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KY: Kentucky cuts vision, dental care for 460,000 people
Republican Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin’s administration cut dental and vision coverage for nearly a half-million Kentuckians after his Medicaid overhaul plan was rejected in court. The state Cabinet for Health and Family Services called the cuts an “unfortunate consequence” of the ruling by a federal judge.
CA: California high court rules Yelp can’t be ordered to remove posts
Online review site Yelp.com cannot be ordered to remove posts against a San Francisco law firm that a judge determined were defamatory, a divided California Supreme Court ruled. In a 4-3 opinion, the court said removal orders such as the one attorney Dawn Hassell obtained against Yelp “could interfere with and undermine the viability of an online platform.”
OR: Oregon workers get minimum wage increase
Minimum wage workers across the state of Oregon are receiving a raise, but how much depends on where they live. In Lane, Benton and Linn counties, the wage will increase from .25 to .75. In Douglas and Coos County, it will climb from an hour to .50. In the Portland area, it goes from .25 to an hour.
TN: Opioid measures among new Tennessee laws
Requirements aimed at curbing Tennessee’s opioid epidemic are among more than 150 new laws that kick in this week. Tennessee will begin limiting initial opioid prescriptions to a three-day supply, with exceptions for major surgical procedures, cancer and hospice treatment, sickle cell disease and treatment in certain licensed facilities.
RI: Rhode Island sues fossil fuel companies
In a case that they described as the first of its kind in the nation, Rhode Island officials announced the state Superior Court complaint at the Narragansett Sea Wall, an iconic stretch of Rhode Island’s 400-mile coastline that is under threat in the face of rising seas and more severe storms. The suit alleges the companies knowingly contributed to climate change and seeks to hold them responsible for its impacts on Rhode Island.
CT: Pregnant teen dies at Connecticut state psychiatric hospital
A 16-year-old girl died by suicide in Connecticut’s psychiatric hospital for children. According to child advocates, this is one of just a few cases involving youth fatalities in state-operated facilities. The death comes amid heightened concern following nationwide increase in suicide rates, specifically among middle and high school aged-youth.
CO: New tariffs could threaten M in Colorado exports
Retaliatory tariffs could put millions of dollars of Colorado exports and thousands of jobs in the state at risk, according to a report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Colorado exports to Mexico are so far the most vulnerable, the report said.
MA: Massachusetts high court upholds voter registration deadline
Massachusetts’ highest court upheld a state law that forbids people from voting unless they registered 20 days before Election Day, arguing that it does not disenfranchise voters or put up “significant” barriers to the ballot box.
NY: New York City considers new pay rules for Uber drivers
New York City’s taxi commission may establish a minimum rate for drivers for Uber and other ride-hailing apps of .22 an hour after expenses. The move would make New York the first major American city to regulate driver pay rates amid growing complaints about low wages in the industry.
NM: Zero tolerance could harm New Mexico anti-drug efforts
The attorney general for the border state of New Mexico warned that the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance policy on illegal border crossings has the potential to impede and detract from efforts to prosecute organized crime.
MI: Michigan debuts new infrastructure commission
Republican Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has signed a bill creating a commission to craft a decadeslong plan to revamp transportation, drinking-water and other infrastructure concerns in the state.
VT: Recreational marijuana now legal in Vermont
Vermont was the first to legalize the recreational use of the substance by an act of a state legislature, and the law allows adults to possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana, two mature and four immature plants.
MO: Missouri restores some whistleblower protections
A year after Missouri was put in the national spotlight by a Republican-led effort to make it harder to prove discrimination, a new state law will roll back one of the provisions. Before leaving office June 1, former Republican Gov. Eric Greitens signed the legislation into law.
LA: Louisiana’s credit rating ‘stabilized’ by new taxes
One of the nation’s largest credit rating agency’s declared Louisiana’s financial situation “stable” after Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards and the Legislature passed a new sales tax rate last month. Moody’s Investors Service may have downgraded the state’s credit rating was possible if the state didn’t fix its budget situation.
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