State News

A group of parents suing Gov. Tim Walz over a new law that would prohibit certain private colleges from participating in the Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program appeared in federal court last week. Melinda and Mark Loe and Dawn Erickson are co-plaintiffs in the petition they filed last year against Walz and his Minnesota Department of Education commissioner, Willie Jett, which alleges that a new law the Democratic governor signed to prohibit colleges that have a statement of faith requirement for students from participating in PSEO programs is unconstitutional.

U.S. Representative-elect John McGuire (R-VA-05) urged Republicans in Virginia's 10th State Senate district to unite behind Luther Cifers, the outsider businessman who secured the Republican Party's nomination to run for McGuire's former seat. Cifers won the nomination during the Friday mass meeting in Goochland that The Daily Progress reported drew 1,000 Republicans, ultimately securing more votes than Louisa County Board of Supervisers Chairman Duane Adams in the third round of voting, which was concluded at about 1 a.m. on Saturday.

The City of Altoona, Pennsylvania on Friday denied the Right-to-Know request filed by The Pennsylvania Daily Star for copies of the documents found during the arrest of Luigi Mangione, who stands accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York. Altoona denied the Right-to-Know request filed by The Daily Star on Monday, which specifically sought copies of any written documents found with Mangione at the time of his arrest, including his purported manifesto, as well as any documents, journals, or diaries, citing an exception to public information requests for ongoing investigations.

Congressman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., said Thursday that loopholes that allow foreign billionaires to influence U.S. elections need to be shut down. "In particular, we've identified a loophole that allows foreign billionaires to transfer money into United States charities, 501C 3's," Steil said on the "Just the News, No Noise" TV show. "Forty percent of those funds can ... under current law, be transferred into a super PAC to run political ads."

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced on Thursday that he’s suing Glock, Inc., an Austrian firearms manufacturer, for “knowingly manufacturing and selling handguns that can easily be converted into machine guns,” he said in a livestream press conference and subsequent press release. Although Glock does not manufacture the aftermarket add-on devices called auto sears or “switches,” which can convert Glock handguns to fire automatically and are generally illegal to possess in the United States, the attorney general accused Glock of “refus[ing] to make design changes to discourage this conversion and promotes ‘fun’ of machine guns.”

The immigrant group that opposes the proposal by Governor Glenn Youngkin to strip funding from so-called sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), was denied federal funding by the Prince William County commission in February after it reportedly filed nearly $200,000 in expenses that are unfit for federal dollars distributed by the county. Youngkin on Thursday unveiled a budget plan that includes a "No Sanctuary Cities" proposal that would require local law enforcement agencies to coordinate with ICE or lose funding.

The Michigan state legislature is considering several election bills which would undermine election integrity if enacted, according to election integrity proponents. The election bills that are being considered for passage by the lame-duck session of the state legislature are the Michigan Voting Rights Act, National Popular Vote legislation, and restrictions on voter roll transparency and election challengers. Election integrity advocates are concerned about the negative impact these bills will have on elections, from creating a “lawfare state” to changing how the state will allocate its electoral votes.

Law enforcement officials in Virginia have reported “suspicious” drone sightings appearing over counties containing sensitive military bases and national security facilities. The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office reports the sightings of “suspicious drones flying over” Stafford, King George and Spotsylvania counties.

The Miami Sector of Custom Border Protection reported that agents arrested a Venezuelan citizen “who was identified as a member of the Tren de Aragua gang” in Palm Beach. Chief Border Patrol Agent Jeffrey Dinise said on his X account that the suspect “has a criminal record for assault with a deadly weapon.”

President Joe Biden granted clemency Thursday to a former Ohio Democratic official who was convicted on charges related to taking bribes for nearly a decade. Former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora took over $166,000 worth of bribes, which included “cash, home improvements, lavish meals at high-end restaurants, services from prostitutes, gambling trips to Las Vegas and Canada, and other items,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

An Arizona Democratic lawmaker is seeking to let voters decide if the death penalty could be legal in 2026. Rep. Patty Contreras, D-Phoenix, filed House Concurrent Resolution 2001 for the upcoming legislative session, which would ask voters if a ban on capital punishment be placed in the state constitution. The resolution would need to pass both chambers of the Republican-majority legislature in order to make it onto the ballot.

Arizona’s Public Safety Personnel Retirement System voted to give Democratic former Apache County Attorney Michael Whiting a $5,700 monthly pension last month. Whiting was removed from office after a grand jury indicted him on multiple public corruption charges, centered around the misuse of public funds.  The grand jury also indicted Whiting’s wife Joyclynn, who served as the county school superintendent, and Daryl Greer, the county attorney's lead investigator, last August. Four of his key employees, including his Chief Deputy Celeste Robertson, obtained restraining orders against Whiting. On September 30, Whiting agreed to an interim suspension of his law license. As a result of the suspension, Attorney General Kris Mayes took over control of the office on November 1. 

Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is expected to introduce a budget proposal on Thursday that would include a ban on "sanctuary cities," and state funding for cities that do not comply with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Mayors of self-proclaimed "sanctuary cities" across the United States have already teased that they will not comply with the incoming Trump administration's efforts to deport massive amounts of illegal immigrants.

In the wake of summer protests on college campuses, the Ohio Senate moved forward with a bill that defines antisemitism and expands the crime of ethnic intimidation. The legislation now moves to the House, which has only one scheduled session day remaining and a second if needed.

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen is seeking election administration reforms similar to what exists in Florida in the upcoming legislative session in hopes of delivering faster results. Senate Bill 1011 would end the drop off of mail-in ballots at 7 p.m. on the Friday prior to Election Day, which would be a major change from the drop-offs that are available until polls close on Election Day currently.