Nebraska State

Columbus, OH

Utah State

Salt Lake City, UT

The Capitol in Salt Lake City is pictured on Monday, May 6, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) It’s official, the Utah Legislature will be calling itself into a special session on Wednesday to tackle a recent Utah Supreme Court ruling that Republican legislative leaders said “struck a blow at the very fabric of our Republic.”

Utah Legislature to call itself into special session to ask voters to sidestep Utah Supreme Court

Florida State

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Uncovering Florida

With hurricane season posing a consistent threat six months out of the year, who would not like a little help getting their home ready for the harsh weather to come? Senate Bill 7028: My Safe Florida Home Program, approved by Governor DeSantis on April 24, 2024, and effective as of July 1, appropriates a one-time total of $200 million from 2024 to 2025 for the purpose of funding hurricane mitigation grants and inspections, as well as outreach and administration costs, to support homeowners in Florida.

DeSantis Signs New Bill Giving $200 Million To Homeowners

Most people are guilty of doing it at least once in their lives, many people do it by accident, some do it because they find it fun, and others do it for reasons like honoring loved ones. Regardless of the situation, just about everyone has released a balloon. The difference is that intentionally releasing balloons is now illegal by House Bill 321’s standards.

Law Signed By DeSantis Makes It Illegal To Release Balloons In Florida

Ohio State

The Lantern

On Tuesday, licensed Ohio dispensaries began legally selling non-medical marijuana to consumers; however, the drug’s possession, growth and/or usage are still prohibited on Ohio State’s campus. Credit: Jefferee Woo/Tampa Bay Times/TNS [Original caption: Four citizen-led petitions with proposals to update Dallas’ charter hit the 20,000 valid signature threshold to make it on the Nov. 5 election ballot, including one that would ban police officers from arresting or citing people carrying less than four ounces of marijuana.] As of Tuesday, students 21 and older can now legally purchase marijuana in Ohio.

Dispensary sales of recreational marijuana began Tuesday; possession and usage still prohibited on Ohio State’s campus

Colorado State

David Heitz

A bill quietly introduced this spring in the Colorado legislature to decriminalize the possession of drug paraphernalia obtained by harm reductionists has become law. As low-key as the legislation was introduced, the bill was signed into law without fanfare June 6. It garnered little to no media attention.

Colorado legalizes needles, pipes for meth and crack if obtained by harm reduction group

Mississippi State

A federal judge will decide in the coming months whether Black Mississippians have a fair chance to elect candidates to the Mississippi Supreme Court and whether the Legislature should redraw districts give those Black voters more power. Attorneys representing citizens and politicians from the Jackson Metro Area and the Delta...

Trial ends in federal lawsuit that seeks more Black justices on Mississippi Supreme Court

Wisconsin State

Axios

Millionaire businessman Eric Hovde handily won Wisconsin's GOP Senate primary Tuesday, officially setting up his bid to oust two-term Democrat Tammy Baldwin. Why it matters: It's one of at least nine competitive Senate seats Republicans aim to flip to take back the majority in November. The AP called the race...

Eric Hovde wins Wisconsin Senate GOP primary

Michigan State

A Rite Aid Pharmacy in Michigan. (Getty Images.) The number of pharmacies — particularly in Ohio and Michigan — is continuing to drop. Bankrupt chain Rite Aid last week announced that it was closing 44 additional stores and that all but two are in Ohio and Michigan, Fast Company reported.

Rite Aid is closing 44 more stores. All but two are in Ohio and Michigan

Jacksonville, FL

Jacksonville Today

A historic marker could be erected to honor the victims of the racist mass shooting at the Dollar General store in Jacksonville’s New Town neighborhood nearly a year ago. If approved by the Jacksonville City Council, a marker would be installed at Kings Road and Canal Street on Aug. 25, a day before the first anniversary of the shooting, when a white gunman took the lives of three Black people.

Memorial considered to honor Dollar General victims

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said he will consider more DUI patrols if voters legalize recreational marijuana use in Florida. Voters will consider Amendment 3 in November. It would allow adults 21 or older to possess, purchase or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical purposes.

More DUI patrols possible if marijuana issue passes

Tim Blakeley, manager of Sunset Junction medical marijuana dispensary, shows marijuana plant buds on May 11, 2010, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) Ron DeSantis has made it clear that he opposes Amendment 3, the proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot this fall in Florida to legalize...

DeSantis official criticizes Amendment 3 for lack of ‘home-grown’ element

Utah Sen. Karen Mayne, D-West Valley City, in the Senate Chamber in 2019. Mayne died Aug. 15, 2024 after battling cancer. (Courtesy of the Utah Senate) Longtime Utah state senator and Democratic legislative leader Karen Mayne died Thursday, Utah Senate leaders announced late that night. “Today, we lost an extraordinary...

Utah Sen. Karen Mayne dies, leaders mourn her as ‘extraordinary stateswoman’

North Dakota State

UPI News

North Dakota voters in November will be able to decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana for people 21 and older.

North Dakota voters to decide on legalizing recreational marijuana

Denver, CO

On the night in January 2023 when volunteers counted people experiencing homelessness in Denver, no shelter beds were available for individuals or families, according to data provided by the National Alliance to End Homelessness. More than 2,500 individuals and 181 families slept outside, the data showed.

State of homelessness in Denver: Full shelters, surge in older adults

The Denver City Council accepted Monday two grants totaling $24.5 million from the state of Colorado to pay for the homeless navigation campus it opened last year. One council member wants answers as to why wraparound services at the campus aren't up and running.

Denver homeless hotel wins $24.5 million grant, experiences wraparound services delay

Marijuana joints and buds, also known as "flower," are viewed on May 24, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Photo Illustration by Mario Tama/Getty Images) Lawmakers voted 4-1 on Tuesday to finalize a nearly 70% hike to the price of a medical marijuana business license. Sen. Red Dawn Foster, D-Pine Ridge, was...

Lawmakers make it official: Annual fees for medical pot businesses will jump 70%

Arkansas State

A Pacific Islander and his family left the Marshall Islands more than a decade ago in search of better education, health care and job opportunities in the United States. Editor’s note: Sources are not named in this story because they fear harassment and retaliation. Some interviews conducted in Spanish were translated into English for this story.

Immigrants in Arkansas struggle to achieve better life they came to the U.S. to find

Montana State

Wyoming State

WyoFile

To increase the genetic diversity of an island population of grizzly bears , Wyoming and Montana wildlife managers recently worked together to import fresh bloodlines into the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Two Montana grizzly bears trucked to Wyoming to bolster genetic diversity, help states’ delisting case

NBC News

CHICAGO — Vice President Kamala Harris is calling for raising the corporate tax rate to 28%, her first major proposal to raise revenues and finance expensive plans she wants to pursue as president. Harris campaign spokesman James Singer told NBC News that she would push for a 28% corporate...

Harris proposes raising the corporate tax rate to 28%, rolling back a Trump law

NewsBreak

Legislature passes slimmed-down property tax relief package, ends Nebraska’s special session

LINCOLN — Nebraska taxpayers are likely to see a small bump in property tax relief on their tax statements for next year, but much less relief...

Legislature passes slimmed-down property tax relief package, ends Nebraska’s special session

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