The Republican-majority Wisconsin State Assembly passed AB 975 by a 53-46 vote on Thursday, which would add a referendum to the April 2024 election to ban most abortions after 14 weeks of pregnancy. Under current Wisconsin law, most abortions are prohibited after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Under the proposed bill, abortions would be prohibited in [...]
A coalition of 25 US states sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday over a final rule entitled “Adoption and Submittal of State Plans for Designated Facilities: Implementing Regulations Under Clean Air Act Section 111(d),” arguing that the EPA did not have the authority to institute the new rule. The case is in the US [...]
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton offered to end a whistleblower lawsuit against him on Thursday by not contesting the facts of the case and accepting any judgment against him. The lawsuit alleges that Paxton fired and retaliated against former top staff members who threatened to reveal his financial relationship with Austin, Texas real estate developer [...]
The Supreme Court of the State of Montana denied the state’s attempt to stay a landmark climate ruling in a 5-2 decision on Tuesday. In August 2023, a Montana state judge struck down a provision of the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) because it violated “the right to a clean and healthful environment,” a fundamental right enshrined in [...]
Investors for Paris Compliance (I4PC) launched a complaint against the Ontario Securities Commission and the Autorité des marchés financiers of Québec on Tuesday, asserting that Canada’s big five banks’ sustainable investing disclosures are misleading to shareholders. The complaint called out BMO, Scotiabank, CIBC, TD and RBC for providing possibly misleading environmental, social and governance (ESG) [...]
The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit dissolved a previous stay on Saturday that allowed a California law to go into effect prohibiting concealed carry permit holders from carrying firearms in most public places, blocking the law. With this order, the California law will no longer take effect in January 2024. In a [...]
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed the New Voter Empowerment Act on Thursday, allowing 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections if they are 18 by the succeeding general election. Under the new law, 17-year-olds can vote in the primaries if they are US citizens, reside in the district they expect to vote in and will [...]
The US Supreme Court agreed to hear former President Donald Trump’s appeal of the Colorado Supreme Court decision barring him from the state’s 2024 primary ballot. In a one-page unsigned order, the court scheduled oral arguments for February 8. Additionally, the court ordered Trump to submit a brief in support of his decision by January 18 and [...]
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) sued Texas and Governor Greg Abbott in his official capacity on Wednesday over a state law that criminalizes illegal entry into the border state from anywhere but a port of entry, exerting state jurisdiction over what is usually a federal matter. The case is in the US District Court [...]
The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit temporarily stayed a district court’s preliminary injunction on Saturday that blocked a California law that prohibits concealed carry permit holders from carrying firearms in most public places. In a two-page order, the court paused the district court injunction pending the resolution of the appeal. With this [...]
