All articles tagged with #state legislation
Across at least 28 of 38 states that offered incentives to data centers, lawmakers are moving to end or shrink those subsidies amid rising electricity costs, budget pressures, and doubts about the local benefits, with some proposing guardrails tied to clean energy or local jobs while others push to expand incentives to stay competitive, reflecting a broad, partisan and regional rethinking of the data-center boom.
Some red-state lawmakers are proposing laws to let people pay with gold and silver and to set up gold stockpiles, arguing it could hedge inflation; Georgia drafted such a bill, Utah already allows some gold-related measures, and similar efforts have surfaced in Arizona, Oklahoma, and Iowa. Proponents say it simply adds payment options, not a replacement for dollars, while critics note gold’s price volatility and that it is not true money.
More than 15 states have enacted or amended laws to let lawmakers use campaign funds for personal security, with recent changes in Utah, South Dakota, Alabama, Nebraska and Oregon and others expanding policies to cover security systems, private guards, and related services; funding typically comes from campaign accounts or private donations, addressing rising threats to lawmakers and amid a broader push supported by groups like the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Maryland’s House and Senate approved a bill banning the sale of pistols that can be converted into machine guns with Glock switches, sending the measure to Gov. Wes Moore for signature. The ban targets semiautomatic pistols with a cruciform trigger bar and would bar future sales while exempting current owners, law enforcement, and military. California’s Glock ban is being challenged in court, and Maryland’s proposal is expected to face legal challenges from gun-rights groups if enacted; supporters say it moves the state closer to eliminating ‘weapons of war’ from the market.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill to rename Palm Beach International Airport the President Donald J. Trump International Airport, with the change set for July 1 pending FAA approval; the signing was private and a ceremonial event is planned later.
Across red and blue states, lawmakers are embracing the Trump-era rule that lets employers offer tax-exempt credits to workers to buy ACA plans through Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRA), a strategy aimed at tamping down uninsured rates after enhanced ACA subsidies expired. With six states weighing bills and insurers like Oscar Health supporting the approach, ICHRAs have bipartisan appeal, but they’re not a universal cure and may not always outperform traditional subsidies or employer plans depending on income and coverage choices.
Democratic lawmakers in at least four states have introduced bills to bar people who joined ICE from future state or local government jobs, with proposals ranging from excluding them from law enforcement and teaching to banning them from the entire state civil service; none have become law yet, and legal challenges are anticipated as Democrats seek to counter ICE’s deportation tactics amid a broader funding stalemate in Congress.
States like Texas and Oklahoma are formalizing surveillance of professors through online syllabus postings, student-complaint tip lines, and new offices to handle grievances, prompting fears of censorship and chilling effects on academic freedom as incidents in Texas and Oklahoma illustrate the trend.
A wave of ‘right-to-compute’ laws is spreading through U.S. state legislatures to limit government regulation of computational resources, with Montana first to pass such a measure and others like New Hampshire, Ohio, and South Dakota considering similar bills; Idaho’s effort stalled. Proponents say the laws protect property rights and free expression, while critics warn they mainly benefit large tech firms by curbing local AI and data-center regulation, even as AI infrastructure expands and electricity costs and grid strain rise.
Democrats in several states are advancing bills to curb federal immigration enforcement, including private civil-rights lawsuits against officials, restrictions on ICE activity in state facilities, and requirements for warrants or independent investigations. Spurred by the Minneapolis killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, measures are moving in Colorado, California, Oregon, Maryland, New York and others, signaling a broader push against federal enforcement tactics, despite opposition from the White House and DOJ.
RFK Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda is gaining steam in state legislatures, with West Virginia enacting a dye ban and about 75 dye-related bills filed in 2025 across 37 states; the Rural Health Transformation Program ties funding to MAHA reforms, fueling policy efforts on vaccines, fluoride, PFAS, and SNAP in numerous states, while California advances ultraprocessed-food rules and industry groups push for faster corporate action—setting the stage for a vigorous state-led health policy push in 2026.
As pennies are phased out in the U.S., states are considering or implementing policies for rounding cash transactions to the nearest five cents, raising legal and consumer protection questions, with some advocating for federal guidance to ensure fairness and consistency.
State legislators across the U.S. are actively working to preserve the history of the January 6 Capitol riot through legislation and resolutions, emphasizing the importance of accurate education and public acknowledgment of the events, amid concerns of historical erasure and misinformation.
Illinois lawmakers approved a $1.5 billion transit funding package to prevent major service cuts in Chicago, including new revenue sources like sales tax redirects, toll increases, and no fare hikes for a year, while removing proposed taxes on streaming and luxury goods. The bill aims to address the transit agencies' financial struggles caused by pandemic-related ridership drops and federal grant reductions.
RFK Jr.'s 'Make America Healthy Again' movement has successfully gained bipartisan support, leading to the passage of laws banning artificial food dyes and additives in several red states, traditionally a Democratic issue, with some states also restricting food benefits for low-income Americans. This shift highlights a growing focus on food safety and health across political lines.