Good morning, it’s Friday, June 23, 2023. In today’s edition, 3M reaches settlement in forever chemicals suits; Maine approves abortion rights expansion; new poll in La. Gov race:
Top Stories
TECHNOLOGY: Oregon lawmakers have passed a comprehensive data privacy bill, the sixth state to do so this year. The bill allows consumers the right to find out what data a company has about them and to request the data be deleted. (Pluribus News) Oregon lawmakers on Thursday approved a bill banning TikTok from state-owned cell phones and computers. Oregon will join 27 other states and the federal government in banning the app. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
ENVIRONMENT: The chemical giant 3M has agreed to a $10.3 billion settlement with American cities and towns over claims that the company contaminated drinking water with PFAS chemicals. The company faces 4,000 lawsuits from state and local governments. (New York Times)
ABORTION: North Carolina Republicans are tinkering with a new law that bans abortions after 12 weeks in an effort to get around litigation filed by Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, which sued over what it calls confusing and inconsistent language in the original bill. The legislation clarifies that medication abortions are legal up to 12 weeks. (Associated Press)
MORE: The Maine House approved legislation allowing abortions any time before birth if deemed necessary by a medical provider. Current state law bans abortions after 24 weeks, unless the mother’s life is at risk. (Portland Press Herald, Associated Press) A Teton County judge has temporarily blocked a first-of-its-kind Wyoming ban on medication abortions that was set to take effect next month. (Casper Star Tribune)
LGBTQ RIGHTS: North Carolina’s state House gave final approval to legislation that will bar transgender girls from women’s school sports teams. Gov. Roy Cooper (D) is expected to veto the bill, but the measure passed with enough votes to override a veto. (NC Newsline, Associated Press)
EDUCATION: Wisconsin legislators voted Thursday to cut the University of Wisconsin System’s budget by $32 million, the amount they estimate the 13 universities will spend on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives over the next two years. Gov. Tony Evers (D) has threatened to veto the entire state budget over the cuts. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Associated Press)
CRIMINAL JUSTICE: The Delaware House approved legislation rolling back confidentiality provisions in the state Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights. The bill would require police agencies to inform the state Council on Police Training when an investigation finds an officer engaged in sexual assault, harassment, dishonest conduct or domestic violence. (Associated Press) New Hampshire legislators have reached agreement on legislation banning so-called “gay panic” defenses in homicide cases. The bill is expected to pass in coming days. (WMUR)
HEALTH CARE: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) used new authority granted by the legislature to limit the number of enrollees in state-funded health care programs aimed at noncitizens. Pritzker ordered a pause to a program that serves those between the ages of 42 and 64 who would be eligible for Medicaid based on income levels but not citizenship status. (State Journal-Register)
WORKFORCE: The Michigan House approved two bills allowing teachers and school counselors with credentials from another state, country or a federally recognized tribe to apply for a teaching certificate. (Detroit Free Press) The Pennsylvania House has approved legislation granting student teachers $15,000 stipends during 12 weeks of required student teaching assignments. (Harrisburg Patriot-News)
In Politics & Business
LOUISIANA: A new poll from The Kitchens Group and Vantage Data House shows Attorney General Jeff Landry (R) leading the field to replace term-limited Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) with 31% of the vote. Former Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson (D) takes 21%, while three other Republicans and an independent took less than 6%. (New Orleans Times-Picayune)
KENTUCKY: Defending Bluegrass Values, a group funded by the Democratic Governors Association, is running new ads in Kentucky seeking to tie Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R) to pardons issued by former Gov. Matt Bevin (R). Bevin lost to Gov. Andy Beshear (D) in 2019. (Kentucky Fried Politics)
ARIZONA: Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richter (R) is suing former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake (R) for defamation over Lake’s repeated false claims that Richter sabotaged the 2022 midterm elections. Arizona law does not give Richter the responsibility for or jurisdiction over printing ballots. (Arizona Republic)
PEOPLE: Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Robin Lynne died unexpectedly on Wednesday at age 70. Wynne won re-election to an eight-year term in November. (Arkansas Times) Our condolences to the Arkansas political family.
By The Numbers
38.9: The median age of America’s population in 2022, according to new data from the Census Bureau. That’s a higher median age than ever before, as “echo boomers” — the children of the baby boom generation — reach 40. Seventeen states have median ages over 40. (Census Bureau)
$32.1 million: The amount University of Connecticut men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley will be paid over the next six years. The new contract makes Hurley the highest-paid Connecticut state employee ever. (New Haven Register)
Off The Wall
A new historic marker identifies a plot of land at 396 Northampton Street in Boston’s South End as the site of the first home where Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King lived after they got married in 1953. Massachusetts officials have added other markers in recent years to commemorate MLK’s time in Boston. (Boston Globe)
Sue Nelson is celebrating 25 years as the organist for the Minnesota Twins. Nelson started her career with the Minnesota North Stars in 1981, when the regular organist didn’t show up, before moving to the Twins in 1998. “I’ve seen the really good of the Twins and then some of the not so good,” she said. (WCCO)
Watch your back, Idaho: Oregon legislators voted Thursday to make the potato the official state vegetable. Oregon is responsible for almost a quarter of the french fries exported from the U.S. State Rep. Janelle Bynum (D) submitted a statement of potential conflict of interest because she owns several McDonald’s franchises. (Oregonian)
Quote of the Day
“Wouldn’t it be a lot easier for us just to behave?”
— Oregon state Rep. Greg Smith (R), voting in favor of a bill that would give the legislature the authority to impeach state officials. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)