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Good morning, it’s Friday, October 20, 2023. In today’s edition, Texas House splits from Senate on voucher plan; New York Gov. Hochul to propose AI plans; abortion backers outspending opponents in Ohio:
Top Stories
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is expected to include proposals to shape the future of artificial intelligence in her State of the State address in January. Hochul rolled out a $20 million program to advance AI research at SUNY campuses this week. Lawmakers held a hearing Thursday to consider AI’s effect on the workforce. (State of Politics)
Mark our words, 2024 is going to be the year of AI legislation.
EDUCATION: Texas state Rep. Brad Buckley (R) rolled out the House version of school choice legislation on Thursday, a plan to give parents about $4,600 to spend on private school tuition and fees and boosting funding for public education. The Senate version of the plan would give families $8,000 a year per student. (Texas Tribune)
MORE: The Michigan House approved legislation Thursday that would allow high school athletes to sign name, image and likeness agreements with businesses. About 20 other states already allow agreements between businesses and high school athletes. (Detroit News)
ABORTION: The Michigan Senate voted Thursday to repeal facility regulations for abortion clinics and a 24-hour waiting period for access to abortion services. The bill faces an uncertain future in the state House, where a Detroit Democrat has said she would oppose lifting the 24-hour waiting period. (Bridge MI)
GUN POLITICS: A federal district judge has blocked elements of California’s ban on assault weapons. Judge Roger Benitez, who has repeatedly ruled against California gun restrictions, gave the state ten days to appeal. Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) said his office had already filed a notice of appeal. (Associated Press)
MORE: The Arkansas Legislative Council’s Game and Fish Subcommittee will study firearms and concealed carry laws and state hunting laws ahead of next year’s legislative session. The Legislative Council is considering how to make firearms laws simpler and more understandable. (Arkansas Democrat Gazette)
ENERGY: Illinois lawmakers return for their annual fall session next week, and backers of a measure to end a moratorium on nuclear energy facilities are searching for the votes to override Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s (D) veto. Sen. Sue Rezin (R), the bill’s sponsor, says she has the votes in the Senate, but Democrats in the House are seeking a supermajority of their members before they bring it up. (Decatur Herald & Review)
In Politics & Business
OHIO: Groups supporting State Issue 1, the proposed constitutional amendment to establish a right to abortion and other reproductive care, have spent $9.3 million on TV and radio ads since Sept. 6, about double the $4.6 million spent by opponents. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
WISCONSIN: The Senate Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection Committee began considering redistricting reform legislation that would establish an Iowa-style legislative redistricting plan, under which the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau would draw legislative district maps. The bill has already passed the Assembly. (Wisconsin Examiner)
ARIZONA: The No Labels Party has filed suit against Arizona, seeking to block Democrats from using the party’s ballot line in next year’s elections. The suit asks a federal judge to block Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D) from allowing candidates to run for offices other than president or vice president under the No Labels banner. Fontes has said he is obligated to accept filings from candidates running for other office. (Associated Press)
PEOPLE: Former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young, 91, has been promoted to the rank of an officer in France’s Legion of Honor. French Ambassador Laurent Bili bestowed the honor on Young at a ceremony Thursday in Atlanta. (Associated Press)
By The Numbers
8.2 million: The number of Americans who lived in a different state in 2022 than they did in the previous year, an increase of about 5% of interstate movers from the year before. (Associated Press)
Keep an eye on our homepage, we have a very cool graphic showing where Americans are moving from, and to, coming later today.
1,343: The number of low-income Georgia residents who have signed up for Medicaid health coverage in the first three months since the plan opened. Gov. Brian Kemp’s (R) proposal to expand coverage aimed to include 370,000 people. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
$330 million: The size of Louisiana’s budget surplus heading into the next budget cycle, according to state budget analysts. (Baton Rouge Advocate)
Off The Wall
The Illinois General Assembly approved legislation in May to ban campaign contributions from the red-light camera industry in an effort that legislators described as reform. In the interim between when the legislature approved the bill and Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed it, Senate President Don Harmon’s (D) campaign committees accepted $5,000 in contributions from an Illinois-based red-light camera company. (Chicago Sun-Times)
Don’t miss this great video of the Oregon Zoo’s Asian elephants having fun stomping and chomping on massive pumpkins, an annual tradition dubbed the Squishing of the Squash. (Oregonian)
Quote of the Day
“AI is implementing human decisions based on a pattern from before, and this is where we come into, like, garbage in, garbage out.”
— Christopher Ford, an executive board member of the New York Public Employees Federation, on the role of AI in government work. (City & State)