Flock cameras used for unlawful surveillance and more news from the states

Hello, readers! Thanks for stopping by this morning. 

In case you missed it, North Carolina Democratic Gov. Josh Stein vetoed an elections bill that would have reduced early voting periods during primaries and special elections, and used federal databases with known problems to identify people who have died but remain on the voter rolls. 

In Arizona, the state Supreme Court is considering arguments in a case that will decide whether voters this fall will get a chance to weigh in on a ballot measure to implement sweeping new restrictions on the state’s billion-dollar universal school voucher program. 

And today, voters are headed to the polls in Alaska, Florida and Wyoming for primary elections. California residents will also vote in a special election to decide who will serve the remainder of former Democratic U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell’s term.

We’ll have the results of today’s elections in tomorrow morning’s newsletter. See you then.

Maryland: A national law firm that advised Louisiana lawmakers on a redistricting effort that later resulted in the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision upending the landmark Voting Rights Act is representing a group of Maryland Republicans seeking to block a proposed amendment to the state constitution on drawing congressional districts.

Ohio: Republican Gov. Mike DeWine recently signed an executive order that gives the state Department of Behavioral Health the power to create a certification program for recovery housing operators. There were 356 recovery houses in the state in 2022 and today there are more than 1,700 — a nearly 400% increase. 

Kentucky: Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear stood firm behind the power of his executive order he issued seeking to limit the impacts of data centers in the state. But some energy policy experts wonder how the executive order will be implemented and enforced.

Minnesota: A federal judge dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit seeking the state’s voter rolls. The Department of Justice is now 0-23 in its effort to obtain voter information maintained by the states.

Texas: State lawmakers will examine whether colleges are doing enough to protect research from foreign adversaries, while Republican Gov. Greg Abbott plans to unveil measures aimed at limiting foreign influence in education during a campaign event.

North Dakota: State lawmakers advanced two proposals to regulate kratom and ban synthetic substances. The bill drafts will be considered in September during a special session called by Republican Gov. Kelly Armstrong to address the substance’s lack of regulation.

Washington: Two Democratic state Senate hopefuls are headed for a recount as just four votes separate them for second place in the primary and a spot on the November ballot. Michael Shepard led Eamonn Collins with 13,125 votes to 13,121 in the 42nd Legislative District. 

See the rest of the news of the day from all 50 states, plus our D.C. Bureau and Stateline, on News From The States.

On Monday, 32-year-old Menasha police officer Cristian Morales was sentenced for misusing Flock license plate reader cameras for unlawful targeted surveillance. Morales pleaded no contest in Outagamie County court and was sentenced to six months in jail, followed by three years of probation, Wisconsin Examiner reports.

His sentencing comes as Wisconsin communities push back against Flock cameras and call for more transparency and control over police surveillance technologies. 

Morales was working at the Menasha Police Department when, according to a criminal complaint, he conducted seven off-duty searches using between 15,234 and 92,702 individual cameras across Flock’s nationwide network. 

The AI-powered cameras perpetually photograph vehicles and license plates passing within their view. The images are cataloged in a database that can be searched at will by law enforcement agencies with Flock contracts. Using the intelligence collected by Flock, law enforcement can study patterns of movement for targeted vehicles so they can be intercepted later on, or develop leads for ongoing investigations.

Morales sought a vehicle belonging to his ex-girlfriend, who reached out to the Appleton Police Department about her suspicions that she was being tracked, triggering an investigation. When officers confronted Morales, he said his actions were due to “desperation, and bad judgement, combined with a lack of sleep.” 

An Oregon congresswoman is proposing a new grant program to support the mental health needs of firefighters and emergency medical services staff, Oregon Capital Chronicle reports. 

U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas, a Democrat representing Oregon’s Willamette Valley-based 6th Congressional District, is seeking to establish a grant program that would fund $7.5 million a year in nationwide suicide prevention programs, peer support and counseling for first responders and firefighters.

The bill is similar to a 2017 law directing the U.S. Department of Justice to fund mental health and treatment programs across the U.S for law enforcement, except Salinas proposes the first responder program be administered through the Office of Emergency Medical Services, a branch under the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

Studies show that first responders experience negative mental health outcomes at a higher rate compared with the general population, including higher rates of suicidal ideation and attempts than the general population. Additionally, stigmas behind mental health keep many firefighters and responders from seeking mental health support.