Good morning, it’s Monday, March 24, 2025. In today’s edition, red states clarify abortion exceptions; Pennsylvania touts AI efficiencies; New Jersey Republicans vie for Trump’s affections:
Top Stories
ABORTION: Lawmakers in a handful of red states are considering bills to clarify restrictive abortion bans. Bills in Kentucky and Texas would define medical exceptions under the bans, with the support of abortion rights opponents. The Kentucky measure includes nine situations in which a pregnancy termination would not be considered an abortion, including miscarriage management and stillbirth. (Pluribus News)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) hailed a first-in-the-nation pilot project testing how ChatGPT can assist state employees in doing their jobs. Shapiro said the pilot program saved employees nearly eight hours a week on average across 14 agencies. The vast majority of employees said their experiences with the chatbot were somewhat or very positive. (Pluribus News)
TRANS RIGHTS: South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden (R) has signed legislation prohibiting transgender people from using changing rooms and bathrooms that align with their gender identity. The bill would allow those who encounter transgender people in a bathroom to seek declaratory and injunctive relief. (Associated Press)
TORT REFORM: The Georgia House has approved legislation limiting civil lawsuits against businesses for crimes that occur on business properties. The measure would allow separate trials for assigning responsibility and damages. The measure is a top priority for Gov. Brian Kemp (R), who has been pushing tort reform legislation for years. (Georgia Public Broadcasting)
GUN POLITICS: The North Carolina Senate has approved legislation allowing people to carry concealed handguns without a permit. The measure would allow those over the age of 18 to carry a weapon; current state law limits permits to those over 21. (Raleigh News & Observer)
PUBLIC SAFETY: The West Virginia Senate will vote on legislation banning camping in public places. Senate Judiciary Committee chair Mike Stuart (R) said the bill could also apply to public protests. Those guilty of violating the proposed law could face fines of $500 and up to 30 days in jail. (WV MetroNews)
TECHNOLOGY: The Iowa House has approved legislation requiring websites that offer adult content to verify user ages to block children from obscene material. The bill would allow the attorney general to bring a civil action to enforce compliance, with penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. (Des Moines Register)
DEI: The South Carolina House will take up legislation this week to ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs from colleges, universities, school districts and state agencies. A provision to ban businesses that have state contracts from implementing DEI policies was stripped from the bill. (The State)
In Politics & Business
NEW JERSEY: Radio host Bill Spadea (R) and former Assemblymember Jack Ciattarelli (R) met separately with President Trump this weekend at Trump’s golf club in Bedminster. Both candidates are seeking Trump’s support as they run to replace term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy (D). (New Jersey Globe)
NEW MEXICO: Lt. Gov. Howie Morales (D) is considering a run for governor, or applying to become president of Western New Mexico University. Morales, who has a doctorate in education, finished fourth in a five-way primary for governor in 2014. He would face former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (D) in the Democratic primary if he decides to run. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
NEBRASKA: State Republican Party vice chair Mary Jane Truemper has won election to chair the state party. Truemper managed U.S. Rep. Don Bacon’s (R) campaign in 2018, before backing his primary opponent in 2024. (Nebraska Examiner)
SOUTH CAROLINA: The Senate Finance Committee is likely to recommend removing Treasurer Curtis Loftis (R) from office over a $1.8 billion accounting error. Loftis has been circulating op-eds defending himself and his office in anticipation of the vote. The state’s comptroller general resigned from office in 2023 over the scandal. (The State)
PEOPLE: Former Massachusetts First Lady Kitty Dukakis has died at 88. Dukakis won national acclaim for speaking openly about her struggles with alcohol and depression. (Boston Globe) Former Washington House Speaker Frank Chopp (D) has died at 71. Chopp was the longest-serving speaker in state history before retiring from the legislature last year. (Seattle Times)
By The Numbers
$103 million: The amount advocates spent lobbying the New Jersey legislature in 2024, the second-highest total on record, following the $106.8 million spent in 2020. An engineers union spent the most, at $833,169, the second straight year they topped the lobbying charts. (New Jersey Monitor)
$85 million: The amount Connecticut’s Medicaid program spent on GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy in Fiscal Year 2024, about 35% of the entire pharmaceutical budget for the year. Gov. Ned Lamont’s (D) administration is worried the drugs cost too much. (Hartford Courant)
Off The Wall
Idaho residents will have two new license plate options touting the state’s famous potatoes, after Gov. Brad Little (R) signed legislation creating retro-style designs. Revenue from one of the designs, an all-black plate, will benefit the Idaho Potato Commission. (Idaho Capital Sun)
A group of Georgia men have set a new Guinness World Record by playing a continuous basketball game for 121 hours and three minutes. Twenty-three players, ranging from 17 to 64, used the game to raise money to combat sex trafficking. The final score was 13,096 to 12,972. (UPI)
Quote of the Day
“It’s just important that we continue to teach our youth how to sign their name.”
— New Jersey Assembly Education Committee chair Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D), on her bill requiring cursive handwriting instruction in grades 3-5. The bill won committee approval earlier this month. (NJ Advance Media)