Republicans seek collaboration after blue tsunami and more news from the states

Good morning! Thanks for stopping by. We’re starting off today’s newsletter with an update on a proposed permitting overhaul in Washington, D.C.

A proposal to change the federal process for permits to construct energy projects passed a procedural hurdle in the U.S. Senate, though several Democratic supporters said the legislation needed more work, States Newsroom’s D.C. Bureau reports.

In Louisiana, landowners and community advocates are suing the state’s public service commission over its procedure to fast-track large utility projects in the name of economic development. It comes as regulators are poised to give expedited approval to a power project linked to the massive $50 billion Meta Hyperion data center campus in Richland Parish.  

And in one of the closest races of the midterm elections, Alaska Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola extended her lead over incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan in an updated vote total from the Alaska Division of Elections.

Did you know that November is Native American Heritage Month? Catch up on our latest reporting on Indigenous affairs at our website. See you back here tomorrow.

National: Sweeping Democratic election wins could advance abortion access in states with tight restrictions, especially in Georgia, Iowa and Texas, where Democrats seized the governor’s office for the first time in decades. Texas has a strict abortion ban, while Iowa and Georgia only allow it up to about six weeks of pregnancy.

Texas: The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to resume border barrier construction in the Big Bend region, including the national park. The decision paused a federal judge’s order last month that halted work because of her concern that the federal government exceeded its authority to waive environmental laws.

Colorado: Democrat Eileen Laubacher declared victory over Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert in the race to represent the state’s 4th Congressional District. The Associated Press had yet to call the race, when Laubacher had 48.8% of the vote over Boebert’s 47.9%. Libertarian candidate Douglas Mangeris had 3.3% of the vote. 

Tennessee: The CEO of Brentwood-based CoreCivic is urging U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to act with speed in inking contracts for immigration detention centers after Democrats scored big wins in the midterm elections.

Oregon: A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit from a Portland-based immigration law firm seeking to ensure federal agents allow detained immigrants access to legal counsel. The decision comes nearly one year after the lawsuit was first filed.

Maryland: The state’s highest court heard arguments on an appeal that will affect 1,300 lawsuits filed under a 2023 law that eliminated time barriers for someone to file a court claim of institutional sex abuse. At issue are the cases in which the alleged sexual assaults took place before 1982, when the state had absolute immunity from lawsuits. 

Arkansas: A Pulaski County judge ruled that a lawsuit seeking to overturn the state’s near-total abortion ban can continue. Circuit Judge Cara Connors granted motions to dismiss Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the state as defendants in the case.

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.

Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox addressed the stunning blue wave in last week’s midterm elections that put Democrats on track to claim more than a dozen seats from Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature, Utah News Dispatch reports. 

“Republicans suffered an historic defeat across the country,” Cox said during a news conference broadcast by PBS Utah. “While many of us expected a difficult election nationally, I don’t think anyone — myself included — anticipated the extent to which that wave would reach and impact Utah, particularly in our state legislative races.” 

The massive blue wave that swept the country on Election Day last week installed not just a majority of Democrats in Congress, but also flipped many gubernatorial offices and state legislatures across the country. 

In Utah, the House’s Republican supermajority has been broken for the first time in more than 30 years, with about 16 Republican seats on track to be lost to 14 Democrats and two unaffiliated candidates. While the Senate will still be controlled by a GOP supermajority, the House will have a simple Republican majority. 

That means the Utah Legislature no longer has one party with two-thirds control — or the power of one party to override the governor’s veto. 

The North Carolina Housing Coalition is partnering with Vermont-based Lawson’s Finest Liquids to raise money for affordable housing through the craft brewery’s “Good Brews for a Cause” initiative, NC Newsline reports.

The coalition will receive a portion of the sales from every Cosmic Shift IPA — a limited seasonal release brew — sold in North Carolina. The proceeds will support the coalition’s effort to ensure every resident has a “home in which to live with dignity and opportunity.” Artisan Beverage, the local distributor of Lawson’s Finest brews, will match the brewery’s donations.

The Good Brews for a Cause initiative focuses on creating special limited release beers and small-batch collaborations that are specifically brewed to raise funds for causes the company cares about. Each beer benefits specific nonprofit organizations that are working to uplift their community.

Lawson’s Finest expanded this year’s initiative across 12 states to partner with 13 nonprofits and 19 wholesalers to address the affordable housing crisis. Its employees said in a companywide survey that affordable housing is a top concern.