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FL: Ian shakes up election preparations, could hurt Florida turnout
Running an election in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian is going to be a monumental challenge for elections officials in the Florida counties hit hardest by the storm as they face poll worker shortages, damaged polling places and voters who lost their homes.
NY: Federal judge scales back New York’s concealed carry law
A federal judge temporarily blocked significant portions of New York state’s recently passed concealed carry laws for firearms, which had been championed as a rebuke to the U.S. Supreme Court’s summer ruling invalidating the state’s previous concealed carry requirements.
US: Republicans threaten to claw back pandemic funds from states, cities
With a chance to take control of the U.S. House in November’s elections, leading Republicans are vowing to use the authority they’d regain to ramp up scrutiny of the billions of dollars Washington is sending to the state and local level under the American Rescue Plan Act.
TN: Staff, kids at Tennessee children’s services agency ‘traumatized’ by ongoing placement issues
The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services has brought in armed security and highway patrol to handle some high-risk youth forced to sleep in state offices as an increasingly “dire” bed shortage traumatizes staff and kids.
OK: Oklahoma governor vetoes pandemic federal stimulus projects
Oklahoma GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoed $24.2 million in federal stimulus spending approved by state lawmakers. The money would have gone to the Oklahoma Arts Council, the Oklahoma Education Television Authority and to state agencies to set up regional centers to distribute personal protective equipment.
WI: Wisconsin judge blocks absentee ballot spoiling
A Wisconsin judge is prohibiting voters from canceling their original absentee ballot and casting a new one, siding with a conservative group created by prominent Republicans that said the practice known as ballot spoiling is illegal.
MN: Minnesota secretary of state race attracts national headlines, money
The Minnesota campaign drawing the most national attention – and the most national money – isn’t the race for governor or Congress, but for secretary of state. It’s one of a handful across the U.S. testing whether the Donald Trump-led denial of the 2020 election results has political potency.
WY: Employee exodus hits Wyoming state agencies
Roughly a quarter of Wyoming’s executive branch agency employees left their jobs between July 2021 and June 2022, according to a new report by the Department of Administration and Information. That figure is almost double the turnover rate a decade ago.
TX: Federal judge curtails protections for LGBTQ workers, trans kids in response to Texas lawsuit
A federal judge has ruled that Biden administration guidelines requiring employers to provide protections for LGBTQ employees go too far, in a win for Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who brought suit against the rules last fall.
CT: Report: Poor Connecticut cities need tens of millions in state investments
A new state panel tasked with revitalizing Connecticut’s poor urban centers is recommending $76.5 million in financing for more than two dozen economic development projects in 12 communities.
WV: West Virginia Supreme Court removes block on sweeping non-public school vouchers
West Virginia’s non-public school voucher program, the nation’s broadest, may move forward. The West Virginia Supreme Court lifted a lower court’s block on the program.
MT: Montana ag department updates policies after cybertheft
Montana Department of Agriculture leaders say they’ve changed their policies to address phishing attacks, after a scammer stole more than $344,000 from the department.
SD: South Dakota challenged on voting practices
South Dakota is in court again over election policies. Many counties eliminated absentee ballot drop boxes, and a state law bans private funding for election expenses.
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