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SB 822 in West Virginia would have changed fee simple ownership by ending fee simple ownership after 20 years for property with any land protection agreement that interferes with mineral development and timber harvesting.
The policy goal of SB822 would have been to promote land and mineral development and timber harvesting “for the economic benefit of the citizens of the state.”
News from the States | Land ownership rights threatened by the Legislature
Idaho’s Governor signed HB 361 which quickly moves control of HOAs from developers and builders to property owners. The bill uses this metric : once 75% of lots are sold, at least one-third of the seats on the HOA board need to be for homeowners.
Boise Dev | ICYMI: Legislature says HOA developers should hand over control sooner
West Virginia Legislature is considering HB 4060 that mandates that businesses accept cash. The bill would apply to retail, food and service business, and any businesses offering goods and services.
It’ll be interesting to see if debate takes into consideration safety. In Austin food establishments have been burglarized for the cash on hand.
WDTV | W.Va. legislature introduces bill requiring businesses to accept cash
Did you think Texas? I, too, was wrong. It is Oregon. People are moving for the high wage jobs, half report wages above $150,000, and at a pace where inbound movers exceed outbound movers.
The data is from United Vanlines 49th annual report on moving trends. This is the 1st time Oregon tops the list of inbound migration. New Jersey leads in outbound migration for the 8th year.
“Santa Fe will become the first U.S. city to explicitly link the high cost of housing to the minimum wage.” After a 2027 increase to $17.50 an hour, the minimum wage will be adjusted annually based on a blend of CPI and the Department of Housing and Urban Development fair market rent for a two-bedroom unit in the area.
On January 1, 2026, 19 states raised their minimum wage.
Governing | Should Cities Link the Minimum Wage to Housing Costs?
The California Privacy Protection Agency kicked off 2026 by launching a tool that state residents can use to make data brokers delete and stop selling their personal information. Meet Delete Request and Opt-out Platform, or DROP. DROP is the result of a 2023 law known as the Delete Act. Under it and previous laws, data brokers must register with the state and enable consumers to tell brokers to stop tracking them and selling their information.
The Markup | How Californians can use a new state website to block hundreds of data brokers
IJ.org discusses co-living and single room occupancy as a way to “expand affordable housing, strengthen property rights, and reduce homelessness – without new spending or bureaucracy.”
IJ has a model act, the ROOM Act, a model state reform that empowers communities to bring back safe, flexible, market-driven housing options.
We’ve talked about states seeking to limit private equity investments in residential housing. This week, the Administration announced its intent to ban “Wall Street firms from buying up single-family homes in a bid to reduce home prices, a potential blow for private-equity landlords that also pressured homebuilder stocks.”
Reuters | Trump threatens to ban Wall Street investments in single-family homes
A growing list of local governments are prohibiting the use of AI for rent increases. Spokane recently joined Seattle, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Minneapolis.
Governing | Spokane Blocks Algorithmic Rent Pricing After Rents Soar
New York Governor signed a bill regulating the use of AI in advertisements that mislead and undermine trust.
“First-in-the-Nation Legislation S.8420-A/A.8887-B Requires Individuals Who Produce or Create Advertisements To Disclose if AI-Generated Synthetic Performers are Used”