Good morning, it’s Tuesday, November 19, 2024. In today’s edition, Texas plans dementia research center; GOP breaks Colorado Dem supermajority; race to lead DNC kicks off:
Top Stories
HEALTH CARE: Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) will craft legislation this year to create a state research institute dedicated to the treatment and prevention of dementia. Patrick said Monday the new institute would be modeled on a cancer research center Texas funds, one that has drawn top scientists to the state. (Pluribus News)
Dementia costs the nation about $360 billion annually, including $231 billion in Medicare and Medicaid spending, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
MORE: Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) has signed legislation giving residents access to follow-up breast cancer screenings and exams. The legislation will benefit patients whose initial exams return abnormal results or who have dense breast tissue. (MassLive)
EVEN MORE: The Michigan House has approved legislation repealing work requirements for the state Medicaid program. Work requirements were included in state law under then-Gov. Rick Snyder (R) in 2018, but they have been on hold since a 2020 court ruling. (Michigan Advance)
ABORTION: A state judge has struck down Wyoming’s ban on abortion and a first-in-the-nation ban on medication used to end pregnancies. The judge ruled the bans violate a state constitutional right allowing individuals to make their own health care decisions. (Associated Press)
MORE: Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) said Monday her administration would expand its stockpile of the abortion drug mifepristone. The state has secured a new stockpile of drugs that won’t expire until September 2028. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
WORKFORCE: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) has signed legislation requiring employers with more than 10 workers to disclose compensation ranges and benefits in job postings. The bill also requires employers to disclose promotional opportunities to current employees. (New Jersey Monitor)
In Politics & Business
DEMOCRATS: Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) is resigning his post as commissioner of the Social Security Administration to run for chairman of the Democratic National Committee. (Baltimore Banner) Minnesota Democratic Party chair Ken Martin entered the race with 83 endorsements from DNC members. (New York Times) Wisconsin Democratic Party chair Ben Wikler is likely to run as well. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
The New York Times asked O’Malley how he felt about the way the hit television show “The Wire” showcased his hometown of Baltimore. “I think we’re done,” O’Malley replied.
ALASKA: A ballot measure to repeal Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system has fallen behind for the first time as final ballots are counted. About 5,100 votes remain to be counted, and the no side — a vote to keep the existing ranked-choice system — leads by 192 votes. (Alaska Beacon)
VIRGINIA: Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) will seek re-election in 2025 rather than run for governor, he said Monday. Miyares’s decision avoids a potential primary with Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R), who announced her bid for office earlier this year. (Washington Post) Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) endorsed Earle-Sears. (Washington Examiner)
COLORADO: Republicans have denied Democrats a supermajority in the state House of Representatives after final counts showed GOP candidates narrowly winning two seats. Rep.-elect Rebecca Keltie (R) won her Colorado Springs-based seat by just seven votes. (Colorado Sun)
OHIO: House Speaker Jason Stephens (R) has dropped his bid for a second term in the face of a challenge from current Senate President Matt Huffman (R). Rep. Tim Barhorst (R) entered the race, saying he was troubled by Huffman’s support of primary challengers to sitting House Republicans. (Columbus Dispatch, Statehouse News Bureau)
By The Numbers
76.3%: The share of eligible voters in Minnesota who cast a ballot in this year’s elections, the top turnout rate in the nation — for now. Final vote counts in Wisconsin could put Minnesota’s neighbor slightly ahead, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon (D) said. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
13,400: The number of Washington State residents who registered to vote on Election Day, the highest number of same-day registrants the state has ever recorded. By comparison, 10,300 new voters signed up on Election Day 2020. (Washington State Standard)
23 states — including conservative bastions like Idaho, Wyoming and Utah — allow same-day registration.
Off The Wall
A Norwegian fishing vessel landed a massive catch last week: The USS Virginia. The 32-foot fishing trawler snagged the 377-foot nuclear-powered submarine as it was heading to port escorted by a Norwegian Coast Guard vessel, which had to cut the sub free. The Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy said they would reimburse the fishermen for the destroyed nets. (New York Daily News)
The sun set in Utqiagvik, Alaska — formerly Barrow — at 1:27 p.m. local time on Monday, and it won’t reappear until Jan. 22, 2025. America’s northernmost town spends a quarter of its days with temperatures that never crack zero degrees. (Washington Post)
Quote of the Day
“Strictly House business.”
— Ohio Senate Republican spokesman John Fortney, responding to a reporter’s request for comment from Senate President Matt Huffman, who is running for House speaker, underscoring the awkwardness around Columbus these days. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)