rulemaking
Reliability v. sustainability: Inside the debate over the EPA’s proposed carbon rules
Electric reliability has been a hot topic lately — from congressional hearings to regulatory agencies and at the regional transmission organizations that run the electric grid in much of the country. The American electric grid is undergoing a major change, prodded by state and federal decarbonization policies, market forces pushing cheaper and cleaner forms of […]
Attempt to kill Biden student debt relief plan tied to income fails in U.S. Senate
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans on Wednesday night failed to garner enough votes to block a new Biden administration rule on an income-driven repayment plan for federal student loans. The resolution did not pass, 49-50. Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia was the sole Democrat who joined Republicans in backing the resolution. Sen. Tim […]
Millions more workers would receive overtime pay under proposed Biden administration rule
Salaried workers who have been ineligible for overtime pay would benefit from a proposed Biden administration regulation. The Department of Labor’s new rule would require employers compensate full-time workers in management, administrative, or other professional roles for any overtime worked if they make less than $55,068 annually. Currently, the salary threshold is $35,568. The change […]
New federal water pollution rule draws mixed reaction
A federal rule limiting agencies’ power to regulate water pollution will severely restrict protections for waters and wetlands throughout the country, but could also be subject to challenges from conservative groups that maintain the new rule exerts more federal jurisdiction than the U.S. Supreme Court intended in a May decision. With the rule published Tuesday […]
Pregnant workers have new protections. Here’s what to expect from your boss.
Almost two months after workplace accommodations for pregnant workers became law, the rules surrounding what employers can and cannot do have yet to be finalized — but that doesn’t mean the protections are not in place. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s proposed regulations are expected to offer more clarity once finalized, but workers can still […]
U.S. Supreme Court to hear N.J. fishing case that could limit federal agency powers
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case from New Jersey commercial fishermen next term that could significantly constrain federal agencies’ rulemaking, the court said Monday. The order announcing the court would hear the case, an appeal from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals initially brought by New Jersey fishing operations that objected to paying […]
Cooper sues legislative leaders over yet another infringement on executive power
In continuance of a theme that goes back to the weeks before he was even inaugurated when the Republican-dominated General Assembly sought to limit the powers of his office and transfer them to the legislative branch, Gov. Roy Cooper is going back to court with Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim […]
‘Real rush’ of Trump rules expected ahead of 2020 election
WASHINGTON — The administration is preparing to finalize a host of high-profile rules in 2020, including policies that will impact everything from auto emissions to food stamp access. With the November presidential election approaching, the administration is widely expected to make a push to wrap up pending regulations early in 2020 in an effort to […]
Bill further limiting state agencies meets skepticism in N.C. House
N.C. House Bill 162, on which we reported back in August, may have a rough road to passage during next week’s special session of the General Assembly. In Thursday’s meeting of the Select Committee on Administrative Procedure Laws, a number of House Republicans made it clear they’re nowhere near as enthusiastic about changes to the final […]
The quarterback sneak of House Bill 162: Measure would stymie DEQ’s ability to strengthen environmental rules
House Bill 162 began its life last February as a wonky aggregation of technical corrections. But by summer, the measure hasdmorphed into yet another attempt by lawmakers to curb the authority of the NC Department of Environmental Quality. (Because cutting 16-plus jobs and more than $2 million from the agency’s budget isn’t effective enough?) The […]