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US: States suing Trump administration, company over 3D guns
Eight states are filing suit against the Trump administration over its decision to allow a Texas company to publish downloadable blueprints for a 3D-printed gun. The suit asks for an order to block the federal government from lifting its ban on the gun plans and to prevent the company, Defense Distributed, from continuing to make the blueprints available on the internet.
UT: More than a half-million Utah acres to be auctioned for oil and gas development
Later this year, the federal government intends to auction off nearly 334 parcels of Utah land, including areas cherished by hunters and angles, priority sage grouse habitat, archaeologically rich lands, and areas with troubled air quality.
IN: Indiana governor calls for hate crime legislation
Indiana Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb is joining calls for state lawmakers to pass hate crime legislation, after anti-Semitic graffiti was discovered this weekend at a synagogue. Indiana is one of five states without a hate crime law, which proponents say could help prevent similar acts of vandalism and crime.
CA: California’s $290 million sales tax-filing system stumbling in first big test
A customer service center for the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration is swamped with complaints. Small-business owners are leaving snarky comments online, and Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration is preparing to waive penalties for people who file their returns late because of technical errors.
OH: Ohio governor signs bills on payday lending, dogs on restaurant patios
Fixing a broken law passed 10 years ago, Republican Gov. John Kasich signed a bill that is aimed at limiting the interest and fees charged by Ohio payday lenders while setting up more-affordable loan terms for low-income borrowers. He also signed a bill allowing restaurants to permit dogs in outdoor eating areas, and one allocating $114.5 million for counties to buy new voting machines.
NJ, MS: Caesars launching sports betting in New Jersey, Mississippi
Two Atlantic City casinos owned by Caesars Entertainment are joining New Jersey’s growing sports betting market this week, and another two in Mississippi will do so in mid-August.
NY: New York lawmakers: We need study on new tick species
A group of state senators are calling on New York’s health department to conduct a rigorous study into a new and potentially dangerous tick species that was recently discovered in the state.
ND: North Dakota Supreme Court: 4 of 5 governor vetoes ineffective
The North Dakota Supreme Court declared 4 out of 5 of Republican Gov. Doug Burgum’s partial vetoes challenged by state lawmakers are ineffective. But in a defeat for the Legislature, the court struck down parts of two bills as unconstitutional because they gave an interim legislative committee too much power over the state’s purse strings.
LA: Effort to end Louisiana split-jury law gets bipartisan push
An unlikely, bipartisan coalition is working to win voter support for a proposal ending Louisiana’s Jim Crow-era law that allows split juries to convict people of serious felony crimes, a former district attorney said. Voters will decide the fate of the constitutional change on the Nov. 6 ballot.
NV: Homeless courtyard now open 24 hours in Nevada city
The courtyard in Las Vegas is a single location where homeless people can go for a range of services: a restroom and a shower, medical and mental health services, housing and employment help. The Nevada city’s homeless population is one of the largest in the country.
OK: Oklahoma child abuse allegations prompt scrutiny of home schooling
Recent child abuse allegations involving an Oklahoma teenager allegedly imprisoned at home is prompting a debate among home-schooling advocates on what role, if any, the state should play in ensuring the safety of such students. The boy, 15, was taken from his family’s farm July 12 after a passerby called the state.
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