Good morning, it’s Friday, April 18, 2025. In today’s edition, Dem AGs go on tour; Delaware aid in dying bill passes; poll shows Harris leading California Gov field:
Top Stories
DEMOCRATS: Democratic attorneys general are kicking off a series of town hall events to rally opposition to the Trump administration and highlight stories that may form the basis of future litigation. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser (D) on Wednesday hosted counterparts from Hawaii, Nevada and Washington in Denver, while earlier events have taken place in Phoenix, St. Paul and Portland, Ore. (Pluribus News)
Every attorney general looks in the mirror and sees a governor staring back.
SOCIAL MEDIA: The Alabama Senate has approved legislation requiring app stores to verify user ages. The Senate also approved legislation requiring the activation of filters to weed out adult content on devices connected to the internet. (AL.com)
MORE: New Jersey is suing the messaging app Discord, alleging the company put minors at risk through lax safety protections. Attorney General Matt Platkin said the app has exposed children to violent imagery, harassment and sexual abuse. (New Jersey Globe)
AID IN DYING: The Delaware Senate gave final approval to legislation that will allow terminally ill adults with no more than six months to live to self-administer end of life medication. The medication would only be prescribed after two verbal and one written request. Gov. Matt Meyer (D) is likely to sign the bill, making Delaware the 12th jurisdiction where aid in dying is legal. (Delaware Public Media)
PUBLIC SAFETY: The Washington Senate approved legislation requiring habitual speeders to install an “intelligent speed assistance” device limiting their cars to posted speed limits. The measure would apply to someone with a restricted license or during a probationary period after their license is suspended for reckless driving or excessive speeding. (Washington State Standard)
WORKFORCE: A Florida House committee has approved legislation allowing minors over 16 to work eight hours a day or 30 hours a week during school sessions. The bill would allow minors 15 and under to work up to 15 hours a week while school is in session, and only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (Florida Politics)
ABORTION: The Iowa House has approved legislation requiring schools to show students in health classes a video depicting stages of pregnancy. The bill would bar materials created by organizations that perform or promote abortions, like Planned Parenthood or the Mayo Clinic. (Des Moines Register) The Missouri House has approved a proposed constitutional amendment to ban abortion. The Senate must act before the measure goes before voters. (KCUR)
EDUCATION: The North Dakota Senate has approved a bill to give low-income students up to $3,900 to use on qualified educational expenses, including private school tuition and home schooling costs. The full funding would be available to students whose families make less than 200% of the federal poverty line. (Fargo Forum)
MORE: Alabama lawmakers have approved legislation requiring schools to display the Ten Commandments, ban drag shows and prohibit teachers from displaying pride flags or facilitating discussions of sexuality. One bill would also allow schools to hire chaplains as volunteer school counselors. (Associated Press)
In Politics & Business
CALIFORNIA: A new poll of California voters finds former Vice President Kamala Harris (D) leading the gubernatorial field with 31% of the vote. Ex-U.S. Rep. Katie Porter (D) takes 8%, while Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco (R) takes 4%. No one else tops 2% of the vote in the top-two primary. (Emerson College)
The poll shows Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) approval rating at an anemic 33%, while 42% disapprove.
NEW MEXICO: Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull (R) became the first Republican to enter the race to replace term-limited Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) when he said he would run. He will formally kick off his campaign on June 2. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
COLORADO: Opponents of plans to reintroduce wolves to Colorado will begin gathering signatures for an initiative aimed at the 2026 ballot. The measure would ban importing wolves to Colorado if it passes. They need 125,000 valid signatures to qualify. (Colorado Sun)
SOUTH DAKOTA: Gov. Larry Rhoden (R) and other state officials are backing a bid by Wyoming entrepreneur Reid Rasner to purchase a controlling stake in the social media app TikTok. Rhoden said he’s had early conversations about Rasner locating TikTok in South Dakota, though Rasner has also said he wants the company based in Wyoming. (South Dakota Public Broadcasting)
By The Numbers
32.3%: The share of Kentucky’s gross domestic product made up of imports into the state, making it the most trade-dependent state in the nation. Exports make up 16.3% of Kentucky’s GDP, third in the nation behind Louisiana and Texas. (Kentucky Lantern)
7: The number of states that have reported measles outbreaks, after Michigan reported three new cases near Grand Rapids. Cases have also broken out in Texas, Indiana, Kansas, Oklahoma, Ohio and New Mexico. (BridgeMI)
Off The Wall
Pennsylvania’s Governor’s Residence will reopen in a matter of days after this weekend’s firebomb attack that targeted Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) and his family. The Department of General Services said an “aggressive” restoration schedule would have the residence reopened to Shapiro’s family and staff in short order. (Harrisburg Patriot-News)
Residents in Bucks County, Pa., are being visited by a herd of about 25 cows that escaped from their farm this week. Half the herd wandered into a wooded area, while the other half headed into nearby residential areas. The cows were recaptured and are now safely back at the farm. (UPI)
A mooooving story.
Quote of the Day
“The bill was passing regardless of my vote. If I voted against it, I would have had every statewide and national political AI figure against me. Not to mention all of my bills vetoed. The consequences were dire, with no upside at all.”
— Texas Rep. Jeff Barry (R), in a post on Facebook laying out his reasons for voting in favor of education savings accounts. Barry had been opposed to the voucher plan as late as the morning of the vote. (KXAN)