Good morning, it’s Monday, March 4, 2024. In today’s edition, Florida, Utah lawmakers advance social media restrictions; Oregon to re-criminalize drug possession; Dems suffer defeat in Wisconsin redistricting case:
Top Stories
SOCIAL MEDIA: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) vetoed legislation that would have barred minors under 16 from having a social media account. Legislators released revised language late Friday that would bar minors under 14 from having an account, though 14- and 15-year olds would be allowed to have an account with parental permission. (Pluribus News)
MORE: Utah lawmakers gave final approval to amendments to social media legislation passed last year that requires those under 18 to obtain parental permission to have a social media account. Lawmakers also amended a measure that will allow parents to bring civil claims against social media networks that use algorithms to curate content. (Pluribus News)
CRIMINAL JUSTICE: Oregon lawmakers approved legislation re-criminalizing minor drug possession. The bill comes four years after voters decriminalized possession under Measure 110. (Oregonian) Washington lawmakers approved legislation creating a hotline for hate crimes and bias incidents. (Seattle Times)
LGBTQ RIGHTS: The Colorado House approved legislation allowing someone convicted of a felony to change their name to conform to their gender identity, and a bill to require school staff to use a student’s chosen name. (Associated Press)
ABORTION: New York lawmakers will consider legislation introduced by Sen. Jack Martins (R) declaring that embryos outside a person are not human life, in hopes of protecting IVF procedures from legal challenges. The measure comes in the wake of Alabama’s Supreme Court decision declaring embryos are people. (Albany Times-Union)
MORE: South Dakota lawmakers gave final approval to legislation that will require the Department of Health to create a video explaining the state’s abortion law. Gov. Kristi Noem (R) is expected to sign the measure. (South Dakota Public Broadcasting)
HOUSING: Colorado lawmakers are considering four measures to restrict a homeowners association from foreclosing on properties. The bills would require HOAs to notify owners of delinquent accounts, limit a homeowner’s reimbursement of collection costs and attorneys fees, and reestablish a license requirement for HOA managers that lapsed in 2018. (Denver Post)
HEALTH CARE: New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed a package of health care bills aimed at saving rural hospitals. The bills boost a Health Care Affordability Fund, allocate $50 million in subsidies for vulnerable rural hospitals, and require pharmaceutical companies to report drug prices and trends. (Santa Fe New Mexican)
In Politics & Business
REPUBLICANS: Former President Donald Trump swept caucuses in Idaho and Missouri, and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) won all 19 delegates from the District of Columbia in weekend voting. Trump now holds 244 delegates to Haley’s 43. A candidate must win 1,215 delegates to clinch the nomination. (Associated Press)
DEMOCRATS: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) has traveled to Nevada and Virginia to host fundraisers for local Democratic parties. Pritzker’s Think Big America, a new political group, has donated heavily to abortion rights campaigns in Nevada and Arizona, and to legislative candidates in Virginia ahead of last year’s elections. (Chicago Sun-Times)
WISCONSIN: The state Supreme Court on Friday rejected a challenge to Wisconsin’s congressional district maps, dealing a blow to Democrats who sued to overturn the lines. The court did not give a reason for rejecting the case in a unanimous vote. (Wisconsin Examiner)
INDIANA: The state Democratic Party endorsed former Public Instruction Superintendent Jennifer McCormick (D) for governor. (Northwest Indiana Times) McCormick will face the winner of a crowded Republican primary. Democrats haven’t won the governorship since Frank O’Bannon won re-election in 2000.
NORTH CAROLINA: Trump endorsed Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R) for governor at a rally in Greensboro on Saturday. Robinson leads state Treasurer Dale Folwell (R) and trial attorney Bill Graham (R) in polls ahead of tomorrow’s primary. (Associated Press)
MISSOURI: Gov. Mike Parson (R) commuted a three-year sentence imposed on Britt Reid, an assistant coach for the Kansas City Chiefs and son of head coach Andy Reid. The younger Reid was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to a DUI crash that caused serious bodily harm to a 5 year old girl, who suffered a traumatic brain injury. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
By The Numbers
$464 million: The amount of lobster Maine fishermen brought in last year, a $72 million increase over 2022. The average price of lobster at the dock jumped almost a dollar, to $4.95, accounting for the surge in revenue. Fishermen caught nearly 94 million pounds of lobster, the lowest haul in 15 years. (Maine Public Radio)
45 inches: The amount of snow that fell in Yosemite National Park’s Tuolumne Meadows over the weekend, about four times the amount that falls during a typical storm. (Los Angeles Times)
Off The Wall
New York Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara (D) has introduced legislation to block Wendy’s from its plans to implement dynamic pricing on food items. The fast-food chain backed off its plans after getting roasted online. (State of Politics)
Two Cleveland police horses briefly escaped and galloped toward oncoming traffic on Interstate 90 on Saturday. The horses were safely recaptured, and no one was hurt, so we can safely enjoy the crazy video. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
Quote of the Day
“I could not be more excited about this. I’m just giddy.”
— Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R), on the legislature’s actions around housing this term. Lawmakers approved four major housing bills in the closing hours of session last week. (Deseret News)
Who isn’t giddy over housing legislation?!?