A p r i l
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April 2019
Climate Change/Air Quality
Governor's Bill Moves Maine Toward 100% Renewable Energy by 2050
April 2019 - Maine is taking an ambitious turn to fight climate change with a new bill announced on April 30 by Gov. Janet Mills. The goals of LR 2478 are to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions 45% by 2030 and 80% by 2050. According to the Natural Resources Council of Maine, the governor's plan includes many aspects of a similar climate bill, LD 797, introduced earlier this year.
– Maine News Service
Environment
Maine Becomes First State To Ban Styrofoam
April 2019 - Food containers made of Styrofoam, also known as polystyrene, will be officially banned from businesses in Maine after governor Janet Mills signed a bill into law. The law, which will go into effect January 1, 2021, prohibits restaurants, caterers, coffee shops and grocery stores from using the to-go foam containers because they cannot be recycled in Maine. Maine has become the first state to take such a step.
– Maine News Service
Climate Change/Air Quality
Governor's Bill Moves Maine Toward 100% Renewable Energy by 2050
April 2019 - Maine would take an ambitious turn to fight climate change with a new bill by Gov. Janet Mills. The goals of LR 2478 are to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions 45% by 2030 and 80% by 2050. The bill ultimately directs the state to get 100% of its electric power from renewable sources by 2050.
– Maine News Service
Criminal Justice
HB-1025 Clears Hurdle for Workers with Criminal History
April 2019 - After Sept. 1, Colorado companies with more than 10 employees are prohibited from asking about workers' criminal history.
– Colorado News Connection
Health
Cheaper RX on the Way
April 2019 - The bipartisan goal of lowering drug prices takes a step closer as SB-005 makes its way to Governor Polis' desk. It would allow the state to import Canadian pharmaceuticals for sale to Colorado consumers - if the state gets approval from the Trump administration.
– Colorado News Connection
Energy Policy
Bill Passes to Prioritize Health and Safety in Oil and Gas
April 2019 - Senate Bill 181 changes the mission of the state regulatory body for the oil and gas. Among other restrictions on the energy sector, it allows local governments to regulate development.
– Colorado News Connection
Livable Wages/Working Families
Colorado Advances Pay Equality for Women
April 2019 - Companies found to be paying employees less due to their gender will be forced to compensate them under SB-85, an equal pay bill awaiting Polis' signature. Companies will also be prevented from asking applicants about their salary history.
– Colorado News Connection
Health
Public Option Bill Clears Both Chambers
April 2019 - HB-1004 would establish a public health insurance option, if approved by the Trump administration under the Affordable Care Act.
– Colorado News Connection
Livable Wages/Working Families
Bill Clears Way for Increasing Local Minimum Wages
April 2019 - The Local Wage Option bill (HB 1210) is on its way to the Governor's desk for signature. The bill would allow city and county officials to adjust their own minimum wages.
– Colorado News Connection
LGBTQIA Issues
Gender ID Bill Headed to Governor's Desk
April 2019 - Jude's Law, House Bill -1039, if signed into law, will cut through the red tape for transgender and non-binary Coloradans to have access to identity documents that reflect their authentic selves.
– Colorado News Connection
Colorado Bans Conversion Therapy
April 2019 - The Colorado legislature passed House Bill 19-1129: Prohibit Conversion Therapy for Minors. If signed into law, the bill would ban the dangerous, discredited practice of conversion therapy on minors by a licensed professional.
– Colorado News Connection
Climate Change/Air Quality
Colorado Sets Climate Goals
April 2019 - The Colorado Legislature has passed the Climate Action Plan to Reduce Pollution, or House Bill 1261, and it now heads to the desk of Gov. Jared Polis for his anticipated signature. The bill calls for reducing greenhouse emissions by 90 percent from 2005 levels by 2050.
– Colorado News Connection
Oceans
Offshore Drilling Ban in New York Waters Signed into Law
April 2019 - Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed legislation (S.2316 (Kaminsky)/A.2572 (Englebright)) to ban offshore drilling in New York State waters. The legislation will bar the state from granting permits for drilling, or oil or gas exploration in offshore areas controlled by the State. The ban will protect New York's waters and coasts by making it more difficult for oil and gas drilling to occur close to coastal New York, even in waters controlled by the federal government. In addition, the legislation prohibits the leasing of State-owned underwater coastal land that would authorize or facilitate the exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas. The bill is a direct response to the Trump administration proposal to open U.S. coastal areas to drilling.
– New York News Connection
Climate Change/Air Quality
Pennsylvania Releases State Climate Action Plan, Joins U.S. Climate Alliance
April 2019 - Governor Tom Wolf announced Pennsylvania's membership in the U.S. Climate Alliance (a bipartisan coalition of governors committed to helping each state achieve their greenhouse gas reduction goals) and released the state?s new climate action plan. With input from government leaders, businesses, and citizens, the plan describes over 100 actions - just 15 of those actions, such as increasing renewable energy, incentivising energy efficient buildings, and increasing the use of electric vehicles, would reduce emissions 21 percent by 2025. Any combination of the 85 additional actions would likely achieve even more emissions reductions.
– Keystone State News Connection
Energy Policy
Offshore Drilling Ban in New York Waters Signed into Law
April 2019 - Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation to ban offshore drilling in New York State waters (S.2316 (Kaminsky)/A.2572 (Englebright). The legislation will bar the state from granting permits for drilling, or oil or gas exploration in offshore areas controlled by the State. It will also protect New York's waters and coasts by making it more difficult for oil and gas drilling to occur close to coastal New York, even in waters controlled by the federal government. In addition, the legislation prohibits the leasing of State-owned underwater coastal land that would authorize or facilitate the exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas. The bill is a direct response to the Trump administration proposal to open U.S. coastal areas to drilling.
– New York News Connection
Consumer
Payday Lending Law Takes Effect in Ohio
April 2019 - A new Ohio law to help protect consumers from predatory short-term loans is now in effect. The Fairness in Lending Act features fee and interest rate caps to prevent borrowers from entering a debt cycle. The law is expected to save Ohioans 75 million dollars annually in lower fees and interest cost.
– Ohio News Connection
Health
Historic Public Option Healthcare Bill Passes Legislature, Heads to Inslee's Desk
April 2019 - The Washington State Legislature passed a bill to create a public option for health care coverage, available through Washington's Health Benefit Exchange.
The plan would be known as Cascade Care, and would be the first public health insurance option in the nation.
– Washington News Service
Energy Policy
'Save Colstrip' Plan Falls Through on Last Day of Montana Legislature
April 2019 - Lawmakers ended the 87-day session 4-25-2019 by voting against amendments drawn up to commit customers of NorthWestern Energy to covering debts associated with the utility's potential purchase of Colstrip Power Plant generation and transmission lines. The proposal was billed as a way to keep Colstrip Power Plant operating as the coal-fired generator's other utility owners left; the proposal failed to pass both chambers of the Legislature.
– Big Sky Connection
Colstrip Bailout Bill Dies in Montana
April 2019 - Montana lawmakers failed to pass legislation that would have enabled NorthWestern Corp. to pass on $75 million in costs to customers associated with acquiring an additional 150-MW share in the beleaguered Colstrip power plant without oversight from the state Public Service Commission.
The bill, proposed by Republican Sen. Tom Richmond, died in the House on a 60-37 vote April 16, and lawmakers failed to revive it before the session ended April 26. The failure of the bill, one of the most controversial pieces of legislation in this year's legislative session, could seal the fate of the troubled coal plant as states in the region attempt to move away from coal-fired generation.
– Big Sky Connection
Reproductive Health
Judge Halts Abortion Advice Gag Rule
April 2019 - A U.S. District Court announced plans to preliminarily halt implementation of the new Title X "Gag Rule." The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' new rule relates to funding for Title X, and affects providers in any clinic receiving Title X funding. If the rule had taken effect, these providers would have been barred from referring a patient for an abortion, even if the patient had requested that information. In many circumstances, the rule would have prohibited providers from even discussing abortion with a patient, and mandated a referral for prenatal care for every pregnant patient, regardless of the needs or wishes of that patient. The new rule would have significantly restricted access to reproductive health services and information for women and families. Originally scheduled to take effect on May 3, 2019, it was challenged by a coalition of 21 attorneys general on March 5, 2019. After more than three and a half hours of oral arguments, U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane announced plans to grant the states' request to preliminarily halt implementation of this rule.
– All News Services
Civic Engagement
Michigan Ordered to Change Gerrymandered Districts
April 2019 - A federal court has ordered Michigan to draw new legislative districts, ruling a gerrymandered plan enacted by the state's Republican controlled legislature in 2011 was a constitutional violation. The three-judge panel said the redistricting plan in 34 congressional and state legislative districts was designed to discriminate against Democratic voters.
– Michigan News Connection
New Ohio Law Will Help Promote Women's Voting
April 2019 - Governor Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 30, which creates the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission to honor the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage. Looking to raise awareness on the importance of making their voices heard at the ballot box, the commission will be led by the Ohio Secretary of State's office through the year 2020. It will hold events and educated the public about the importance of the 19th Amendment.
– Ohio News Connection
Energy Policy
State Agencies Ordered to Reduce Energy Consumption and Environmental Impacts
April 2019 - Governor Ned Lamont signed an executive order that directs executive branch state office buildings and vehicle fleets to become greener and more energy efficient through an expanded "Lead By Example" sustainability initiative aimed at reducing the state's carbon footprint as well as the cost of government operations. This includes meeting the state's overall statutory goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent reduction from 2001 levels by 2030 and reducing waste disposal and water consumption by 25 percent and 10 percent, respectively, by 2030 from a defined baseline of 2020.
– Connecticut News Service
Civic Engagement
CT House Passes Constitutional Amendment to Allow Early Voting
April 2019 - Connecticut House of Representatives has passed a resolution to adopt an amendment to the state constitution to create a system of early voting and no-excuse absentee voting for elections in the state. The House approved the resolution by a three-fourths super-majority vote of 125-24. If the Senate also approves the resolution by a three-fourths vote, a question on whether to adopt the constitutional amendment will appear on the November 2020 statewide ballot for voters' approval.
– Connecticut News Service
Health
Washington Becomes First State to Offer Public Long-Term Care Insurance Program
April 2019 - Washington has become the first state to offer workers a long-term care insurance program into which they would pay to help offset assisted living and other costs. The Long-Term Care Trust Act awaits signature on Gov. Jay Inslee's desk. It will have a maximum lifetime benefit of $36,500, indexed to inflation, according to Washingtonians for a Responsible Future. The coalition that supported the legislation includes the Washington Health Care Association, AARP Washington, SEIU 775 and several other organizations.
– Washington News Service
Civil Rights
ND Bill Increasing Funding for Civil Legal Assistance Gets Gov. Signature
April 2019 - A bill to open up access to legal aid for more residents of North Dakota has been signed by the governor. It increases the Civil Legal Assistance fund cap from $650,000 dollars to $750,000 per biennium. The organization Legal Services of North Dakota is the main source of civil legal aid for people who can't otherwise afford an attorney.
– Prairie News Service
Criminal Justice
NV Assembly Votes to Restore Felons' Voting Rights
April 2019 - Nevada would become the 15th state to restore voting rights to felons who have completed their sentences if Assembly Bill 431 gets the governor's signature. Currently in Nevada, voting rights can only be restored two years after a person's release, and only for people convicted of nonviolent crimes who petition the court where they were convicted.
– Nevada News Service
Health
Bill to Stop Surprise Medical Bills Advances in CA Legislature
April 2019 - When you go to an emergency room, you often don't have a say in choosing the hospital and sometimes, patients get slapped with huge, "surprise" bills if it is out-of-network with their insurance provider. The State Assembly Committee on Health has passed legislation to change that. Assembly Bill 1611 would make sure patients only pay their co-pay and deductible, even at an out-of-network facility, and would cap the amount hospitals can charge on out-of-network bills.
– California News Service
Environment
Judge Rejects Oil Company's Request to Frack Off SoCal Coast
April 2019 - Environmental groups have won another round in the battle over fracking in federal waters off the coast of California. A judge has denied an oil company's request to frack in the Santa Barbara Channel. The company, called D-COR LLC, had asked for an exception to a moratorium put in place last December. That ruling forbids the Trump administration from approving permits for fracking or acidizing in the Pacific until proper environmental review is done.
– California News Service
Climate Change/Air Quality
NY Announces Third Solicitation for Large Scale Renewable Energy Projects to Accelerate the Development of Clean Energy and Combat Climate Change
April 2019 - New York state has launched the third annual solicitation for large-scale renewable energy projects under the state's Clean Energy Standard. The solicitation is expected to support approximately 1.5 million megawatt-hours of renewable electricity per year, enough to power over 200,000 homes, and will accelerate New York's transition to a clean energy economy. The solicitation is also expected to spur over one billion dollars in private investment, creating over 1,000 good-paying jobs for New Yorkers. The announcement advances progress toward New York's proposed nation-leading commitment to secure 70 percent of the state's electricity from renewable resources by 2030 under the state's Green New Deal.
– New York News Connection
Endangered Species & Wildlife
Pennsylvania Declares Eastern Hellbender as Official State Amphibian
April 2019 - Governor Tom Wolf signed Senate Bill 9, designating the Eastern hellbender (a nocturnal salamander threatened by warmer waters and silted streambeds) as Pennsylvania's state amphibian. Sponsored by Senator Gene Yaw, the bill was championed through the legislative process by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Student Leadership Council who spearheaded efforts for two years to demonstrate the critical need to reduce pollution in Pennsylvania's rivers and streams.
– Keystone State News Connection
Civic Engagement
NV Assembly Votes to Restore Felons' Voting Rights
April 2019 - Nevada would become the 15th state to restore voting rights to felons who have completed their sentences if Assembly Bill 431 gets the governor's signature. Currently in Nevada, voting rights can only be restored two years after a person's release, and only for people convicted of nonviolent crimes who petition the court where they were convicted.
– Nevada News Service
Climate Change/Air Quality
City of Denver Divests from Oil and Gas Companies
April 2019 - Denver Mayor Michael Hancock announced that the City of Denver is divesting its $6bn General Funds' portfolio from fossil fuel investments. The city said it was able to move quickly through the process as fossil fuels were already a small percentage of the overall portfolio.
– Colorado News Connection
Oceans
Trump Administration Drops Appeal of Ruling To Protect Whales, Dolphins
April 2019 - The Trump Administration dismissed its appeal of a U.S. District Court ruling that found the administration's fishery agency illegally tried to block regulations designed to protect endangered and threatened marine species like whales, dolphins and sea turtles. In October a federal judge ruled in favor of Oceana in a lawsuit challenging the National Marine Fisheries Service's decision to withdraw a proposed rule that would have placed strict limits on the number of protected species that can be killed or injured in the California-based swordfish drift gillnet fishery. The National Marine Fisheries Service will now consult with the Pacific Fishery Management Council, the entity which recommended the hard caps to the Fisheries Service. That consultation is tentatively scheduled for November.
– California News Service
Climate Change/Air Quality
Nevada Raises Renewable-Energy Goals to 50% by 2030
April 2019 - A longtime priority for Democrats came to fruition Earth Day as new Governor Steve Sisolak signed into law a bill that requires utilities to get 50 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2030. Senate Bill 358 would raise what's called the Renewable Portfolio Standard or R-P-S from its current goal of 25 percent by 2025. Katie Robbins serves as campaign manager for Question Six, which proposed to enshrine the new goal in the state constitution, and passed last November with nearly 60 percent of the vote.
– Nevada News Service
Environment
On Earth Day, Legislation Banning Single-Use Plastic Bags in New York
April 2019 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation in Kingston that bans the sale of single-use plastic bags in New York starting in March 2020, a significant step to reduce pollution and protect fish and wildlife. "Single-use" plastic bags do not degrade and often wind up as litter on lands and in waters, harming birds or wildlife that ingest the plastic. It is estimated that New Yorkers use 23 billion plastic bags annually, and nationwide studies show that approximately 50 percent of single-use plastic bags end up as litter. In addition to preventing plastic bag litter in our environment, this ban will also help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with plastic bag production and disposal, from petroleum used to produce the bags to emissions from the transportation of bags to landfills.
– New York News Connection
Senior
Iowa Governor Signs CARE Act
April 2019 - On the fifth try, AARP of Iowa and other groups were successful in getting the legislature to pass and the governor to sign the Iowa CARE Act. The Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable Act codifies procedures for unpaid family caregivers by providing instructions and training for home medical tasks before a loved one or patient is discharged from a hospital.
– Iowa News Service
Health
New Mexico Governor Signs Bill Adopting Dental Therapists Program
April 2019 - After several failed attempts in the NM legislature, a bill was passed by legislators and signed by the governor in 2019 to make it easier for New Mexicans who are low-income, publicly insured or uninsured, or living in rural and tribal areas access dental care.
– New Mexico News Connection
Colorado Moves to Protect Net Neutrality
April 2019 - The passage of SB-78 means Colorado internet users won't need to worry about internet service providers receiving their tax dollars while not abiding by net neutrality. A new law will prohibit providers that slow access to the internet or unfairly favor certain websites from receiving state grants.
– Colorado News Connection
Immigrant
Federal Judge Upholds CA "Sanctuary State" Law
April 2019 - A federal appeals panel has upheld California's controversial "sanctuary state" law, ruling that the measure does not impede the enforcement of federal immigration laws in that state. A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a unanimous decision, found that the state law, known as SB 54, limiting cooperation between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities does not conflict with federal law. The judges said they "have no doubt that SB 54 makes the jobs of federal immigration authorities more difficult." But "California has the right ... to refrain from assisting with federal efforts." The decision upholds a lower court ruling issued in July 2018.
– California News Service
Oceans
Bill To Protect Menhaden And Improve Ocean Health Signed into Law
April 2019 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has signed legislation (A2571 Englebright/S2317 Kaminsky) to protect menhaden, a fish whose population recovery has been instrumental in restoring striped bass, whales, dolphins, bluefish, coastal sharks, predatory fish, seals, and seabirds, among other species to New York's waters. The measure will strengthen conservation efforts to protect this vital bait fish by prohibiting the commercial use of an industrial net, known as purse seines, that can encircle an entire school of fish. The measure prohibits the taking of menhaden with the use of purse seines, fishing nets as large as six city blocks, held down by weights at the bottom and buoyed by floats at the top edge that draw closed around the fish. An important commercial baitfish, menhaden are also harvested for production of fish oil, fertilizer, and fishmeal. Prohibiting the use of purse seines in New York's waters supports our fishermen, who use more sustainable taking methods, and increases their ability to access menhaden, also known as bunker.
– New York News Connection
Climate Change/Air Quality
PA Considering Carbon Cap and Trade
April 2019 - Pennsylvania could be carbon neutral by the middle of this century under a rulemaking plan now being considered by the state's Environmental Quality Board. The board has accepted a carbon cap-and-trade rulemaking petition for further study. If adopted, the rule would cap carbon and carbon-equivalent emissions for the state at 2016 levels, and lower that cap by 3 percent per year beginning in 2018. Sources of emissions would then purchase credits for each ton of greenhouse gas they discharge. The cap would apply to all sources of emissions including industry and transportation, and as the cap on emissions gets lower, the cost for carbon credits would increase by 10 percent a year. The Environmental Quality Board has the authority to regulate carbon emissions and the state's environmental rights amendment mandates that regulations be put in place.
– Keystone State News Connection
Endangered Species & Wildlife
Bill To Protect Menhaden And Improve Ocean Health Signed into Law
April 2019 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has signed legislation (A2571 Englebright/S2317 Kaminsky) to protect menhaden, a fish whose population recovery has been instrumental in restoring striped bass, whales, dolphins, bluefish, coastal sharks, predatory fish, seals, and seabirds, among other species to New York's waters. The measure will strengthen conservation efforts to protect this vital bait fish by prohibiting the commercial use of an industrial net, known as purse seines, that can encircle an entire school of fish. The measure prohibits the taking of menhaden with the use of purse seines, fishing nets as large as six city blocks, held down by weights at the bottom and buoyed by floats at the top edge that draw closed around the fish. An important commercial baitfish, menhaden are also harvested for production of fish oil, fertilizer, and fishmeal. Prohibiting the use of purse seines in New York's waters supports our fishermen, who use more sustainable taking methods, and increases their ability to access menhaden, also known as bunker.
– New York News Connection
Consumer
Washington Legislature Updates Wrongful Death Law
April 2019 - The Washington Legislature approved an update to the state's wrongful death law, the latest reverberation from a fatal 2015 crash that cast a spotlight on a century-old state law. The proposal would remove requirements that, after an accidental death in the state, family members must live in the United States and be economically dependent on the victim to be able to file a wrongful death claim here. The law dates to 1909. The state House passed the bill on a 61-37 vote Monday. Having previously passed the Senate, it now goes to Gov. Jay Inslee for his signature.
– Washington News Service
Health
WA Legislature Passes Long-Term Care Trust Act
April 2019 - Washington state lawmakers have passed a bill that will help people save for care after they've retired.
– Washington News Service
Women's
State Police Have Ended Forensic Rape Kit Backlog
April 2019 - Pennsylvania State Police forensics have reduced the backlog from 390 kits to zero, and tested more than 1,100 kits in 2018 The Sexual Assault Testing and Evidence Collection Act was amended on July 10, 2015, with the passage of Act 27. As amended, local law enforcement agencies are required to submit the number of sexual assault kits in their inventory with any backlogged evidence awaiting testing to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, which in turn publishes an annual report at the end of April. Each testing laboratory used by a local law enforcement agency is required to submit the same information to the department. The annual report is intended to provide a comprehensive view of the number of untested sexual assault kits in the commonwealth and to ensure that those kits are tested in a timely fashion. This, in part, ensures that sexual assault data is uploaded into the requisite federal database to help solve related sexual assault cases.
– Keystone State News Connection
Civic Engagement
State Assembly Passes National Popular Vote Bill
April 2019 - The State Assembly passed a bill that would make Nevada the 16th state to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. The proposal would require the state to pledge all of six of its Electoral College votes to the presidential candidate who wins a majority of the national popular vote. Barry Fadem, president of the nonprofit National Popular Vote, says if enough states sign on, it could go into effect for the 2024 presidential election.
– Nevada News Service
Livable Wages/Working Families
Maine Passes Salary History Ban
April 2019 - Maine recently joined the growing number of states that have passed laws prohibiting employers from requiring new or prospective employees to provide information regarding their prior salary or compensation. On April 12, Maine Governor Janet Mills signed into law "An Act Regarding Pay Equality." The new law, which will go into effect on September 17, 2019, 90 days after Maine ends its current legislative section, seeks to end wage inequality by prohibiting employers from taking salary history into account when setting compensation for new employees.
– Maine News Service
LGBTQIA Issues
As President Trump's Transgender Military Ban Takes Effect, State Agencies Directed to Support Transgender Service Members Who are Displaced
April 2019 - Governor Andrew Cuomo has directed state agencies to provide support to any transgender service members who are displaced by the Trump administration's ban on military service by transgender people. In issuing the directive the governor called the ban "an assault on our nation's commitment to ensuring equal rights for all that endorses discrimination in our armed forces, undermines national security, and repays bravery and sacrifice with hate." New York took action in 2015 to affirm that all transgender people are protected under the State's Human Rights Law, and this year enshrined those protections in State law with passage of the Gender Expression Nondiscrimination Act.
– New York News Connection
Endangered Species & Wildlife
Some Progress for Gray Wolves in Southwest
April 2019 - Mexican gray wolves are slowly returning to historic territories in the Southwest, but still being killed at rates that worry biologists tracking their recovery. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report shows a 12% increase in wolf numbers over the previous year.
– New Mexico News Connection
Animal Welfare
CA Lawmakers Move Multiple Animal-Welfare Bills Forward
April 2019 - A slew of animal protection bills have moved forward in the California Legislature including proposals to limit animal abuse, hunting, poisoning and trapping. Senate Bill 580 would force people convicted of such serious crimes as aggravated cruelty, bestiality and hoarding to undergo mental-health evaluation and get treatment if necessary. Assembly Bill 1788 would ban certain types of commercial rat poison that also harm wild animals that eat the carcasses. Other bills would ban trophy hunting of bobcats and commercial trapping of other animals for fur; forbid the use of certain endangered animals in circuses, and criminalize the sale of most fur products. Opponents of many of these bills say they represent government overreach.
– California News Service
Water
New York State to Sue U.S. EPA for Failing to Meet Goals of Hudson River PCB Cleanup
April 2019 - New York State intends to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency following the Certificate of Completion issued by the agency for General Electric's cleanup of PCB contamination in the Hudson River. Late last year, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation released a study showing the cleanup of contamination in the upper Hudson River is incomplete and not protective of public health and the environment. At that time, the State demanded that EPA not issue the Certificate of Completion, as PCB - or polychlorinated biphenyls - levels in fish are still above EPA's own acceptable risk range. EPA's decision to issue the Certificate of Completion is contrary to the law and could make it much harder for EPA to require GE to implement more dredging or other remedial measures in the upper Hudson River, as needed to protect public health and the environment. EPA issued the Certificate of Completion on April 11.
– New York News Connection
Human Rights/Racial Justice
New Hampshire Poised To Eliminate Death Penalty
April 2019 - New Hampshire is poised to become the 21st state to abolish the death penalty. The state Senate voted 17-6 to end capital punishment, adding its voice to the state House which voted for repeal last month by a vote of 279-88. The bill changes the penalty for capital murder to a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. The state's Republican governor, Chris Sununu, has threatened a veto. But with more than two-thirds majority support in both chambers, the legislature could override a veto, making New Hampshire the final state in New England to repeal the death penalty.
– New Hampshire News Connection
Livable Wages/Working Families
Bill To Raise Minimum Wage Introduced
April 2019 - A bit of hope for the 12-thousand Nevadans who scrape by on minimum wage, as the Speaker of the State Assembly, Jason Frierson (D-Las Vegas), introduced Assembly Bill 486l to raise the minimum wage to 12-dollars an hour - to be phased in over four years. Former Governor Brian Sandoval vetoed a similar bill two years ago. But this bill stands a chance now that Democrats control both houses of the Legislature and have the support of Governor Steve Sisolak.
– Nevada News Service
Public Lands/Wilderness
Big California Public Lands Package Introduced in Congress
April 2019 - More than a million acres of public lands would be protected if three new bills just introduced in Congress become law. The Central Coast Heritage Protection Act would designate 245-thousand acres of wilderness in the Los Padres National Forest and the Carrizo Plain National Monument. It would safeguard rivers and create the new Condor National Scenic Trail.
– California News Service
Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault
First Law to Take Guns from Abusers Goes into Effect
April 2019 - Hailed as the first law in Pennsylvania to truly take guns away from the dangerous abusers who use them to kill, terrorize and control, Act 79 goes into effect. The act includes additional safeguards to help protect victims of domestic violence, including requiring abusers receiving orders issued after a contested hearing or conviction for misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence to turn in any guns to law enforcement agencies within 24 hours while the order is in effect; previously the abuser could relinquish a firearm to a family member or friend; allows for the time that an individual is incarcerated not to be counted for the 90 days of a temporary PFA (Protection From Abuse order); and requires the PFA to be served by official law enforcement unless the plaintiff chooses another authorized method.
– Keystone State News Connection
Health
Federal Judge Vacates Medicaid Work Requirements
April 2019 - A federal judge has vacated changes to the state's Medicaid program proposed by Governor Matt Bevin. The changes would have required recipients to prove they are working or volunteering each month in order to receive healthcare benefits.
– Kentucky News Connection
Climate Change/Air Quality
California Court Affirms Communities' Right to Fight Permits for Dirty Power Plants
April 2019 - A California state judge has affirmed the constitutional right of residents concerned about air and climate pollution to challenge power plant siting decisions in their local Superior Court. In 2013, Earthjustice, Communities for a Better Environment and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a 2001 law limiting judicial review of the California Energy Commission's power-plant approvals to the California Supreme Court. The 4-3-19 decision in Alameda County Superior Court sides with the groups, agreeing that Superior Courts have jurisdiction to hear appeals of the Energy Commission's licensing decisions.
– California News Service
Immigrant
2020 Budget Includes $10 Million to Support Expansion of the Liberty Defense Project
April 2019 - The FY 2020 Enacted Budget includes $10 million to support the expansion of the first-in-the-nation Liberty Defense Project launched in 2017. This additional funding will allow the LDP to continue its mission in providing free legal consultations and screenings for immigrants, directing representation to immigrants in deportation proceedings and helping with filing immigration applications for naturalization, employment authorization and permanent residence.
– New York News Connection
19 Full-Time Immigration Attorneys to Help Immigrants Across State
April 2019 - Nineteen experienced, dedicated immigration attorneys have been selected to serve as full-time legal counsels in all regions of the state to provide free services to immigrants that need assistance. These attorneys will work in conjunction with Governor Cuomo's Office for New Americans' (ONA) Opportunity Centers across the state.
– New York News Connection
Civic Engagement
Court Rules CA Must Improve Voter Registration
April 2019 - On April 3, 2019, civil rights groups prevailed against Secretary of State Alex Padilla in their lawsuit to expand voter registration at agencies in the state that serve people on public assistance and individuals with disabilities. San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Ethan P. Schulman ruled Padilla must require voter registration at additional agencies and contractors serving Californians throughout the state. More than 1.8 million Californians will benefit from the ruling.
– California News Service
Health
Healthcare Work Requirement Bill Being Revised to Pose Fewer Restrictions
April 2019 - A public hearing made clear there is growing public pressure to revise the bill to make the new work requirements associated with Medicaid less restrictive.
– New Hampshire News Connection
Criminal Justice
Pennsylvania Can Lead Nation with Bipartisan Probation and Parole Reforms
April 2019 - Bipartisan legislators joined criminal justice reform advocates, including the REFORM Alliance, to announce an upcoming bill to overhaul probation and parole in the commonwealth. The proposed legislation aims to remove pitfalls that plague the parole and probation system and cause people who make nonviolent mistakes to be pulled back into the criminal justice system. The changes include preventing the court from sentencing a person to consecutive sentences of probation, preventing the court from extending probation or parole due solely to nonpayment of fines and costs and creating a system of incentives that reward good behavior. The bill would also remove testing positive for marijuana as well as leaving the jurisdiction of the court without the intent to permanently avoid supervision as parole and probation violations. Pennsylvania's bipartisan criminal justice reform efforts in recent years have led to consecutive years of lower prison populations, all while crime has also fallen.
– Keystone State News Connection
Energy Policy
New Program To Spur Innovations In Energy Storage And Electric Vehicle Technology
April 2019 - An innovative partnership between the New York University Tandon School of Engineering Urban Future Lab and the New York Power Authority will recruit and support startup businesses pursuing electric vehicle and energy storage technologies. The partnership will help advance Governor Cuomo's Green New Deal, a nation-leading clean energy and jobs agenda that will aggressively put New York State on a path to economy-wide carbon neutrality.
The joint program, called the NYPA Innovation Challenge, will support advanced pilot programs demonstrating new technology and business models in New York State. As the power grid inevitably transforms and begins to work with more distributed energy resources (DERs) and grid edge solutions, NYPA will be seeking additional public and private partners with expertise in innovation, energy efficiency and clean energy generation.
– New York News Connection
Idaho Power Commits To Completely Clean Energy Sources By 2045
April 2019 - Idaho Power pledges to provide customers 100 percent clean energy by the year 2045. The company that serves over half-a-million customers calls the effort "Clean Today, Cleaner Tomorrow." Nearly 50 percent of the electricity the company currently generates comes from hydro power, and about a fifth comes from coal.
– Northern Rockies News Service
Gun Violence Prevention
NV Bill Introduced to Ban Bump Stocks
April 2019 - AB291 was introduced by Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui as a vehicle for justice for hundreds of victims and survivors of gun violence. AB291 would give decision making power back to towns, cities, and counties across the state to create stronger regulations than state law. AB291 also adds additional penalties for possessing a firearm while intoxicated and bans bump stocks along with other alterations of a semi-automatic weapon.
– Nevada News Service
