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Top State Stories 5/13
KY: Judge strikes down Kentucky law banning abortion procedure
A federal judge has struck down a 2018 Kentucky law banning a type of abortion generally performed after the 14th week of pregnancy, a victory for abortion rights activists and a setback for Republican Gov. Matt Bevin’s administration.
AZ: Arizona prison locks have had problems for decades
For more than three decades, Arizona corrections officers have complained of flawed locks at prisons throughout the state. For almost as long, state officials have failed to fully fund needed repairs and replacements, an Arizona Republic review of state records and news archives shows.
US: State prosecutors allege generic drugmakers inflated prices up to 1,000%
The industrywide scheme allegedly affected the prices of more than 100 generic drugs, according to a far-reaching lawsuit filed by 44 states against leading drug companies.
FL: Florida governor’s first veto allows local governments to ban plastic straws
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, vetoed a bill that would have prohibited local governments from enforcing plastic straw bans over the next five years.
KS: Kansas takes ecotourism approach to protecting lesser prairie chicken
The Kansas ranchers who once saw the vulnerable species of grouse as a nuisance see a potential economic opportunity, thanks to an ecotourism initiative. The lesser prairie chicken’s natural habitat has diminished to the point that western Kansas is one of the last remaining locations with a sustainable native population.
GA: Hemp farming legalized in Georgia
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has signed a bill into law that allows farmers to grow hemp in Georgia. It can be used to make CBD oil, rope and other items.
US: States seek explicit patient consent for pelvic exams
Bills introduced in roughly a dozen states this year would require that women undergoing gynecological surgeries give explicit approval to a pelvic exam beforehand. It’s a step that some medical experts say is an unnecessary intrusion into patient care.
TX: Texas Senate passes bill to end shackling pregnant women in prison
The bill addresses many of the conditions of Texas’ incarcerated women. It would also require the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to offer up to 10 free feminine hygiene products to women each day.
NY: As CBD explodes, how safe are New York consumers?
While it’s marketed as a health and wellness product capable of relieving anxiety, stress, pain and insomnia, CBD remains largely unregulated on both a federal and local level. Growers and processors say the few regulations that do exist are confusing and, often, conflicting.
NE: Nebraska may take steps to prosecute human traffickers
Traffickers who sell women and children for sex in Nebraska could have their phones tapped by law enforcement and face prosecution years or even decades after their crimes under a sweeping new bill set for legislative debate.
MN: High cost of medication drives Minnesotans across the border
Some Minnesota diabetes activists have dubbed themselves the “Caravan to Canada.” Both the state House and Senate have passed bills that would give people access to insulin during an emergency, although the differences between the bills need to be worked out.
WI: Wisconsin’s new hemp industry blooms; will marijuana be far behind?
Some Wisconsin growers say the rapidly expanding hemp industry could pave the way for medical or recreational marijuana. It’s gaining support from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and a growing numbers of lawmakers, but still has many opponents in the Republican-controlled legislature.
LA: Louisiana’s unspent cash proposed for roads, colleges, coast
More than $400 million in unspent cash from Louisiana’s better-than-expected tax collections would pay for roadwork, coastal protection projects and public college programs, among a long list of spending plans under debate by lawmakers.
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