0:00
News Story
Top State Stories 9/1
TX: Texas law banning abortion as early as 6 weeks goes into effect
One of the nation’s most restrictive abortion laws—which bans abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy—took effect at midnight after the U.S. Supreme Court did not take action on an emergency appeal by Texas abortion providers.
US: 20 states sue over Biden administration’s school, work LGBTQ protections
Attorneys general from 20 states sued President Joe Biden’s administration in an effort to halt directives that extend federal sex discrimination protections to LGBTQ people, ranging from transgender girls participating in school sports to the use of school and workplace bathrooms that align with a person’s gender identity.
LA: Hurricane power outages may soon end in Louisiana
New Orleans and surrounding parishes in Louisiana have been without power since Hurricane Ida struck the area Sunday. Entergy officials say that power could return in the coming days.
TN: Tennessee underreported COVID hospitalizations
About 5,100 more Tennesseans than previously reported were hospitalized due to COVID-19 over the past 14 months—an increase of more than 20% over prior totals—according to newly backfilled data from the state department of health.
TX: Restrictive Republican election bill heads to Texas governor’s desk
The bill would rewrite Texas election laws to further restrict the voting-by-mail process and outlaw local voting initiatives meant to widen access, namely those pushed by Harris County this past year that were disproportionately used by voters of color.
OH: Ohio Redistricting Commission, set to miss 1st deadline, can’t agree on who draws maps
How close is the Ohio Redistricting Commission to approving a map for state House and Senate districts that the public can weigh in on? Not very. In fact, they can’t even agree on who should hold the pen.
ID: Idaho governor calls up National Guard after visiting an ICU
Idaho Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, is calling in the National Guard to bolster the state’s COVID-19 response. Little toured a nearly full intensive care unit in Boise and was told by state health officials there are only four adult ICU beds available across the state.
MT: Montana vaccine discrimination law sows confusion
This spring, Montana legislators passed a one-of-a-kind law barring vaccine-based discrimination. Now schools, counties, businesses and health care professionals are struggling to overcome the challenges it creates.
CO: In Colorado, COVID cases are rising faster in children than in adults
New coronavirus infections in Colorado children started rising in July, in tandem with adult cases. In recent weeks, however, the rise has been faster in school-aged kids than adults. It’s not clear if the return to classrooms is directly driving that increased transmission.
HI: Hawaiian island bars, restaurants, gyms will soon require proof of COVID vaccination or negative test
On Sept. 13, the Hawaiian island of Oahu, home to Honolulu, will begin requiring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for entry to a wide range of establishments in a bid to stop the rapid spread of the coronavirus.
UT: Utah governor questions efficacy of masks amid virus surge
Republican Gov. Spencer Cox cast doubt on the efficacy of mask-wearing as Utah health leaders made some of their most impassioned pleas yet for state residents to mask up and get vaccinated. Cox said it’s unclear whether masks are effective against the highly contagious delta variant.
VT: Vermont schools reopen, nearly all with mask mandates
Most Vermont schools will be open this week, and only one small district with one school has not adapted a mask requirement, a state education official said. The state recommended that schools require masks for all students and staff for the first 10 days and continue to require them for children under age 12 in schools with low vaccination rates.
OK: Oklahoma NAACP sues to block law targeting protests
The Oklahoma chapter of the NAACP is suing over a new state law the group says will limit protests and have a chilling effect on free speech. The lawsuit alleges the law could result in the NAACP being charged millions of dollars in fines should anyone break state law at demonstrations organized by the group.
SD: Federal judge strikes down South Dakota ballot deadline
South Dakota’s one-year deadline to submit petitions for initiated measures unduly restricts the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, a federal judge has ruled.
MA: Massachusetts’ hard line against remote learning leaves some parents frustrated
Some Massachusetts parents are scrambling for other schooling options amid a surge in coronavirus cases, leaving them scared and without any education alternative. State leaders have reiterated their ban on remote learning.
NH: New Hampshire launches school choice program
New Hampshire’s new school choice program is officially underway, after a speedy approval process by lawmakers and the State Board of Education. The program establishes an Education Savings Account for families to access taxpayer funds to pay for tuition at private schools, home learning programs or other non-public school options.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics.
