Good morning, it’s Tuesday, April 1, 2025. Nothing in this newsletter is a prank or a joke, we swear. In today’s edition, states crack down on ‘robo bosses’; Illinois first in the nation to require halal, kosher meals; big elections in Wisconsin, Florida today:
Top Stories
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Legislators in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont and Washington have introduced bills governing the use of AI in the workforce amid the rise of “robo bosses.” Labor groups are pushing Democrats to back bills requiring disclosure and appeal rights for employees when AI makes decisions about their status. (Pluribus News)
TRANS RIGHTS: The Georgia House gave final approval to legislation banning transgender student-athletes from playing on K-12 and college sports teams that match their gender identity. The bill now heads to Gov. Brian Kemp (R) for a likely signature. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
EDUCATION: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) has signed legislation requiring public schools and state-operated facilities to offer halal and kosher food options. That makes Illinois the first state in the country to offer meals specifically for observant Jews and Muslims. (Chicago Tribune)
MORE: The Texas House Public Education Committee has rolled out a school voucher bill that would cap spending at $1 billion during the first two years and increase the amount of money a public school would receive per student by $395. Budget analyses show the voucher program approved by the Senate could reach $5 billion by 2030. (Texas Tribune)
PUBLIC HEALTH: The Idaho legislature has approved a bill banning the use of food assistance for purchasing candy and soda. The bill would require the Department of Health and Welfare to seek federal approval to change foods eligible under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. (Idaho Capital Sun)
MORE: The Florida House is considering a farm bill that would preempt local water districts from adding fluoride to water supplies. The bill would also ban psychedelic mushrooms and bar plant-based products from using names that suggest they are milk or meat alternatives. (Florida Politics)
JOURNALISM: The Florida House Civil Justice and Claims Subcommittee has unanimously backed legislation requiring news outlets to remove false, defamatory or outdated reports from websites. Those that fail to do so would lose media privileges in court for the purposes of defamation or libel lawsuits. (Florida Politics)
GUN POLITICS: The South Carolina House Judiciary Committee will take up legislation today to bar credit card companies from using special codes to track the sale of firearms and ammunition. Similar bills have popped up in other red states after the International Organization for Standardization approved merchant category codes for gun stores in 2022. (SC Daily Gazette)
We bet the International Organization for Standardization throws some wild parties.
MORE: The Tennessee House Criminal Justice Subcommittee has advanced legislation criminalizing knowingly giving firearms to someone who recently received inpatient mental health treatment. The measure was introduced by Rep. Shaundelle Brooks (D), whose son was murdered in a Nashville restaurant by a man who had been ordered to turn over his firearms to Illinois state police. (Tennessee Lookout)
In Politics & Business
ELECTIONS: Voters head to the polls in Wisconsin, Florida, Nebraska and Mississippi today to decide crucial contests. In Wisconsin, voters will decide the ideological control of the state Supreme Court, along with a ballot measure on voter identification and a Superintendent of Public Instruction contest. In Florida, voters will elect new members of Congress to fill vacancies created when President Trump appointed members to his cabinet. Read more from our friends at Bolts Magazine.
Republicans carried both the Florida congressional seats by 30+ points in November. We’re watching tonight’s margin closely for hints about voter attitudes.
ARIZONA: State Rep. Alexander Kolodin (R) will run for Secretary of State in 2026. Kolodin was sanctioned by the State Bar for his role in lawsuits related to the 2020 elections. Kolodin claims state Republican Party chair Gina Swoboda urged him to run, but Swoboda said later she wouldn’t back anyone in party primaries. (AZ Mirror)
INDIANA: The state House has approved legislation adding party affiliations to what are currently nonpartisan school board elections. Fourteen Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the bill, which now heads to the Senate. (Indiana Capital Chronicle)
PEOPLE: Former New Mexico Sen. Bill O’Neill (D) has died at 68. O’Neill retired from the state Senate in 2024, around the time he was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
By The Numbers
$22.8 billion: The amount it would cost to repair or renovate public school infrastructure in Michigan, according to a new study from the School Finance Research Foundation. That’s roughly the amount Michigan spends on public schools annually. (Detroit Free Press)
67%: The share of Fortune 500 companies that are incorporated in Delaware, with its famously corporate-friendly laws. Nevada lawmakers are considering creating a dedicated business court to try to win over some of those businesses. (Nevada Current)
Off The Wall
A group of historians and lawmakers in Illinois have identified nearly 400 sites associated with the Underground Railroad that helped slaves escape to freedom. The group is now backing legislation that would establish a commission to fund and celebrate those sites. (Journal Courier)
Colorado’s first psychedelic-assisted healing center is set to open soon in downtown Denver. The center still needs the state to approve regulations for psychedelic mushrooms before it can begin operating. Colorado voters approved a proposition in 2022 to decriminalize the cultivation, possession and consumption of magic mushrooms. (Colorado Public Radio)
Quote of the Day
“Do you realize that not once did we go past midnight?”
— Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins (R), touting the efficiency of this year’s legislative session. (Kansas Reflector)