Good morning, it’s Tuesday, July 7, 2026. In today’s edition, Colorado raises farmworker overtime thresholds; Illinois adopts strict AI audit law; Massachusetts, California advance youth social media restrictions:
Top Stories
AGRICULTURE: Colorado lawmakers approved legislation this year requiring farmhands to work eight additional hours per week before earning overtime pay, a threshold meant to help famers during tough economic times. It makes Colorado the first blue state to increase overtime thresholds for farmworkers. Eight states, all led by Democrats, require farmers to pay hourly employees at least 150% of their usual wage for overtime. (Pluribus News)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) has signed legislation requiring developers of large-scale AI systems to employ third-party auditors to ensure they follow transparency frameworks to measure capabilities and the chance of catastrophic risk. The bill, backed by OpenAI and Anthropic, applies to companies with more than $500 million in revenue. (ABC7)
SOCIAL MEDIA: Massachusetts senators released a proposal to limit youth exposure to addictive social media feeds, with debate slated for this week. The bill requires platforms to limit algorithmic feeds, autoplay and infinite scroll, and it requires a notification when users have been on a platform for one cumulative hour within a 24-hour period. The bill bans notifications for minors between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m. (State Afffairs)
MORE: California’s Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved legislation banning minors under 16 from social media apps on which addictive features constitute a “significant” part of services provided. Platforms would be accessible to minors if their accounts are set up without addictive features. The original bill, approved by the Assembly, would have banned minors from those platforms altogether. (State Affairs)
The U.S. Supreme Court will not block a Texas law requiring app stores to verify user ages and obtain parental consent for minors seeking to download apps. (Associated Press)
GAMBLING: North Carolina lawmakers included in their annual budget a 6% net revenue tax on sports betting trading fees within prediction markets. The measure effectively institutionalizes prediction markets in North Carolina, alongside more traditional sports betting operators. North Carolina joins Kentucky and Illinois, which both passed measures to tax prediction market betting this year. (State Affairs)
ENERGY: The New Jersey General Assembly has approved legislation eliminating $250 million in uncommitted tax credits for AI data center projects. The bill, passed on a near-unanimous bipartisan vote, will redirect the money to other economic development priorities. It now heads to Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) for her signature. (New Jersey Globe)
In Politics & Business
CALIFORNIA: Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) will introduce legislation making it a felony to seize ballots before state or local elections officials have certified them. The measure is meant to prevent federal interference in the upcoming midterm elections. (Sacramento Bee)
California’s proposed billionaire’s tax now has a ballot number: Proposition 40 would levy a one-time 5% tax on residents with net worths of more than $1 billion. (Sacramento Bee)
WASHINGTON: Opponents of a new high-income tax have submitted more than 511,000 signatures for a ballot measure to repeal the tax. Democrats in the legislature approved the 9.9% tax on gross incomes over $1 million. The tax, if it’s not repealed, is expected to raise $3 billion to $4 billion a year beginning in 2029. (Seattle Times)
ARIZONA: Supporters of a ballot initiative to reform the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts program have submitted more than 421,000 signatures, far above the 255,949 they need to win a spot on the November ballot. The initiative would ban the purchase of luxury items with scholarship money and impose income caps on participating families. (State Affairs)
OREGON: Supporters of a proposed ballot measure to effectively ban hunting and fishing have turned in 142,784 signatures to qualify for the November ballot, more than the 117,000 signatures necessary to secure a spot. The measure would ban slaughtering livestock, pest control and scientific research on animals. (Oregonian)
We wrote about the proposed initiative last month.
By The Numbers
12%: The decline in MNsure health insurance enrollment between May 2025 and May 2026, according to Minnesota state data. The drop comes after the expiration of federal subsidies that offset premium costs. (Minnesota Reformer)
88,000: The number of Arizona students who will receive a “certificate of high achievement” for scoring in the top 10% of a standardized test this year. The certificate contains just 46 words, but it includes Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne’s (R) name twice. Horne faces a primary election challenge from state Treasurer Kimberly Yee (R) later this month. (Arizona Republic)
$440,000: The cash jackpot won by Aaron P., a bingo player at Foxwoods Resort Casino, breaking the world record for the largest-ever payout for a single game. (CT Insider)
Off The Wall
Among the A-list attendees at Taylor Swift’s wedding to Travis Kelce this weekend: Ohio state Rep. Steve Demetriou (R). Demetriou’s family adopted one of Kelce’s closest childhood friends, and Demetriou played sports with Kelce and his brother Jason growing up. (Columbus Dispatch)
As we like to say, every story has a state legislative angle.
California farmer Cesar Mora is giving away more than 100,000 lbs. of nectarines in the midst of a legal battle with a company that claims exclusive rights over the variety of white nectarines he grows. Mora says it feels good to give away the fruit, rather than watching it rot. (Associated Press)
Andres Robles, celebrating his 8th birthday at Disneyland, is the honorary billionth guest to visit California’s iconic theme park. Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Daisy Duck joined the Robles family for a ceremonial unveiling of a sign touting a billion visitors in the 71 years since the park opened. (UPI)
Quote of the Day
“The question I wonder, that I’ve been thinking about a lot, is who wanted me out of this race? In other words, who flipped the boat?”
— “New Amato,” a fictional candidate for Arizona governor who supported closing the state’s remaining Sizzler restaurants and importing the Seven Wonders of the World to Arizona cities, suspending his campaign after a fake boat crash on Lake Havasu. Amato is the creation of comedian Tim Heidecker. (State Affairs)