2024 will be a crucial year for the United States of America as the country is heading for the presidential elections this year. Moreover, in terms of policy state governments will have to tackle some key issues in the year.

When state legislatures kick off their fresh sessions in the coming weeks — 37 will go into session in January and another nine will follow in February — lawmakers will have to take action on big policy issues.

Some of those areas, such as addressing challenges in artificial intelligence and combating deepfakes, will present relatively novel concerns. Meanwhile, issues like how state governments can effectively manage significant workforce shortages will see legislators continuing their efforts from the previous year.

Meanwhile, in areas like abortion rights, the initiative to introduce measures on the November ballot will be spearheaded by organizers rather than lawmakers.

“2024 will be an incredibly important year as we think about the progress that can be made at the state level,” said Jessie Ulibarri, co-executive director of the State Innovation Exchange, a group of state legislators that works to advance traditionally progressive policies.

Here are the top five issues and trends experts expect to see emerge at the state level in 2024.

Abortion rights

The political advantage of abortion rights for Democrats has been notable since the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court. However, these successes have been sporadic and have not consistently translated into the enactment of state legislation.

Instead of relying on state legislation, Democrats have experienced their most significant triumphs in promoting abortion rights in the past two years through state ballot measures. Furthermore, there are expectations of more initiatives on the horizon in 2024.

Abortion rights advocates have achieved major progress in at least 10 states, paving the way to place the issue on the ballot next year.

Organizations are actively gathering signatures in various states, including Florida, Arizona, Nevada, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Missouri, to enable voters to decide on ballot initiatives related to abortion rights. Meanwhile, in Maryland, New York, and Colorado, lawmakers, who have authority over the amendment process, have already achieved success in placing measures on the 2024 ballot aimed at constitutionalizing abortion rights in their respective states.

“2023 was the first year since the Dobbs decision, and what we saw across the board, regardless of political context, was that the people of America are ready, willing and able to organize to advance reproductive freedom and access to abortion care in red and blue states alike,” said Ulibarri. “And that will remain a consistent effort next year, when there will be many more states considering ballot measures.”

Abortion rights advocates caution that in 2024, conservative lawmakers, attorneys, and judges in some states may attempt to impede the implementation of passed initiatives. This could involve proposing new anti-abortion bills and issuing legal threats.

AI and deepfakes

Advancements in artificial intelligence and deepfake technology have surged in the past year, but state legislatures have struggled to keep pace.

This gap is particularly evident in the realm of bills addressing political deepfakes, leaving potential threats unaddressed as the country approaches a presidential election year.

In 2023, only three states addressed AI's impact on political campaigns through legislation, focusing on disclosure and prohibition. These laws are likely to inspire similar measures in other states next year, as many are expected to take up the issue in upcoming legislative sessions.

Tim Storey, the CEO of the National Conference of State Legislatures, said that the issues “are going to get a lot of attention and energy” in 2024. “It’s going to be a major theme in 2024 sessions,” he said.

States are also likely to begin more seriously looking to regulate other areas of AI and deepfakes, he explained.

Workforce shortages

In critical fields such as education, medicine, healthcare, and criminal justice, states have grappled with severe workforce shortages.

To attract and retain essential workers like teachers, nurses, and corrections officers, states have emphasized legislation promoting student debt forgiveness and pay increases.

With ongoing retirements among baby boomers and the lingering impact of pandemic-driven workforce departures, states, regardless of political affiliation, are anticipated to prioritize workforce issues in their 2024 legislative sessions.

“This is one of those issues that is impacting every single state,” Storey said. “The workforce issue will continue to come into play,” he added, predicting that bills in upcoming sessions could focus on changing requirements for credentialing, licensure and in some cases degrees for certain in-demand professions.

In 2023, some states sought to alleviate worker shortages by relaxing child labor laws. However, experts anticipate a shift in 2024, with several states focusing on strengthening child labor protections to prevent addressing shortages by permitting children to enter the workforce.

Immigration

Border state leaders, from both parties, are independently addressing the surge of migrants attempting to enter the U.S.

In recent weeks, Democrats and Republicans have taken significant, albeit sometimes controversial, legislative actions. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, signed a law enabling police to arrest migrants crossing the border unlawfully.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, recently urged President Joe Biden for over $500 million to reimburse the state's border security costs.

She also sought the reassignment of National Guard troops to reopen a crucial border crossing. While immigration is a federal responsibility, ongoing inaction from the White House and Congress may prompt border states to take further action in 2024, according to experts.

“You do have a lot of states where they’re done waiting on Washington to address these issues, and looking at it individually, which is difficult,” Storey said.

Texas and other Republican-led states continue busing newly arrived migrants to Democratic cities such as Chicago, New York, and Denver have extended the challenge to states far from the border. This decision has led to distant states grappling with the issue as well.

“It’s not just California, Arizona, Texas anymore. It really is an issue that that everyone appreciates is at their doorstep,” Storey said.

Growing tensions

Few state political observers anticipated the unprecedented surge in expulsions, impeachment threats, and punitive bills against opposition members by the ruling party in 2023. However, such expectations are now evident for 2024.

“I think we will continue to see significant tensions in legislative bodies until we attend to the conditions of governments,” Ulibarri said.

In Tennessee, two Black Democrats were unprecedentedly expelled by Republican legislators, sparking national attention and charges of racism. Montana Republicans barred the state's first transgender lawmaker from participating in debates, while Oregon Democrats sought to ban 10 Republican lawmakers from re-election for a walkout protest.

Experts predict the bitter atmosphere, intensified by the presidential election year, will persist at the state level. In Wisconsin, Republicans, after a liberal Supreme Court justice's 11-point victory, have threatened impeachment, keeping tensions high.

GOP Assembly Speaker Robin Vos hasn't ruled out action against the justice or the top elections official in the upcoming session.

“We are seeing an era of partisan legislation,” Storey said, referring not only to policy, but to punitive measures as well.

“I think we’re going to be in that mode for some time longer.”