Leonine Public Affairs

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's final actions have not yet hit all of the bills' state history pages; links to lists of bills that have been acted on are available through this press release. On Tuesday, he concluded action on 916 bills from the 2025 session, signing 599 into law, amending 159 and vetoing 157. He also returned the budget bill (HB 1600) with 205 amendments and 8 line-item vetoes. Notable enacted legislation includes measures to eliminate artificial dyes from school lunches, position Virginia as the site of the world's first commercial nuclear fusion facility, enhance rural electric cooperatives' role in economic development, modernize school transportation to address chronic absenteeism, and expand access to advanced math classes for students. He cited concerns that led to his vetoes, including potential increases in the cost of living, negative impacts on job growth, and threats to community safety.

18 states have passed laws to make Daylight Saving Time permanent—but federal law stands in the way. Will Congress act? Find out the latest on the FOCUS blog.

Earned Wage Access (EWA) is helping workers get paid sooner, but some states are calling it a loan. Read how legislatures are stepping in and reach out to learn how FOCUS is tracking this subject and so many others. https://lnkd.in/ePqb8BZD #paydayloans #earnedwageaccess #ewa

?? State Executive Orders to Watch ?? Recent actions from governors across the country include orders on: ID – immigration; IN - student safety at state educational institutions (antisemitism); KY - school social work & financial literacy month; LA - Gulf of America; PA - filling public vacancies with federal workers; and US - bitcoin reserve & public service loan forgiveness. For more details on these and other recent EOs, reach out to [email protected] www.leoninefocus.com

FOCUS on Sessions: 44 states are currently in regular session, along with the D.C. Council and U.S. Congress. Louisiana is expected to convene for its 2025 legislative session on April 14. Recent adjournments include Maine (March 21) and New Mexico (March 22). Upcoming adjournments include Kentucky (March 28), South Dakota (March 31) and Georgia (April 4). The crossover deadline for West Virginia is April 2. Gubernatorial signing deadlines are upcoming in Virginia (today, 3/24), Utah (3/27) and New Mexico (4/11).

Tonight is the deadline for Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to approve, amend or veto bills passed by the General Assembly this session. He signed 185 bills into law on Friday, bringing the session total to 365. He also has yet to issue a veto; last session he issued a record 201. Bills awaiting consideration include HB 1716, relating to the right to contraception, SB 1181, which would make it a misdemeanor to import, sell, manufacture, purchase or transfer an assault firearm, and HB 1712, which would require the Department of Criminal Justice Services to train officers how to make arrest decisions for someone having a mental health crisis.

Today is the crossover deadline for Vermont legislation that includes revenues or appropriations. After today, any legislation that hasn’t gotten a committee vote is effectively dead for the year. The first crossover deadline for policy bills was last Friday, March 14. Lawmakers last week advanced proposals relating to a clean heat standard, mileage-based fee for electric vehicles, financial protection for Vermont’s largest private health insurer BCBS, school nutrition funding and rehab for domestic abusers prior to the deadline.

FOCUS on Sessions: 46 states are currently in regular session, along with the D.C. Council and U.S. Congress. Louisiana is expected to convene for its 2025 legislative session on April 14. Crossover deadlines are coming up in Iowa and Vermont (March 21) and West Virginia (April 2). Upcoming adjournments include Idaho (March 21) and New Mexico (March 22), Kentucky (March 28) and South Dakota (March 31). Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin must act on bills by March 24, and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox by March 27, or bills pending on their desks will become law without signature.

Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed HB 1307/ Act 308 into law this week, prohibiting state institutions from investing in funds influenced by ESG factors—a key component of social credit scoring. FOCUS is tracking recent federal restrictions on DEI programs, and the potential broader push for similar legislation in other states. https://lnkd.in/eus98ZQk

The future of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the U.S. is evolving amid shifting federal policies. While some states are pushing forward with major investments, others are reassessing their strategies. Read FOCUS' latest analysis on how different states are navigating these changes and what it means for EV adoption. https://lnkd.in/eAn9a6CE #EVCharging #Sustainability #Infrastructure #ElectricVehicles