Good morning, it’s Tuesday, February 17, 2026. In today’s edition, school cell phone bans making more progress; Virginia’s unique approach to lowering drug costs; Utah GOP aims to qualify redistricting initiative:
Top Stories
EDUCATION: Lawmakers in more than a dozen states are considering new or expanded laws barring student use of cell phones in schools. Those laws have already won passage in Michigan and New Jersey, bringing to 30 the number of states restricting or banning phones in classrooms since Florida went first in 2023. A recent Pew Research survey found 41% of teens support phone bans during instructional time. (Pluribus News)
MORE: The Missouri House has approved legislation to require schools to outline prohibited antisemitic actions in codes of conduct, including penalties for harassment. The bill adds the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism into state law. (St. Louis Public Radio)
HEALTH CARE: The Virginia House of Delegates has approved legislation creating a board of experts to review prescription drug prices and set payment ceilings on what state-regulated health plans can pay. The measure is similar to those creating Prescription Drug Affordability Boards in other states, but Virginia’s would be the first to link the board’s work to negotiations between Medicare and drugmakers under the federal Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. (Pluribus News)
ECONOMY: The Virginia House of Delegates has approved legislation requiring paid sick leaves for workers. The measure expands Virginia’s existing program to all public and private sector employees, offering an hour of paid leave for every 30 hours worked. (Virginia Mercury)
ENERGY: Maine lawmakers are considering a two-year moratorium on the construction of large data centers. The provision is part of a broader bill to create a data center “coordination council” to study benefits and risks of new centers. (Maine Public Radio) Two New Jersey legislative committees have advanced a bill requiring large power users to pay more for energy infrastructure. (New Jersey Monitor)
IMMIGRATION: The Indiana Senate is expected to take a final vote today on legislation barring government bodies including schools from limiting or restricting enforcement of federal immigration law. The bill would create new penalties for employers who hire undocumented immigrants. (Indianapolis Star)
HOUSING: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) has rolled out a housing action plan, a proposal to borrow $1 billion through bond offering to establish a Critical Infrastructure Development Fund to speed home construction. The Philadelphia area alone is expected to need 206,000 new housing units by 2035. (State Affairs)
Pittsburgh is the only major metro area in the country where buying a starter home is less expensive than renting.
PUBLIC SAFETY: Two Iowa House subcommittees have advanced legislation restricting commercial operations of self-driving vehicles. The bills would hold owners of self-driving vehicles liable in the event of a crash or traffic law violation and require a conventional human driver to be present in vehicles with self-driving capabilities, if those vehicles are used for commercial purposes. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
In Politics & Business
UTAH: State Republicans say they’ve collected enough signatures to qualify a ballot measure aimed at repealing the voter-approved ban on partisan gerrymandering. They need about 141,000 valid signatures, including specific targets in 26 of 29 state Senate districts, to qualify for the 2026 ballot. (Salt Lake Tribune)
CALIFORNIA: U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will headline a campaign kickoff rally for a proposed ballot measure to impose a one-time 5% tax on billionaires. The initiative is backed by SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, the Teamsters Union and U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). (State Affairs)
One big opponent of the billionaire’s tax: Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), as we wrote last week.
INDIANA: The Senate Elections Committee has advanced legislation to cut the number of early voting days allowed ahead of an election from 28 to 16. Legislation to cut early voting to 14 days died last session. Just 14 states allow early voting for at least 22 days. (State Affairs)
CRIME BLOTTER: New Mexico lawmakers have approved a bill to launch an investigation into Zorro Ranch, the sprawling estate once owned by Jeffrey Epstein. A bipartisan legislative panel will seek testimony from survivors of alleged abuse in an effort to identify guests and state officials who may have known what was happening on the property. (Reuters)
By The Numbers
March 2019: The last time Lake Champlain was fully frozen over, before this week. Before that, the lake froze over in 2015, 2014 and 2007. (VT Digger)
34%, 26%: The water levels of Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the country’s two largest reservoirs, respectively. Western state governors are worried this year’s lousy snowpack could threaten a drought along the Colorado River that’s even worse than in previous years. (Los Angeles Times)
Off The Wall
New Jersey lawmakers have introduced legislation to establish a registry of historic diners and restaurants, aimed at keeping the state’s iconic eateries open. The measure would give businesses a tax credit of up to $25,000 if they have been open for at least 25 years. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District rejected a proposal to phase out gas-powered appliances after receiving tens of thousands of emails in opposition — at least 20,000 of which were generated by AI. The public comments were generated by a D.C.-based firm called CiviClick, which calls itself “the first and best AI-powered grassroots advocacy platform.” (Los Angeles Times)
Quote of the Day
“Obviously, I would not say this is the easiest bill I’ve ever carried.”
— Colorado Sen. Nick Hinrichsen (D), on his bill to end criminal offenses for prostitution. Hinrichsen said he has “opened up conversations with the governor — haven’t gotten any solid answers yet.” (Colorado Public Radio)