Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Judge Allows Lawsuit Against LinkedIn Over Use of Email Addresses
Jun 15 2014 // A federal judge said LinkedIn Corp. must face a lawsuit by customers who claimed it violated their privacy by accessing their external email accounts, downloading their contacts’ email addresses and soliciting...
Court Rules Searchable Database Is ‘Fair Use’ of Copyrighted Books
Jun 15 2014 // Universities and research libraries that created a searchable online database for millions of books did not violate copyright protections belonging to authors whose works were scanned, a U.S. appeals court ruled last...
California Commissioner Likes Proposed Rideshare Regulations
Jun 12 2014 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones on Thursday gave a thumbs up to regulations proposed by California Public Utility Commission President Michael Peevey, which seeks broader commercial insurance coverage for...
Proposed Environmental Rules in N.J. Would Ease Some Coastal Development
Jun 12 2014 // In its first major rewrite of coastal protection rules since Superstorm Sandy, New Jersey is proposing changes that would make it easier for some new or expanded development along the Jersey shore and the state’s...
Judge Allows Coal Ash Suit Against Duke Energy in North Carolina
Jun 12 2014 // A federal judge says a lawsuit accusing Duke Energy coal ash pits of polluting a lake near Wilmington can move forward. The Southern Environmental Law Center filed a lawsuit last year on behalf of environmental groups,...
Financial Firms Fear Hensarling May Fill Gap Left by Cantor’s Exit
Jun 11 2014 // Wall Street could count on Eric Cantor to take its side in the U.S. Congress. It won’t have the same luck with a top lawmaker in line to replace him. House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling, who...
California Regulators Want Insurers to Speed Up Ridesharing Policies
Jun 11 2014 // The California Public Utilities Commission wants the insurance industry to get off its duff and start creating some products to offer to ridesharing drivers. A proposal issued by CPUC on Tuesday further defines ridesharing...
New Missouri Laws Expand Paperless Options, Insurance Protections
Jun 11 2014 // Under new laws signed by Gov. Jay Nixon, Missourians now have more paperless options when receiving policy information from their insurance companies, and commercial property owners will see expanded insurance protections,...
Judge Approves $1.6M Settlement in South Carolina Train Crash
Jun 11 2014 // A judge has approved a $1.6 million settlement for people injured and killed in the 2011 crash of a children’s train ride at a Spartanburg park. Authorities say it will be split among the more than two dozen victims,...
Businesses Lobby Delaware to Keep ‘Loser Pays’ Option in Shareholder Suits
Jun 11 2014 // Big business is lobbying Delaware lawmakers for corporate bylaws to shift legal fees to shareholders who sue and lose, which legal experts say could curtail a booming type of investor class actions. An affiliate of the...
Wal-Mart Trucker Had Not Slept in 24 Hours Before N.J. Morgan Crash: Complaint
Jun 10 2014 // A Wal-Mart Stores Inc. truck driver went at least 24 hours without sleep before his tractor-trailer crashed into a limousine, critically injuring actor-comedian Tracy Morgan and killing another entertainer, according to a...
Federal Appeals Court Rules Bonus Payout for WTC Site Workers Premature
Jun 9 2014 // A judge acted prematurely in awarding a $55 million bonus payment to thousands of rescue and cleanup workers at the World Trade Center site who settled lawsuits against New York City over damage to their health, a federal...
Michigan House Vote Would Allow Fewer Lawsuits Against Insurers
Jun 9 2014 // The Michigan House has passed legislation blocking certain insurance lawsuits under the Michigan Consumer Protection Act. Consumers were prevented from suing insurance companies for fraud under the act starting in 2001....
Colorado Edible Pot Company Sued by Hershey
Jun 9 2014 // The Hershey Co. has sued a Colorado marijuana edibles company, claiming it makes four pot-infused candies that too closely resemble iconic products of the chocolate maker. The trademark infringement lawsuit was filed in...
Travelers CEO: Will Insurers Outperform More Regulated Banks?
Jun 9 2014 // Travelers Cos. Chief Executive Officer Jay Fishman highlighted the insurer’s history of posting better returns than banks and other large financial companies amid a period of increased Wall Street...
Sandy Aid in N.J. Becomes Another Christie Albatross
Jun 6 2014 // Nineteen months after Hurricane Sandy left four feet of water in Thomas Largey’s house in Sea Bright, New Jersey, the 82-year-old still lives with his daughter as he awaits aid to raise and rebuild his home. Reopened...
South Carolina Lawmakers Approve Statewide Texting Ban
Jun 6 2014 // South Carolina lawmakers have overwhelmingly passed a statewide ban on texting while driving. Under the ban approved by the state House in a 94-2 vote and by the Senate 42-2 on Wednesday, drivers who violate the law would...
Court Ruling on Well Co-Ownership Could Cost BP, Anadarko Billions in Fines
Jun 5 2014 // BP Plc and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. could face billions of dollars in fines after an appeals court ruled they were automatically liable for pollution-law violations as co-owners of the well that blew out and started the...
Some Trucking Firms Want Congress to Ease Safety Limit on Truckers’ Hours
Jun 5 2014 // The 70-hour cap on a U.S. trucker’s workweek has a chance of being eased by Congress, undoing the result of a 15-year effort to reduce highway fatalities caused by drowsy long-haul drivers. The main federal...
South Carolina Lawmakers Agree on Bill for Statewide Texting Ban
Jun 5 2014 // A joint state House and Senate committee has reached a compromise on legislation which would ban on texting while driving in South Carolina. Under the proposed ban, drivers must be fully parked to be able to text using a...
