TX HOUSE SPEAKER WILL NOT SEEK REELECTION: After five terms as speaker of the TEXAS House, Rep. Joe Straus announced last month that he would not be running for re-election next year. Straus has repeatedly been criticized this year by fellow Republicans...
In 2000, every state in the nation imposed an estate tax or inheritance tax, otherwise known as “death taxes.” Now just 19 states do. And Delaware and New Jersey will eliminate their estate taxes next year. The repeal trend began after...
The 2016-17 budget year was a good one for West Virginia’s investment portfolio, about 81 percent of which supports the state’s pension funds. The state’s portfolio grew 15.8 percent. “As far as I know, we’re the best...
US HOUSE PROPOSES TAX PLAN ELIMINATING SALT DEDUCTION: The draft tax bill (HR 1) released by the U.S. House last week, as previously reported it might , calls for elimination of the federal deductions for state and local income and sales taxes, often...
Incidents of sexual harassment or sexual assault involving female state lawmakers, legislative staff or lobbyists have been reported recently in at least 16 states. The legislatures in all of those states have training programs or policies in place to...
What started as a flood of allegations of sexual harassment and assault against powerful Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has morphed into an ever-widening outcry against such outrages regularly committed by men in all workplaces, including statehouses...
Traditionally, the last quarter of the year is prime giving season. After the Giving Tuesday kick-off, nearly one-third of annual giving takes place in December, with 28 percent of nonprofits raising between 26 to 50 percent of their annual funds from...
In the digital age, you need more than a ruler to measure PR performance. Preview our eBook on why AVEs fall short and what metrics you need to track instead. Since the inception of the profession, public relations practitioners have wrestled with...
A war was started over fake news. Granted, what we now call ‘fake news’ was called ‘yellow journalism’ back in the 1890’s—and the Spanish-American War cannot be laid solely at the feet of media muckrakers. But following...
Nearly three weeks have passed since Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico. Since then, at least 43 people have died , 84 percent of the territory remains without power, 37 percent of its citizens don't have access to drinking water...
LexisNexis sat down with Emmanuel Lulin, Senior Vice-President and Chief Ethics Officer at L’Oreal, at the One Young World conference in Bogotá, Colombia this month. In a frank and wide-ranging interview, Mr Lulin told us that businesses...
Written by Jeanette Jones founder of Cottrill Research Supply market intelligence (SMI) is increasingly becoming a key strategic component within procurement. The strategic use of intelligence is a way for professionals to approach the many challenges...
In the second blog in our series on PESTLE risk monitoring, we look at the “E”—Economic—and the role economic factors play in terms of the supply-chain and third-party risks organizations face. Economics is at the core of every...
Modern slavery risks have risen across the world over the last year, including in 20 of the 28 member states of the European Union, according to the Modern Slavery Index 2017 , an annual study by Verisk Maplecroft, we look at the increased risks and numbers...
The numerous fires burning in Northern California’s world famous grape growing regions justifiably have folks wondering how they will impact the state’s multi-billion dollar wine industry. That question is yet unanswered, but another big bucks...
It’s not unusual for congressional candidates to have their heads a bit in the clouds, but Bettina Rodriguez Aguilera takes that one big step further. As the McClatchy D.C. bureau reports , Aguilera once claimed to have been abducted by aliens and...
California Gov. Jerry Brown can be maddening even to those who love him. Usually that has more to do with his somewhat abrasive personality, but his penchant for splitting the baby, so to speak, can also drive lawmakers to distraction. Case in point comes...
If you think 120 lawmakers sounds like a lot, how does 10 times that grab you? As the Modesto Bee reports , that’s exactly what California GOP gubernatorial candidate John Cox is suggesting. Calling it his “Neighborhood Legislature”...
California Vetoes AB 1209 Citing its “ambiguous” details, CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) vetoes AB 1209 , which would have required large companies in California to disclose data on how they’re paying men and women differently (LOS...
California Vetoes AB 568 Saying such decisions were best left to the collective bargaining process, CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) vetoes AB 568 , which would have required schools to give teachers six weeks of paid time off for pregnancy, childbirth...
California Signs AB 1158 CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signs AB 1158 , which requires manufacturers to increase carpet recycling from 11 percent now to 24 percent by 2020 (SACRAMENTO BEE). California Vetoes SB 51 Also in CALIFORNIA , Gov. Brown...
California Vetoes AB 569 CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) vetoes AB 569 , which would have barred employers from taking action against an employee for that person’s reproductive health decisions (CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S OFFICE). California...
California Signs SB 31 CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signs SB 31 , which bars state and local governments from releasing personal information to the federal government for the creation of any religious list, registry or database, or from using state...
California Signs SB 179 CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signs SB 179 , which will require the state to offer a gender-neutral option on state documents for those who are transgender, intersex and others who do not identify as male or female (LOS ANGELES...
California Vetoes SB 649 CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown (D) vetoes SB 649 , which would have limited the fees local governments could charge telecommunications companies and the discretion those municipalities have in rejecting plans for the placement...