Good morning, it’s Friday, September 19 2025. In today’s edition, states eye New Mexico’s free child care plan; Texas Gov signs abortion lawsuit bill; Spanberger leads in Virginia as early voting begins:
Top Stories
EDUCATION: Red and blue states alike are following New Mexico’s lead in creating early childhood trust funds, after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) said she would use her state’s fund to offer tuition-free child care to all families. House Speaker Javier Martinez (D) told us the legislature will find the $120 million to pay for universal child care.
Lawmakers in Connecticut and Montana voted this year to divert surplus dollars to early childhood education endowments. Connecticut officials will be able to withdraw about 10% of their fund to build out a subsidized child care program. Montana’s fund will capture 35% of “volatile revenue,” excess funds from capital gains and business partnerships. (Pluribus News)
FEDERALISM: The National Conference of State Legislatures has written to the Trump administration asking it to stop reviewing state laws it says are overly burdensome on businesses. The Justice Department and the National Economic Council said in August the federal government would seek to identify state laws that adversely impact economic activity. (Washington State Standard)
ABORTION: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has signed legislation allowing private citizens to sue the manufacturers, distributors and providers of abortion medication. Plaintiffs who win lawsuits would be awarded at least $100,000 in damages; women who take abortion pills would not be subject to lawsuits. (Texas Tribune)
PUBLIC HEALTH: Texas Gov. Abbott has signed legislation making the parasitic drug ivermectin available to state residents without a prescription. Texas is the fifth state to allow over-the-counter sales of the horse de-wormer, treating the drug like Sudafed. (Texas Tribune)
MORE: Seven Northeastern states have formalized a coalition to promote public health and vaccine access. The states will coordinate to plan for public health emergencies and use combined purchasing power to ensure access to vaccines. The coalition includes every Northeastern state except Vermont and New Hampshire. (Maine Public Radio)
REDISTRICTING: Utah lawmakers will begin meeting to redraw congressional district lines after the state Supreme Court declined to reverse a lower court ruling blocking existing lines. Legislators plan public meetings next week, ahead of a Sept. 25 deadline to draft a new map. A final map must be in place by Nov. 10. (KSL)
In Politics & Business
VIRGINIA: A new Christopher Newport University poll finds ex-U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) leading Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R) 52% to 40% among likely voters. State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D) leads radio host John Reid (R) 48% to 37% in the race for lieutenant governor, while former Del. Jay Jones (D) leads Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) 48% to 41%. (Wason Center)
Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) approval rating is a relatively healthy 48%, while 42% disapprove.
WISCONSIN: U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany (R) is hosting a “special event” in Wasau on Sept. 24, when he is likely to join the race for governor. Tiffany would join manufacturing executive Bill Berrien (R) and Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann (R) in the GOP primary. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
CALIFORNIA: A new Emerson College poll finds 51% of voters favor Proposition 50, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) bid to redraw state political boundaries, while just 34% are opposed. The same poll finds former Rep. Katie Porter (D) leading the gubernatorial field at 16%, followed by businessman Steve Hilton (R) at 10% and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco (R) at 8%. (Emerson College)
Newsom has raised about $70 million in two months for the Proposition 50 campaign, including a $10 million donation from billionaire philanthropist George Soros. (New York Times)
SOUTH CAROLINA: The state Election Commission has fired Howard Knapp, the director of South Carolina’s elections department. Knapp is part of an open criminal investigation that began six months ago at the request of Attorney General Alan Wilson (R). South Carolina is negotiating with the U.S. Department of Justice over a federal request for voter data. (Associated Press)
By The Numbers
45: The number of days until this year’s general elections. Voting begins today in Virginia, where voters will choose a new governor and all 100 delegates in the state House. (Virginia Mercury)
$11.2 billion: The amount Americans spent on online grocery shopping in August, up 14% over the same month last year, setting a new record. (Talk Business & Politics)
Off The Wall
Connecticut’s tourism agency has rolled out Charlie, the official slice of the self-proclaimed Pizza Capital of the United States. The mascot has “got crispy edges, a saucy attitude and zero time for your deep-dish drama.” (CT Insider)
A self portrait by Frida Kahlo to be auctioned off at Sotheby’s on Nov. 8 is expected to set a new record for a work by a female artist. The painting, “The Dream (The Bed),” is expected to surpass the $44.4 million paid for a Georgia O’Keefe work in 2014. Someone paid $34.9 million for a Kahlo piece in 2021. (Associated Press)
Quote of the Day
“We are not predicting that Western civilization will be crippled to its knees a year from now, and we’re not saying that the taps of Las Vegas and Phoenix will go dry. We’re saying, below these levels that we speak about, the Bureau of Reclamation is on record saying it’s going to get really complicated.”
— Jack Schmidt, director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University, warning that the river is closer to collapse than ever. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)