Congress Returns and Faces Year-End Push. The U.S. Congress returned this week from its Thanksgiving break and is currently scheduled for a three-week legislative session leading up to the end of the calendar year....more
Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul was sworn in as the 57th Governor of New York on August 24, becoming the first female Governor in New York’s long history. She succeeded three-term Governor Andrew Cuomo, who resigned in the...more
This week was the first of four weeks between the funnels. Most effort right now is dedicated to getting bills passed by one chamber so the other chamber can begin committee work....more
The 111th General Assembly of the state of Tennessee convened on Tuesday, January 8, 2019, for the first year of the two-year session. With the new session comes change not seen in Tennessee government in recent history, as...more
On Monday, Congressman Tim Walz (DFL) was sworn in as Minnesota’s 41st Governor. In his inaugural address, he stuck to many of his familiar campaign topics, especially education. He emphasized how he and the legislature must...more
The next 60-day regular session of the West Virginia Legislature commences on Wednesday, January 9, 2019. While much of the nation seemed transfixed by the recent electoral changes, the most significant political change in...more
The last two weeks have been a roller coaster as Utah awaited the results of multiple “too close to call” races and a proposition. One race, Utah Congressional District 4 between Representative Mia Love and Salt Lake County...more
After a long, hard-fought, and often bitter campaign, the parties battled to a partisan draw. As expected, Democrats took over the House of Representatives. Democrats also flipped a number of Governors’ mansions, but lost...more
California Governor-elect Gavin Newsom is moving swiftly to appoint senior members of his administration. As many expected, the first announcements came this afternoon, with Newsom naming Ann O’Leary as his chief of staff and...more
After Jerry Brown’s second set of 8 years in office (1975-83 and 2011-19), employers now look to Governor-Elect Gavin Newsom for what’s in store for them in the Golden State. (Although Jerry Brown wasn’t a particularly good...more
• Illinois Governor-Elect J.B. Pritzker is expected to act quickly on one of his campaign promises – the legalization of recreational marijuana use. • Illinois has been gradually moving toward full legalization since...more
In a historic night, Tennessee elected its first female U.S. Senator and the first Republican governor to follow a fellow Republican governor since 1869. In the state house, there will be many new faces come January; however,...more
While much of the attention this midterm election has been focused on Congress and federal issues - the “blue wave” and a “referendum” on the Trump presidency - California employers know all too well that employment and labor...more
The 2018 Minnesota legislature kicked off at noon yesterday with no solution to the legal standoff in the Minnesota Senate over whether a Republican state senator can legally hold both her Senate seat and be lieutenant...more
Governor Jim Justice gave his second State of the State address on Wednesday, January 10th, 2018, the opening day of the 2018 Legislative Session. Leading up to the Governor's address, it was quite clear the financial outlook...more
Governor Phil Murphy—officially in office just two days—has already begun to implement many of the "progressive" policy changes he promised on the campaign trail and transform New Jersey into the "California of the East."...more
This week, the debate over the Affordable Care Act (ACA) gained new momentum in two separate, but connected channels. As the fiscal year (FY) budget reconciliation window enabling expedited passage of an ACA repeal draws to a...more