Pluribus AM: N.Y. gun law blocked; N.J. deals with a glut of plastic bags; new polls in AZ, NV, IA, RI

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Good morning, it’s Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. In today’s edition, a judge blocks N.Y.’s new concealed carry restrictions; N.J. lawmakers deal with annoying shopping bags; and new polls in Ariz., Nev., Iowa and R.I.:

Top News

NEW YORK: A federal judge has blocked parts of a law restricting concealed carry permits. The judge blocked requirements that applicants demonstrate “good moral character” and submit three years of social media account information. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and Attorney General Letitia James both signaled they would appeal. (State of Politics)

WASHINGTON: A King County Superior Court judge found Meta, Facebook’s parent company, intentionally violated state campaign finance law 822 times in recent years. The law requires ad sellers to disclose the names and addresses of those who purchase political ads. Each violation is subject to a fine of $10,000 — an amount that can be tripled because the judge found Meta intentionally violated the law. (Seattle Times)

CALIFORNIA: About 23 million state residents will begin receiving one-time payments ostensibly meant to help pay for rising costs because of inflation. Couples who file jointly are eligible for payments of up to $1,050, while individuals are eligible to receive up to $700. The rebates will cost California $9.5 billion. (Los Angeles Times)

FLORIDA: Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) administration is seeking to block the release of documents relating to this year’s redistricting fight to a group of plaintiffs challenging new map lines. The administration asked a Leon County judge to shield documents it says are protected by legislative and executive privilege, including communications with congressional leadership and the Republican National Committee. (Tampa Bay Times)

NEW JERSEY: The Senate Environment Committee has advanced a measure that would allow shoppers to pick up groceries in paper bags, five months after the state banned single-use plastic bags. Online shoppers have complained about the piles of reusable bags they get with their orders. Stores would have to accept returns of excess reusable bags under the new measure. (NJ Advance Media)

MICHIGAN: The state’s new independent redistricting commission is running into money trouble as it fights two lawsuits challenging new district lines. The legislature has not acted on the commission’s proposed $3.2 million draft budget for 2023. A lawyer for the commission said it could sue the legislature to fund its budget if necessary. (MLive)

LOUISIANA: State Treasurer John Schroder (R) will pull $794 million in state funds out of BlackRock over environmental, social and governance investment strategies the firm uses, he said this week. Schroder said the ESG goals will hurt Louisiana’s fossil fuel industry. (Baton Rouge Advocate) Schroder is expected to run for governor next year.

MISSOURI: Gov. Mike Parson (R) said he would push for new pay raises for state employees as agencies struggle to fill vacant jobs. About 15% of the more than 50,000 positions in state government were unfilled as of July. Parson signed a budget bill this year that raised wages 7.5%, including setting a $15 minimum wage. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

OREGON: Intel, the state’s largest microchip manufacturer, is warning lawmakers that Oregon is at risk of losing major manufacturers as other states dangle massive incentive packages to lure companies. Intel claims it is responsible for 4% of the jobs in Oregon. Over the summer, Intel signed a deal to build a $100 billion campus in Ohio. (KOIN) We’ve said it a thousand times: Mega-incentive deals rarely pay off for states.

MARIJUANA: Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) said Thursday he would issue a “one-time, large-scale” pardon for those convicted on non-violent marijuana charges after President Biden’s announcement that he would expunge federal simple possession charges. (Twitter) Democratic candidates for governor in Massachusetts and Texas said they would do so if elected. (Newsweek) New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu’s (R) office said it was reviewing the White House’s actions. (WMUR)

In Politics

ARIZONA: Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D) leads former TV broadcaster Kari Lake (R) 49%-46% in a new CNN/SSRS poll released Thursday. Both candidates are seen favorably by 42% of the electorate, but more see Lake unfavorably (45%) than see Hobbs that way (36%). In the race for Secretary of State, state Rep. Mark Finchem (R) leads former Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes (D) 49%-45%. 

NEVADA: Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo (R) leads Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) 48%-46% among likely voters, according to a new CNN/SSRS poll. Sisolak hasn’t led a public poll since mid-August. In the race for Secretary of State, former Assemblyman Jim Marchant (R) leads attorney Cisco Aguilar (D) 46%-43%.

IOWA: Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) leads marketing consultant Dieter DeJear (D) 53%-36%, according to a new Emerson poll out this morning. Reynolds sports a 55% favorable rating, while 43% see her unfavorably. 

RHODE ISLAND: Gov. Dan McKee (D) leads businesswoman Ashley Kalus (R) 45%-32% in a new Roger Williams University poll, with three independent candidates picking up a few points each. McKee’s favorable rating stands at 45%, and 36% see him unfavorably. (WPRI) Flashback to that year when then-Lt. Gov. McKee couldn’t get a meeting with then-Gov. Gina Raimondo.

COLORADO: Gov. Jared Polis (D) has given another $2 million to his own campaign, bringing the total amount he’s spent on his own re-election to $11.1 million this cycle. Steve Wells, a Weld County rancher and oil man, has put $11 million of his own money into a PAC opposing Polis. (Colorado Sun)

OREGON: After dropping $3.75 million on former state Sen. Betsy Johnson, a Democrat-turned-independent candidate for governor, Nike co-founder Phil Knight has contributed $1 million to state House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, the Republican nominee. (Willamette Week) Knight, long the biggest Republican donor in Oregon, has also dropped millions on GOP candidates running for the state legislature. 

By The Numbers

173,800: The number of Californians who were homeless in a point-in-time count that took place earlier this year, an increase of 22,500 since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. The number of people staying in emergency and long-term shelters is up 33% since 2019, to 57,200, but that leaves about 116,600 people unsheltered, living in tents or cars. (CalMatters, Associated Press)

24.8%: The share of Wyoming state employees who left their jobs in Fiscal Year 2022, almost double the turnover rate from a decade ago. State employees are paid 19.4% below market value, according to state data. (WyoFile)

Off The Wall

Miami-Dade County Commissioners have voted unanimously to rename a section of Eureka Drive in the Miami suburbs after Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. The stretch of road is near Jackson’s high school, and close to the home where her parents still live. (Miami Herald)

Former Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D) will open a new taproom in downtown Helena with his brother. “People are happy in bars,” Bullock said. (Missoulian) We think this move is called the Reverse Hickenlooper.

Quote of the Day

“There’s not a very good track record of governors appointing themselves.”

— Ex-Rep. Hal Daub (R), on whether Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) might appoint himself to a seat being vacated by Sen. Ben Sasse (R). (Omaha World Herald)