LABOR, ECONOMY & THE CLIMATE - page 26

Legislation that would upend state laws mandating labels for genetically modified (GM) foods passed a key procedural vote in the Senate. The bill, which would create a nationwide system for identifying some GM foods, cleared a motion to end debate on Wednesday, by a 65-32 vote. A simple majority is now needed for the legislation to pass a full Senate vote, which is expected before the week is over. Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, and Alaska have all passed legislation in recent years forcing companies to overtly… Keep Reading

A measure that would significantly lower taxes for top income earners in the US would only cost the government $191 billion, a conservative group estimated, despite the official cost of the proposal being closer to $2.4 trillion. The conservative Tax Foundation issued its questionable analysis of the GOP’s tax proposal, which was part of the “Better Way” agenda unveiled last month by House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). The plan would slash the top income tax rate to 33 percent from its current rate of 39.6… Keep Reading

A report released on Thursday asserts that American workers face increased risks on the job because the federal government isn’t cracking down hard enough on employers who skirt safety regulations. More than 30,000 employees have died at work since President Obama took office in 2009, according to the study released by the non-profit Center for Progressive Reform (CPR). The group blamed the high number of deaths on the low cost of non-compliance, finding the median Occupational Safety and Health Administration penalty imposed on employers to be… Keep Reading

Legislation that would allow the government of Puerto Rico to restructure its debt cleared the final major hurdle before a critical deadline later this week. The bill passed a cloture motion in the Senate on Wednesday, by a 68-32 vote. The maneuver means the legislation, now, can not be delayed indefinitely. Though most Democrats voted for it, some blasted the legislation for creating an unelected board to oversee public finances on the island—a development that will likely encourage harsh austerity measures, with technocrats unaccountable to… Keep Reading

The Supreme Court rejected a request to reconsider a pro-labor decision it made earlier this year. Justices on Tuesday denied a petition for rehearing in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association. In March, the court failed to rule in favor of the plaintiff, who had been challenging mandatory “agency fee” rules. The regulations force public sector workers in California to help finance collective bargaining, even if they aren’t union members. More than twenty states have similar laws, to prevent non-union workers from reaping the benefits of… Keep Reading

A watchdog is accusing federal environmental stewards of granting preferential treatment to a corporate fundraiser. Japanese carmaker Subaru was given special permission last year to shutdown parts of Shenandoah National Park, the group says, to shoot an advertisement using unmanned aerial vehicles—activities that are prohibited by the US National Park Service (NPS). Records obtained by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) show that an exemption was granted to Subaru after the company became a sponsor of the upcoming NPS Centennial celebrations. The festivities are set… Keep Reading

The Supreme Court decided in a 5-3 vote on Monday to strike down a Texas law that imposed strict regulations on abortion clinics. Justice Breyer, writing for the majority, said the 2013 legislation, HB2, violated the Bill of Rights by failing the “undue burden” test. The precedent had been delivered in an opinion written in 1992 by Justice Anthony Kennedy. Kennedy, a Reagan-appointee, again voted on Monday to uphold access to abortion. The other conservative justices on the bench dissented in unison. “We conclude that neither of… Keep Reading

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to advance legislation required to avoid an immediate deepening of the financial crisis in Puerto Rico. Lew told McConnell on Monday that “the Senate should take up the matter immediately,” noting the island has $2 billion in debt payments due Friday. “In the event of default, and if creditor lawsuits are successful, a judge could immediately order Puerto Rico to pay creditors over essential services such as health, education, and public safety,” Lew warned.… Keep Reading

Associate Justice Samuel Alito no longer has a direct stake in Exxon Mobil, according to annual Supreme Court financial disclosures. The conservative jurist and his wife last year sold the stock they had jointly owned in the oil giant, which was worth between $100,000-$250,000. The sale means Alito can now participate in any case that involves Exxon, should one come before him at the high court. Since Alito started serving as a justice in 2006, he has recused himself from one case involving Exxon. In… Keep Reading

A federal judge in Wyoming on Tuesday tossed out Obama administration rules on fracking. District Judge Scott Skavdahl ruled that the Bureau of Land Management lacked authority to issue the regulations when it did so, in March 2015. Skavdahl, an Obama-appointee nominated to the bench in 2011, said BLM had narrow jurisdiction when regulating energy production. “Congress delegated regulatory authority for environmental protection of underground water sources to the Environmental Protection Agency, not the BLM,” he concluded. Administration lawyers had argued that Congress granted BLM… Keep Reading

Fed Chair Janet Yellen said she would not yet decide whether to employ regulatory tools to reduce the size and and risk of “too big to fail” banks, ahead of an Oct. 1 statutory deadline. Yellen noted Tuesday that the banks would almost certainly require federal assistance, if there were to be sudden tremors in financial markets. She would not, however, comment on how the Fed intends to move forward, if those firms don’t submit adequate resolution plans this fall. Those outlines, known as “living… Keep Reading