Good morning, it’s Friday, May 19, 2023. In today’s edition, Minn. moving toward legal pot; Neb. lawmakers tee up abortion ban; Disney kills planned Fla. expansion:
Top Stories
HEALTH CARE: The Minnesota House is considering legislation to create an Obamacare-style public health insurance option in the waning days of session. The state Senate has already approved the bill. (Pluribus News) The New Hampshire House has approved legislation making permanent the state’s Medicaid expansion program. Lawmakers first expanded Medicaid in 2014, with a sunset date. (Associated Press)
MARIJUANA: The Minnesota House voted late Thursday to approve legislation legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes. The state Senate could take up the bill as early as today, and Gov. Tim Walz (D) has pledged to sign it. The bill attracted some Republican votes. Minnesota would become the 23rd state to allow recreational marijuana. (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
ABORTION: Nebraska lawmakers are poised to approve a bill banning abortion after 12 weeks and barring gender-affirming care for minors. (Associated Press) Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee (D) has signed legislation allowing state funds to be used to pay for health insurance plans that cover abortions for state workers and Medicaid recipients. (Providence Journal, Associated Press)
GUN POLITICS: The Illinois Senate has approved a bill allowing the Attorney General’s office to sue firearm manufacturers and dealers for civil liabilities. The bill will allow the office to sue over straw purchases, marketing firearms to those under 18 and marketing guns using references to paramilitary activities. (WCIA)
EDUCATION: The New Hampshire House narrowly voted down legislation that would have required educators to inform parents if their children express a different gender identity at school. (WMUR) The New Hampshire Senate voted to expand eligibility for education savings accounts to families that earn up to 350% of the federal poverty level, or about $105,000 for a family of four. (Boston Globe)
MORE: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) is expected to sign legislation requiring public schools to teach Native American history. (Chicago Tribune) The Illinois legislature also approved a bill extending free and healthy school lunches to all students, extending a pandemic-era program. (WIFR)
ESG: The Alabama Senate approved a bill banning the state from contracting with companies that refuse to work with fossil fuel businesses or firearms manufacturers. (Associated Press)
WORKFORCE: The Minnesota House approved a paid family leave plan allowing workers to collect up to 12 weeks of partial wages for medical leave including pregnancy or caring for a family member. (CBS News) The Connecticut Senate has approved a bill requiring businesses to offer employees up to 80 hours of paid sick leave. The bill expands Connecticut’s existing leave program to almost a million new workers. (CT Examiner) Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) has signed legislation increasing income limits for families to access child care assistance programs. Parents must work or participate in education or training programs to qualify. (Des Moines Register)
SOCIAL MEDIA: Five TikTok content creators have filed suit seeking to block Montana’s first-in-the-nation ban on the app. (Associated Press) See our story on the bill banning TikTok here.
In Politics & Business
KENTUCKY: Gov. Andy Beshear (D) is out with his first general election campaign ad, just days after Republicans chose Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R) as their nominee. The minute-long ad features Beshear recapping his first term in office. (Kentucky Fried Politics) Our sources say the ad will start running on TV stations beginning Monday.
FLORIDA: Disney is dropping plans to build a $1 billion corporate campus in Orlando that would have brought 2,000 high-paying jobs to Florida, in the midst of the company’s feud with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). In a memo to employees, Disney Parks chairman Josh D’Amaro cited “changing business conditions” without mentioning DeSantis. (Orlando Sentinel)
NEBRASKA: Supporters of medical marijuana have filed papers to begin collecting signatures for an initiative that would appear on the 2024 ballot. A similar measure fell short of collecting the necessary signatures in 2022. (Nebraska Examiner)
OREGON: Ten state senators, including Minority Leader Tim Knopp (R), have now registered more than ten unexcused absences during a two-week-long walkout. Under state law approved by voters last year, that makes them ineligible to seek re-election. Knopp said Republicans, who walked out to block abortion and transgender rights bills, would return to vote on a budget. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
ALABAMA: The state Senate has approved legislation barring individuals residing in China, Iran, North Korea or Russia from acquiring agricultural or forest land. The state House passed a different version of the bill earlier this year. (Yellowhammer News)
By The Numbers
14.4%: The rate by which Georgetown, Texas — north of Austin — grew between July 1, 2021 and July 1, 2022, the fastest growth rate of any city in the nation. Six of the 15 fastest-growing cities are in Texas, and 13 of those 15 are in the Sun Belt. (Pluribus News)
$7.5 billion: The amount New York collected in personal income taxes in April, nearly 50% below last year’s April collections — and 39.1% lower than what budget officials expected. (State of Politics)
$2 million: The amount Mississippi has spent in federal TANF money to pay auditors and lawyers trying to recover misspent TANF funds. Mississippi is trying to claw back tens of millions of dollars allegedly misspent by the former director of the Department of Human Services in a scandal involving former NFL quarterback Brett Favre. (Mississippi Free Press)
Off The Wall
Jeannette Tiffany, 80, was sworn in this week as the new mayor of Trophy Club, Texas, a small town in the Dallas Metroplex. She beat Mayor Pro Tem Greg Lamont by a 63%-37% margin. The odd part: Tiffany ran as a write-in candidate, fueled by voter anger after the former mayor dropped out at the last minute, leaving only Lamont’s name on the ballot. (Dallas Morning News)
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) was in the right place at the right time while on his way to a ceremony on Hawaii Island. Green, who is also a physician, helped extract the driver of an overturned vehicle before first responders arrived. Green said he was glad the driver had his seat belt on. (Hawaii News Now)
Naming and shaming, government edition: Oregon’s Department of Revenue will begin posting on its website the names of individuals and businesses who owe at least $50,000 in state taxes. The department will alert taxpayers whose debts qualify in the coming weeks, so they can pay their way off the list. (Oregonian)
Quote of the Day
“This is my freedom of association under attack. This is my freedom of speech.”
— Monmouth County, N.J., Sheriff Shaun Golden (R), the chairman of his local Republican Party, on legislation that would prohibit county constitutional officers — like sheriffs — from also serving as county party chairs. Golden is the only person who would be impacted by the bill. (New Jersey Globe)