WA: Washington hospitals start cutting services as huge financial losses continue
Washington state hospitals are pleading for help from the state as they’re hit with massive financial losses for the third quarter in a row — a deficit due to rising costs of labor, supplies, and patients staying longer. Health care systems in the state lost more than $1.6 billion in the first nine months of 2022.
OR: Oregon governor commutes all 17 of state’s death sentences
Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, will commute the sentences of all 17 individuals on Oregon’s death row to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the latest in her end-of-term string of clemency decisions. The governor also directed the Department of Corrections to dismantle the state’s death chamber.
NC: After North Carolina electrical attack, security is a priority for lawmakers
In the wake of the attack on Moore County’s electric substations with gunfire that left thousands of people and businesses without power for several days, North Carolina legislative leaders are seeking ways to protect the state’s infrastructure.
AK: As Arctic gets warmer and wetter, Alaska is slammed by extreme events, report says
Disruptions in Alaska over the past year, some of them threatening health and safety of people, are part of the ongoing pattern of rapid warming and transformation of the Arctic.
DC: District of Columbia animal welfare bill would consider pets’ well-being in divorces
The proposed District of Columbia law, which also includes other animal welfare measures, would allow judges to consider the best interests of the pet, as well as assign joint custody between parties — akin to how custody of children is decided.
MN: Minnesota leaders look to speed up shift to carbon-free electricity
Clean energy advocates and Democratic Gov. Tim Walz’s administration want Minnesota lawmakers to require that 100% of the state’s electricity comes from carbon-free sources by 2040. Some of the state’s top utilities say meeting that new deadline could be a challenge.
TN: Tennessee child welfare agency failed to investigate sexual abuse reports
The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services failed to adequately investigate dozens of reports of sexual abuse and sexual harassment allegations in its state residential facilities in 2021, according to a scathing state comptroller report.
KY: Reports reveal chaos inside Kentucky juvenile justice facilities
The people who run Kentucky’s overwhelmed juvenile detention facilities spent this year begging the state for help, even before a series of dangerous attacks and riots — and the sexual assault of a teen girl during a riot at the Adair County facility — made headlines this fall.
SD: South Dakota governor seeks limits to foreign ag ownership
Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, and two GOP legislators announced legislation to restrict foreign purchases of agricultural land in South Dakota. “We cannot allow the Chinese Communist Party to continue to buy up our nation’s food supply,” she said.
KS: Cleanup of Kansas oil spill underway
Last week’s rupture in Kansas forced TC Energy to shut down the Keystone XL pipeline system, and it hasn’t said when it will come back online. The company said it is working around-the-clock to suck up spilled oil using trucks equipped with what essentially are large wet vacuums.
FL: Florida governor requests grand jury probe on COVID vaccines
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said he asked the Florida Supreme Court for a statewide grand jury to “investigate any and all wrongdoing in Florida with respect to COVID-19 vaccines.” DeSantis has previously raised concerns about side effects from vaccines and has railed against vaccination requirements by some employers.
NE: 600-mile Nebraska expressway could be finished early
The Nebraska expressway project originated in 1988 with the intent to connect every Nebraska community larger than 15,000 people. It has been delayed for decades but the state now expects to finish four years earlier than projected, in 2036.
CT: Connecticut gets .7M to plan broadband deployment and adoption
The U.S. Commerce Department has granted nearly $6 million to Connecticut for planning the statewide deployment and adoption of high-speed Internet.
TX: Texas Department of Public Safety tightens vehicle inspections at the border
The Texas Department of Public Safety announced it would renew enhanced vehicle inspections across border points of entry, a move that frustrated business leaders when it was used earlier this year and soon halted.
VT: Vermont amends constitution to fully abolish slavery and enshrine abortion rights
Vermont’s state constitution no longer includes exceptions to a ban on slavery, and the state of Vermont cannot interfere in the reproductive health care decisions of its residents except when there is a “compelling state interest.”
MT: Montana’s weed tax revenue expected to go up; wine, beer are flat
Hold the pinot noir but raise a joint for the Montana economy. Tax revenue from wine and beer is forecast to be relatively flat in coming years, and marijuana is forecasted to make a weighty contribution to state coffers.
IA: Iowa GOP governor joins peers in banning TikTok on state devices
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, is banning the use of TikTok on all state-owned devices and prohibiting state agencies from subscribing to or creating a TikTok account.
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