Good morning, it’s Friday, May 30, 2025. In today’s edition, Nebraska, Vermont approve kids’ social media bills; Connecticut backs right to repair; Oregon moves to raise ride share wages:
Top Stories
SOCIAL MEDIA: Lawmakers in Nebraska and Vermont have approved new measures regulating how social media sites interact with minors. Nebraska becomes the first Republican-led state to approve an age-appropriate design code measure; its bill requires social media companies to offer parents and minors easy-to-access tools to customize their experience online. (Pluribus News)
CONSUMER PROTECTION: The Connecticut General Assembly has given final approval to a consumer protection bill that includes “right to repair” language for appliances and electronics. The bill also requires manufacturers to disclose whether televisions, smartphones and appliances can eavesdrop on owners with audio or video links. (Hartford Courant)
GIG ECONOMY: The Oregon Senate Rules Committee has approved a new bill requiring ride share companies to guarantee drivers a minimum wage of $0.39 per minute before or during a ride and $1.34 per mile driven. The bill would require Uber and Lyft to offer paid sick leave to drivers. (Oregonian)
HEALTH CARE: The Oregon House has approved legislation barring management services organizations from controlling interests in local health care provider offices. The bill also limits the use of non-compete agreements for those in the medical field. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
PUBLIC HEALTH: The Illinois legislature has given unanimous approval to a bill requiring public libraries to maintain naloxone and other opioid reversal drugs. The bill requires libraries to have a staff member on duty who is trained in administering the medication. (CBS Chicago)
PUBLIC SAFETY: Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R) has signed a bill increasing penalties for crimes involving fentanyl. The bill also requires courts to consider whether someone accused of domestic violence should be made to wear a monitoring device as a condition of bail. (Indiana Capital Chronicle)
HOUSING: The Maine legislature has approved a new fund to spend up to $750 per academic year to families of students at risk of homelessness for housing-related needs. A pilot program helped more than 800 students stay off the streets, the bill’s sponsor said. (Maine Morning Star)
AGRICULTURE: The Texas House has approved a measure banning people connected to the governments of China, North Korea, Russia and Iran from purchasing land in the state. The measure restricts those in the U.S. on work or student visas from buying controlling interests in land as a business investment. (Texas Tribune)
In Politics & Business
2028: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) will address Democratic conventions in South Carolina and California this weekend, fueling speculation that he’s considering a 2028 bid for president. Walz was invited to South Carolina by Rep. Jim Clyburn (D); Walz will attend Clyburn’s annual fish fry tonight. (Minnesota Star Tribune)
Neither California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) nor former Vice President Kamala Harris will appear at the California Democratic convention. (Los Angeles Times)
NEBRASKA: Gov. Jim Pillen (R) formally launched his re-election campaign Thursday with a red-meat appeal to the GOP base. Businessman Charles Herbster (R), a close ally of President Trump, is considering a second bid against Pillen. (Nebraska Examiner)
NEVADA: Douglas County Commissioner Danny Tarkanian (R) will run for attorney general in 2026, he said this week. Tarkanian, the son of legendary UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian, has run for Congress and Senate seats several times over the years. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
MICHIGAN: The billionaire DeVos family will launch the Michigan Forward Network, a conservative advocacy group dedicated to swinging the state to the right. The group will be led by former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel. (BridgeMI)
By The Numbers
$7.135 billion: The size of Mississippi’s new state budget, after lawmakers approved the proposal in a special session that lasted until just after midnight. That’s up about $100 million from the state’s last budget. (Magnolia Tribune)
77: The number of U.S. Postal Service employees who were attacked by dogs last year in Los Angeles, the third year in a row the city saw more attacks than anywhere else in America. The number of attacks on postal workers is rising, from 5,300 in 2022 to 6,000 in 2024. (Los Angeles Times)
Off The Wall
13-year old Faizan Zaki has won the annual Scripps National Spelling Bee after finishing in second place last year. Zaki, a Texas native, won the bee by correctly spelling “eclaircissement,” which means a clearing up of something obscure. (ESPN)
A Chinese paraglider testing out some equipment accidentally soared to more than 28,200 feet in the Qilian Mountain Range, nearly the height of Mount Everest. The 55-year old meant to test the equipment at 10,000 feet, but a strong gust of wind lifted him well above the clouds. He landed safely about 20 miles from his take-off spot. (New York Times)
Get ready for the cicada invasion: Brood XIV, which emerges every 17 years, is digging its way to the surface across the eastern United States. If you have the stomach for it, the Associated Press has a photo gallery of the nasty little monsters.
Quote of the Day
“My opinion is, you extend it, it just gives them more time to leverage against Missouri, so why do we want to do that?”
— Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins (R), warning the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals that a stadium-funding incentive plan will expire by the end of June. (Kansas City Star)