bill allows eligible foster children to receive services if they voluntarily remain in foster care after turning 18. (McCarville Report)
AGRICULTURE: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) has signed three farm bills into law. One bill allows the state Agriculture Department more flexibility to prepare for and respond to animal disease outbreaks. Another bill boosts water-quality funding. A third bill exempts ethanol blends of 85% or higher from sales tax when purchased for farm equipment. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
TAXES: Florida lawmakers could vote as early as Tuesday on a proposed constitutional amendment to reduce property taxes. The proposal would increase non-school homestead exemptions from $25,000 to $150,000 in 2027, and to $250,000 by 2028. One legislative estimate suggested the bill would reduce overall non-school revenue by $4.6 billion in 2027-2028, and nearly double that the following fiscal year. (State Affairs)
In Politics & Business
Voters head to the polls today in California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota for key gubernatorial and legislative primaries.
CALIFORNIA: Two final California polls ahead of today’s vote: A California Elections and Policy Poll shows former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra (D) at 29%, conservative commentator Steve Hilton (R) at 23%, billionaire Tom Steyer (D) at 18% and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco (R) at 11%. (Politico) A SurveyUSA poll finds Hilton and Steyer tied at 20%, with Becerra at 17% and Bianco at 11%. (SurveyUSA)
Funny nugget from the SurveyUSA poll: 62% of voters say there are too many candidates on the ballot.
MICHIGAN: A TIPP Insights poll shows U.S. Rep. John James (R) leading the GOP field for governor at 31%, followed by former Attorney General Mike Cox (R) at 20% and businessman Perry Johnson (R) at 19%. In a hypothetical general election matchup, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) leads James 49% to 38%. (TIPP Insights)
PENNSYLVANIA: A PennLive/Bravo Group poll shows Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) well ahead of Treasurer Stacy Garrity, 53% to 29%. Among those polled, 57% said they would definitely or probably vote to re-elect Shapiro. (PennLive)
KANSAS: Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog (D) filed to run for governor at the last minute on Monday. Skoog began his political career as a Republican before becoming an independent, and then a Democrat in 2022. (State Affairs) Johnson County businessman Philip Sarnecki (R) has named former gubernatorial candidate Joy Eakins (R) as his running mate. (State Affairs) Former Gov. Jeff Colyer (R) dropped his campaign to return to office. (Topeka Capital-Journal)
By The Numbers
23%: The decline in Baltimore’s year-to-date homicide rate, through May. (Baltimore Sun)
22: The number of federally recognized Arizona tribal nations. Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) has visited all of them during her first term. Hobbs met with the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe on May 27, the last stop on her tour. (Arizona Mirror)
Off The Wall
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee’s (D) campaign has been forced to edit the first television ad it released, after a graphic showed an inappropriate message on what appears to be a spoofed insurance card. The spoof card that briefly flashes on screen reads “Sex yes.” (Providence Journal)
Kilauea on Hawaii’s Big Island erupted for nearly nine hours on Monday, setting a new record for the most fountaining episodes during an episodic fountaining eruption. It’s the 48th time the volcano spewed lava. (WYFF)
Illinois lawmakers have approved legislation naming the black-and-gold bumble bee the official state bee. The bill, promoted by students at Naperville’s Lincoln Junior High School, won bipartisan approval in the House and Senate. (WTTW)
Quote of the Day
“I am demanding greater transparency, stronger conservation commitments and enhanced protections for Utah’s natural resources as this project moves through the review process. Utah can pursue economic opportunity while protecting our water, air, wildlife and communities.”
— Utah Senate President Stuart Adams (R), in a letter to celebrity investor Kevin O’Leary, whose proposal to build a massive data center in Box Elder County has run into local opposition. Adams faces several challengers in this month’s primary. (Salt Lake Tribune)