Coming off a session that saw lawmakers adopt the bulk of his agenda, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) is pondering a run at the U.S. Senate seat currently held by retiring Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nevada). Sandoval has said many times in the past he has no interest in seeking another office, saying his...

Two sitting governors made big announcements about their futures last week: NEVADA Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) said he will not seek the U.S. Senate seat currently held by the Silver State’s retiring senior U.S. Senator Harry Reid, and VERMONT Gov. Pete Shumlin (D) said he will not seek re-election...

Hickenlooper Pondering Slower Hospital Growth in CO COLORADO Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) told reporters last week he might propose requiring hospitals seeking to expand to file proof with the state to show there is a need for such growth. At least 35 states have similar requirements, which supporters...

Inslee Signs Real ID Bill WASHINGTON Gov. Jay Inslee (D) signed a bill last week that will make the Evergreen State the 25 th to comply with the federal Real ID law, which requires states to produce driver’s licenses and identification cards with special enhancements making them harder to forge...

Greitens Calls MO Abortion Special Session MISSOURI Gov. Eric Greitens (R) said he will call a special session this week to consider new abortion regulations, in part to counter a St. Louis city ordinance he said made it an “abortion sanctuary city.” In a statement the governor said the...

RAIMONDO ISSUES RI OPIOID EXECUTIVE ORDER Citing an “alarming rate of deaths” from opioid abuse, RHODE ISLAND Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) issued an 18-point executive order aimed at coordinating state and local government efforts to combat the epidemic. Among several things, EO 17-07 will offer...

Saying he wants to help his fellow governors manage what some are calling the “fourth industrial revolution,” Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) has announced a new initiative aimed at helping state leaders “better prepare for the ongoing technological transformation of the economy.”...

ABBOTT ORDERS FREE REPLACEMENT GUN CARDS: TEXAS Gov. Greg Abbott (R) directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to waive the cost of replacing licenses to carry handguns for residents who lost their cards as a result of Hurricane Harvey. Residents in counties covered by a state disaster declaration...

BAKER TO FORM MA TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE Responding to a business group’s report that called for an independent review of state transportation infrastructure needs, MASSACHUSETTS Gov. Charlie Baker (R) said he will issue an executive order in the coming weeks to create a new commission tasked...

SANDOVAL DECLARES NV HEALTH EMERGENCY AFTER MASS SHOOTING In the immediate aftermath of the mass shooting in Las Vegas that saw 59 people killed and more than 500 injured, NEVADA Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) issued an executive order temporarily suspending some state medical rules to allow doctors and...

SNYDER SIGNS MI POLICE MICONDUCT LAW Looking to prevent police agencies from hiding misconduct that leads to terminations, MICHIGAN Gov. Rick Snyder (R) signed legislation last week that requires law enforcement agencies to keep records of the circumstances surrounding an officer’s firing. An...

SANDOVAL SAYS NV GUN LAW IS A MISFIRE NEVADA Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) and state Attorney General Adam Laxalt (R) filed court documents in early January that argue a voter-approved ballot measure that requires background checks for firearms purchases is defective and cannot be enforced. Sandoval said...

BAKER OUTLINES $300 MILLION CLIMATE CHANGE PLAN : On the heels of several massive winter storms, MASSACHUSETTS Gov. Charlie Baker (R) outlined a plan to borrow $300 million to put toward efforts to combat climate change in communities all along the Bay State seaboard. The bill would require all coastal...

CARNEY MAKES FIRST DE SPORTS BET : DELAWARE Gov. Jon Carney (D) kicked off his state’s entry into legal sports wagering by making its first legal sports bet since the Supreme Court legalized the practice last month. Carney placed a $10 wager on a Phillies-Cubs baseball game. Delaware became...

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) joined with state Supreme Court Justice Michael Douglas and legislative leaders in announcing a comprehensive review of the Silver State’s criminal justice system. In a statement , the governor’s office said the goal of the review was to develop “data...

INSLEE ISSUES WA HEP C DIRECTIVE : WASHINGTON Gov. Jay Inslee (D) issued a directive that orders state agencies, tribal governments and other local public-health officials to coordinate a strategy to eradicate the hepatitis C virus (HCV) by 2030. State health officials estimate there are as many as...

For the seventh quarter in a row, polling by Morning Consult shows that the ten most popular governors in America are all Republicans. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker topped the list with a 70 percent approval rating, followed closely by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, at 67 percent. That pair has topped...

NORTHAM WINS NC GOV BALANCE OF POWER BATTLE A NORTH CAROLINA court ruled last week that the GOP-controlled General Assembly unconstitutionally allowed outgoing Gov. Pat McCrory (R) to pick the leadership of the state Industrial Commission before he left office in 2016. The Commission rules in workers’...

CUOMO CALLS FOR NY ABORTION AMENDMENT With Democrats now in control of both legislative chambers, NEW YORK Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) called on Empire State lawmakers last week to pass a constitutional amendment codifying a woman’s right to legal abortion. Dems have vowed to pass bills strengthening...

SISOLAK SIGNS SWEEPING HEALTH MEASURES NEVADA Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) signed two significant health care measures last week: AB 170 , which codifies into Silver State law a prohibition on health insurers from denying patient coverage due to pre-existing health conditions, and AB 469 , so-called “balance...

NV GOV WILL SIGN WAGE, PAID LEAVE BILLS In a statement issued last week, NEVADA Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) said he would sign legislation ( AB 456 ) on his desk that will incrementally raise the Silver State minimum wage to $12 per hour by July, 2024. The governor said he would also sign SB 312 , a measure...

Saying that “Maine people value their privacy, online and off,” Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed one of the toughest data privacy measures in the nation last week. Under SB 275 , which Mills signed last Thursday, Pine Tree State Internet providers will be prohibited from using, selling,...