This week’s State of the States highlights a wide range of legislative and executive actions as governors sign bills, issue vetoes, and announce new policy initiatives across the country. From child care funding in Arizona and new healthcare laws in Delaware to proposed executions methods in Indiana and housing reforms in Maine, state governments continue to tackle both local priorities and national challenges. As budget debates, ballot measures, and federal funding concerns take center stage, here’s a snapshot of the most notable state-level developments from coast to coast.
Alaska
Governor Mike Dunleavy (R) issued his veto of Senate Bill 156, a broadly supported bill proposed by a legislative task force and intended to help commercial fishers in Alaska.
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Arizona
On Monday, Governor Katie Hobbs (D) announced that 900 children will have access to the Child Care Assistance Program, which helps families pay for child care. The funds are part of the recently passed Arizona Promise Budget, which allocated $125.9 million in state and federal funds for child care.
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Arkansas
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R), the Arkansas Department of Education, and the Arkansas Department of Agriculture have announced the launch of the School Food Pantry Toolkit. The toolkit provides school districts with step-by-step instructions, quick tips, and supplemental resources to assist them with establishing school-based food pantries, ensuring no food goes to waste.
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California
Lawmakers are poised to give California’s water districts legal cover from lawsuits as they work to meet strict new state standards for a cancer-causing toxic chemical called hexavalent chromium, or chromium-6.
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Colorado
Governor Jared Polis (D) polled Coloradans on their thoughts regarding the potential construction of the Colorado 150 Pedestrian Walkway. Over 82,000 people voted “no,” accounting for almost 94%.
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Connecticut
Governor Ned Lamont (D) has signed legislation requiring the state to increase the number of birth centers and to enhance payments to doulas. Lamont also signed legislation to examine the availability of perinatal mental health services to identify gaps in care.
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Delaware
Governor Matt Meyer (D) signed six healthcare-related bills on Monday. The new package of healthcare laws creates a lactation program for incarcerated individuals, expands support for deaf and hard of hearing Delaware residents, bolsters lead-based paint inspection and remediation efforts and brings more prescription opioid settlement funds into Delaware.
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Florida
Earlier this month, Florida passed the “Florida Contracts Honoring Opportunity, Investment, Confidentiality, and Economic Growth (CHOICE) Act.” Governor Ron DeSantis (R) did not actually sign the bill, allowing it to become law without his signature.
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Georgia
Last Thursday, state lawmakers from the House Study Committee on the Costs and Effects of Smoking heard testimony regarding tobacco companies’ teenager-targeted marketing techniques. After this second hearing on the matter, advocates proposed raising the tax rate on tobacco products and advised more sales restrictions and cessation programs.
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Hawaii
Alarms were raised in May that the Hawaii Legislature might have to hold a special session to compensate for federal spending cuts, but the likelihood of that special session has diminished since then. Governor Josh Green (D) believes a special session is not necessary, as there is no immediate threat.
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Idaho
The Idaho Health and Welfare Department canceled a program on July 15 that allowed family members to get paid to care for their disabled children or spouses. The program was a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, when Medicaid made an exception to its normal rules. Now that the program is officially over, families are scrambling for alternative care.
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Illinois
Governor JB Pritzker (D) signed a new law on Monday that will make it easier for police to remove squatters who are illegally staying at a residence. State law previously required property owners to go through a lengthy eviction process in court, but can now be quickly removed by police for criminal trespassing.
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Indiana
State Representative Jim Lucas (R) is proposing to change how the state conducts executions, advocating the return of other options other than lethal injection. He plans to introduce a bill next year to allow prisoners to be hanged or shot.
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Iowa
Portions of Iowa’s new law adding regulations and restrictions on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) has been temporarily blocked by a U.S. District Court decision. Senate File 383 was declared unlawful because it does not align with federal regulations on PBMs.
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Kentucky
The Kentucky General Assembly plans to convene in temporary chambers for at least the next three years while the Capitol undergoes extensive renovations. During those years, there will be no public galleries for citizens to watch as the House and Senate debate and vote on laws, and there will be less opportunity for citizens and lobbyists to personally interact with lawmakers in the halls.
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Louisiana
The Louisiana Legislature has declined to reconvene for a veto override session this year. Thus, Governor Jeff Landry (R)’s rejection of 15 pieces of legislation and removals from three budget proposals will stand.
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Maine
Increasing housing costs drove Maine lawmakers to pass several new laws this session to streamline construction. These included measures that cut red tape on new housing construction projects, create a fund for affordable housing, and bar municipalities from imposing restrictions on where and how much new housing can be built.
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Maryland
On Tuesday, July 22, Ocean City residents will have the opportunity to override a recent City Council ordinance implementing minimum stay requirements at certain properties. Under the council’s new ordinance, rentals booked in low density single family residential development districts and mobile home districts will require a minimum five-night stay.
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Massachusetts
State lawmakers are supporting proposed legislation that would restructure how the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission is run. The bill would expand the board from three to seven, bring on residents from other communities, and mandate that no more than four members come from the same municipality.
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Michigan
The state House passed a bill to ban certain additives from foods at K-12 schools in Michigan. The additives targeted are brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, and dyes Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Yellow 6. Under the proposed new law, public and nonpublic schools would not be able to provide, sell, or distribute any foods with those additives. The bill now awaits consideration in the Senate.
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Minnesota
When the Minnesota Legislature met in June for a special session to pass state budget bills, they thought they may need to meet again for another special session to discuss managing federal spending cuts. However, Governor Tim Walz (D) has announced that there is no immediate need to call for another special session.
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Missouri
A back and forth in Missouri’s cannabis laws meant some marijuana workers didn’t go through the highway patrol’s screening for two years. Now, Missouri cannabis regulators say they are about halfway through fingerprint background checks for about 16,000 marijuana workers.
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Montana
Leaders of the Montana Department of Revenue are planning to bring both alcohol and marijuana business regulations in the state under a single division. Currently, Revenue’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Division oversees liquor licenses and operates the state liquor warehouse while the Cannabis Control Division regulates marijuana dispensaries, producers, and testing laboratories.
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New Hampshire
Governor Kelly Ayotte (R) signed 10 bills last week attempting to put limits on local zoning restrictions in order to encourage more housing construction. One of the bills, House Bill 631, would require cities and towns to allow multi-family residential development in commercial zones, establishing “mixed-use” housing developments.
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New Jersey
New Jersey’s electrical grid operator announced on Tuesday that bills would likely rise as much as an additional 5% next year for ratepayers in the region, on top of this year’s 20% increase. Democrats are claiming the company’s mismanagement was the leading cause of another uptick in consumer costs, while Republicans attest the rate hikes are an indication that the energy policies of Governor Phil Murphy (D) have failed.
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New Mexico
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) recently unveiled a plan for the state to take custody of more drug-exposed newborns rather than allowing them to return to their families. Her primary goal for the new plan is to get help for families by connecting them with substance use treatment and other services.
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New York
State Senator Andrew Gounardes (D) has introduced one piece of legislation to require social media companies to allow users to turn off algorithms that control the content they see, and another bill to require platforms to display a warning label. The latter bill has passed both chambers of the legislature.
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North Carolina
The North Carolina Senate plans to override Governor Josh Stein (D)’s vetoes next week. The vetoes they seek to override are on laws allowing permitless carry of handguns, two new immigration enforcement measures, two banning diversity, equity and inclusion practices in schools, and a rollback of an emissions goal for Duke Energy.
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North Dakota
Changes to North Dakota’s medical marijuana program are set to go into effect August 1, 2025. The new changes allow for low-dose THC edibles to be sold at medical dispensaries and make the application process simpler to allow easier access.
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Ohio
House Republicans voted on Monday to override Governor Mike DeWine (R)’s veto of a provision in the state budget restricting the kinds of local levies that can be put to voters. The override now heads to the Ohio Senate for consideration.
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Oklahoma
Recreational marijuana supporters received permission to begin collecting signatures for a constitutional amendment that would legalize the use of recreational marijuana. Supporters can begin collecting signatures on August 6, 2025, and must obtain 172,993 by November 3, 2025 if they want to get the measure on the ballot.
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Oregon
Republican Representative Kevin Mannix has filed ballot measures to tighten restrictions on Oregon’s pretrial release program and end the state’s estate tax. The “Oregon Crimefighting Act” and the “End the Death Tax Act” will go to voters for approval in the November 2026 election.
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Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s budget is now over three weeks late. Few concrete details are known about the status of ongoing talks involving Governor Josh Shapiro (D) and the leaders of the Republican-controlled state Senate and the Democratic-controlled state House.
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Rhode Island
The Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission paused issuing new licenses pending the completion of a study on regulating intoxicating THC beverages sold in liquor stores and bars.
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South Carolina
Just days after the state Department of Transportation’s governing board approved the next round of bridges for repair, a bridge over Lake Keowee in Pickens County collapsed. Part of a lane fell into the water, making a car-sized hole on the bridge. The 57-year-old bridge is part of a network of aging bridges that transportation officials have said must be a top priority for repairs.
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South Dakota
On Friday, Governor Larry Rhoden (R) issued an executive proclamation calling for a special session of the Legislature on September 23 to decide whether to replace the state penitentiary.
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Tennessee
New state laws targeting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have triggered the complete removal of two policies and new language in a third policy for Metro Nashville Public Schools. The new changes were approved during a regularly scheduled meeting on July 22, and are part of the state’s sweeping “Dismantling DEI Act” passed earlier this year during a special session.
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Texas
On Tuesday, the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee heard testimony on legislation to ban hemp-derived THC products, nearly identical to the measure Governor Greg Abbott (R) vetoed last month.
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Utah
Salt Lake City leader announced the transfer of the municipality’s Foreign Trade Zone grantee authority to World Trade Center Utah, a private nonprofit that provides global markets tools to Utah enterprises. The move will allow more Utah businesses that conduct international transactions to reduce or eliminate federal duties.
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Virginia
A Virginia legislative subcommittee authorized by the General Assembly has met in Richmond for the first time to consider the idea of consolidating Virginia’s state official elections, moving them to better align with even-year federal elections.
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West Virginia
West Virginia has banned a variety of artificial food dyes and preservatives in schools. The first phase of the new law will take effect this fall, impacting school meals across the state.
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Wisconsin
A proposed bill aims to address the ongoing bus driver shortage in Wisconsin by making it easier for drivers to keep their licenses. The new law would change the frequency of Commercial Driver’s License tests for bus drivers over 70 years old, from retaking the test every two years to every four years instead.
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Wyoming
Members of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus now lead the Wyoming Legislature’s Management Audit Committee. Since the new leadership has taken effect, the committee voted to audit the Legislative Service Office, subpoena several local officials, and investigate the Weston County clerk.
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