Public PolicyRSS

  • January 28, 2010

    Trade Preference Reform Faces Uncertain Future

    Though prominent members of Congress have announced plans to overhaul the U.S. trade preference programs, lawyers are skeptical that reform is in the cards this year.

  • January 28, 2010

    Senate, States Take On Cadmium After CPSC Report

    Just weeks after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission launched a formal investigation into cadmium in children’s metal jewelry, at least three states and the U.S. Congress have introduced measures to legislate the potentially dangerous toys off the shelves.

  • January 28, 2010

    EPA Deal Likely To Save Elan Millions In Fines

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has asked a federal court to approve a consent decree settling its allegations of hazardous waste law violations against Elan Chemical Company Inc., potentially saving the company hundreds of millions of dollars in statutory fines.

  • January 28, 2010

    Investors Alarmed As Rule 2019 Uncertainty Persists

    The controversy over whether distressed debt investors should be forced to disclose how much they paid for their bankruptcy claims is growing, with contradictory court opinions and contentious amendment proposals only adding more fuel to the Rule 2019 debate.

  • January 28, 2010

    Calif. Senator Proposes New Meal Break Exemption

    California's Senate is considering legislation that would exempt employers of armored vehicle drivers from having to comply with existing state rest and meal break laws.

  • January 28, 2010

    Sens. Push For 'Crippling' Trade Sanctions On Iran

    A bipartisan coalition of U.S. senators is urging the White House to get behind “crippling” sanctions against Iran, pledging to support legislation that would impose new penalties on foreign companies that send petroleum products or infrastructure to Iran.

  • January 28, 2010

    Chamber Urges Forgoing Buy-American Rule In Jobs Bill

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has urged the Senate not to include a Buy American provision in the job creation bill it is expected to consider later this year, saying similar requirements in the current stimulus have proved counterproductive.

  • January 28, 2010

    House Panel Advances Inquiry Into Health Bill Deal

    A U.S. House of Representatives committee has advanced a resolution of inquiry sponsored by Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, that would force the White House to turn over details of a deal cut with major health-industry groups related to pending health care legislation.

  • January 27, 2010

    SEC Backs Climate Change Guidance For Public Cos.

    In a move championed by certain shareholder activists and environmental groups, a divided U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission voted Wednesday to provide public companies with interpretative guidance on existing disclosure requirements as they relate to climate change.

  • January 27, 2010

    Administration Defends AIG Bailout Actions

    Key officials involved in bailing out American International Group Inc. defended the government's intervention during a U.S. House of Representatives hearing Wednesday, stressing the catastrophic potential of an AIG failure and the lack of regulatory alternatives to the taxpayer bailout.

  • January 27, 2010

    Wis. Senate Passes Ban On BPA In Children's Products

    The Wisconsin Senate has unanimously approved a bill that would ban the use of bisphenol A in children's bottles and cups, making the state the latest to take action against the controversial chemical.

  • January 27, 2010

    Biz Groups Urge Defeat Of Iran Gas Sanctions Bill

    A host of business groups is urging Congress to water down a proposal that would impose stricter gasoline sanctions on Iran, saying the legislation goes so far in punishing foreign companies doing business in Iran that it also would harm the U.S. economy.

  • January 27, 2010

    Bill Aims To Add Bankruptcy Judges Amid Case Crunch

    With bankruptcy courts facing an ever-mounting stack of increasingly complex cases in a crumbled economy, the U.S. House of Representatives is considering a bill that would add 25 permanent judges to the bankruptcy bench.

  • January 27, 2010

    Feingold Proposes Jobs Tax Credit To Boost Hiring

    Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., has introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate designed to encourage employers to expand their work forces and payrolls by extending a temporary two-year payroll tax credit to businesses that hire new employees, increase work hours for current employees or raise salaries.

  • January 27, 2010

    Altria Unit Wants To Halt NYC Flavored Tobacco Ban

    U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Manufacturing Co. LLC, an Altria Group Inc. subsidiary that makes chewing tobacco, has asked a federal judge for a preliminary injunction that would prevent New York City from enforcing a ban on nearly all flavored tobacco products.

  • January 27, 2010

    Bill Proposes Country-Of-Origin Labeling For Fuel

    Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, has sponsored legislation that would require gasoline to bear a label disclosing its country of origin, designed to empower consumers to select domestically produced traditional and alternative fuels over those imported from foreign countries.

  • January 26, 2010

    NY Considers Warning Labels For Energy Drinks

    New York has become the latest state to take action against the likes of Red Bull, Monster Energy, and PepsiCo Inc.'s Amp and Rockstar beverages, with a recently proposed bill in the state Legislature aiming to force makers of sugary energy drinks to post warning labels about the products' contents.

  • January 26, 2010

    Movement To Ban BPA Heats Up In State Legislatures

    The movement to ban controversial chemical bisphenol A in children's products has gained momentum, with one bill passing in the Washington state House of Representatives, another being introduced in Vermont and other state lawmakers considering taking action, according to environmental health advocates.

  • January 26, 2010

    BLM Loses Bid To Nix Enviro Group's Sage Grouse Suit

    A federal judge has refused to dismiss a case brought by a conservation group that accused the Bureau of Land Management of failing to protect the greater sage grouse and its habitat in Idaho and Nevada.

  • January 26, 2010

    Insurers Brace For Impact From Iran Gas Sanctions Bill

    A bill that seeks to pressure Iran into curbing its nuclear ambitions by restricting its gasoline imports could create headaches for insurers and reinsurers, which may have difficulty sorting out whether their underwriting activities could be subject to the new sanctions, according to insurance attorneys.