Flock Safety Rep Caught Off Guard by Lawmakers Over Hacking Claims | The States

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley won Wisconsin's Democratic gubernatorial nomination despite having dropped out of the race, defeating Rep. Francesca Hong and setting up a November matchup against Republican Tom Tiffany, while Sen. Amy Klobuchar won Minnesota's Democratic nomination to face House Speaker Lisa DeMuth. In Connecticut, former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin defeated 78-year-old, 14-term Rep. John Larson, while Vermont's progressive challengers largely lost to moderate incumbents. West Virginia state Delegate Tristan Leavitt said Flock Safety's government relations head, Kevin Kane, testified the company's cameras had never been hacked despite past incidents including unauthorized access to 60 cameras in Bakersfield, California, and misleading testimony in Connecticut about sharing data with federal law enforcement. Leavitt said lawmakers are weighing what safeguards and warrant requirements should govern license plate reader data, noting the technology has both aided criminal investigations and raised civil liberties concerns nationwide. Also, in this episode: A state judge temporarily blocked New York City's rollout of its 4% surcharge on second homes worth over $5 million, ordering the city to remove a public list of 900,000-plus flagged properties, but Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration won an appeal keeping the tax fight alive ahead of August 31 oral arguments. The tax, projected to raise over $500 million annually, has an appeal deadline of September 18 for the roughly 17,000 flagged property owners, with a further appeal option through March 2027. A Center Square investigation found Illinois gave the nonprofit Erase PTSD Now roughly $770,000 in Veterans Cash Grant Program funds for a neck-injection PTSD treatment developed by Dr. Eugene Lipov, despite clinical trials showing no more effect than a placebo and grant applications overstating remission claims. The investigation found nearly all of the nonprofit's grant money went to Lipov's own clinic, and its executive director, Colleen LaCosta, draws roughly $100,000 salaries from two separate nonprofits while neither she nor a board member who received the shot has been diagnosed with PTSD. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday sued TikTok, alleging its 13+ age rating and "restricted mode" fail to shield minors from inappropriate content and that the platform is intentionally designed to be addictive. The Ninth Circuit rejected Meta's bid to dismiss thousands of federal addiction lawsuits, following a $942 million New Mexico jury verdict and a $6 million Los Angeles County verdict against social media companies, while Illinois' 2028 youth social media restriction law faces industry opposition from NetChoice. Seattle City Council members criticized Mayor Katie Wilson over a five-hour delay in addressing the Bite of Seattle Festival shooting that killed three. Allegheny County, Pennsylvania landlord Ed Benz says a 36% property tax hike is cutting into his rental profits. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $32 million in federal security grants for 157 nonprofits at risk of hate crimes or terror attacks.   21 Democratic state attorneys general sued the Trump administration over proposed 2027 ACA marketplace insurance changes. Plus America's Talking:   Washington: https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_1f7486da-90b4-429f-83bf-6ff7e5e25dd5.html Pennsylvania:  https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_e4fd56dd-4eaa-4f20-974f-cb483dac113d.html New York: https://www.thecentersquare.com/new_york/article_69852e01-68bc-435b-b508-81388e87adfc.html Arizona: https://www.thecentersquare.com/arizona/article_ed21084f-b37d-408d-9508-47c1ec4bb53d.html The States delivers taxpayer-focused reporting from around America, powered by The Center Square. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.