Calling the rise in vaping-related illnesses “a frightening public health phenomenon,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) proposed legislation to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes in the Empire State. “Common sense says if you do not know what you are smoking, don’t smoke...

NH LAWMAKERS SUSTAIN VAST MAJORITY OF VETOES The NEW HAMPSHIRE Legislature upheld all but one of the 55 vetoes issued by Gov. Chris Sununu (R), including measures on gun control, renewable energy and paid family leave. The one successful veto override came on SB 88 , a measure that removes a three...

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) unveiled “an absolute game changer” plan to make all colleges and universities tuition-free for all in-state students, regardless of family income. The proposal, which will require legislative approval to become reality, would apply to all 29 of...

Amid a growing number of vaping-related deaths and serious illnesses, Govs. Andrew Cuomo of New York and Gavin Newsom of California, both Democrats, launched efforts last week to ban the products. The actions come days after the Trump administration announced plans to impose a federal ban on the...

WA GOV ORDERS VAPING BAN Citing a rising number of illnesses and deaths linked to e-tobacco use, WASHINGTON Gov. Jay Inslee (D) said he will ask the state board of health to adopt emergency rules enacting a statewide ban on flavored vaping products. At least four other states – MICHIGAN, NEW...

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, both Democrats, said they will work together to develop a consistent regulatory framework for recreational marijuana use in their respective states. The governors said they believed they could find common ground on issues like age restrictions...

Surrounded by a bevy of athletes including LeBron James, Diana Taurasi and Katelyn Ohashi, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed legislation last week that makes the Golden State the first to allow college athletes to profit from the use of their image and likeness. Newsom signed SB 206 in spite...

BAKER PUSHES MA IMPAIRED DRIVING BILL Responding to the state Cannabis Control Commission moving closer to allowing social consumption marijuana lounges, MASSACHUSETTS Gov. Charlie Baker (R) urged Bay State lawmakers to act on legislation ( HB 71 ) he proposed earlier this year to address impaired...

Citing a worsening teacher shortage, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) proposed raising the minimum annual salary for Sunshine State teachers to $47,500, up from the current $37,636. DeSantis asked lawmakers to approve his call for an additional $600 million in the state budget to pay for the increase, which...

Calling it a “a profoundly important moment,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed one package of bills last week aimed at protecting Golden State renters from excessive rent increases and unprovoked evictions and another intended to spark the building of new housing. The most significant...

RAIMONDO NOT OKAY WITH RI DMV WAITING FEES RHODE ISLAND Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) said she is not in favor of a plan pitched by the Ocean State DMV to charge customers a $15 walk-in fee for conducting license or registration renewals that could be done online or by mail. Raimondo said she would not be...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) inked his name to five bills to further amend the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) before the law takes effect next January. Although lawmakers weighed numerous proposals to dramatically change the CCPA this legislative session, none of the measures Newsom...

Judge Upholds Baker’s MA Vaping Ban A Suffolk Superior Court judge rejected a plea from vape retailers to overturn upheld MASSACHUSETTS Gov. Charlie Baker’s (R) emergency ban on vaping. The ruling came hours after health officials announced a second Bay State resident had died from a vaping...

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) says the overwhelmingly negative public comments the state has received regarding his pending Medicaid proposal – which would convert $7.9 billion in federal funding for TennCare, the state’s $12.1 billion Medicaid health insurance program for 1.42 million low...

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) unveiled the first part of a two-part plan to overhaul health care in the Peach State. The reinsurance proposal Kemp announced calls for the state and federal governments to pay part of the costs of treating the sickest patients, which he says would allow health insurers to...

Calling it “a step in the right direction," California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said the state would closely monitor the NCAA’s decision to move toward allowing college athletes to profit from the use of their likeness, image or name. The move is a response to first-in-the-nation...

Stitt Signs Off on Record Number of Commutations Adhering to recommendations from the state Pardon and Parole Board, OKLAHOMA Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signed off on the release of over 450 Sooner State prisoners, the largest single-day commutation in history. The Board had reviewed the cases of 814 low...

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) unveiled a plan to expand Medicaid in the Peach State, on the condition that new recipients pay monthly premiums and spend at least 80 hours a month working, volunteering, training or attending school. The expansion would be open to uninsured adults who earn no more than the...

A group of more than two dozen governors pledged last week to continue upholding the tenets of the 2015 Paris climate accord even if President Donald Trump successfully pulls the U.S. out of the agreement. In a statement released by the U.S. Climate Alliance – a coalition of governors and...

Cuomo Threatens NYC Utility NEW YORK Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) threatened to revoke the license of a utility that provides gas to New York City and Long Island unless it begins providing natural gas to new customers on Long Island. Cuomo also vowed to take legal action against the utility National Grid...

A new temporary homeless camp fostered by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is so far not doing much to alleviate the growing homelessness problem in Austin. A week after the camp was opened at a former maintenance yard for TxDOT vehicles in East Austin, advocates for the homeless say barely a dozen people...

North Dakota is currently the only state to have created a public bank, which it did way back in 1919. But momentum for more is growing at both the state and local level. The latest effort was launched last week in New Jersey, where New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) ordered the state to develop a...

Raimondo Will Seek Legal RI Pot in 2020 Calling it “the next logical step” after legalizing medical use, RHODE ISLAND Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) said she will make another attempt to legalize adult recreational marijuana use in the Ocean State next session. Raimondo made her comments after...

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) issued an executive order last week to more than double the Garden State’s goal for offshore wind power production. Under Executive Order No. 92 , the state will seek to produce 7,500 megawatts of wind power by 2035, a significant jump over the current goal of 3...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said the Golden State government will no longer buy cars from carmakers that don’t adhere to the state’s strict emissions rules. The boycott is a direct response to a bevy of car companies that recently sided with the Trump administration in its attempt...