Below is this week’s congressional update by BakerHostetler’s Federal Policy team. We’ll continue to post in weeks when both chambers of Congress are in session....more
TAX TIDBIT - Welcome back to the second week of the 116th Congress, where the stalemate between Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Donald Trump seems to grow with every passing day as the government remains closed. Several...more
What's New - SENATE - The Senate approved its version of the State’s $7.5 billion budget on Wednesday by giving third reading to H. 5001 (Appropriations Bill) and H. 5002 (Capital Reserve Fund). The Senate approved...more
What's New - SENATE - Work on H. 3579, the South Carolina Infrastructure Finance Reform and Tax Relief Act, ramped up in the Senate this week. The Senate Finance Committee met Tuesday and Wednesday to hear from the...more
The General Assembly convened for the 2015 legislative long session on January 14 and adjourned September 30. Lawmakers will return to Raleigh for the short session April 25, 2016. The MVA Public Affairs Legislative Report on...more
As in the 9 percent "amusement tax" that the city of Chicago recently extended to online streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, triggering a series of lawsuits alleging that the newly expanded tax was illegally...more
This Week - After a week-long summer recess, lawmakers returned to Raleigh to resume the business of the State. The House finally appointed budget Conferees on Tuesday, nearly a month after receiving the Senate version...more
The number of additional months of funding for transportation projects under a $8 billion bill introduced late last night in the House. Notably — as anyone on Sesame Street could tell you — the number 5 is not the same as the...more
Heading into the 84th Legislative Session the outlook for transportation issues, and tolling in particular, was uncertain. After 14 years under Governor Perry and 12 years under Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst, Texas had a new...more
On May 6, 2015, the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs voted 12-1 in favor of a bill designed to streamline the Federal permitting process for major energy and infrastructure projects. The bill,...more
The House of Representatives adopted several ethics reform measures (public meeting notice, Freedom of Information Act/public records, and public official reporting requirements) this week. In addition, the House Ways and...more
The General Assembly convened for the 2015 legislative session on January 14. Lawmakers returned to Raleigh on January 28 to begin the session in earnest. The MVA Public Affairs Legislative Report on North Carolina will be...more
MNsure - In light of issues MNsure has encountered during its first year, Sen. Tony Lourey (D-Kerrick), Senate Health and Human Services Budget Committee Chair, wants more accountability. His bill eliminates the Board...more
The House and Senate were busy this week with numerous subcommittee and committee meetings – ethics reform, surface water withdrawal, Pollution Control Act/DHEC Board review, and budget deliberations were a few of the items...more
In This Issue: - Introduction - Agriculture, Food Safety, and Nutrition - Appropriations, Budget, and Debt Ceiling - Defense and National Security - Education - Energy and Environment - Financial...more
With the 2014 elections in the rearview mirror, the focus has turned to the fast-approaching 2015 legislative session. For the first time since 1985, Democrats control both the Governor’s Office and the Senate, while the...more