Good morning, it’s Tuesday, February 3, 2026. In today’s edition, states grapple with OBBB timelines; immigration bills move in Colorado, New Mexico, Indiana; poll shows Klobuchar leading big in Minnesota:
Top Stories
MEDICAID: New federally mandated Medicaid work requirements are posing a major test for virtually every state, where policymakers have less than a year to figure out how to track compliance for tens of millions of low-income adults. Changes required under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act give states until Jan. 1, 2027, to set up work requirement programs. The only two states that have tried to implement work requirements are Arkansas, where the program died quickly, and Georgia, where lawmakers are amending rules to boost coverage. (Pluribus News)
MORE: Florida’s Senate Health Policy Committee has advanced legislation adding new work requirements for Medicaid and food aid recipients. The bill would require 80 hours of work, education or training a month for those between 19 and 64, with a 30-day grace period to allow people to meet the requirements. (Florida Politics)
IMMIGRATION: Colorado lawmakers have unveiled a package of bills to regulate federal immigration authorities. One bill would allow Colorado residents to file lawsuits against federal authorities who injure a person and violate their constitutional rights. Another would allow local law enforcement to arrest federal agents who break state law. A third would limit information sharing. (Denver Post)
MORE: New Mexico’s Senate Judiciary Committee has approved legislation banning local governments from contracting with federal authorities to operate immigration detention centers. The bill also bans agreements between state and federal agencies over civil immigration enforcement. (Santa Fe New Mexican) The Indiana House Judiciary Committee approved a bill requiring local governments and colleges to cooperate with federal immigration agents. (State Affairs)
ENERGY: Pennsylvania’s House Energy Committee has approved legislation directing the Public Utility Commission to set regulations for data centers, including paying grid-related costs and curtailing demand during emergencies. One provision in the bill requires data centers to obtain 25% of their energy from renewable sources. (State Affairs)
MORE: A federal judge has ruled against the Trump administration, allowing the resumption of construction of an offshore wind project in New York. Judge Royce Lamberth said the government had not shown evidence that offshore wind is an imminent national security risk. (Associated Press)
WATER: Governors representing the seven Colorado River Basin states expressed cautious optimism after a meeting in Washington to hammer out a water-sharing deal. The Bureau of Reclamation has set a Feb. 14 deadline for a deal. Lower Basin states and Upper Basin states haven’t yet agreed which side should have to cut back their water usage. (AZ Mirror)
In Politics & Business
MINNESOTA: A new SurveyUSA poll shows U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) leading all ten potential Republican opponents by 14 to 20 percentage points in the race for governor. In the closest matchup, Klobuchar leads 2022 nominee Scott Jensen (R) 49% to 35%. Her biggest lead is over MyPillow founder Mike Lindell (R), 52% to 32%. (KSTP) Minnesota Republicans will cast a preference ballot for governor at caucuses today. (Minnesota Star Tribune)
NEW MEXICO: Former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima has dropped his bid for the Democratic nomination for governor and will run as an independent. Miyagishima will have to collect signatures to secure a spot on the ballot. He trails well behind the two leading Democrats in fundraising. (Albuquerque Journal)
ALABAMA: The state Republican Party has dismissed a challenge to U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R) residency status, brought by a fellow Republican candidate. Tuberville’s opponent accused him of living at his Florida property, which would make him ineligible to run for governor in a state that requires seven years’ residency for the top office. (Alabama Reflector)
FLORIDA: Supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment to allow recreational marijuana failed to collect enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot, the Secretary of State’s office said. State records show the amendment came up about 100,000 signatures short of the 880,062 they needed to make the ballot, though supporters said they thought further counts will get them to their goal. (Associated Press)
NEW JERSEY: Democratic powerbroker George Norcross is expected to file a civil lawsuit seeking $100 million in damages for malicious prosecution, after a state appellate court dismissed his indictment. New Jersey’s Attorney General’s office said it would fight the suit. (New Jersey Globe)
By The Numbers
Nearly $19.8 million: The amount entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy (R) raised for his Ohio gubernatorial campaign in 2025, a new record for the year prior to an election. Former state health director Amy Acton (D), the likely Democratic nominee, pulled in more than $5 million through the end of January. (Columbus Dispatch)
26%: The amount of water, measured by full capacity, in Lake Powell, the nation’s second-largest reservoir. High temperatures and a lack of snow has Utah officials worried about a devastating summer drought. (Salt Lake Tribune)
Off The Wall
WisconsinEye, the state’s version of C-SPAN, is back on the air after a legislative panel unanimously approved new funding for the nonprofit. WisconsinEye went off the air Dec. 15 after its funding ran out. (WPR)
Next week’s Super Bowl winner will celebrate under a shower of confetti manufactured in Gardner, R.I. The Seaman Paper Co. has been manufacturing confetti for Artistry in Motion, the production company that shoots confetti onto the field at the end of the game. (Providence Journal)
Quote of the Day
“I have too much experience to stay quiet. I plan to stay involved in Minnesota’s political process.”
— Minnesota Sen. Warren Limmer (R), the longest serving Republican in the legislature, on his decision to retire after this year. (CBS News)