MEMO: With grocery and gas prices already straining family budgets — and President Trump’s tariffs set to drive up costs even further — Democratic lawmakers are taking action in state legislatures across the country. See below for more details on how these lawmakers are taking significant steps to address the affordability gap by passing policies that will improve their constituents’ lives — such as lowering prescription drug prices, increasing egg supply, and relieving medical debt.
| STATE | ISSUE | LAW | STATUS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | Grocery Affordability | Temporary suspension of the cage-free egg policy to increase supply and lower prices | Enacted |
| Pennsylvania | Grocery Affordability | Expanding bird flu testing to certify more workers and prevent outbreaks affecting egg prices | Enacted |
| Michigan | Grocery Affordability | Allocating funding for H5N1 bird flu testing in hospitals, backyard flocks, and key facilities | In committee |
| Wisconsin | Grocery Affordability | Proposal to provide more students with free school meals, reducing grocery costs for families | In committee |
| Pennsylvania | Prescription Drugs & Medical Costs | Enshrining ACA protections, including coverage for pre-existing conditions and dependent coverage until age 26 | Passed the House, in Senate committee |
| Minnesota | Prescription Drugs & Medical Costs | State initiative to retire medical debt for residents | In committee |
| Arizona | Prescription Drugs & Medical Costs | Lowering prescription drug costs and assisting residents with wrongfully denied insurance claims | In committee |
| Wisconsin | Taxation | Expansion of low-income renters and homeowners tax credit | In committee |
| Virginia | Taxation | State budget includes tax rebates and an expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit | Waiting for Governor’s Signature |
How Lawmakers Are Protecting Their Constituents
Groceries and Egg Affordability
The high cost of groceries and other essentials has posed a persistent problem for American families for months. While President Trump and his rightwing allies in state legislatures have been focused elsewhere, Democratic lawmakers have advanced real solutions to address the root causes driving these cost increases, such as bird flu.
NEVADA: Cage-Free Egg Law
To bring down prices and alleviate exorbitant grocery costs for working families, Nevada Assemblyman Howard Watts introduced a bill to suspend Nevada’s cage-free egg policy for 120 days — boosting available egg supply and bringing prices down for consumers.
This bill has been signed into law and was made possible in part because The States Project (TSP) helped defend majorities in both the Nevada Assembly and Senate, even as Trump won the state.
PENNSYLVANIA: Bird Flu Testing
In Pennsylvania, where TSP defended a one-seat majority in the House despite rightwing candidates winning every statewide election, lawmakers’ first policy enactment of the legislative session — sponsored by Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz — will help lower egg prices for hardworking Americans by helping more qualified workers get certified to test birds for avian flu and quarantine sick birds to prevent spread.
MICHIGAN: Bird Flu Testing Package
As outbreaks of avian influenza threaten both public health and food supply chains, House Democrats, under Michigan House Minority Leader Ranjeev Puri’s leadership, have introduced a package of bills that are currently in committee, to ramp up testing efforts.
With bird flu playing a major role in rising grocery costs, these measures aim to protect Michigan families’ health and economic interests and the broader food system which members of the MI House — whom TSP supported in 2024 — swore to do on day one. We knew defending Michigan’s State House majority in 2024 would be difficult, as every seat needed to be defended to hold the one-seat majority in the House. With incumbent losses, the balance of power is now 52-58 — the same chamber composition following Biden’s win in 2020, even as Trump won the state in 2024.
WISCONSIN: Free School Lunches
As Trump allies passed a budget that cuts funding for school meals, Wisconsin House Democrats — led by Minority Leader Greta Neubauer — introduced policies to provide more students with free meals at school, which would lower grocery costs for working parents.
This bill is currently working its way through committee, and it remains to be seen if rightwing lawmakers will join Democrats in showing their support for working families. Because of extreme gerrymandering, there hasn’t been a path to the majority for Democrats in either Wisconsin chamber — until now. With new, fairer maps, TSP’s investments fueled significant pickups in 2024.
Lowering Taxes for Working Families
The rising cost of living, from rent to property taxes, continues to strain working families across the country. Instead of prioritizing relief for those who need it most, Trump and his allies have focused on tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers are advancing solutions that put money back in the pockets of everyday Americans—whether by expanding tax credits for renters and homeowners or ensuring that working families see real benefits from tax rebates.
WISCONSIN: Low-Income Renters + Homeowners Tax Credit
Also in Wisconsin, House Minority Leader Neubauer is pushing to expand a low-income renters and homeowners tax credit that is much needed at a time when the costs of homes and inflation continue to burden American families.
This bill is currently in committee and faces similar challenges to Wisconsin’s proposed school lunch bill.
VIRGINIA: Earned Income Tax Credit
With the majority, Virginia Democrats are cutting taxes for families. Under the leadership of Speaker Don Scott, the Virginia budget includes tax rebates for taxpayers and an extension of the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit. This is currently with Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) for signature, but Youngkin is prolific at vetoing or amending bills and budgets for signature and has expressed opposition to the rebates. In Virginia in 2023, TSP helped defend the Virginia State Senate majority and build a new majority in the House of Delegates. In 2025 with no elections in the Senate and a statewide race for governor, we see a chance to build the nation’s newest pro-democracy trifecta by defending the one-seat House majority.
Prescription Drugs and Medical Care
While Trump and rightwing lawmakers continue to undermine healthcare protections, Democrats in the states are doing the opposite. From enshrining key Affordable Care Act provisions to reducing prescription drug prices and tackling medical debt, these leaders are proving that healthcare reform doesn’t have to wait for Washington.
MINNESOTA: Medical Debt Retiring
Under Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy’s leadership, Minnesota is looking to retire medical debt. This policy uses a successful model to spend pennies on the dollar to erase debt.
Following this policy, which is in committee, will be interesting. Democrats have a majority in the Senate but are in a power-sharing agreement with the right in the House following the 2024 elections where Vice President Harris won MN by fewer than 150,000 votes, just 51 percent of the vote. The Minnesota House is now tied and if just 80 votes had changed in one seat, the majority would have held. The seat that tied the chamber was won by just 15 votes.
PENNSYLVANIA: Enshrining ACA Protections
Anticipating attacks on the Affordable Care Act and at a time when the federal government is cutting Medicaid, Pennsylvania House Democrats — under Speaker Joanna McClinton’s leadership — are prioritizing policies to enshrine its protections like young adults staying on their parents’ insurance until age 26 or protecting Pennsylvanians with pre-existing conditions from losing coverage.
ARIZONA: Prescription Drug Costs and Insurance Claim Denial
As Medicaid faces cuts and unpredictability, Arizona Democrats, led by House Minority Leader Oscar De Los Santos and Senate Minority Leader Priya Sundareshan, are also working on an Affordability Agenda to do things like lower the cost of prescription drugs and help Arizonans with insurance navigate wrongfully denied claims.
In Arizona in 2024, TSP helped keep the balance of power close in a state that saw the biggest swing toward Trump of any swing state. It remains to be seen if this legislation will receive bipartisan support.
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About The States Project
The States Project (TSP) and its affiliates are dedicated to winning governing majorities in state legislatures across the country and promoting smart, effective policies that will safeguard our democracy, protect personal freedoms and improve people’s lives. In our electoral work, TSP’s team of experienced campaigners offers our funding and expertise to majority-making candidates in the closest races where our investments can make the biggest difference. Guided by the best possible data, we aim to invest early and empower our partners on the ground with the tools they need to reach voters where they are — and most importantly, to win.
