Good morning, it’s Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Five years ago today, the World Health Organization declared the Covid-19 pandemic. In today’s edition, red states worry over cuts to Medicaid; lawmakers consider homicide charges for abortion; poll finds New York Gov. Hochul leading Dem field in re-election bid:
Top Stories
HEALTH CARE: Lawmakers in Republican-controlled states are advancing legislation to make it easier for new mothers to qualify for Medicaid — efforts that are being put at risk by Congressional proposals to make steep cuts to Medicaid budgets. The federal cuts would force states to take on larger shares of Medicaid spending; Medicaid covers about four in ten births in the United States. (Pluribus News)
ABORTION: Lawmakers in at least eight states — Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas — have considered bills this year to punish women who seek abortions. The bills would classify an embryo or fetus as an “unborn” or “preborn” child, allowing women who obtain abortions to face homicide charges. (Stateline)
LABOR: The Nebraska legislature has approved a bill classifying gig economy workers as independent contractors, sending it to Gov. Jim Pillen (R) for a likely signature. The bill had support from Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and other gig-based platforms. (Omaha World Herald)
TORT REFORM: The South Carolina House unanimously approved legislation that would allow bars and restaurants to carry less than $1 million in liability insurance if they meet certain requirements. Those requirements include closing before midnight, having employees take alcohol service training courses and making less than 40% of their sales from alcohol. (The State)
This bill is part of a broader push for tort reform, backed by Gov. Henry McMaster (R).
ENVIRONMENT: The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a challenge from 19 Republican attorneys general aimed at blocking Democratic-led states from pursuing climate change lawsuits against the oil and gas industry. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito said they would have allowed the lawsuit to proceed. (Associated Press)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: The South Dakota legislature has approved a bill requiring labels on political deepfake videos within 90 days of an election. The bill exempts broadcasters, newspapers and websites from liability. (South Dakota Searchlight)
IMMIGRATION: The Idaho House Education Committee has introduced legislation to require state public schools to collect immigration status data from students. The bill would require that data to be available on the Department of Education’s website. (Idaho Capital Sun)
GUN POLITICS: The Washington House has approved a bill requiring someone to obtain a state permit to purchase a firearm. About a dozen other states have similar permit-to-purchase laws on the books. Permit applicants would be required to complete a firearms safety training course, with exceptions for police and active military members. (Washington State Standard)
TRANS RIGHTS: Texas Rep. Tom Oliverson (R) has introduced legislation that would make it a felony to identify to a state agency or private employer as a gender opposite the biological sex assigned at birth. The bill is unlikely to pass, but it appears to be the first to actually criminalize identifying as transgender. (KXAN) The South Dakota Senate approved legislation prohibiting transgender people from bathrooms or changing rooms that align with their gender identity. (South Dakota Searchlight)
In Politics & Business
2028: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) will address New Hampshire Democrats next month in a speech focused on President Trump and Elon Musk’s efforts to remake the federal government. It’s Pritzker’s second stop in New Hampshire, after he showed up at a Democratic fundraiser in 2022. (Chicago Sun-Times)
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) visited a child care center in Durham, where he read students a book called “My Teacher for President.” Hmmm… (Raleigh News & Observer)
NEW YORK: A new Siena College poll finds Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) leading a field of potential Democratic candidates with 46% of the vote. Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado (D) would win 11%, while U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D) claims 10%. The poll found U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler (R) leading Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R) 25% to 13% in the race for the Republican nomination. (City & State)
MICHIGAN: Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist (D) has formally launched his campaign for governor in 2026. Gilchrist will face Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson (D) in the Democratic primary to replace term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D). (Associated Press, Detroit News)
Gilchrist, 6’9”, would certainly be America’s tallest governor.
UTAH: State Sen. Daniel Thatcher is leaving the Republican Party to join the Forward Party, former presidential candidate Andrew Yang’s new group. The Forward Party gained ballot access in Utah in 2023, though it counts fewer than 200 registered voters in its ranks. (KSL)
NEVADA: The state Senate is considering legislation to require companies seeking future tax abatements to agree to defray the cost of government services like fire stations and traffic lights. The bill has support from officials in Storey County, home to Tesla’s first gigafactory, which won billions in tax subsidies back in 2014. (Nevada Current)
By The Numbers
$122.8 million: The amount Nevada workers are losing in wage theft every year, according to a new study from Rutgers University’s Workplace Justice Lab. The report found about 40,000 state residents are being underpaid by an average of $3,132 per year. Personal service workers, farm workers and domestic workers are most at risk of wage theft. (Nevada Current)
1.27 million miles: The distance Connecticut employees drove state-owned vehicles without wearing seatbelts, according to state data. State employees drove a total of about 30 million miles last year. (CT Insider)
15%: The decline in the price of Tesla stock on Monday, as global sales fall. Shares in Elon Musk’s electric car manufacturer have fallen 45% this year. Shares are up 3% in pre-market trading today. (Associated Press)
Off The Wall
Colorado was the first state in the nation to ban sperm donors from donating anonymously. Now, new legislation would eliminate certain transparency requirements. The bill would allow sperm banks to prohibit families with donor-conceived children from sharing information about the donor publicly, as on social media. (Colorado Sun)
The cool new trend popping up on Rhode Island beaches this winter: Mobile saunas. Companies operating the mobile saunas say demand is so high they can’t accept walk-ins. Customers alternate between sweating it out and cold-plunging in frigid waters. (Providence Journal)
Quote of the Day
“This bill would have taken like three and a half minutes if we hadn’t had comments from the other side.”
— Arizona Sen. Vincent Leach (R), on legislation to rename a rural stretch of highway after President Trump. The bill failed by a single vote. (Pluribus News)