Good morning, it’s Thursday, August 14, 2025. In today’s edition, lawmakers bolster embattled restaurant industry; Florida bans kratom; Bush cousin enters Maine governor’s race:
Top Stories
ECONOMY: State lawmakers are advancing bills to support the restaurant industry as it transitions to a new post-pandemic normal. Three California bills would streamline restaurant approval processes, ease outdoor dining and liquor service regulations and repeal a kitchen enclosure requirement. Vermont and Nevada approved to-go cocktail laws this year, and South Carolina approved a bill reducing insurance costs for liquor liability.
The next fronts restaurants are targeting: Credit card swipe fees and reservation piracy. Illinois became the first state to ban interchange fees on sales taxes, and New York became the first state to ban bots from grabbing and reselling reservations without a restaurant’s permission. (Pluribus News)
MORE: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) has signed bipartisan legislation creating a $500 million tax credit program for manufacturing businesses. The program will award tax credits to eligible businesses in advanced manufacturing, nonretail food and beverage, defense, clean energy and life sciences. (New Jersey Monitor)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: The Michigan Senate unanimously approved legislation to ban the nonconsensual creation or dissemination of AI-generated sexual images. Both bills now head to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), after winning nearly unanimous support in the House this spring. (State Affairs)
TAXES: Blue states are targeting the wealthy in new pushes to raise taxes. Lawmakers in Washington, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Connecticut and Maryland have all advanced or adopted new taxes on the ultra-wealthy, after Massachusetts enacted a 4% surtax on annual incomes of more than $1 million. (Wall Street Journal)
PUBLIC SAFETY: New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) has declared a state of emergency in response to violent crime and drug trafficking in northern counties. The declaration makes those counties eligible for state grants to fight crime and illicit drugs. (Associated Press)
PUBLIC HEALTH: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) has issued an emergency rule banning 7-OH, the concentrated byproduct of kratom. Doctors warn the compound is as addictive as opioids. FDA Commissioner Mark Makary, appearing with Uthmeier for the announcement, said kratom may represent the fourth wave of the opioid epidemic. (WUSF)
MORE: Two Ohio Republicans have introduced legislation to legalize the sale of unpasteurized milk. The bill would require liability waivers for raw milk sales and monthly testing for food-borne bacteria and disease. (Ohio Capital Journal)
BUDGETS: The Pennsylvania House voted down a Senate-approved budget Wednesday as the state’ six-week budget impasse continues. The Senate budget had slashed $3 billion from the House’s version. The House also voted down a transportation funding bill that could threaten SEPTA services in Philadelphia. (State Affairs)
In Politics & Business
MAINE: Former President George W. Bush and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) held a fundraiser Monday for Jonathan Bush, a cousin who is considering a run for governor in 2026. Jonathan Bush would be the latest entrant in a large field of Republicans vying to succeed term-limited Gov. Janet Mills (D). (Bangor Daily News)
CONNECTICUT: State Sen. Ryan Fazio (R) has formally launched a run for governor in 2026. Fazio will face Westport First Selectman Jennifer Tooker (R) and New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart (R) in the GOP primary. Gov. Ned Lamont (D) has not formally announced a bid for a third term yet. (Hartford Courant)
CALIFORNIA: The state auditor’s office says California could save up to $225 million per year and reduce its office space if it allows state employees to work remotely for three days a week. The audit recommends lawmakers require departments to identify positions that could telework most of the time. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) office said it “respectfully disagrees” with the audit’s conclusions. (Associated Press)
REDISTRICTING: Great resource here: Our friends at The Downballot are keeping a live blog of all the latest redistricting news in states across the country. Bookmark it now!
CRIME BLOTTER: A New Mexico man was convicted of a series of drive-by shootings at the homes of state and local lawmakers in Albuquerque in the aftermath of the 2020 elections. The man, a former political candidate, was sentenced to 80 years in federal prison. (Associated Press)
By The Numbers
54%: The share of Americans who reported drinking alcohol this year, down 8 percentage points from 2023. It’s the lowest share of Americans who reported having a tipple in the 90 years since Gallup began asking about drinking habits. Men are twice as likely as women to prefer beer, while women are three times as likely to prefer wine. (Pluribus News)
$283.9 billion: The estimated value of New York’s Common Retirement Fund, up 5.46% over the last quarter. (State of Politics)
Off The Wall
Last week, we told you about the closure of eight Wyoming newspapers, some of which had been publishing for more than a century. Today, happy news: Newspaper executives Robb and Jen Hicks and Rob Mortimore said they will purchase the eight local papers and keep them operating. The sale agreement calls for rehiring all staff and immediately resuming publication. (WyoFile)
A sheep escaped a slaughterhouse and ran rampant through the streets of Chicago’s West Loop this week before being corralled by the city’s Animal Care and Control. Rescuers took the animal to a chicken rescue facility on the South Side; they’re now looking for a permanent home to allow the sheep to live out its life in peace. (UPI)
Quote of the Day
“I’m a big believer in saying yes. The world just opened up to me after that.”
— Wisconsin Assemb. Karen DeSanto (D), on her decision to audition for clown college when she was 27. She once performed for the king of Morocco’s granddaughter. (Wausau Pilot and Review)