Good morning, it’s Monday, July 7, 2025. In today’s edition, states anticipate electricity demand; OneRepublic singer to seek California office; Michigan’s historically unproductive year:
Top Stories
ENERGY: Lawmakers from coast to coast are considering legislative strategies to meet projected increased electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence and data centers. At the same time, those states are seeking to protect consumers from skyrocketing costs and meeting climate and decarbonization goals. National electric demand is expected to increase by 16% by just 2029. (Pluribus News)
MORE: Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) has signed legislation creating a state Department of Energy Resources. The new agency will have authority to conduct competitive procurement for new clean energy projects as Maine seeks to meet its goal of 100% clean electricity by 2040. (Maine Public Radio)
ECONOMY: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has signed legislation allowing residents to use precious metals stored in a state-run Bullion Depository for everyday purchases through debit cards and mobile applications. The law allows the state Comptroller to establish electronic systems converting gold and silver into U.S. dollars at the point of sale. (State Affairs)
ENVIRONMENT: Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) has signed a budget bill that implements new rules limiting people to returning 5,000 recyclable cans and bottles per day. Those returning more than 2,500 items will be required to prove they are state residents. (CT Insider)
Connecticut is the only state in the region to provide ten cents per returned can or bottle, leading to widespread redemption fraud from those who live in neighboring states.
IMMIGRATION: California lawmakers adopted a symbolic resolution condemning federal militarized immigration raids in the state. The measure carries no legal weight, but it’s part of an effort by state Democrats to find ways to combat the Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants. (Sacramento Bee)
In Politics & Business
CALIFORNIA: Tim Myers, a signer-songwriter who was a founding member of the pop rock band OneRepublic, will run for lieutenant governor as a Democrat. Myers had been running against U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (R); he will face at least eight other announced candidates — including Treasurer Fiona Ma (D) and Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R) — in the all-party primary. (Sacramento Bee)
NEBRASKA: U.S. Rep. Don Bacon (R), who announced his retirement after his current term ends, is open to a run for governor in the future. Bacon said he wouldn’t challenge Gov. Jim Pillen (R), a close friend and ally. Bacon is one of the few Republicans on Capitol Hill who has been critical of President Trump. (NBC News)
TEXAS: Former U.S. Assistant Attorney General Aaron Reitz, who served in the first Trump administration, will run to replace Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) in 2026. Reitz is a former Paxton aide; he will face state Sens. Joan Huffman (R) and Mayes Middleton (R) in the GOP primary. (KXAN)
OHIO: Supporters of a proposed equal rights amendment have won certification from Attorney General Dave Yost’s (R) office. The measure, if approved by voters next year, would bar discrimination based on race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity. Supporters must collect more than 413,000 valid signatures in half of Ohio’s 88 counties. (State Affairs)
PEOPLE: Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) has confirmed for the first time that she and husband Ted Daugherty have decided to divorce. Both Kelly and Daugherty said they had made the mutual decision to split. (KSNT)
By The Numbers
6: The number of bills Michigan’s divided legislature has adopted this year, by far the slowest pace of legislative progress this century. In 2007, the divided legislature had approved 31 bills through the first half of the year. (Bridge MI)
99.99%: The portion of Utah under moderate or severe drought, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report. It is the only state currently entirely in a drought. (KSL.com)
Off The Wall
President Trump’s omnibus reconciliation bill, signed into law over the weekend, includes a provision to move the Space Shuttle Discovery from the National Air and Space Museum outside of Washington to Space Center Houston. The Smithsonian, which maintains ownership of the shuttle, says transportation and construction of a new facility would cost $300 million. (Dallas Morning News)
Scientists have identified a new dog-sized dinosaur, discovered in Colorado’s Morrison Formation. The Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae is on display at London’s Natural History Museum. (Denver Post)
Quote of the Day
“I’m not doing this in 2026.”
— Kim Van Atta, a volunteer treasurer for Democratic legislative campaigns in Delaware County, N.Y., on the workload required by New York’s new campaign finance matching program. (Albany Times Union)