Good morning, it’s Tuesday, August 20, 2024. In today’s edition, open primaries on the ballot; Washington lands race a nail-biter; Utah lawmakers call special session on ballot measures:
Top Stories
ELECTIONS: Voters in as many as half a dozen states will cast ballots this year on proposals to open partisan primaries to all, the broadest move to allow independent and crossover votes in a single year. Initiatives have already qualified in Nevada, South Dakota, Idaho, Arizona and the District of Columbia. Final signature-verification is ongoing in Colorado and Montana, too.
The measures would allow anyone to vote for any candidate in a primary election. Details differ by state, but the top finishers would advance to a November showdown, regardless of their party affiliation. Supporters say open primaries incentivize broad coalitions, rather than catering to one’s party base. It’s one way to fix America’s broken politics.
And/but: Politics are still just as nasty in California, Washington and Alaska, three states that already run all-party primaries. Opposition to the measures is bipartisan: In South Dakota, state Democrats just joined state Republicans in urging members to reject the measure. And Democrats in the Colorado legislature approved a law to delay implementation if their state’s measure passes. The takeaway: No politician wants to change a system that resulted in their own election in the first place. Read more at Pluribus News.
ENERGY: The federal government has given Maine the nation’s first floating offshore wind research lease. The lease covers about 15,000 acres about 30 miles off Maine’s southern coast. A dozen floating wind turbines could generate up to 144 megawatts of renewable energy. (Maine Public Radio)
LGBTQ RIGHTS: The Missouri Department of Revenue will now require transgender people to show proof of gender reassignment surgery or a court order before allowing a change in gender markers on someone’s driver’s license. Previously, the department accepted a signature from a physician, therapist or social worker to approve a change. (KCUR)
EDUCATION: California lawmakers have again rejected legislation that would require all families to enroll children in kindergarten. About 95% of California students attend kindergarten already, but parents are not required to send their kids to school until they turn 6. (Los Angeles Times)
In Politics & Business
WASHINGTON: The second- and third-place candidates in the race for Commissioner of Public Lands are separated by 192 votes out of more than 1.9 million cast. King County Council member Dave Upthegrove (D) leads 2020 candidate Sue Kuehl Pederson (R) by 0.01%. The winner will face former U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) in November; Herrera Beutler finished about 23,000 votes ahead of her two rivals. (Seattle Times)
OREGON: Business groups have donated $5.8 million to battle a ballot measure that would increase corporate taxes to provide state residents with $1,600 per year. The grocery chains Kroger, Albertsons and Costco are heavily involved in battling the measure. (Oregonian)
Oregon Democratic legislative leaders came out against the measure earlier this month.
UTAH: State lawmakers will call themselves into special session on Wednesday to consider a constitutional amendment overriding parts of a state Supreme Court ruling that the legislature cannot block a citizen ballot initiative. The court ruled that lawmakers overstepped their authority when they rewrote a 2018 redistricting amendment. (Salt Lake Tribune)
NEVADA: Nevada has launched a Voter Registration and Election Management Solution project to streamline voter registration processes across all 17 counties. Clark County, home to 70% of Nevada’s voters, implemented the system last year. The system will allow better maintenance of voting rolls, Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar (D) said. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
By The Numbers
272%: The increase in spending Delaware’s Group Health Insurance Plan expects on GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy over the current fiscal year. The state paid $14.1 million for those drugs last year — $12 million more than initially projected. (Delaware Public Media)
100: The number of days this year in which California has relied on 100% carbon-free, renewable energy for at least part of the day. It’s the first time California has gone so long using only renewable energy, and the state hasn’t suffered any blackouts or emergency power reductions. (Associated Press)
Off The Wall
Victor Miller, a candidate for mayor in Cheyenne, Wyo., promises to bring in an expert to help him govern: VIC, an AI bot Miller says can help the city run more efficiently. Miller says he was inspired to run after the city erroneously rejected a public-records request he made. (Washington Post)
A prototype Boba Fett action figure made in 1979 has sold at auction for a record $1.342 million. One of only 30 ever produced, it’s now the most expensive toy in history. The product never made it to market over concerns about injury risks to kids from a firing rocket. (UPI)
Quote of the Day
“My grandmother went topless. I’ve seen my aunt going topless. It was very, very popular. So I thought, of course, let’s do that, and let’s liberate the United States.”
— Nadine Gary, president of GoTopless, a group that wants to overturn a Massachusetts law prohibiting women from going without a shirt. (Rhode Island Current)