Month: May 2020

  • 10th Circuit upholds ATF redefinition of “machinegun” that banned bump stocks, citing Chevron deference

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    On May 7, a panel of judges on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ruled that an ATF redefinition of machinegun that banned bump stocks did not violate Article I of the U.S. Constitution. Plaintiffs argued that since Congress had not banned bump stocks by law, the ATF and DOJ lacked…

  • NYT highlights federal law allowing for the repeal of administrative agency regulations

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    The New York Times in its May 7 morning briefing discussed the use of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) during the Trump administration to reverse certain regulations issued by the Obama administration. Trump administration officials, according to the Times, are working to ensure that the administration’s own regulations are not similarly vulnerable to reversal under…

  • Federal judge rejects public school teachers’ attempt to obtain refund of union fees

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    On April 30, a U.S. district court judge rejected an attempt by two New York state public school teachers to obtain refunds of fees they were required to pay to their union prior to Janus v. AFSCME. In Janus, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that compelling public-sector employees who are not union members to pay…

  • Pennsylvania extends stay-at-home order for parts of the state through June 4

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    Gov. Tom Wolf (D) announced Thursday that he was extending Pennsylvania’s stay-at-home order through June 4 for counties in the red phase of the state’s reopening plan. The order was passed on April 1 and was originally scheduled to expire on April 30. Wolf extended the statewide order through May 8 on April 20. Counties…

  • Documenting America’s Path to Recovery: May 8, 2020

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    This is our daily update on how federal, state, and local officials are planning to set America on a path to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. Each day, we: Track the status of reopening in all 50 states. Provide in-depth summaries of the latest reopening plans. Give you the latest stories on other reopening plans…

  • Coronavirus Daily Update: May 8th, 2020

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    As part of Ballotpedia’s coverage on the coronavirus pandemic, we are compiling a daily summary of major changes in the world of politics, government, and elections happening each day. Here is the summary of changes for May 8, 2020. State stay-at-home orders Read more: States with lockdown and stay-at-home orders in response to the coronavirus…

  • Ballotpedia’s Weekly Presidential News Briefing: May 2-8, 2020

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    Every weekday, Ballotpedia tracks the news, events, and results of the 2020 presidential election.         Notable Quotes of the Week “Democrats have been split since 2016 over whether energizing black voters or winning over some white working-class voters in the industrial Midwest represents the best shot for the party in November. Hillary Clinton’s defeat…

  • Michigan extends stay-at-home order to May 28, allows manufacturers to resume operations May 11

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    On May 7, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) extended Michigan’s stay-at-home order to May 28. Whitmer issued the original order on March 23, and it was initially set to expire on April 13. Whitmer subsequently extended the order, first through April 30, then through May 15, and, yesterday, through May 28. Whitmer announced that manufacturing entities…

  • U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear case about judicial review of IRS regulations

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    On May 4, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear CIC Services, LLC v. Internal Revenue Service, which asks whether a law that blocks preemptive lawsuits against tax collection applies to potentially unlawful regulations issued by agencies that are not taxes. Plaintiff CIC Services, LLC argues citizens should be able to “challenge illegal regulations in…

  • Supreme Court issues opinions on cases involving property fraud and immigration

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    On May 7, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued rulings in two cases argued during its October 2019 term. The court has issued 31 decisions this term. Kelly v. United States concerned a scheme to reduce local traffic lanes on the George Washington Bridge as retaliation after Fort Lee’s mayor refused to…