Rejoice, Minnesotans are one step closer to a whole new wave of serious burn injuries and unplanned fires. Whaaaaa? Yes, as Minnesota Public Radio reports , the Gopher State House passed legislation last week to legalize firecrackers, bottle rockets and...
The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio has filed a lawsuit against Secretary of State Jon Husted (R), alleging he is violating the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 by removing from the voter rolls tens of thousands of voters who haven’t...
According to Alaska Sen. President Kevin Meyer (R), he and his fellow lawmakers know “we need to do something and we need to do something major” about the state budget. The global collapse of oil prices has left the state with a multibillion...
HB 1947 Approved in PA The PENNSYLVANIA House approves HB 1947 , which would eliminate criminal statutes of limitation on child sex crimes and extend the window for victims of child sexual abuse to take civil actions to age 50. It moves to the Senate...
SB 2438 Signed in MS MISSISSIPPI Gov. Phil Bryant (R) signs SB 2438 , which requires all school superintendents to be appointed rather than elected (WREG.COM [MEMPHIS]).
NE Legislature Passes LB960 - Infrastructure Bank Bill NEBRASKA lawmakers approved a bill ( LB 960 ) allowing the state to use $400 million over the next 17 years from the gas tax increase approved by the Legislature last year and $50 million from...
SC Weighs Policing Capitol Demonstration Permits A SOUTH CAROLINA Senate panel has approved a bill ( SB 944 ) that would create a permitting process for demonstrations on Capitol grounds that would allow law enforcement officials to deny a permit if...
HB 4173 Signed in MA MASSACHUSETTS Gov. Charlie Baker (R) signs HB 4173 , which lifts the cap on private solar power projects eligible for net metering credits from 4 percent to 7 percent of peak electrical usage, and from 5 percent to 8 percent on...
Environment in HI - SB 2647 The HAWAII House endorses SB 2647 , which would ban almost all sales of products made from endangered animals such as elephants, whales, walruses and sharks. The measure, which makes exceptions for sales of products that...
PA Legislature Approves SB 3 The PENNSYLVANIA Senate and House each approve SB 3 , which would legalize medical marijuana use in the Keystone State. It moves to Gov. Tom Wolf (D), who has said he will sign it into law (FOX43.COM [PHILADELPHIA]). ...
NE Legislature Approves LB 947 The NEBRASKA Legislature approves LB 947 , a bill that would allow so-called “dreamers” – immigrants who entered the country illegally but were granted lawful status by the federal government –...
SB 1556 Approved in TN The TENNESSEE Senate gives final approval to SB 1556 , which would allow therapists to reject patients based on the counselors’ own religious beliefs. The measure moves to Gov. Bill Haslam (R) for consideration (JURIST...
SB 468 Approved in LA The LOUISIANA Senate approves SB 468 , which would require all exotic dancers in the Pelican State to be at least 21. The bill moves to the House (TIMES-PICAYUNE [NEW ORLEANS]). SB 5949 Signed in NY NEW YORK Gov. Andrew...
Is Wearable Tech Redefining the Role of Technology in our Lives? Wearable technology has come a long way since our first Walkman and its constant evolution is not only giving us more options for integrating technology into our daily living, it’s...
We’ve all seen what happens when due-diligence efforts fall short. In addition to tainting a company’s reputation, the bad actions of a third-party can lead to criminal investigations, hobbled business operations and hefty fines that impact...
Last week The Huffington Post and its Australian partner Fairfax Media published a bribery and corruption investigation into Monaco-based company Unaoil. The title of the article, ‘World’s Biggest Bribe Scandal’, may sound like journalistic...
Last week, the hottest cable show of 2016, at least according to Nielsen ratings , drew 6.2 million viewers for its finale. By the time the dust settles—in this case, when everyone who missed the mini-series finishes streaming the show on Hulu —more...
As we noted on the blog last week, the leak of more than 11.5 million files from offshore law firm Mossack Fonesca revealed a laundry list of compliance breaches—from tax dodges and money laundering to sheltering the assets of individuals and countries...
Having really, really lousy ideas is one thing; using terrible grammar is even worse. So says Missouri Rep. Tracy McCreery, a St. Louis-area Democrat who recently filed a resolution ( HR 1220 ) urging her colleagues to stop using the word “physical”...
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) vetoed a quartet of education bills last week, including one that would have required Old Dominion schools to notify parents of sexually explicit content in reading material assigned in classrooms. In a statement ...
In one of the most consequential cases of its current term, Evenwel v. Abbott , the U.S. Supreme Court voted unanimously last week to uphold the standard of one person, one vote in drawing election districts. Two Texas voters had argued that only eligible...
Aiming to grow its appeal to tourists and businesses, Rhode Island recently implemented a $5 million marketing campaign, including the hiring of a famous designer to come up with the new state logo and slogan. What could possibly go wrong? As noted in...
Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and John Kasich have all promised major tax cuts to stimulate the U.S. economy. Cruz’s plan, which includes a 10 percent flat income tax, would cost the federal treasury $768 billion but...
At least a dozen states have introduced legislation in 2016 related to out-of-state, or remote, sales taxes, according to LexisNexis State Net’s legislative tracking database. Most of the bills have been aimed at expanding the definition of a state...
The U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce. But with states missing out on billions of dollars in sales and use taxes from online and catalog purchases, and Congress unable to agree on a national framework, states...