OHIO Gov. John Kasich (R) vetoes Substitute House Bill 554, which would have extended a freeze on renewable-energy standards for the past two years by making them voluntary for 2017 and 2018 (CLEVELAND PLAIN-DEALER).
MICHIGAN Gov. Rick Snyder (R) signs HB 5120, which requires municipal water systems, upon learning their water has exceeded the federal “action level” for lead, to notify the public within three business days. The previous law gave Wolverine State officials up to 30 days to make the notifications (DETROIT FREE PRESS).
A CALIFORNIA appeals court strikes down a Golden State law requiring prosecutors, rather than secret grand juries, to decide whether a police officer who kills someone should be charged with a crime. The Third District Court of Appeal said the law, the first of its kind in the nation, violates the state constitution (SACRAMENTO BEE).
KENTUCKY Gov. Matt Bevin (R) signs a trio of anti-labor measures: HB 1, so-called “right-to-work” legislation that bars union membership as a requirement for employment; SB 6, which requires workers to “opt in” to having union dues withheld from their paychecks rather than the current practice that says a worker must act to opt out of having an employer withhold their dues; and HB 3, which eliminates the government defined hourly wage in construction contracts known as prevailing wage on government projects (THE HILL).
NEW YORK Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) issues Executive Order No. 162, which requires state contractors to disclose the job title and salary data for any of their employees working on a state contract (NATIONAL LAW REVIEW).
A California Assembly committee came together last week to grill state attorney general nominee Xavier Becerra. When it came time for Assemblymember James Gallagher, a Republican, to pose his questions, he noted that Becerra, a Democrat, was the only AG candidate he knew of to attend a quinceanera in his district. It garnered a nice chuckle and the two were friendly throughout the questioning. Becerra twice even indicated the two should sit down over a beer to talk about policy. Was this a bipartisan moment? Would a Reep actually vote for a Dem? Ha! Not in this lifetime. The committee endorsed Becerra, sending his nomination to the full Assembly and Senate, but the votes split right down party lines. Meaning Gallagher and Becerra might be having a brew, just not together.
-- BY RICH EHISEN