Good morning, it’s Thursday, May 22, 2025. In today’s edition, states race to attract data centers; Michigan moves to ban ticket bots; Hochul, Stefanik lead New York governor primaries:
Top Stories
ENERGY: More than 30 states currently offer tax incentives for data centers, and some are bolstering incentive programs to attract more of those projects. Lawmakers in Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma and West Virginia all introduced bills this year to create or expand data center incentive programs. Demand for data center capacity is projected to rise about 20% annually through 2030. (Pluribus News)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: The Illinois Senate has approved legislation barring community colleges from using AI programs instead of human instructors to teach classes. The bill would allow faculty to use AI to “augment course instruction.” (Capitol News Illinois)
CONSUMER PROTECTION: Michigan’s House Judiciary Committee is considering bills to ban the use of software or bots to scalp tickets online or to purchase tickets in bulk. The bipartisan bill comes after scalpers made big bucks on tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. (Michigan Advance)
CRIMINAL JUSTICE: Delaware’s House Judiciary Committee has advanced a bill allowing courts to waive fees or fines for defendants without the means to pay. The measure would apply to those on social welfare programs like Medicaid, SNAP and TANF. The committee also advanced a bill making it a felony to fire a gun into a house, place of worship, vehicle or business. (Delaware Public Media)
DRUG POLICY: The Texas House has given initial approval to legislation banning products containing THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana. The bill would mean jail sentences of up to a year for the possession of hemp products with any amount of THC, stricter than existing penalties for possessing up to two ounces of marijuana. (Texas Tribune)
WORKFORCE: Connecticut lawmakers are advancing legislation to limit the use of noncompete and exclusivity agreements by state employers. The bill would make noncompete agreements unenforceable against employees who earn less than three times the minimum wage, or against independent contractors who make less than five times the minimum. (Hartford Business Journal)
STADIUMS: The Missouri House has approved a framework of financial incentives to keep the Chiefs and Royals on their side of Kansas City. The bill would authorize the state to issue bonds for up to half the cost of stadium projects and allow up to $50 million in tax credits. (KZRG)
In Politics & Business
NEW YORK: Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) leads Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado (D) and U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D) in a hypothetical Democratic primary matchup by a 46% to 12% to 10% margin. On the GOP side, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R) leads with 35%, followed by U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler (R) at 22% and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R) at 11% in a new Siena College poll. (Siena)
NEW JERSEY: A poll conducted for U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D) shows her leading the Democratic gubernatorial field with 33% of the vote. Jersey City Mayor Steve Fullop (D) takes 16%, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D) takes 15% and fellow Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D) takes 11%. (New Jersey Globe)
Take internal polls with a hefty helping of salt, but these numbers align with public polls out of New Jersey.
OHIO: Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel (R) is still considering a run for governor, he said Wednesday, after Attorney General Dave Yost (R) dropped his bid. President Trump has endorsed entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy (R) in the GOP primary. (Columbus Dispatch)
ALABAMA: Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate (R) is considering a run for lieutenant governor next year. Pate said he wouldn’t run for governor against U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R), who is likely to jump into that contest. (Yellowhammer News)
By The Numbers
$2.6 billion: The amount of revenue collected under Massachusetts’ so-called millionaires’ tax, well above earlier estimates. Voters approved the tax in 2022, which levies an additional 4% tax on earnings over $1 million. (Boston Globe)
$214.8 million: The projected surplus Arkansas expects to take in during the fiscal year that ends June 30. That estimate is down from an expected $278.6 million surplus, a decline caused by an extension in the state’s income tax filing deadline to July 31. (Arkansas Democrat Gazette)
$59 million: The estimated costs Kentucky faces in cleaning up more than 1.5 million cubic yards of debris caused by a tornado that barged through Somerset and London last week. The storm that caused the EF4 twister is responsible for at least 19 deaths. (Kentucky Lantern)
Off The Wall
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) is expected to sign legislation decriminalizing dirty bong water and excluding it from the total weight of a controlled substance when authorities charge people with drug offenses. (Minnesota Star Tribune)
Let’s be honest, we just wanted to type the words “dirty bong water.”
A summer reading guide from the Chicago Sun-Times included books like “The Last Algorithm” by Andy Weir and “Nightshade Market” by Min Jin Lee. The authors are real, but the books aren’t — an error the paper said was caused by an AI system that hallucinated new titles. (Associated Press)
Florida wildlife officials have given preliminary approval for a black bear hunt, the first in 10 years. There are about 4,000 black bears in Florida, and a hunt is meant to manage the population. (CBS News)
Quote of the Day
“I think if he were here, he’d tell you it’s not his top priority.”
— Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R), on whether President Trump values building common ground with political opponents. (Salt Lake Tribune)