Good morning, it’s Tuesday, April 29, 2025. In today’s edition, Trump targets sanctuary cities; ex-Atlanta mayor to run for Georgia governor; Utah collective bargaining ban headed for 2026 ballot:
Top Stories
IMMIGRATION: President Trump issued an executive order Monday directing the Department of Homeland Security to publish a list of so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions that do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities. The order requires those jurisdictions to comply with immigration orders, or risk losing federal funding. (Pluribus News)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) has signed legislation adding AI-generated deepfake images to the state’s definition of sex crimes. The law increases bond rates for defendants with prior convictions of sexually violent crimes. (Kansas Reflector)
SOCIAL MEDIA: The Colorado House declined to override Gov. Jared Polis’s (D) veto of legislation requiring social media companies to ban users who violate terms of service and cooperate with law enforcement. The tech industry celebrated the veto, in which Polis said the bill raised First Amendment concerns. (Denver Post)
Read our story on Polis’s veto right here.
HEALTH CARE: The Alabama House Health Committee has approved legislation raising the age at which people can make their own medical decisions from 14 to 16. The bill makes exceptions for those who are married, divorced, pregnant, emancipated or living independently. (AL.com)
TRANS RIGHTS: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) has signed legislation barring transgender athletes from participating in school sports teams that align with their gender identity. The law requires schools to designate teams as being for biological males, females or co-ed participants. (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
EDUCATION: New York lawmakers have agreed to a plan to ban cellphones in public schools from bell to bell, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said Monday. Hochul has previously said the ban would have exemptions for students who need access for medical reasons or for learning disabilities. (Associated Press)
The move to ban cellphones from classrooms may be the clearest, most bipartisan legislative trend of the year.
MORE: The Texas House has approved legislation establishing a statewide active shooter protocol for schools. The bill mandates joint training exercises and coordination between law enforcement and school districts. It would require districts to have a public information officer certified in emergency communication. (KXAN)
NIL: The Louisiana House Appropriations Committee has approved legislation to more than double the state tax on sports gambling. The additional revenue would fund both addiction services and a pool of money set aside for student athletes through name, image and likeness deals. (Louisiana Illuminator)
In Politics & Business
GEORGIA: Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) has filed papers to run for governor in 2026. Once she formally declares, Bottoms would join Sen. Jason Esteves (D) in the Democratic primary to replace term-limited Gov. Kemp. (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
IOWA: Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer (R) has filed papers to run for auditor in 2026. Incumbent Auditor Rob Sand (D) is expected to run for governor next year. Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) tapped Cournoyer to serve as lieutenant governor in December. (Des Moines Register)
UTAH: Labor groups have collected enough signatures to qualify a referendum for the 2026 ballot to repeal a state law banning public employee unions from collectively bargaining with state agencies. Supporters collected more than the 146,480 required signatures across 15 Senate districts to qualify the measure. (Salt Lake Tribune)
MINNESOTA: Voters head to the polls in Crow Wing, Cass and Itasca counties today to select a replacement for former Sen. Justin Eichorn (R), who resigned office last month after being arrested in an underage prostitution sting. Republican Keri Heintzeman is expected to win the heavily Republican district. (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
RHODE ISLAND: Senate Democrats meet today to select a new Senate president after the death of Sen. Dominick Ruggerio (D) last week. Majority Leader Val Lawson (D) has made a deal with Sen. Frank Ciccone (D) that would make Lawson president and Ciccone majority leader; former Majority Leader Ryan Pearson (D) is also contending for the top spot. (Boston Globe)
By The Numbers
11: The number of former Illinois lawmakers who have been convicted of crimes since 2019. (Chicago Tribune)
36%: The decrease in the number of overdose deaths in Delaware in 2024, according to new state data. That’s a steeper drop than the 26.5% decline nationally. (Delaware Public Media)
Off The Wall
A woman enjoying a margarita at a Virginia restaurant got an unwelcome surprise when a baby snake fell from the ceiling, bounced off her forehead and landed in her drink. “I kept saying please don’t let it go in my purse,” the woman said. (UPI)
A Chinese university student living in Japan was rescued from Mount Fuji — twice. The man was airlifted off the slopes, then rescued again days later when he returned to find his phone. It’s not clear whether he actually found his phone. (AFP)
Quote of the Day
“If she wanted a lieutenant who was just going to blindly follow without a clear rationale or plan, that’s not Antonio Delgado.”
— Jessie Andrews, former chief of staff to New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado (D), on Delgado’s rift with Gov. Kathy Hochul (D). (City & State)