State legislatures were busy this week, with governors signing off on major bills and lawmakers racing to wrap up their sessions. From Alabama’s new protections for law enforcement to Hawaii’s climate-driven tourism tax and Delaware’s legalization of medical aid in dying, states tackled a wide range of issues. Some states closed out their sessions with big policy wins, while others are just getting started on budget battles or gearing up for special sessions.
Here’s a look at what happened across the country this week:
Alabama
In her February State of the State address, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R) urged the Legislature to pass a comprehensive public safety package to bolster legal protections for law enforcement, enabling them to perform their duties without fear of excessive judicial scrutiny. By the end of the 2025 legislative session, most of these measures, including the controversial HB 202 providing enhanced immunity for law enforcement, were approved and signed into law by Ivey on Thursday.
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Alaska
The Alaska Legislature adjourned on Tuesday after passing a lean operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year, featuring a $1,000 Permanent Fund dividend—the lowest inflation-adjusted amount since the program’s inception in 1982—amid a significant deficit driven by declining oil revenue. While the budget projects a $57 million surplus starting July 1, lawmakers cautioned that this could vanish if oil prices fall below March projections, with an even bleaker fiscal outlook expected next year.
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Arizona
Governor Katie Hobbs (D) signed House Bill 2281 (“Emily’s Law”), which creates a new turquoise alert system to help law enforcement respond to the disappearances of missing and indigenous persons.
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Arkansas
Arkansas lawmakers passed Eli’s Law, requiring all public and open-enrollment charter schools to install audio recording devices in locker rooms and changing areas by the 2027-2028 school year to combat bullying. The law mandates schools to post signs notifying students of the recordings, addressing parental concerns about unsupervised areas, according to Harrison School District Superintendent Dr. Stewart Pratt.
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California
A bipartisan group of 35 California lawmakers sent a letter on Tuesday urging Congress to reject a provision in a Republican tax bill that would ban states from enacting their own AI regulations for a decade, arguing it threatens citizen safety, innovation, and state sovereignty. The provision, criticized as overly broad and poorly drafted by Assembly Member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, could hinder California’s ability to enforce laws against AI-generated child sexual abuse images and deepfake scams targeting seniors, despite being unrelated to the budget.
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Colorado
The Colorado legislature passed the Battery Stewardship Act, which, if signed by Governor Jared Polis (D), will create an extended producer responsibility (EPR) framework requiring battery producers to join a stewardship organization to finance and manage a statewide battery collection, transportation, processing, and recycling system by 2027.
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Connecticut
Governor Ned Lamont (D) signed a declaration enabling the Connecticut General Assembly to adopt legislation appropriating the funding necessary to keep Medicaid fully funded for the rest of the 2025 fiscal year.
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Delaware
Delaware Governor Matt Meyer (D) signed legislation legalizing medical aid in dying, making Delaware the 12th jurisdiction to permit terminally ill adults with a six-month prognosis to pursue physician-assisted suicide, following over a decade of legislative battles.
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Florida
Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has signed HB 279, targeting “swatting,” or false complaints resulting in an emergency response. The bill makes swatting a third-degree felony if the report causes great bodily harm or permanent disfigurement or injury, and a second-degree felony if someone dies due to false reports.
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Georgia
Governor Brian Kemp (R) signed 120 bills this week, including Senate Bill 244, which allows criminal defendants to recover legal costs if their prosecutor is disqualified and the case is dismissed, while also overhauling compensation for the wrongly convicted by replacing legislative resolutions with administrative hearings. Kemp also signed laws requiring police to accept digital driver’s licenses and expanding the state’s child care tax credit to improve access to affordable childcare.
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Hawaii
Hawaii passed a pioneering law introducing a 0.75% tax increase on tourists, specifically to fund climate change and natural disaster protection, prompted by the 2023 Maui wildfires that killed 102 people and caused $13 billion in damage. Governor Josh Green (D), who plans to sign the legislation, believes the “green fee” will not deter visitors but will support environmental preservation, enhancing Hawaii’s appeal as a destination while aiding recovery and prevention efforts.
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Idaho
In 2025, Idaho lawmakers passed significant legislation, including the state’s largest income tax cut and expanded military pension exemptions, raising budget concerns; a new immigration enforcement law allowing local police to charge undocumented immigrants with state crimes, which was paused by a judge; steep minimum fines for marijuana possession, harsher than some violent crime penalties; and a medical freedom bill creating uncertainty about vaccination requirements for private day cares.
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Illinois
State lawmakers face a May 31 deadline to pass a balanced state budget for the next fiscal year, grappling with a $500 million revenue shortfall from lower-than-expected sales tax, Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements, and corporate tax revenue, while addressing federal funding uncertainties and agency demands for increased funding.
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Indiana
Indiana’s 2025 legislative session saw a strong push for small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), with House Bill 1007, signed into law by Governor Mike Braun (R) on May 6, providing tax exemptions and financial frameworks to encourage SMR development while restricting coal plant shutdowns unless replaced with cheaper, equivalent energy.
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Iowa
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (R) signed 25 bills into law on Monday, covering fireworks, school funding, and First Amendment rights, marking her first legislative action since the 2025 session adjourned on Thursday, though she had previously signed notable laws this year, including a cellphone driving ban and the removal of gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act. With many bills still awaiting her signature, Reynolds has until June 14 to act, or unsigned measures will be pocket-vetoed and not become law.
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Kansas
Governor Laura Kelly (D) faces ongoing power struggles with a Republican supermajority that frequently overrides her vetoes, enacting policies like a ban on gender-affirming care for minors and eliminating the three-day grace period for mail-in ballots, while clashing over property tax cuts and a potential 2028 budget shortfall. Additional tensions arise from a proposed constitutional amendment to elect state Supreme Court justices, which could politicize the judiciary, as Kelly pushes for fiscal caution and policies like ending the state sales tax on food, effective January 1, 2025.
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Kentucky
Kentucky Auditor Allison Ball sued Governor Andy Beshear’s (D) administration over delays in implementing Senate Bill 151, a 2024 law that allows relatives taking custody of abused or neglected children more time to apply for foster care benefits, citing the administration’s failure to act due to a claimed $20 million funding shortfall not appropriated by the legislature.
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Louisiana
On Monday, the Louisiana House of Representatives approved HB 685, which would ban diversity, equity, and inclusion practices across state government and prohibit state universities and colleges from requiring certain race and gender-based curriculum for undergraduate students.
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Maine
A Maine legislative committee heard hours of testimony on two bills, LD 1259 and LD 1971, aimed at restricting local law enforcement from partnering with federal immigration agencies, with supporters like Jason Ward arguing that such partnerships divert local resources from community priorities and burden sheriffs with unprepared duties.
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Maryland
Governor Wes Moore (D) signed 240 bills into law Tuesday, including the state’s $67 billion budget, two bills designed to reduce energy costs for ratepayers, and more than $1 million in new taxes.
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Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Senate passed a $61 billion fiscal year 2026 state budget on Thursday with a 38-2 vote, aligning closely with the House’s April version, both increasing spending by over 6%, but differing in allocation details for areas like transportation funding, liquor licensing, and vocational schools. The budget includes provisions to address tariff uncertainty and federal policy shifts, setting the stage for House-Senate negotiations to reconcile differences before the July 1 start of the fiscal year.
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Michigan
Michigan Democratic lawmakers plan to reintroduce “polluter pay” legislation in June 2025 to strengthen environmental cleanup standards, requiring polluting industries to fund brownfield site rehabilitation and increase transparency through public record access. Despite passing the Senate last year, the bills stalled in the 2024 lame duck session due to Republican opposition, but Democrats are now engaging industry stakeholders to target the worst polluters and provide legal recourse for residents harmed by pollution.
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Minnesota
Minnesota lawmakers failed to finalize a $66.62 billion biennial budget by the end of the 2025 legislative session on May 19th, necessitating a special session as less than 10% of the budget was completed, with unresolved bills on education, health, human services, and other key areas stalled by disputes over permitting, worker benefits, and MinnesotaCare eligibility for undocumented immigrants
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Mississippi
Lawmakers’ revision of Mississippi’s legislative redistricting proposal gained approval from a panel of three federal judges on May 7 after months of legal battles. The redrawing of legislative district maps is a response to the Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP’s lawsuit filed in 2022 against the Mississippi Board of Election Commissioners, Governor Tate Reeves (R), Attorney General Lynn Fitch and Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson – claiming that the legislative voting maps illegally diluted the voting strength of Black Mississippians.
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Missouri
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe announced a special legislative session for next month to discuss tax breaks to retain the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals, using team-generated tax revenue to finance bonds for upgrading Arrowhead Stadium and building a new Royals stadium, a proposal the House approved 108-40 but the Senate rejected due to the House’s failure to vote on a $513 million construction bill.
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Montana
Governor Greg Gianforte (R) vetoed 22 bills last week. Two of the bills were intended to require more transparency between branches of state government. Another of the vetoed bills would have expanded when jails can conduct strip searches on suspects accused of misdemeanors. He also vetoed SB 7, which would have allowed Montana Highway Patrol troopers and sheriff’s deputies to start drawing their pensions earlier. Gianforte cited budget considerations as the primary motivator for these vetoes.
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Nebraska
Legislative Bill 677, seeking to help implement Nebraska’s voter-approved medical cannabis law, failed to garner the 33 votes needed to shut off a filibuster. Thus, Nebraska is left without a strong regulatory system regarding cannabis, leaving some lawmakers to fear an accelerated push for recreational marijuana as early as the 2026 election.
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Nevada
Nevada lawmakers are fast-tracking Assembly Bill 555 to cap insulin out-of-pocket costs at $35 for a 30-day supply for privately insured individuals with diabetes, extending a limit currently applied only to Medicare recipients.
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New Hampshire
House Bill 2, a 183-page budget bill passed by the New Hampshire House, includes provisions that could undermine the state’s renewable energy program by redirecting millions from the renewable energy fund to the general budget and utility customer rebates.
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New Jersey
On Thursday, the New Jersey Assembly advanced a comprehensive legislative package to address the state’s affordability crisis, including measures to curb rising housing and utility costs. Key bills approved include limits on rent increases in specific cases, expanded income eligibility for utility bill assistance and energy efficiency programs, and a requirement for Board of Public Utilities members to have expertise in areas like public utility management, regulation, or consumer advocacy to better manage utility bill increases.
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New Mexico
New Mexico lawmakers are preparing for potential major changes to Medicaid as federal budget proposals threaten to cut over $1.1 billion in funding. During the first meeting of the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee since session’s end, concerns grew over a GOP-backed bill that could shift Medicaid administration to the states and reduce vital oil and gas revenues used to support the program.
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New York
More than 50 Democratic New York state lawmakers have urged House Speaker Mike Johnson to reject a proposed federal moratorium that would block state and local governments from regulating artificial intelligence. The letter, led by Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, argues the measure, part of the House GOP’s budget bill, would weaken existing safeguards and prevent states from addressing AI risks, calling it a dangerous overreach that favors corporate interests over public protections.
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North Carolina
North Carolina House lawmakers have introduced a new relief package totaling over $400 million to aid recovery from Hurricane Helene, which devastated the western region of the state last September. The bill includes funding for small business grants, local infrastructure repairs, school reconstruction, flood mitigation, and support for volunteer organizations and emergency services. Governor Josh Stein (D) recently called for an additional $891 million in aid.
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North Dakota
Governor Kelly Armstrong (R) line-item vetoed six bills on Monday, May 19. Among the six line-item vetoed bills was the state’s Ethics Commission budget, in which Armstrong eliminated a section granting lawmakers immunity from prosecution if they disclose conflicts of interest in voting on a bill. Additionally, Armstrong vetoed a portion of the Attorney General’s budget attempting to bar judges from being able to waive 24/7 sobriety program fees. He also cut a $150,000 grant that would have funded a Native American homelessness liaison position in the Industrial Commission’s budget, and scratched a section mandating the Bank of North Dakota allocate $250,000 to study post-oil economic development in western North Dakota communities.
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Ohio
Ohio lawmakers are debating Senate Bill 197, which would legalize iGaming and iLottery, allowing residents to play casino games and purchase lottery tickets on their phones. The proposal has sparked division among state leaders, with House Speaker Matt Huffman expressing concern about the potential social harms of expanding gambling access.
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Oklahoma
Governor Kevin Stitt (R) recently vetoed House Bill 2048, which would have prohibited drug manufacturers and distributors from arbitrarily limiting the number of pharmacies with which 340B hospitals and healthcare providers can contract.
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Oregon
The Oregon Senate has passed House Bill 2698, setting a statewide goal to raise homeownership rates to 65% by 2030, with incremental increases of 1.65% in each subsequent five-year period. The bill also requires the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department to create a public dashboard tracking homeownership progress, including data broken down by race and ethnicity.
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Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania lawmakers heard testimony Monday suggesting that expanding wind, solar, and nuclear energy could make the state’s electricity more reliable and affordable amid rapidly growing demand. Gov. Josh Shapiro’s (D) renewable energy proposal was praised for its potential to stabilize the grid, though some industry voices raised concerns.
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Tennessee
Governor Bill Lee (R) has signed S.B. 536 into law, enacting one of the most athlete-friendly name, image, and likeness (NIL) statutes in the country. Effective May 1, the law allows student-athletes to receive compensation from collectives and limits the NCAA’s ability to impose restrictions that could be seen as anticompetitive or in violation of state and federal law. It also shields schools from antitrust lawsuits under certain conditions.
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Texas
The Texas House has approved a bill that would ban all THC-containing products, signaling a likely end to the state’s hemp industry. The legislation permits only the sale and use of non-intoxicating cannabinoids like CBD and CBG, a move that could impact an estimated 50,000 jobs and $8 billion in annual tax revenue. The bill now awaits the governor’s approval.
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Virginia
Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) issued Executive Order 48 on Monday, directing state leaders to create tools for tracking antisemitism and anti-religious bigotry in schools. The order builds on prior legislative and administrative efforts to protect Jewish students across all educational levels. It follows findings from the Combat Antisemitism Movement, which reported 554 antisemitic incidents in Virginia last year, the majority occurring in schools.
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West Virginia
Governor Patrick Morrisey (R) held a ceremonial signing for Senate Bill 765, which establishes a Troops-to-Teachers program in the state. The program helps veterans and service members transition into teaching by guiding them through certification and allowing classroom experience during the process. The initiative aims to address teacher shortages while supporting veterans’ career development.
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Wyoming
A Wyoming legislative committee voted Tuesday to draft bills restricting minors’ access to certain library books, particularly those with sexual content or addressing LGBTQ+ themes. One proposed bill would classify literature depicting specific sexual acts as explicit, impose $50,000 fines on libraries that provide such content to minors, and allow civil lawsuits against offending institutions.
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