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CA: California lawmakers announce plan to hold gun makers liable for shootings
California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to target the gun industry through private lawsuits is coming together in California legislation that would allow gun violence survivors and other residents to sue firearm manufacturers and dealers.
CO: Eviction cases in Colorado hit a pandemic high in December
Landlords across Colorado filed 3,237 eviction cases in December, the highest monthly total since February 2020, before the start of the pandemic. Renters say they are still recovering from financial blows such as job loss or debt accrued over the past two years.
MO: Latest COVID surge hitting Missouri prisons, treatment centers
COVID-19 has made a rapid comeback in Missouri prisons, juvenile facilities and mental health treatment centers, just a month after the state nearly succeeded in stopping the spread of the coronavirus in those facilities.
IL: Cyberattack hits Illinois agency that oversees troubled insurance companies for state
A cyberattack at an obscure, quasi-state agency over the summer stripped millions of dollars from the accounts of two auto insurance companies under liquidation through “wrongful wire transfers,” Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration confirmed. The breach was carried out against the Office of the Special Deputy Receiver, a nonprofit that works with the director of the Illinois Department of Insurance.
DC: DC students will get free pads and tampons in school bathrooms
Washington, D.C., students will have access to free pads and tampons in school bathrooms under legislation approved by the D.C. Council. The bill requires public and private schools to stock period products in every girls and non-gender-specific bathroom in middle and high schools.
CT: Connecticut governor wants expanded property tax credit; Senate GOP wants sales tax cut
With a state budget surplus and an election in 2022, both Connecticut Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont and state legislators are already trying to outdo each other with proposed tax cuts.
WV: One in five West Virginians who test for virus are positive
One in five West Virginians who test for COVID-19 reveal a positive result, state officials announced. Republican Gov. Jim Justice warned residents of rising positive cases, saying he had “never seen this before” while revealing a daily positivity rate of 20.74%, during a media appearance.
MD: Maryland declares COVID emergency
Amid surging patient volumes at Maryland hospitals and a massive increase in COVID-19 infections statewide, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan implemented a temporary state of emergency and other executive orders designed to give the state government more powers and tools to combat the crises.
UT: University of Utah hospital suspends surgeries as COVID outbreaks hit staff, patients
University of Utah Hospital is suspending many surgeries as COVID-19 outbreaks have infected hundreds of employees and their families while hospitalizations begin to rise. The hospital already had seen a 400% increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations since Christmas.
OR: Oregon sets single-day case record
Oregon set a record for coronavirus cases reported for a single day, at 4,540 confirmed or presumed infections, with nearly half coming in the Portland metro area. But the sharp case surge prompted by the uber-contagious omicron variant has not yet produced a similar uptick in the number of Oregonians hospitalized with coronavirus, with hospitalizations still less than half of the peak from the delta variant.
MI: Nearly 700 employees test positive in Michigan health system
Nearly 700 Henry Ford Health System employees have tested positive for the coronavirus in the past seven days, the Michigan system’s chief clinical officer said. That’s about 2% of approximately 33,000 employees in the health system that became the first in Michigan to announce last summer that it would mandate COVID-19 vaccines for its workers.
TX: Texas governor will sue Biden administration over vaccine mandate for National Guard
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is suing the Biden administration, arguing he has the authority to exempt Texas National Guard members from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Last year the U.S. Secretary of Defense issued a memo calling for mandatory vaccination for members of the armed forces, including the National Guard. Those who refuse to get vaccinated could get their pay or training suspended and could be discharged if they continue to refuse.
NC: North Carolina governor extends state government COVID vaccination mandate
North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has extended the length of his executive order requiring government workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The order was to expire this month but now will be in effect until April 5.
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