Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) unveiled a seven-part plan last week to implement strict new statewide water quality standards. Inspired by a significant issue with lead contamination in the water supply for the city of Flint, the new Wolverine State standards...
Texas Approves HB 62 The TEXAS House approves HB 62 , which would ban Lone Star State motorists from texting while behind the wheel. It needs one more affirmative vote in the House before it can move to the Senate (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN). ...
New Jersey Approves AB 3091 The NEW JERSEY Senate approves AB 3091 , which would set the legal age for marriage at 18. The measure, which is intended to prevent forced arranged marriages, moves to Gov. Chris Christie (R) for consideration (NJ.COM)...
Immigration In Hawaii A federal judge in HAWAII temporarily bans an executive order issued by President Donald Trump that would have banned travel into the U.S. by people from six Muslim-majority nations. The Aloha State was one of several that had...
Kentucky Approves HB 384 The KENTUCKY Senate approves HB 384 , which would replace up to three of the four required annual underground mine inspections with mine safety analysis visits and reduce the minimum number of annual full electrical inspections...
Kentucky Approves SB 159 The KENTUCKY House approves SB 159 , which would require Bluegrass State high school students to pass a version of the civics test that the U.S. government gives to immigrants when they apply to become citizens. It returns...
New Mexico Approves HB 175 The NEW MEXICO House approves HB 175 , a bill that would prohibit solitary confinement for inmates who are pregnant or under 18 years old. It is now in the Senate (ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL). Mississippi Signs HB 812 MISSISSIPPI...
Business In Arizona The ARIZONA Supreme Court unanimously upholds a voter-approved law that raises the Grand Canyon State minimum wage to $12 per hour by 2020. The court rejected a claim by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce that the law was unconstitutional...
Depending on where you stand yourself, former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory is either a hero or a villain for sticking to his guns on HB 2, the Tar Heel State’s controversial “bathroom bill” that barred transgender folks from using...
Maine Rep. Jim Handy thought he was doing something good when he recently introduced a bill that would have required dogs to be safely secured in a seat belt when riding in a car. But as the Washington Post reports , the reaction from dog lovers ranged...
Texas state Rep. Jessica Farrar isn’t fond of her male colleagues proposing bills they claim will protect women’s health but which she says are in fact barely-veiled attempts to block women from obtaining a legal abortion. So, as the Houston...
If you have ever seen legislation come out of a statehouse and wondered, “What is wrong with those folks,” freshman Rhode Island Rep. Moira Walsh may have the answer. As radio station WPRO in East Providence reports , when asked during a recent...
Many have wondered how the corporate compliance landscape might change with a new administration at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. After all, reducing regulation on Corporate America was a frequent talking point on the campaign trail. But the first Guidance...
The non-profit and fundraising worlds had a strong and successful year in 2016 but now the question is, will this trend continue into 2017? With so much change occurring in the new year Andrew Payne , director of product marketing and product management...
Over the next five years the global Entertainment and Media industry is projected to grow by 4.4 percent annually, according to PwC’s Global Entertainment and Media Outlook for 2016-2020 . This expected surge is due to the increasing diversification...
ID PASSES GROCERY TAX REPEAL: The IDAHO Legislature has passed legislation repealing the state’s tax on groceries, effective July 1, 2018. If signed by Gov. C.L. Butch Otter (R), IDAHO would join 37 other states without a grocery tax. (ASSOCIATED...
A lot of taxpayers are going to be waiting longer than usual for their state tax refunds this year. At least 21 states, including Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Mexico, North Carolina and Wisconsin, say refunds could be delayed...
States are projecting income tax revenue growth of 3.6 percent and sales tax growth of 3.1 percent this fiscal year, down from 4 percent and 3.6 percent respectively last fiscal year and well below annual averages prior to the Great Recession, according...
The Trump administration’s push for deep cuts to the federal budget is drawing public opposition from some state governors, including Republicans. Of particular concern to the GOP governors are prospective cuts to regional economic development agencies...
FL PASSES TERM LIMITS FOR JUDGES: The FLORIDA House narrowly approved legislation - the first of its kind in the nation - limiting the terms of judges and Supreme Court justices in the state to 12 years. HJR 1 still has to pass the Senate and be approved...
Last month Nevada made history by becoming the 36th state to ratify the federal Equal Rights Amendment, stipulating that “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.”...
Several bills before the Florida Legislature would significantly limit the power of local governments in the state. They include HB 17 , which would require cities to obtain legislative approval before adopting new regulations impacting businesses; SB...
MORE GOVS NOW PONDERING MEDICAID EXPANSION : With the failure of the Congressional proposal to overturn the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, a growing number of governors are expressing openness to expanding their states’ Medicaid programs...
Faced with losing out on the chance to host numerous NCAA sporting events over the next six years, North Carolina lawmakers reached a compromise with Gov. Roy Cooper (D) on repealing HB 2 , the state’s controversial “bathroom bill,”...
California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) joined with legislative leaders on Wednesday to propose a suite of tax hikes and fees intended to produce $5.2 billion a year over the next decade to repair the state’s crumbling roads and bridges. The proposal...