Good morning, it’s Wednesday, April 1, 2026. No pranks or fake news in this newsletter. In today’s edition, SCOTUS strikes down conversion therapy ban; Trump seeks restrictions on voting by mail; New Hampshire governor comes to the rescue:
Top Stories
LGBTQ RIGHTS: The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down a Colorado law banning “conversion therapy” aimed at gender identity or sexual orientation. Nearly half the states have similar bans on the books. Democratic lawmakers in California, Colorado, Maryland and Minnesota have filed bills making it easier for young people to sue conversion therapy providers for malpractice. Republican lawmakers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana and South Carolina have approved laws blocking local governments from banning conversion therapy. (Pluribus News)
ELECTIONS: President Trump has signed an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to make lists of eligible voters in each state. The order bars the U.S. Postal Service from sending absentee ballots to anyone not on a state’s approved list. (Associated Press)
State lawsuits coming in 3, 2, 1…
MORE: Ohio lawmakers are advancing legislation to require absentee voters to include a copy of their photo identification when mailing in ballots. Opponents of the bill pointed out that a photocopy of an identification doesn’t do much good if the voter isn’t standing in front of elections officials. (Ohio Capital Journal)
REDISTRICTING: A three-judge panel ruled Tuesday it lacked the authority to overturn Wisconsin’s congressional district map, dismissing a Democratic challenge alleging the lines amounted to a partisan gerrymander. The judges, appointed by the state Supreme Court, said the high court had not provided guidance on their authority to hear redistricting-related cases. (State Affairs)
ENERGY: All six governors of New England states issued a joint statement expressing a commitment to building new nuclear power plants in the future. The governors directed their respective energy offices to take steps to explore the deployment of advanced nuclear generation. The Massachusetts House adopted legislation in February repealing a 1982 law that requires voter approval for new nuclear facilities. (State Affairs)
HOUSING: California Democrats have introduced legislation guaranteeing insurance payouts for developers and lenders who seek to build factory-based homes. The measure would make California the first state to act as a re-insurer for home builders in a bid to spur more construction. (Associated Press)
MORE: The Georgia Senate approved legislation making it more difficult for home owners associations to place liens on homes for failing to pay fines. The measure allows HOAs to seek liens if homeowners have racked up more than $4,000 in unpaid regular dues and assessments, up from a current threshold of $2,000. (State Affairs)
TAXES: The Connecticut legislature’s Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee has endorsed a 1.75% surcharge on capital gains earnings for single filers with incomes over $1 million and married couples with incomes over $2 million. The measure is likely to draw opposition from Gov. Ned Lamont (D), who worries such a tax would lead to an exodus of high earners. (Hartford Courant)
In Politics & Business
NEW YORK: Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R) has been denied millions in public campaign matching funds after his running mate, Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood (R), failed to submit his own paperwork to apply. Blakeman’s campaign anticipated the ruling and has the opportunity to appeal. (State of Politics)
WISCONSIN: Liberal Supreme Court candidate Chris Taylor outraised conservative candidate Maria Lazar by a 4-to-1 margin in the most recent reporting period and outspent Lazar by a 6-to-1 margin. Taylor has pulled in $5.7 million during the race, compared with $870,000 for Lazar ahead of this month’s election. (State Affairs)
PEOPLE: Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) has been hospitalized after undergoing a procedure to remove fluid that was pressing on her lung. Ivey, 81, will be monitored in the coming days out of an abundance of caution, her spokesperson said. (Associated Press) Our best wishes for a speedy recovery.
By The Numbers
$2.8 billion: The projected budget deficit North Carolina will face in the next two years, according to Gov. Josh Stein (D). (Carolina Journal)
$46 million: The amount Massachusetts’ Group Insurance Commission hopes to save this year by eliminating coverage for GLP-1 weight loss drugs for state employees and retirees under MassHealth. Health officials said they expect coverage to resume once prices for the expensive drugs come down. (State Affairs)
50: The number of years Apple has been around. The company, founded by college dropout Steve Jobs and former HP employee Steve Wozniak, was formally created on April 1, 1976. (Associated Press)
Off The Wall
New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) and her security team helped pull a driver from a burning vehicle near Bedford on Tuesday. Ayotte grabbed a fire extinguisher while a state trooper protecting her extricated the driver, who suffered severe but not life-threatening injuries. (WMUR)
Connecticut Gov. Lamont is apparently a basketball know-it-all. Lamont, who posted his NCAA brackets before the tournaments began, correctly picked all four men’s Final Four teams and three of the four women’s Final Four teams. Using ESPN’s scoring system, Lamont’s brackets are better than 99.99% of the 26.6 million entries submitted this year. (BroBible)
Quote of the Day
“We’re at the beginning of the middle.”
— New York Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D), on slow progress toward approving this year’s budget. (City & State)