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Top State Stories 4/23
KS: Kansas governor vetoes abortion ‘reversal’ bill
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, vetoed a measure that would require health clinics and doctors to tell their patients about a disputed method to stop a medication abortion after a woman has taken the first of two pills.
NJ: New Jersey medical pot patients can’t be fired over drug test, court rules
New Jersey workers can’t be fired if they flunk a drug test because they are medical marijuana patients, a state appeals court has ruled. The case is likely to reverberate in workplaces for years to come.
WA: Washington state to allow ‘human composting’
Washington state appears set to become the first state to allow a burial alternative known as “natural organic reduction” — an accelerated decomposition process that turns bodies into soil within weeks.
AL: Alabama bill ends joint MLK-Robert E. Lee holiday
A new bill introduced in the Alabama legislature would end the long-standing practice of combining Martin Luther King Day with the birthday of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
NY: New York governor signs plastic bag ban
Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law a measure banning most single-use plastic bags, making New York the third state in the nation to enact a statewide bag policy.
NV: Nevada governor signs bill raising clean energy standard
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat, signed a bill requiring electricity companies to get half of their energy from renewable sources by 2030. The clean energy standard under the legislation will be gradually ramped up to the 50% mark.
SC: South Carolina teachers plan walkout
Public school teachers across South Carolina plan to leave work May 1 and protest in Columbia to demand higher wages, smaller classroom sizes and other changes to their working conditions. It’s not yet clear how many schools would close.
CA: California police promote measure to limit fatal shootings
Round two gets underway in California’s fight over how best to limit fatal shootings by police through nation-leading reforms. State legislators are debating a measure that would set a national precedent by creating statewide guidelines on when officers can use lethal force.
FL: Florida’s Hispanic vote nearly doubled in 2018. What will it do next year?
The Hispanic-specific data, compiled by Univision and Political Data Inc., shows that campaigns and candidates who make early investments in Spanish-language media and advertising efforts are reaching more potential voters in Florida than ever before.
CO: Colorado governor has concerns about immigration bill
Democratic Gov. Jared Polis has concerns about a bill that would prevent state and local law enforcement in Colorado from assisting federal immigration enforcement agents. With less than two weeks left in the legislative session, it’s unclear if there will be time to push the measure through.
NE: Nebraska prisons offer incentives to attract workers
Nebraska’s short-staffed prison system is now offering cash incentives to attract new workers and keep its current employees from leaving. The programs, separate from a new union contract, include a $3,000 signing bonus for high-demand positions at certain prisons.
GA: Big money political donors in Georgia will be able to give even more
The state ethics commission in Georgia raised the maximum campaign contribution limits by up to $1,000 for donors to most statewide candidates who make it to the general election, and up to an extra $500 in legislative contests.
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