Good morning, it’s Wednesday, May 20, 2026. In today’s edition, GOP lawmakers seek higher bar for regulations; Spanberger vetos pot, prescription drug bills; Georgia Republicans head to gubernatorial runoff:
Top Stories
ENVIRONMENT: Republican lawmakers in at least five states have introduced “best available science” bills in the past two years, which require state agencies to meet higher benchmarks when imposing stricter regulations. Those benchmarks include demonstrating that exposure to a substance or chemical is causally linked to bodily harm in humans. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has testified in favor of the bills they say will improve the business climate. (Pluribus News)
MARIJUANA: Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) vetoed legislation on Tuesday that would have created regulations allowing the operation of a legal recreational marijuana market. Spanberger had asked the legislature to make dozens of changes to the bill they passed, but the legislature refused. Spanberger says she wants the legal cannabis market operating by July 2027. (Pluribus News)
HEALTHCARE: Spanberger also vetoed legislation to create a prescription drug affordability board, the third time the measure has been vetoed in recent years. Though the bill won bipartisan support, Spanberger said it would cost too much and that PDABs have not proven effective in reining in prices. (Virginia Mercury)
GAMBLING: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) has signed legislation banning the operation or advertising of prediction markets, the first state to issue an outright ban. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission immediately sued to block the law, after filing lawsuits in Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois and New York. (State Affairs)
REDISTRICTING: The South Carolina House approved a new congressional district map early this morning aimed at giving Republicans a shot at winning the seat held by U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn (D), the lone Democrat representing the state in Congress. The bill faces an uncertain fate in the Senate, where lawmakers are worried about overreaching and giving Democrats a chance to win more seats. (Associated Press)
ABORTION: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) has signed legislation restricting mail-order abortion medication. The bill would require Iowans to see a doctor in person to obtain abortion-inducing medication. (Des Moines Register)
ENERGY: Three New Jersey lawmakers will introduce legislation to halt hundreds of millions in tax incentives for data centers. The bill would recoup $250 million in planned tax incentives. (New Jersey Globe) The Ohio House General Government Committee heard testimony on legislation to prohibit public incentives for new data centers and to restrict construction on farmland. The bill would also bar the use of eminent domain to construct new data centers. (State Affairs)
EDUCATION: Twenty-four Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia have sued the Trump administration challenging recent caps on federal student loans. The lawsuit claims the new rules would make it harder for students pursuing certain healthcare degrees to get the necessary training and education. (Associated Press)
In Politics & Business
GEORGIA: Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R) and businessman Rick Jackson (R) will advance to the June 16 runoff in the race for governor after finishing with 38% and 33% in Tuesday’s primaries. The winner will face former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D), who took 56% in the Democratic primary. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Jackson had led most polling ahead of the primary after spending tens of millions on ads introducing himself to GOP voters.
MORE: Supreme Court Justices Sarah Hawkins Warren and Charles Bethel both withstood challenges from liberal rivals in Tuesday’s elections. Bethel won by just 43,000 votes out of 1.9 million cast, while Warren won by a wider 59% to 41% margin. (New York Times)
ALABAMA: U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R) took 84% of the vote in the GOP primary for governor, while former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones (D) took 79% to win the Democratic primary. Tuberville and Jones will face off again after their 2020 matchup, in which Tuberville unseated Jones from the Senate. (AL.com) Former state GOP chair John Wahl (R) and Secretary of State Wes Allen (R) will meet in a runoff for the lieutenant governor nomination.
IDAHO: Gov. Brad Little (R) dispatched several rivals, claiming 59% of the vote in the GOP primary. He will face Terri Pickens (D), the nominee for lieutenant governor in 2022, in November. (Idaho Statesman)
OREGON: The gubernatorial contest this year will be a rematch from 2022, after state Sen. Christine Drazan (R) won the Republican nomination on Tuesday with 42% of the vote. Drazan faces off against Gov. Tina Kotek (D), who won in 2022 by a 3.5-point margin. (Oregonian)
Our Quote of the Day yesterday was from an Oregon representative bemoaning the likely fate of a ballot measure to raise gas taxes. Sure enough, the measure failed by a whopping 83%-17% margin.
RHODE ISLAND: A new Emerson College poll finds former CVS executive Helena Foulkes (D) leading Gov. Dan McKee (D) by a 40% to 20% margin, with 37% undecided. Foulkes leads by 12 among registered Democrats, and by 32 points among independents. (Emerson)
By The Numbers
Nearly 5 million: The number of people likely to leave enrollment in healthcare plans under the Affordable Car Act, according to a new analysis from KFF. Those who remain will face higher costs: The average enrollee’s deductible will grow by more than $1,000, while monthly premiums are set to rise by $65. (Associated Press)
$2 billion: The amount communities and environmental groups in the Colorado River Basin are seeking from Congress in the midst of a widespread drought. The groups are urging Congress to create a permanent federal funding mechanism to support conservation projects. (Colorado Public Radio)
Off The Wall
Cameron the Capitol Cat, a longtime fixture at the Nebraska Capitol building, is moving to a new home and won’t be back for the next legislative session. Over the years, Cameron has gotten his photo taken with lawmakers and even Gov. Jim Pillen (R), who issued a statement saying he’d miss his feline buddy. (Nebraska Examiner)
Canvassers in Tennessee are set to get some relief: The legislature has approved a bill allowing those campaigning for their favorite candidates to use restrooms in polling locations. Current law requires anyone campaigning for a candidate to stay 100 feet away from polling places. (State Affairs)
A biotech company aiming to revive extinct species said it had hatched live chicks in an artificial environment. The 26 baby chickens were born from a 3D-printed lattice structure that mimics an eggshell. (Associated Press)
Did we learn nothing from Jurassic Park?!?
Quote of the Day
“I love it and it’s a beautiful state — to drive through.”
— North Carolina Sen. Bill Rabon (R), on neighboring Virginia. (State Affairs)