NY: Judge tells New York City to rehire workers fired for refusing vaccination
A group of sanitation workers who were fired for refusing to comply with New York City’s coronavirus vaccine mandate for government employees should be given back their jobs, as well as retroactive pay, a New York state judge ruled.
CT: Connecticut governor sends relief checks to thousands of working poor families
Connecticut Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration mailed out nearly 248,000 checks to low-income households this past weekend — the second time in the past two months a state tax cut delivered tens of millions of dollars to Connecticut families. Republicans called it the latest in a series of election-year gimmicks.
FL: Hurricane Ian started a clock ticking for dialysis patients in Florida
Hurricane Ian’s devastating impact on southwest Florida threw thousands of dialysis patients into a state of crisis, cut off from the regular treatments that stand in for their damaged kidneys. With roads and bridges damaged and water and electricity out, people who rely on every-other-day dialysis treatment needed extraordinary efforts to survive the storm’s aftermath.
SD: South Dakota governor won’t be prosecuted for airplane use
A state-ordered investigation into South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, found “no facts to support a criminal prosecution” when it comes to allegations the governor had misused the state airplane for personal matters and that flight logs had been tampered with.
MA: Massachusetts officials offer to reinstate some state workers fired over refusal to get vaccines
Massachusetts officials have begun offering to reinstate some of the more than 1,000 workers who lost their jobs after Republican Gov. Charlie Baker mandated that all executive branch employees be inoculated against COVID-19. A spokeswoman for Baker said the administration made offers for a “small number of positions.”
MO: Missouri begins no-excuse early voting under new ID law
For the first time, Missouri voters began casting ballots before Election Day without having to provide a reason why they couldn’t wait to vote in-person at their assigned polling places.
CA: PG&E facing M fine over fatal 2020 fire in northern California
State regulators said they plan to impose a $155.4 million fine against PG&E Corp. over the Zogg Fire, which killed four people in rural Shasta County, California, two years ago.
AR: Mistake by Arkansas corrections officials will deny parole to hundreds
The Arkansas Department of Corrections admitted during a legislative committee meeting to a seven-year mistake in interpreting Arkansas law, explaining that is why two inmates who were released in June were reincarcerated days later and why nearly 300 inmates are learning they will have to serve their entire sentence with no parole, despite what they were told at the time of their plea agreements.
NC: With executive order, North Carolina governor seeks to up zero-emission trucks and buses on state roads
The order issued by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper will require manufacturers of medium and heavy-duty vehicles to make an increasing percentage of their North Carolina fleets zero-emission starting by 2025.
GA: Georgia crosses 1M voters, shattering midterm turnout records
Turnout in Georgia’s election surged past 1 million voters, continuing a daily trend of record-breaking participation in a midterm election with two weeks remaining before Election Day. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said voters are flocking to in-person early voting locations.
TX: Texas governor’s office has more power than ever before
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has consolidated power like none before him, at times circumventing the GOP-controlled legislature and overriding local officials. A flurry of executive measures has solidified his base and raised his national profile.
OR: Oregon wildfire season ends in most of state
With cooler weather, increased precipitation, and more rain in the forecast, most of Oregon is officially done with fire season. All except for two fire districts throughout the state have ended their seasons, said an Oregon Department of Forestry spokesperson.
MD: Maryland state troopers claim racial discrimination
Three Maryland State Police troopers are accusing the statewide law enforcement agency of racial discrimination in a legal filing seeking a class-action lawsuit on behalf of employees of color.
WY: Wyoming girds for a fight over Green, Little Snake River water
A water fight is brewing in the West, and Wyoming water officials want to prepare for it with a study aimed at parsing and defining the state’s consumption from its Colorado River tributaries.
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