Good morning, it’s Wednesday, August 21, 2024. In today’s edition, the complicated politics of booze; abortion measure qualifies for Montana ballot; Nebraska approves narrow property tax cut:
Top Stories
ALCOHOL: Illinois becomes the second state in the nation to restrict the side-by-side placement of similarly branded alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in grocery stores after Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) signed a new law earlier this month. The bill, similar to one passed last year in Virginia, will keep products like Mountain Dew and Hard Mtn Dew away from each other.
The growing availability of alcopops and other boozy products like ice cream, whipped cream and ice pops has forced legislators to think about new ways to regulate alcohol on store shelves, and to consider the delicate balance between beer distributors and distributors of other products.
And it underscores the changing legal and economic landscape of alcohol politics. The pandemic was a greater catalyst for change in alcohol laws than any event since the end of Prohibition. At the same time, younger generations are drinking less than older cohorts. There are no more complicated legislative politics than those surrounding the alcohol industry. Expect more of these bills in the future. Read more at Pluribus News.
HEALTH CARE: Georgia is moving to establish a state-based health insurance exchange after winning approval from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Georgia said it had doubled the number of marketplace insurance carriers by increasing reimbursement rates and lowering insurance premiums. (Georgia Public Broadcasting)
MORE: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) will use unspent federal pandemic aid to eliminate up to $100 million in medical debt held by about 50,000 state residents. The relief applies to low-income residents or those for whom medical debt equaled 5% or more of their annual income. (NJ Advance Media)
CONSUMER PROTECTION: A bipartisan coalition of 40 state attorneys general amended their complaint against Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary Ticketmaster seeking to compensate customers allegedly harmed by their marketing practices. The suit seeks to break up the ticketing giant, which the AGs say uses its market dominance to raise prices. (Albany Times-Union)
TAXES: Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) has signed legislation capping local property tax rates and expanding an existing property tax credit after a special session in which lawmakers rejected his calls for a broader cut. Pillen had wanted a 50% reduction on average property taxes and a shift to sales and excise taxes. (Associated Press)
In Politics & Business
MONTANA: Voters will decide whether to amend the state constitution to guarantee the right to an abortion after the Secretary of State’s office certified the proposed measure collected more than enough valid signatures to qualify for the November ballot. Supporters needed about 60,000 signatures to qualify; they gathered 81,000 valid signatures. (Associated Press)
Montana is now the eighth state where abortion measures will appear on the November ballot.
OHIO: Former Ohio Health Department Director Amy Acton is considering a bid for governor in 2026 as a Democrat. (Columbus Dispatch) Other potential Democratic candidates include House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D), Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval (D), Columbus Mayor Andy Ginther (D) and Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb (D) and former U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (D). (Columbus Dispatch)
Ohio hasn’t elected a Democratic governor since Ted Strickland in 2006.
NORTH CAROLINA: The state Board of Elections has approved a digital identification to meet state voter ID requirements. The agreement will allow students and employees of UNC to show their mobile ID to vote. (Associated Press)
WEST VIRGINIA: Attorneys for Gov. Jim Justice (R) are asking a state court to halt the auction of his Greenbrier Hotel, on which he owes millions in unpaid debt. Hotel employees received notices this week that their health care coverage would end next week unless Justice pays $2.4 million in missing contributions; Justice’s company hasn’t contributed to the health fund for four months. (Associated Press)
PEOPLE: Former Vermont Sen. Bill Doyle (R), the longest-serving lawmaker in state history, has died at 98. Doyle served in the Senate from 1969 to 2017. (VT Digger)
By The Numbers
51: The number of votes separating King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove (D) and 2020 candidate Sue Pederson (R) in the race for Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands, out of more than 1.2 million cast. The vote heads to a recount, and the winner will face first-place finisher and former U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) in November. (Seattle Times)
76.4 years: The life expectancy of an American born in 2021, according to new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. That’s down 0.6 years from the previous mark. (Los Angeles Times)
Off The Wall
Connecticut Sen. Paul Cicarella (R) is suing a contractor who built an in-ground pool partially on his neighbor’s property. Cicarella settled with his neighbor for $40,000. “It is rather costly to put a pool in and rip it out,” Cicarella said. (New Haven Register)
A semi truck carrying “suspected salad dressing” crashed near Detroit on Tuesday, spilling condiments across the highway. The spill closed all but one lane of the busy stretch of road. (Detroit Free Press)
Suspected Salad Dressing would be a great name for a band.
Quote of the Day
“You don’t want to go too fast, but you also don’t want to be too behind.”
— Kentucky Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe (R), on her proposal to regulate deepfakes created by artificial intelligence. (Stateline)