From education reforms and infrastructure projects to debates over cannabis regulation and budget showdowns, states across the country are advancing a wide range of policy initiatives this week. In the August 15th edition of DMGS Weekly State of the States, we cover legislative developments, executive actions, and regulatory changes from all 50 states — giving you a comprehensive snapshot of what’s shaping state government agendas nationwide.

Alabama

Lawmakers are aiming to crack down on terroristic threats on and off school campuses with a pre-filed bill spearheaded by Senator Matt Woods (R-Jasper). Senator Woods’ bill would elevate first-degree school threats from a Class C felony to a Class B felony, and second-degree school threats from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class D felony. 

Learn more here

Alaska

Alaska lawmakers have rejected a ban on the future sale of recreational cannabis concentrates and infused edible products. The ban was proposed as an attachment to Senate Bill 30.

Learn more here

Arizona

An Arizona lawmaker is investigating breakdowns in communication between state agencies tasked with protecting at-risk children, following the murder of 10-year-old Rebekah Baptiste. A stakeholder meeting is planned next month to address reporting system issues, improve interagency coordination, and update group home regulations amid finger-pointing between agencies.

Learn more here

Arkansas

A forecast presented to Arkansas lawmakers Wednesday projects the state’s inmate population to grow by an average rate of 2% annually over the next 10 years. The state will need an additional 1,500 to 2,000 beds through 2040, further exacerbating the overcrowding issues in state and county facilities. 

Learn more here

California

State Senator Sasha Perez (D) and Assemblymembers Ash Kalra (D), Alex Lee (D), and Matt Haney (D) have co-authored a bill that would make it illegal for cities to prohibit organizations or people from helping homeless residents. Senate Bill 643 has passed the Senate and is being considered in the Assembly. 

Learn more here

Colorado

Attorney General Phil Weiser (D) has issued a public advisory to notify Coloradans of changes to the state law governing products containing kratom, a plant-derived substance that can have intoxicating effects. Senate Bill 072, passed during the 2025 legislative session, prohibits the sale or distribution of kratom to individuals under 21 as well as products containing more than 2% 7-hydroxymitragynine (7OH) – a substance found in kratom. 

Learn more here

Connecticut

Connecticut electric rates will dip slightly in September, after the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority voted unanimously on Wednesday to formalize a relief package centered around $155 million in state borrowing to offset the cost of sky-high electric bills. The new, lower rates will take effect on September 1. 

Learn more here

Delaware

The Delaware General Assembly approved a bill that would allow tax delinquent homeowners to go onto payment plans and remove the threat of sheriff’s sale. Lawmakers also approved a measure that would allow school districts in Delaware’s largest county to charge higher property tax rates on commercially owned land in order to subsequently lower the rates on residential properties. 

Learn more here

Florida

State lawmakers have paused Florida Power & Light’s proposal to increase base rates. The proposal also included plans to pass costs to customers for solar-energy and battery-storage projects in 2028 and 2029. 

Learn more here

Georgia

Georgia lawmakers are calling for increased transparency in beef labeling, particularly for products marked as “grass-fed,” amid concerns that consumers may not be getting what they pay for. 

Learn more here

Hawaii

A proposal making its way through the Honolulu City Council would create a downtown business improvement district and charge property owners a fee, which would go toward making the area more “inviting.”

Learn more here

Idaho

Payette County GOP Central Committee chairman, Howard Rynearson, is leading the charge to gather signatures to place on the November 2026 ballot a proposal to eliminate Idaho’s sales tax on groceries. If passed by voters, the initiative would eliminate Idaho’s 6% tax on food items and the Idaho Grocery Tax Credit in fiscal year 2028. 

Learn more here

Illinois

The Illinois legislature is considering a bill to ban styrofoam to-go containers by 2030. The measure would impose penalties of up to $1,000 for multiple offenses within a 12-month period. 

Learn more here

Indiana

A new state law requires some locally elected officials to file annual campaign finance reports. Any elected official making at least $5,000 annually, which includes county council members and many township trustees, will be subject to the new requirements. 

Learn more here

Iowa

Several Iowa Republican lawmakers have assured Iowa residents that they “have no interest” in making changes to the state-run retirement program after the idea was suggested last week by the Iowa DOGE task force. For now, the Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System (IPERS) is not going to change. 

Learn more here

Kansas

A provision in Kansas’ new state budget requires state agencies to remove all diversity, equity and inclusion programming, training, and positions. State employees must also remove any “gender ideology” in email signatures and work communications, including their pronouns. 

Learn more here

Kentucky

Lawmakers came together in London on Tuesday to celebrate a significant infrastructure milestone: a nearly six-mile Interstate 75 widening project between Whitley and Laurel counties. The project will turn that portion of I-75 from four lanes to six lanes. 

Learn more here

Maryland

The Maryland Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances has come out with an initial report as it gathers information about various regulatory and public health considerations that could pave the path for the legalization of substances such as psilocybin, mescaline, and DMT for medical or recreational purposes in the state. 

Learn more here

Massachusetts

Lawmakers have raised the question of whether Massachusetts should allow legal iGaming, or wagering and casino games online. Two separate bills – one proposed in the House and another in the Senate – outline the tax rates, licensing fees, and structure for this market, which is believed to be worth hundreds of millions per year. 

Learn more here

Michigan

Members of the Michigan Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary and Public Safety Committee took the next step in an effort to ban non-consensual “deep fake” explicit material, approving tweaks to the House Bills 2047 and 2047 and voting to return the policies to the Senate floor on Tuesday morning. 

Learn more here

Mississippi

On August 28, the Mississippi Legislature will hold a joint House and Senate hearing at the Capitol to explore the clinical potential of ibogaine, a possible therapy for addiction and PTSD. 

Learn more here

Missouri

The Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation released the draft of a massive overhaul of cannabis rules giving regulators more authority to address a range of issues, including predatory practices in the state’s social-equity cannabis licenses, product recalls involving hemp-derived THC, and non-compliant owners obtaining other licenses. 

Learn more here

Montana

Governor Greg Gianforte (R) announced a new statewide initiative to bolster workforce development in skilled trades and AI usage. Gianforte signed an executive order creating the jobs initiative, which directs the Department of Labor and Industry’s State Workforce Innovation Board to put Montana in line with national education and workforce development goals. 

Learn more here

Nebraska

State Senator Margo Juarez (D-Omaha) is hosting town halls across the state to seek public opinion on improving passenger rail service options. The feedback is for a legislative interim study also evaluating existing passenger rail infrastructure in Nebraska, which sponsors say could lead to legislation proposing ways to create easier commutes between Nebraska cities. 

Learn more here

Nevada

After 11th-hour delays in the Senate, a number of bills failed to make it to the floor with any vote, including Governor Joe Lombardo (R)’s crime bill and the high-profile film bill to provide tax credits for Summerlin Studios, backed by Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures. Despite the high-profile bills that failed to pass, there are no definitive plans yet for a special session. 

Learn more here

New Hampshire

A new law recently signed by Governor Kelly Ayotte (R) will help ensure voters with print and visual disabilities can vote independently in all elections in New Hampshire, including local elections. Under the measure, the New Hampshire secretary of state’s office will provide assistive technology voting devices (AVDs) to towns and municipalities for their local elections. 

Learn more here

New Jersey

Assemblywoman Aura Dunn (R-Morris) is calling for the passage of a bipartisan bill that would expand the legal definition of domestic violence to include psychological and economic abuse. 

Learn more here

New Mexico

The Director of the New Mexico Broadband Access and Expansion Office spoke to state lawmakers on the interim Economic and Rural Development committee Monday. Lopez emphasized that satellite internet could be a significant part of the puzzle to getting high-speed internet to 100% of the state by the end of the year. 

Learn more here

New York

Outside the New York Capitol on Wednesday morning, members from a handful of immigration advocacy organizations called on Governor Kathy Hochul (D), Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D), and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D) to call a special session to pass a series of immigrant protection laws for New Yorkers. 

Learn more here

North Carolina

The stopgap budget signed by Governor Josh Stein (D) on August 6 appropriated $500 million for the 2025-26 Medicaid rebase, despite the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ request for $819 million to account for growth in enrollment and increasing drug prices. Medicaid spending will thus be cut by $319 million effective October 1. 

Learn more here

North Dakota

North Dakota legislators are working to bolster security measures in response to the shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers on June 14. Senate Minority Leader Kathy Hogan (D-Fargo) recommended during a committee discussion Wednesday that legislators adopt an official process to report threats. 

Learn more here

Ohio

State Senators Kent Smith (D-Euclid) and Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus) introduced Senate Bill 234 last month, which would raise the minimum wage by a dollar per hour each year until reaching $15 per hour in 2029. The bill would also eliminate the tipped employee minimum wage and require all employees to be paid the state’s minimum wage. 

Learn more here

Oklahoma

Senator David Bullard (R-Durant) held an interim study Tuesday at the state Capitol to discuss strategies to protect pristine waterways in southeast Oklahoma and critical water supplies that drive economic prosperity across the state. His interim study before the Senate Agriculture and Wildlife Committee examined the history and impact of the state’s Scenic Rivers Act. 

Learn more here

Oregon

Governor Tina Kotek (D) has officially called a special session of the Oregon legislature starting August 29. They will try to approve a transportation bill to reverse massive layoffs at the Oregon Department of Transportation, as well as provide needed funding to local transportation agencies. 

Learn more here

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s budget stalemate deepened Wednesday as House Democrats voted down two Senate-passed bills — a $47.6 billion flat-funding budget and a $1.2 billion plan to shift capital and gaming funds to transit and infrastructure — just one day before SEPTA’s deadline to avert major service cuts. The partisan split leaves little chance of progress without significant changes to the proposals.

Learn more here

Rhode Island

Governor Dan McKee (D) has signed legislation prohibiting the censorship of library materials. The bill requires libraries to adopt model policies for material selection and provides legal protections for librarians challenging censorship. 

Learn more here

South Carolina

Three South Carolina lawmakers have resigned, triggering upcoming special elections. Senator Roger Nutt (R) resigned due to an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Representative Bobby Cox (R) resigned to pursue Nutt’s seat, and Representative RJ May (R) resigned following a federal indictment on child exploitation charges. 

Learn more here

South Dakota

A committee of South Dakota lawmakers endorsed a proposal Tuesday to provide more video livestreaming of the legislative process and heard how water-damaged technology could affect a special legislative session next month. 

Learn more here

Tennessee

A statement of intent about the regulation of kratom passed unanimously in a Tennessee House Judiciary committee Wednesday. House joint resolution 147 signals support for the strictest state regulation of kratom or even an outright ban of the drug. 

Learn more here

Texas

Governor Greg Abbott (R) will call the state legislature back into special session Friday in a new bid to compel Democrats who fled the state to return to adopt legislation, including a plan to redraw congressional district lines. Abbott pledged to call repeated special sessions until lawmakers adopt his agenda. 

Learn more here

Utah

Utah’s homeless population is continuing to rise, seeing an 18% increase from last year. Even though the state’s homelessness rate is still less than the national average, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall (D) has called on the Utah legislature to more seriously consider funding requests to bolster the state’s homeless system. 

Learn more here

Vermont

The Vermont Redistricting Task Force met for the first time on August 1, and has begun the process of redrawing school district boundaries in order to consolidate the current 100+ districts into roughly a dozen. The task force, composed of legislators and school officials, faces a December 1 deadline to submit up to three district map proposals to the legislature. 

Learn more here

Virginia

State Democrats plan to make Indigenous People’s Day an official holiday in Virginia and will discuss the proposal in the next legislative session in January. The measure could face opposition from Republicans and other Democrats because it would mean replacing Columbus Day. 

Learn more here

Washington

The number of Washington residents licensed to carry pistols is climbing rapidly in the face of a new state law that will require prospective gun owners to secure a state permit before purchasing a firearm. 

Learn more here

West Virginia

In July, the West Virginia state school board approved the first name, image, and likeness (NIL) policy for student athletes, and the policy went into effect last Friday. West Virginia high school and middle school athletes are now able to get paid for NIL deals. 

Learn more here

Wisconsin

Lawmakers have filed Senate Bill 386 as a companion to Assembly Bill 384, both aimed at curbing fraud associated with cryptocurrency ATMs. Senate Bill 386 would require operators to obtain licenses, verify user identities, and reimburse fraud victims within 30 days of confirmed incidents. 

Learn more here

Wyoming

A Wyoming legislative committee narrowly rejected a proposal to involve the state Senate in the selection of Wyoming Supreme Court justices. The decision comes amid rising criticism from Republicans of judicial rulings both nationally and in Wyoming, where judges have struck down abortion restrictions and put on hold an expansive school voucher program. 

Learn more here

Latest News