CA: California governor halts B in homeless funding, calling local approaches ‘unacceptable’
Frustrated by California’s mounting homeless crisis, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he was withholding $1 billion in state funding for cities and counties until local leaders can prove they have aggressive plans for getting people off of the streets and into homes.
MA: Severe nursing home worker shortage plagues Massachusetts
The nursing home sector in Massachusetts says its worker shortage remains at “historic highs,” as senior care facilities struggle to find and retain people qualified to care for the state’s most vulnerable residents.
NY: New York lawmakers pursue changes in punishment, restraints in schools
New York lawmakers pledged to seek changes in response to a sweeping Hearst Newspapers investigation into the use of restraint and seclusion in schools, including crafting new state legislation and boosting training and mental health resources.
MT: Women’s groups sue Montana over alleged discrimination in insurance law
Women’s organizations were among plaintiffs suing the state of Montana over a law that permits setting insurance rates based on sex or marital status that passed during the 2021 legislative session. Plaintiffs claim that the law allows for discriminatory practices from insurance companies and gives individuals no legal recourse as would be typical through the Montana Human Rights Act.
AK: Angst over youth outmigration emerges in Alaska campaign rhetoric and debates
For nine straight years, more people have left Alaska than moved to the state, and for eight of those years, Alaska’s total population declined. This election season, those demographic trends have been invoked in campaign rhetoric and some finger-pointing.
ID: Idaho hospitals seeing increase in babies, toddlers with RSV
It only took a week for Idaho hospital officials to stop wondering when respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) would make its way there. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, RSV and influenza seasons arrived in Idaho during the late fall and winter months and stretched into spring. But as the public relaxed measures to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, that allowed other respiratory pathogens to make a resurgence.
IA: Iowa officials urge voters to trust in the state’s election security
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, a Republican, joined a half-dozen officials from state and federal law enforcement, the Iowa National Guard and cybersecurity agencies at the state’s emergency operations center at a news conference to emphasize that Iowa elections are secure. “Do not fall for misinformation or disinformation,” Pate said.
MN: Minnesota search warrants executed in national catalytic converter theft case
A federal takedown of a half-billion-dollar national catalytic converter theft ring included more than a dozen search warrant operations this week in Minnesota, federal authorities confirmed. Homeland Security Investigations St. Paul said eight of the more than 32 search warrants executed nationwide this week took place in Minnesota.
MO: Citing increased risks, state officials want more police at Missouri Capitol
The police force that patrols Missouri’s Capitol complex could grow next year under a budget proposal being considered by Republican Gov. Mike Parson. The Missouri Department of Public Safety filed a request for seven additional police officers and four communications workers, arguing that the country’s divisive politics have decreased safety in the state’s seat of government.
WV: Federal judge upholds .5M judgment against West Virginia governor’s coal company
A federal judge has ruled that one of West Virginia Republican Gov. Jim Justice’s coal firms owes $1.5 million plus other costs to a Swiss company that said the firm failed to honor a coal supply agreement and subsequent settlement accord. Neither the governor’s office nor an attorney for Justice’s coal companies responded to requests for comment.
MI: Michigan Supreme Court suspends court order invalidating election challenger guidance
The Michigan Supreme Court suspended a Michigan Court of Claims order celebrated by Republicans that required revisions to the instructions for election observers that monitor polling locations and absentee ballot counting rooms. The Michigan Supreme Court’s order leaves in place the same poll challenger guidelines used in the recent August primary for the general election.
OH: Ohio judge freezes state laws banning local gun-control ordinances
Resurrecting a years-old debate over cities’ home-rule powers, an Ohio judge temporarily placed on hold parts of two state laws that prohibit local governments from passing their own gun-control ordinances.
WA: Washington tribes get M from feds to help tackle climate change
A dozen Washington state tribes and tribal organizations will receive nearly $11 million in federal grants to help mitigate the disproportionate impacts of sea level rise, drought and other climate change-related stressors to the land and water. Coastal tribes like the Makah and Quinault, who have lived on the shores since time immemorial, have had to begin to move their communities to higher ground.
OK: Execution stay extended for Oklahoma death row inmate
Oklahoma GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt has extended a stay of execution for death row inmate Richard Glossip so the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals can complete its review of petitions for a new hearing. Glossip’s execution stay has been extended until Feb. 16, lengthened from a 60-day stay ordered by Stitt in August.
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