Good morning, it’s Wednesday, September 25, 2024. In today’s edition, tax cuts on tips takes off in the states; Newsom signs gun, consumer protection bills; West Virginia senator arrested for second time in a month:
Top Stories
TAXES: Former President Donald Trump’s call to end taxes on tips is already filtering down to the states, where Republican lawmakers in at least five states have proposed eliminating state income taxes on gratuities. California Democrats blocked a GOP effort to add a tax cut to an unrelated bill last month.
Republican lawmakers in Michigan, New York, Ohio and Oregon have announced or will introduce bills to end taxes on tips. Some blue state Republicans see it as an area of bipartisan compromise — one of the few issues on which Trump and Vice President Harris agree. But it won’t make a huge difference for workers: Economists say only about 2.5% of workers earn tips in the first place. Read more at Pluribus News.
GUN POLITICS: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has signed legislation expanding the criteria for which someone can be denied a firearm to include those accused of stalking, acts of animal cruelty and threats of violence. Newsom also signed a bill prohibiting gun dealers from selling guns meant to be destroyed in an effort to crack down on ghost guns. (Associated Press)
CONSUMER PROTECTION: California Gov. Newsom signed legislation that will require businesses to obtain “express affirmative consent” before billing a consumer for a subscription service, like a streaming video or audio product. The bill also requires businesses to give consumers the option to cancel by clicking on a link. (Los Angeles Times)
HEALTH CARE: The New Jersey Assembly’s health committee has advanced legislation that would allow penalties against health care workers who promote false health claims. The bill would allow professional medical boards to draft their own regulations to combat the rise of misinformation. (New Jersey Monitor)
ABORTION: New Jersey Sen. John Burzichelli (D) will introduce legislation to require the state to maintain a reproductive health travel registry to warn pregnant residents about traveling to states with abortion restrictions. The bill would require New Jersey to recommend residents reconsider travel arrangements to those states. (New Jersey Monitor)
PUBLIC HEALTH: Ohio Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation to bar state agencies and schools from purchasing “misbranded” food products like alternative meat, lab-grown or plant-based proteins that resemble traditional meat or egg products. Alternative food products would be considered misbranded if they carry words like “yolk” or “burger” in their titles. (Statehouse News Bureau)
INFRASTRUCTURE: Maryland has filed suit against the owner and manager of the Dali cargo ship that collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, seeking punitive and cleanup damages. Attorney General Anthony Brown (D) said it was too early to put a dollar figure on costs, but previous estimates suggest it will cost $2 billion to rebuild the bridge. (WYPR)
In Politics & Business
NORTH CAROLINA: A new Elon University Poll finds Attorney General Josh Stein (D) led Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R) 49%-35% — before last week’s bombshell report about Robinson’s online behavior. The poll was conducted in early September. (Elon University)
UTAH: The state Supreme Court will hear arguments today over Amendment D, the legislature’s bid to allow themselves to amend or repeal voter-approved initiatives. The legislature is asking the court to overturn a lower court’s ruling that booted Amendment D from the ballot. (Salt Lake Tribune)
ARIZONA: Supreme Court Justice Robert Brutinel said Tuesday he will retire effective Oct. 31 after 15 years on the bench. His exit will give Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) the chance to appoint a replacement, the first time in 19 years that a Democratic governor will get to pick an Arizona justice. (Associated Press)
CRIME BLOTTER: West Virginia Sen. Michael Maroney (R) has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and driving without a registration. It’s Maroney’s second arrest in a month; he faces charges from August of indecent exposure and disorderly conduct. (Wheeling News-Register)
By The Numbers
2.1 years: The drop in life expectancy in Alaska between 2020 and 2021, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Alaska’s life expectancy dropped more than any other state in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. (Alaska Beacon)
$4.22 billion: The amount of economic activity Indiana loses every year because of a lack of available child care, according to a study from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and Early Learning Indiana. Parents miss an average of 14 days of work over child care disruptions every year, the report found. (Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Off The Wall
Who’s that crowdsurfing during The Killers’ performance of their hit Mr. Brightside? It’s Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R), an avowed fan of the band, who was filmed being carried along by a crowd of supporters. (Deseret News)
Trying to think of any other governors who would dive into the crowd…
Attendees at the annual Cream Cheese Festival in Lowville, N.Y., snacked on the world’s largest cheesecake this weekend, smashing a record held since 2017 by a team in Russia. The Kraft-Heinz plant in Lowville whipped up a 15,008-lb. Cheesecake, almost 6,000 lbs. bigger than the Russian record-holder. (UPI)
Quote of the Day
“Sometimes, I’m very glad when Oregon is out of step with the rest of the nation. Sometimes, not so much. This is one where we shouldn’t be out of step and I’m glad we’re moving this forward.”
— Oregon Sen. Elizabeth Steiner (D), supporting Measure 115, which would allow the legislature to impeach statewide officeholders. Oregon is the only state that doesn’t give legislators any impeachment power. (Oregonian)