Commercial Law & Contracts, Zoning, Planning & Land Use, Election & Politics Law

Florida Legislature Passes Manufacturing Competitiveness Act

by Rheb Harbison | Carlton Fields on 5/1/2013

Today, the Florida Legislature passed the Manufacturing Competitiveness Act (HB 357). The bill, which now heads to Governor Rick Scott for signature, significantly streamlines local and state regulation and approvals, giving...more

Regulatory Issues Cause ConocoPhillips to Join Shell Oil in Suspending its Drilling Program in Arctic Waters off Alaska

by Mike Jungreis | Davis Wright Tremaine LLP on 4/12/2013

Today, ConocoPhillips announced that it is suspending its drilling program in the Chukchi Sea off the northwest coast of Alaska for 2014, due to uncertainty regarding the changing regulatory requirements. ...more

Paper Carryout Bag Charge Is Not A Tax

by Jeffrey L. Massey | Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard on 3/12/2013

Taxpayers and a manufacturer of plastic bags challenged a county ordinance that prohibits retail stores from providing customers with plastic carryout bags and requires the stores to charge their customers ten cents for each...more

Gaming Legal News - January 24, 2013 • Volume 6, Number 3

by Patrick Sullivan, Dennis J. Whittlesey | Dickinson Wright on 2/1/2013

In This Issue: - INDIAN COUNTRY AND OBAMA’S CHOICE FOR SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR: In March, Ken Salazar will leave his well-appointed office at the helm of the Department of the Interior and return to Colorado,...more

Redevelopment: Rising From The Ashes Or Final Death Rattle?

by Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP on 10/3/2012

Two cases filed in Sacramento County, City of Cerritos v. State of California and Syncora Guarantee Inc. v. State of California, have challenged the constitutionality of AB 1X 26, the 2011 bill that provided for the...more

Ohio Takes Next Step to Implement Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact

by K&L Gates LLP on 7/27/2012

Ohio House Bill 473 (“H.B. 473” or the “Act”) authorizes the Division of Soil and Water Resources within the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (“ODNR”) to establish a water-withdrawal and consumptive-use permitting program...more

Redevelopment Law Unconstitutional Because of Impairment of Contract?

by Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP on 3/13/2012

Largely lost in the noise and furor surrounding the decision by the California Supreme Court upholding AB 1X 26 (California Redevelopment Association v. Matosantos (2011) 53 Cal.4th 231, which terminated the functions of...more

Zoning and Privatization of Virginia’s ABC Stores

by Sands Anderson PC on 6/25/2010

In his campaign, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell proposed privatization of the state-owned ABC (liquor) stores as one way to raise revenue without raising taxes. It is important to remember that taking a use that is now...more

More Pennsylvania State Forest Land Available for Drilling, Governor Announces

by Duane Morris LLP on 3/8/2010

The recent leasing of Pennsylvania state forest land for natural gas drilling raised so much more money than anticipated for the state that Gov. Edward Rendell decided to lease additional land. Part of the governor's proposed...more

Transfer of Development Rights Help On the Way

by Sands Anderson PC on 11/17/2009

For many years, localities were without authority to adopt a TDR ordinance. The Attorney General made clear that while a TDR program might be constitutional, a statute would have to be adopted to authorize a locality to adopt...more

Déjà Vu: Pennsylvania Re-Amends Its Lien Law to Again Permit Broad Waivers of Lien Rights on Residential Property Projects

by Duane Morris LLP on 8/20/2009

The passage of amendments in 2006 to the Pennsylvania Mechanics' Lien Law of 1963 (the "Lien Law") was a focus of considerable discussion. For the first time in 43 years, the Pennsylvania legislature revisited the statute and...more