Good morning, it’s Wednesday, October 1, 2025. In today’s edition, South Carolina considers near-total abortion ban; Kansas GOP takes steps toward redistricting; U.S. Rep. Schweikert to run for Arizona governor:
Top Stories
ABORTION: The South Carolina Senate Medical Affairs Committee will hold its first hearing today on legislation to ban abortion from the moment of conception, eliminating current exceptions for rape or incest and classifying abortion as a felony comparable to homicide. The measure also redefines contraception and creates a new definition for a human embryo, potentially opening the door to restrictions on birth control. (Pluribus News)
REDISTRICTING: Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins (R) has begun the process of calling a special session in an attempt to redraw state congressional district maps. The effort would target Johnson County, the core of a district held by U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids (D), the state’s lone Democrat in Congress. (KCUR)
MORE: The Ohio legislature missed a first deadline for congressional redistricting without Republicans having offered a proposed map. The missed deadline means the Ohio Redistricting Commission — a body entirely controlled by Republicans — will have until Oct. 31 to come up with a proposal. (Ohio Capital Journal)
EVEN MORE: A panel of federal judges will begin hearing arguments today over Texas’s redistricting process. The new maps, approved earlier this year on party-line votes, are being challenged by civil rights groups and Black and Hispanic voters who say the lines represent a racial gerrymander. (Associated Press)
BUDGET: New Mexico lawmakers will convene in special session Wednesday to address federal funding cuts under President Trump’s reconciliation legislation passed in July. The session will focus on rural health care delivery, eligibility for health insurance and back-filling funds cut by the federal government. (KOAT)
PSILOCYBIN: New York lawmakers held their first hearing Tuesday on the effects of psilocybin for medical purposes. Two lawmakers have introduced bills to legalize psilocybin for various purposes. Only two states — Oregon and Colorado — have legalized mushroom-based treatments. (Albany Times Union)
GUN POLITICS: Private negotiations between Republicans and Democrats in Minnesota over potential legislation responding to a mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in August have broken down. The fate of a special session set for early October appears uncertain, though Democrats laid out a proposed agenda that would restrict assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. (MPR News)
In Politics & Business
NEW JERSEY: U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D) leads former Assemb. Jack Ciattarelli (R) by a 50% to 42% margin, according to a new Fox News poll. Women voters back Sherrill by 14 points, while men favor Ciattarelli by one percentage point. Gov. Phil Murphy (D) is seen favorably by 47% of voters; President Trump is seen favorably by 42%. (Fox News)
ARIZONA: U.S. Rep. David Schweikert (R) will run for governor, he said Tuesday. Schweikert, who represents a district that includes Scottsdale, said he entered the race because he worried Rep. Andy Biggs (R) and businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson (R) could not beat Gov. Katie Hobbs (D). (Arizona Capitol Times)
MINNESOTA: Trump backer and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell (R) is considering a run for governor in 2026. Lindell told the Minnesota Star Tribune he had re-established residency in Minnesota after living in Texas for several years. (Minnesota Star Tribune)
MASSACHUSETTS: Businessman and Army veteran Mike Minogue (R) will run for governor, he said Tuesday. Minogue, a mega-donor to Republican causes, joins former Cabinet member Mike Kennealy (R) and former MBTA administrator Brian Shortsleeve (R) in the GOP primary to face Gov. Maura Healey (D). (Fox News)
By The Numbers
$700,000: The amount in state revenue Maryland expects to lose each day during a federal government shutdown. (Baltimore Sun)
114,000: The number of new businesses created so far this year in North Carolina, a record pace, according to Secretary of State Elaine Marshall (D). North Carolinians registered more than 162,000 new businesses in all of 2024. (State Affairs)
$17.13: The new minimum wage in Washington State, beginning on Jan. 1, after a 2.8% increase tied to inflation. The state’s $16.66 minimum wage is already the highest in the nation. (Washington State Standard)
Off The Wall
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation will review its inquiry into the 2005 death of journalist Hunter S. Thompson, after Thompson’s widow contacted the local sheriff’s department. Pitkin County Sheriff Michael Buglione said there is no new evidence suggesting foul play. (Denver Post)
Congratulations to Chunk, 32, this year’s winner of the Fat Bear Contest in Katmai National Park. Chunk easily defeated bear 856 in the final round of voting after finishing as the runner-up in each of the last two years. (Alaska Public Media)
A multi-vehicle collision in Azusa, Calif., on Tuesday sent beer cans and kegs spilling across the 210 Freeway. Officials said up to 5,000 cans were scattered across the road. No one was seriously injured. (New York Times)
Quote of the Day
“You’re gonna be wearing a dress.”
— Former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter (D), a candidate for California governor, when fellow contender Antonio Villaraigosa (D) said he would be dressing as “the next governor” for Halloween. (Los Angeles Times)