Good morning, it’s Wednesday, July 30, 2025. In today’s edition, lawmakers aim to limit utility profits; GOP AGs ask Congress to void abortion shield laws; poll shows Dem leading New Jersey Gov race:
Top Stories
ENERGY: Lawmakers in six states introduced bills this year to limit the return on equity utility companies can receive. Analysts say returns on equity — the profit a utility makes — can account for up to 20% of consumers’ monthly bills. Electricity prices are up 5.9% over the past year, more than double the rate of inflation.
Bills in New York and Rhode Island would cap returns on equity at 4%. Lawmakers in Connecticut, Florida and New Jersey have proposed adding language to guide regulators, rather than setting a firm cap. Utilities typically have to obtain approval from state regulators to raise rates. (Pluribus News)
Did you miss our webinar with NCSL chief executive Tim Storey previewing this year’s Legislative Summit? Watch the replay right here.
ABORTION: Sixteen Republican attorneys general have written to Congress asking members to ban abortion “shield laws” that prevent anti-abortion states from suing residents of other states who prescribe abortion-inducing drugs. The attorneys general said federal preemption was necessary to void those laws. (Arkansas Democrat Gazette)
MORE: Twenty three Democratic-led states have sued to block the Trump administration from cutting funding to Planned Parenthood. The states argued that the cuts would force them to incur added costs. (Hartford Courant)
IMMIGRATION: North Carolina lawmakers overrode Gov. Josh Stein’s (D) veto of legislation requiring local law enforcement to notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement when a prisoner subject to an immigration detainer is to be released. The legislature also overrode a veto of a bill defining two sexes under state law. (State Affairs)
GIG ECONOMY: Wisconsin lawmakers have approved legislation designating app-based rideshare and delivery drivers as independent contractors. Current state law considers those workers to be employees. The bill now heads to Gov. Tony Evers (D) for a signature or veto. (Wisconsin Examiner)
CRIMINAL JUSTICE: Alabama Rep. Matt Simpson (R) and Sen. April Weaver (R) intend to reintroduce legislation to permit prosecutors to seek capital punishment in cases involving sex crimes against minors. The bill passed the House this year but stalled in the Senate. (Yellowhammer News)
REDISTRICTING: California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) said he sees a legal pathway to presenting new congressional district lines to voters on the statewide ballot without input from the redistricting commission. Bonta said his staff had discussed the option with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) team as California prepares to counter a Texas effort to draw new lines. (Los Angeles Times)
In Politics & Business
NEW JERSEY: A new Fairleigh Dickinson University poll shows U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D) leading former Assemb. Jack Ciattarelli (R) 45% to 37% in the race to replace term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy (D). Sherrill leads among independent voters by a 30%-23% margin. (Fairleigh Dickinson)
GEORGIA: U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) won’t run for governor, she said Tuesday. Attorney General Chris Carr (R) and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R) are already in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp (R). (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
TEXAS: House Democrats are beginning to fundraise to cover the potential costs of a quorum break meant to block GOP efforts to redraw U.S. House districts. Lawmakers who flee the state would face $500 daily fines; U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D) said she would help cover costs out of her $3.7 million campaign account. (Texas Tribune)
2028: Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) will headline the Salute to Liberty, the largest gathering of South Carolina Republicans of the year. Sanders is set to headline the event Aug. 18 in Anderson. Sanders headlined a summit for conservative Christians in Iowa earlier this month. (Associated Press)
By The Numbers
60,345: The number of electric vehicles registered in Arkansas in 2025. The number of electric vehicles increased 24.3% from a year ago. (Talk Business & Politics)
4,192: The elevation, above sea level, of Utah’s Great Salt Lake. That’s six feet below the level needed to reach a healthy elevation for air quality, migrating birds and recreation. (Salt Lake Tribune)
Off The Wall
Hawaii and parts of California are under tsunami warnings or advisories this morning after a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the Kamchatka Peninsula. No major damage has been reported so far. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) has activated Black Hawk helicopters to perform any necessary rescues. (Associated Press)
A semi truck loaded with cherries overturned on a Washington State road on Monday, spilling fruit all over a Douglas County road. Officials took a few hours to clear the sticky mess off the road. (UPI)
That’s the pits. We’ll show ourselves out.
Quote of the Day
“I thought about it a lot, and didn’t make up my mind until, I’d say, the day before I made the announcement.”
— Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D), on his decision to retire after two terms in office. (State Affairs)