This week, lawmakers had their hands full with various issues ranging from budget surpluses to transgender students in school sports. Additional issues include a new voter fraud police force in Florida, tax incentives in Connecticut, medical marijuana legislation in Ohio, solar energy legislation in New York, and much more.
California
California’s budget surplus is at a record $68 billion and some lawmakers want to use $8 billion to send out to taxpayers in the form of $200 checks.
Learn more here.
Connecticut
Connecticut lawmakers approved legislation this week to provide up to $75 million in tax incentives to Sikorsky under an agreement Gov. Ned Lamont has said will keep the helicopter maker’s headquarters in the state for the next two decades.
Learn more here.
Florida
Governor Ron DeSantis this week signed legislation that will create a new police force to focus on voter fraud.
Learn more here.
Georgia
Gov. Brian Kemp signed seven education-related bills this week on issues covering parental rights in education, CRT, sex education instruction, and trans students in athletics.
Learn more here.
Michigan
State lawmakers proposed an almost $20 billion budget for the state’s School Aid Fund.
Learn more here.
Mississippi
Gov. Tate Reeves on Thursday line-item vetoed several projects out of a massive spending bill that state lawmakers passed earlier this session.
Learn more here.
Missouri
The Missouri House advanced legislation this week that would bar physicians and healthcare professionals employed by state and local governments from providing “gender transition procedures” to anyone younger than 18.
Learn more here.
New Hampshire
Legislation in New Hampshire would require people who use same-day registration to vote without required photo documentation to use an “affidavit” ballot. They would then have ten days to provide the missing documentation to their city or town hall, or their vote would be voided.
Learn more here.
New Jersey
During a budget hearing earlier this week, state lawmakers grilled the Department of Health Commissioner on the state’s COVID response.
Learn more here.
New York
The New York state Senate approved legislation this week that would enable municipalities with parkland restrictions to use parking areas for solar energy projects.
Learn more here.
Ohio
This week, the Ohio House Government Oversight Committee held another hearing on legislation that would streamline the process for businesses looking for a medical marijuana license and permit physicians to prescribe medical cannabis when they ‘reasonably’ believe it will benefit a patient.
Learn more here.
Oklahoma
Governor Kevin Stitt signed legislation on Tuesday that prohibits the use of nonbinary gender markers on state birth certificates.
Learn more here.
Pennsylvania
Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration approved regulations that put the Commonwealth in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, also known as RGGI.
Learn more here.
Tennessee
Governor Bill Lee signed legislation that will add harsh penalties on public schools that permit transgender athletes to participate in girls’ sports.
Learn more here.
Virginia
Governor Glenn Youngkin this week signed into law the Virginia Literacy Act.
Learn more here.
This Week’s DMGS Posts
- 2022 Primary Elections Preview: Part II
- In our last 2022 primary election preview, we looked at gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races in Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Oregon. To recap, 36 of the 50 states will hold gubernatorial elections this year. There are currently 23 Democratic governors and 27 Republican governors. Democrats are defending 16 governorships this November, while Republicans will defend 20. Further, 34 out of 100 U.S. Senate seats are up for election this year, including two special elections in Oklahoma and California. Plenty is at stake in other states, such as Arizona, Florida, and Nevada.
- Pritzker Signs Illinois Budget with $1.8 billion in Tax Relief
- On April 19, Governor JB Pritzker signed the FY 2023 Illinois state budget into law, including $1.8 billion in tax relief. Highlights include rebate checks for working families, grocery tax suspension, property tax rebates, gas tax freeze, and more. The budget consists of projected revenues of $46.329 billion and expenditures of $45.986 billion, leaving a $444 million surplus. The budget also appropriates Illinois’s remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) federal funding, totaling $4 billion.
Capital and Capitol Happenings: Staff on the Move, Promotions, and More
- Morgan Roth: new Senior Manager, Government Partnerships, Bird
- Jennifer Dunlap: new Land Protection Director, Manada Conservancy
- Giovanni Castro: new Public Policy Manager, Uber
Happy Birthdays This Week
- Barbara Zektick: CEO, Z+C
- Sharon McBride: Sr. Director, Global Advocacy & Public Policy Programs, eBay
- Mike Nerozzi: Director of Government Affairs, the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute
- Katie Merritt: Director of Policy and Planning, PA Insurance Department
Email future suggestions to rjstevens@dmgs.com.
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