0:00
News Story
Top State Stores 9/29
FL: Florida governor sues feds in attempt to force detainment of migrants
In a lawsuit against the federal government, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis demanded the Biden administration retain people who claim asylum at U.S. borders instead of releasing them to await a hearing.
SC: Federal judge temporarily blocks South Carolina from enforcing face mask law in schools
A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order against South Carolina’s one-year law aimed at preventing school districts from mandating masks be worn to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
CA: A bitter dispute ends as California water agencies pledge cooperation on Colorado River
California’s two largest users of the Colorado River—the Imperial Irrigation District serving Los Angeles and the Metropolitan Water District serving Southern California—will once again collaborate on ways of taking less from the river in an effort to address the water source’s drying reservoirs.
OH: Ohio state employees can now get up to K in bonuses for getting a COVID vaccine
Ohio state agency employees who get a coronavirus vaccine can now get up to a ,000 in bonuses, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s spokesperson said. That’s ten times the bonus that state workers, until now, have been offered to get vaccinated.
MO: Missouri judge rejects effort to block statewide school mask mandates
A circuit court judge left school mask mandates across Missouri in place, dealing state Attorney General Eric Schmitt, a Republican, a setback in his quest to overturn locally-imposed mask rules in school districts and larger municipalities.
UT: Utah lawmaker invites GOP caucus to reception with COVID vaccine skeptic
A Utah House representative invited his entire GOP caucus to a reception featuring a presentation by a well-known COVID-19 vaccine skeptic who has promoted unproven drugs to treat coronavirus patients.
NY: Upstate New York hospitals suspend hundreds of unvaccinated employees
Upstate New York hospitals have begun placing hundreds of employees on leave without pay after they failed to comply with the state’s new mandate requiring health care workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
TN: Tennessee governor says state offered M incentive package for Ford factory
Tennessee offered million in incentives for the creation of a .6 billion campus where Ford Motor Co. plans to build electric F-Series pickup trucks at the Memphis Regional Megasite industrial complex, Republican Gov. Bill Lee said.
CT: Connecticut Senate extends governor’s emergency powers until at least February
After a heated partisan debate about the severity of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the state Senate voted to extend Connecticut Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont’s emergency powers for a sixth time—pushing the powers to nearly two full years. The House passed the extension earlier this week.
WI: Wisconsin Assembly passes bill that would limit how race and racism are taught in classrooms
Wisconsin school officials would be barred from teaching students and staff about systemic racism under legislation that Republicans in the state Assembly passed. At the heart of the bill is the nationwide controversy over critical race theory, even though the legislation avoids mentioning the concept.
DE: Delaware will require teachers to be vaccinated or undergo COVID testing
Delaware will require teachers to be vaccinated or undergo regular testing for COVID-19, Democratic Gov. John Carney announced. The requirement, which will be formally issued by emergency regulation, takes effect Nov. 1.
MA: Massachusetts voting advocacy groups propose big changes to electoral map
A coalition of voting advocacy groups is proposing sweeping changes to Massachusetts’ political landscape, offering a map that would significantly increase the number of state legislative districts populated mostly by people of color.
NV: Nevada encourages immigrants to apply for public health insurance after public charge rule rollback
Nevada officials said this week that eligible immigrants should apply to Medicaid now that a rule penalizing people for using public assistance has been rolled back.
GA: 1st proposed Georgia congressional map could help GOP pick up a seat
Republicans, who hold a majority in the Georgia Senate, released the first draft map for new congressional districts, a proposal that would shift political borders and would help the GOP gain a seat if approved.
NE: Nebraska redistricting proposals would split state capital
Nebraska’s legislature passed redistricting proposals that would split Lincoln, the state capital, mixing parts of the city with rural areas extending toward the Iowa and Kansas borders.
TX: Texas delays audit of 2020 election results
Five days after announcing a “forensic audit” of the 2020 election in a handful of counties, Texas unveiled plans that push most of the work well into next year.
CO: Colorado will boost child care with federal COVID aid
The Colorado funding for early childhood—nearly million from the federal COVID aid package—represents a massive one-time infusion into a low-wage, high-turnover industry.
WY: Hospital board in Wyoming pushes back against federal COVID vaccine mandate
The board of trustees for a hospital in Gillette, Wyoming, called Biden’s vaccine mandate “gross federal overreach” and expressed concern that it would cause health care workers to quit their jobs in protest. Only 22.3% of residents of Campbell County, which includes Gillette, have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
AZ: Arizona attorney general takes steps toward investigating election audit report
Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Republican, has taken initial steps in an investigation of the 2020 presidential election in Arizona, directing Maricopa County to hold onto records and asking the Senate to share evidence gathered by its contractors.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.
Related News
