Good morning, it’s Thursday, January 15, 2026. In today’s edition, states warn of high costs over SNAP error rates; Virginia, Maryland take steps toward redistricting; Newsom will oppose billionaires’ tax:
Top Stories
ECONOMY: Bipartisan groups of public policy experts are warning that states face billions in added SNAP costs if Congress fails to exclude error rate data collected during the federal shutdown. The NGA, NCSL and other groups have called on Congress to exclude SNAP error rates collected during the fall, and to delay benefit and administrative cost sharing until Fiscal Year 2030. (Pluribus News)
President Trump’s reconciliation bill will shift a quarter of the cost of administering SNAP to the states beginning in 2026. States with higher error rates will be required to cover a portion of SNAP benefits as well.
REDISTRICTING: The Virginia House of Delegates approved four constitutional amendments on its first day of session, including one that would allow the state to ask voters to redraw congressional district maps. If the amendment passes the Senate, it would go to an April special election as Democrats seek to win as many as 10 of the state’s 11 congressional districts. (Virginia Mercury)
MORE: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) wants to advance a new redistricting map targeting the lone Republican-held seat in Congress, on the state’s Eastern Shore. Senate President Bill Ferguson (D) opposes the plan, saying it could put at least one and possibly two Democratic seats at risk. (Associated Press)
A federal court has upheld California’s new gerrymandered maps, rejecting a challenge from state and federal Republicans. (Los Angeles Times)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: The Washington House is debating legislation to require AI companies to test their systems for bias, disclose risks and notify customers when AI influences decisions affecting them. The bill would apply to systems that impact hiring, housing, health care and lending. (Seattle Times)
PUBLIC SAFETY: Washington lawmakers are advancing legislation to bar local, state and federal law enforcement officers from covering their faces. Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) cited the bill in his State of the State address this week. The bill would allow people detained by masked officers to sue the officers in their official capacity. (Washington State Standard)
A similar measure approved by California lawmakers last year faces a lawsuit from the Trump administration.
ENVIRONMENT: Colorado Democrats have introduced legislation to require automakers to safely recycle batteries used in electric vehicles. The bill would adopt a model similar to Colorado’s new producer responsibility program, which puts the onus on companies that make aluminum cans or paper packaging to fund municipal recycling programs. (Colorado Public Radio)
EDUCATION: The Michigan House is the latest to approve legislation requiring school districts to ban smart phones from school classrooms. The state Senate is expected to take up the bill soon, along with a companion bill to develop policies for emergency exceptions. The bill carves out basic phones that can only make calls and send texts. (State Affairs)
MORE: The Florida Senate has approved a bill overhauling the state’s school voucher program. The bill creates a stricter student tracking system and requires more documentation for applicants. A recent auditor’s report found accountability issues that may have cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars. (WLRN)
In Politics & Business
CALIFORNIA: Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) will campaign against a proposed billionaires’ tax backed by health care unions that hope to qualify the measure for November’s ballot. The initiative would impose a one-time 5% tax on billionaires’ assets to backfill federal funding cuts to health services. (Associated Press)
FLORIDA: A new Mason-Dixon poll finds former U.S. Rep. David Jolly (D) narrowly leading Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings (D) 23% to 19% in the Democratic primary. About 55% of Democrats polled didn’t recognize Jolly’s name, while 60% didn’t know Demings. (Florida Politics)
CONNECTICUT: Former state Rep. Harry Arora (R) is considering a run for governor. Arora, of Greenwich, would face former New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart (R) and Sen. Ryan Fazio (R) in the GOP primary. (CT Insider)
ARIZONA: Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) pulled in nearly $5.9 million for her re-election campaign last year, the most ever for a governor in a non-election year. Hobbs outraised all three of her potential Republican opponents, businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson (R) and U.S. Reps. Andy Biggs (R) and Dave Schweikert (R). (State Affairs)
ALASKA: Leaders of the Alaska Independence Party, the state’s third-largest political party, voted last month to dissolve. The party hasn’t fielded a serious candidate for top offices for years, though 19,000 voters are still registered members. (Anchorage Daily News)
By The Numbers
$82,000 per year: The annual salary of rank and file members of New Jersey’s legislature, after a 67% pay hike. It’s the first pay raise New Jersey lawmakers have received in 24 years. (NJ Advance Media)
More than 2.7 million acres: The amount of American land owned by Stan Kroenke, the owner of the Los Angeles Rams, making him the largest landowner in the nation. Kroenke vaulted to the number one spot when he bought nearly a million acres in New Mexico in December. California’s Emmerson family is second at 2.44 million acres, and former Liberty Media chairman John Malone comes in third at 2.2 million acres. (Land Report)
21,500: The number of items in Portland International Airport’s lost and found office in 2025. That figure includes 3,353 electronics, 2,103 identifications, 1,616 wallets and so many water bottles, books and belts that the office doesn’t bother logging them. (Oregonian)
Off The Wall
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) has vetoed legislation that would have eased state rules banning the import of out-of-state animals. That puts at risk Groundhog Day celebrations in Milltown, in Middlesex County, which hasn’t been able to find a replacement for Milltown Mel, its resident groundhog who died four years ago. (NJ Advance Media)
Americans streamed on-demand audio 1.4 trillion times in 2025, up 4.6% from the year before, according to an industry analyst. The report found Christian gospel music and Latin music, the latter fueled largely by Bad Bunny streams, grew most in the last year. The top streaming song: “Die with a smile,” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. (Associated Press)
Quote of the Day
“It’s awesome.”
— Charlie Couch, a fifth grader at Meadows Elementary School in Ralston, Neb., on her swearing in as the state’s first Kid Governor. Couch won election on a platform supporting cancer awareness. (Nebraska Examiner)