Good morning, it’s Monday, November 17, 2025. In today’s edition, states spend billions on water infrastructure; Indiana redistricting push dead; new polls in Michigan, Arizona:
Top Stories
INFRASTRUCTURE: Voters and state lawmakers are approving billions in funding to replace aging and failing water infrastructure systems. Texas voters approved $1 billion a year in sales taxes to pay for water infrastructure. California spent $2 billion last year on similar projects. New York has spent $6 billion on clean water infrastructure since 2017. Nationally, experts believe states face $1 trillion in unfunded water projects.
Governors in Arkansas, Minnesota, Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, West Virginia and Wisconsin all approved legislation this year to funnel money to water infrastructure. The American Society of Civil Engineers, in an annual report on the nation’s infrastructure, said the federal government is the only body capable of spending enough to address the systemic shortfall. (Pluribus News)
REDISTRICTING: Indiana Senate President Rodric Bray (R) says his caucus doesn’t have the votes to move a redistricting plan forward, effectively ending the push to draw new mid-decade maps. Bray said the Senate would not convene next month to advance a redistricting plan pushed by President Trump and his advisors. (State Affairs)
Maryland’s new redistricting commission held a public hearing Friday on a plan to redraw its political maps. The vast majority of residents who testified were against the idea. (Maryland Matters)
ABORTION: South Carolina lawmakers are considering a complete ban on abortion, with exceptions only to save the life of the mother. The bill would criminalize contraceptives, restrict IVF and ban doctors from discussing abortion options with patients. Lawmakers will hold a second hearing on the proposal tomorrow. (Los Angeles Times)
PUBLIC SAFETY: The Nevada Assembly has approved crime legislation backed by Gov. Joe Lombardo (R). The bill increases penalties for those convicted of a DUI if they cause a death and reopens a court dedicated to those arrested on the Las Vegas Strip. (8 News Now)
CONSUMER PROTECTION: The Michigan Senate Health Policy Committee has advanced bipartisan legislation to keep medical debt off consumer reports. The bills would require hospitals to create and implement financial assistance programs to determine eligibility for patients who are uninsured and have annual incomes under 350% of the federal poverty line. (MLive)
NATIONAL GUARD: Texas National Guard troops are expected to leave Illinois in the midst of legal challenges. California National Guard troops are headed home from Oregon after six weeks. A federal judge issued a permanent injunction barring the Trump administration from deploying troops to an ICE facility where protests have taken place. (Texas Tribune, Oregonian)
IMMIGRATION: Maryland Del. Nicole Williams (D) plans to reintroduce legislation barring law enforcement agencies from cooperating with ICE. The bill targets 287(g) agreements between local agencies and the federal government. Senate President Bill Ferguson (D) says he backs the bill, which failed last session. (Maryland Matters)
In Politics & Business
MICHIGAN: An EPIC-MRA poll finds U.S. Rep. John James (R) and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) statistically tied in the race for governor, 34% to 33%, with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan (I) at 20%. The poll shows Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) with a 51% approval rating. (EPIC-MRA)
ARIZONA: An Emerson College poll shows U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs (R) leading the Republican field for governor with 50% of the vote, followed by businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson (R) with 17% and U.S. Rep. Dave Schweikert (R) with 8%. The same poll shows Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) statistically tied with Biggs, 44%-43%, and Robson, 43%-42%, and leading Schweikert 44%-39%. (Emerson)
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Former Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington (D) is exploring a run against Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) in 2026. Warmington took 42% in the 2024 Democratic primary, behind Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig (D). Ayotte beat Craig by a 54%-44% margin. (New Hampshire Union Leader)
CONNECTICUT: Gov. Ned Lamont (D) formally announced his plans to run for a third term in office. Lamont, 71, will face a primary challenge from progressive state Rep. Josh Elliott (D). (Associated Press)
PEOPLE: Tennessee Rep. Jeff Burkhart (R) has died at 63. Burkhart was serving his second term in office after winning election in 2022. (State Affairs) Our condolences to the Tennessee political family.
By The Numbers
$1.4 billion: The projected shortfall Maryland faces next year, according to the state budget agency, largely over fallout from the federal reconciliation bill and lower-than-expected revenue. (Washington Post)
Idaho’s projected budget deficit has increased to $58.3 million. (Idaho Press)
85%: The share of Mississippi third graders who passed reading assessment tests in the last school year, a full percentage point higher than the year before. State education officials celebrated the milestone as evidence that new reading policies are working. (Magnolia Tribune)
Off The Wall
The village of Islandia on Long Island is requiring residents to submit complaints in person at government offices after officials were inundated by complaints via email and through its online portal. The mayor said his staffers were buried by complaints from anonymous users who spammed the online system. (Associated Press)
Luna and Charlie are the most popular pet names in America, according to a survey by the dog boarding company Rover. The top trending names for dogs are Caesar, Mufasa, Oswald, Elphie, Tsuki and Rumi, the company said. (UPI)
Quote of the Day
“I think it was my college buddies. I definitely got some texts. They said something like, ‘A movie about a washed-up revolutionary named Bob Ferguson, the jokes write themselves.’”
— Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson (D), after watching “One Battle After Another,” in which the main character, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, is named Bob Ferguson. (Seattle Times)