Good morning, it’s Wednesday, July 17, 2024. In today’s edition, momentum grows for cell phone-free schools; Ferguson, Reichert lead Washington governor’s race; longtime Oregon Sen. Courtney dies:
Top Stories
EDUCATION: At least four states and some of the nation’s largest cities have moved to ban or severely limit the use of smart phones in schools as elected officials consider the potential harms and distractions students face in the era of social media and constant communication.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) last week issued an executive order requiring the state Department of Education to establish guidelines for cell phone-free schools. Florida became the first state to ban smart phones last year, and Indiana and Ohio have passed bans this year. Boards of education in Alabama and South Carolina are working on their own rules.
The bans come amid new concerns over rising depression and suicidal ideation among both boys and girls, highlighted in books like The Anxious Generation, by New York University social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. About three-quarters of public schools already ban phones in class. Expect that figure to rise in the coming years. Read more at Pluribus News.
ABORTION: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s (D) administration won’t defend a state law prohibiting Medicaid funding from being used on abortion. Republican legislative leaders had tried to intervene in the lawsuit earlier this year. (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
GUN POLITICS: A federal appeals court has struck down a Minnesota law barring those between the ages of 18 and 20 from obtaining permits to carry guns in public. The judges cited the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision, which requires courts to evaluate gun laws based on the nation’s historic tradition of firearm regulation. (MPR News)
INFRASTRUCTURE: The Biden administration will spend $5 billion to replace dozens of aging bridges in 16 states, the Transportation Department said Tuesday. The largest project is a $1.4 billion bridge connecting Oregon and Washington over the Columbia River. (Associated Press)
HEALTH CARE: CVS and Walgreens have sued to block a new Kansas budget provision that limits the ability of pharmacies working with eligible health providers from acquiring outpatient prescription drugs at discounts through the federal 340B program. Pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca and AbbVie have already filed suit against the state. (Kansas Reflector)
In Politics & Business
WASHINGTON: A new WA Poll conducted by SurveyUSA finds Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D) leading the all-party gubernatorial primary with 42% of the vote, followed by former U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert (R) with 33%. None of the other candidates break into double digits. The top two vote-getters move to November’s general election. (Seattle Times)
CALIFORNIA: Former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs (D) will run for lieutenant governor, joining Treasurer Fiona Ma (D) and state Sen. Steven Bradford (D) in the race. Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R) has established a campaign committee for the race, but he hasn’t formally announced a plan to run. (Los Angeles Times)
NEBRASKA: Public school supporters say they have enough signatures to qualify a ballot measure that would ask voters to repeal a law providing taxpayer money for private school tuition. They need about 86,500 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. (Associated Press)
ARKANSAS: Supporters of a pro-abortion rights ballot measure are suing the state to force it to count more than 100,000 signatures on their petitions. Secretary of State John Thurston’s (R) office has refused to count those signatures because supporters did not submit required statements related to paid signature gathering. (Associated Press)
PEOPLE: Oregon Sen. Peter Courtney (D), the longest-serving legislator in state history, has died at 81. Gov. Tina Kotek’s (D) office said he passed away Tuesday of complications from cancer. (Oregon Public Broadcasting) Our condolences to the Oregon political family.
By The Numbers
33: The number of states that allow candidates running for office to use campaign funds to pay for childcare, after Hawaii officials approved a new advisory opinion on the matter. Just two states, Minnesota and Nebraska, allowed campaign funds to pay for childcare before 2018. (Pluribus News)
$60,000: The amount Florida has spent on new highway welcome signs featuring Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) “Free State of Florida” campaign slogan. DeSantis’s campaign and local Republican groups used the slogan on merchandise to raise money. (Orlando Sentinel)
Off The Wall
The iconic Mirage Resort and Casino will close today, 35 years after it became one of the first major destinations on the Las Vegas Strip. A new resort owned by Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming will be built on the site. (Associated Press)
Park rangers at Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord, Mass., have uncovered five musket balls, evidence of an attack on retreating British troops fired by militiamen on April 19, 1775. It’s the largest-ever discovery of musket balls at the site of one of the Revolutionary War’s first battles. (Associated Press)
Quote of the Day
“I went to find out what our harassment policy was, and we didn’t have one.”
— North Dakota Sen. Kathy Hogan (D), who helped spearhead a 2018 harassment policy developed in the wake of the #MeToo movement. (Fargo Forum)