Good morning, it\u2019s Monday, June 1, 2026. Where did May go?!? In today\u2019s edition, governors push back on data centers; Illinois, California act on social media; Dems want to tax Trump\u2019s \u201cAnti-Weaponization Fund\u201d:<\/p>\n
Top Stories<\/p>\n
ENERGY: The governors of Utah, Pennsylvania and New Jersey have released frameworks for evaluating data center projects amid growing opposition in local communities. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) has called on lawmakers to pass legislation to require data center developers to meet higher bars to receive tax incentives. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) issued an executive order directing state agencies to prioritize protecting water resources and air quality. (Pluribus News<\/a>)<\/p>\n Shapiro\u2019s rival in this year\u2019s gubernatorial race, Treasurer Stacy Garrity (R), called for a full moratorium on data centers. (State Affairs<\/a>)<\/p>\n MORE: New Jersey\u2019s Assembly Utilities Committee unanimously advanced legislation directing state energy regulators to begin soliciting bids for new nuclear power plants. The bill would create a subsidy structure to incentivize the construction of at least 1,100 megawatts of nuclear electricity generation. (New Jersey Monitor<\/a>)<\/p>\n REDISTRICTING: The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case challenging congressional district lines. The court will decide whether a three-judge panel properly dismissed the suit last month. But the court denied a request from an anti-gerrymandering group to expedite the hearing in time for the 2028 elections. (State Affairs<\/a>)<\/p>\n SOCIAL MEDIA: The Illinois legislature approved a new $56 billion budget that includes first-of-its-kind taxes on social media companies. Companies with fewer than 500,000 users would pay ten cents a month per user, while those with more than 1 million users would pay a $165,000 fee plus 50 cents per user per month. A similar tax in Chicago is tied up in court. (Capitol News Illinois<\/a>)<\/p>\n MORE: The California Assembly approved legislation banning children younger than 16 from social media platforms that have \u201caddictive\u201d features. The bill won bipartisan support on the last day of crossover voting, sending it to the Senate for further consideration. (State Affairs<\/a>)<\/p>\n ABORTION: The Illinois legislature approved bills requiring health records tied to abortion services to be separated from a patient\u2019s digital medical records if the patient requests it. Lawmakers also approved a bill allowing minors to consent to receive birth control without additional parental consent. (Capitol News Illinois<\/a>)<\/p>\n IMMIGRATION: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed legislation on Friday to prohibit local jails from holding individuals on behalf of federal ICE agents, banning formal agreements between local agencies and ICE and prohibiting ICE agents from wearing masks. The measures also ban ICE from enforcing immigration orders at hospitals, childcare centers, schools and churches without a judicial warrant. (State of Politics<\/a>)<\/p>\n HOUSING: The Arizona legislature is advancing legislation charging condo owner associations and homeowner associations with the duty to act reasonably in the exercise of discretionary powers. The bill requires those powers be used in neutral, fair and nonarbitrary fashions. The bill has won bipartisan support, and is likely headed to Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) when lawmakers return to work today. (State Affairs<\/a>)<\/p>\n In Politics & Business<\/p>\n DEMOCRATS: Lawmakers and governors in seven states have called for 100% taxes on proceeds from President Trump\u2019s proposed $1.8 billion \u201cAnti-Weaponization Fund.\u201d California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) kicked off the plan last week, joined by lawmakers in Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, New York, New Jersey and Wisconsin. (Pluribus News<\/a>)<\/p>\n MORE: Representatives from Iowa, New Hampshire, New Mexico, South Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Virginia and Tennessee addressed the Democratic National Committee\u2019s Rules and Bylaws panel pitching themselves as potential early primary states ahead of the 2028 election. The panel heard two days of presentations ahead of a decision that\u2019s likely months away. (Nevada Current<\/a>)<\/p>\n CALIFORNIA: A new Emerson College poll finds former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra (D) leading the all-party gubernatorial primary with 28%, followed by billionaire Tom Steyer (D) at 22%, former Fox News commentator Steve Hilton (R) at 21% and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco (R) at 12%. No other candidate breaks into double digits. (Emerson<\/a>)<\/p>\n The primary election is tomorrow.<\/p>\n ALASKA: Former Gov. Bill Walker (I) is considering another bid for governor. Walker filed paperwork to run last week, though he said he hasn\u2019t made a final decision. Walker suspended his re-election campaign in 2018, then ran again and lost in 2022. (Alaska Beacon<\/a>)<\/p>\n MINNESOTA: State Republicans endorsed former health care executive Kendall Qualls (R) for governor on Saturday. Qualls beat out House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R) after 10 rounds of voting. Democrats backed U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) for governor. She beat back a challenge from former legislative assistant Kobey Layne (D) on the first ballot. Klobuchar chose former Fergus Falls Mayor Ben Schierer (D) as her running mate. (Minnesota Reformer<\/a>, Minnesota Reformer<\/a>, MPR News<\/a>)<\/p>\n TRUMP: President Trump endorsed South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette (R) for governor on Friday. Trump also backed U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R) in his bid to become governor of Iowa. Iowa voters head to the polls tomorrow, while South Carolina voters will choose party nominees next week. (New York Times<\/a>, Des Moines Register<\/a>)<\/p>\n By The Numbers<\/p>\n $19.7 million: The amount spent on political ads this year that were generated or enhanced using AI tools. Just under half those ads contained disclaimers that AI was used in their creation. (Wesleyan Media Project<\/a>)<\/p>\n 10.9%: The share of Oregon kindergartners who had nonmedical exemptions from a school-required vaccine in 2026, up from 6.9% in 2022. (Willamette Week<\/a>)<\/p>\n 3.3%: The decline in the number of people experiencing homelessness in 2025, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It\u2019s the first drop in the number of homeless people since 2016. (CalMatters<\/a>)<\/p>\n Off The Wall<\/p>\n More than 1,000 Marilyn Monroe lookalikes paraded through downtown Palm Springs this weekend, shattering the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of Marilyn impersonators. The event honored Monroe\u2019s 100th birthday. Attendees who paid the $75 registration fee received a white dress, a platinum blond wig, cat-eye sunglasses and a martini glass. (Los Angeles Times<\/a>)<\/p>\n Brenden Aaronson, a midfielder on the U.S. Men\u2019s soccer team, missed the team\u2019s training session on Friday, but he had a good excuse: He was getting married. Fellow midfielder Gio Reyna sent his wife to the wedding to FaceTime with the rest of the team. (Associated Press<\/a>)<\/p>\n Quote of the Day<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t get everything I wanted, and neither did you. But that\u2019s the way compromise works.\u201d<\/p>\n