Good morning, it’s Wednesday, July 2, 2025. In today’s edition, lawmakers tackle housing crisis; Trump withholds billions in education funding; Pritzker picks a new lieutenant:
Top Stories
HOUSING: State legislators have enacted more than 80 bills this year aimed at boosting housing construction and driving down costs. Blue states like Washington and Hawaii joined red states like Arkansas and Iowa to enact big pro-housing bills, though other big bills died in Minnesota and Connecticut. Half of renters and more than a quarter of homeowners spend more than a third of their income on housing and utilities. (Pluribus News)
EDUCATION: The Trump administration will withhold $6.8 billion in federal K-12 funding that was scheduled to be distributed this week. The funding is meant to cover programs that pay for migrant education, professional development, English learner services, academic enrichment and before- and after-school programs. An unsigned email directed questions about the unspent funds to the Office of Management and Budget, home of DOGE, rather than the Department of Education. (Education Week)
ENVIRONMENT: Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) has signed legislation setting a net-zero emissions target and adding incentives for solar canopies, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems and green jobs. At the same time, Lamont hinted he is part of talks between the Trump administration and New York about building pipelines to deliver natural gas to New England. (CT Mirror)
IMMIGRATION: California is leading a lawsuit with 19 other Democratic-controlled states seeking to block the transfer of individual data from the Health and Human Services Department to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The states allege the data transfer violates health privacy laws. (Colorado Sun)
NIL: North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) has signed legislation shielding information about name, image and likeness contracts from public records laws. The bill authorizes NIL agency contracts and creates new regulations around deals for college athletes. (Raleigh News & Observer)
PUBLIC SAFETY: New legislation taking effect this week in California will require bars and nightclubs to offer lids to customers to protect drinks from being spiked. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Josh Lowenthal (D), who ran a nightclub before running for public office. (Los Angeles Times)
In Politics & Business
ILLINOIS: Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) has chosen former state Rep. Christian Mitchell (D) to serve as his lieutenant governor nominee. Mitchell serves as vice president of civic engagement at the University of Chicago. He served for four years as Pritzker’s deputy governor after leaving the state House. (NBC Chicago)
CALIFORNIA: A new University of California Irvine poll of state voters finds former Vice President Kamala Harris (D) leading the field with 24% of the vote, followed by developer Rick Caruso (D) at 9% and former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter (D) at 6%. Harris leads a hypothetical Republican candidate 41% to 29%, with 30% either undecided or saying they wouldn’t vote. (UCI)
Neither Harris nor Caruso have made their bids for office formal.
GEORGIA: Former House Democratic Leader Bob Trammell (D) is taking steps to run for attorney general next year, filing paperwork to begin raising money for a campaign. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) State Sens. Bill Cowsert (R) and Brian Strickland (R) are vying for the Republican nomination.
OKLAHOMA: Energy and Environment Secretary Jeff Starling (R) has launched his campaign for attorney general in 2026. Starling will face former House Majority Leader Jon Echols (R) in the Republican primary. (McCarville Report)
RHODE ISLAND: Former stockbroker and professional blackjack player Eric Ulis (D) will run for lieutenant governor in 2026, challenging incumbent Sabina Matos (D) and former state Sen. Cynthia Coyne (D) in the Democratic primary. Ulis spent years searching for clues about the skyjacker D.B. Cooper, all while running for other offices in Washington, Arizona and California. (Providence Journal)
By The Numbers
30: The number of bills Montana Sen. Greg Hertz (R) sponsored that won approval in this year’s session, the highest number of any lawmaker in the state. Hertz also introduced more bills than any other legislator, 53. (Montana Free Press)
More than 400: The number of vetoes Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) has issued during his term in office, more than any other governor in state history. He vetoed 158 bills this year alone. (Virginia Business)
Off The Wall
Minnesota lawmakers have approved funding for a new statue of former Vice President Hubert Humphrey, which will eventually replace one of Minnesota’s existing representatives in Statuary Hall. Humphrey’s statue will fill in for Henry Mower Rice, a one-term senator who lobbied to establish the Minnesota Territory in 1849. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to breed billions of flies and dump them out of airplanes over Mexico and southern Texas to fight a flesh-eating maggot. The adult male flies will prey on the New World Screwworm fly, which attacks cattle, wildlife and household pets. (Associated Press)
Quote of the Day
“I’ve got really independent kids. I mean, they don’t need their hands held.”
— U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R), launching his campaign for governor of South Dakota. “This isn’t about me being home more,” he said. (Fargo Forum)