Good morning, it’s Tuesday, September 30, 2025. In today’s edition, Newsom signs AI safety bill; Oregon approves pay-by-the-mile program for EVs; Rhode Island governor trails challenger in dismal poll:
Top Stories
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Monday signed AI safety legislation requiring large AI companies to take steps to avoid catastrophic harm, including publishing steps they take to reduce the chances a large frontier model could be weaponized. Developers would have 15 days to report “critical safety incidents” to the state. (Pluribus News)
TRANSPORTATION: The Oregon Senate has given final approval to a $4.3 billion transportation funding package including a mandatory pay-by-the-mile program for electric and hybrid vehicles. Oregon would join Hawaii as the only states with mileage-based fees; drivers would have to pay an annual $340 fee, or a fee equivalent to 5% of the state’s per-gallon fuel tax, or about 2.3 cents per mile. (Pluribus News)
TECHNOLOGY: Delaware lawmakers will consider legislation requiring businesses using more than 30 megawatts of electricity to gain a certificate to operate. The bill would require operators of data centers to certify regional grids have enough electricity to power those centers and to report on the economic impact new data centers would have on ratepayers. (Delaware Public Media)
IMMIGRATION: Eleven blue states and the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration for allegedly stripping hundreds of millions in security and disaster relief funding over the states’ refusal to participate in immigration enforcement. The suit comes days after a federal judge in a separate case blocked the administration from conditioning grants on states rescinding sanctuary policies. (Los Angeles Times)
ELECTIONS: Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D) will allow candidates running for office to use campaign funds for personal security. Campaign finance statutes do not specifically prohibit candidates from spending on security, but in a memo to candidates, Fontes gave them official approval for such spending. (State Affairs)
REDISTRICTING: The Ohio legislature’s Joint Committee on Congressional Redistricting meets this morning to discuss new U.S. House district lines. The state is required to draw new boundaries for the 2026 elections after the 2022 map failed to earn bipartisan support. (State Affairs)
ABORTION: Louisiana has issued an arrest warrant for a California doctor accused of mailing abortion pills to a patient in the state, in violation of Louisiana law. Attorney General Liz Murrill (R) did not say what charges the doctor faces. The doctor is also the target of a lawsuit filed in July in Texas. (Associated Press)
In Politics & Business
RHODE ISLAND: A University of New Hampshire survey of Democratic primary voters finds former CVS executive Helena Foulkes (D) leading Gov. Dan McKee (D) 35% to 19%, while 6% say they would vote for someone else and 40% are undecided. Just 15% of Rhode Islanders — and only 21% of Rhode Island Democrats — say McKee deserves another term. (UNH)
MASSACHUSETTS: Another UNH poll finds venture capitalist Brian Shortsleeve (R) leading former Housing and Economic Development Secetary Mike Kennealy (R) 31% to 22% in the GOP primary. Overall, 51% of voters say Gov. Maura Healey (D) deserves another term in office. (UNH)
NEW JERSEY: Former Assemb. Jack Ciattarelli (R) has raised $6.4 million, qualifying for a full $12.5 million in matching funds. U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D) has raised $9.7 million, enough for 78% of the full match. (New Jersey Globe)
Outside groups are more than making up the difference on Sherill’s behalf: As we reported earlier this month, Democratic groups have spent $16.5 million on TV ads in the Garden State, while Ciattarelli backers have spent only $1.1 million.
MISSOURI: The Democratic National Committee will contribute staff and financial resources to an effort to qualify a referendum challenging the recent redistricting bill signed by Gov. Mike Kehoe (R). Supporters need to collect about 106,000 signatures by mid-December to force a referendum — which would block the redistricting plan from taking effect until voters weigh in. (St. Louis Public Radio)
By The Numbers
$177 million: The amount Arizonans lost to cryptocurrency scammers in 2024, according to Attorney General Kris Mayes’s (D) office. A new law aimed at preventing scams by regulating crypto ATMs took effect over the weekend. (AZ Mirror)
12,429: The number of Americans killed in drunk-driver-involved crashes in 2023, down 7.6% from the year before. (McClatchy)
Off The Wall
A group of current and former Minnesota judges and Supreme Court justices spend almost every weekend jamming out at band practice. The Reasonable Doubts formed a year and a half ago, when Justice Anne McKeig emailed fellow judges asking if anyone wanted to join a band. Their repertoire includes Beyonce, Joan Jett and Elvis. (MPR News)
Florida’s Cabinet will meet Tuesday to vote on conveying a property in Miami facing Biscayne Bay to the foundation that will build President Trump’s library. Miami Dade College trustees voted to convey the property to the state last week; real estate experts say the property could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. (New York Times)
Quote of the Day
“I’m desperately looking for more architects and fewer arsonists.”
— Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R), pleading for unity and calm in the wake of growing political violence. (Deseret News)