Good morning, it’s Monday, April 13, 2026. In today’s edition, states consider cost-sharing after Trump reconciliation bill; Swalwell ends California governor bid; Connecticut may require employers to disclose AI use:
Top Stories
MEDICAID: Most states will not have to make any changes to current Medicaid laws to comply with President Trump’s budget reconciliation measure, according to a new report from the AARP. The report is an effort to clarify cost-sharing requirements under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, approved last year, which requires states to impose cost sharing of up to $35 per service for those enrolled under Medicaid expansion, with exemptions for primary care, mental health and substance use disorder services. (Pluribus News)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Connecticut lawmakers have introduced legislation that would require employers to tell job candidates when their resumes are being scanned by artificial intelligence or when they are communicating directly with AI. The bill also includes rules aimed at preventing bias or discrimination in the use of AI in employment procedures. (CT Insider)
ECONOMY: The Illinois House has approved legislation to require businesses to display all mandatory fees and charges added on top of listed prices, a measure aimed at eliminating “junk fees.” Nine Republicans joined Democrats in approving the bill, which supporters estimate will save families about $3,000 a year. (Capitol News Illinois)
PUBLIC SAFETY: Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) has signed legislation establishing new safety and preparedness requirements for summer camps. The law requires camps to develop emergency plans addressing severe weather, flooding and other disasters. It’s named in memory of Sarah Marsh, one of 27 young girls who died in flooding in Texas last summer. (Yellowhammer News)
PUBLIC HEALTH: Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) has signed legislation classifying 7-OH kratom as a Schedule I drug, meaning it would be deemed as having no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. The classification means anyone who possesses the drug would be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by fines and up to a year in jail. (State Affairs)
EDUCATION: Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) has signed a budget that will allow recent high school graduates to attend community college for free. The measure extends free tuition after lawmakers initially approved the program in 2022. It also dips into the state’s rainy day fund to provide $300 “affordability relief” checks to taxpayers. (Maine Public Radio)
GAMBLING: A federal court has granted the Trump administration’s request to temporarily halt Arizona’s pursuit of criminal charges against the prediction market firm Kalshi. Attorney General Kris Mayes (D) had filed 20 misdemeanor counts of illegal gambling against the firm last month. (Arizona Republic)
In Politics & Business
CALIFORNIA: U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D) has suspended his campaign for governor amid sexual misconduct allegations. Swalwell maintains his innocence, but many supporters abandoned him after multiple media outlets published the allegations from multiple women. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office has opened an investigation into allegations that allegedly took place in New York City. (Los Angeles Times)
California Republicans decided against endorsing a candidate in the race for governor. Both conservative commentator Steve Hilton (R) and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco (R) fell short of the 60% required for an endorsement. (Sacramento Bee)
COLORADO: State Rep. Scott Bottoms (R) will get the top spot on the Republican gubernatorial ballot after winning 45% of the votes at the Republican Party’s state assembly in Pueblo this weekend. Evangelical pastor Victor Marx (R) came in second at 39%. (Colorado Sun)
VIRGINIA: U.S. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) hit the trail to campaign for and against a ballot measure to redistrict the state this weekend. The campaign in favor of the referendum has raked in $33 million, while the campaign against has hauled in $17 million ahead of next week’s vote. (Virginia Scope)
TEXAS: House Democrats who fled the state to delay last year’s redistricting measure that favored Republicans will be charged more than $8,000 each, a state House panel decided on Friday. That’s more than the $7,200 salary lawmakers draw annually. (Texas Tribune)
By The Numbers
$71,014,100: The amount in sales in Connecticut’s legal marijuana market in the first quarter of the year, slightly ahead of the same quarter in 2025. The average price per gram of marijuana has fallen nearly 30% over the past year, indicating a steep rise in usage. (Marijuana Herald)
At least 7: The number of cases in which courts in New Mexico have spotted AI-generated hallucinations since 2023. Courts have usually issued warnings, but in some cases they impose sanctions on the attorneys who file AI-generated briefs. (Albuquerque Journal)
Off The Wall
Colorado Rep. Brandi Bradley (R) delayed passage of the state’s budget proposal by requesting a reading of the entire 650-page bill on Thursday. An automated voice read through roughly 15 hours of legislative legalese. One Democratic lawmaker brought her sewing machine to pass the time making a vintage dress. (Colorado Public Radio)
Detroit plans to begin distributing the last $10 million in debts it owes under its 2013 bankruptcy case. The city plans to submit a motion by Wednesday to end the bankruptcy case, the largest municipal bankruptcy in American history. (Detroit News)
Skippy the wallaby escaped from his owner on Friday and hopped through the campus of Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio. Skippy was safely captured about an hour and 20 minutes after breaking free. His owner, the chair of the veterinary technology program at the college, had brought him to school to meet high school students interested in the program. (UPI)
Quote of the Day
“There’s only so much I could do to help the senators.”
— Nebraska Sen. Barry DeKay, who officiated the annual basketball game between lawmakers and lobbyists at the University of Nebraska Coliseum. Lobbyists won the game 43-22. (Nebraska Examiner)