In Kentucky, Fight Between Governors Deepens; Irked Uber Looks to Exit Houston

FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY
ACCUSATIONS | Former Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear on Wednesday accused current governor, Republican Matt Bevin, of declaring war on his family. He also suggested the Federal Bureau of Investigation might be looking into whether Bevin threatened to block certain transportation projects if Democratic state lawmakers did not jump over to the Republican party. Bevin, about a week ago, charged that Beshear’s administration engaged questionable activities that involved coercing government employees into donating to Democratic candidates. The governor has ordered his Finance and Administration Secretary to initiate an investigation into the matter. Bevin has also clashed with Beshear’s son, Andy, who is the state attorney general. Among the elder Beshear’s other claims on Wednesday was that Bevin had bullied university presidents into signing a letter accepting budget cuts. A spokesperson for Bevin called Beshear’s allegations “wild” and “baseless.” [Herald Leader]

HOUSTON, TEXAS
UBER | When Uber doesn’t get it’s way when it comes to what it views are burdensome municipal regulations, it often threatens to leave a market. The city of Houston requires fingerprint-based background checks for drivers just like some other Texas city have and Uber has continued to operate while being openly critical of the local rules. But the San Francisco-based ride-booking service announced Wednesday that it will leave Houston if members of the City Council don’t repeal the stringent background check requirement. [Texas Tribune]

ALEXANDER CITY, ALABAMA
MAYORAL-COUNCIL BRAWL | A fight that broke out Monday night between Alexander City Mayor Charles Shaw and Councilman Tony Goss was the result of “more than three years of frustration” between the mayor and members of the city council in this municipality located southeast of Birmingham. After Monday’s meeting concluded, the mayor reportedly “rushed around the table towards Goss as he stood up” and punched him. Shaw’s wife also rushed the councilman. Another councilmember observed: “I don’t think anything will be solved until the next mayor and city council is in office.” The mayor and his wife were both charged with third-degree assault. [Alexander City Outlook; AL.com]

LANSING, MICHIGAN
HISTORIC PRESERVATION | A controversial plan being pushed by Michigan Republicans that aimed at weakening protections for buildings in designated historic districts has been shelved, for now. The chairman of the House Local Government Committee, GOP state Rep. Lee Chatfield, said that the legislation lacked enough support from within his district. The sponsor of the legislation argues that historic districts weaken property rights. Supporters of historic preservation called the legislative development a “big victory.” [MiBiz]

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS | In Baltimore, like many other major U.S. cities, it’s usually a safe bet that the winner of a Democratic mayoral primary election usually wins in the general election. In Tuesday’s elections in Maryland, state Sen. Catherine Pugh emerged victorious from the crowded primary, defeating former Mayor Sheila Dixon and a handful of other challenges. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake chose not to seek re-election. [Baltimore Brew]

ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY
PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE | The state of New Jersey is joining forces with New York state to share prescription data as a way to help curb “doctor shopping” and addiction to opioid medication. On Tuesday, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said that in the eight days since the information-sharing efforts started, there have been 16,000 data requests. New York is the seventh state to join New Jersey’s prescription data sharing initiative. [The Record]

PENDLETON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
FEDERAL REAL ESTATE | Want to buy an entire town in a remote part of West Virginia? The federal General Services Administration has been trying to offload the small town of Sugar Grove Station, which is part of a 122.85-acre campus previously used by the Naval Information Operations Command. The GSA’s price tag for the property, which includes “80 single-family homes on ‘lovely tree-lined streets,’” has a $1 million pricetag. [Washington Business Journal]

BOISE, IDAHO
IMMUNIZATION RATES | There’s some promising news from Idaho about the state’s rate of vaccinated children: The rates of immunization have hit five-year highs, though officials from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare doesn’t yet have a full explanation for the boosted immunization rate. In 2015, 86.7 percent of Idaho students were classified as “adequately immunized,” an increase from 85.6 percent from 2014. [Idaho Education News]

PEARL, MISSISSIPPI
SPORTS & LEISURE | The Atlanta Braves made almost half a billion dollars off of four new affiliated ballparks in the past 15 years, three of them in the minor leagues. Their modus operandi: force the home city and a new city to compete for right to host the franchise and go with the municipality that agrees to take on more of the costs. Pearl agreed to issue $78 million bonds to bring the AA team to town in 2005 and is still struggling to pay off shortfalls—its debt rating reduced to junk in December. [Bloomberg News]

JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI
LGBT RIGHTS | A Missouri House committee deadlocked over a proposed state constitutional amendment protecting businesses that cite religion as their reasoning for denying goods and services for same-sex weddings. The bill passed in the state Senate after a 37-hour filibuster by Democrats, but Republican lawmakers would need to convince a member of the House Emerging Issues Committee to change their vote to revive the legislation now. With three weeks left in the legislative session, that’s not likely. Even then, the amendment would still need the approval of voters in November. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]