Good morning, it’s Tuesday, March 4, 2025. In today’s edition, lawmakers tackle NIMBY-ism; Montana wants to grant individuals NIL rights; Walz says he’ll consider presidential run:
Top Stories
HOUSING: Lawmakers in almost every state are considering more than 400 bills to override local zoning rules to encourage denser development. The bills vary widely, from lifting restrictions on accessory dwelling units to allowing mixed-use and multi-family development in commercial areas. Some would even make it more difficult for residents to block zoning changes in their neighborhoods. (Pluribus News)
America’s legislatures are developing a bipartisan antipathy toward NIMBY-ism.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: The Montana House has unanimously approved legislation giving individuals the legal right to their name, image and likeness. The bill would allow someone to seek damages of up to $50,000 if they are the subject of a deepfake video or photograph. Tennessee and California have approved similar laws. (Daily Montanan)
MORE: Montana lawmakers are considering legislation to regulate the use of AI in health insurance decisions. The bill would require insurance providers to make AI software available for inspection by regulatory agencies. (Daily Montanan) The Rhode Island House has approved legislation banning the creation or dissemination of explicit deepfake images, punishable by up to a year in prison and a $1,000 fine. (Rhode Island Current)
SOCIAL MEDIA: The Vermont Senate Committee on Institutions has advanced “kids code” legislation that would require social media companies to make their feeds less addictive and harmful to teens. The bill would bar tech companies from collecting and sharing personal data of minors. (VT Digger)
CRIMINAL JUSTICE: The Washington Senate has approved legislation making religious leaders mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect. Ministers, priests and rabbis would be required to report suspected harm to the Department of Children, Youth and Families. (Washington State Standard)
ABORTION: The New Mexico Senate has approved legislation exempting records containing personal information about abortion providers in the state. Patients coming from Texas, where abortion is largely banned, made up about 70% of the abortions conducted in New Mexico in 2023. (Albuquerque Journal)
TRANS RIGHTS: New Hampshire lawmakers heard testimony Monday on a bill to ban puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender minors. The bill would make prescribing gender-affirming care a felony. (WMUR) The Georgia Senate approved bills banning gender-affirming care for minors and those incarcerated in state prisons. (Associated Press, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
PUBLIC HEALTH: The Iowa House Health and Human Services Committee has advanced legislation limiting federal food assistance to healthy food purchases. The bill would require the Department of Health and Human Services to see a federal waiver to limit SNAP-eligible foods. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
HEALTH CARE: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) has formally asked the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to approve work requirements for Medicaid recipients. The proposal would restrict Medicaid expansion to those over 55, or those employed or enrolled in school or a job training program. (Ohio Capital Journal)
In Politics & Business
MINNESOTA: Gov. Tim Walz (D) says he will “certainly consider” running for president in 2028. Walz said he’s only spoken with former Vice President Kamala Harris a couple of times since their campaign ended in November. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
MISSOURI: The Senate Local Government, Elections and Pension Committee heard testimony on legislation to raise the threshold for placing measures on the ballot. One bill would require ballot measures to win majorities in most of the state’s 163 legislative districts to pass. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
CONNECTICUT: Westport First Selectwoman Jen Tooker (R) will run for governor in 2026, she said Monday. She joins New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart (R) in the Republican primary. Gov. Ned Lamont (D) has not said whether he will seek a third term. (06880)
CALIFORNIA: Timeshare mogul Stephen Cloobeck (D) will run for governor in 2026, joining a crowded field of elected officials. Cloobeck has twice appeared on CBS’s “Undercover Boss.” (Sacramento Bee)
By The Numbers
$1.8 billion: The amount Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. Discovery are seeking to build a 31-acre film and TV production campus in Las Vegas. It would be the largest ever public subsidy approved by Nevada lawmakers. (Nevada Current)
12: The number of cases of wine residents in Mississippi can receive annually under new legislation signed by Gov. Tate Reeves (R). (Supertalk) Mississippi was one of the few remaining states that did not allow direct shipment of wine to a customer’s home.
45%: The drop in Tesla sales in Europe in January. Sales in Germany and France were down about 60%, and sales in France fell another 26% in February. (Associated Press)
Off The Wall
Among the presenters at this year’s South By Southwest festival in Austin: The CIA. The agency will deliver a presentation this weekend, dubbed “Mission Possible: The Spies’ Guide to Creative Problem Solving.” (Associated Press)
A toddler called 911 in Moore, Okla., from an old cell phone with an urgent request for “emergency doughnuts.” Local police showed up at his house to deliver treats from Dunkin’ Donuts. (UPI)
Connecticut Gov. Lamont will present the first Governor’s Award of Excellence to Rolling Stones rocker Keith Richards at the Westport Library tomorrow. Richards has lived in Westport since 1985, where he’s supported two philanthropies dedicated to those with disabilities. (06880)
Quote of the Day
“I’ll tell you that it broke, I get a nurse, I go and get an X-ray, they give me this sling, I come back, I go talk to this business group and I said, ‘You guys are amazing, it only cost $10.’ They said, ‘You got ripped off.’”
— Connecticut Gov. Lamont, who broke his arm in a fall during a trade mission to India. (CT Insider)