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Editor’s Picks From Around the Web
NV: Tesla lithium deal catches Nevada lawmakers off guard
After offering Tesla more than $1 billion in tax incentives to construct its factory near Reno, several Nevada lawmakers who approved the deal expressed frustration when the electric car company announced that it had signed deals with two companies to obtain lithium—a critical component for its batteries—from northern Mexico, rather than from mines in Nevada.
AR: Arkansas attorney general requests scheduling of eight executions
The Arkansas attorney general is asking Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson to set execution dates for eight death-row inmates who have exhausted all of their appeals. The requests come after the Arkansas Department of Correction recently purchased lethal injection drugs to carry out executions after a 10-year hiatus.
CA: New website offers transparency on California law enforcement practices
The California Department of Justice has begun to publish data on interactions between law enforcement and the public, including arrest-related homicides by law enforcement officers.
AZ: Arizona to open private-prison contract to bids
Republican Gov. Doug Ducey is intervening in the hiring of a new private-prison operator near Kingman, Arizona, to open the process to bidding. The Department of Corrections had planned to follow the language in an earlier contract that allowed a new operator to be chosen without any public bids.
MN: Minnesota soccer team owners close in on stadium deal
St. Paul appears to be the choice of Minnesota United team officials as the home for a new $150 million Major League Soccer team and stadium. Last week, the City Council approved a resolution backing a property tax exemption for the site and Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton said he would support the tax break.
DC: District HIV cases drop dramatically after start of needle-exchange program
A study of HIV infections among drug users in the District of Columbia has found that the monthly rate of new infections dropped by 70 percent after the city implemented a needle-exchange program in 2008.
IL: Governor prevails on major labor bill as Illinois House fails to muster veto votes
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner scored the biggest legislative win of his short tenure when Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan fell short in a bid to override the Illinois governor’s veto of legislation to send contract talks with union workers to arbitration if an impasse is reached.
MO: Missouri judge rules right-to-farm doesn’t cover marijuana
A 2014 amendment to the state constitution guaranteeing the right to farm doesn’t protect a woman who reportedly grew marijuana in her basement, a Missouri judge has ruled. The amendment only applies to livestock and “legitimate” crop cultivation, and even those practices still are subject to regulations.
MD: Maryland panel wants to restrict body camera footage
A Maryland commission created to set guidelines for police departments that use body cameras plans to ask the General Assembly to consider restricting public access to police body camera recordings because of privacy concerns.
TX: Texas farmers brace for new federal clean water rule
The new rule extends the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory power to smaller bodies of water, including some streams that only flow after heavy precipitation. The changes mean more landowners may need to apply for permits for work affecting water that now falls under federal jurisdiction.
NH: Revenues up in New Hampshire on strong tourist season and boom in home sales
A strong tourism season and booming home sales helped fill New Hampshire’s coffers in August, with revenues 3.1 percent more than a year ago. The state continues to operate without an official fiscal 2016 budget after Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan vetoed the $11.35 billion budget approved by Republican lawmakers.
MI: Backlogged rape kits in Detroit head for further investigation
Detroit’s huge backlog of untested rape kits has been cleared, with nearly all of the more than 11,000 kits discovered in a police storage facility in 2009 now tested, Michigan’s governor said.
IA: Official questions whether Iowa’s Medicaid privatization is legal
The chairwoman of an Iowa program that provides health insurance to children of poor families is questioning whether Iowa has acted legally with efforts to privatize management of the system. At issue is a $111.3 million annual program known as hawk-i that provides health insurance for more than 37,000 children.
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