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LA: Louisiana governor signs one of nation’s most restrictive abortion bans into law
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, has signed one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bills into law, a measure that would ban abortions at about six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they’re pregnant, with no exceptions for victims of rape and incest if upheld by the courts.
NV: Nevada governor vetoes bill seeking to negate Electoral College
Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak blocked a bill that would have added Nevada to a roster of states seeking to effectively negate the Electoral College and elect the president of the United States by a national popular vote. Sisolak said that joining the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact could diminish the role of smaller states like Nevada in national elections.
NH: Death penalty repealed in New Hampshire
New Hampshire became the 21st state to ban capital punishment as the state Senate voted 16-8 to override Republican Gov. Chris Sununu’s veto of a death-penalty repeal.
MS: Lawsuit calls Mississippi’s way of choosing governors racist
A century-old provision says candidates for Mississippi governor must win not only a majority of the popular vote — that is, more than 50% — but also a majority of the state’s 122 House districts. Four black Mississippians are suing in federal court to put an end to what they say is a racially discriminatory system, aimed at thwarting the election of African Americans.
OH: Ohio House OKs bill to gut green energy, bail out nuclear
Legislation to gut Ohio’s green-energy mandates and set up customer-funded subsidies to nuclear and coal power plants passed the House, thanks to key support from several House Democrats. The bill, which now heads to the Senate, would scrap clean-energy requirements passed in 2008.
CA: California is cracking down on the gig economy
The California state Assembly just passed a bill that could give Uber and Lyft drivers basic labor protections for the first time.
GA: Lawsuit over Georgia voting problems survives challenge
A federal judge ordered that a lawsuit alleging far-reaching voting problems during Georgia’s heated election for governor last year can move forward. Georgia election officials had sought a dismissal.
NJ: New Jersey on the brink of a new law to protect ride-share customers
New Jersey is one step away from enacting a law to better protect Uber and Lyft customers, two months after a college student was murdered after she stepped into a car she mistakenly believed was the ride she summoned. The bill has passed the House and Senate and is headed to Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat.
AL: Alabama bill passes to require buckling up in back seat
Alabama lawmakers have given final approval to a bill requiring back-seat passengers in vehicles to wear seat belts. Alabama’s seat belt law currently applies only to front-seat passengers.
ME: ‘Death with Dignity’ bill advances in Maine Senate
The Maine Senate gave preliminary approval to a bill that would allow terminally ill patients to obtain life-ending drugs after lawmakers on both sides of the issue shared emotional, personal stories. The controversial bill faces additional votes, and Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has yet to take a position on the issue.
AK: Native leaders ask U.S. attorney general to help fix Alaska’s law enforcement crisis
Alaska Native leaders called on U.S. Attorney General William Barr for federal aid and greater authority for tribes to prosecute certain crimes, saying that a dangerous lack of law enforcement is growing worse in the state’s most remote communities.
SC: South Carolina lawsuit challenges adoption agency policy
A lawsuit on behalf of a South Carolina couple says a state-contracted foster care agency rejected them because they are same sex and not evangelical Protestant Christians. State and federal authorities are the target of the lawsuit because they provided a waiver to a nondiscrimination policy, allowing the foster care agency to legally disqualify foster parents on those grounds.
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