Good morning, it’s Monday, April 28, 2025, and it’s Election Day in Canada. In today’s edition, red states bolster coal plants; California to test driverless trucks; new poll in New Jersey governor’s race:
Top Stories
ENERGY: Republican-controlled states are taking steps to bolster coal power production as President Trump seeks to reinvigorate the industry. Lawmakers in Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Utah have all advanced coal-friendly measures this year, which aim to prevent coal plants from closing or delay climate benchmarks to keep plants in operation. (Pluribus News)
SOCIAL MEDIA: The Colorado Senate voted Friday to override Gov. Jared Polis’s (D) veto of legislation requiring large social media companies to take down accounts flagged for selling drugs or guns, or if they engage in sex trafficking. Companies would be required to set up staffed hotlines for communicating with law enforcement. (Colorado Sun)
Read more: Polis vetoes social media regulation bill
HOUSING: Washington lawmakers approved a bill capping rent increases at 7% plus inflation, or 10%, whichever is less. The bill prohibits rent increases during the first year of tenancy. The bill now heads to Gov. Bob Ferguson’s (D) desk; he has not said whether he will sign it. (Seattle Times)
LABOR: Washington lawmakers approved legislation providing up to six weeks of unemployment for striking workers. New York and New Jersey have identical programs for striking workers; the Oregon House is expected to hold hearings on another similar bill this week, though it would require workers to wait two weeks before qualifying for benefits. (Oregonian)
TRANSPORTATION: California regulators have proposed new rules to allow for the testing of self-driving trucks over 10,000 lbs. The regulations will boost data-reporting requirements for manufacturers. Self-driving heavy duty trucks are already in testing in Texas, Arizona and Arkansas. (Associated Press)
PUBLIC SAFETY: The Texas House is expected to vote today on legislation exempting law enforcement officers from being charged with deadly conduct for actions taken in the line of duty. The Senate approved similar legislation earlier this month. (Texas Tribune)
TOURISM: Hawaii legislators on Friday approved legislation to create a “green fee” to be paid by visitors, aimed at paying for environmental projects and climate change mitigation. The bill will impose a 0.75% tax on accommodations at hotels and short-term rentals, bringing in an estimated $100 million annually. (Civil Beat)
NIL: Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) has signed legislation exempting funds related to name, image and likeness deals with college athletes from state income tax. The law also exempts NIL deals from the Freedom of Information Act. Similar bills have been introduced in Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia and Illinois. (On3)
In Politics & Business
2028: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) headlined a major fundraiser for New Hampshire Democrats on Sunday that drew 800 attendees. Pritzker is the first likely 2028 presidential contender to headline a Granite State event this year, where he offered a fiery call to fight back against the Trump administration. (NBC News)
NEW JERSEY: A new Rutgers-Eagleton Poll shows U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D) leading the Democratic field for governor with 17% of the vote, followed by Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop (D) at 12%, New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller (D) at 10% and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D) and U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D) tied at 9%. Former Senate President Steve Sweeney (D) takes 7%. (New Jersey Monitor)
MORE: On the Republican side, 42% back former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (R), who came within three points of upsetting Gov. Phil Murphy (D) in 2021. Former radio host Bill Spadea (R) takes second at 12%, while state Sen. John Bramnick (R) took 4%. (New Jersey Monitor)
SOUTH DAKOTA: House Speaker Jon Hansen (R) will run for governor in 2026, he said last week. Gov. Larry Rhoden (R), U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R) and Attorney General Marty Jackley (R) are all said to be considering runs for the top spot. (South Dakota Public Broadcasting)
FLORIDA: Senate Democrats have chosen Sen. Lori Berman (D) as their new minority leader, after Sen. Jason Pizzo unexpectedly left the party to become an independent. (Orlando Sentinel) Democrats hold just 10 seats in the Senate, their smallest caucus since 1872, in the midst of Reconstruction. (Orlando Sentinel)
By The Numbers
$121 million: The amount Texas hospitals spent treating undocumented immigrants in the span of just one month, according to a memo from the state Health and Human Services Commission. The memo does not indicate how much of the costs were paid for by federal or state programs or health insurance. (Dallas Morning News)
$330,000: The amount Connecticut will spend to maintain the First and Second Company Governor’s Horse Guard, ceremonial units of 150 volunteers that state military officials want to axe. The units were formed in the 1770s, when Connecticut’s governor needed protection during trips between Hartford and New Haven. (CT Insider)
More than 100 million: The number of gallons per day the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality expects new water purification plants to generate when systems come online in a few years. (Arizona Capitol Times)
Off The Wall
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’s (R) office is suing the Des Moines Register over an open records request. A Register reporter is seeking access to four emails the governor’s office wants to shield. The state Supreme Court has previously ruled against Reynolds’s efforts to get around open records laws. (Associated Press)
A Douglas SBD Dauntless, a World War II-era dive bomber that was trapped when a Japanese submarine sank the USS Yorktown during the Battle of Midway, has been discovered intact on the ocean floor. The bomber has an 83-year old bomb still attached to the wing. It’s the first aircraft lost during the Battle of Midway to be found. (Oregonian)
Quote of the Day
“There’s not a lot of room to absorb that shock.”
— Iowa Agriculture Commissioner Mike Naig (R), on the impacts a trade war could have on state farmers. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)