Welcome to States of Play
New York lawmakers will extend state budget negotiations beyond an April 1 deadline as they work to hash out differences on issues such as housing, education, and health care, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D) said Wednesday. One sticking point is over Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) push to revive a lucrative housing tax incentive for New York City developers.
Forwarded this newsletter by a friend? SIGN UP here.
BUDGET & TAX
New York‘s Hochul and state legislative leaders still aim to reach a conceptional agreement on a budget that includes tax issues before lawmakers break ahead of the Good Friday and Easter holidays. (Bloomberg Government)
Housing is one issue that could take longer to resolve. Hochul wants to restore an incentive known as 421-a, which gave developers decadeslong tax breaks in exchange for building affordable housing in New York City. Her plan hinges on the real estate industry and construction unions reaching a deal on wages, but those talks hit a snag this week. Hochul is facing another hurdle in demands from many state lawmakers that new renter protections accompany her tax break. (Bloomberg Government)
The Republican-controlled Iowa House passed a resolution that would amend the state constitution to require a two-thirds majority vote of legislators to raise individual or corporate income tax rates. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Iowa House lawmakers also approved a bill that would revive a tax rebate program for filming movies in the state. The bill would offer 30% tax rebates to qualified production facilities. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
ESG
A board appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to oversee the municipal authority that governs Walt Disney voted to settle a lawsuit between the Florida governor and the entertainment giant. The suit was the culmination of a feud that began after Disney criticized a 2022 law championed by DeSantis that restricted classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity. (Bloomberg Government)
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
New York‘s Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved a new toll for drivers to enter Manhattan’s central business district, in what would be the nation’s first congestion-pricing plan if allowed to take effect. The plan is backed by transit advocates and environmental groups, but it faces several court challenges that could block or delay its implementation. (Bloomberg Government)
IMMIGRATION
A Texas law that would let state authorities arrest and deport undocumented immigrants will remain on hold until litigation over the policy is resolved, an appeals court ruled late Tuesday in a win for the Biden administration. (Bloomberg Government)
A Louisiana Senate committee advanced legislation mirrored after the Texas law. New Hampshire, Oklahoma,and Tennessee are also weighing Texas-style immigration enforcement bills, and Iowa lawmakers gave final approval to a similar measure last week. (NOLA.com)
ABORTION
Kansas’ Republican-controlled legislature gave final approval to a bill that would require abortion providers to ask patients why they’re seeking the procedure and then report their answers to the state. Gov. Laura Kelly (D) is expected to veto the measure, but Republican lawmakers appear to have the votes to override her veto. At least eight other states have similar laws. (Associated Press)
LABOR & EMPLOYMENT
The Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected an Amazon subsidiary’s bid to overturn a lower court ruling that a group of drivers who deliver packages for the company are employees rather than independent contractors. The decision was handed down as courts across the country grapple with similar questions over worker classification. (Bloomberg Government)
LGBTQ+ POLICY
The American Civil Liberties Union is representing two families who sued to halt an Ohio law restricting gender-affirming care for minors, opening up a new legal front over transgender rights. The US Supreme Court has been asked to step in after appeals court rulings involving gender-affirming care bans in Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee. (Bloomberg Government)
Georgia‘s Republican-controlled Senate approved a bill that would advance a host of conservative policy priorities in public schools. The measure would ban transgender students from competing in girls’ high school sports, restrict sex education, and require schools to notify parents of every item a child obtains in a school library. (Associated Press)
GUN POLICY
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) signed a gun-control bill that bans a device used to convert semiautomatic firearms into machine guns and another that allows felony charges against a parent or guardian who gives a gun to a child deemed a threat. Youngkin also vetoed a batch of other gun-control measures, including a ban on assault weapons. (Washington Post)
DRUG POLICY
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) signed a measure that legalizes xylazine testing strips and another that allows some emergency medical personnel to carry firearms in restricted areas. The laws were signed as the state sees a rise in overdose deaths involving xylazine, a non-opioid tranquilizer that has been found mixed with other illicit drugs like fentanyl. (Wisconsin Examiner)
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
The Kentucky House passed a bill that would try minors as adults if they have been charged with serious felony offenses for an alleged crime in which they used a gun. The measure now returns to the Senate, which will consider changes to it made by the House. (Associated Press)