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Pluribus AM: States lay groundwork for carbon pipelines

Good morning, it’s Tuesday, July 16, 2024. In today’s edition, states line up carbon pipelines; California bans schools from notifying parents of pronoun changes; New Hampshire bars merchant codes for gun sales:

Top Stories

ENERGY: State lawmakers are laying the groundwork for new carbon pipeline construction, pursuing federal incentives to lure companies that manage emissions associated with climate change.

Nine pipeline-related bills have or will become law so far this year, including bills in Illinois, Louisiana and South Dakota to speed pipeline construction. Illinois is home to the nation’s first large-scale industrial carbon capture facility, operated for more than a decade by Archer Daniels Midland.

But pipeline bills can divide Republicans, especially. In Iowa, the House and Senate are at odds over a bill that would allow landowners to challenge the state’s eminent domain law, which could be used to build new pipelines even through land owned by farmers opposed to a new project. Read more at Pluribus News.

LGBTQ RIGHTS: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has signed legislation prohibiting school districts from requiring staff to notify parents if a child wants to be called by a different name or pronoun. Attorney General Rob Bonta’s (D) office is suiting the Chino Valley Unified School District over their parental notification policy. (Sacramento Bee)

GUN POLITICS: New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) signed legislation Monday that prohibits gun sellers from using a receipt code that would identify firearm purchases to credit card companies. New Hampshire is the ninth state to adopt a ban on merchant codes related to firearms. (New Hampshire Union Leader)

MORE: The Washington State Supreme Court has allowed a ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines to remain in effect while the state appeals a lower court ruling declaring the law unconstitutional. The suit is likely to make it to the Supreme Court in the coming months. (Washington State Standard)

In Politics & Business

MICHIGAN: Former President Donald Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee have sued Michigan officials for designating some federal offices as voter registration agencies. The lawsuit says the legislature, not the governor, has authority to designate voter registration agencies. (Detroit Free Press)

SOUTH DAKOTA: A state court judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging an abortion rights measure headed for November’s ballot. Supporters of the measure are waiting for signatures to be verified after submitting petitions earlier this month. (Associated Press)

MISSOURI: Voters in Missouri’s August primary will decide on a proposed constitutional amendment to allow the General Assembly to exempt child care centers from property taxes. Texas and Florida have approved similar exemptions to spur child care center construction. (St. Louis Public Radio)

PEOPLE: North Carolina Rep. Jason Saine (R), chair of the House Appropriations Committee, will resign next month, he said in a letter to House Speaker Tim Moore (R). Saine will explore lobbying once he’s out of office for the six months required under state law. (Carolina Journal)

By The Numbers

72.9%: The share of school lunches provided for free for low-income students in 2022. Almost two-thirds of children, 64%, participated in school meals programs that year, according to new Census Bureau figures. (Census Bureau)

$13.5 million: The amount of cash on hand New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has in her campaign account, a record sum for a New York governor at this point in a term. Hochul won’t face voters again until November 2026. (NY1)

Off The Wall

A happy update to a story we brought you yesterday: Alabama Sen. April Weaver (R) has been cleared to travel to Milwaukee to be a delegate to the Republican National Convention, days after being struck by a car while walking in a pedestrian zone. She missed the roll call vote, but Weaver said in a statement she’ll make it for at least part of the week. (Yellowhammer News)

An Irish unicyclist has earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records by riding his unicycle the length of Ireland, 308 miles, in five days, five hours and 23 minutes. Eamonn Keaveney said he attempted the feat because it “seemed like a perfect mix of daunting and ridiculous.” (UPI)

New research finds hippopotamuses can run so fast they stay airborne for up to 0.3 seconds at a time. Researchers watched a pair of hippos at a British wildlife resort to understand animals that typically stick to the water. (Sky News)

Flying hippos, today’s sign of the apocalypse.

Quote of the Day

“Disagreement is a foundation of our cherished political system, but the current environment in which political opponents are treated as enemies breeds extremism and political violence.”

New Jersey gubernatorial candidates Jon Bramnick (R) and Steve Sweeney (D), in a joint statement condemning the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. (New Jersey Monitor)