Sean Scully

Charges dismissed against Salt Lake protester in a ‘significant’ First Amendment win, ACLU says • Utah News Dispatch A Utah judge dismissed a case against a protester charged after a pro-Palestine protest in Salt Lake City last May.

A Utah judge dismissed a case against a woman who was facing charges stemming from a pro-Palestine protest in Salt Lake City last year, in what the ACLU of Utah called a “significant victory” for First Amendment rights, report @utahnewsdispatch.com and @statesnewsroom.com

WA gun shop asks US Supreme Court to review high-capacity magazine ban • Washington State Standard A Washington gun shop is taking its case against the state’s ban on the sale of high-capacity ammunition magazines to the U.S. Supreme Court.

A Washington gun shop is taking its case against the state’s ban on the sale of high-capacity ammunition magazines to the U.S. Supreme Court, report @washingtonstatestandard.com and @statesnewsroom.com

New Alaska-bound ocean mapping ship begins construction in Louisiana | Alaska Beacon The ship, the Surveyor, is expected to be finished with construction in 2027 and will be homeported in Ketchikan.

NOAA is planning to host a ceremony in Louisiana next week to mark the start of construction on the ship the Surveyor, a new charting and mapping ship scheduled to be homeported in Ketchikan, report @alaskabeacon.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Report logs sharp rise in child care capacity for Oregon preschoolers, less for infants • Oregon Capital Chronicle The findings also note little improvement in access over the past two years when it comes to infant and toddler child care.

Oregon has made good progress improving access to childcare for older children, but still sees major shortages in spots for infants and toddlers, a new study finds, report @oregoncapitalchronicle.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Lawsuit alleges to “unconstitutional” Governor appointments A Jefferson County resident has sued the state over Gianforte’s appointment of Commerce Director Marta Bertoglio.

A lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of former state representative Marta Bertoglio’s appointment to the position of director of Montana's Department of Commerce was filed in state district court this week, report @dailymontanan.com and @statesnewsroom.com
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Conservation groups ask BLM to reverse approval of drilling near Ash Meadows • Nevada Current Environmental groups are asking federal land managers to reverse a decision approving an exploratory drilling project near a desert wetland that provides a lifeline for migratory birds and endangered…

Environmental groups are asking federal land managers to reverse a decision approving an exploratory drilling project near a desert wetland in Nevada that provides a lifeline for migratory birds and endangered species, report @nevadacurrent.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Idaho legislator to unveil proposed constitutional amendment protecting public lands • Idaho Capital Sun The proposed amendment would prevent the state of Idaho from selling any future public lands granted or obtained from the federal government.

A Republican state senator from Nampa said he will introduce a proposed amendment to the Idaho Constitution that would prevent the state of Idaho from selling any future public lands granted or obtained from the federal government, report @idahocapitalsun.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Arizona’s signature-counting formula for ballot questions is unconstitutional, sometimes Using the signature-counting formula to double-count invalid signatures when determining whether a citizen initiative qualifies for the ballot is unconstitutional

Using the signature-counting formula to double-count invalid signatures when determining whether a citizen initiative qualifies for the ballot is unconstitutional, the Arizona Supreme Court concluded this week, report @azmirror.com and @statesnewsroom.com

A redistricting arms race is unfolding. A looming court ruling may push Utah into the spotlight • Utah News Dispatch The nation is at the cusp of a redistricting arms race, and Utah could be propelled into the spotlight due to a looming court ruling.

A years-long court case over redistricting could thrust Utah into the middle of the growing national furor over partisan gerrymandering, report @utahnewsdispatch.com and @statesnewsroom.com

‘It’s just so disgusting’: Judges in WA detail threats after Trump-related rulings • Washington State Standard After Judge John Coughenour ruled against the Trump administration, local authorities received a false report that he’d killed his wife.

A group of federal judges are speaking out about threats and harassment they have endured for doing their legal duties, report @washingtonstatestandard.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Unusual balloon flight seen over southcentral Alaska was part of ongoing military exercise | Alaska Beacon Arctic Edge 2025 includes military activity along the Bering Strait coast, near America's maritime border with Russia.

The large white and silver balloon, carrying an unidentified payload, spotted over Alaska this week was part of a U.S. military exercise, report @alaskabeacon.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Oregon congresswoman says ICE visits expose ‘cruelty,’ hold Trump admin accountable • Oregon Capital Chronicle Congress members under a 2019 law are entitled to unannounced visits to federal immigration detention facilities.

“Trump’s immigration machine thrives in the shadows,” says an Oregon Congress members who has been touring ICE detention centers, report @oregoncapitalchronicle.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Trump's push to institutionalize unhoused people won't solve homelessness, providers warn • Nevada Current A July executive order issued by Donald Trump that seeks to crack down on homelessness by pressuring cities to criminalize unhoused people or push them into institutions is riddled with “glaring…

Local officials and service providers in Nevada are wondering how they’ll cope if health care and homeless program spending cuts in Trump’s fiscal 2026 budget requests are enacted into law later this year, report @nevadacurrent.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Censured, disenfranchised Republican lawmakers sue state GOP • Daily Montanan Three state senators are seeking to stop the state Republican party from taking any action until a new election of officers is held, after they were barred from voting in june

Three Montana Republican lawmakers have sued the state GOP, alleging their rights as voting members of the party were wrongly terminated and asking for the party to be forced to re-elect its officers, report @dailymontanan.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Wolves remain under state control in Idaho following legal victory for conservationists  • Idaho Capital Sun Some conservationists say expansions of wolf hunting and trapping in states like Idaho puts wolves at risk again.

Although conservationists are celebrating a legal victory this week in their fight to restore protections for wolves in the West, wolves remain under state control in Idaho, where hunting and trapping remain legal, report @idahocapitalsun.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Navajo Nation Council votes to remove attorney general, Nygren appoints replacement | Arizona Mirror The Navajo Nation Council voted to remove Heather Clah from her position as the Navajo Nation Attorney General, just weeks after her confirmation

The Navajo Nation Council voted to remove Heather Clah from her position as Attorney General, just weeks after her confirmation — the second time the council has removed an attorney general in the last eight months, report @azmirror.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Judge sides with faith group over Utah county in psychedelic mushroom religious freedom lawsuit • Utah News Dispatch A federal judge sided with a Utah religion that uses psychedelic mushrooms in a religious freedom lawsuit against Utah County.

A federal judge this week sided with a small, Provo-based faith group that incorporates psychedelic mushrooms into its spiritual practices in a lawsuit putting Utah’s new religious freedom law to the test, report @utahnewsdispatch.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Landlords fined for first time under WA’s new law capping rent increases • Washington State Standard For the first time, Washington’s attorney general has enforced the state’s new cap on rent hikes, fining eight landlords.

For the first time, Washington’s attorney general has enforced the state’s new cap on rent hikes, fining eight landlords $2,000 each for violating the law, report @washingtonstatestandard.com and @statesnewsroom.com

In veto override, some Alaska Republicans say they saw an opportunity for education compromise | Alaska Beacon Lawmakers from the House and Senate’s minority caucuses explain why they voted yes on Alaska’s first budget veto override in 38 years.

The Alaska legislative coalition that overrode the governor's veto of an education funding package had various motives for taking the historic bipartisan vote, report @alaskabeacon.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Oregon governor signs series of laws to strengthen behavioral health system • Oregon Capital Chronicle Gov. Tina Kotek signed a series of bills at Fora Health in Portland meant to improve behavioral health care in Oregon.

Gov. Tina Kotek signed a slate of bills this week at Fora Health in Portland meant to improve behavioral health care in Oregon, report @oregoncapitalchronicle.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Nevada could lose access to $156M in solar funds in EPA clawback • Nevada Current The Environmental Protection Agency is weighing the termination of its $7 billion Solar For All program, a move that would strip Nevada of millions of dollars in federal funding for residential solar…

The Environmental Protection Agency is weighing the termination of its $7 billion Solar For All program, a move that would strip Nevada of millions of dollars in federal funding for residential solar development, report @nevadacurrent.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Montana state Sen. Usher named president-elect of National Conference of State Legislatures • Daily Montanan Montana state Sen. Barry Usher named president-elect of National Conference of State Legislatures

The National Conference of State Legislatures announced Wednesday that Montana state Sen. Barry Usher has been named president-elect of the bipartisan organization, and will take over the leadership position in 2026, report @dailymontanan.com and @statesnewsroom.com

US Labor secretary visits Micron to praise new apprenticeship program, Idaho Launch • Idaho Capital Sun U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer praised Idaho Launch, a key policy of Gov. Brad Little that Republican lawmakers criticized.

U.S. Secretary of Labor Chavez-DeRemer visited Boise-based Micron Technology on Wednesday to recognize the large semiconductor company’s first graduating class of its registered apprenticeship program, report @idahocapitalsun.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Interior offers training series for agencies addressing violent crime in tribal communities | Arizona Mirror the Department of Interior’s Victim Assistance Program offers various training programs throughout the year

To improve law enforcement and public safety providers’ response to crime in Indigenous communities, the Department of Interior’s Victim Assistance Program offers various training programs throughout the year, report @azmirror.com and @statesnewsroom.com

How will Utah deal with fallout from the ‘big, beautiful’ law? • Utah News Dispatch The fallout from the "big, beautiful bill" on Utah is mired with uncertainty, with state officials still working to understand its toll.

In the month since President Donald Trump signed the “big, beautiful bill” into law, more questions than answers remain when it comes to its impact on Utahns, report @utahnewsdispatch.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Parts of rural WA pinched by lapse in federal payments to counties, schools • Washington State Standard Washington’s rural counties and school districts are preparing to start the school year without millions of dollars from a program meant to offset reduced revenue from logging on federal lands.

Washington’s rural counties and school districts are preparing to start the school year without millions of dollars from a program meant to offset reduced revenue from logging on federal lands, report @washingtonstatestandard.com and @statesnewsroom.com

US Sec. Kennedy, in Alaska trip, repeats doubts of vaccines, while promising new ‘universal vaccine’ | Alaska Beacon Comments follow the secretary’s decision to cancel funding for development of mRNA vaccines, which he disparaged.

Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. used a visit to Alaska to repeat falsehoods about vaccine testing, safety and effectiveness, report @alaskabeacon.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Oregon’s US Rep. Cliff Bentz outspent every House member on Trump inauguration weekend • Oregon Capital Chronicle Bentz used federal dollars allocated to his office to pay for more than $16,000 of hotels for staff over Trump’s 2025 inauguration.

President Donald Trump’s January inauguration became a pared-down affair due to freezing weather, but that didn’t stop the office of Oregon’s lone Republican congressman from spending big on the three-day weekend, report @oregoncapitalchronicle.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Nevada plans to use FEMA funding to upgrade Washoe County Jail for ICE • Nevada Current The State of Nevada plans to satisfy a new federal requirement to fund border security by upgrading detention facilities at the Washoe County Jail to include dedicated holding cells and office space…

Nevada plans to satisfy a new federal requirement to fund border security by upgrading detention facilities at the Washoe County Jail to include dedicated holding cells and office space for ICE, report @nevadacurrent.com and @statesnewsroom.com

Feds authorize expansion of Rosebud Mine supplying Colstrip power plant • Daily Montanan Decision enables extraction of additional 71 million tons of coal, extends operation through 2039

The federal government announced the approval of a massive expansion for the Westmoreland Rosebud Mine in southeast Montana, which supplies coal to Colstrip, the state’s largest coal-fired power plant, report @dailymontanan.com and @statesnewsroom.com