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Good morning, it’s Friday, June 6, 2025. In today’s edition, Colorado regulates PBMs; Rhode Island approves semiautomatic weapons ban; Indiana Gov. Braun mulls White House bid:
Top Stories
HEALTH CARE: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) has signed legislation de-linking revenue pharmacy benefit managers generate from prescription drug prices. Beginning in 2027, those managers will be paid a flat service fee rather than profiting from rebates or other price-based fees, in an effort to lower drug prices. (Pluribus News)
GUN POLITICS: The Rhode Island House has approved legislation banning the sale and manufacture of certain semiautomatic weapons. The measure applies to firearms that have the ability to accept detachable magazines and have at lease one attachment. (Rhode Island Current)
IMMIGRATION: Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) has signed legislation requiring local law enforcement agencies to collect fingerprints and DNA samples from undocumented immigrants before their release. The collection will be funded by new court fees. (Yellowhammer News)
LABOR: The Oregon House has approved legislation allowing unemployment benefits for workers on strike. The bill would provide up to 26 weeks of benefits to striking workers, much more than the six weeks provided under a similar law approved this year in neighboring Washington. (Oregonian)
ENERGY: The Oregon legislature approved a bill to allow the state Public Utility Commission to charge data centers and crypto mining operations more for electricity consumption, to avoid passing costs onto consumers. The measure exempts semiconductor manufacturers. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
MARIJUANA: North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) has signed an executive order establishing an Advisory Council on Cannabis. The panel will make recommendations for a statewide approach to cannabis as lawmakers consider whether to legalize medical marijuana. (NC Newsline)
ELECTIONS: Democratic attorneys general from 19 states will head to court today in a lawsuit today seeking to block President Trump’s executive order applying to elections. The attorneys general say Trump’s executive order, which would require voters to show proof of citizenship when registering and set new rules for voting equipment, violates states’ constitutional rights to set elections policy. (Associated Press)
In Politics & Business
2028: Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R) has discussed the idea of running for president in 2028. Braun, a former U.S. senator who just won election to the governorship in 2024, has kept up a national profile with appearances on Fox News. (Politico)
CONNECTICUT: Gov. Ned Lamont (D) says he is increasingly inclined to run for a third term next year. Lamont cited the Trump administration and possible future economic challenges, but he said Democrats in the state have a deep bench if he opts against re-election. (CT Mirror)
OHIO: House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D) will leave leadership at the end of the month, once the state budget is finished. Russo, a rumored future statewide candidate, is mum about any potential campaigns down the road. (Columbus Dispatch)
MISSOURI: The state Senate has approved legislation to cover half the costs of new stadiums for the Kansas City Royals and Chiefs. Three Democrats and ten Republicans voted against the measure, which is expected to cost $1.5 billion over 30 years. (KCUR)
By The Numbers
40: The number of days New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) has spent outside the state, out of 76 days since the legislative session ended March 22. Grisham, who faces term limits next year, has visited Asia, Maryland, Los Angeles and the Kentucky Derby. (Albuquerque Journal)
249: The number of businesses that won a lottery to begin the licensing process to open cannabis shops in Minnesota. A total of 776 applicants submitted the forms necessary to participate in the lottery. (MPR News)
Off The Wall
The New Zoo & Adventure Park in Green Bay has called off the search for an otter that escaped during a March snowstorm. Louie the otter was born in the wild, and zoo officials said he had “made the decision to be a wild otter.” (UPI)
A DoorDash delivery driver managed to breach perimeter security at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport last month, pulling up next to a United wide body before being confronted by baggage handlers. Police released the driver, who had the food order and a receipt with him, without citation. (WGN)
Quote of the Day
“There was no hanky panky there. It’s all above board.”
— Former Nebraska Liquor Control Commissioner Harry Hoch Jr., whose tenure on the commission ended last month. Hoch said he had been told Gov. Jim Pillen (R) would not reappoint him, and that Pillen wanted someone with cannabis industry experience on the board. (Nebraska Examiner)