State of the States MARYLAND


is consistent with President Donald Trump’s goal of stopping illegal immigration. Under his proposed rule, undocumented students would still be permitted to attend public schools in the state.


PARENTS CHALLENGE LGBTQ STORYBOOKS The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Mahmoud v. Taylor, a case regarding a group of Montgomery County parents who are challenging the requirement that their children must take part in LGBTQ- themed storybooks in their language arts curriculum. The coalition of Christian,


Jewish, and Muslim parents first took issue with the requirement in 2023, when the county said it would not allow parents to opt out of the instruction. Lower courts ruled that the


county didn’t have to notify parents when LGBTQ-themed books were used so they could make choices. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit had ruled the parents had not shown that exposure to the books was a violation of their respective religions. The case will likely be


argued during the spring session.


OKLAHOMA


PLAN TO DOCUMENT ILLEGAL STUDENTS State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters is proposing a new rule that requires schools to ask for the immigration status of stu- dents and parents. The rule would also force


schools to document the number of students who were in the country illegally. Families would be required to present oficial proof that the student was in the country lawfully. Walters believes the policy


30 NEWSMAX | MARCH 2025 NEW YORK


FACE MASK BAN CONSIDERED A bill in the New York Legislature could make it a misdemeanor for people to wear face masks to harass or threaten someone. The bill would create the


crime of “masked harassment” under the state’s existing harassment laws and contains several exemptions for people who wear masks for medical reasons or during cold weather. State Sen. James


Skoufis, a Democrat who sponsored the bill, said his intention is to create a law that will allow law enforcement to go after people who wear masks to intimidate or threaten others, rather than establishing a widespread ban on face coverings. Gov. Kathy Hochul, a


Democrat, last year floated a potential mask ban on New York City subways over


CONNECTICUT


‘PREDATORY’ TOWING LAWS SCRUTINIZED Lawmakers and the Department of Motor Vehicles plan to review state laws around the towing of cars. Car owners claim they have


dificulty getting their cars back because tow companies have also created hurdles including proof of registration, storage fees, and forms of payment they will accept. The companies


SKOUFIS


are allowed to sell a car after 15 days if they


deem the value of the vehicle to be under $1,500. The law, more than 100 years old, was intended to cut down on abandoned cars. House Minority Leader


Vincent Candelora, a Republican from North Branford, says, “I’m concerned


concerns that people were shielding their identities while committing antisemitic acts. The idea drew strong pushback from critics, who pointed out that masks are common on subways because of concerns about poor air quality and COVID-19.


about the potentially predatory nature of towing practices in Connecticut.”


FLORIDA


30 MIGRANTS FOUND IN U-HAUL Coral Gables authorities responded to a report of an abduction involving a Toyota and a U-Haul in a housing development. They found more than 30


migrants in the U-Haul, 21 of whom were Chinese nationals. Authorities are investigating whether the abduction was a woman attempting to escape the smugglers. The migrants were


transferred to U.S. Border Patrol, while four others remained in police custody.


IOWA


POLICE REVIEW BOARDS FACE AX Republicans in the state Senate have advanced a bill that would outlaw citizen review boards for police in cities of more than 8,000 people, including Cedar Rapids, Coralville, Iowa City, Dubuque, and University Heights.


While citizen review


boards don’t discipline police oficers, state Sen. Scott Webster, a Republican from Bettendorf, noted that “they can put a public opinion on those particular people that is unheard of. “And then our friends in the


media have a tendency to take off with that and can destroy police oficers, firefighters, public works people. It makes it irresponsible.” Last year, a similar bill


passed the Iowa Senate but did not advance out of committee in the House.


BOOKS/JUSTIN SULLIVAN/GETTY IMAGES / SUBWAY/ERIK MCGREGOR/LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100