June 29, 2026 – State Government Round-Up

With several full-time and part-time state legislatures racing toward critical mid-year and summer budget deadlines, here is what is happening in each of these six states:

Delaware General Assembly

• Session Deadline Rush: Lawmakers are in a high-stakes sprint to pass wide-ranging bills on taxes, elections, and public safety before the official session adjournment deadline on June 30.
• Marriage Equality Setback: A heavily debated constitutional amendment seeking to explicitly protect same-sex and interracial marriage failed to secure the necessary two-thirds supermajority in the state House.
• Affordable Housing Standoff: Lawmakers are fast-tracking the Housing for Every Delawarean Act (SB 23), a controversial bill forcing localities to allow denser housing options to combat severe rental cost burdens.

Michigan Legislature

• Broad Budget Framework: Legislative leaders and Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced a preliminary consensus on top-line spending targets to avert a government shutdown ahead of the July 1 statutory deadline.
• Gas Price Emergency: Governor Whitmer is formally urging the legislature to vote on extending an active energy emergency declaration, which delays a shift to more expensive summer-blend fuel at gas stations.
• Data Center Guardrails: Senate Democrats introduced aggressive new environmental regulations mandating strict water-use limits and separate electricity pricing for corporate data centers.

Massachusetts General Court

• Police Reform Overhaul: Following an intensive overnight session, the state Senate passed a major policing bill banning chokeholds, capping tear gas use, and limiting qualified immunity for public employees.
• Auditing Power Battle: The House advanced a contentious transparency measure that allows the state auditor to review legislative administrative functions, though critics call it a “dumpster fire” for shielding lawmakers’ core constitutional records from deep public scrutiny. [1]
• Infrastructure Bond Approval: The legislature cleared a massive $2.7 billion infrastructure package dedicating immediate funding to local pothole repairs, bridge modernizations, and transit-oriented housing developments.

New Jersey Legislature

• Tentative Budget Accord: Top legislative Democrats and Governor Mikie Sherrill forged a tentative deal on a record $60.7 billion state budget to satisfy the June 30 constitutional deadline.
• Senior Tax Confrontation: The budget agreement finally resolved a fierce impasse regarding restructuring senior citizen tax breaks, which had previously stalled statehouse negotiations.
• Shutdown Officially Avoided: Budget Chairman Paul Sarlo publicly confirmed the deal is locked, assuring residents that there will be no government shutdown this weekend.

Ohio General Assembly

• Mail-In Voting Veto: Governor Mike DeWine officially vetoed a high-profile Republican bill (HB 472) that would have mandated strict photo ID requirements for mail-in absentee ballots.
• Veto Override Friction: Senate President Rob McColley strongly criticized DeWine’s veto as disappointing, leaving the GOP supermajority deliberating whether to mount a formal veto override.
• Surplus Fund Allocation: The House approved a major amendment to HB 479, allocating massive budget surplus revenues to deploy $350 million in direct property tax relief for seniors and low-income homeowners.
• Teacher Pension Backlash: Lawmakers face significant pushback from public school teachers over legislation that stripped away elected member control from the state’s education pension board.

Pennsylvania General Assembly

• AI Chatbot Crackdown: The House Communications and Technology Committee voted 14-12 along strict party lines to advance a bill regulating AI companion chatbots to prevent apps from encouraging self-harm.
• Budget Standoff Looms: With the fiscal budget due on June 30, lawmakers remain heavily divided over total state expenditures, raising concerns that payments to schools and county child welfare agencies could see localized delays.
• Paid Leave Advocacy: Labor groups and mothers converged on the State Capitol to pressure the Senate into passing the Family Care Act, a proposal to establish a statewide paid family and medical leave program.
• Data Center Incentives: Governor Josh Shapiro’s administration injected a new proposal into budget talks, laying out stringent environmental and job creation guidelines for tech developers seeking lucrative state tax exemptions.