Good morning, it’s Tuesday, June 30, 2026. In today’s edition, millions drop out of healthcare exchanges; marijuana tax receipts fall over time; new polls in Texas, Maine, Pennsylvania:
Top Stories
HEALTHCARE: Nearly 3 million people have dropped health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act this year, after the expiration of federal tax subsidies at the end of 2025. The first federal tally that includes effectuated enrollment for the first month of 2026 shows total participants down from a high of 22.1 million last year to 19.2 million this year. Open enrollment dropped by about a million participants last year. (Pluribus News)
MORE: A coalition of 24 Democratic attorneys general and two governors sued the Trump administration Monday seeking to block a federal rule limiting exemptions to federal Medicaid work requirements. Rules governing work requirements, in place under the Republican reconciliation bill last year, would narrow exclusions for medically vulnerable people, the attorneys general alleged. (Pluribus News)
EVEN MORE: Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) has signed legislation prohibiting health insurers from imposing cost sharing requirements on preventative screening services. The law is meant to remove financial barriers from cancer screenings. (State Affairs)
MARIJUANA: A new study of states where recreational marijuana has been legal for years finds tax revenues plateau after initial growth, as supply of cannabis products eventually exceeds demand. That drives down prices, and therefore tax collections. Colorado’s marijuana sales and excise tax revenues have collapsed since 2021, and revenues have dropped off substantially in Washington, California, Michigan and Oregon. (Pluribus News)
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) has signed the state budget, which includes her deal with lawmakers to allow recreational marijuana sales beginning July 1, 2027. (Associated Press) Read our story from two weeks ago on the deal, which will allow up to 350 pot shops to operate in the Commonwealth.
REDISTRICTING: The Colorado Supreme Court rejected several proposed ballot measures that would ask voters to redraw the state’s congressional district map lines in 2028. The measures would have given Democrats an advantage in seven of the state’s eight districts. Justices said the measures violated single-subject requirements. (Denver Post)
HOUSING: California voters will decide on a $11.25 billion affordable housing bond in November, after lawmakers approved legislation last week. More than half the bond fund would go to a multifamily housing program, with the rest split among programs for veterans, preservation of existing affordable housing and funds for farmworkers, foster youth, students and tribes. (State Affairs)
BUDGETS: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Monday signed a nearly $352 billion spending plan delaying cuts to healthcare programs, increasing funding for childcare and spending on speeding up vote counts ahead of the midterm elections. The budget adds more money to the state’s rainy day fund. It hikes taxes on software products and limits tax breaks for large corporations. (Associated Press)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a $117.6 billion budget. DeSantis vetoed $810 million in spending, including local projects and programs and a state prison project. (State Affairs)
In Politics & Business
Voters hit the polls today in Colorado, where the marquee matchup pits U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet (D) against Attorney General Phil Weiser (D) in the Democratic primary for governor.
TEXAS: Gov. Greg Abbott (R) leads state Rep. Gina Hinojosa (D) 51% to 44% among likely voters, according to a new New York Times/Siena College poll. The poll shows Abbott leading among men by 26 points, while Hinojosa leads among women by 10 points. The same survey shows state Rep. James Talarico (D) and Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) tied at 47% apiece in the race for U.S. Senate. (New York Times)
MAINE: A New York Times/Siena College poll finds former House Speaker Hannah Pingree (D) leading former State Department official Bobby Charles (R) 50% to 36% in the race for governor. Former state Senate President Rick Bennett, running as an independent, takes 8% of the vote. (New York Times)
PENNSYLVANIA: A new survey by the BravoGroup for the Harrisburg Patriot-News finds Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) easily leading state Treasurer Stacy Garrity (R) 54% to 29%. A poll by the same firm in May found Shapiro up 53% to 29%. (BravoGroup)
ALABAMA: A Montgomery County judge heard arguments Monday over residency challenges to U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R) campaign for governor. The judge said she would rule as soon as possible, but the final decision would be made by the state Supreme Court when either side eventually appeals. (AL.com)
By The Numbers
2.6%: The raise Rhode Island lawmakers will receive next month, to $20,922 a year. The House speaker and Senate president will earn salaries of $41,844 per year as of July 1. (Providence Journal)
1,966: The number of bills introduced in Arizona’s legislative session this year. Gov. Hobbs signed 248 bills into law and vetoed another 151. Rep. Selina Bliss (R) was the most productive lawmaker of the season, winning passage on 15 of her bills. (State Affairs)
Off The Wall
More than 10,000 Vespas toured around the Colosseum and the Roman Forum this weekend in honor of the 80th anniversary of the iconic scooter. The scooter’s manufacturer opened a special gift shop for the event, which sold jackets, hats, blankets, water bottles and umbrellas. (Associated Press)
A study from the University of Hawaii found stress on the San Andreas Fault system has reached a 1,000-year high. Researchers said the stress puts the fault system, which runs through California, at risk of a “multi-fault” rupture that could cause earthquakes up and down the state. (Honolulu Star Advertiser)
Quote of the Day
“It makes me wonder, did he and the co-authors even do anything at all?”
— Connecticut Sen. Jeff Gordon (R), after former Connecticut State Colleges and University System Chancellor Terrence Cheng admitted using AI to help write a 2,000-page report detailing ideas to strengthen higher education. (WTNH)