California lawmakers advance tax on Big Tech to help fund news industry
Sacramento — The California Senate on Thursday legislation It aims to support the news industry by imposing new taxes on some of the world's largest technology companies. Senate Bill 1327 It would tax Amazon, Meta and Google on the data they collect from users, and funnel money from this “data extraction mitigation fee” to news […]
Lawmakers add measure to end forced prison labor to ballot
Sacramento — The California State Assembly has voted to put a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would completely ban involuntary slavery, eliminating exceptions to criminal punishment for the crime. If passed by voters, the measure would eliminate mandatory work requirements for state prisoners, making inmate work voluntary instead. “Current forced labor practices do […]
California lawmakers pass CEQA exemption for Capitol annex project
Sacramento — The massive budget bill approved by the California Legislature on Wednesday night included a last-minute exemption from the state's landmark environmental law that lawmakers granted themselves. Democrats rushed through a bill exempting a $1.1 billion renovation of the state Capitol from the California Environmental Quality Act, citing a cost-saving measure, a move they […]
Working for Alabama: Lawmakers advance bills to position state workforce, economy for gains
This week, both houses of the Alabama Legislature passed bills to address Alabama's workforce and economic vulnerability: Nearly half of the state's working-age population is neither employed nor willing to participate in the workforce, reflected in the state's lowest labor force participation rate in the nation. The seven-bill package, titled “Working for Alabama,” is the […]
7 Things: Less than ideal day for Trump in court; lawmakers tell educators to get back to teaching with another bill; and more …
7. Walmart is currently Self-Checkout Stores across the country seem to have a number of excuses for why this is happening: “We believe this change will enhance your in-store shopping experience and allow our associates to provide more personalized and efficient service.” If you want to know the truth about why this is happening, Further […]
Alabama lawmakers pass bill to combat squatting on private property
continue Illegal occupations surge nationwideState Rep. Craig Lipscomb introduced a bill in the Alabama Legislature that would prevent squatters from taking over homes and private property. On Thursday, both the Alabama House and Senate approved the bill, which now needs to be signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey. “Our county's larger cities and metropolitan […]
Alabama lawmakers advance compromise of legal gambling proposal – ‘We’ve never gotten to this point’
On Tuesday, a conference committee of the Alabama House and Senate reached an agreement on the different versions of the legal gambling framework passed by both chambers during the legislative session. All six members of the committee voted in favor of the compromise version of the constitutional amendment bill (HB 151) and the implementing bill […]
State Rep. Ernie Yarbrough ‘disappointed’ lawmakers didn’t pass Laken Riley Act
HB376The bill, titled the Laken Riley Act, won't get a final vote this legislative session because of time constraints, according to state Rep. Ernie Yarbrough. Rep. Yarbrough (R-Trinity) introduced the bill earlier this year in response to the February kidnapping and murder of Laken Riley, an undergraduate nursing student at Augusta University. The bill would […]
Alabama lawmakers ban credit card companies from tracking firearm purchases
The Alabama House of Representatives SB281, The new law, which passed the Senate in April, now awaits Governor Kay Ivey's consideration and signature, would ban credit card companies from tracking Alabama consumers' firearm purchases. Previously, firearm purchases were permitted to be made with a specific four-digit Merchant Carrier Code (MCC), significantly reducing gun owners' privacy […]
Alabama lawmakers send record general fund budget to Governor Ivey for approval
The Alabama Senate on Tuesday voted in favor of changes made by the House last week to the state's General Fund budget, with Gov. Kay Ivey congratulating lawmakers after the final passage. “Here in Alabama, we continue to pursue prudent budgeting,” said Governor Ivey. “Despite the challenging economic climate across the country, our fiscal footing […]
