CT: Connecticut AG plans abortion legal hotline
Responding to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, a Democrat, unveiled an abortion hotline and announced that he will hire a special counsel to defend abortion rights.
AK: Families, activists question why so many people in Alaska’s jails and prisons have died this year
Fifteen people have died in Alaska jails and prisons so far this year. Nine out of 15 were under 40. The Alaska Department of Corrections hasn’t had this many deaths in one calendar year since 2015. It’s unclear what’s behind this year’s high.
RI: As overdoses soar, Rhode Island embraces a daring addiction strategy
Rhode Island is preparing to open the first supervised drug consumption site legalized by a state. Many public health experts see this strategy as a possible template for transforming how the United States addresses drug use.
CO: Millions spent to influence Colorado voters to change liquor laws
Colorado’s booze battles have reignited this election season, fueled by millions of dollars from the likes of DoorDash, Instacart and the conglomerates behind King Soopers and Safeway. Voters will decide three propositions that would expand wine sales, chain liquor stores and third-party alcohol delivery.
ME: Maine governor provides K to fight federal ruling on lobster restrictions
Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills directed $100,000 in state money toward the appeal of a federal ruling that upheld new fishing requirements designed to protect right whales. The September decision went against the Maine Lobstermen’s Association.
WA: Washington city raises minimum wage to highest in the nation
The city of SeaTac, Washington, is raising its minimum wage for hospitability and transportation workers. The city points to data from the UC Berkley Labor Center that indicates it will have the highest minimum wage in the nation, increasing from $17.54 to $19.06 hourly in 2023.
HI: Hawaii governor signs executive order to protect access to abortions
Democratic Gov. David Ige issued an executive order that broadens protections for out-of-state residents who obtain abortions in Hawaii and the health care providers who assist them.
GA: Cobb County advances new election map, setting up fight with Georgia
The Cobb County Board of Commissioners voted along party lines to override the Georgia legislature and install a new electoral map in a last-ditch — and legally fraught — attempt to keep a sitting Democratic commissioner from being disqualified from office.
MI: Michigan septic inspection bill to protect water from leaks may spill into next legislative session
Michigan is the sole state in the nation without a statewide septic code, and a bill in the state House is meant to remedy that, perhaps in the coming lame duck session. Scientists estimate as much as 20% of Michigan’s aging and widely unregulated septic systems have failed and are leaking harmful bacteria into groundwater and waterways.
TX: Texas bans many proven tools for helping drug users. Advocates are handing them out anyway.
As overdoses skyrocket amid the pandemic and the fentanyl crisis, advocates across Texas are working discreetly to distribute clean syringes, fentanyl testing strips and other supplies as part of a practice to combat substance use disorder known as harm reduction.
NM: New Mexico governor rescinds ‘shameful’ proclamations from territorial past
New Mexico Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham rescinded four proclamations issued by territorial governors in the 1850s and 1860s, citing a history of “shameful” government cruelty toward Native Americans that continues to reverberate. The proclamations described certain Native American tribes as “outlaws” and barred tribal members from being included in official census counts.
DE: Delaware legislature to hold special session amid outrage for retiree Medicare Advantage plan
The Delaware General Assembly will hold a special session later this month to vote on adding more oversight to the transition of state retirees’ health care plan to Medicare Advantage, a move that has been protested across the state in recent weeks. Retirees are still looking to reject this plan altogether, via a lawsuit.
PA: Philadelphia expected to make 10 p.m. curfew for teens permanent
Philadelphia appears poised to make a 10 p.m. curfew for people under age 18 permanent, and there’s some talk again of fining the parents of children who violate it. Supporters of the curfew say it’s aimed at keeping young people safe from historic rates of gunfire in the city, but experts who have studied curfews say they have little to no impact on crime.
NY: New York cautions schools to report corporal punishment to police
The New York State Education Department has cautioned school administrators that corporal punishment is illegal in school settings and must be reported to law enforcement. The directive was issued after a recent Times Union story reported there had been more than 1,600 substantiated corporal punishment cases in public and charter schools from 2016 through 2021.
MO: Court says cost of clearing pot convictions in Missouri could top .5M
The Missouri Supreme Court said it would need nearly $7 million to pay for erasing past marijuana-related convictions. The money would be budgeted only if Missouri voters approve a question on the Nov. 8 ballot legalizing the sale of marijuana for recreational purposes, which would launch an automatic expungement process.
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