Free subscription to the Capitol Journal keeps you current on legislative and regulatory news.
ME Lawmakers Pass Data Center Ban The Maine Legislature passed a bill ( HB 207 ) that would make the state the first to temporarily ban the development of large data centers. The measure would impose...
State and Federal Funding Flowing for Ibogaine Research President Donald Trump signed an executive order providing up to $50 million in federal funding for states to conduct research on ibogaine, a psychedelic...
Smart glasses, like Ray-Ban Meta frames, allow wearers to take photos and videos, listen to music and make calls without ever picking up a phone. The technology, however, can also permit users to record...
IL House Passes ‘Junk Fee’ Bill The Illinois House passed a bill ( HB 228 ) that would amend the state’s Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to prohibit businesses from...
Anthropic Not Releasing New AI Model to Public The artificial intelligence company Anthropic—recently in the headlines for demanding that the Pentagon agree to certain limitations on the use of...
* The views expressed in externally authored materials linked or published on this site do not necessarily reflect the views of LexisNexis Legal & Professional.
Florida lawmakers swiftly enacted legislation loosening COVID-19 workplace vaccination requirements in special session last week. The legislation (HB 1 b) provides new exemptions from such mandates for workers with health issues, a religious conflict with vaccination, or proof of immunity, or who are willing to submit to “periodic testing” or wear PPE provided by their employer. The state’s lawmakers weren’t due to consider any more legislation until January, but Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) called them back to challenge the rule from the Biden administration requiring businesses with more than 100 employees to ensure their employees are vaccinated against COVID-19. (TAMPA BAY TIMES, MIAMI HERALD, STATE NET)
Idaho’s House Committee on Business referred two bills to the floor dealing with COVID-19 vaccination mandates. HB 415 would add vaccine exemptions, including natural immunity, to state law, and HB 419 would prohibit employers from requiring COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment. (IDAHO STATESMAN [BOISE], STATE NET)
Amazon has agreed to pay California $500,000 for failing to disclose COVID-19 case numbers to its workers and local health agencies. The judgement is the first in connection with the state’s new “right to know” law (AB 685), enacted in September 2020. (LOS ANGELES TIMES)
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear a consolidation of 34 lawsuits challenging the Biden administration’s COVID-19 workplace vaccination rule. Although chosen randomly, the Cincinnati-based court is the preferred venue for opponents of the federal mandate, with 10 of its members having been appointed by Republican presidents and five appointees of Democratic presidents. (INSURANCE JOURNAL)
Tesla is seeking a new trial and reconsideration of the damage award in the workplace racial bias case that concluded on Oct. 4. The jury in that case found that the company failed to take appropriate steps to protect an employee from racial bias at its facility in northern California in 2015 and 2016, awarding the employee, Oscar Diaz, $6.9 billion in compensatory damages and $130 million in punitive damages. (INSURANCE JOURNAL)
-- Compiled by KOREY CLARK