It may be the holiday season, but lawmakers around the country were certainly busy this week. Notably, a few states saw the introduction of automated speed enforcement legislation, which you may remember from our overview earlier this year.
In other news, another state has introduced legislation similar to Texas’ abortion ban bill, Illinois wants to ban ghost guns, redistricting remains underway in various states, and states continue to grapple with how to spend federal COVID relief dollars.
Alabama
Alabama GOP state lawmakers filed a bill similar to a Texas law prohibiting abortion at six weeks of pregnancy and allowing any woman who has an abortion to be sued for $10,000.
Learn more here.
Alaska
The five-member Alaska State Officers Compensation Commission is planning to strictly limit Alaska state lawmakers’ daily expense payments and boost lawmakers’ base salary to compensate.
Learn more here.
Connecticut
State officials in Connecticut will be installing speed cameras in work zones next year to improve safety and catch speeders. Legislation allowing for such cameras was included in the state’s 790 page budget implementation bill earlier this year.
Learn more here.
Georgia
Georgia’s Senate Study Committee on the Age of Mandatory Education is recommending that the state raise the minimum age a child can drop out of school from 16 to 17 years old.
Learn more here.
Illinois
Lawmakers in Illinois are expected to take up legislation in the next session to ban so-called “ghost guns,” a topic DMGS has covered last year.
Learn more here.
Iowa
GOP legislative leaders indicated they would like to move on legislation that would make it a felony offense for school officials, such as teachers, to provide “obscene materials” to students.
Learn more here.
Kentucky
Kentucky lawmakers held a special work group session earlier this week to hear testimony on what groups are most deserving of bonus pay. As much as $400 million in federal funding for essential employees who worked through the COVID-19 pandemic is included in the upcoming two-year budget.
Learn more here.
Maryland
After coming back for a special legislative session, Maryland lawmakers have advanced a new set of boundary lines for the state’s congressional districts.
Learn more here.
Michigan
Michigan lawmakers are looking into legislation that would allow for the use of automated speed cameras in work zones.
Learn more here.
Nebraska
Nebraska state lawmakers are expecting a “feeding frenzy” with a billion dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds available to spend.
Learn more here.
New Jersey
Garden State Gov. Phil Murphy had harsh words this week regarding some GOP lawmakers during last week’s Statehouse vaccine showdown.
Learn more here.
Pennsylvania
GOP lawmakers in the state House have released a draft of a citizen-drawn map of Pennsylvania’s 17 congressional districts as the state begins to see some movement with redistricting. The proposed map can be viewed directly here.
Learn more here.
Rhode Island
Governor Dan McKee and legislative leaders have reached an agreement to start spending some of Rhode Island’s federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.
Learn more here.
Wisconsin
A bill recently introduced in Wisconsin would authorize the city of Milwaukee to use up to 75 red-light and speed cameras.
Learn more here.
This Week’s DMGS Posts
- 2022 Election Preview: Gubernatorial Elections
- State-Level Opportunity Zone Legislation
- Since the inception of Opportunity Zones, states across the country have sought to implement their own programs or add state-level incentives to the federal opportunity zone program.
Capital and Capitol Happenings: Staff on the Move, Promotions, and More
- Brandon Pugh: new Cybersecurity and Emerging Threats Policy Counsel, R Street Institute
- Gavin Humble: new Deputy Political Director, Governor-Elect Glenn Youngkin Transition Team
- Shea Logan: new Public Affairs Manager, Novolex
- Kristen Curran: new Director of Government Relations, New York State Catholic Conference
Happy Birthdays This Week
- Clarke Wise: Vice President of Government Relations, Mississippi Association of REALTORS
- Edward Howlett: Partner, McHugh & Howlett Public Affairs
- Nick Kratz: Government Relations Manager, PAR – Pennsylvania Advocacy and Resources for Autism and Intellectual Disability
- Eric Knustrom: Principal, Texas Star Alliance
- Ben Taylor: Vice President of Public Affairs, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Email future suggestions to rjstevens@dmgs.com
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