Good morning, it’s Monday, June 16, 2025. In today’s edition, Minnesota reeling from shocking attacks; California lawmakers endorse budget deal; North Carolina gerrymandering trial kicks off:
Top Stories
MINNESOTA: State troopers on Sunday arrested a man accused of murdering former House Speaker Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband Mark and shooting state Sen. John Hoffman (D) and his wife Yvette in early-morning attacks on Saturday. The attacks shocked lawmakers from across the nation and launched the largest manhunt in Minnesota history. (Pluribus News, Minnesota Star Tribune)
Our deepest condolences to the Minnesota political family after a horrific assault on two elected officials.
BUDGETS: California lawmakers on Friday approved a $325 billion state budget that relies more on borrowing than spending cuts to close a $12 billion budget deficit. Lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) must reach agreement on a budget deal by July 1. (CalMatters)
As part of the budget deal, lawmakers agreed to freeze enrollment in the state-funded Medicaid program for undocumented immigrants. (Associated Press)
TAXES: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) will sign legislation approving constitutional amendments raising homestead exemptions from $100,000 to $140,000, and to $200,000 for residents with disabilities or those over the age of 65. Voters must approve the amendments on this year’s ballot. (Dallas Morning News)
HOUSING: Oregon lawmakers have approved legislation limiting annual rent increases on manufactured home parks and for floating homes at marinas. The bill would limit yearly rent increases to 6%, and to 7% plus inflation or 10%, whichever is less, at smaller parks and marinas. (Oregonian)
EMINENT DOMAIN: Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley (R) is asking lawmakers to reconvene for special session to override Gov. Kim Reynolds’s (R) veto of legislation barring pipeline companies from receiving eminent domain powers unless they qualify as common carriers. The bill would require pipeline companies to add more insurance protections. (Des Moines Register)
WORKFORCE: Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) has signed legislation prohibiting teenagers from working between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. before a school day. The bill would apply to 16-18 year olds who are enrolled in school, though it would exempt emancipated teens, lifeguards, arcade workers and theatrical performers. (Nevada Current)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) has launched a $9 million grant program to encourage the development of AI, machine learning and technical capacities at state universities and colleges. The grants will fund programs to train individuals on digital literacy and AI fundamentals, among other projects. (Supertalk)
In Politics & Business
NORTH CAROLINA: Trial before a panel of three federal judges kicks off today over congressional and legislative district maps drawn by Republicans that opponents say illegally dilutes Black voters’ power to elect lawmakers. Republican lawmakers say they considered political factors, not voters’ race, in drawing the lines. (Associated Press)
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Businessman Jon Kiper will run for governor as an independent, he said Friday. Kiper ran for governor as a Democrat in 2024, finishing third in the primary with about 9% of the vote. (WMUR)
ALABAMA: Real estate developer Nicole Wadsworth (R) will continue her campaign for lieutenant governor after her former campaign manager emailed reporters to say he had provided false information about her educational record. Wadsworth claimed she had earned a Ph.D. from the University of Alabama; instead, she now says she earned the degree from a unaccredited religious university. Wadsworth’s entire campaign staff quit. (AL.com)
CRIME BLOTTER: Former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan (D) was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison after he was convicted in February of 10 of 23 corruption charges. The judge called Madigan’s testimony in the case “a nauseating display.” (Capitol News Illinois)
By The Numbers
$488.3 million: The amount of extra revenue Virginia has taken in during the first 11 months of the fiscal year. That’s less of a surplus than the state ran during the previous five years, but still well ahead of projections. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
89 degrees: The temperature reached in Interior Alaska over the weekend, spurring the National Weather Service to issue the first-ever heat advisory in the state. Normal high temperatures in Fairbanks in June reach about 72 degrees. (Alaska Beacon)
Off The Wall
Connecticut Sen. Saud Anwar (D) is back home after getting stuck in Iraq when Israel launched its attack on Iran last week. Anwar, who had traveled to the region to learn more about its history, had to drive five hours through the blistering desert to reach Kuwait to get a flight home. (Hartford Courant)
Goliath, a 517-lb. Galapagos tortoise at Zoo Miami, celebrated his 135th birthday on Sunday. Goliath became a father for the first time earlier this month, according to zoo officials. (Associated Press)
Quote of the Day
“She battled fiercely, but never let it impact the personal bond that we developed serving as caucus leaders.”
— Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R), on her relationship with her predecessor, Melissa Hortman (D). (Associated Press)