As a politico, California Gov. Jerry Brown has always been a bit out of the mainstream. But now Brown is going off the grid for real. As the Sacramento Bee reports, Brown has submitted plans to build a house on his family ranch property near Colusa that will be powered exclusively by solar energy. And given the Golden State’s ever present issues with drought, the home will also be designed “so as not to use potable water.” Not that he and First Lady Anne Gust Brown will be surrendering all their comforts. Plans also call for a soaking tub and a high tech fireplace described as “an energy-efficient heating powerhouse.” Of course.
-- By RICH EHISEN
PR departments and agencies looking for great cross-promotional opportunities in the fall have an ace in the hole: In many parts of the world, it's the start of a new school year. The back-to-school experience is relevant across a huge range of geographic and cultural divisions, and with the right campaign, a promotion can turn this annual tradition into an attention-grabbing jumping-off point.
Becoming part of an overall conversation bring eyes to a company in an organic way, especially if the brand can come up with a hook that matches the rest of the coverage. In 2008, the year PR Week spotlighted, the focus was on brands lowering prices in the face of the oncoming recession
Every year and region will have a dominant tone to back-to-school coverage. Brands that keep a close watch on the media in their targeted markets will likely be able to place their stories more effectively and receive the type of coverage they're
after. Those with good media monitoring or media intelligence operations will be able to perform these actions more effectively.
One of the most exciting parts of back-to-school season from a PR perspective is that with the right angle, a huge variety of campaigns can get a boost from a tie-in. From the most obvious items to more ambitious options, anything can be the subject of an effective pitch. If you are monitoring trends and identifying hot topics, you can make your pitch highly relevant and timely. Here are a few examples from this year's crop, each spotlighting a different approach:
PR departments looking to launch the perfect back-to-school campaign will improve their effectiveness if they have a clear view of the rest of the industry. What kinds of messages are competitors sending? Which news sources put a special emphasis on the back-to-school season? What local micro-trends are particularly relevant in the regions they're targeting? Departments and agencies with effective media monitoring are able to answer these questions, then carefully monitor the reaction to and spread of their back-to-school campaigns.
It's up to leaders to decide whether their products can tie into the themes of back-to-school season. For an overwhelming number of companies, the answer will be a resounding yes with the right campaign. Once the choice has been made, it's simply a matter of choosing an angle and monitoring the results carefully. The annual ritual of the new school year can become a periodic way to grab headlines. Now, how do they keep the attention?
Last week, we noted in a blog post that local chapters of national nonprofits often give up to 40 percent of their revenue in order to leverage the name, logo and reputation of the parent organization. The national nonprofit may provide additional material support as well. But nonprofit chapters are typically on their own when it comes to reaching locally-determined goals and providing support within their own communities. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest challenges today and how to overcome them. Want to see what the future holds? Join our webinar this Thursday to learn how the fundraising landscape is evolving and what it means for you.
Nonprofit chapters have their work cut out for them. According to a Wild Apricot survey, nearly 62 percent of respondents reported that individual chapters are autonomous with little additional support from the national organization. You have a limited budget, limited staff, limited time. What—in addition to sheer determination—can help you overcome these challenges? Here are four tips:
As the saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” For nonprofit chapters, thinking creatively and arming yourself with cost-effective tools can help you overcome budget, staffing and time constraints to achieve your strategic fundraising goals.
Corruption was one of the main items on the agenda of the G20’s annual meeting, which took place in Hangzhou, China earlier this month. At the meeting of the 20 major global economies, an Anti-Corruption Action Plan for 2017/18 was agreed. New action plans have been introduced every two years since the establishment of the G20’s Anti-Corruption Working Group in 2010.The leaders committed to public sector contract transparency, to make it easier for countries to recover stolen assets, to increase inter-governmental cooperation on financial crime investigations, and to make it easier to identify the ultimate beneficial ownership of companies and assets. Get tips for managing beneficial ownership risk in our free webinar next week.
Perhaps the most significant commitment in the latest Action Plan is a pledge to increase transparency in how public bodies agree contracts and spend budgets. The G20 said that corruption leaves governments in the G20 with significant financial losses, noting that “governments spend around $9.5 trillion on public procurement yet corruption erodes between 20-25% of procurement budgets.” The G20 leaders pledged their support for legislative and institutional protection for whistleblowers. They suggested transparency could be increased in the public sector by strengthening anti-corruption authorities, using public-private partnerships, preventing conflicts of interest affecting public officials, and using open data.
This commitment to open data follows the agreement by attendees of the London Anti-Corruption Summit in May that public contracting should be “open by default”, so that citizens and businesses can access a publicly-available record of how government money is spent.
If G20 governments do implement these recommendations, it should it make it more difficult for corrupt public sector employees to accept bribes from companies undetected. So companies who benefit from government contracts should strengthen their compliance procedures to ensure the way they bid for and fulfil contracts is above board.
The G20 leaders also strengthened their commitment to work together to prevent, investigate and take enforcement action against corruption. In the Action Plan, they agreed to ‘take steps to improve cooperation between law enforcement and other relevant authorities within and between our countries’. The G20 countries committed to sharing best practice in the enforcement of financial crime, including the use of new technologies, to learn from each other, and to provide technical assistance to one another.
This statement is merely the latest evidence that governments and enforcement agencies are working increasingly closely together to investigate financial crime. At the London Anti-Corruption Summit in May, the UK announced the creation of a new International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre which will work on cross-border investigations with enforcement agencies in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland. At present, regulators in the US, UK and Australia are among those collaborating to investigate companies and individuals implicated in allegations of bribery by Unaoil to secure billions of dollars of government contracts in the Middle East and Africa.
In the past, some companies might have felt that if they paid bribes or hid assets in a foreign country, they could escape the attention of the regulator in their own country. But this statement of intent from the leaders of 20 of the world’s largest countries should reinforce the message that financial crimes committed overseas are more likely to be exposed than ever before.
At the meeting, the leaders endorsed the G20’s High Level Principles on Cooperation on Persons Sought for Corruption and Asset Recovery. These say that countries should increase their cooperation to recover assets and extradite persons sought for corruption, and make it harder for corrupt officials and those who corrupt them to be given “safe haven.”
This is a particular priority of the Chinese government, which has also set up something called the ‘Research Centre on International Cooperation Regarding Persons Sought for Corruption and Asset Recovery in G20 Member States’. It is significant that all G20 leaders have committed to helping to prosecute those who commit financial crime overseas but find a legal loophole to escape prosecution in that jurisdiction.
The G20’s latest Action Plan also committed to making public information about the ultimate beneficial ownership of companies. The leaders said they would “fully implement” the Financial Action Task Force’s Recommendations on Transparency and Beneficial Ownership of Legal Persons and the G20’s own High Level Principles on Beneficial Ownership Transparency. Both of these have previously been agreed by the G20 leaders but not implemented by every member country.
Transparency International points out that although G20 members France, the UK, South Africa, Indonesia and Australia are considering or have committed to establishing public registers of beneficial ownership, the rest of the G20 have not. It is true that while the G20 leaders may agree to policies or recommendations, it is not guaranteed that all member countries will implement them. But the fact that the leaders of 20 of the world’s leading economies have placed corruption high on their agenda should send a message to companies that their international business dealings should be conducted cleanly and honestly. Corruption is more likely than ever before to be noticed by national and international enforcement agencies, so companies risk heavy fines and equally heavy hits to their reputation. The G20 will release an implementation plan next month, which will include more detail on how these pledges should be implemented. The clock is ticking for companies to strengthen their due diligence processes.
This post was guest written by Courtney Resnicky, a senior at Wright State University.
The election season always brings “hot button” issues into the limelight, and this year is no different. Although many of the issues are universal, there are a select few that may have a larger impact on college-aged adults in the next four years. According to a “Hot topic” analysis conducted by the LexisNexis Newsdesk media monitoring, the 10 most common issues in the presidential election are: Immigration, Terrorism, Taxes, Racial Issues, Immigration, Gun Control, Energy & Oil, Education, Libya, and Abortion. The issues of Taxes, Terrorism, and Education seem most likely to have the largest impact on college-aged adults. Here is a simple breakdown of the candidates' stances:
Graduating and beginning a career is already a nerve-wracking experience and the inability to feel safe can make this trying time much worse. Terrorism is something that may lurk around us, but feeling protected from attacks will ease the mind of students during an often scary time in their lives. A nation living in fear is also much less likely to operate efficiently. Hillary Clinton’s strategy involves working with allies to target terror, fighting ISIS by supporting local forces, intensifying the air campaign, and pursuing a “diplomatic strategy aimed at resolving Syria’s civil war.” Donald Trump plans to combat terrorism by reopening Guantanamo Bay, increasing home-based defense spending while decreasing the part of the defense budget spent on foreign allies, increasing the size of the military, building safe zones in war-torn countries, and blocking the income supply for terrorist groups like ISIS.
College-aged adults are just starting out in the workplace. As they graduate and move out into the world over the next 4 years, taxes are going to be something that they will have to confront in nearly every aspect of their lives. Income tax and property tax are just two examples of taxes that will have a major impact on college-aged adults who are just starting their careers and buying their first homes. According to his website, Donald Trump plans to lower taxes overall, simplify income tax from “7 brackets to 3 brackets,” end “hidden taxes,” exclude childcare expenses from being taxed, repeal the estate tax, and make business taxation more “fair” by limiting business income tax to 15% while raising graduated taxes on hedge fund managers. Trump also plans to introduce a review on all tax regulations. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton’s stance on taxes is that “basic fairness” should be restored to the tax code by implementing a “fair share surcharge on multi-millionaires.” Additionally, Clinton wants to close Wall Street tax loopholes, provide tax relief to middle-class families with “excessive” health care costs, and simplify taxes for small businesses.
Education is clearly an issue already affecting college-aged adults. Access to higher education, the ability to pay for a degree, and the worth of the degree earned are all important topics in the education debate. America is a nation that wants to continue moving forward in the world, so it is necessary that we both ensure access to college and ensure that the education students earn at their institution provides the necessary experience for the increasingly competitive job market. The candidates have opposing views on the subject of Education. Donald Trump plans to reform education by ending the Common Core, make education a priority by encouraging competition, implement “comprehensive education” by encouraging a wide variety of subjects to be taught at all levels, and focus on life skills along with individualized curriculum. Trump also wants to stop the federal government from profiting off of student loans. Hillary Clinton would like to implement a program allowing students to refinance their student loans. Clinton plans to invest in K-12 education, provide every student an opportunity to learn computer science, and discourage “overly punitive disciplinary policies” in schools.
No matter who wins the election this November, they will be forced to confront some very hot topic issues when they begin their term in office. How they choose to handle the issues will affect all Americans. However, it is important to remember that college-age adults will be taking some huge steps in their lives over the next 4 years and the changes that take place once the new President is in office can largely influence their decisions about the future. As always, it will be important to listen to the views of each candidate so that we can be informed voters who have a say in the direction of our nation.
Co-authored by Kari Abitbol
Last week, LexisNexis teamed up with a prospect research duo from The Helen Brown Group for a webinar presentation featuring key insights about the current fundraising climate trends. Elizabeth Roma, assistant director of research, and Rachel Dakarian, research associate, shared tips for conducting effective donor research and how to identify and engage high-value prospects.
1. Megagifts & Philanthrocapitalism—megagifts, defined as charitable contributions of $100 million or more, are on the rise. 2015 saw 19 total megagifts, and three more were announced just this past week. As for philanthropcapitalism, the buzz word describes how donors are seeing less of a division between what they’re doing as professionals and what they’re doing as philanthropists. We’re seeing a new wave of integration between the for-profit financial sector and the non-profit sector.
2. Innovation vs. Institution—the monumental shift from believing in institutions to believing in innovation is a direct result of the new global elite—a Silicon Valley crowd of young, wealthy tech titans. Because this group is successful in business, they believe the same principles can be applied to philanthropy. Their idealism, optimism and faith in data guides their philanthropic approach.
3. Trends in Political Giving—using 2012 reports on donor research as a framework for 2016 forecasts, donors who gave to political campaigns gave 0.9% more to charitable organizations. Donors who did not give to political campaigns reduced their charitable giving by 2.1%. When conducting prospect research, try creating a list of political donors. If individuals have given at least $2,500 in their lifetime to political campaigns or organizations, then they are 14 times more likely to make a philanthropic donation.
4. Collaborative Philanthropy— younger philanthropists are increasingly looking to experts to advise them on their charitable giving options. Jeffrey Walker, a well-known thought leader in the non-profit sector, published an article talking about how the 21st century form of philanthropy uses leveraged funding to support innovative ideas, systems and technologies for integration into larger social systems. This potential to help drive large-scale systemic change is precisely why the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative was created—to help reform health care, education and other social problems that the U.S. government is unable or unwilling to address. If you pitch the idea of collaborative philanthropy to your advancement team, we’re quite confident you’ll be able to energize donors and find new prospects for your organization.
5. The Future of Philanthropy—the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative proved to be a cornerstone moment for philanthropy. When Mark Zuckerberg & Priscilla Chan announced their plan to commit $3 billion over the next 10 years to cure, prevent or manage all disease within our children’s lifetime, significant backlash resulted. The couple planned to invest 99% of Facebook stock, but created an LLC instead of putting it into a foundation because it allowed them more funding flexibility. People couldn’t—and still don’t—understand this form of charitable giving. The definition of philanthropy is beginning to change for donors, and we must ask ourselves, what does this hold for the future of philanthropy?
Since the dawn of the social media age, viral success has been a PR goal. The idea of scoring maximum coverage for little outlay is often too exciting to pass up. But that doesn't mean companies should chase this goal recklessly. There are a huge number of risks, and campaigns designed for viral sharing often fail or worse backfire. Actually getting brand content to spread organically requires a little luck - and a careful grasp of the media.
Viral success doesn't spring up out of thin air. The sharing and spread of stories are spearheaded by well-connected personalities, and PR decisions are increasingly involving these influencers. Forbes contributor John Hall recently explained that in 2017 and beyond, organizations will be able to find and keep track of the influential voices in their particular fields. By doing so, they can decide where to focus their efforts.
Getting content to draw viral attention is not a one-step process. As such, PR departments' tactic of choice is often trial and error. Media intelligence makes learning through trial and error possible, with mentions and attribution checked in real time. One campaign that draws some attention can lead to another that specifically targets the main influencers who emerge. Hall specified that once PR professionals have detailed knowledge about how information spreads, they have a much better chance of achieving viral status.
When it comes to viral success and failure, avoiding the latter may be more important than achieving the former. Well-informed PR teams with strong media intelligence components will be able to adeptly avoid failures, while others may stumble.
The Financial Post recently shared an example that all companies should take to heart: A mining company made a crass attempt to achieve viral shares by having bikini-clad models recite facts about the industry. Instead of being shared enthusiastically, the piece drew serious condemnation for what the news source called "a tone-deaf effort to appeal to customers in a traditionally male-dominated industry."
The mining company's loss can be our gain, as The Financial Post gave a few important takeaways from the situation:
Taking the above lessons to heart may bring about immediate and positive PR change. Companies going for a quick burst of sharing and coverage stand to end up with negative mentions that refuse to fade over time. This is the difference between creating content that goes viral - a good thing - and generating media for the sole purpose of going viral - a risky and negative endeavor.
Ragan's PR Daily made a point to explain that there is a serious lack of specificity in today's PR field about what exactly it means to go viral. The term is vague, and it can be hard to tell what companies want when they explain they are interested in creating a viral hit. This kind of communication vacuum can lead to PR disasters like the one mentioned above, in which hastily made assets draw ire.
In the end, the kind of viral hits, which are bottled-lightning moments when individuals spend one exciting minute in the social media spotlight, cannot be planned by brands. Don't lose hope. Well-crafted public relations backed by media monitoring and shared with a targeted list of influencers can produce wide reach for content. While it is more methodical and may seem less impromptu, this approach is very effective.
Organizations attempting to "break the internet"--or adding the latest slang term to their communications--may seem woefully out of touch in a hurry. Real reach and influence tend to be more about good content and smart distribution than quick and dirty moves outside the company's comfort zone.
Twenty-one states have passed laws governing public access to police body camera footage, according to CNN and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. A few of those measures, including North Carolina HB 972, were signed into law in the last few months. Legislation concerning access to body camera footage is also pending in another 13 states.
Source: CNN, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Twenty-one predominantly Republican-governed states have filed a federal lawsuit challenging a new Obama administration rule extending mandatory overtime pay to millions of American workers. The rule, which was finalized in May and takes effect in December, mandates that employers pay salaried workers making less than $47,500 per year - roughly twice the current level of $23,660 - for the overtime they work. The U.S. Labor Department estimates the change will increase the pay of 4.2 million workers. But state officials say it will force layoffs and budget cuts.
“Once again, President Obama is trying to unilaterally rewrite the law,” said a statement from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), who is spearheading the lawsuit along with Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt (R). “And this time, it may lead to disastrous consequences for our economy.”
U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez (D) countered with a statement saying the rule had “sound legal and policy footing” and the “partisan lawsuits” sought “to prevent the Obama administration from making sure a long day’s work is rewarded with fair pay.” The statement noted that only 7 percent of full-time salaried workers currently receive overtime protection, compared to 62 percent who did in 1975.
“I look forward to vigorously defending our efforts to give more hardworking people a meaningful chance to get by,” the statement concluded.
Paxton and previous Texas AG, current Gov. Greg Abbott (R), have challenged other past Obama administration initiatives, including a plan to shield certain undocumented immigrants relief from deportation. The other states involved in the current lawsuit along with that state and Nevada are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin (WASHINGTON POST, NATIONAL REVIEW, REUTERS, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR)
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback’s (R) economic advisory council is no longer compiling the quarterly review of economic markers handpicked by the administration as an accountability check for its economic policies.
“A lot of people found them helpful, but a lot of people were confused by them,” said Nicole Randall, a spokeswoman for the state’s Department of Commerce, which staffs Brownback’s Council of Economic Advisors.
The council had already suspended publication of the “Indicators of the Kansas Economy” during Brownback’s 2014 reelection campaign, but the report was still available upon request. The council will now reportedly rely on a report from the U.S. Federal Reserve.
“It includes similar aspects, including an independent and in-depth look at the state, region and national economic statistics that impact Kansas,” said Randall.
Brownback said: “Economic competitiveness requires a detailed understanding of regional, national and international economic conditions and trends.”
But Heidi Holliday, executive director of the nonprofit Kansas Center for Economic Growth, which has advocated for tax policies contrary to those backed by the Brownback administration, said the real reason for the termination of the council’s report was to avoid a regular public reminder of the failure of the governor’s plan to stimulate the economy by exempting over 300,000 Kansas businesses from the income tax and cutting individual income tax rates.
“He specifically asked the council to hold him accountable through rigorous performance metrics,” Holliday said of Brownback. “Five years later, the metrics clearly show his tax experiment has failed while business leaders and local chambers of commerce across the state openly ask him to change course.”
House Minority Leader Tom Burroughs (D), likewise, said: “The missed revenue marks, missed job reports, missed projections shed light on his failed policies. He added, “I kind of find it a little ironic they chose to go to a federal government report after they blamed President Obama for our economic problems.” (TOPEKA CAPITAL-JOURNAL)
A law on the books in Kansas requires the state to end each year with a budget balance equal to 7.5 percent of expenditures as a cushion against revenue fluctuations. But the state’s lawmakers often ignore that law. In fact, the state began the current fiscal year with a projected ending balance of only $5 million, 0.1 percent of spending. And publications issued by the governor’s budget office show that lawmakers suspended the law every year between 2003 to 2012, although in several of those years the state’s year-end balance ended up meeting the 7.5-percent requirement.
But Rep. Dan Hawkins (R), who sits on the state’s House Appropriations Committee, said the requirement should possibly be made into a constitutional amendment to restrict the Legislature from suspending it whenever it’s convenient.
“Well, just think about it. As long as it’s just a statute, no Legislature can ever bind another Legislature,” he said. “I think that would be a good thing to toss out next year. I’ve got to think the people of Kansas would support that. I can’t imagine the people of Kansas not supporting that.”
If that proposal does come next year, it is likely to be part of a larger discussion of the state’s fiscal policies, with many business leaders and legislative candidates calling for a change of course from the policies of Gov. Sam Brownback (R). (TOPEKA CAPITAL-JOURNAL)
A special legislative committee in RHODE ISLAND tasked with recommending budget cuts is reportedly focusing on public assistance programs like Medicaid and food stamps. The Joint Committee on Government Accountability Transparency and Efficiency is expected to make its recommendations - which could include over $100 million in cuts - by the start of the state’s next legislative session in February. (CHARLESTON GAZETTE-MAIL)
WISCONSIN local governments face unfunded pension liabilities of at least $6.5 billion over the next generation, with the state’s largest county, Milwaukee, accounting for more than $4.7 billion of that sum, according to an investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL)
Former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling and three other principals of the failed video game company 38 Studios have agreed to a $2.5 million settlement of a lawsuit brought by RHODE ISLAND after the company, which received $75 million in public financing from the state, filed for bankruptcy in 2012. The money will actually be paid by 38 Studios’ insurer Starr Indemnity and Liability Co. (BOSTON GLOBE)
-- Compiled by KOREY CLARK
Voter ID laws have drawn a lot of attention in recent years, but “motor voter” laws could have a much bigger impact on elections, given that at least 35 million eligible voters are not registered.
“Registration is one of the biggest barriers to voting,” said Jonathan Brater of the Brennan Center for Justice. “Every election, thousands of people go to the polls and can’t vote because of complications with registration.”
The federal Motor Voter Act, which took effect in 1995, requires states to offer to register anyone seeking a driver’s license or public assistance who is eligible to vote. Oregon became the first state to implement a motor voter program, in 2015. Since then the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles has automatically transferred the names and addresses of eligible voters to the Secretary of State’s Office, which in turn has mailed forms to the unregistered voters, giving them the option of registering as a member of a particular political party or opting out. Those who haven’t responded to the mailing - which actually make up about 80 percent of the total - have been registered as unaffiliated voters. Still the state has added over 200,000 people to its voter rolls, nearly a 10 percent increase.
In most other states, however, motor voter hasn’t lived up to its potential, partly because it hasn’t been made a priority or has been openly resisted. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) vetoed an automatic voter registration bill in his state in August out of concern that tying registration to driver’s licenses, which can be obtained by those who aren’t U.S. citizens, could make the registration process vulnerable to fraud. Others contend that individuals who don’t actively register are unlikely to actually go to the polls.
Brater of the Brennan Center, however, said automatic voter registration could actually make elections less susceptible to fraud than they already are.
“If done right, automatic voter registration increases election integrity because you’re only going to be registering people who have shown they’re eligible to another agency,” he said.
And contrary to the contention that automatically registered voters won’t vote, nearly 20 percent of those automatically registered in Oregon, who receive reminders about upcoming elections, turned out for the state’s primary this year.
Delaware also offers an attractive alternative for states considering automatic voter registration. It simply asks visitors to DMV offices if they’d like to register to vote and directs those who do to attest to their eligibility and choose their party affiliation.
“They’re always presented with the choice, which in my way of thinking is better because they have the option to opt out right there,” said Elaine Manlove, the state’s election commissioner. “We get the declination, or we get the party and when they leave there they are finished. They get their card in the mail the next day.”
Manlove said the system is cheaper than Oregon’s too because it involves fewer mailings. (STATELINE.ORG)
Amid growing concern about the prospect of hackers breaching America’s voting systems, President Obama’s homeland security adviser Lisa Monaco said at a Justice Department event last month that it would be difficult for hackers to actually alter the outcome of an election because U.S. election systems generally aren’t connected to the Internet and are operated by multiple state and local governments.
“That makes it extremely disparate, extremely diffuse and, as a consequence, extremely difficult to have an effect across the board that would result in a change in results,” she said.
She said the bigger worry is that hackers might create “concern or confusion” about the voting process.
“The efforts of malicious actors to intrude upon voter registration databases and other elements of our critical infrastructure, as well as our voting infrastructure” are still a concern, she said.
To address that concern she said the federal government is providing states with tools -- including the ability to scan for and patch vulnerabilities -- and best practices, such as encrypting voter registration data. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Back on March 24, Flint, Michigan mayor Karen Weaver served notice that the city might file a lawsuit against the state over the lead contamination of the city’s water supply. Weaver and other city officials reportedly had no immediate plans to sue the state but were seeking to maintain the right to do so, which they would forfeit if they failed to file notice of a possible lawsuit within 180 days from the time they became aware of a potential claim, with March 24th being the 180th day.
But state officials, who were working on a $165-million state aid package for Flint at the time, and had already approved about $67 million for the city, were infuriated by the notice.
House Speaker Kevin Cotter (R) said “a reckless lawsuit could throw the state budget into disarray and undermine everything we’ve done for the city.”
So a few days after the city filed its notice, the state, acting through the Receivership Transition Advisory Board overseeing several aspects of the city’s government, changed the rules under which the city is governed to bar it from filing a lawsuit without the board’s approval.
Weaver said she hoped the state’s action was an indication of its “intent to ensure the City of Flint is indemnified for any and all debts and obligations imposed upon the city while under state control,” adding that she would “continue to do everything within my power to safeguard the city.” (DETROIT FREE PRESS)
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that OHIO’s purge of inactive voters from its voting rolls violates federal law, reversing a lower court’s decision. The case now returns to that court for further proceedings. (CLEVELAND.COM)
U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland ruled that NORTH DAKOTA has to allow voters without proper identification to cast a ballot after filing an affidavit attesting to their eligibility to vote. The ruling came in connection with a challenge to the state’s voter ID law by a group of Native Americans. (BISMARCK TRIBUNE)
U.S. District Court Judge Douglas Rayes denied a request by Democrats to suspend an ARIZONA law essentially barring anyone other than a member of a voter’s household from submitting their ballot at the polls, ruling that the Democrats failed to demonstrate the law would disproportionately affect minority voters. (REPUBLIC [PHOENIX])
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) joined with former Gov. Jim McGreevey (D) to announce a series of new or expanded programs designed to help ease the Garden State’s ongoing opioid addiction crisis. Those measures include an emergency order issued by state Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino (R) that bans the manufacture, distribution, sale, and possession of seven fentanyl “knockoffs” – substitutes for the powerful opioid that help sellers get around New Jersey’s ban on fentanyl – and the expansion of the state’s Recovery Coach Program, which uses ex-addicts to help guide those who survive an overdose into rehabilitation and detox programs.
Under Porrino’s order, violators of the substitute fentanyl bans face up to five years in jail and a $25,000 fine. Christie said his administration has also reached a deal with the makers of the overdose antidote drug naloxone that cuts the cost of the medication by granting rebates to police departments and other first responders who carry it.
The announcement came a day after the Senate Health Committee endorsed SB 1026, which would align penalties for illegal fentanyl use with those of cocaine and heroin. Under that measure, fentanyl possession could lead to a $500,000 fine and 10 to 20 years in prison. (NJSPOTLIGHT, NORTHJERSEY.COM, STAR-LEDGER [NEWARK]).
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) issued an executive order last month (EO 569) that orders his administration by next spring to develop and implement a statewide plan for specific annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions. The order directs the state Department of Environmental Protection to consider emissions limits for a range of sectors, including transportation, and to outline rules to ensure the state meets carbon reduction targets under the state’s 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act. That law requires the state to cut its GHG emissions 25 percent, to 1990 levels, by 2020.
The order also commits the Baker administration to working on the development of “regional policies to reduce transportation sector emissions.” In a statement, Baker said the burgeoning threat of global climate change gives a sense of urgency to mitigation efforts.
“From historic droughts...to the winter of 2015...and coastal and inland flooding, climate change threatens our environment, our residents, our communities, and our economy,” said Baker. “This executive order signals our continuing commitment to combatting and preparing...for climate change impacts across state government and in our communities.”
Baker’s order also requires each Bay State executive office in state government to name a climate change coordinator charged with assessing that agency’s critical infrastructure vulnerability and assisting with adaptation and mitigation efforts across state government. It further directs state energy, environmental and public safety offices to coordinate assistance to cities and towns. (STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE [BOSTON], BOSTON GLOBE)
Citing “a public health crisis the likes of which we have not before seen,” PENNSYLVANIA Gov. Tom Wolf (D) addressed a rare joint session of the legislature last week to urge them to take action on several pending bills aimed at addressing the Keystone State’s ongoing opioid addiction crisis. Wolf urged lawmakers to send him the measures before the two-year session ends on Nov. 30, saying “We must act now. Many Pennsylvania families are counting on us.” (MORNING CALL, PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE)
OHIO Gov. John Kasich (R) has reiterated a vow to veto any bills sent to him that change the state’s current standards for renewable energy and energy efficiency. Kasich has called the standards, first adopted in 2008, “unrealistic” but says he is committed to keeping them intact. (COLUMBUS DISPATCH)
A KENTUCKY Superior Court Judge ruled last week that Gov. Matt Bevin (R) exceeded his authority earlier this year when he ordered the University of Louisville to abolish its board of trustees and for then-president James Ramsey to resign. Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd ruled last Wednesday that public universities are outside the scope of the governor’s reorganization powers and university board members can’t be removed without cause or due process. As of press time Bevin had not indicated if he would appeal the decision. (STATE JOURNAL [FRANKFORT], LEXINGTON COURIER-JOURNAL).
-- Compiled by RICH EHISEN
CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signs AB 2844, which bars the state from doing business with companies that boycott Israel or other sovereign nations. The law applies to companies that have contracts worth $100,000 or more (LEXISNEXIS STATE NET).
Also in CALIFORNIA, Gov. Brown signs SB 1234, which will establish a state-sponsored retirement savings plan for the seven million Golden State workers who do not have access to one through their employer. Workers will automatically be enrolled, but may opt out if they choose. Employers may also contribute but are not required to do so (CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S OFFICE).
Staying in CALIFORNIA, Gov. Brown signs AB 1289, a bill that requires transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft to complete comprehensive criminal background checks for their drivers. The measure also bars TNCs from contracting with, employing or continuing to retain a driver if he or she is a registered sex offender or has been convicted of any violent crime, assault, domestic violence, or DUI (LEXISNEXIS STATE NET).
Finally, Brown also signs SB 819, which makes CALIFORNIA the 34th to ban or restrict the manufacture, sale or distribution of powdered alcohol products. Violators face the loss of their liquor license (LEXISNEXIS STATE NET).
The MASSACHUSETTS Supreme Judicial Court orders Bay State courts to consider whether a black person who walks away from a police officer is attempting to avoid the “recurring indignity of being racially profiled” and not doing so because the person is guilty of a crime. The court referred specifically to data that showed African-Americans are more likely to be stopped by police than other cultural groups (BOSTON GLOBE).
CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signs SB 869, a bill that requires anyone leaving a handgun in a vehicle – including police – to keep it locked in the trunk or in a locked container out of plain sight, or face a $1,000 fine (CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S OFFICE).
Also in CALIFORNIA, Gov. Brown signs SB 823, which allows human trafficking victims charged or convicted of non-violent crimes committed during their captivity to request to have those charges removed from their record (LEXISNEXIS STATE NET).
Staying in CALIFORNIA, Brown signs SB 1036, which makes it a crime to possess, sell, transport, or manufacture analogs of a synthetic cannabinoid compound, which are often sold under names like “spice.” The law takes effect Jan. 1 2017 (LEXISNEXIS STATE NET).
CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) vetoes AB 1594, which would have barred all tobacco and e-cigarette products from California State University and community college campuses. Brown said colleges are capable of making their own policies (CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S OFFICE).
Also in CALIFORNIA, Gov. Brown signs AB 1719, which requires Golden State high school health class curriculum to include training in CPR and automated External Defibrillator awareness (CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S OFFICE).
CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signs AB 1110, which requires energy retailers to reveal the greenhouse gas emissions of the products they sell (LEXISNEXIS STATE NET).
Also in CALIFORNIA, Brown signs AB 2800, which will create a working group comprised of state professional engineers, architects and climate scientists to develop recommendations for best practices to integrate the effects of climate change into state infrastructure design and construction (UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS).
CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signs SB 999, a bill that requires public and private health plans to cover and dispense hormonal birth control for up to 12 months (LEXISNEXIS STATE NET).
Also in CALIFORNIA, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signs so-called “right-to-try” legislation (AB 1668) that allows terminally ill patients the possibility of trying medications not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S OFFICE).
Again in CALIFORNIA, Gov. Brown signs AB 72, which requires doctors to bill patients at in-network rates or 125 percent of the Medicare rate if a patient inadvertently receives care from an out-of-network physician, such as an assisting surgeon or anesthesiologist. The law will also create an independent review board to resolve disputes between patients, insurers and health care providers (LEXISNEXIS STATE NET).
Brown also signs SB 908, which requires CALIFORNIA health insurers to notify patients of premium rate changes deemed unreasonable by state regulators (SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE).
MICHIGAN Gov. Rick Snyder (R) signs a trio of bills that reform medical marijuana regulation: HB 4209, which regulates the growth, processing, transport and provisioning of medical marijuana; HB 4210, which allows for the manufacture and use of marijuana-infused edible products by qualified patients; and HB 4827, which creates a “seed-to-sale” tracking system for all medical marijuana products (MLIVE.COM).
CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signs SB 1139, which bars the denial of applicants to Golden State medical schools based solely on their immigration status. The law also ensures that all medical students are eligible to apply for scholarships, regardless of their citizenship status (LEXISNEXIS STATE NET).