State of the States IDAHO
PRIDE FLAG FLAP Gov. Brad Little signed House Bill 96 in April, which stipulates that government entities should only display certain flags — including the flag of the United States, the state flag, military flags, and school flags. But the mayor
of Boise, Lauren McLean, has chosen to display a Pride flag outside city hall. Idaho Attorney General
MCLEAN
Raúl Labrador and Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford sent letters to the mayor regarding compliance, but they also acknowledged that the flag law lacked penalties. “This isn’t a crime, and we’re going to keep doing what we’ve done
for a decade — fly a flag that symbolizes our commitment to being a safe and welcoming city for everyone,” McLean said.
GEORGIA
FARMERS FIGHT LAND GRAB The Public Service Commission decided that the Sandersville Railroad Co. can condemn nine properties in Sparta for a project to connect a line to raw material producers.
One of the
condemned properties contains portions of Blaine and Diane Smith’s farm, which has been in their family for 100 years.
“The railroad
folks say, ‘You’re keeping your land, we’re just taking a little piece of it,’” Blaine Smith said. “But it’s my property. You don’t have the right to take it.”
The Smiths and two other families
are holding out because they believe if the railroad gets the land they want now, it will want more in the future.
CALIFORNIA
‘MEXICAN XANAX’ SEIZED U.S. Border Patrol agents seized 90,090 Xanax pills during a trafic stop in Orange County near Camp Pendleton. The pills were
contained in 11 boxes labeled Farmapram, which is often referred to as the “Mexican Xanax.” The street value for this Schedule IV drug is over $600,000. A detection dog alerted the
agents to the drugs. Border Patrol agents took the driver into custody and impounded his pickup truck.
ALABAMA Diane and Blaine Smith 22 NEWSMAX | JUNE 2025
SCHOOL PRAYER BILL MODIFIED Republicans modified a bill that would have required students to start each school day with a Judeo-Christian prayer. A new version of the
MICHIGAN
PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP VOTING AMENDMENT GOP lawmakers are supporting a new proposed amendment to the state constitution that calls for proof of citizenship for voting. While the law dictates that only U.S. citizens have the right to vote, Michiganders do not need to provide proof while registering. Proof would include showing a passport or birth certificate. The proposal would also modify the voter ID requirement to
exclude the use of afidavits for people without IDs. Absentee voters would also
need to demonstrate proof of citizenship. “This is a no-brainer. Only
U.S. citizens should vote in our elections,” said state Rep. Bryan Posthumus, a Republican from Rockford, who introduced the amendment. The elections bureau is
allowing organizers to begin petitioning so the proposed amendment can be included in the 2026 election.
legislation allows for prayers from all religions,
along with allowing school boards to make individual decisions about if and when students should pray together. State Rep. Reed Ingram, the
Republican who sponsored the original bill, said the changes were implemented after receiving feedback from free speech advocates and educators. “I’m a Christian and have been and always will be, but I do respect other religions as well, too,” Ingram said.
FLORIDA
DRONE TAKE-DOWN LAW A new bill would give homeowners the right to use reasonable force to take down drones flying within 500 feet of their homes. Although state law
already prohibits drones from recording and viewing people in their homes, this new bill would strengthen the penalty for it, turning it into a first- degree misdemeanor. But the bill directly
conflicts with a federal law that makes it illegal to damage an aircraft while airborne. Because it does not specify what qualifies as “reasonable force,” experts believe it could lead to a showdown between the Federal Aviation Administration and the state. If passed, the bill would become law in October.
WYOMING
ABORTION CLINICS BACK IN BUSINESS The state’s only abortion clinic resumed abortions in late April after a judge suspended two state laws. One required that clinics be
licensed as outpatient surgical centers. The other required women to get an ultrasound before a medication abortion. Wyoming Health Access in
Casper had stopped providing abortions Feb. 28, the day after Republican Gov. Mark Gordon signed the licensing requirement into effect. Abortion has remained
legal in Wyoming after a judge struck down a ban passed in 2022. The Wyoming Supreme
Court is expected to make a final ruling on the latest suspension this summer.
FARMAPRAM/ARNE BERULDSEN/SHUTTERSTOCK
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
