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NY: New York City is legalizing gay conversion therapy. Here’s why.
Nearly two years ago, the New York City Council celebrated when it passed a far-reaching ban on conversion therapy, a discredited practice to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. But now the council plans to repeal the ban in order to neutralize a federal lawsuit filed against the city by a conservative Christian legal organization.
AZ: Arizona has closed hundreds of polling places since 2013
Election officials in Arizona have closed hundreds of polling places across the state following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down parts of the Voting Rights Act, a survey by civil rights groups has found. The court in 2013 effectively gave local officials more leeway to open or close polling locations.
TX: Texas governor stops short of mandatory background checks
On the heels of two mass shootings, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott proposed a series of ideas to the Texas legislature. But he stopped short of endorsing mandatory background checks for person-to-person firearm sales, which the Republican leader of the Senate has backed.
FL: Florida governor ‘confident’ Trump will protect against offshore oil drilling
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said he is confident that President Donald Trump will protect Florida from offshore oil drilling — despite a White House threat to veto legislation that would ban drilling off the state’s Gulf Coast.
HI: Hawaii officials cracking down on unregulated CBD products
Growing national concern over the safety of unregulated CBD is prompting Hawaii health officials to target retailers selling products appealing to children and marketed for vaping. Health Director Bruce Anderson said the state is going to be more aggressive in removing those products, which are not tested for purity or potency.
CA: New California law pays police departments to train cops on when to use deadly force
A month after signing one of the most sweeping use-of-force laws in the country, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed a companion measure that will finance new training and require police departments to upgrade their policies.
NV: Misdemeanor domestic violence crimes serious enough for jury trial in Nevada
A recent law change prohibiting individuals convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes from owning firearms means those charges are now serious enough to warrant jury trials, the Nevada Supreme Court said in a recent order reversing a 2014 opinion.
LA: Louisiana college master plan could help state credit rating
Louisiana’s new master plan for its colleges and universities could help the state’s credit rating, national credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service said. The goal of the new plan is for 6 in 10 working-age adults to hold a college degree or other credential by 2030.
OK: Oklahoma governor, new DHS boss announce 13% pay hike for workers
Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt and his new pick to lead the Oklahoma Department of Human Services say more than 3,700 agency employees will be getting a 13% pay raise. Most of the raises are for “frontline” employees working in the agency’s 92 field offices across the state.
NJ: New Jersey governor forms task force on vaping
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, announced he’s creating a task force to examine how the state’s government can respond to the growing concern over vaping. Murphy also urged Garden State residents to stop vaping completely as investigations continue into the lung ailments associated with the habit.
CT: Connecticut’s new tax on prepared foods in grocery stores takes effect Oct. 1
A new tax will be charged starting Oct. 1 on prepared foods sold at grocery stores in Connecticut. The 7.35% tax was included in the state budget passed last June. The increase in taxes is expected to raise $48.3 million this fiscal year and $65.8 million in the next.
AK: In small Alaska city, Native women say police ignored rapes
Rape survivors and their supporters told the Associated Press that the police department in Nome, Alaska, has often failed to investigate sexual assaults or keep survivors informed about what, if anything, is happening with their cases.
VA: Virginia’s lieutenant governor sues TV network for defamation
Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of Virginia, a Democrat, filed a $400 million federal defamation lawsuit against CBS Corp. and CBS Broadcasting in New York, alleging the network published false statements by two women who have accused him of sexual assault. Fairfax’s accusers maintain they told the truth and are seeking a chance to testify in the state legislature.
MN: Libertarian Party in court for easier path to Minnesota ballot
Minnesota’s Libertarian Party wants to make it easier for third-party candidates to get on state general election ballots, launching the first in an expected series of lawsuits taking aim at laws restricting minor-party ballot access.
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