Good morning, it’s Tuesday, May 19, 2026. In today’s edition, warning signs of an active wildfire season ahead; New Jersey limits PBMs; primary elections happening today in six states:
Top Stories
ENVIRONMENT: Western states are bracing for an unusually active wildfire season after a dry winter, a hot beginning to Spring and the looming threat of a strong El Niño system. The National Interagency Fire Center projects increased risk of fire in Arizona, New Mexico, the Pacific Northwest and Gulf Coast states this year. (Pluribus News)
REDISTRICTING: The South Carolina House has approved a resolution limiting lawmakers to one amendment each in a debate over congressional district maps, after House Democrats introduced a flood of proposed changes. Lawmakers must first approve legislation to delay the state primary, in which 11,000 absentee ballots have already been sent out. (WIS TV)
MORE: A federal judge has ordered the consolidation of three separate challenges to Tennessee’s new congressional district lines. The judge denied a temporary restraining order blocking the maps last week. (Tennessee Lookout) A federal judge has rejected a request to throw out legislative district maps approved by Washington’s legislature two years ago. (Washington State Standard)
HEALTHCARE: The New Jersey Assembly has approved legislation standardizing drug costs based on a national index, equalize payments so pharmacy benefit managers can’t negotiate higher reimbursement rates, and prohibit PBMs from steering patients toward their own pharmacies. The bill requires PBMs to act in the best interest of insurance carriers with whom they contract. (New Jersey Monitor)
CONSUMER RIGHTS: The Iowa legislature has given final approval to a bill mandating tow notices be sent to vehicle owners within ten days of issuance. The bill also gives owners 20 days, instead of the current ten, to pay fees and storage costs to reclaim vehicles before those vehicles are sold at public auction. (Des Moines Register)
MORE: The Rhode Island Senate Commerce Committee has approved legislation requiring grocery stores to limit the number of self-checkout kiosks to the same number as regular checkout lanes that are open. The bill was watered down to exclude other retailers from the mandate. (Providence Journal)
ECONOMY: Colorado lawmakers have given final approval to legislation creating an Artist Corporation, a type of limited liability company that allows artists to maintain ownership of work they produce. Colorado would be the first state in the nation to create a category of business specifically for artists. (Colorado Public Radio)
In Politics & Business
Voters are voting! Primary elections are being held today in Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon and Pennsylvania.
TEXAS: A Texas Southern University poll finds Gov. Greg Abbott (R) leading state Rep. Gina Hinojosa (D) 49% to 43%, while 3% choose Libertarian Pat Dixon. Abbott and Hinojosa are tied among Hispanic voters, and independents break for Hinojosa by 13 points. But Abbott holds a 16-point edge among men. And a 26-point edge among whites. (TSU)
KANSAS: Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt (R) has selected Kansas Farm Bureau president Joe Newland (R) as her lieutenant governor running mate. Schmidt said Newland would serve as Secretary of Agriculture along with his lieutenant governor duties if the ticket wins. (State Affairs)
OHIO: A group of Republican lawmakers have introduced proposed amendments to enshrine the state’s voter ID law into the state constitution. The measures will be heard by House and Senate committees tomorrow. They require three-fifths support from both chambers to make the 2026 ballot. (State Affairs)
NEW MEXICO: The Forward Party, co-founded by former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, has submitted enough signatures to obtain minor party status. The party will field candidates for U.S. Senate, the Public Education Commission, state auditor and a state House district. (Albuquerque Journal)
By The Numbers
$59.47 million: The amount lobbyists earned in the first three months of the year to influence the Florida legislature. That’s about $4 million more than was spent in the same quarter in 2025, and $6 million more than the same period in 2024. (State Affairs)
$192.4 million: The amount hedge fund manager Tom Steyer (D) has spent on his gubernatorial primary this year. That’s on top of the $342 million he spent on his own presidential bid in 2020. (Los Angeles Times)
$157,369.92: The amount in damages Michigan state Senate candidate Jason Tunney (R) is seeking against a 23-year old who used artificial intelligence to create a series of videos showing a fake Tunney kissing another man. The lawsuit cites legislation pending before Congress that would outlaw nonconsensual deepfake videos. (MLive)
Off The Wall
A 3-year old black-furred wolf has become the first of its kind to enter Sequoia National Park in more than a century. The wolf, dubbed BEY03F, was also the first to visit Los Angeles and Inyo counties in decades, after wolves returned to California about 15 years ago. (Los Angeles Times)
North Dakota State Geologist Ed Murphy is retiring this summer after 49 years in public service. At a meeting of the North Dakota Industrial Commission last week, Murphy regaled lawmakers and officials with stories of rattlesnakes, black widow spiders and a possible exposure to rabies. (Fargo Forum)
Wyatt Earp is running for office. Well, he’s running to keep the office he’s held for the last 21 years, as chairman of the Ocean County, N.J., Democratic Party. We just like his name. (New Jersey Globe)
Quote of the Day
“It’s going to lose, so we might as well get on to the work of finding alternatives.”
— Oregon Rep. Paul Evans (D), on a ballot measure asking voters to repeal a bill raising gas taxes. The measure comes as gas prices spike in the midst of the war with Iran. (Associated Press)