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Good morning, it’s Monday, May 6, 2024. In today’s edition, how Mississippi’s Medicaid expansion plans died; New York advancing social media restrictions; Morrisey leads close West Virginia GOP field:
Top Stories
MEDICAID: Mississippi lawmakers failed to reach agreement last week on a Medicaid expansion bill, after negotiations broke down over a provision in the House version that would have allowed expansion to go through even if the Biden administration rejected work requirements. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann (R) said the legislature would try again in 2025. (Pluribus News)
SOCIAL MEDIA: New York lawmakers are on track to approve legislation barring online sites from collecting data from those under 18, and prohibiting social media platforms from providing “an addictive feed” to kids under 18. The bills have earned bipartisan support in the face of fierce tech industry lobbying. (Albany Times Union)
ENVIRONMENT: The Alabama House and Senate have approved legislation allowing manufacturers to store greenhouse gas emissions underground “pore spaces.” The bill allows property owners to be paid for storing greenhouse gases in a manner similar to oil and gas royalties. (Yellowhammer News)
LGBTQ RIGHTS: Colorado lawmakers approved a proposed constitutional amendment to remove outdated language barring same-sex marriage. The measure will go to voters in November, 18 years after Colorado voters outlawed same-sex marriage in a 2006 vote. (Denver Post)
HOUSING: The Connecticut House has approved legislation to prioritize infrastructure funding for towns that create transit-oriented housing projects. The legislation is aimed at promoting denser, walkable communities with easy access to public transportation. (CT Mirror) Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) has signed legislation allowing counties the authority to regulate short-term vacation rentals. (Honolulu Star Advertiser)
CHILD WELFARE: The New Hampshire House has given final approval to legislation setting the legal age of marriage at 18. The legislature raised the minimum age to get married to 16 in 2019. The bill now heads to Gov. Chris Sununu’s (R) desk. (WMUR)
CHILD CARE: The Massachusetts Senate will propose spending nearly $1.58 billion to expand early education and child care services. The Senate bill would give families earning less than $124,000 a year to qualify for child care subsidies. (WGBH)
In Politics & Business
WEST VIRGINIA: Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R) leads the GOP field in the race to replace term-limited Gov. Jim Justice (R) with 32%, according to a new survey. But the race is tight: Businessman Chris Miller (R) takes 25%, while former Del. Moore Capito (R) takes 24%. Secretary of State Mac Warner (R) pulls just 10%. (WV MetroNews)
DELAWARE: House Minority Leader Mike Ramone (R) will run for governor. He will face state Republican Party chair Julianne Murray (R) and retired NYPD officer Jerry Price (R) in the September primary. The winner will be a big underdog in November. (Delaware Public Media)
UTAH: State Rep. Phil Lyman (R) has chosen Highland resident Natalie Clawson (R) as his lieutenant governor running mate as he challenges Gov. Spencer Cox (R). Lyman’s first choice, Layne Bangerter (R), was ruled ineligible to run because he didn’t meet residency requirements. (Salt Lake Tribune)
NORTH CAROLINA: Opening arguments begin this morning in Raleigh in a federal lawsuit challenging North Carolina’s voter identification law. The non-jury trial comes five years after the NAACP sued to block the law, alleging it unlawfully discriminates against Black and Hispanic residents. (Associated Press)
By The Numbers
$300,000: The amount Kansas officials have included in the state budget to purchase the former Topeka home of Charles Curtis, the nation’s first vice president of color. Curtis, who was Native American, served as Herbert Hoover’s veep from 1929 to 1933. (Topeka Capital-Journal)
26.4 inches: The amount of snow that fell in the Sierra Nevada range on Sunday, the largest one-day snow fall recorded this year. (Associated Press)
113: The number of trips Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) took on the state’s Beechcraft King Air 350i, during his first year in office. That’s much more than Shapiro’s predecessors flew, but Shapiro’s office says the plane helps connect him with his constituents. (Spotlight PA)
Off The Wall
Congratulations to Khaya Njumbe, 15, of Gary, Ind., who is set to become the youngest-ever college graduate in his state. Njumbe will earn a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University Northwest this year, along with his high school diploma. He has his sights set on med school. (WGN)
And you thought housing prices were out of control here: A parking spot near Amsterdam’s famous Vondelpark has hit the market for 495,000 Euros, or the equivalent of $528,000. That’s more than the median home price in the Netherlands. (AFP)
Quote of the Day
“So, wait. Run that back again. What did you say about UFOs?”
— Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee chair Jordan Harris (D), after Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Randy Padfield casually mentioned during a February hearing that his agency had investigated alleged UFO sightings in recent years. (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)