Good morning, it’s Tuesday, January 13, 2026. In today’s edition, lawmakers target data center restrictions; states sue administration over immigration raids; Florida Lt. Gov. Collins to run for top job:
Top Stories
ENERGY: Lawmakers have already introduced about 100 bills aimed at regulating new data center construction as tech companies expand facilities meant to power AI. Some bills would limit nondisclosure agreements, set zoning standards and require reporting of power and water use. Others would require data centers to use clean energy and protect adjacent property. (Pluribus News)
Industry experts expect more than $80 billion in spending on data center construction this year.
IMMIGRATION: Illinois and Chicago have sued the Trump administration seeking to limit the authority of immigration agents in the state. The suit asks a federal court to end “roving patrol” policies. (Capitol News Illinois) Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul have also filed suit against the Department of Homeland Security seeking to end a surge of immigration agents to the state. (Minnesota Star-Tribune)
MORE: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) will ask lawmakers to require federal immigration officials to carry a judicial warrant when conducting civil enforcement in “sensitive locations.” Those locations include houses of worship, schools and hospitals. (State of Politics)
HOUSING: Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) is expected to ask the legislature to approve a new nightly $3.50 tax on short-term rental units. Money from the tax would fund an affordable housing program. Senate Majority Leader John Kavanagh (R) has introduced his own bill to bar the use of accessory dwelling units as short-term rentals. (State Affairs)
SOCIAL MEDIA: The New Jersey legislature approved a bill barring social media companies from promoting content to children that could cause eating disorders. The bill would exempt content that isn’t paid for or promoted. It would require social media companies to conduct regular audits. (New Jersey Monitor)
ENVIRONMENT: The New Jersey legislature has given final approval to a bill limiting the use of disposable plastic utensils. The bill would require restaurants to provide dine-in customers with washable, reusable utensils. It would bar restaurants from giving single-use cutlery to take-out customers unless the customers ask. (New Jersey Monitor)
WATER: The Trump administration has released an outline of four options for dealing with increasing water shortages on the Colorado River. California officials, who stand to lose substantial amounts of water, said any of the options would lead to litigation. Officials in the seven Colorado River states are deadlocked over how to address the shortage. (Los Angeles Times)
ELECTIONS: The Indiana Senate is set to back a ban on ranked choice voting. Ranked choice voting hasn’t been used in Indiana since 1912, but Senate Republicans say they want to enact a preemptive ban as some cities across the country adopt the practice. (State Affairs)
In Politics & Business
WYOMING: Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder (R) will run for governor, with President Trump’s endorsement. She will face former House Speaker Eric Barlow (R), frequent candidate Brent Bien (R) and political newcomer Joseph Kibler (R) in the GOP primary. (WyoFile)
FLORIDA: Lt. Gov. Jay Collins (R) has formally entered the race for governor. Collins, appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in August, will face Trump-backed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R) and others in the GOP primary. DeSantis on Monday declined to get involved in the race yet. (Associated Press)
OKLAHOMA: Former House Speaker T.W. Shannon (R) will run for lieutenant governor, he said Tuesday. Shannon is leaving his role as a senior advisor at the Department of Agriculture, where he oversaw rural policy. (McCarville Report) He faces state Auditor Cindy Byrd (R), Sen. Darrell Weaver (R) and state Reps. Brian Hill (R) and J.J. Humphrey (R) in the GOP primary.
COLORADO: Colorado Springs District Attorney Michael Allen (R) will run for attorney general. He’s the first Republican to enter the race. Secretary of State Jena Griswold (D), Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty (D) and former House Speaker Crisanta Duran (D) are vying for the Democratic nomination. (Colorado Public Radio)
PEOPLE: Maine Rep. Kathy Javner (R) has lost her battle with cancer at age 52. The four-term lawmaker represented rural towns in Penobscot County. (Portland Press Herald) Our condolences to Javner’s family and friends.
By The Numbers
$4 trillion: The market cap of Alphabet, Google’s parent company. It’s the fourth big tech firm, after Nvidia, Apple and Microsoft, to join the $4 trillion club. (Associated Press)
Nearly 414,000: The number of birds in Kansas that have contracted avian influenza this year, the worst outbreak in the nation. Most of the infected birds, 380,000, are in a commercial operation in Pottawatomie County, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (Kansas Reflector)
Off The Wall
A rare copy of Action Comics No. 1, which introduced Superman to the world, has been sold for a record $15 million. Only about 100 copies of Action Comics No. 1 are still in existence. The copy that sold was once stolen from the home of actor Nicholas Cage before being recovered a decade later. (Associated Press)
The Wroclaw Zoo in Poland has shared a video of a tiny muntjac deer facing off against a massive rhinoceros. “Someone probably forgot to look in the mirror this morning. Respect for Maruska (the rhino) for her angelic patience,” the zoo said on social media. A follow-up post showed the deer and the rhino enjoying a peaceful meal of hay. (UPI)
Quote of the Day
“Every home that is owned by an out-of-state corporation is a home that’s not owned by an Arizona family.”
— Arizona House Minority Leader Oscar De Los Santos (D), on his legislation to restrict large corporate investors from buying single-family homes. The bill is in line with President Trump’s idea to ban such investments. (State Affairs)
Update: This post has been corrected. Wyoming has had a woman governor, Nellie Tayloe Ross. A previous version omitted Tayloe Ross.