Good morning, it’s Thursday, June 11, 2026. In today’s edition, Texas joins push for data center regulations; states cooperate on alpha-gal syndrome; Florida court upholds GOP-friendly districts:
Top Stories
ENERGY: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has issued guidance to the state Public Utility Commission over future regulations on data centers he intends to pursue in next year’s legislative session. Abbott said he wants to require large data centers to report their electricity and water usage, repeal sales tax exemptions and require centers to reduce impacts on local communities. Abbott joins governors in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Utah in issuing new guidelines over the mega-projects. (Pluribus News)
MORE: Arizona lawmakers approved an $18.3 billion budget that includes a three-year moratorium on tax subsidies for new data centers. The moratorium will save the state about $38 million annually. (State Affairs) Data center tax breaks cost Ohio more than $1.5 billion in revenue last year. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
PUBLIC HEALTH: States that are tracking the spread of tick-borne alpha-gal syndrome are collaborating to learn more about the disease, which has fueled increased emergency room visits. Fourteen states now have mandatory reporting requirements for alpha-gal syndrome. People exposed to the alpha-gal molecule can develop allergic reactions to red meat. (State Affairs)
EDUCATION: The Ohio House has given final approval to legislation requiring more remediation and math education for struggling students. The bill requires schools to provide free tutoring, additional instruction time and extended learning opportunities for students whose math or reading skills lag behind grade level. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
MORE: The Rhode Island House has approved a three-year moratorium on new charter schools. The bill would lower the total number of charter schools allowed to operate in the state. It now heads to Gov. Dan McKee (D) for a signature or veto. (Providence Journal)
MARIJUANA: The Pennsylvania Senate Rules Committee and Appropriations Committee has advanced legislation to shift responsibility for the state’s medical marijuana program to an independent board appointed by the governor and lawmakers. The bill would give the board oversight of intoxicating hemp-derived products. (State Affairs)
SPORTS: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) opened the door to a potential special session to keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois, though he said the onus is on the Bears’ leadership to come up with a new plan. Two previous plans to build a new stadium in Illinois died in this year’s session. The Bears said they are now exploring moving to northwest Indiana. (Chicago Tribune)
In Politics & Business
POLITICS: The Pew Research Center has released a new version of its political typology report, dividing the electorate into nine groups: The order and opportunity left; the pragmatic and polite right; loyal liberals; leftward progressives; left-out-left; no apologies right; faith first conservatives; the unconventional right; and the tuned-out middle. Read more here.
We love these reports, which dive into the complexity of the modern electorate in far more detail than the typical left-right orthodoxy.
FLORIDA: The Florida Supreme Court will allow the state to conduct elections this year under a new U.S. House district map approved by Republicans last month. The court denied a request for an injunction from voters who had sued, arguing the map violated a constitutional prohibition on partisan gerrymandering. (State Affairs)
MORE: Former U.S. Rep. David Jolly (D) has tapped former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham (D) as his lieutenant governor running mate. Jolly is the presumptive Democratic nominee after his chief rival, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings (D), dropped out earlier this week. Graham is the daughter of former Gov. Bob Graham (D). (WLRN)
MONTANA: Supporters of a proposed ballot measure requiring state judicial races to be nonpartisan will submit more than 100,000 signatures to qualify for the November ballot ahead of the June 19 deadline. They need about 60,000 valid signatures to make the ballot. (Missoulian)
By The Numbers
More than 300,000: The number of Montana voters who cast a ballot in last week’s primary election, the highest raw vote total in a midterm primary election ever. The percentage of voters who showed up declined from 41.6% in 2018 and 39.4% in 2022 to 37.9% this year, but Montana’s population growth means more actual voters showed up. (Montana Free Press)
$557,781,638: The amount former hedge fund manager Tom Steyer spent on his bid for president in 2020 and his run for California governor. He won no delegates in the presidential contest and finished third in the top-two gubernatorial primary. (Rob Pyers)
Off The Wall
A federal judge in Mississippi has booted all lawyers from a case over a contractual dispute after finding both sides had used generative artificial intelligence to draft legal filings. The filings included hallucinated sources in the legal record. The judge barred two of the attorneys from appearing before Northern District of Mississippi courts for two years. (Mississippi Free Press)
A former Air Canada pilot flew hundreds of domestic and international flights without the required license, Ontario police said. The pilot allegedly forged a license when he was promoted in 2009 and flew Boeing 767, 777 and 787 passenger jets over nearly 17 years. (NBC News)
William Pool of Bolivar, Mo., has passed away at age 101. Pool is believed to be the last direct descendent of a Civil War soldier. Pool’s father, Charles Parker Pool, served in the 6th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment. (Neatorama) Here’s a 2024 story about Pool’s life.
Quote of the Day
“If you want to know why your hamburger is so expensive in the market, it’s because of the Mexican gray wolf.”
— Arizona Sen. Sylvia Allen (R), arguing for legislation that. Would disallow the state from bringing wolf pups into the state. (Arizona Mirror)