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Gov. Mike DeWine's "red flag" law proposal has near-majority support in the Ohio Senate, but it's received a lukewarm reception in the House, a poll by six Ohio news organizations found. The survey suggests that, in the wake of the Dayton mass shooting earlier this month, the GOP-controlled Ohio legislature could be convinced to pass its first "gun control" bill in years. (Borchardt and Balmert, 8/16)

Growing, too, are clashes between local officials and state lawmakers. Most states prohibit local governments from adopting nearly any gun regulation that would go beyond state law. “They have pre-empted us totally in enforcing any type of regulation, including really simple legislation that would require someone to report a stolen or lost gun,” [Philadelphia Mayor Jim] Kenney, a Democrat, said of the Pennsylvania State Legislature, which is dominated by Republicans. (Davey and Hassan, 8/15)

A health policy expert and residents struggling to find affordable insurance are planned speakers for a hearing before North Carolina General Assembly members pressing for passage of Medicaid expansion this year. ... The legislature is in the middle of a state budget stalemate, and expansion is a key reason for it. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the Republican budget in large part because it lacked coverage through the 2010 federal health care law. Republicans say Cooper’s Medicaid demand is to blame for final budget delays. (8/16)