Good morning, it’s Friday, June 19, 2026. Happy Juneteenth! In today’s edition, states tackle whippits over safety concerns; Washington court upholds Meta’s campaign finance fine; Pingree wins ranked-choice vote in Maine:
Top Stories
PUBLIC SAFETY: Lawmakers in 13 states have passed at least 16 bills this year to limit or ban the sale of nitrous oxide cartridges, known as “whippits,” as vape shops and social media trends fuel a rise in recreational use. A surge in accidental poisonings and deaths is raising concerns about products sold in extra-large packaging, neon colors and fruity flavors. Most bills have won broad bipartisan support. (Pluribus News)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: The Pennsylvania House has approved legislation requiring companies to disclose when they use AI-generated imagery in advertising. The bill exempts media companies from penalties if they unknowingly air, stream or publish AI-generated content. Violations would carry civil penalties of up to $1,000 per offense. (State Affairs)
MORE: The California Senate is considering legislation that would mandate human teachers at California State University’s 22 campuses. The bill would require that an instructor of record for every course is a person qualified to serve as a faculty employee. (Sacramento Bee)
TAXES: The Service Employees International Union Health Care Workers West offered to scale back its proposed billionaires tax headed for the November ballot from a one-time 5% tax to a 2% tax. The offer wasn’t enough to get Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on board. The two sides must reach a deal by the June 25 deadline to qualify for the ballot. Supporters have already turned in enough signatures to qualify. (Associated Press)
SOCIAL MEDIA: The Washington Supreme Court has upheld a $35 million fine against Meta for violating state campaign finance law. Meta was found liable for not fully disclosing required information about political ads on Facebook over the last decade. (Seattle Times)
MORE: The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has allowed an Ohio law requiring children under 16 to get parental consent to use social media apps to take effect. The decision comes after courts struck down identical laws in Arkansas, Louisiana and Georgia, setting up a likely showdown before the U.S. Supreme Court. (Associated Press)
JUDICIARY: The Utah Senate has confirmed two new justices to the state Supreme Court, expanding its membership from five to seven. The Republican-led legislature voted to expand the court after several rulings on redistricting, ballot measures and abortion rights. (Salt Lake Tribune)
EDUCATION: Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee (D) has signed a bill creating a three-year moratorium on new public charter schools. The bill lowers the statewide cap on charter schools from 35 to 28. It will stop the opening of a bilingual school in Providence, even though that school had already received preliminary approval from the state. (Providence Journal)
In Politics & Business
MAINE: Former House Speaker Hannah Pingree (D) won the Democratic nomination for governor after ranked-choice ballots were tabulated early Friday. Pingree had finished second among first-choice votes in Tuesday’s primary with 23%, just behind former state CDC director Nirav Shah at 27%. She will face Bobby Charles, a former Trump administration official, in the November general election. (Portland Press Herald)
MICHIGAN: A Mitchell Research & Communications poll found Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) leading her GOP rivals for governor. The poll found Benson ahead of former Attorney General Mike Cox (R) by a 48%-41% margin; leading businessman Perry Johnson 50% to 42%; and U.S. Rep. John James (R) 51% to 40%. (Real Clear Politics)
PENNSYLVANIA: A new Franklin & Marshall College poll finds Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) leading Treasurer Stacy Garrity (R) 50% o 28%. Shapiro’s numbers are up two points since the last survey in March. Voters are split on Shapiro’s handling of the governor’s mansion, with 48% saying he’s doing an excellent or good job and 48% saying he’s doing a fair or poor job. (Franklin & Marshall)
NEW MEXICO: Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver (D) has ended her campaign for lieutenant governor, two weeks after winning the Democratic primary. Toulouse Oliver cited health reasons. State Democrats will choose a new lieutenant governor nominee. State Sen. Harold Pope (D), who ran against Toulouse Oliver in the primary, said he wanted the job. (Source NM)
Some of the most powerful Democrats in Massachusetts are at each other’s throats over a proposal to audit the state Legislature. We had a fun conversation with our colleague Colin Young, deputy editor at State House News Service, about the intra-party feud — read it here.
By The Numbers
More than $1 billion: The amount spent by candidates running for governor and the outside groups on television and digital advertising this year, eclipsing the total spent in the 2022 midterm election five months ahead of time. Much of that spending comes from a few ultra-wealthy candidates, including Tom Steyer (D), who spent $209 million on his bid in California, and Rick Jackson (R), who spent $102 million on his primary campaign in Georgia. (Pluribus News)
$3.99: The average price of a gallon of gas in the United States, the first time since late March that gas prices have fallen below $4 a gallon. The cost of a gallon of gas is still about $1 more than before the start of the war with Iran. (Associated Press)
Off The Wall
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) has signed legislation removing pinball from a list of so-called status offenses outlawed for those under 18. South Carolina passed a law banning children from playing pinball in the 1940s, over concerns the machines would make kids miss school. (SC Daily Gazette)
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) overrode his own clemency board to allow the early release of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters (R) on charges of election interference. Two board members said the panel voted unanimously, twice, against Peters’s bid for early release. (Denver Post)
Condolences poured in this week for former Toledo Mayor Donna Owens, 89, after reports of her death. The only problem was that Owens, the city’s first female mayor, is still alive. The Lucas County Republican Party sent out a statement mourning her death after the Toledo Blade reached out about an unrelated obituary. (Columbus Dispatch)
Quote of the Day
“I have received countless messages from Massachusetts residents, Scotland supporters, legal experts, and at least one very concerned sheep regarding my order making haggis legal in Massachusetts.”
— Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D), clarifying that an executive order making haggis legal “was, in fact, a joke.” Haggis has been illegal in the United States since 1971. (Boston Herald)