Good morning, it’s Friday, June 27, 2025. In today’s edition, lawmakers ban AI from denying health coverage; Supreme Court allows states to bar Planned Parenthood from Medicaid; Cuomo will stay on New York City ballot:
Top Stories
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Lawmakers in half a dozen states have adopted bills limiting the use of AI in denying coverage for medical care in health insurance. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed first-in-the-nation legislation last year; this year, Arizona, Connecticut, Maryland, Nebraska and Texas have followed. The bills require a human professional to make final decisions approving or rejecting a physician’s request for care. (Pluribus News)
HEALTH CARE: The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states can block Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid payments for health services including contraception and cancer screenings. The court ruled patients can choose their own providers, but they cannot sue to require states to fund Planned Parenthood. (Associated Press)
MORE: The Oregon legislature has approved a bill requiring private health insurers to cover doulas and lactation specialists. The bill includes money to encourage more people to enter the maternal care workforce. (Oregonian)
TRANS RIGHTS: New Hampshire lawmakers have given final approval to legislation banning gender-affirming care, including puberty blockers and hormone treatments, for minors. They approved another bill barring chest surgeries for minors. (New Hampshire Public Radio)
ENERGY: Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) has signed legislation redefining natural gas as green energy. Indiana, Ohio and Tennessee similarly consider natural gas a green energy. The bill will allow state funds earmarked for green projects to flow to the natural gas industry. (Associated Press)
GUN POLITICS: Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee (D) has approved legislation banning the purchase or sale of assault-style weapons. The measure allows those who already own such weapons to keep them. (Boston Globe)
STADIUMS: Ohio lawmakers included a provision in the $60 billion operating budget to set aside $600 million in unclaimed funds to pay for a new stadium for the Cleveland Browns. (Associated Press) The Kansas City Chiefs have asked Kansas lawmakers to extend a deadline to accept funding incentives for a new stadium. The Kansas plan would offer the Chiefs up to 70% of the cost of a new stadium located on their side of the border. (Kansas City Star)
Missouri lawmakers are not happy about the request.
In Politics & Business
WISCONSIN: Former U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde (R) and 2022 gubernatorial nominee Tim Michels (R) are both considering runs for governor in 2026. Michels took 48% of the vote against Gov. Tony Evers (D) in 2022; Hovde took 48% of the vote against Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) in 2024. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
ILLINOIS: Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) has formally launched his campaign for a third term. Pritzker downplayed the prospect of running for president in 2028, but he didn’t rule it out. He would be the first Democrat to serve three terms as governor of the state. (Capitol News Illinois)
NEW YORK: U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R) is preparing to launch her campaign for governor. A source close to Stefanik said she had received commitments for millions in contributions after the New York City Democratic primary this week. (City & State)
NEW YORK CITY: Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) will not remove himself from the general election ballot by today’s deadline, though he has not committed to running an active campaign. Cuomo conceded his primary election loss to Assemb. Zohran Mamdani (D) on Tuesday; Mayor Eric Adams, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and former deputy U.S. Attorney Jim Walden are also on the ballot. (CNN)
Adams formally kicked off his own campaign on Thursday. (State of Politics)
By The Numbers
1987: The year Alaska Sen. Lyman Hoffman (D) first won election to the legislature. The longest-serving legislator in Alaska history said he will not seek re-election in 2026. (Alaska Beacon)
$491,508: The amount Indiana has paid to four law firms to represent Attorney General Todd Rokita (R) in disciplinary investigations and ethics cases since 2022. Two of the six investigations resulted in formal disciplinary charges. (Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Off The Wall
Microsoft is making changes to the infamous Blue Screen of Death. The screen, which shows up when Windows freezes, will become black, and it won’t include a frowny face. (Associated Press)
A YouTuber has broken a Guinness World Record by assembling a domino structure that reached 33 feet, 2.74 inches at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. The team spent five days building the tower, which they then collapsed by throwing a stuffed squirrel at it. (UPI)
Two men with buckets stole 85 koi fish from a Los Angeles restaurant over the weekend, amounting to thousands of dollars in losses. Authorities arrested one of the men, who has been charged with grand theft. (Los Angeles Times)
Quote of the Day
“As an Assembly member, Mr. Mandami knows that the state legislature and the governor have enormous say over decisions like that.”
— New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), mispronouncing Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani’s name repeatedly during an event at LaGuardia Airport. (City & State)