Good morning, it’s Friday, July 11, 2025. In today’s edition, states create wildlife crossings to reduce traffic accidents; Pennsylvania Senate to consider legal pot; judge blocks birthright citizenship order:
Top Stories
PUBLIC SAFETY: State governments in California, Colorado, Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts and Oregon are building wildlife crossings over busy highways in an effort to reduce the more than one million collisions between animals and traffic each year. Studies show well-placed crossings paired with fencing can reduce crashes by up to 90%. (Pluribus News)
MARIJUANA: Pennsylvania Sens. Dan Laughlin (R) and Sharif Street (D) introduced legislation creating a framework for legal recreational marijuana. The measure would ban public consumption of pot and allow existing medical marijuana operators to apply for permits to sell recreational pot. (State Affairs)
A House-passed version of a legalization bill died in the Republican-controlled Senate earlier this year.
IMMIGRATION: A federal judge in New Hampshire has blocked enforcement of President Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship. The judge granted class action status to three non-citizen parents, meaning the order applies nationwide to children born to undocumented immigrants and those with temporary status. (New Hampshire Public Radio)
HEALTH CARE: Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) has signed legislation requiring the state to seek permission from the federal Department of Health and Human Services to hire a generic drug-maker to manufacture cheaper versions of Ozempic, Wegovy and similar GLP-1 drugs. (CT Insider)
WORKFORCE: Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) has signed legislation repealing a voter-approved law guaranteeing paid sick leave and inflationary adjustments to the minimum wage. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) also signed legislation making changes to a voter-approved sick leave law passed last year. (Associated Press)
Missouri voters approved Proposition A, establishing paid sick leave and a $13.75 minimum wage, with 57% of the vote last year.
YOUTH RIGHTS: Missouri Gov. Kehoe has signed legislation barring anyone under the age of 18 from getting married. The measure also bans nondisclosure agreements in child sexual abuse cases to prevent silencing victims. (KCUR)
TRANSPORTATION: California Sen. Dave Cortese (D), chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, says a loss of federal funding won’t derail the state’s hopes of building high-speed rail. Cortese said litigation would slow the Department of Transportation’s attempts to cancel $4 billion in federal grants. (State Affairs)
In Politics & Business
TEXAS: State Sen. Angela Paxton (R) said Thursday she had filed for divorce from Attorney General Ken Paxton (R). Angela Paxton said the couple had stopped living together more than a year ago, and that she needed to end the marriage “in light of recent discoveries.” (Texas Tribune)
Why it matters: Ken Paxton is challenging U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R) in next year’s Republican primary. A spokeswoman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which backs incumbents, attacked Paxton.
INDIANA: State Rep. Robb Greene (R) has been tapped to serve as executive director of the state Republican Party. Greene replaces Josh Waddell, who is leaving for a job in Gov. Mike Braun’s (R) administration. (State Affairs)
Greene helped found a meal delivery service called ClusterTruck. That’s good for a solid Friday chuckle.
NEW YORK CITY: Financiers are moving to raise at least $20 million for an outside group aimed at opposing Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani’s (D) campaign for mayor. This line caught our eye: “Political strategists and financiers say the opening weeks of the general election have been chaotic. They complain the anti-Mamdani bulwark lacks a positive message. And a candidate. And enough voters to win.” (Wall Street Journal)
Other than that, everything’s going swimmingly.
By The Numbers
3: The number of committees in Missouri’s state legislature studying government efficiency. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
$750 million: The estimated impact to New York caused by the federal reconciliation bill President Trump signed last week. That amounts to a $3 billion annual cut when the new fiscal year begins April 1. (Politico)
16: The number of named storms expected during the 2025 hurricane season, according to new estimates from Colorado State University, slightly above the 14.4 average between 1991 and 2020. Researchers estimate there will be eight hurricanes and three major hurricanes during the season. (Providence Journal)
Off The Wall
The New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of South Seaside Park, a small community that’s trying to secede from Berkeley Township. South Seaside Park residents say they have to travel up to 16 miles through seven other municipalities to access city services. (NJ Advance Media)
Police in British Columbia are cleaning up after a traffic jam — literally. Several crates of freshly-picked blueberries fell onto a roadway, where they created a sticky mess for drivers. (UPI)
The terrible puns write themselves. Officers were berried with work. What a juicy story.
Quote of the Day
“I’ve sat across the table from some of the world’s most difficult leaders and wrestled with some of our most intractable problems. Nothing has prepared me for working with Larry David.”
— Former President Barack Obama, announcing a new miniseries on HBO on American history, executive produced by the Curb Your Enthusiasm star. (Associated Press)