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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Welfare Cuts Coming in RI 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...
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...
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...
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...
Federal Appeals Court Blocks OH Inactive Voter Purge 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...
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...
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...
Gov. Wolf Urges Passing of PA Opioid Measures 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...
California Signs AB 2844 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...
Crime In Massachusetts 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”...
California Vetoes AB 1594 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...
California Signs AB 1110 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). California Signs AB 2800 Also in CALIFORNIA , Brown...
California Signs SB 999 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). California Signs AB 1668 Also...
California Signs SB 1139 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...