AZ: Federal judge blocks Arizona law granting human rights to fetuses
Acknowledging that the law on abortion in Arizona is “murky,” a federal judge issued an order halting enforcement of a 2021 statute that grants human rights to fetuses.
TX: Texas bitcoin miners shut down as electricity grid nears brink
Nearly all industrial-scale bitcoin miners in Texas have shut off their machines as the companies brace for a heat wave that is expected to push the state’s power grid near its breaking point.
SD: South Dakota Medicaid expansion proponents join forces
A pair of South Dakota campaigns trying to expand access to Medicaid through the November ballot announced they will join efforts to pass an amendment to the state constitution.
CO: Colorado to try COVID wastewater surveillance in schools, hospitals this fall
Colorado is going to use wastewater sampling in a handful of individual buildings—including schools and hospitals—this fall to get an idea of how many people are infected.
MI: Michigan court agrees to cash bail changes to strike at racial inequality
Michigan’s largest district court and bail reform advocates have agreed to settle a federal class-action lawsuit over cash bail practices, which activists say routinely and unconstitutionally jail poor and working class defendants despite evidence of their inability to pay.
CA: How California built a safety net for immigrants
The immigrant-friendly policies in California come at a time when other states are trying to push away those lacking permanent legal status. They’re the result of organizing by pro-immigrant advocacy groups and the power a generation of Latino leaders accumulated in the Capitol.
MO: Appeals court reinstates Missouri’s Down syndrome abortion ban
A panel of federal judges ruled in favor of an appeal that allows Missouri to prohibit abortions that are based solely on whether a baby was diagnosed with Down syndrome.
WI: Wisconsin is changing 28 place names that slur Indigenous women
U.S. Interior Department officials are working with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to change the names of 28 places in Wisconsin that have been deemed derogatory toward Indigenous women. Most are bodies of water, such as rivers, lakes and creeks.
MN: State judge strikes down many of Minnesota’s abortion restrictions
A state judge ordered Minnesota officials to stop enforcing restrictions including the two-parent notification law for minors, a 24-hour waiting period and requirements that only physicians perform abortions. He also struck down felony penalties for abortion providers who run afoul of state regulations.
PA: Pennsylvania budget adds millions to film tax credit
Pennsylvania’s recently finalized budget gave the state’s film production industry a major boost. The budget increased the film tax incentive from $70 million to $100 million.
KS: Kansas sees surge of interest in anti-abortion amendment
A “yes” vote on the constitutional amendment would give the Kansas legislature significantly more power to restrict or even outlaw abortion, though it would still need to vote to do so.
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