Statewide ballot referenda are not new to voters in the Badger State. There are four scenarios in which a question may be directly asked of voters: whether to amend the state’s constitution; ratification of a law extending...more
The court of appeal held that a City Council resolution approving a development agreement that included policy decisions regarding development of a public park was a legislative act subject to referendum. Move Eden Housing v....more
On March 6, 2024, the First Appellate District held that a city council resolution approving an agreement between the City of Livermore and an affordable housing developer was legislative in nature and thus subject to a...more
The Michigan Supreme Court recently heard oral argument in Mothering Justice v. Attorney General, a case that could affect the bottom line of nearly every employer, and have severe financial consequences for small businesses...more
After years of debate, and a looming referendum, a compromise between labor and business representatives has resulted in a final law regulating the fast-food industry. On September 28, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom...more
On September 28, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) No. 1228 into law, repealing the FAST Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act (FAST Recovery Act) (AB 257) and replacing it with a...more
On September 11, 2023, industry, government, and union representatives announced that they had reached a deal to remove a California referendum on the Fast Food Accountability and Standards (“FAST”) Recovery Act from the 2024...more
On September 11, 2023, the coalition of California businesses announced its agreement with labor unions to withdraw their referendum challenging Assembly Bill (AB) 257, which created the FAST Recovery Act, from next year’s...more
There are a lot of moving parts to election administration, and it takes a lot of people to make them work. Not surprisingly, mistakes are made on occasion. The consequences of those mistakes often end up in court. In this...more
On August 1, 2023, the 12 measures passed by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) annual referendum went into effect – impacting nearly 800 high schools. School districts should understand what passed, what...more
On January 13, 2023, Sacramento Superior Court Judge Shelleyanne Chang ruled that implementation of the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act (“FAST Act”) should remain on hold pending the Secretary of State’s...more
On December 30, 2022, Judge Shelleyanne Chang of the Superior Court of Sacramento issued a temporary restraining order to block adoption of the FAST Act, which was due to take effect on January 1. The Save Local...more
California‘s FAST Recovery Act will likely be placed on hold until November 2024. The Save Local Restaurants coalition, a group composed of restaurant industry advocates, filed a voter referendum on September 7, 2022 to...more
On Labor Day, with support from prominent unions, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act (FAST Recovery Act), which will significantly affect fast-food restaurants in the...more
On Labor Day, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 257, known as the FAST Recovery Act. The Act establishes a Fast Food Council comprising fast food employees, worker advocates, franchisors, franchisees, and government...more
As we reported on June 30, 2022, the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to adopt a Healthcare Workers Minimum Wage Ordinance, which was designed to increase the minimum wage for workers of private healthcare...more
This past week witnessed the first referendum on abortion rights since the US Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, along with legislative developments in several states concerning access to abortion....more
As Holland & Knight has previously reported, California courts have consistently enforced state housing laws that preempt land use and planning decisions by local governments. (See previous Holland & Knight alerts, "Court of...more
The Washington Legislature passed Senate Bill 5096 on April 25, 2021, the last day of the 2021 Washington legislative session. SB 5096 is a state capital gains tax on individual residents of the State of Washington. The state...more
A referendum that would eliminate animal agriculture in Colorado has passed the initial challenges and has been approved for the collection of citizen signatures. Colorado State Ballot Initiative titled “Protect Animals from...more
Spring is in the air….and so is budget season! For Connecticut board of education members and administrators the annual budget ritual can be an exhausting and politically-delicate process. As important as it is to rally the...more
Below are summaries of the key California and Ninth Circuit land use and development cases decided in 2020. Each case name is linked to our more extensive discussion of the case on the Land Use & Development Law Report. 1....more
Although the Presidential race is unconfirmed at the time of this writing, there are several data privacy and security laws to put on your radar following the election this week....more
The California Supreme Court ruled that water rates and other local utility charges are considered “taxes” for the purpose of California Constitution Article II, Section 9 and therefore exempt from the referendum process....more
Calif. Supreme Court Decision in Wilde v. City of Dunsmuir - Local utility charges are not subject to referendum, according to a California Supreme Court decision issued Monday that held that water rates fall within the...more