Good morning, it’s Tuesday, September 10, 2024. In today’s edition, California considers regulations on AI in health care; North Carolina to pass ban on sanctuary cities; New Hampshire voters head to the polls:
Top Stories
HEALTH CARE: California is set to enact new guardrails on the use of artificial intelligence in health care settings under two bills awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) signature. The bills would establish parameters for AI’s use in insurance coverage decisions and require health care providers to disclose the use of generative AI in patient communications.
The bills’ sponsor, Sen. Josh Becker (D), said he had been alarmed by reports that providers relying on AI or algorithms improperly denied care. He’s not alone: A handful of bills across the country focused on generative AI technology that could introduce biases into treatment or coverage without a patient’s consent.
Expect more action on AI in health care next year, an area that has so far created bipartisan common ground. Big AI bills in Utah and Colorado had specific provisions for providers and patients, and Becker’s legislation received no written opposition. Read more at Pluribus News.
IMMIGRATION: North Carolina lawmakers expect to take up and pass legislation this week that would require sheriffs to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Senate approved the bill Monday, with a House vote scheduled for Wednesday. (Charlotte Observer)
Gov. Roy Cooper (D) is likely to veto the bill, but Republicans have the votes to override that veto.
EDUCATION: The North Carolina Senate gave final approval to legislation allocating another $248 million to fund Opportunity Scholarships and education savings account programs that had been overrun by applicants. About 55,000 students are still waiting for their Opportunity Scholarships. (Carolina Journal)
A common theme we’ve seen in red states expanding voucher programs: Lawmakers aren’t budgeting enough to account for demand.
GUN POLITICS: Illinois Democrats are renewing calls for stricter gun storage legislation after a school shooting in Georgia killed two teachers and two students. Sen. Laura Ellman (D) and Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D) have introduced a bill to require gun owners to securely lock weapons in homes where children under 18 are present. (Chicago Sun Times)
CHILD CARE: West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) formally called lawmakers back into special session beginning Sept. 30 to consider legislation expanding child care support. Justice didn’t lay out specifics, but he has supported introducing a child and dependent care tax credit in the past. (Associated Press)
ENVIRONMENT: Maine has implemented a new law outlawing little painted fishing hooks called jigs. The lead fishing gear was a leading cause of death among loons in Maine. (Maine Public Radio)
In Politics & Business
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Voters head to the polls today to choose gubernatorial nominees to replace retiring Gov. Chris Sununu (R). Republicans are likely to choose former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R) over former Senate President Chuck Morse (R), while the Democratic race between Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig (D) and Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington (D) is a closer contest.
NORTH CAROLINA: A new Quinnipiac survey of North Carolina voters finds Attorney General Josh Stein (D) leading Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R) 51%-41%, with Libertarian and Green Party candidates scoring 2% and 1% respectively. Almost 60% of voters say they will cast a vote by absentee or at an early voting location. (Quinnipiac)
Stein has led by more than the margin of error in every poll for a month, and by double digits in four of the last six public surveys.
MISSOURI: Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R) has decertified a proposed constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights. Ashcroft decertified the amendment after a local judge ruled it violated state law. The state Supreme Court hears an appeal of that decision today. (KCUR)
Also today: The deadline to finalize November’s ballot in Missouri.
UTAH: A state judge will decide this week whether voters can decide Amendment D, the proposed constitutional amendment that would allow legislators to repeal or amend future ballot initiatives. Opponents have sued to block the law, arguing its ballot language is illegally deceptive. (Salt Lake Tribune)
By The Numbers
$65 million: The amount Missouri Republicans spent on statewide primary election campaigns this year. The three main candidates for governor combined to spend $27.5 million between them. By contrast, Democrats — deep in the minority in Missouri — spent just $4.8 million. (St. Louis Public Radio)
More than 150: The number of parking and traffic violations Portland City Commissioner Carmen Rubio has racked up in the last two decades. Rubio is a leading candidate to be Portland’s next mayor. (Oregonian)
Off The Wall
Longtime Ohio Republican campaign treasurer William Curlis has been sentenced to five years’ probation and $795,000 in restitution after he pleaded guilty to wire fraud in the theft of about $1 million from the campaigns he helped. Curlis admitted to writing more than 175 checks to himself out of other people’s campaign accounts. (Columbus Dispatch)
Congratulations to Jimmy Russell, the “Buddha of Bourbon,” who celebrates his 70th anniversary at Wild Turkey’s distillery in Lawrenceburg, Ky., today. Russell, 89, spent half a century as the company’s master distiller. (Associated Press)
Quote of the Day
“He went right back to the contest, which I couldn’t believe. He ate another seven lobster rolls after that. Right down the gullet.”
— New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R), who saved a choking contestant at the Hampton Beach Lobster Roll Eating Competition. The contestant, Christian Moreno, said he didn’t realize the guy who saved him was the governor. (WMUR)