NV: New Nevada law allows pharmacists to administer HIV prevention meds without prescription
Nevada will become one of the first states to allow pharmacists to prescribe human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention drugs to patients at risk of contracting the virus, as the state works to combat one of the highest rates of HIV diagnoses in the country.
OK: Oklahoma legalizes needle exchanges
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, signed legislation to allow for privately funded needle exchange programs in the state for at least the next five years.
AZ: Arizona newspaper takes state Senate, Cyber Ninjas to court for election audit records
The Arizona Republic has gone to court to demand records from the state Senate and one of its contractors to shed light on the audit of 2020 election results.
DE: Mental health resources in Delaware schools would receive a boost under approved bill
The legislation, which awaits the governor’s signature, calls for Delaware elementary schools to hire more counselors, licensed clinical social workers and school social workers for grades K-5. It also would allow for 250 full-time students for every counselor and 700 students for every psychologist, while prioritizing disadvantaged students and students with disabilities.
IA: Complicated rules delay grocery vouchers for some families in Iowa
Iowa state officials acknowledged that there have been bumps in implementing the grocery voucher program, which must follow complicated federal eligibility rules.
CA: Thousands of Californians could get an extra $100 a week in unemployment pay
An estimated 350,000 Californians who are self-employed but also work salaried jobs part-time can now potentially qualify for an extra $100 a week in unemployment payments—and get them retroactively.
VT: Vermont governor vetoes housing bill with rental registry, statewide inspection system
Vermont Republican Gov. Phil Scott vetoed legislation that would have set up a rental registry and a statewide system to enforce property safety standards. The governor said that the bill would “reduce the number of housing options for Vermonters at a time when we are grappling with a critical housing shortage.”
CT: Connecticut legislature will reconvene to consider extending governor’s emergency powers
The Connecticut legislature will reconvene in two weeks to consider extending Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont’s pandemic-related emergency powers. Some Republicans are critical of the move and have already said that they will vote no.
WI: As many as a third of Wisconsin wolves were killed after being delisted
As many as one-third of Wisconsin’s gray wolves likely died at the hands of humans in the months after the federal government announced it was ending legal protections, according to a new study.
MT: Feds back bison grazing plan in Montana
Federal officials have given preliminary approval to a conservation group’s contentious proposal to expand bison grazing on public lands in north-central Montana.
PA: Pennsylvania lawmakers will take on a range of issues after summer break
Pennsylvania lawmakers are off for the summer, but after the break, they will be facing many important issues including election laws, cocktails-to-go, how to spend federal dollars, lobbying changes and whether to legalize cannabis.
OR: Oregon has begun review of heat wave response
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, said the state has begun a review of its preparation for and response to a heat wave that killed at least 94 residents. Brown said state leaders had worked to spread the word, open cooling centers and distribute water.
AK: University of Alaska will cover thousands of student scholarships until lawmakers reach deal
Legislators voted to avoid a partial government shutdown, but they couldn’t agree on how to fund college scholarships and grants that support more than 5,000 Alaska students. But the University of Alaska announced that the university system will honor the scholarships and grants for current and incoming students until the legislature takes action.
CO: Colorado hits the 70% mark for COVID-19 vaccination
Coloradans reached a milestone during the holiday weekend—70% of adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. More than 3.2 million people in the state are at least partially inoculated against the coronavirus.
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