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Pluribus AM: Why states are getting into antitrust

Good morning, it’s Thursday, October 24, 2024. In today’s edition, why states are getting back into the antitrust game; North Carolina to consider new relief funding; USPS says facilities open and operating after hurricanes:

Top Stories

ANTITRUST: State lawmakers and attorneys general from both sides of the aisle are making new efforts to hold corporations accountable through antitrust litigation and legislation. It’s part of a bipartisan trend targeting decades of corporate consolidation and the rise of global tech giants.

In recent years, Colorado lawmakers gave their attorney general more authority to enforce antitrust laws; Washington lawmakers stiffened penalties for antitrust violations; and New York legislators are working to update laws first passed in the Progressive Era. California, not to be left out, is considering a separate antitrust law aimed solely at tech companies.

Antitrust is usually seen as the purview of the federal government. But states have an historical role: The National Association of Attorneys General was founded to combat Standard Oil’s monopoly. Read more at Pluribus News.

HEALTH CARE: Michigan will distribute free contraception through community partners and federally qualified health centers, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) said Wednesday. The program will be paid for through a $5.6 million appropriation approved in the 2024 budget. (Pluribus News)

DISASTER RELIEF: North Carolina lawmakers will hold a special session today to consider new relief funding for victims of Hurricane Helene. Gov. Roy Cooper (D) has asked for $3.9 billion to pay for repairs and revitalization in hard-hit western counties. (Associated Press)

MARIJUANA: The medical marijuana market and the hemp industry are preparing for a legislative battle in Texas over the regulation of hemp products like delta-8 and delta-9. Those unregulated products are growing in popularity, but state Sen. Charles Perry (R), author of a 2019 law opening the state’s hemp industry, says he wants to ban consumable hemp products. (Texas Tribune)

TECHNOLOGY: South Dakota’s Artificial Intelligence and Regulation of Internet Access by Minors Committee has approved a proposal to require state residents to upload photos of their government identification to access adult content on the internet. The proposed bill requires certain online platforms to implement “reasonable age verification.” (South Dakota Public Broadcasting)

CRIMINAL JUSTICE: Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R) says he will make a priority of criminal justice legislation in 2025. Ledbetter didn’t endorse specific bills, but Rep. Reed Ingram (R) has introduced a bill to allow the governor or attorney general to appoint an interim police chief in municipalities where crime is on the rise. (Yellowhammer News)

In Politics & Business

VOTING: The U.S. Postal Service has reopened all of its mail processing centers in Florida and North Carolina after recent hurricanes. Postal Service officials said the agency is prepared to handle the millions of mail-in ballots that will flow through the system in the coming weeks. (Associated Press)

Postal officials said 99.9% of election-related mail was delivered within seven days, even after Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton disrupted some deliveries.

NORTH CAROLINA: Two new polls show Attorney General Josh Stein (D) consolidating his lead over Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R). A Marist College poll has Stein leading 55% to 41%. An Emerson College poll shows Stein ahead 51% to 39%. (Marist, Emerson)

NEW YORK: Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (D) has become the fifth Democrat to say he will challenge Mayor Eric Adams (D) next year. Mamdani, 33, is the youngest candidate in the field; he won election to his seat in the legislature in 2020. (State of Politics)

MONTANA: The state Commission on Practice has recommended the state Supreme Court suspend the law license of Attorney General Austin Knudsen (R) for 90 days for undermining public trust in the legal system when he refused to comply with a 2021 court order. Knudsen’s office said he would appeal the recommendation. (Montana Free Press)

PEOPLE: Massachusetts Rep. Susan Williams Gifford (R) has died at 64 after succumbing to cancer. Gifford, the House minority whip, had served on Beacon Hill for more than two decades. (Boston Globe) Our condolences to the Massachusetts political family.

By The Numbers

$224,500: The amount burger company Shake Shack has agreed to pay Massachusetts over violations of child labor laws. The company failed to obtain work permits for minors and scheduled minors for work during legally prohibited hours, according to a settlement it reached with Attorney General Andrea Campbell (D). (MassLive)

241: The number of bills that have passed through Pennsylvania’s legislature this year, the lowest number in more than a decade. Republicans control the state Senate, while Democrats hold the House. (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

20: The number of noncitizens registered to vote in Georgia, out of 8.2 million registered voters, according to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R). Eleven of those 20 voters had never cast a ballot. (Associated Press)

That’s 0.00024% of all registered voters in Georgia.

Off The Wall

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R) has indicted a 68-year old man from Cuyahoga County for voter fraud. The only problem: The man died two years ago. Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley criticized Yost for indicting the deceased man without checking on his status. (Ohio Capital Journal)

A collection of more than 2,500 silver coins that lay buried in a farmer’s field in southwest England for almost 1,000 years will be displayed at the British Museum next month. The trove includes coins from an era just after the Norman Conquest showing William the Conquerer and his ousted predecessor, Harold II. (Associated Press)

Quote of the Day

“I have [a] deep respect for the other candidates in this race — I would say with the exception of Andrew Cuomo, if he declares.”

New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (D), on his fellow candidates running for mayor. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is said to be eyeing a political comeback. (State of Politics)