Good morning, it’s Monday, October 30, 2023. In today’s edition, Biden rolls out AI rules; Nebraska considers future of nuclear; high voter turnout in Ohio abortion fight:
Top Stories
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: President Biden will sign an executive order guiding the development of AI technology, requiring businesses to develop safety and security standards and introducing consumer protections. The order will rely on the Defense Production Act requiring developers to share safety test results and other information with government. (Associated Press)
ABORTION: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) has proposed adding exceptions to the state’s six-week abortion ban as voters cast ballots on Issue 1, the proposed constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights. In an interview, DeWine floated exceptions for rape and incest if voters reject the amendment. (Statehouse News Bureau)
IMMIGRATION: Massachusetts will partner with the federal Department of Homeland Security to help migrants apply for work authorization documents in an effort to ease the strain on shelters. Massachusetts is sheltering 7,268 families, and Gov. Maura Healey (D) says they can only accommodate 7,500 families. (Boston Globe) New York officials have spent more than $316 million related to the migrant crisis since April, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s (D) office said. (State of Politics)
GUN POLITICS: The Massachusetts Senate won’t debut a new package of gun safety bills until the new year, Senate President Karen Spilka’s (D) office says. The House passed its version on Oct. 18. The delay would give the legislature up to six months to reconcile differences between their approaches. (MassLive) New York will make $5 million available to community organizations seeking to curb gun violence among youth. (State of Politics)
AGRICULTURE: Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin (R) wants to expand a state law prohibiting certain foreign governments and entities from owning farmland in the state. Griffin and Gov. Sarah Sanders (R) ordered a Chinese company to sell 160 acres of agricultural land two weeks ago. Griffin said future legislation would apply to foreign-owned crypto mines, too. (Talk Business & Politics)
ENERGY: Nebraska lawmakers heard testimony Friday over the future of small modular nuclear reactors, which could begin to operate within 10 to 15 years. State Sen. Tom Brewer is leading legislation to explore the feasibility of small modular reactors in the future. (Nebraska Examiner)
ELECTIONS: A challenge seeking to boot former President Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot will begin in Denver Monday, where a judge will hear arguments that Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 insurrection disqualifies him from seeking office. Similar cases are ongoing in Minnesota and Michigan. (Denver Post) A Michigan judge rejected Trump’s request to dismiss a lawsuit challenging his ballot access. (Michigan Advance)
In Politics & Business
OHIO: More than 200,000 Ohio voters had voted early in person as of Oct. 24, up from the 192,000 who had voted early ahead of the August special election. About 110,000 people have voted early by absentee, up from 93,000 in August. Both are signs of higher turnout in elections over abortion rights and marijuana legalization. (Columbus Dispatch)
MISSOURI: An abortion rights group seeking to place initiatives on the 2024 ballot is suing Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R) over his office’s description of their measures. The group, which has filed bills to allow abortions in cases of rape, incest, health of the mother and fatal fetal abnormalities, says Ashcroft’s descriptions of the measures are “antagonistic and blatantly incorrect.” (KCUR)
WEST VIRGINIA: Huntington Mayor Steve Williams (D) has filed papers to run for governor, a month after announcing he would run for the state’s top job. He’s the only Democrat in the race; Secretary of State Mac Warner (R), Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R), Delegate Moore Capito (R) and auto dealer Chris Miller (R) are all seeking the GOP nomination. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
MICHIGAN: The chief fundraising committee supporting House Democrats in Michigan had $2.6 million on hand as of Oct. 20, while the top fundraising arm for House Republicans had $3.2 million in the bank. The combined haul is 57% higher than the two committees had on hand at this point ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. (Detroit News)
HAWAII: Ken Inouye, the son of the late U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye (D-Hawaii), will run for a state House seat on Oahu. The younger Inouye will challenge state Rep. Trish La Chica (D) in next year’s Democratic primary. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)
By The Numbers
85%: The share of Mississippi legislative candidates who face no major party opposition in this year’s elections. By contrast, just 28% of Virginia legislative districts are without bipartisan competition. (Associated Press)
44%: The share of Californians claiming paid family leave who are men. In 2005, just after California’s paid family leave program debuted, only 17% of claims came from men. (California Healthline)
50: The number of ice fields in seven Western states that have shrunk so much they no longer count as glaciers, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey. There are 562 glaciers — defined as 25 acres or more — across California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Off The Wall
A Hong Kong court has dismissed gun charges against Washington Sen. Jeff Wilson (R), who was arrested Oct. 21 when he turned himself in for carrying a firearm on a flight. A judge said he was inclined to believe Wilson made an honest mistake. (Associated Press)
Decorate your Christmas tree with the Michigan Capitol building. The 3D replica of the capitol dome goes on sale on Nov. 1 at just $25. The inside of the ornament reflects the art on the dome’s interior. (MLive)
Maryland’s Supreme Court has admitted Edward Garrison Draper to the state bar — 166 years after he applied. Draper was denied admission to the bar in 1857; a Baltimore judge said he met all the qualifications for admission, except he was Black. Maryland did not allow Black people to become lawyers until 1885. (Baltimore Sun)
Quote of the Day
“The question is going to be: Is this a fad? Which I don’t think it is.”
— Craig Maher, director of the School of Public Administration at the University of Nebraska Omaha, on whether artificial intelligence can be useful to government analysis of finances and revenue forecasts. (Pluribus News)