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NV: Nevada governor signs cannabis banking bill
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat, signed a bill creating a state legal cannabis banking pilot program. Under the new law, the state will administer a program allowing for funds to circulate throughout consumers, legal cannabis businesses and their vendors in the state.
NM: New Mexico governor says no to nation’s nuclear waste
In a letter to U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, said the interim storage of high-level radioactive waste poses significant and unacceptable risks to residents, the environment and the region’s economy.
AL: Alabama protects rapists’ parental rights
Alabama is one of two states with no statute terminating parental rights for a person found to have conceived the child by rape or incest, a fact that has gained fresh relevance since its lawmakers adopted the nation’s strictest abortion ban in May. The other state is Minnesota.
CA: Gun owners stockpile ammo before California background check law begins
California ammo buyers are making a run on gun shops ahead of a new state law, which on July 1 will require buyers of bullets to show identification and undergo a background check to screen out felons and people with illegal firearms.
SC: South Carolina bans misleading ads for artificial meat
South Carolina has passed a new law that keeps protein grown in a laboratory from stem cells as advertising as “meat.” Primary sponsor Republican Rep. Randy Ligon said he didn’t want people to confuse lab-grown protein with meat from livestock.
AZ: Arizona governor rejects bill that would have increased lawmaker pay
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, vetoed a bill that would have more than tripled state legislators’ daily allowances, saying lawmakers who supported an increase should have proposed one to benefit future officials, not themselves.
IL: Illinois lawmakers approve sweeping legislation to fight sexual harassment
Under legislation Illinois state lawmakers approved this spring, state officials, employees and lobbyists all would be required to go through annual sexual harassment training. The legislation is part of lawmakers’ ongoing response to the #MeToo movement.
VA: Virginia elections could change balance of power
Virginia is one of only four states with legislative races this year, and the only one where there’s a chance Democrats could wrest control from Republicans. Republicans now have narrow majorities in both the state Senate and House. Primaries are Tuesday.
ME: After pause, Maine may have missed the boat on offshore wind
As Maine’s energy policy pivots 180 degrees under Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, a bill in the legislature aims to reassert Maine’s role as a leader in offshore energy research and development. But experts say that after eight years of treading water during the administration of previous Republican Gov. Paul LePage, Maine may have missed the boat.
WA: Washington AG sues Trump administration over water quality standards
Washington state has filed a lawsuit challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to revise Washington’s water quality standards.
MO: Missouri investigating St. Louis Planned Parenthood for ‘multiple’ failed abortions
The state of Missouri is investigating a local Planned Parenthood office for “multiple” failed abortions, revealing for the first time why it is holding up the clinic’s license. The state alleged in a statement that women remained pregnant after the St. Louis clinic performed abortions on them.
FL: Florida governor signs crackdown on ballot initiatives
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis approved legislation that would crack down on citizen petitions, a move that is likely to quash future ballot initiatives disliked by Republican lawmakers and corporate donors in Florida.
TX: Most Texas workers won’t lose occupational license if they default on student loans
Nurses, teachers and other Texas workers won’t risk losing their occupational license if they default on their student loans, thanks to legislation signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. The Texas Tribune found more than 4,200 people in the state were at risk of losing their license because of student loan default in 2017.
NC: North Carolina fears confusion in switch to paper ballots
Some North Carolina officials fear that a planned switch to paper ballots will run out of time before the 2020 elections. The state has not yet chosen companies to provide new machines and some counties will face tight deadlines.
VT: Vermont asks towns to share the cost of rural cell coverage
If enough towns are interested, Vermont would negotiate statewide contracts with a vendor to run the network and with providers like AT&T and Verizon to allow their users to roam on the microcells, according to a state official.
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