California Capitol NDAs: A bill to invalidate the nondisclosure agreements on California's Capitol Annex Project, which is costing taxpayers at least $1.1 billion, is set to die May 27 without a hearing or vote.
Minnesota ICE charges: A county in Minnesota has filed second-degree assault and false reporting charges against a second Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent tied to Operation Metro Surge.
Texas population boom: Fort Worth and Austin both passed one million residents, and eight of the 15 fastest-growing U.S. cities are in Texas, according to new Census data.
Arizona China bills: Up to seven bills aimed at curbing Chinese influence are headed to Gov. Katie Hobbs, who has vetoed numerous similar measures since 2024 despite recently shifting her rhetoric on China.
NYC-run grocery store: Mayor Zohran Mamdani named the Bronx as the site of the first store in his $70 million city-owned grocery store plan.
California bill to ban secret deals on $1.1B Capitol building project set to die in secret
Photo: Stephen Leonardi / Pexels / Edited in Canva
What we found: A California bill written to invalidate the nondisclosure agreements shielding the state's $1.1 billion Capitol Annex Project is scheduled to die May 27 without a hearing, a vote, or public debate. Assemblyman Josh Hoover, R-Folsom, introduced Assembly Bill 2445 in February. The same lawmakers running the Capitol project never assigned it to a committee.
The stakes: Taxpayers are paying for what critics say will be one of the most expensive buildings in the United States, but nondisclosure agreements have silenced legislators and construction workers from discussing the project. Project leaders revealed this month that it could run $98 million over its $1.1 billion budget and isn't expected to finish until October 2027.
The backstory: Gov. Jerry Brown approved the Annex project in 2016 to replace a building constructed in 1952. The Center Square requested records related to the project two months ago and has received none. A December update from the Legislature's Joint Rules Committee was the first in years. Leaders promised another update in "early 2026," which didn't come until May 2026. At that time, they revealed the project was at risk of going $98M above budget and wasn't set to be finished until October 2027.
Where it stands: Hoover says his bill remains in "purgatory," and lawmakers who pledged transparency in December have declined interviews with The Center Square.
3 States
Minnesota: Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty filed four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime against Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Christian Castro tied to a January shooting, the second ICE agent her office has charged in connection with Operation Metro Surge. Federal officials called the prosecution a "political stunt" and said the U.S. Attorney's Office is investigating ICE officers' statements under oath. The state is pursuing more than a dozen additional investigations of federal law enforcement conduct during Operation Metro Surge.
Texas: Eight of America's 15 fastest-growing cities are in Texas, and Fort Worth and Austin both crossed one million residents, according to U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 data. Southern states dominated the rankings, claiming 11 of the 12 cities with the largest numeric population gains, while New York City lost more residents in raw numbers than any other U.S. city. Texas is also pulling in major companies: Expand Energy and Devon Energy are relocating their headquarters to the Houston area following recent mergers, while Exxon Mobil is redomiciling in Spring after more than 100 years in New Jersey, citing Texas' new business court.
Arizona: Up to seven bills aimed at curbing Chinese influence are headed to Gov. Katie Hobbs, who one national security expert says has vetoed nearly every major bipartisan China bill in 2024 and 2025. The bills cover critical infrastructure, land, higher education, and lobbying disclosure, and former National Security Council official Josh Hodges told The Center Square that states "are starting to wake up" to a sub-national Chinese strategy that reaches well beyond Arizona.
2 Issues
Economy: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a 20,000-square-foot site in the Bronx's Hunts Point as the first of city-owned grocery stores planned across all five boroughs, part of a $70 million plan fulfilling a campaign promise. The stores would skip rent and property taxes and operate under city pricing rules, drawing opposition from the United Bodegas of America and Gristedes CEO John Catsimatidis, who has threatened to leave the New York market. The plan still needs City Council approval.
Elections: Two Trump-endorsed candidates knocked out Republican incumbents this week. In Louisiana, Rep. Julia Letlow took 45% of the vote and is headed to a U.S. Senate runoff against state Treasurer John Fleming, ending Sen. Bill Cassidy's 12-year tenure after he finished third. In Kentucky, farmer Ed Gallrein defeated 12-year Rep. Thomas Massie in the fourth congressional district Republican primary after Massie drew Trump's ire over the Jeffrey Epstein files and the Iran conflict. A Trump endorsement appeared critical in both races.
1 Number
$3.1 billion
Tennessee is putting up $500 million in state funding and an estimated $3.1 billion tax capture to build the new Nissan Stadium, plus $10.8 million already granted to draw Super Bowl LXIV to Nashville in 2030. A 2024 state law keeps Super Bowl contracts and public records hidden from the public until at least 2040.
Virginia just enacted a new firearms ban, and the lawsuits started the same day.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed Senate Bill 749 into law late last week, drawing immediate state and federal court challenges from the National Rifle Association, Firearms Policy Coalition, and Second Amendment Foundation.
The Virginia fight lands the same week the New Civil Liberties Alliance sued Illinois over its Firearm Owner's Identification Card law, arguing Illinois and Massachusetts are the only two states requiring residents to get government permission before possessing any firearm.
Aric Nesbitt, Michigan Senate Republican Leader
Nesbitt asked the U.S. Department of Justice this week to investigate Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's ties to former Whitmer appointee Fay Beydoun, who faces criminal charges, including conducting a criminal enterprise after allegedly diverting money from a $20 million taxpayer-funded state grant for personal expenses. Nesbitt argues Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's personal friendship with Whitmer creates a conflict of interest that warrants federal review.
Enjoy the Weekly Brief?
If this newsletter helps you stay informed, share it with someone who'd appreciate it too. The best way to support our journalism is to spread the word.
First time reading? Subscribe here.