Arkansas: Legislature in special session. Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) called state lawmakers back into session today to take up his proposal to keep, but revise, his plan to use federal funds to help finance a private health insurance program for the poor. In the face of opposition, Hutchinson dropped his proposal to have private firms manage some of the healthcare services, reports the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette …….
Florida: Putnam could face backlash from Trump fans. State Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam (R), the odds-on-favorite for the GOP’s 2018 gubernatorial nomination, could face problems with backers of Donald Trump, reports Sunshine State News. Unlike Gov. Rick Scott (R) and state Attorney General Pam Bondi (R), who did endorse Trump, Putnam said he would only endorse Trump unless he wins the presidential nomination. “As the father of three girls, I’m not real thrilled with his language and his history of ungentlemanly things that he has said about women,” Putnam told the Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald …….
Virginia: Emily’s List opposing Comstock. In a fundraising email, the Democratic women’s organization listed Virginia US Rep. Barbara Comstock (R) as one of 13 Republican freshmen the group is targeting for defeat, based on “their anti-woman, anti-family stances.” The other Southerner on the list is US Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R) …….