Good morning, it’s Tuesday, June 23, 2026. In today’s edition, states plot advanced air mobility; Virginia lawmakers agree to data center consumption tax; voters head to the polls in four states:
Top Stories
TRANSPORTATION: The U.S. Department of Transportation is piloting eight projects across 26 states to spur the advanced air mobility industry through applications including wildfire response, package delivery and passenger transportation. Some states have entered into regional partnerships, exploring the feasibility of regional air service across 13 states. (Pluribus News)
ENERGY: Virginia lawmakers have adopted a compromise budget bill that levies an electricity consumption fee for data centers, but leaves intact sales and use tax exemptions that cost the state nearly $2 billion annually. The budget would impose a $0.011 per kilowatt hour fee on electricity consumed by data centers per month, capped at $600 million annually. (Pluribus News)
JUDICIARY: North Carolina lawmakers have approved legislation barring outside investors from funding civil litigation in exchange for a financial stake in the outcome. The measure won unanimous approval in the House and near-unanimous approval in the Senate; the bill includes exemptions for attorney advancement of litigation costs and family support. (Carolina Journal)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Hawaii lawmakers have given final approval to legislation requiring AI chatbots to provide disclosures to users, establish protocols for responding to suicidal ideation or self-harm, and implement more safeguards. Violations would be treated as unfair or deceptive acts under state consumer protection laws. (Hawaii News Now)
SOCIAL MEDIA: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) plans to sign legislation that would require social media companies to verify user ages and restrict content harmful to minors. The bill places the requirement for age verification on device manufacturers and operating system developers, instead of on social media companies themselves, in an attempt to end-run litigation that has blocked other state age verification measures. (Center Square)
MORE: Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin (R) is suing online gaming platform Roblox and messaging service Discord, claiming the platforms put children at risk from predators. Griffin sued under the state Deceptive Trade Practices Act, asking a court to declare the business practices as a public nuisance. (Arkansas Democrat Gazette)
SNAP: A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from barring the use of SNAP benefits to buy sugary drinks and candy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved waivers for more than 20 states to bar such purchases. Recipients in five states sued over the waivers in March, arguing they made it difficult to manage health conditions like diabetes. (New York Times)
HOUSING: New Jersey lawmakers are considering a bill to authorize developers to convert qualifying retail centers, office parks and vacant shopping malls into mixed-use development that includes residential units. The bill would require at least 20% of new housing units to be designated as affordable housing. (NJ Advance Media)
In Politics & Business
Voters are voting! Primary elections take place today in Maryland, New York and Utah, while South Carolina is holding runoff elections.
SOUTH CAROLINA: A new InsiderAdvantage survey finds Attorney General Alan Wilson (R) leading Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette (R) in the gubernatorial runoff by a 61% to 29% margin. Evette led Wilson in the primary by a 29% to 26% margin. (InsiderAdvantage)
MICHIGAN: President Trump has endorsed U.S. Rep. John James (R) for governor over businessman Perry Johnson (R) and former Attorney General Mike Cox (R). The decision led state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R) to drop his bid for the GOP nomination. (State Affairs)
WISCONSIN: Former Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Secretary Missy Hughes (D) has dropped her bid for governor, throwing her support behind Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez (D). Hughes said it was time for other low-polling Democrats to drop out to coalesce behind leading candidates. (State Affairs)
PEOPLE: Lynn Bartels, a longtime Rocky Mountain News and Denver Post political reporter, has died at 69. Bartels was diagnosed with brain cancer earlier this year after a three-decade career as the state’s best political reporter. (Colorado Sun)
We had the honor of meeting Bartels a few times. She was a giant in Colorado politics.
By The Numbers
541: The number of vetoes Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) has issued since she became governor in 2023. Hobbs vetoed another 88 bills over the weekend, bringing her total for the year to 151. (State Affairs)
More than 70%: The share of California high school seniors who completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid applications, a record high. The state has set a goal for 80% of students to complete FAFSA applications. (Los Angeles Times)
$23.2 million: The amount California has spent over the last three years on laptops for incarcerated students enrolled in community college courses. Over 21,000 courses took place in prisons during the fall of 2025. (CalMatters)
Off The Wall
A candidate running for a seat in the Kansas House will be left off the ballot after her paperwork was left on a UPS delivery truck. A screenshot shows the paperwork was delivered on time, but officials in the Secretary of State’s office said it was delayed because of extra screening by the Kansas Highway Patrol. The package actually arrived at 3:38 p.m. on filing day, after the noon deadline. (Topeka Capital-Journal)
World Cup venues are rolling out unique food offerings at this year’s matches. Some of the options include a $22 Twinkie cheeseburger in Los Angeles, a $75 caviar-topped tray of tater tots in Miami and a $34 lobster roll in Kansas City. Vancouver’s stadium is offering short rib poutine. (Associated Press)
Quote of the Day
“If California goes unchecked, consumers will be forced to pay more for basic necessities.”
— Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R), on a lawsuit he filed along with 16 other states seeking to block a California law banning single-use plastic bags. (Los Angeles Times)