Good morning, it’s Friday, February 21, 2025. In today’s edition, nuclear energy is having a moment; Virginia backs AI anti-discrimination bill; Nebraska advances Uber driver bill:
Top Stories
ENERGY: Lawmakers in at least a dozen states have introduced legislation to spur the nuclear energy industry in various ways. Minnesota lawmakers are considering repealing a moratorium on nuclear power. A Colorado bill would declare nuclear a clean energy source. The Indiana House has approved a bill creating a tax credit for small modular reactor manufacturers. (Pluribus News)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: The Virginia Senate has given final approval to legislation requiring businesses to proactively address potential bias in automated decision making in employment, finance, health care and other sectors. The House approved the measure last week. The measures passed on party-line votes, raising the specter that Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) could veto it. (Bloomberg)
We wrote about the bill this week: Consumer, labor and disability advocates don’t think it goes far enough.
WORKFORCE: The Nebraska legislature has advanced a bill classifying ride-share and food delivery drivers as independent contractors. Sen. Bob Hallstrom introduced the measure at the behest of Uber, Lyft and DoorDash; it overcame a filibuster mounted by labor-backing lawmakers this week. (Nebraska Examiner)
IMMIGRATION: The Alabama House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee has approved a bill allowing state and local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration laws. The bill would allow local police to arrest and detain people who are in the country unlawfully and transfer them to federal officials. (Alabama Reflector)
PRIVATE EQUITY: The Colorado House Health and Human Services Committee has advanced legislation requiring child care businesses owned by private equity firms to provide 60 days’ notice of layoffs or enrollment changes. About 15% of Colorado’s licensed child care centers are owned by private equity firms. (Colorado Public Radio)
LGBTQ RIGHTS: The Idaho House has approved legislation limiting the types of flags flown at government offices and buildings. The measure would allow those buildings to display American, state, municipal, military and tribal flags. It excludes Pride flags. (Boise State Public Radio)
MORE: The North Dakota House has approved legislation defining gender as a person’s biological sex assigned at birth. (Fargo Forum) The South Dakota House passed a bill requiring transgender people to use bathroom facilities that align with their gender assigned at birth. (South Dakota Public Broadcasting) Iowa House Republicans have introduced legislation to remove gender identity as a protected class under the state’s Civil Rights Act. (Des Moines Register)
EDUCATION: Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) has signed legislation banning cell phones in public schools and granting free breakfast to all K-12 students. Both measures won support from bipartisan majorities in the legislature. (Arkansas Times) The Mississippi Senate has unanimously advanced legislation requiring civics education in high school. (Supertalk)
MARIJUANA: The New Hampshire House has approved legislation legalizing marijuana for recreational use by those over 21. The bill is likely doomed, again: The Senate is still largely opposed to legalization, and Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) has said she would not sign legalization. (WMUR)
DEI: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) has filed suit against Target, claiming the retail giant misled investors by promoting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Uthmeier, appointed just days ago by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), said the company failed to disclose “known risks” of DEI and Pride month initiatives. (Associated Press, Orlando Sentinel)
In Politics & Business
NEW YORK: Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said Thursday she will not remove New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) from office “at this time.” But Hochul said she would propose new oversight laws to limit his power over city government, including creating a new inspector general and allowing the state to monitor city finances. (State of Politics)
ARKANSAS: The House State Agencies and Government Affairs Committee has advanced legislation requiring canvassers collecting signatures for proposed ballot measures to inform voters that petition fraud is a crime before they sign. (Arkansas Democrat Gazette)
KENTUCKY: U.S. Rep. James Comer (R) won’t run for an open U.S. Senate seat after Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) said he wouldn’t seek a new term next year, but Comer’s spokesperson said he is “strongly considering” a run for governor in 2027. Gov. Andy Beshear (D) faces term limits. (Politico)
FLORIDA: The Senate Community Affairs Committee has unanimously approved legislation that would bar local governments from regulating the construction or operation of future presidential libraries. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jason Brodeur (R), said his measure anticipates the future construction of President Trump’s library near his Palm Beach estate. (Miami Herald)
MORE: Trump urged U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R) to run for governor in 2026. In a post on his social media network, Trump endorsed Donalds to run to replace term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), a week after he shared a poll showing Donalds leading the GOP field. (Florida Politics)
PEOPLE: Former Oklahoma Gov. David Boren (D), who later served in the U.S. Senate and as president of the University of Oklahoma, has died at 83. Boren won the governorship in 1974 at the age of 33, making him one of the youngest governors in American history. (Associated Press)
By The Numbers
Nearly 90%: The occupancy rate of hospitals in Rhode Island, the highest in the nation. The national mean is 75% occupancy, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. (Boston Globe)
$678: The home price per square foot in Hawaii, the highest in the nation, according to GoBankingRates, a real estate data website. Homes in Massachusetts cost $506 per square foot, the second-highest in the nation, followed by California at $468 per square foot. (Sacramento Bee)
Off The Wall
The Connecticut Supreme Court was evacuated Thursday after staff at the state library, housed in the same building, found artillery shells from World War I in their collection. The state librarian said staff called police to take a look at the artifacts to make sure they weren’t at risk of exploding. (CT Post)
Utah lawmakers have approved legislation to make it harder for political candidates to use nicknames on the ballot. The bill comes after presidential candidate Lucifer “Justin Case” Everylove qualified for the ballot in 2024. Everylove won 2,653 votes in last year’s election. (Deseret News)
The annual Taste of the Wild Outdoors dinner in Pine Grove, Pa., attracted about 150 diners who sampled stingray casserole, bear stew, raccoon andouille and rabbit kielbasa this week. Other dishes included roasted grey squirrel, bobcat lo mein, wild boar ham and coyote teriyaki. (Associated Press)
Quote of the Day
“Relax, I’m not planning to use you today.”
— Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann (R), welcoming the “doctor of the day” introduced to the state Senate a day after he collapsed on the Senate floor. Hosemann thanked lawmakers for their well wishes as he returned to the chamber. (Magnolia Tribune)