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OH: Vendor’s errors lead to 1,600 voters targeted for purge in Ohio
A vendor who works with county boards of elections in Ohio mistakenly flagged more than 1,600 people for purging from the rolls of eligible voters, marking the second time in three weeks that problems have surfaced with the list of registrations that could be canceled next week.
IL: People in Illinois can now be fined for smoking in cars carrying minors
People who smoke in a vehicle carrying someone under the age of 18 are now subject to fines if they are caught during an unrelated traffic stop. Under the new law, which takes effect immediately, a first-time offender can be fined up to . A second or subsequent offense can cost the offender up to .
MS: ‘I thought she was going to die’: ICE still detaining single parents, breastfeeding moms in Mississippi
The ongoing detentions following raids at food processing plants in central Mississippi raise serious questions about the way ICE agents screened the people they arrested, including how many parents with tender-age children remain in custody.
NJ: New Jersey governor vetoes bill to expunge marijuana convictions; offers plan
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy conditionally vetoed a bill intended to overhaul the state’s expungement system. Instead, the Democratic governor called for a task force that would outline how the state would adopt a more technologically advanced record removal process for those who have kept a clean record for 10 years.
HI: As impacts mount, some wonder whether ‘managed tourism’ is possible in Hawaii
The rise of social media, travel apps and vacation rental hosting sites has made it more difficult for tourists and residents to find secluded experiences on any Hawaiian island, especially Maui, where tourism arrivals rose from 1.8 million in 2009 to 2.9 million in 2018, the largest increase on any island.
WI: Wisconsin again leads nation in family farm bankruptcies
From July 2018 through June 2019, Wisconsin farmers filed 45 bankruptcies under Chapter 12, a section of the U.S. bankruptcy code that provides financially troubled family farmers with a streamlined path to repay all or part of their debts. Kansas saw 39 Chapter 12 filings, and Minnesota saw 31.
AR: Arkansas, home to supremacist groups, weighs hate crimes law
Arkansas is one of only four states without a specific hate crimes law. Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson has called on lawmakers to approve harsher penalties for crimes targeting people because of their race, ethnicity or religion.
NY: Parents drop federal lawsuit over New York vaccination law
Parents who were suing New York in federal court over the state’s new rule ending religious exemptions for school vaccinations have dropped their lawsuit, court records show. The case was voluntarily dismissed three days after a U.S. District judge denied the plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction.
FL: Ten months after Hurricane Michael, Florida still doesn’t know why so many insurance claims are open
Under Florida law, residential property insurers are supposed to pay their claims within 90 days. Yet 10 months after Hurricane Michael wiped out a swath of the Florida panhandle, the state’s insurance regulators can’t say how many of the more than 20,000 open claims are in violation of the law.
MN: Minnesota group urges cannabis for chronic pain
Minnesota permits medical marijuana use for intractable pain. Now advocates have petitioned the state to add moderate to severe chronic pain as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis. The state health commissioner has until Dec. 1 to rule.
CA: Dialysis industry is spending big to avoid oversight in California
The dialysis industry spent about .5 million in California on lobbying and campaign contributions in the first half of this year in its ongoing battle to thwart regulation, according to a California Healthline analysis of campaign finance reports filed with the state.
NM: New Mexico pushes census participation
New Mexico launched its “I Count New Mexico” website, which includes a video message from Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham encouraging residents to participate in the national population count next year. The state estimates New Mexico would lose about ,750 in annual federal spending for each person who goes uncounted.
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