Good morning, it’s Thursday, October 9, 2025. In today’s edition, lawmakers want to ban AI from being treated as human; Indiana redistricting push on the ropes; Bush cousin to run for Maine governor:
Top Stories
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Lawmakers in four states filed legislation this year that would designate AI systems as nonsentient, in an effort to preempt any future attempt to treat AI as possession consciousness, self-awareness or other traits of a living being. The latest measure comes in Ohio, introduced last month by Rep. Thad Claggett (R), chair of the House Technology and Innovation Committee. Claggett’s bill would prohibit AI systems from achieving legal personhood. (Pluribus News)
MORE: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has signed legislation banning the use of price-setting algorithms. The law updates state antitrust laws to bar the use of those algorithms after states sued the real estate firm RealPage for allegedly illegal rent hikes. (State Affairs)
PUBLIC HEALTH: California Gov. Newsom has signed legislation creating the first-ever statutory definition of ultraprocessed foods. The law will create a category of restricted school foods that cannot be served in cafeterias beginning in 2029. (State Affairs)
ELECTIONS: Newsom signed legislation requiring California counties to finish counting ballots no more than 13 days after an election. The measure, meant to speed election results, does not change a 30-day deadline for local officials to certify results, though it requires officials to give a reason for any extension in vote-counting to the Secretary of State’s office. (CalMatters)
REDISTRICTING: Vice President J.D. Vance is heading to Indiana to push lawmakers to advance a redistricting plan that targets U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan (D). Top Indiana Republicans have warned the White House that their effort to redraw U.S. House district lines is stalling, especially in the state Senate. (State Affairs)
GUN POLITICS: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) says he needs bipartisan commitments from legislative leaders before he will call a special session to address gun violence. Walz had planned to call a special session after a shooting at a Catholic Church last month, but now he says the session would be “a waste of money and a waste of time” if there’s no agreement in the narrowly divided legislature. (MPR News)
MARIJUANA: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) issued an order banning the sale of intoxicating hemp products including THC-infused gummies and beverages. The order extends for 90 days and applies to gas stations, tap rooms and retail shops. (Columbus Dispatch)
In Politics & Business
ARIZONA: Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) has formally launched her re-election campaign with $4.6 million in the bank, she said Wednesday. Hobbs’s campaign will be run by Nicole DeMont, who said in a state-of-the-race memo that Hobbs would run on bipartisan legislative accomplishments. (State Affairs)
MAINE: Health care entrepreneur Jonathan Bush (R) will run for governor in 2026, he said Wednesday. Bush, the cousin of former President George W. Bush, is one of more than a dozen candidates who have entered the race to replace outgoing Gov. Janet Mills (D). (Maine Public Radio)
CALIFORNIA: Former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter (D) nearly walked out of an interview with CBS California after a reporter asked her how she would appeal to the nearly 40% of state voters who backed President Trump in 2024. “How would I need them in order to win, ma’am?” Porter said, turning to someone off camera and laughing. (Sacramento Bee)
NORTH DAKOTA: The Bank of North Dakota will launch the Roughrider Coin, its own stablecoin. The bank’s service provider, Fiserv, says the stablecoin will provide instantaneous transactions, faster than wire transfers or ACH transfers. (Fargo Forum)
By The Numbers
1,254,224: The number of people incarcerated in state and federal prisons in 2023, up 24,081 people from the year before. It’s the second year in a row prison populations have risen, the first uptick since 2010. (Rhode Island Current)
$270,000: The cost of a special session in Oregon’s legislature to approve a $4 billion transportation package. The special session was the longest in Oregon in more than a decade. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Off The Wall
Dolly Parton has posted a video on social media declaring she “ain’t dead yet” after her sister posted a separate message asking for prayers for the country music legend. “I’m not ready to die yet. I don’t think God is through with me, and I ain’t done working,” Parton said in a video from what looked like a photo studio. (AFP)
The Oregon Republican Party posted photos of violent protests to support President Trump’s planned deployment of National Guard troops to Portland this week. The only problem: The posts showed photos of protests from South America. State party chair Connie Whelchel blamed a volunteer. (Oregonian)
Quote of the Day
“As the process dragged on, it became clear that the bureaucracy of the ‘deep state’ does not want to serve anyone with my political, ethnic and religious background in Serbia.”
— Former Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich (R), withdrawing as President Trump’s nominee to serve as ambassador to Serbia. Both Brnovich’s parents are of Serbian descent. (State Affairs)