Good morning, it’s Wednesday, August 13, 2025. In today’s edition, lawmakers view tech policy as life-or-death matter; Texas Dems return home; ex-U.S. Rep. Ryan considers Ohio Gov bid:
Top Stories
TECH: State lawmakers are increasingly viewing tech policy bills as a matter of life and death. Those working on artificial intelligence bills are concerned with mass casualty events and the threats posed to children by companion chatbots. Those working on data privacy legislation are alarmed at safety risks after the June shooting of two Minnesota lawmakers.
Some lawmakers anticipate up to 20 states to take up legislation regulating what types of information data brokers can release in the next year. Other states will try to adopt a version of Daniel’s Law, a New Jersey measure passed after the murder of a judge’s son that prohibits the release or publication of home addresses of current and former judges, prosecutors and police officers. (Pluribus News)
REDISTRICTING: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) will call lawmakers back into special session on Friday in a new bid to compel absent Democrats to return to the state to approve revised U.S. House district lines. Abbott pledged to call repeated special sessions until lawmakers adopt his agenda, which includes new map lines that would give Republicans up to five new seats in Congress. (Pluribus News)
Texas Democrats are returning to the state, claiming victory for killing the first special session. (ABC News) Echoes of unsuccessful walkouts from 2003 and 2021.
MORE: Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R) says he is waiting on House Speaker Todd Huston (R) and Senate President Rodric Bray (R) to talk with members about potentially redistricting the state’s U.S. House map lines. (State Affairs) Missouri Republicans are considering a parliamentary maneuver to shut down a potential filibuster if they decide to return for a special session on redistricting. (KCUR)
PUBLIC SAFETY: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) has signed legislation requiring prospective police officers to approve the release of background records related to job performance and nonpublic settlement agreements. The bill follows the shooting of Sonya Massey, an unarmed Black woman, in her home last year. (Associated Press)
HOUSING: California lawmakers have introduced legislation to prohibit cities from banning organizations or people from helping homeless residents. The measure comes a year after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed jurisdictions to ban homeless encampments on public property. (Associated Press)
EDUCATION: Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee (D) has signed legislation prohibiting censorship of library materials. The bill requires libraries to adopt model policies for material selection and provides legal protections for librarians challenging censorship. (WPRI)
In Politics & Business
OHIO: Former U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (D) is considering a run for governor, now that former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) has decided to run for a U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Jon Husted (R). A Ryan spokesman said Brown’s decision “has renewed and heightened” his interest in a campaign. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
WYOMING: State Sen. Eric Barlow (R) will run for governor in 2026, he said Tuesday. Barlow is a former House speaker and the first major candidate to enter the race to replace term-limited Gov. Mark Gordon (R). (WyoFile)
FLORIDA: Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) formally announced state Sen. Jay Collins (R) as his choice for lieutenant governor at a press conference Tuesday. Collins is emerging as DeSantis’s chosen replacement in the race for governor in 2026, over President Trump’s endorsed candidate, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R). (Florida Politics)
NEW YORK: A Siena College poll shows New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) leading Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado (D) 50% to 15% in the Democratic primary. The poll shows 61% of New York voters don’t know enough about Delgado to have formed an opinion of him; Hochul sports a 42% favorable rating, while 44% see her unfavorably. (Siena)
By The Numbers
$37 trillion: The size of the national debt, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. The debt has spiked faster than anticipated because of Covid-era spending bills. (Associated Press)
65%: The share of beverage containers sold in Connecticut that were returned to recycling centers in 2024, up 21 points from 2023. Recycling experts attribute the increase to a 2021 law that boosts deposit refunds from 5 cents to 10 cents. (Hartford Courant)
Off The Wall
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) and state Sen. Omar Fateh (D), running against each other in this year’s mayoral contest, both became fathers this month. Fateh’s wife gave birth Sunday, ten days after Frey’s wife had their second child. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
A section of Interstate 80 in Utah closed this week as police cleaned up 500 gallons of paint that spilled across the roadway. No one was injured, though traffic backed up for at least two miles. (Townlift)
The Guinness Book of World Records has named Pearl, a 14-year old chicken who lives in Little Elm, Texas, the world’s oldest chicken. Pearl’s owner said the bird has limited mobility, but she likes watching television when she hears it playing. (UPI)
Quote of the Day
“I want you to know that I’ve got my sleeves rolled up, I’ve got my running leg on, and we are ready to get things done.”
— New Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins (R), making light of his prosthetic leg, which he’s had since losing his leg in combat in Afghanistan. (Associated Press)