LA: Louisiana governor signs strict abortion law with no exception for rape, incest
Louisiana Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that he had signed legislation that would close all the abortion clinics in the state immediately if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, as expected.
KS: Kansas Supreme Court allows partisan gerrymandering
Partisan gerrymandering is constitutional in Kansas, a divided state Supreme Court ruled in a precedent-setting case. The majority based its decision in part on the doctrine that courts shouldn’t get involved when the case is primarily a political question.
MN: Minnesota attorney general vows to defend travelers who come to state for abortions
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, a Democrat, vowed to legally defend travelers who come there to get an abortion and face prosecution in their own states for doing so. Ellison said he will reject extradition requests and fight other states in court if necessary.
NM: New Mexico launches website to help parents find baby formula
New Mexico has launched NMformula.org, a comprehensive site offering information about where baby formula may be available in the state. The site also provides information on community resources, including local health councils, pediatricians, food pantries and supporting agencies.
ME: US Supreme Court strikes down Maine ban on public funds for religious school tuition
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Maine law that bars the use of public dollars for tuition at religious schools, a decision that could create opportunities for school choice programs in other states.
NV: Nevada rural, minority teens face steeper economic obstacles than peers
Nevada teens in rural areas are more likely to be living in poverty than their peers in urban areas, according to a report released earlier this month by the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities.
SD: South Dakota Senate removes state attorney general
The South Dakota Senate voted to remove suspended Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg, a Republican. The vote during his impeachment trial followed hours of testimony about Ravnsborg’s role in the death of a pedestrian in 2020.
ID: ‘Fake clinics’ in Idaho look like abortion clinics, but aren’t
Some “fake clinics” in Idaho, also known as crisis pregnancy centers, are clinics that advertise services similar to abortion clinics, but with different agendas. Instead of performing abortion services, the staff talks women through their options but ultimately attempts to discourage them from having an abortion.
WI: Wisconsin governor issues executive order barring price gouging at gas stations
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers issued an order aimed at combating the rising cost of gasoline in Wisconsin, barring gas stations from engaging in price gouging. The order declares a period of “abnormal economic disruption” in Wisconsin and prohibits selling at more than 15% above the highest price the product was sold 60 days ago.
PA: Pennsylvania could see surge of abortion patients in the thousands if Roe v. Wade is overturned
Pennsylvania abortion providers have spent months preparing for a surge of up to 8,500 more out-of-state patients from places that could lose abortion access—hiring more staff, creating patient navigator programs and pushing fundraising efforts into overdrive.
CO: Now estimated at $750, Colorado tax refund checks soar as refund pool largest ever
Revenue collections by the state government have been so surprisingly strong that officials now expect Colorado single-filer taxpayers each will receive refund checks of at least $750 this summer.
MA: Massachusetts lawmakers hold rare oversight hearing on troubled Boston ‘T’ transit system
The Metropolitan Boston Transit Authority pulled all its new but troubled Orange Line trains out of service after a “battery failure” on one of the cars, the same day that Massachusetts legislative leaders announced they will hold a rare oversight hearing of the beleaguered agency.
OK: US Supreme Court decision blocks Oklahoma cities from ticketing traffic-blocking trains
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Oklahoma’s effort to revive a state law setting strict time limits on trains blocking city streets. Without comment, the court declined to review a federal appeals court ruling that federal authority to regulate rail carriers and tracks trumps an Oklahoma law on blocked crossings.
CA: California must euthanize 350K trout after bacteria outbreak
A bacteria outbreak in two state hatcheries is forcing the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to euthanize about 350,000 rainbow trout, which could affect fishing stock in some state waterways this summer.
MS: New Mississippi state song to be designated July 1
After 60 years as the official state song, “Go Mississippi” is being replaced by “One Mississippi.” “Go Mississippi” had been criticized for its ties to former Democratic Gov. Ross Barnett, an ardent segregationist.
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