Good morning, it’s Monday, June 9, 2025. In today’s edition, lawmakers back sustainable jet fuel; Iowa approves Medicaid work requirements, abortion video in schools; MTG hints at Georgia governor bid:
Top Stories
ENERGY: Lawmakers in at least nine states considered bills this year to promote the production of sustainable aviation fuel. Legislators in Arkansas and Iowa passed bills creating new tax credits for the sustainable fuel, which can cut a flight’s carbon emissions by up to 80%. Bipartisan coalitions of legislators have backed the bills that have passed so far. (Pluribus News)
MEDICAID: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) has signed legislation imposing work requirements on Medicaid recipients. The bill requires able-bodied adults on the Iowa Health and Wellness Plan to work 80 hours per month or be enrolled in an educational or job skill program to qualify for health care. (Des Moines Register)
ABORTION: Iowa Gov. Reynolds has signed legislation requiring schools to show middle and high school students a video on fetal development. The bill requires the video to show “the humanity of the unborn child.” (Des Moines Register)
IMMIGRATION: Minnesota lawmakers meet for special session beginning today to approve the state budget. They will also vote on legislation stripping MinnesotaCare from undocumented immigrants. (Minnesota Reformer)
SOCIAL MEDIA: Ohio Reps. Heidi Workman (R) and Phil Plummer (R) have introduced legislation requiring both social media companies and app stores to verify user ages. The measure requires app stores to provide infrastructure to enable parental oversight, while requiring the apps themselves to implement practical protections within their software. (Ohio Capital Journal)
MORE: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is expected to sign legislation requiring internet platforms to develop and display policies to remove deepfake images and videos if a victim is identified. The bill would use the state’s Unfair Trade and Deceptive Practices Act as an enforcement mechanism. (Florida Politics)
CRIMINAL JUSTICE: The Ohio House has approved legislation requiring scrap metal dealers to comply with record keeping and reporting processes related to catalytic converters. The bill enhances penalties for theft of catalytic converters, and for receiving the devices as stolen property. (WHIO)
MORE: Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R) has signed legislation increasing penalties for fentanyl-related crimes and instructing courts to consider requiring individuals charged with domestic violence to wear monitoring devices. Another bill would increase penalties for those who commit crimes while in the county illegally. (WIBC)
In Politics & Business
CALIFORNIA: Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has asked the Trump administration to rescind a decision to deploy 2,000 state National Guard troops to Los Angeles over immigration protests that erupted over the weekend. Newsom accused the administration of breaching state sovereignty by overriding his authority over the Guard. (Sacramento Bee)
NEW JERSEY: Candidates running for governor and outside groups that support them have spent more than $122.5 million on the primary election this year, the most ever spent on a gubernatorial contest. Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop (D), U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D) and former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (R) have all spent more than $8 million. A group backing state teachers union boss Sean Spiller (D) has spent a whopping $37.5 million. (New Jersey Monitor)
GEORGIA: U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) used a high-profile speech before state Republicans to lambast the GOP-controlled legislature, hinting at a possible gubernatorial run in 2026. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) Attorney General Chris Carr (R) is already in the race, and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R) is likely to make his own entrance soon.
By The Numbers
Almost 22%: The share of U.S. residents over the age of 5 who speak a language other than English at home. That’s double the share from four decades ago, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. (Associated Press)
More than 97%: The share of school-aged children in Maine who are vaccinated. That’s a record high, following a 2021 law that eliminated philosophical and religious exemptions for vaccines. (Maine Public Radio)
$7.1 billion: The estimated costs Los Angeles organizers will bear to throw the 2028 Olympics. Organizers have already signed partnership deals to cover 60% of the costs of its sponsorship goals. (Los Angeles Times)
Off The Wall
Missouri Sen. Nick Schroer (R) has introduced legislation naming the St. Louis Cardinals as the state’s “official professional baseball team.” The bill declares that any other baseball team in the state — as in, the Kansas City Royals — “shall be rightfully known and designated as a subpar professional baseball team.” (KCTV)
That’s what we in the business call “throwing shade.”
Ed the Zebra, on the loose for more than a week in Tennessee, has been safely captured in Rutherford County. Sheriff’s deputies said Ed was airlifted to a waiting animal trainer, and the photos are worth the click. (Associated Press)
Quote of the Day
“I just feel like we owe the people of Louisiana much more than to be talking about things that I don’t see and that aren’t real.”
— Louisiana Rep. Denise Marcelle (D), who voted against legislation inspired by chemtrail conspiracy theories. (Associated Press)