The United Stated Supreme Court declines to hear an appeal from NORTH CAROLINA officials seeking to revive a Tar Heel State law that required doctors to perform ultrasounds, display the resulting sonograms and describe the fetuses to women seeking abortions. A federal appeals court had previously ruled the law unconstitutional (NEW YORK TIMES).
The NEW YORK Senate approves SB 5154, which would create a legal process where adult children of ill or dying parents could petition the court if they feel they are unreasonably being denied visitation and require guardians to notify adult children and other close relatives if the elderly individual enters the hospital or dies. The measure returned to the Assembly (CNYCENTRAL.COM [NEW YORK]).
The MAINE House approves SB 452, so-called “death with dignity” legislation which would allow doctors to prescribe terminally ill patients drugs to end their life. The measure failed in the Senate before passing in the House, so it returns to the Senate for another vote (PORTLAND PRESS HERALD). Still in MAINE, both chambers reject HB 653, which would have added people who choose not to vaccinate their kids to the state’s list of those protected from discrimination based on race, creed, religion and sexual orientation (BANGOR DAILY NEWS).
The U.S. Supreme Court rules that TEXAS did not violate the First Amendment by refusing to allow the issuing of specialty license plates bearing the Confederate battle flag. The High Court ruled that such plates are the government’s speech and are thus immune from First Amendment attacks (NEW YORK TIMES). * TEXAS Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signs HB 910, which allows Texans with concealed carry weapons permits to carry their guns out in the open as long as they are in a waist or shoulder harness (TEXAS TRIBUNE).
-- Compiled by RICH EHISEN
Earlier this year, the Canadian Fair Trade Network (CFTN) and ReThink Communications launched a campaign designed to increase awareness of sweatshop issues in the apparel and textile industries. Called “The Label Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story,” campaign, it highlights the plights of workers—often young children—subjected to horrific conditions so that big brand stores can carry budget-friendly fashions for retail consumers. CFTN is not alone in its efforts to shine a spotlight on the ugly truth of human trafficking. Recently, California passed the Transparency in Supply Chains Act, requiring companies that do business in the state to disclose how they are identifying and addressing human trafficking and slavery risk along their product supply chains. With growing attention on this issue, having an enhanced due-diligence process and supplier-monitoring program to help mitigate compliance, financial and reputational risk is more important than ever.
One photograph from the CFTN campaign shows a label sewn into a cheerful, yellow cable-knit sweater. The label reads:
“Made in Cambodia by Behnly, nine years old. He gets up at 5 AM every morning to make his way to the garment factory where he works. It will be dark when he arrives and dark when he leaves. He dresses lightly because the temperature in the room he works reaches 30 degrees [86 degrees Fahrenheit]. The dust in the room fills his nose and mouth. He will make less than a dollar, for a day spent slowly suffocating. A mask would cost the company ten cents. The label doesn’t tell the whole story.”
News headlines occasionally tell the story, as when 114 workers died in a Bangladeshi garment factory fire and then months later, more than 1,130 died in when another Bangladeshi garment factory building collapsed. More often, however, tragedies do not take center stage. With approximately 3,300 active garment factories in Bangladesh, many of which operate in sub-standard conditions, international labor advocates estimate that nearly 800 people were injured in unreported fires in just one year. And those are just examples from one country. How can companies minimize exposure to such risks without better visibility into all of the players along their supply chain?
Special Assistant Attorney General for California, Jeff Tsai, emphasizes the law is an opportunity for the government and industry to work together to defeat a problem. “We don’t want to play a game of gotcha.” Instead, he says, the law respects companies’ needs to protect trade secrets, allowing them to “make disclosures that fit their business model.” To be clear, however, he said the state attorney’s office expects companies to comply and will go after those that do not.
Like many other human trafficking regulations in place around the world, the California law seeks to understand whether companies are:
A patchwork due-diligence program could leave companies vulnerable—and not just those companies in the fashion industry. Risk factors ranging from political instability to environmental issues impact global supply chains across a wide range of industries. Is your current process a good fit for your risk level?
As of this month, 18 states have now passed legislation banning the sale of powdered alcohol, or Palcohol. Liquor control authorities have imposed Palcohol bans in two other states: Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. And although Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) vetoed a Palcohol ban in April, restrictions on the substance have cleared at least one legislative chamber in five states and are awaiting gubernatorial action in six others.
Source: National Conference of State Legislature, LexisNexis State Net
Legend:
Palcohol banned: Alabama, Alaska, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland*, Minnesota*, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina*, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Pennsylvania**, Massachusetts**
Palcohol restrictions awaiting gubernatorial action: Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon
Restrictions passed one chamber: Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, Rhode Island
Restrictions vetoed: Arizona
* Temporary one-year ban
** Ban imposed by state liquor licensing authority
We’re almost halfway through calendar year 2015 and two-thirds of state legislatures are done for the year. But with big issues percolating in the 16 states still in regular session and the NBA Finals in full swing, it seems like a good time for the legislative version of what former Boston Celtic Danny Ainge liked to call a “heat check” – a rough attempt at seeing what’s hot and isn’t.
With budget woes not dominating the landscape as much as in years past, expert observers like Tim Storey of the National Conference of State Legislature (NCSL) says there have been few truly dominant themes across statehouses to date.
“I think the theme so far is that there has been no real theme,” Storey says.
There have, however, been issues – some expected and others less so – that have sparked their share of passion in a wide number of statehouses. One topic still gaining traction has been Common Core, the controversial 2009 education standards initiative first fostered by the National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers to identify and develop a common set of core standards in math and English that every U.S. high school graduate would need to master in order to enter college or start a career. First lauded by a wide collection of people on both sides of the aisle, 46 states – all but Texas, Alaska, Virginia and Nebraska - quickly signed on. But Common Core has since come under intense criticism from a loud chorus of mostly conservative opponents, who see it as a top-down, one-size-fits-all federal intervention into what should be solely in the purview of states and local school boards.
So far this year Tennessee and Missouri have opted out of using the standards, joining Oklahoma, South Carolina and Indiana as previous Common Core supporters that have now chosen to leave the initiative. North Carolina and Maine, meanwhile, are moving ahead with implementation but are also reviewing the standards with the idea of possibly opting out in the near future. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) made leaving Common Core one of his primary agenda items this year as well, but in the face of intense resistance from state education officials he had to settle for a compromise that calls for the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to review and possibly change those standards at some point.
In contrast, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) says 39 states are moving ahead with implementing the Common Core Standards.
So-called “right-to-try” legislation has also been a hot issue in numerous statehouses. According to NCSL, at least 18 states have already adopted laws that allow terminally ill people to access experimental drugs not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a means of last resort in their treatment. According to LexisNexis State Net, another 21 are considering similar measures (see “More States Ponder Bills to Let Terminally Ill Try Experimental Meds” in the March 20, 2015 SNCJ http://bit.ly/1MUYo08). Whether the measures actually help the people they are intended to benefit remains unclear. There is nothing in any of the bills that forces drug companies to supply experimental drugs, and there would appear to be little or no financial benefit for them to do so.
One of the more unexpected bill trends has focused on the regulation of a new product called Palcohol, a powdered form of alcohol approved by federal officials earlier this year. According to NCSL, at least 39 states have introduced powdered alcohol-related bills this year, and to date, governors in 18 states have signed legislation to define and regulate the product (See “States Rush to Regulate Powdered Alcohol” in the May 1 SNCJ http://bit.ly/1JMWIqW). Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) is so far the only governor to veto such a measure, nixing HB 2178 on April 14. Meanwhile, measures are awaiting gubernatorial action in several states (see Bird’s eye view). Legislation has also passed through at least one chamber in several more statehouses.
Another unanticipated issue developed in March after a measles outbreak that started in the Disneyland theme park in California spread to at least nine states and Canada. In response, lawmakers in at least a dozen states introduced vaccination-related bills, including several to do away with personal belief exemptions some parents use to avoid vaccinating their children against diseases like measles, whooping cough and polio. That drew a ferocious response from vaccination opponents, who contend vaccinating their kids should be their choice.
Most of the measures ultimately failed. Vaccination supporters found success, however, in Vermont, where Gov. Pete Shumlin (D) signed HB 98 - a measure that removes the state’s personal belief exemption – into law on May 15. The measure sparked emotional debate throughout the process from both bill supporters and anti-vaccination opponents, many of whom argued that their children had been harmed by vaccines. Many also cited another state law that requires parents to review educational material before claiming the philosophical exemption, which lawmakers adopted three years ago in the hope it would inspire more parents to vaccinate their kids. But to date that has not happened. According to the Vermont State Health Department, only 88 percent of all kids entering kindergarten in the Green Mountain State have been fully vaccinated, something Shumlin noted in his signing statement.
“Vaccines work and parents should get their kids vaccinated,” Shumlin said. “I know there are strong feelings on both sides of this issue. I wish the legislation passed three years ago had worked to sufficiently increase vaccination rates. However we’re not where we need to be to protect our kids from dangerous diseases, and I hope this legislation will have the effect of increasing vaccination rates.”
Another highly-charged measure that would do away with philosophical exemptions, SB 277, is also on its way to the Assembly floor in California after being endorsed last Tuesday by the Assembly Health Committee. The bill has drawn hordes of often-rowdy protestors to the Capitol, many of whom have traveled from across the state to voice their dissent as the bill has wound its way through the Legislature. The atmosphere has at times become ugly: the bill’s authors, Sens. Ben Allen and Richard Pan, both Democrats, have received threats deemed legitimate enough to be granted extra security.
Given the wide support for the measure among the majority Democrats in both chambers, it appears likely SB 277 will eventually make its way to Gov. Jerry Brown’s (D) desk. Brown has said he will consider the bill, but has not indicated if he will sign it. But for those looking to read the political tea leaves, Dana Williamson, one of Brown’s top aides, testified in favor of the bill before the Health Committee last week.
-- By RICH EHISEN
Silicon Valley entrepreneur and political gadfly Tim Draper may have bombed with his ballot measure to split California into six separate states, but that ignominious defeat hasn’t slowed him down. Draper’s new thing is something he calls the “Fix California Challenge” in which he solicits ideas for “innovative” ways to “solve the governance problems in California.” Okay – every government could run better for sure. What have you come up with there, Timmy? Alas, the usual anti-government hooting: deregulate everything (ask any one of us who was here in 2000 – like ousted Gov. Gray Davis – how well deregulating electricity worked out), beating up on state workers and welfare recipients, and a wide plethora of water supply ideas/fantasies. And of course, ferrets. Yes, ferrets. To date, 33 people have said the way to fix the Golden State is to legalize owning ferrets. Our personal favorite, however, is one that would ban two-year cell phone contracts. Finally, something useful!
The OREGON Senate approves SB 454, a bill that would require all Beaver State businesses with 10 or more employees to offer workers at least five days of paid sick leave each year. It moves to the House (PORTLAND OREGONIAN).
VERMONT Gov. Pete Shumlin (D) signs SB 73, which caps the markup rent-to-own companies may place on their products. The law also requires retailers to inform consumers when a product has been previously used and to discount that item by at least 10 percent. The law takes effect on September 1 (LEXISNEXIS STATE NET).
Things are getting ugly in Maine, where lawmakers overturned a flurry of vetoes by Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R), who has vowed to block every bill sponsored by a Democrat until the Legislature approves his proposed constitutional amendment that would allow voters to decide whether to repeal the state’s income tax.
“As promised, I am vetoing all bills sponsored by Democrats because they have stifled the voice of Maine citizens by preventing them from voting on the elimination of the income tax,” he wrote in a message assigned to each veto.
But lawmakers didn’t take the governor’s actions lying down. On Tuesday, the House and Senate overwhelmingly overrode nine of 10 vetoes, with four of the overrides coming via unanimous votes in each chamber. The GOP-controlled Senate was even more emphatic, voting 35-0 on eight of the measures. The entire Senate veto session took only 20 minutes.
LePage was hardly discouraged: on Wednesday he sent three more vetoes to the House, two sponsored by Democrats and the third authored by Senate Majority Leader Garret Mason (R). LePage has vetoed at least 42 bills since the beginning of the 2015 session, with approximately 400 more bills still in the legislative process. Lawmakers have now overridden 14 of those vetoes so far. The unofficial record for having vetoes overturned during a single term in office belongs to former Gov. James Longley, an Independent who served from 1975 to 1979. He saw 64 of his vetoes overridden in that time.
House Majority Leader Jeff McCabe said LePage is well known for being vindictive, but called his latest behavior “tiring” and said it was clearly intended to drive a wedge between the parties. The bipartisan rejection of so many of those vetoes, he said, shows the governor’s plan won’t work.
“It’s a great example that people weren’t sent here to be partisan, they were sent here to set good policy,” McCabe said. “Those votes [Tuesday] showed that Republicans were not going to fall in line with the governor by penalizing Democrats for not following his agenda.” (BANGOR DAILY NEWS, SUN JOURNAL [LEWISTON], PORTLAND PRESS HERALD)
The website of Arizona’s Department of Weights and Measures was hacked this month by a group calling itself the Middle East Cyber Army (MECA). The agency, which ensures the accuracy of various meters and scales, as well as licenses vehicles for hire, didn’t find any evidence sensitive data had been accessed and had a backup system in place to protect ongoing business, according to its director, Andy Tobin. But he said that when he logged into the site last week, he saw the image of an exploding city.
“There were flames blowing and a city coming down,” he said.
The Department of Administration, meanwhile, reported that no other state-run websites had been hacked. But the site of Art and Sol, a private Scottsdale-based organization that produces children’s musical performances was also hacked by MECA. (ARIZONA REPUBLIC [PHOENIX])
Politics definitely makes for some odd bedfellows. Case in point comes to us today via Billboard magazine, which this month features an op-ed piece from buttoned down New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the sartorially outrageous pop star Lady Gaga in support of the gov’s proposal to make the state’s laws regarding campus sexual assault at public colleges and universities also apply at private institutions. It is not Gaga’s first brush with gubernatorial machinations. Last year, she filmed a PSA promoting water conservation in exchange for being allowed to shoot a music video at the historic Hearst Castle on the California coast. That earned her a personal thank you note from Gov. Jerry Brown, who some might recall has had some previous experience with famous female pop stars.
A bill introduced last week in California would overhaul Proposition 13 -- the landmark property tax limit initiative approved by the state’s voters in 1978 -- to allow regular reassessments of commercial and industrial properties. Currently such properties are only reassessed when there’s a change of ownership, so the bill (SCA 3) would ensure they are taxed at closer to their current market value.
Despite the fact that residential and agricultural property would not be impacted by SCA 5 and that supporters say the measure would generate $9 billion for schools and local governments, it faces an uphill battle for passage. First, it would require a two-thirds vote in both chambers of the state Legislature, meaning it would need at least a few votes from tax-averse Republicans. The bill’s authors, Sens. Loni Hancock (D) and Holly Mitchell (D), hope to achieve that through “member-by-member conversations,” according to Hancock.
“That is the only way that we’re going to do it,” she added.
Another Prop. 13-reform measure, which would have limited the ability of businesses to divide up property ownership to minimize tax exposure when a building changed hands, failed in the Legislature less than a year ago.
“It dealt with some very specific abuses,” said Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, named after the activist behind Prop. 13. He added that SCA 5 goes “way, way beyond that,” and his group would fight it.
If Hancock and Mitchell manage to get their bill through the Legislature, it would still have to be approved by voters in November 2016, setting up an expensive battle between unions that want more government funding and businesses that would be most impacted by SCA 5. And the state’s voters are already on the fence about the idea, with a recent Public Policy Institute of California poll showing 50 percent of those likely to vote support it, down from 60 percent three years ago. (LOS ANGELES TIMES, SACRAMENTO BEE, LEXISNEXIS STATE NET)
The LOUISIANA House gives final approval to HB 149, which would enact several new policies designed to temper penalties for marijuana possession in the Pelican State, including dropping the maximum penalty from 20 years in prison to eight. The measure moves to Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), who is expected to sign it into law (NEW ORLEANS TIMES PICAYUNE).
KANSAS Gov. Sam Brownback (R) signs SB 113, which allows victims of human trafficking to sue their traffickers for financial damages (KANSAS GOVERNOR’S OFFICE).
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear (D) issued an executive order last week raising the minimum wage to $10.10 for hundreds of state workers under the executive branch’s purview. The order (EO 2015-370) will impact about 800 workers and cost the state approximately $1.6 million annually. The measure, which takes effect July 1, also applies to private vendors that have state contracts.
Most of the impacted workers currently make the state minimum of $7.25 per hour. But the order also will give a pay boost to state food service workers who make most of their income from tips. Those workers will see their hourly rate climb from $2.29 to $4.90 per hour.
The directive drew strong opposition from Republicans, who said raising the wage will put an additional strain on the Bluegrass State’s already-shaky budget.
“Gov. Beshear is taking a page out of the Obama administration’s playbook by forcing through failed legislation by executive action,” said House Minority Leader Jeff Hoover (R). “It seems Gov. Beshear apparently now understands he doesn’t have to pass another budget and feels comfortable in adding to the strain on Kentucky’s finances.”
But Beshear rejected that perspective, saying the higher wage will actually help alleviate dependence on government.
“The more the lowest end of our economic ladder makes, the less people will be on government assistance programs,” Beshear said at a news conference at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, where some state employees work for less than $10.10 per hour. “If you really want smaller government, then let’s raise the minimum wage and we’ll have smaller government.” (COURIER-JOURNAL [LEXINGTON], NEW YORK TIMES, STATE JOURNAL [FRANKFORT])
A bill that would make it tougher to get an initiative on the Maine ballot is on the verge of passage in the state’s Legislature. As amended, SB 272 (LD 742) would require sponsors of initiative campaigns to collect signatures from at least 10 percent of the total number of voters who cast ballots for governor in both of Maine’s two congressional districts. The Senate gave initial approval for the bill last Monday and the House did the same the following day. Additional votes were needed before the bill could go to Gov. Paul LePage (R). (PORTLAND PRESS HERALD, MAINE PUBLIC BROADCASTING, LEXISNEXIS STATE NET)
The popularity of hybrid, electric and alternative-fuel vehicles may be good for the environment but not for states that rely on gas taxes to fund the maintenance and construction of their roads and bridges. Oregon, however, is about to launch a program that will tax drivers based on how many miles they travel rather than on how much gas they use.
The “OReGO” mileage tax program will only apply to 5,000 drivers and be entirely voluntary to start. Beginning next month qualifying residents will be able to enroll in the program and select one of three devices that will track their mileage. They’ll then be charged 1.5 cents for each mile they drive on the state’s public roads, with any gas taxes they pay at the pump being deducted so they’re not double-taxed.
The program is likely to be closely watched across the country, with Congress having failed to raise the federal gas tax for 22 years and a number of other states also considering mileage-tax proposals. In fact, California is planning to launch its own pilot program by next year.
One of the things interested observers will be watching for is how well Oregon handles one of the key concerns about mileage taxes: privacy, with many people a little leery about allowing the government to monitor every mile they drive. Oregon’s plan is to use private companies to manage the program, reporting only partial data to the state.
“All the interaction is between you and the vendor,” said Tom Fuller, spokesman for Oregon’s transportation department.
Participants will also be able to track their mileage with a simple odometer instead of a GPS device, but they’ll have to submit paperwork for any mileage they log out of state.
Still, the program faces unfavorable odds in the state. Fifty-six percent of respondents to a Mason-Dixon poll said they opposed the idea, while only 32 percent said they supported it. (ATLANTIC, OREGONIAN [PORTLAND])
The WISCONSIN Senate and Assembly approve SB 70, a bill that would allow off-duty and retired officers to carry guns in schools. It moves to Gov. Scott Walker (R) for consideration (TELEGRAPH HERALD [DUBUQUE]).
As organizations navigate economic peaks and valley, ‘doing more with less’ is a common refrain. Instead of leading to a Zen state of mind, however, this mantra is leading to increased anxiety among information professionals who are seeing staff reductions even as the volume of information that must be managed multiplies. What’s more, according to a study commissioned by The Financial Times and the Special Libraries Association, 58 percent of surveyed information professionals cite low levels of investment in technology and process improvement as on-going challenges. Instead of meditating on your limited resources, let’s look at two ways you can showcase your value to your organization by leveraging the right business intelligence tools.
You know better than most that the open Web is deceptive. Questionable sources, out-of-date or worse, inaccurate information leads to a need to verify information, wasting valuable time. Or, you find exactly the source you need, only to realize that access is hidden behind a paywall. A sophisticated business intelligence tool helps you avoid that quagmire with thoughtfully curated and indexed content from trusted, premium sources. And that’s a smart approach to time and budget management.
You filter out the best information from mountains of news, business information and more, but boiling that information into meaningful insights takes more than stapling a report together. A business intelligence tool that incorporates analytics capabilities can help bring focus to your research – and data visualizations like charts and graphs can make that information faster and easier to understand and remember. Whether you’re conducting a SWOT analysis or market research, have a clear, easy way to share critical business intelligence with decision makers can help your organization maintain a competitive edge.
You play an important role in your organization – and demonstrating how you can ‘do more with less,’ may also provide the justification needed to spur on-going investment in the vitals tools of your trade.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbot (R) signed a package of bills that will commit hundreds of millions of state dollars to bolster security along the Texas-Mexico border. The measures, HB 10, HB 11 and HB 12, collectively contain a wide array of elements, including: hiring additional state troopers; giving the Department of Public Safety the authority to expedite the hiring of military veterans who have been honorably discharged; increasing the penalties for crimes like human trafficking; creating a transnational intelligence center on the border to analyze crime data; and continuing operation of the Texas National Guard on the border until it hires and trains up to 250 troopers who will be permanently stationed in the area. The bills are part of an overall $800 million border security effort. Abbot said the state will also seek reimbursement of almost $700 million from the federal government, saying, “Texas is willing to shoulder the responsibility, we expect the federal government to foot the bill.” (TEXAS TRIBUNE, TEXAS PUBLIC RADIO)
TEXAS Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said last week he did not plan to call a special session to consider legislation to bar county clerks from issuing same-sex marriage licenses despite calls for that action. A ruling is expected soon from the U.S. Supreme Court on whether states can outlaw such marriages or refuse to recognize those allowed in other states (TEXAS TRIBUNE [AUSTIN]).
-- Compiled by KOREY CLARK
From today’s walk the walk file comes this nugget. As the Washington Post reports, Brown recently told reporters he was taking numerous steps to conserve water during California’s historic drought, including drinking less water and not taking a shower that morning. Though his press person assured scribes that the gov isn’t really foregoing personal hygiene on a daily basis – Brown showered at the gym later that day – word of his missed date with a cool hose off made headlines around the world. Which just proves that even at this late stage in his career, Brown’s every move still commands an audience. So who says California needs a movie star governor?
The nation’s economy is in its sixth consecutive year of recovery from the Great Recession. But many states are still dealing with major budget problems. Kansas is facing a $400 million budget gap, Louisiana is grappling with a $1.6 billion shortfall and Illinois is struggling with a $3 billion hole.
Many of the problems are of the states’ own making. Neglect of pension obligations is central to the fiscal troubles in Illinois, as well as New Jersey and Pennsylvania, while Republican-backed tax cuts are driving the budget woes in states like Kansas, Louisiana and Wisconsin.
“A lot of governors have cut their taxes with the hopes that that would bring increased economic activity and they could postpone painful decisions about spending reductions,” said Tracy Gordon, a senior fellow at the Washington, D.C.-based Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. “But those increases in economic activity haven’t come to pass.”
States haven’t been helped by the fact that the economic recovery has been slower than expected.
“This is very different from past recovery periods, where you had fairly robust revenue growth at the state level,” said National Association of State Budget Officers Executive Director Scott D. Pattison. “We’re not seeing enough revenue growth to solve some of the problems that we’re seeing.” (NEW YORK TIMES, LEXISNEXIS STATE NET)
Two sitting governors made big announcements about their futures last week: NEVADA Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) said he will not seek the U.S. Senate seat currently held by the Silver State’s retiring senior U.S. Senator Harry Reid, and VERMONT Gov. Pete Shumlin (D) said he will not seek re-election after his current term expires next fall. Shumlin is currently serving his third term as the Green Mountain State governor (BURLINGTON FREE PRESS, NEVADA APPEAL [CARSON CITY]).
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan may not be as well-known as Jerry Brown but he was apparently quite the item during a recent stint of jury duty. As the Washington Post reports, Hogan was originally called to come in on January 21, which just so happened to be the day he was inaugurated. Given a reprieve, he was called in again last week. This time he dutifully showed up and spent the morning waiting with other potential jurors. As Hogan later said on his Facebook page, he occupied his time watching a video on jury service and taking “selfies and pictures with almost every person in the room.” As one might expect, he was not called to serve on a jury, which he said was a bit disappointing. “I was getting ready to run a campaign for jury foreman, but I didn’t get the opportunity,” he said. Tongue in cheek of course.
-- By Rich Ehisen
For 45 states, the fiscal year begins on July l, by which they’re required to have a budget in place. But disagreements about how to close budget holes or expand Medicaid have already forced special sessions in Alaska, Florida, Illinois and Washington, and raised concerns about meeting the June 30 budget deadline in a number of other states.
Gabriel Petek, a credit analyst at Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, who describes late budgets as “summer cliffhangers no one wants to see,” said in a recent report that he expected most states to pass budgets before the deadline. But he added that a few states “continue to grapple with large projected budget gaps or still have major policy issues to resolve.”
“This doesn’t necessarily mean these states won’t have budgets in hand by the start of the new fiscal year. But the significance of what remains unresolved does raise the specter that in at least a few of them, budget adoption could be late.” (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejects a challenge by coal companies and 14 coal-producing states that sought to block a proposed Obama administration policy that would require coal-fired power plants to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The court ruled the challenge was premature because the rule in question has not been finalized or put into effect yet (NEW YORK TIMES).
HAWAII Gov. Dave Ige (D) signs HB 623, requiring the state’s utilities to generate 100 percent of their electricity sales from renewable energy resources by 2045. The Aloha State becomes the first to adopt a 100 percent renewables policy (HAWAII NEWS NOW [HONOLULU]).