Sean Scully

With a kratom bill on the table, lawmaker asks — why not write the Word of Wisdom into Utah law? • Utah News Dispatch With Utah seeking to ban most kratom products, lawmaker asks — should Legislature make the LDS church's Word of Wisdom a law?

During a debate to regulate kratom in Utah, a lawmaker made the suggested replacing the entire bill with the scripture responsible for most Latter-day Saints skipping coffee, tea and alcohol, known as the Word of Wisdom, report @utahnewsdispatch.com and @statesnewsroom.com

New version of income tax bill gets WA governor’s blessing • Washington State Standard Democrats in the Washington state House released a revised income tax proposal Friday that drives more money into early learning programs, increases assistance for lower-income families, and…

Democrats have settled their differences over an income tax bill, with Washington's governor now saying he will sign the rewritten version, report @washingtonstatestandard.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Top Alaska court takes up lawsuit challenging trans-Alaska gas pipeline law | Alaska Beacon A lower court dismissed the case, and the Alaska Supreme Court has already ruled on a similar issue, but plaintiffs are trying again.

The Alaska Supreme Court is considering whether to advance a lawsuit that claims the Alaska Constitution conflicts with a state law that directs construction of a trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline, report @alaskabeacon.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Oregon lawmakers increase lodging tax to boost wildlife funding • Oregon Capital Chronicle Oregon lawmakers have voted to increase the state’s lodging tax in order to help fund wildlife conservation. The measure is expected to bring in roughly $37 million per year by raising the state’s…

“We have to do what we can to preserve biodiversity," a sponsor says of legislation to boost Oregon's lodging tax to boost conservation efforts, report @oregoncapitalchronicle.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Nevada among two dozen states suing to block Trump's latest tariffs • Nevada Current Two dozen states sue to block Trump's new tariffs, calling the 1974 law he's relying on archaic and misapplied

Nevada is among two dozen states asking a federal court to block the tariffs that President Donald Trump instituted last month after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down his previous tariffs, report @nevadacurrent.com and @statesnewsroom.com

On third vote, Idaho budget committee restores funding for military tuition benefits for Guard • Idaho Capital Sun The program provides up to $8,000 per year for Idaho National Guard members to use for tuition at an Idaho-based higher education institution.

After rejecting proposals to restore the funding two separate times last month, the Idaho Legislature’s budget committee voted Friday to restore some of the funding cuts to tuition benefits for Idaho National Guard members, report @idahocapitalsun.com and @statesnewsroom.com

'They're giving me up to die' A federal judge placed Arizona's prison health care in receivership after 14 years of unconstitutional neglect and preventable deaths

“They’re giving me up to die,” an Arizona inmate told family two days before his death about the state's troubled medical system for people behind bars, report @azmirror.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Judge gives Arizona 8 months to fix unconstitutional school funding system | Arizona Mirror A judge gave Arizona lawmakers 8 months to fix unconstitutional school construction funding in a case dating to 2017

An Arizona judge is giving the state eight months to fix the school funding formula, more than 30 years after a court first said it was unconstitutional, report @azmirror.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Faced with more lawsuits, Utah lawmakers move to change their new ‘constitutional court’ • Utah News Dispatch Facing lawsuits, Utah lawmakers are moving to change the law they just passed creating a judicial panel to hear constitutional cases.

Utah lawmakers are running into legal challenges as they try to sidestep the normal court system that has struck down some of their high-profile laws, report @utahnewsdispatch.com and @statesnewsroom.com

WA senator refuses to apologize for inflammatory remark • Washington State Standard A Republican Washington state senator refused to apologize for using an offensive term to refer to people with developmental disabilities.

“I’m not going to be polite anymore,” an unrepentant Washington lawmaker said after he drew bipartisan outrage by using a slur against people with developmental disabilities during floor debate, report @washingtonstatestandard.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Alaska officials stonewall state legislators on justification for handing voter data to feds | Alaska Beacon The Division of Elections and Department of Law declined to waive secrecy on advice that led state to hand over detailed data.

Alaska lawmakers are demanding answers as to why election officials turned over sensitive voter data to the feds in 2025, report @alaskabeacon.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Oregon Legislature votes to give cities, counties flexibility in tourism revenue • Oregon Capital Chronicle The Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 4148 to reduce the share of transient lodging tax that must be used for tourism promotion or tourism-related facilities from 70% to 50% and let cities and…

Tourist towns in Oregon rake in huge sums from a hotel tax, but up until now, state law has forced them to use most of the money to attract even more tourists, report @oregoncapitalchronicle.com and @statesnewsroom.com

HUD targets households with undocumented residents; local housing authority says there aren’t many • Nevada Current At the request of federal officials, the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority is in the process of identifying the number of households that rely on federal housing assistance that include…

“For those families with mixed status, we are giving them the choice of homelessness or destroying their family," a Nevada legal advocate says of a federal policy limiting housing subsidies, report @nevadacurrent.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Idaho House committee kills bill that would have narrowed state's definition of child neglect  • Idaho Capital Sun A bill that would more narrowly define “neglect” in Idaho’s child protection laws failed to advance Thursday amid concern it would make it harder to remove children in potentially dangerous…

A bill that would more narrowly define “neglect” in Idaho’s child protection laws failed to advance Thursday amid concern it would make it harder to remove children in potentially dangerous situations, report @idahocapitalsun.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Program for Utahns with disabilities loses its license following deaths of 3 clients left in van • Utah News Dispatch State regulators have revoked a company’s license to provide day treatment after the deaths of three Utahns with disabilities.

State regulators have revoked a Utah company’s license to provide day treatment after police said three men with disabilities died after they were left in a running van in an employee’s home garage, report @utahnewsdispatch.com and @statesnewsroom.com

WA takes another step to link its carbon market with California and Quebec • Washington State Standard Both supporters and critics of Washington’s cap-and-trade program say combining markets would benefit the state.

Washington’s cap-and-trade program could soon link with carbon markets in California and Quebec, report @washingtonstatestandards.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Federal offshore oil and gas lease sale in Alaska’s Cook Inlet basin draws no bids | Alaska Beacon The federal sale's outcome and that of a state lease sale that drew only one bid indicate a lack of industry interest in Cook Inlet

The first in a series of newly mandated oil and gas lease sales for federal waters of Alaska’s Cook Inlet received no bids, report @alaskabeacon.com and @statesnewsroom.com

No sacred cows in Hill’s Nevada  • Nevada Current Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Alexis Hill says she’s willing to go where few politicians will venture – a place where time-honored, but perhaps antiquated laws prevail in a culture that rewards…

The latest entry into the Democratic race for Nevada governor wants to upend the status quo and replace the state's "antiquated" tax system and governance, report @nevadacurrent.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Anti-DEI bill for Medicaid health care providers introduced in Idaho Legislature  • Idaho Capital Sun An Idaho lawmaker introduced a bill prohibiting health care providers who accept Medicaid patients from having any "DEI" policies.

Idaho lawmakers are considering further restrictions on DEI programs in any organization that accepts Medicaid funding, report @idahocapitalsun.com and @statesnewsroom.com

How crisis pregnancy centers turned federal poverty and housing funds into an anti-abortion network | Arizona Mirror Eight states directed more than $150 million in federal poverty funds to crisis pregnancy centers since 2017, with little oversight or accountability

At least eight states have given funds intended for needy families instead to crisis pregnancy centers in recent years, an investigation by @statesnewsroom.com finds, via @azmirror.com

Utah moves toward allowing health care providers to deny treatment based on their beliefs • Utah News Dispatch Utah's legislature is advancing a bill allowing health care professionals to refuse providing treatment based on their deeply held beliefs.

“This extends a Utah tradition of allowing persons of faith to live with integrity without harming the public,” a lawmaker says of a bill allowing health care providers to refuse treatment based on their deeply held beliefs, report @utahnewsdispatch.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Holdout Democrats leave WA House support for income tax in doubt • Washington State Standard The votes weren’t there yet late Wednesday for Democrats’ income tax bill in the Washington state House. Democratic members are withholding support for the proposed income tax on millionaires, saying…

“There’s a group with questions, concerns and comments it wants addressed in the underlying policy,” a Washington lawmaker says of Democratic resistance to an income tax plan, report @washingtonstatestandard.com and @statesnewsroom.com

After historic education funding increase, some Alaska lawmakers aim to boost the BSA again | Alaska Beacon Alaska lawmakers introduced new legislation in the House of Representatives that would raise the state’s per student funding for schools. They say it is critical to help school districts struggling…

A bill in Alaska's legislature would raise the state’s per student funding, known as the base student allocation, by $630 per student. That would increase the current per student total — from $6,660 to $7,290, report @alaskabeacon.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Oregon lawmakers propose deal to acquire Abiqua Falls in Santiam State Forest • Oregon Capital Chronicle A popular waterfall located an hour east of Salem could soon become public property under a bill up in the Oregon Legislature.

Oregon lawmakers are considering allocating $2.1 million to acquire 200 acres of the Abiqua Creek area, including the 92-foot-tall Abiqua Falls to keep the 0.8-mile trail publicly accessible, report @oregoncapitalchronicle.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Incarcerated individuals boycott digital devices to protest high costs • Nevada Current People incarcerated in Nevada’s prisons plan to boycott the use of handheld digital tablets in an effort to rein in high costs associated with using those devices. Advocates and inmates alike have…

Advocates and inmates alike have complained the Nevada Department of Corrections is allowing inmates to be subjected to predatory pricing while using the tablets for education, entertainment, and communications, report @nevadacurrent.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Idaho budget committee rejects proposals to partially restore wildfire funding cuts • Idaho Capital Sun The Idaho Legislature’s budget committee rejected proposals that would have restored $285,000 in state funding for wildfire protection.

“It’s unfortunate that we are looking at these further reductions to the fire program when the fire threat and fire severity in the state is only getting worse,” Idaho's Department of Lands Director says of cuts to firefighting, report @idahocapitalsun.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Bill to regulate license plate readers in Arizona may be dead after GOP pushback Arizona's license plate reader bill stalls after GOP pushback over surveillance and public records concerns

“The Fourth Amendment is not a suggestion. It is a command to the government. You do not search people without probable cause or without a warrant,” an Arizona lawmaker says of license plate readers, report @azmirror.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Two years after Utah passed its anti-DEI law, legislators are still correcting it • Utah News Dispatch A bill advancing this year aims to correct anti-DEI law by requiring universities to host public policy events promoting diverse viewpoints.

Two years after the Utah Legislature passed sweeping legislation restricting DEI in the state’s public schools and colleges, lawmakers keep adding to the list of exceptions and clarifications of what practices are still allowed, report @utahnewsdispatch.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Ban on police face coverings in WA nears final passage in Legislature • Washington State Standard A ban on law enforcement covering their faces, motivated by masked federal immigration agents, is one step closer to becoming Washington law.

The “public has the right to know who is policing them,” a Washington lawmaker says of a bill to ban law enforcement agents from wearing masks, report @washingtonstatestandard.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Alaska lawmakers push Trump administration to waive $100k visa fee for international teachers | Alaska Beacon Some Alaska school districts say they can’t afford to hire and retain international teachers after the Trump administration hiked fees for highly skilled worker visas.  Alaska school districts have…

Some Alaska school districts say they can’t afford to hire and retain international teachers after the Trump administration hiked fees for highly skilled worker visas from $5,000 to $100,000, report @alaskabeacon.com and @statesnewsroom.com