State of the States MASSACHUSETTS
NEW IMMIGRATION SWEEP The U.S. Department of Homeland Security initiated Operation Patriot 2.0, a follow-up to an earlier crackdown, targeting immigrants with prior criminal records in Massachusetts. The operation is focused
on those released from custody without satisfying ICE detainers. It renews tensions
with sanctuary cities like Boston, which have
departments and other organizations to reach families statewide. It protects access to a
range of vaccines, including those for COVID-19, flu, RSV, polio, measles, whooping cough, and hepatitis B, the governor’s ofice said. In August, the Food and Drug Administration approved new COVID-19 vaccines, but only approved them for all seniors, younger adults, and children with health conditions.
TENNESSEE
$1.5B TECH COLLEGES UPGRADE Tennessee’s network of 27 Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) is set for a $1.5 billion modernization effort. Many of the campuses
resisted cooperation with some federal immigration mandates. Legal challenges and community responses are expected.
ILLINOIS
VACCINE ACCESS MANDATE Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order to protect state residents’ access to vaccines as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services changed eligibility and rolled back previous policy. The order calls for public health oficials to publish plain-language guidance on vaccines, support school- based vaccine efforts, and work with local health
20 NEWSMAX | NOVEMBER 2025
date back decades and currently lack infrastructure to support growing student and workforce demand. Projects include a new health sciences building in Nashville, upgraded facilities for dental assisting and phlebotomy programs, and a replacement aviation campus. Oficials say the investment
is critical to help fill workforce gaps and support local economic growth.
NEW MEXICO
FREE CHILDCARE FOR ALL New Mexico will become the first U.S. state to offer free childcare and preschool to all families, regardless of income. The program, backed
largely by oil and gas revenue, is projected to help
more than 12,000 children
newly qualify for services. It also includes compensation and support incentives for early childhood providers. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham says the move is aimed at reducing poverty and improving education outcomes in one of the country’s poorest states, though critics argue it may benefit higher-income families unnecessarily.
OHIO
PROPERTY TAX SHOWDOWN The General Assembly says it is making property tax reform a top legislative priority — limiting increases to inflation. Senate President Rob
McColley and House Speaker Matt Huffman both expressed intentions to override vetoes that Gov. Mike DeWine issued on certain property tax measures included in the state budget passed in June. These reforms
aim to adjust tax assessments and relief provisions for homeowners; however, disagreements over valuation methods and their impact on agricultural and rural property owners remain contentious.
FLORIDA
CITRUS ACREAGE DOWN
The Florida citrus industry has just over 200,000 acres devoted to oranges, grapefruit, and specialty fruits — a drop of 24% from
the year before. The prior year had
already seen a 17% reduction, marking the worst acreage loss in over a century. Growers cite increasing
land costs, disease pressure, and competition from other crops. This contraction threatens processing businesses, packing houses, and communities dependent on citrus agriculture. State and industry leaders
are exploring grants and policy incentives to try stabilizing the sector.
NEW YORK
STATE SUED OVER RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers are being sued over a provision in the 2025 budget that relaxes secular education standards for nonpublic schools, including yeshivas. The lawsuit,
HOCHUL
filed by students, parents, and advocacy groups, alleges the changes violate
New York’s constitutional mandate to provide a “sound basic education,” arguing that students in these schools will receive inadequate secular instruction under the new law. Critics say the measure
amounts to political trade- offs at the expense of educational equity.
HOCHUL/ANDREA RENAULT/STAR MAX/GC IMAGES / ORANGES/AP IMAGES
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