Overview
- Minimum wages rise across many states, led by Washington at $17.13 an hour and New York at $17 downstate and $16 upstate.
- New federal SNAP rules now require most able-bodied adults to work or volunteer at least 80 hours per month up to age 65, as multiple states begin blocking purchases of soda and candy with benefits.
- Hawaii’s new “green fee” raises the lodging tax to 11% and applies it to cruise ships, with the state projecting roughly $100 million annually as court challenges continue.
- California rolls out a broad package including AI guardrails, required refrigerators and stoves in rentals, a stricter plastic bag ban, new delivery-app protections, and a $35 insulin copay cap for a 20‑day supply.
- Early tests include a federal lawsuit targeting California’s new limit on masked law-enforcement officers, alongside fresh disclosure mandates such as Nevada’s requirement to label AI use in campaign materials.