Year: 2024
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Seattle aims to enact new police CBA three years after expiration date
The Seattle City Council in Washington in January 2024 announced its intent to vote on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) this year. The SPOG’s current CBA expired in 2020. Police CBAs that have reached an expiration date are still viewed as being in effect until a new…
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West Virginia lawmakers pass bill to maintain weekly unemployment insurance benefit amounts and change taxable wage bases
The West Virginia House passed an amended version of Senate Bill 841 on Mar. 9, which changed the wage base on which employers pay state unemployment insurance taxes to the first $9,500 of employees’ wages. It also kept the maximum weekly benefit amount for workers at $662. The West Virginia Senate concurred with the changes…
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Biden administration issues two new environmental rules
The Biden administration issued new environmental rules in the past month to require climate-related disclosures by certain public companies and to establish air pollution emissions guidelines. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced on March 6, 2024, that it had adopted a final rule aimed at establishing standards for climate-related disclosures by certain public companies.…
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Utah lawmakers require discussion of federal air quality regulations
Utah Governor Spencer Cox (R) on March 13, 2024, signed a bill into law requiring the Utah Division of Air Quality to regularly discuss emissions-related regulations with the state’s Federalism Commission. The bill also includes requirements to discuss regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal rules affecting industries. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality…
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Georgia voters to decide on measure increasing personal property tax exemption from $7,500 to $20,000
The Georgia State Legislature passed a bill that would increase the personal property tax exemption from $7,500 to $20,000. The increase requires voter approval at the general election in Nov. 2024. The measure was introduced into the state Legislature as House Bill 808 (HB 808). On Feb. 26, 2024, the Georgia House of Representatives voted…
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Texas education fund pulls $8.5 billion from BlackRock
The Texas Permanent School Fund (TPSF) on March 19, 2024, pulled roughly $8.5 billion from BlackRock’s asset management. Texas State Board of Education Chairman Aaron Kinsey (R) argued that since BlackRock supported environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) investing through its boycott of the fossil fuel industry, state law prohibited BlackRock from managing public funds.…
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Idaho voters to decide on amendment prohibiting noncitizen voting
Idaho voters will decide on a constitutional amendment on Nov. 5, 2024, that would prohibit noncitizen voting in elections. The amendment would add language to the Idaho Constitution saying, “No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be a qualified elector in any election held within the state of Idaho.” Noncitizens…