Good morning, it’s Tuesday, December 3, 2024. In today’s edition, GOP seeks to undermine California’s climate authority; Wisconsin judge overturns Act 10; North Carolina Senate backs voter ID amendment:
Top Stories
ENERGY: Energy interest groups are exploring ways to block California’s authority under the Clean Air Act to set stricter emissions policies than those issued by the federal government. Those groups, like the Western States Petroleum Association and the National Association of Convenience Stores, are trying to block a California rule that would phase out the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035.
The incoming Trump administration may be receptive — and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is preparing for the fight. A dozen states have followed California’s lead in setting clean vehicle standards. Industry groups have sent President-elect Trump a letter urging him to overturn Biden administration measures that favor electric vehicles over gas-powered cars. Read more at Pluribus News.
TRUMP: California Gov. Newsom has asked lawmakers to create a $25 million fund to help the state Justice Department pay for litigation against the incoming Trump administration. Then-Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) spent $42 million suing the first Trump administration. (Sacramento Bee)
LABOR: A Dane County judge has struck down Wisconsin’s Act 10, the 2011 law that banned most collective bargaining among public employees. The judge ruled the law, signed by then-Gov. Scott Walker (R), violated equal protection guarantees for state employees. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Act 10 was the law that spurred massive protests — and a recall campaign — against Walker. Walker became the first governor in American history to survive a recall attempt.
LGBTQ RIGHTS: Arizona Republicans will attempt to pass a “bathroom bill” requiring people to use restroom and changing facilities that conform to their sex assigned at birth. Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) vetoed similar legislation this year. Senate Republicans have also introduced legislation barring teachers from using a student’s preferred pronouns if they do not match the student’s biological sex. (Arizona Republic)
AGRICULTURE: Republican governors are asking Congress not to pass a one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill before the end of the year. The governors said they wanted Congress to wait until a new Republican majority takes control in the Senate to address SNAP and crop subsidy provisions. (The Hill)
POWER: The North Carolina Senate voted along party lines to overturn Gov. Roy Cooper’s (D) veto of legislation to shift authority to appoint certain boards from the governor’s office to offices controlled by Republicans. The measure is meant to weaken Gov.-elect Josh Stein (D) before he takes office. A House vote is next. (Associated Press)
ELECTIONS: The North Carolina Senate voted to approve a proposed constitutional amendment that would require a photo identification for those voting by mail. If the House follows suit, the measure would appear on the 2026 ballot for voter approval. A second proposed amendment would cap income tax rates at 5%, down from the current 7% cap. (NC Newsline)
Did you miss our Council of State Governments preview event yesterday? Check out the replay right here.
In Politics & Business
MINNESOTA: State Republicans have filed a lawsuit seeking to force a re-run of a state House race in which an incumbent Democrat won by 14 votes. Investigators found about 20 valid absentee ballots were destroyed before they were counted. If the race is re-run, control of the chamber would be up for grabs; Democrats and Republicans each hold 67 seats. (Associated Press)
MICHIGAN: House Speaker Joe Tate (D) has opened a campaign account to explore a run for mayor of Detroit in 2025. Mayor Mike Duggan, a likely candidate for governor in 2026, has said he will not seek re-election. Tate is losing his speaker’s gavel after Republicans reclaimed control of the state House in this year’s elections. (Bridge MI)
WASHINGTON: The state Court of Appeals has upheld a 2022 decision levying a $24.6 million fine against Facebook parent company Meta over violations of the Fair Campaign Practices Act. The lawsuit brought by Attorney General and Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson (D) accused the company of selling political ads without proper public disclosure. (Seattle Times)
LEADERSHIP: The New Hampshire House meets today to pick a new speaker. Incumbent Sherman Packard (R) is seeking re-election, but he faces a challenge from Rep. Kim Rice (R). Packard won a vote of the Republican conference last month, but Rice has said she will challenge him in the floor vote. (NH Journal)
MORE: North Carolina Democrats have selected Sen. Sydney Batch (D) as their minority leader, in place of longtime leader Sen. Dan Blue (D). Blue had said he planned to step down after years leading the caucus. (Associated Press)
By The Numbers
Nearly 100%: The share of mail ballots that were returned to election offices within a week of the presidential election, according to the U.S. Postal Service. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said USPS processed more than 99 million general election ballots this year. (Associated Press)
6.4%: The share of Hawaii’s gross domestic product that came from outdoor recreation-adjacent businesses, the highest share in the nation. More than 4% of the GDPs of Vermont, Montana, Alaska and Wyoming came from outdoor recreation and affiliated businesses. (Daily Montanan)
$221 million: The amount Moana 2 earned at the domestic box office over the weekend, a record for a Thanksgiving opening. The movie crushed the previous record-holder, Frozen 2, by about $100 million. (Associated Press)
What can we say except you’re welcome?
Off The Wall
Oxford University Press has named “brain rot” the word of the year. The company said searches for brain rot — the deterioration of one’s mental state after over consuming online material — had risen 230% from last year. (Associated Press)
A major candy conglomerate has compensated a British man after he unwrapped a Mars bar — called a Milky Way bar in the United States — that lacked a signature ripple. Mars Wrigley U.K. sent Harry Seager, 34, a voucher for two British pounds, or about $2.53, to buy himself a new candy bar. (UPI)
Quote of the Day
“One lesson about parties that have full control of government is that it doesn’t last.”
— Marquette University political scientist Paul Nolette, on the fate of Republican majorities in the midterm elections. (MinnPost)