Good morning, it’s Friday, January 16, 2026. In today’s edition, lawmakers embrace YIMBY plans; courts rule against feds in election, SNAP cases; new polls in Texas, Kansas:
Top Stories
HOUSING: Lawmakers in dozens of states are likely to consider measures overriding local zoning laws this year, in bids to allow more and denser homebuilding. Governors enacted pro-housing laws in at least nine states. The growing interest in scrapping homebuilding restrictions comes as lawmakers seek to lower stubbornly high housing costs. (Pluribus News)
ELECTIONS: U.S. district court judges ruled Oregon and California do not have to hand over the personally identifiable data of more than three million voters to federal authorities. The Justice Department had demanded that states hand over full names, dates of birth, addresses and driver’s license numbers of registered voters. (Oregon Capital Chronicle, Los Angeles Times)
PUBLIC AID: A federal judge in Minnesota has blocked a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration’s bid to end funding for SNAP benefits. The ruling also reverses an earlier move by the Department of Agriculture to cut off administrative funds to operate the program. (MPR News)
ENERGY: Virginia Democrats have introduced a number of new proposed restrictions on data center construction. One bill would require the State Corporation Commission to review high-power demand facilities and their impacts on the electric grid. Another would order the SCC to deny requests to charge utility ratepayers for infrastructure serving data centers. A third would condition tax breaks on energy efficiency and clean energy purchase requirements. (Virginia Public Media)
IMMIGRATION: Tennessee Republican lawmakers have introduced a nine-bill package addressing immigration. The bills require status verification for public K-12 school students and licensed professionals. One would require the Department of Health to report non-citizens receiving public benefits. Another would allow a private right of action to sue companies if undocumented drivers injure citizens. (State Affairs)
MORE: Kansas Rep. Pat Proctor (R) has introduced legislation to require citizenship status to be listed on driver’s licenses. Proctor said the measure will help election workers identify whether voters are actually eligible to cast a ballot. (KSNT)
STADIUMS: Indiana senators have introduced legislation to create a stadium authority with the power to acquire and finance the construction of facilities. The authority is part of a bid to win over the Chicago Bears, who are looking for a new home and have voiced interest in moving across the border into Indiana. (Indianapolis Star)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) is launching an investigation into Grok, X’s AI chatbot, after reports it is generating nude images of people online. California approved laws in 2024 prohibiting the creation and distribution of computer-generated nude images, requiring platforms to block and remove reported material. (Sacramento Bee)
ANIMAL RIGHTS: Washington lawmakers will consider a bill banning the sale, possession, transport or distribution of farmed octopus. The measure builds on a 2024 law banning octopus farming in Washington, though there are no large-scale octopus farms anywhere. Lawmakers voting in favor of the bill in committee cited the animal’s intelligence. (Washington State Standard)
In Politics & Business
For the latest on the redistricting wars, check out our analysis — and why, after all the noise and chaos, the fight over mid-decade remaps looks likely to come out as a wash.
TEXAS: A new Emerson College poll shows Gov. Greg Abbott (R) leading state Rep. Gina Hinojosa (D) 50% to 42%. Abbott’s approval rating stands at 47%, while an equal share disapprove of his job performance. Among voters, 28% say the economy is the most important issue, while 17% cited threats to democracy and 14% pointed to immigration. (Emerson)
The GOP Senate primary is tight as a tick: Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R) are tied, 27%-26%, with U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt (R) clocking in at 16%. Candidates must hit 50% in the primary to avoid a runoff.
KANSAS: A Public Policy Polling survey of state Democrats finds Sen. Cindy Holscher (D) leading Sen. Ethan Corson (D) in the gubernatorial primary 33% to 9%. Gov. Laura Kelly (D) backs Corson. The vast majority of state Democrats are undecided. (Kansas Reflector)
CONNECTICUT: Former New York Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey (R) will run for governor, she told the Stamford Republican Town Committee on Wednesday. McCaughey, a former Democrat-turned-Newsmax host, served under then-New York Gov. George Pataki (R) in the 1990s. (CT Mirror)
NEW YORK: Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has raised nearly $12 million for her re-election campaign and the state Democratic Party through the end of 2025. She ended the year with $20 million in the bank, and the state party has another $12 million. (State of Politics)
By The Numbers
$1.53 billion: The projected surplus Wisconsin is expected to see in its general fund balance at the end of the 2025-2027 biennium, according to new projections from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Most of the unexpected surplus comes from an increase in estimated tax collections. (Wisconsin Examiner)
20%: The drop in visits to Vail Resorts’ U.S. properties this year as low snowpacks in Western states keep visitors away. The company’s chief executive said in a statement to investors on Thursday that early season snowfalls have been the worst in 30 years. (Colorado Public Radio)
Off The Wall
Rhode Island lawmakers angry that toy manufacturer Hasbro is moving to Boston have introduced legislation to stop issuing Mr. Potato Head license plates. Rhode Island started issuing the plates in 2002 to commemorate the toy’s 50th anniversary. The plates have raised more than $50,000 for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank since being issued. (Providence Journal)
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) has raised the Seattle Seahawks’ “12” flag above the state capitol campus ahead of this weekend’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. Ferguson said he reached out to California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to make a bet on the game, but he hasn’t heard back. (Spokane Spokesman-Review)
Retired CBS Philadelphia news anchor Jim Donovan has amassed the world’s largest collection of socks. Guinness World Records confirmed Donovan’s collection includes 1,531 unique pairs of socks, including several sent by fans that bear his own face. (UPI)
Quote of the Day
“It’s been described as almost James Bond-like. Unfortunately, it’s not that interesting.”
— New Hampshire Rep. Michael Belcher (R), on his proposed Officer of Intelligence and Counterintelligence. The office would be tasked with overseeing threats posed by foreign actors like China. (WMUR)