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US: Four states claim federal tax-deduction cap infringes on rights
Four Democratic-led northeastern states sued the Trump administration to invalidate the new $10,000 cap on the federal tax deduction for state and local taxes that they say unfairly targets them. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Maryland claim the sweeping 2017 federal tax law overturned more than 150 years of precedent.
PA: Pennsylvania casinos bet on internet gambling
Nine of 13 Pennsylvania casinos applied for licenses to offer interactive online betting by Monday’s deadline, guaranteeing at least one big winner from iGaming: The state treasury.
MO: Missouri medical marijuana push gets secret cash
An organization backing one of three competing medical marijuana initiatives in Missouri continued to pull in big-dollar contributions last quarter, but where most of the haul is coming from is shrouded in secrecy.
ND: North Dakota to replace diesel-powered vehicles with VW settlement cash
The North Dakota Department of Health plans to help replace diesel-powered vehicles using part of its $8.1 million piece of the Volkswagen settlement pie, a department official said.
CA: California assault weapon registrations up 43 percent under new law
Assault weapons registered in California have increased by 43 percent under a new law that expanded the types of firearms gun owners must log with the state. The law was enacted following the 2015 mass shooting in San Bernardino.
TX: Texas awards billions of dollars in contracts in error, audit finds
A new state audit has found that Texas’ health agency may have awarded more than $3.4 billion in contracts erroneously — another scandal at an agency that has lost six of its top leaders over the last several months in a wave of contracting disasters.
AK: In Alaska, changes to SNAP could spell disaster
In Alaska, where 14 percent of the population relies on food stamps, it’s cheaper for a family to buy a 12-pack of soda than a gallon of milk. Proposed U.S. House amendments to the farm bill could mean that those 100,000 people would lose what is a huge part of their food allowance.
NY: Three New York state workers sickened after opening letter at office
Police say three New York state workers were taken to a hospital after becoming ill in their Albany office when one of them opened a letter from a foreign country.
AR: Two tribes pour money into Arkansas ballot measure on casinos
The Quapaw and Cherokee tribes collectively contributed $1.2 million to a committee promoting a proposed constitutional amendment that would authorize the state to license four casinos.
CO: Colorado set to overtake California in crude oil production
Crude oil output in Colorado reached 451,000 barrels a day in April, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That’s slightly less than in California, a traditional oil and gas powerhouse where production has been dropping gradually in recent years.
NM, TX: New Mexico oil boom ignites groundwater feud with Texas
Because of differences in state law, oil companies have found the groundwater critical to fracking harder to access in New Mexico. So they are laying pipes across the state line, pumping groundwater in Texas to serve oil wells in New Mexico.
ID: Planned Parenthood sues Idaho over abortion law
Planned Parenthood is suing the state of Idaho over new abortion reporting requirements, including asking women more personal questions. Abortion providers must also collect information about women receiving abortion procedures, such as age, race, number of children and the number of previous abortions.
NC: Required University of North Carolina textbook calls cancer a ‘disease of choice’
A textbook for a required fitness class at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill calls cancer a disease of choice, describes a theory that Holocaust victims failed to tap into their inner strength, and maintains that “many if not most women” who are obsessed with weight have become habitual dieters.
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