Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Massachusetts Bill Aims to Strengthen Natural Gas Pipeline Safety
Apr 10 2019 // Members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation unveiled a bill Monday aimed at strengthening pipeline safety in the U.S. in response to September’s natural gas explosions and fires in the Merrimack...
Judge Says Security Company Not Liable in Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub Shooting
Apr 10 2019 // A judge has ruled that the security company that provided firearms training to the man who killed 49 people in an Orlando nightclub can’t be blamed for the attack. Circuit Judge Donald Hafele wrote in a March 15...
Insurers Oppose Premium Tax to Fund Washington’s Wildfire Prevention
Apr 9 2019 // Lobbyists for the property/casualty insurance industry are trying to prevent a $125 million jump in the state of Washington’s insurance premium tax that would fund wildfire prevention and suppression. The tax would...
Meeting Between Regulators, Employees Helped Set Stage for Wells Fargo CEO Exit
Apr 9 2019 // The day after former Wells Fargo & Co. Chief Executive Tim Sloan told U.S. lawmakers he was transforming the bank’s high-pressure culture, Federal Reserve officials met privately with bank employees. At the...
UK Joins Global Backlash Against Tech Firms that Fail to Control Harmful Content
Apr 9 2019 // The U.K. joined a growing global backlash against technology companies such as Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc., proposing fines and bans if social-media platforms fail to curb illegal activity. The government outlined plans...
Why Has Texas Decided to Break Tradition and Immediately Sue Industrial Polluters?
Apr 9 2019 // Late last month as crews worked to contain a roaring fire at a Houston-area petrochemical storage facility, the state of Texas did something unheard of, at least in recent memory: It sued the company that operates the site...
Florida Legislature Considers Reforms to Non-Admitted Insurance Market
Apr 9 2019 // Two bills seeking to change the way Florida surplus lines business is handled are currently working their way through the Florida State Legislature and advocates say the potential laws could bring much needed efficiency to...
Judge Rejects Lawsuit from Florida Sheriff Fired After High School Shooting
Apr 9 2019 // A judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Florida sheriff whom Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended after accusing him of failing to prevent the Parkland school shooting. Broward Circuit Judge David Haimes ruled that...
Judge Orders Vermont’s Hermitage Club Owner to Pay Member $2.1M
Apr 8 2019 // A judge has ordered the owner of a foreclosed ski club in Vermont to pay about $2.1 million to a club member who is unable to sell back 20 memberships he bought in 2015. The Brattleboro Reformer reports the judge issued...
Arkansas Judge Refuses to Dismiss Claims Against Opioid Drug Makers
Apr 7 2019 // An Arkansas judge has rejected a request to dismiss the state’s lawsuit against three drugmakers that alleges they made false marketing claims about the benefits and risks of opioids, contributing to an increase in...
Kansas Lawmakers OK Bill Allowing Farm Bureau Non-ACA Compliant Health Plan
Apr 7 2019 // Republican lawmakers in Kansas pressed ahead with allowing the state Farm Bureau to offer health coverage to members that doesn’t satisfy the Affordable Care Act, a state-level effort to circumvent an Obama-era law...
Chemical Plant Fires Renew Safety Debate in Oil-Friendly Texas
Apr 7 2019 // Two major chemical plant fires near Houston just 17 days apart closed schools, leaked toxic chemicals into coastal waters and killed a worker, but there’s a good chance they won’t lead to big industry...
Oklahoma Lawmakers not so Happy About Purdue Pharma Settlement
Apr 7 2019 // A $270 million settlement between the state of Oklahoma and the maker of OxyContin praised last week as an innovative way to help combat opioid addiction is facing bipartisan criticism from Oklahoma lawmakers who say the...
Missouri Proposal Would Limit Local Tax Breaks for Flood Zone Development
Apr 7 2019 // With floodwaters again inundating parts of Missouri, the state Senate has backed legislation that could limit local tax breaks offered for new developments in flood plains. A bill given initial approval would prohibit new...
Judge: 4 African Americans Rejected from Louisiana Parish Jury Can Seek Damages
Apr 5 2019 // Four African Americans can move ahead with a lawsuit seeking damages from a Louisiana district attorney’s office over the racial composition of juries, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge Dee Drell in...
California Weighs Catastrophic Wildfire Fund as Way to Protect Utilities
Apr 5 2019 // Creation of a catastrophic wildfire risk pool is emerging as the most likely option as California lawmakers seek to protect the solvency of investor-owned utilities from record payouts for fire damages. PG&E filed for...
Trump Deregulation Plan Facing Court Challenge by 3 States
Apr 5 2019 // California, Oregon and Minnesota sued President Donald Trump and several top cabinet officials over the administration’s requirement that federal agencies delete two regulations for every one they add. Lodged by...
Tech Firms Face Fines and Jail for Failure to Remove Violent Content in Australia
Apr 4 2019 // Australia will fine social media and web hosting companies up to 10 percent of their annual global turnover and imprison executives for up to three years if violent content is not removed “expeditiously” under...
UK Parliament Votes to Block Damaging No-Deal Brexit as Deadlock Continues
Apr 4 2019 // Britain took a decisive step away from a damaging no-deal Brexit as members of Parliament and political leaders backed efforts to prevent a disorderly departure from the European Union. The House of Commons vote shortly...
Judge Tells PG&E to Hold Dividends to Pay to Help Reduce Wildfire Risks
Apr 3 2019 // A U.S. judge said on Tuesday that PG&E Corp. cannot resume dividends and must use the money to reduce wildfire risk in California, stopping short of more costly measures he proposed earlier this year. The new criminal...
