Good morning, it’s Tuesday, May 26, 2026. In today’s edition, Teamsters oppose driverless vehicle legislation; South Carolina sets redistricting vote; Jones leads Jackson in Georgia runoff poll:
Top Stories
TRANSPORTATION: The Teamsters Union is emerging as a key opponent of driverless vehicle legislation. The labor group helped defeat bills to allow autonomous vehicle operations in Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, Virginia and Washington, and it’s working to kill legislation in Illinois ahead of the end of session. The union backed a Colorado bill, approved last week, that would require a human driver in commercial autonomous trucks. Similar bills have been introduced in California, Delaware, Massachusetts and Tennessee. (Pluribus News)
REDISTRICTING: The South Carolina Senate has set up a potential vote on Tuesday to redraw the state’s congressional district lines. Early voting in the state’s primary elections begins the same day. Some Republican senators oppose the redistricting plan, fearing that breaking up U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn’s (D) district could allow Democrats to win more than one seat. (Associated Press)
GAMBLING: Louisiana, Oklahoma and Tennessee have enacted new laws banning online sweepstakes games. Digital sweepstakes games resemble online casino gambling, including virtual slot machines, video poker, sports wagering, bingo and lottery games. The measures close a loophole that allow users to purchase digital tokens rather than wagering straight cash. (State Affairs)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: The Michigan House Communications and Technology Committee has unanimously approved a bill to create a pilot program seeking to use AI to make government more effective, and to provide oversight. The bill would create an AI governing board within the state Department of Technology, Management and Budget. (MLive)
ENERGY: Utah’s House Natural Resources Interim Committee is opening a study on the impacts of data centers on wildlife, water and air. The unanimous vote comes after backlash to a massive data center project in Box Elder County, backed by celebrity investor Kevin O’Leary. (Fox13)
MARIJUANA: A New Jersey Senate committee has advanced legislation allowing the sale of beverages that contain up to 200 milligrams of THC, 40 times higher than current limits on THC drinks sold in cannabis dispensaries. The bill would also allow certain bars to sell hemp beverages for off-premises consumption. Police groups oppose the measure, which is sponsored by Senate President Nick Scutari (D). (New Jersey Monitor)
FRAUD: Vice President J.D. Vance has invited state attorneys general to the White House on Tuesday for a meeting of his task force on fraud. Republican attorneys general were invited last week. Democratic attorneys general got an invite on Friday, with a deadline to RSVP by Saturday. About 15 Republican AGs are expected to attend. (Politico)
In Politics & Business
GEORGIA: An InsiderAdvantage survey shows Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R) leading businessman Rick Jackson (R) 48% to 42% in the June 16 gubernatorial runoff. Jones led last week’s primary election with 38%, while Jackson took 33%. (InsiderAdvantage)
CALIFORNIA: Outside groups have spent a record $79.6 million on the California gubernatorial contest this year. Groups have spent $32.3 million against billionaire hedge fund manager Tom Steyer (D), who has spent $212 million of his own money on the race. (Los Angeles Times) The state’s largest utility, PG&E, has donated $13.5 million to a group opposing Steyer. (Los Angeles Times)
MAINE: Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D), former Senate President Troy Jackson (D) and former House Speaker Hannah Pingree (D) have agreed to support each other in Maine’s ranked-choice voting system ahead of the June 9 primary. The three worked together in the House and Senate before running for governor. Recent polls show former Maine CDC director Nirav Shah (D) leading the Democratic field. (Maine Public Radio)
KANSAS: President Trump has endorsed Senate President Ty Masterson’s (R) bid for governor. Masterson faces a crowded field in the GOP primary, including former Gov. Jeff Colyer (R), who worked in the Trump administration. U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall (R) also backed Masterson. (State Affairs)
CONNECTICUT: Gov. Ned Lamont’s chief of staff, Matt Brokman, has left the administration to oversee Lamont’s re-election campaign. He’s the second senior staffer to join the campaign, after communications director Rob Blanchard, who left the administration a month ago. (CT Mirror)
By The Numbers
More than 43,800: The number of pieces of written testimony submitted during Connecticut’s 2026 legislative session, up 250% from the 2016 session. About 8,000 of those submissions were anonymous. In 2017, just 11 submissions out of 23,000 were anonymous. (CT Mirror)
314,904: The number of approved background checks for firearm purchases in Colorado in 2025, the lowest level since 2014 and down 35% from record highs in 2020. (Colorado Public Radio)
Off The Wall
Idaho resident (and frequent Pluribus AM guest star) David Rush has set a new Guinness World Record by putting on 32 t-shirts in a minute. Rush, who holds the world record for most world records, also holds records for the most t-shirts put on in 30 seconds and the fastest time putting on 10 t-shirts. (UPI)
Seniors at Airport High School in Carleton, Mich., arrived at school on Friday in tractors, ATVs and golf carts, as part of the annual Tractor Day celebration for soon-to-be grads. Seniors described the event as “our last recess,” celebrating the town’s agricultural heritage. (Associated Press)
Headline of the day: “Mayor Brandon Johnson to tout opposition to wars during Vatican trip, says Pope wants to keep Bears in Chicago.” (Chicago Tribune)
Who else wants to see Pope Leo in a reboot of Saturday Night Live’s Superfans?
Quote of the Day
“I gotta tell you, adding that onto this agenda and having us voting on it at 11:15 on a Friday night, it’s a little disturbing.”
— Connecticut Sen. Rob Sampson (R), on legislation designating an official state rock (Housatonic marble) and amphibian (spring peeper). (Pluribus News)