Good morning, it’s Wednesday, July 16, 2025. In today’s edition, states move to ban utility lobbying; Texas creates disaster relief panels after floods; California issues first crypto kiosk fine:
Top Stories
LOBBYING: Legislators in at least ten states have introduced bills this year to prohibit investor-owned electric and gas companies from charging ratepayers for lobbying and other expenses including entertainment, gifts, private jets and trade association fees. Colorado, Connecticut, Maine and New Hampshire have enacted similar bills in recent years to keep rates low. (Pluribus News)
DISASTER RELIEF: Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R) has appointed nine lawmakers to a select committee on disaster preparedness and flooding, in response to the July 4 floods that devastated parts of Texas Hill Country. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) has also created select committees to draft legislation to address recovery and early warning systems. (KXAN)
ABORTION: The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court ruling restricting abortion pill sales in West Virginia. The lower court ruled that a 2022 law signed by then-Gov. Jim Justice (R) banning the pills supersedes approval from the FDA. (Associated Press)
HOUSING: Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) has signed legislation prohibiting local governments from barring discrimination against renters who use Section 8 vouchers to pay rent. The law is aimed at overriding ordinances passed in Kansas City and several other cities that require landlords to accept Section 8 vouchers. (KCUR)
MORE: New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) has signed legislation expanding the definition of accessory dwelling units on the property of a single-family dwelling. Ayotte also signed a bill expanding the rights of developers to build housing in commercially zoned areas. (New Hampshire Union Leader)
CRYPTO: California’s Department of Financial Protection and Innovation has issued a $300,000 fee to a Seattle-based operator of cryptocurrency kiosks for failing to meet regulatory requirements. It’s the first fine issued to a crypto kiosk operator under a 2023 law requiring protections for users. (State Affairs)
PUBLIC HEALTH: Alabama Sen. Arthur Orr (R) will introduce legislation prohibiting the use of SNAP benefits to purchase sodas and candy. The bill would require the state Department of Human Resources to request a federal waiver to exclude soda and candy from the list of SNAP-eligible purchases. (AL.com)
ELECTIONS: A federal judge has blocked a new Maine law capping the amount individuals or organizations can contribute to super PACs, ruling that the measure violates First Amendment free speech protections. Maine voters approved a $5,000 annual limit on donations to super PACs on last year’s ballot. (Maine Public Radio)
In Politics & Business
TEXAS: President Trump said he is pushing Texas Republicans to redraw congressional district map lines to bolster the GOP’s chances of maintaining control of the U.S. House in next year’s midterm elections. Trump said he thought a redraw could net his party five seats. (Associated Press) National Democrats are pushing Texas House Democrats to consider walking out over the redistricting plan. (New York Times)
FLORIDA: Former House Speaker Paul Renner (R) has told Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) he wants to run for governor, sources say. Renner has hired consultants for a potential bid, which would pit him against U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R) in the GOP primary. (Floridian Press)
ILLINOIS: Comptroller Susana Mendoza (D) has told some fellow Democrats she will forgo re-election to run for mayor of Chicago in 2027. She would likely face Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) and others in a Democratic primary. (Chicago Tribune)
COLORADO: Sen. Jessie Danielson (D) will run for Secretary of State, she said this week. Danielson will join Jefferson County Clerk Amanda Gonzalez (D) in the Democratic primary to replace incumbent Jena Griswold (D), who is running for attorney general. (Colorado Sun)
WISCONSIN: Conservative Supreme Court justice Rebecca Bradley did not raise money during the first half of the year, ahead of her re-election bid next year. Judge Chris Taylor, a liberal who launched her campaign six weeks ago, raised more than half a million dollars. (State Affairs)
By The Numbers
$716 million: The amount of tax revenue legal recreational marijuana sales have generated for Nevada schools since the state legalized pot in 2016. Sounds like a lot, but that’s just 2% of the annual budget spent on Nevada K-12 education. (Nevada Independent)
460,000: The estimated number of pheasants hunters in Iowa bagged in 2024, the second-best seasonal total in almost 20 years. Hunters in only one state, South Dakota, bagged more pheasants last year. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
Off The Wall
The Lexington Theater Company debuted a new showing of “42nd Street” last week with a cameo by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D). Beshear played the role of a doctor, working in a phrase he made popular during the pandemic: “You can’t be doing that!” (Lexington Herald-Leader)
Vermont Lt. Gov. John Rodgers (R) has sued the town of Glover over a stretch of road that crosses his property. Rodgers Road crosses property the Rodgers family has owned since about 1838, according to legal filings. He wants to block the town from performing planned work on the road. (VT Digger)
Quote of the Day
“All fields, all career movements somewhere along the way, are going to incorporate this next generation of technology.”
— Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), announcing a new partnership with Google to provide free and low-cost AI certification courses to Virginia residents. (Associated Press)