Good morning, it’s Monday, March 16, 2026. In today’s edition, New York backs AI warning labels; Florida to regulate data center energy, water use; challenger leads North Carolina Senate president by just 23 votes:
Top Stories
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: New York lawmakers have given final approval to legislation requiring generative AI systems to carry a warning label. The measure would be a first of its kind if signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul (D). NetChoice, the tech industry trade group, has vowed a legal challenge to what they call an “unworkable” and “unconstitutional” measure. (Pluribus News)
ECONOMY: Virginia lawmakers approved legislation creating a paid family and medical leave program, taxing employers and employees to fund wages for workers taking up to 12 weeks off. The legislature also passed a bill requiring private sector, state and local employers to allow workers to accrue an hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, capped at 40 hours per year. (Pluribus News)
ENERGY: Florida lawmakers approved legislation to regulate data centers, directing the state Public Service Commission to set requirements aimed at ensuring data centers cover the full cost of electricity services. The bill also bans water allocations for data centers in places where such allocations would be harmful to the local community. (State Affairs)
Florida lawmakers adjourned Friday without completing a budget. Lawmakers plan to return to Tallahassee in April to finish their work. (State Affairs)
SOCIAL MEDIA: Ohio Sens. Michele Reynolds (R) and Kristina Roegner (R) have introduced legislation requiring social media companies to verify user ages and obtain parental consent. The measure would limit data collection on some gaming platforms in an effort to shield minors from interactions with adults. (State Affairs)
NetChoice is suing Chicago in an effort to block a first-of-its-kind tax on social media companies. (WTTW)
ABORTION: The Kansas legislature has adopted legislation creating a regulatory shield for crisis pregnancy centers, allowing them to provide information, services and resources on pregnancy and parenting. The bill prohibits state and local governments from imposing regulations on centers. (Kansas Reflector)
MORE: The Mississippi legislature is one step away from approving a bill to make it illegal for doctors to prescribe abortion-inducing medication to state residents. The bill would subject those who violate the provision to up to 10 years in prison. (Jackson Clarion Ledger)
PUBLIC HEALTH: New York Gov. Hochul and state lawmakers have proposed a 75% wholesale tax on nicotine pouches. The state already imposes a 75% wholesale tax on traditional tobacco products. Supporters point to a rapid rise in the use of nicotine pouches among high schoolers. (Albany Times Union)
PUBLIC SAFETY: Rhode Island lawmakers are considering bills to bar the use of masks by police to conceal their identities, and to ban local police departments from hiring people who served as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during the Trump administration. Police groups oppose both bills. (Providence Journal)
In Politics & Business
NORTH CAROLINA: Senate President Phil Berger (R) has not made a final decision on calling for a recount in his tight race against Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page (R), though a spokesperson says a machine recount is likely. Page leads Berger by 23 votes out of more than 26,000 cast, a margin of 0.08%. (State Affairs)
COLORADO: State Republican Party chair Britt Horn will resign effective April 17, after the party’s central committee took a vote of no confidence against her. The party had $64,000 in the bank at the end of January and $236,000 in debts. (Colorado Sun)
MISSISSIPPI: Vote totals from last week’s primary elections show 156,600 people voted in the Republican contest for a U.S. Senate seat, while 146,300 voted on the Democratic nominee. In 2018, the last time Mississippians voted in a Senate primary in a non-presidential year, Republicans nearly doubled Democratic turnout. (Mississippi Free Press)
CALIFORNIA: Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) former chief of staff Dana Williamson collected more than $50,000 in unused vacation time when she left office in the midst of a federal corruption investigation. Williamson was charged in November 2025 for her role in allegedly siphoning money from a campaign account belonging to gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra (D). (Los Angeles Times)
MASSACHUSETTS: The Vineyard Wind 1 project has been completed, after workers installed the final blades on turbines on Friday. The farm is expected to generate 800 megawatts of power from 62 turbines, producing 3,600 jobs and cut energy costs by an estimated $1.4 billion over 20 years. (State Affairs)
By The Numbers
48%: The amount of snowpack in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, compared to a typical year. That’s down from 73% in late February after an extremely warm winter. California gets about 30% of its water from the Sierra snowpack. (Los Angeles Times)
13% fewer: The occurrences of cancer among Iowa farmers, compared to the state’s total population, according to a long-running national health study. Researchers expected cancer rates to be higher among farmers who are more exposed to pesticides than the typical resident. (Des Moines Register)
989: The number of billionaires in the United States, more than any other country, according to Forbes. (Boston Globe)
Off The Wall
The Ohio House has taken up legislation to name the buckeye as the official state candy. The bill cleared the Senate last year. Sen. Bill DeMora (D) testified in favor of the chocolate-and-peanut butter treats at a House hearing earlier this month. (WCMH)
Connecticut middle schoolers are pushing lawmakers to name Housatonic marble as the official state rock. The marble is used extensively throughout the state Capitol building. Thirty-five other states have designated an official state rock. (CT Insider)
Oregon lawmakers have secured about $2 million to buy property that includes Abiqua Falls, a 92-foot waterfall that’s been privately owned for more than a century. The property appeared on the real estate site Redfin last month. (New York Times)
Quote of the Day
“Apparently, some people think this budget is alarming.”
— Washington Sen. June Robinson (D), after a fire alarm led to an evacuation of the state Capitol building on the legislature’s final day in session. (Washington State Standard)