Stateside Weekly Roundup
Michael Behm helped a client prepare a relationship-building plan for state and local officials. Mark Anderson developed talking points about a client issue for use during an upcoming Groups meeting. Robert Holden advised a client developing testimony for a state legislative committee on a health insurance issue. Jeannette Lowe prepared a trends report concerning key issues for a client. Stefani Millie helped clients prepare for the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference. Steve Arthur, Connie Campanella and Kenneth Lin participated in the Republican, Democratic and National Attorneys General Association meetings. Connie Campanella helped a client retain a lobbyist and provided added support with the state’s Attorney General and Governor’s office.
For the Week of March 8, 2010
The following state legislatures are actively meeting this week: ALABAMA, ALASKA, ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, HAWAII, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSISSIPPI, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, OKLAHOMA, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, SOUTH DAKOTA, TENNESSEE, UTAH, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON and WEST VIRGINIA
For the most current information on Governors, Partisan Splits and the 2010 Legislative Sessions, go to: http://www.stateside.com/governors.php
GROUPS
The Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials will hold its Federal Facilities Managers Symposium March 10-11 in Jacksonville, Florida. Mark Anderson at mda@stateside.com
The International City/County Management Association will hold its Mountain Plains/West Coast Regional Summit March 11-12 in San Diego, California. Stefani Millie at skm@stateside.com
The National League of Cities will hold its Annual Congressional City Conference March 13-17 in Washington, D.C. Stefani Millie at skm@stateside.com
ALABAMA
The House Judiciary Committee will meet March 10 to discuss S.B. 372, which makes it unlawful for a person, by coercion or deception, to cause another person to work or perform services having financial value. Matthew Green at mg@stateside.com
COLORADO
The House Judiciary Committee will meet March 8 to discuss H.B. 1351, which sends to the voters a referendum limiting the interest a lender may charge a consumer for a payday loan to 36% per year. Matthew Green at mg@stateside.com
The House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee will meet March 9 to discuss H.B. 1242, which would require the Commissioner of Insurance to implement a uniform application form for individual sickness and accident health benefit plans. Max Behlke at mrb@stateside.com
CONNECTICUT
The Joint Committee on Environment will meet March 8 to discuss S.B. 274, which provides that each day a dog is confined or tethered in an unreasonable manner shall constitute a separate offense. Matthew Green at mg@stateside.com
GEORGIA
The House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee will hold a public hearing March 8 to discuss H.B. 1153, which establishes that a person commits the crime of animal cruelty if he or she fails to provide humane care. John Grant at jhg@stateside.com
HAWAII
The House Education and Housing Committee will meet March 8 to discuss H.B. 2377, which allows the state to screen and qualify candidates for the Board of Education based on their background. Jennifer Cassell at jmc@stateside.com
ILLINOIS
The Division of Professional Regulation’s State Board of Pharmacy will meet March 9 to discuss patient counseling for drugs with a black box warning. Robert Axelrod at ra@stateside.com
The House Insurance Committee will meet March 9 to discuss H.B. 4726, which requires health plans to cover test strips for glucose monitors as durable medical equipment instead of as pharmaceuticals and supplies. Max Behlke at mrb@stateside.com
The General Assembly will convene a Joint Session March 10 for Governor Pat Quinn’s (D) FY 2011 Budget Message. Kyrie Whitsett at klw@stateside.com
KENTUCKY
The Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee will meet March 8 to review amendments to the Department of Finance and Administration’s rules, which require disclosure of financial records of parties contracting with the Commonwealth. David Kennedy at dak@stateside.com
MAINE
The Joint Committee on Natural Resources will hold a hearing March 9 to discuss L.D. 1797, which moves the responsibility for preparing the state solid waste management and recycling plan and the Solid Waste Management Advisory Council from the Executive Department, State Planning Office to the Department of Environmental Protection. Jessica Hart at jwh@stateside.com
MASSACHUSETTS
The Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture will meet March 9 to discuss S.B. 389, which directs the Secretary of Environmental Affairs to establish an environmental justice program for the purpose of reducing the disproportionate burden of environmental hazards carried by certain communities in the Commonwealth. Carly Froshour at cf@stateside.com
MICHIGAN
The House Appropriations Committee will hold a public hearing March 10 to discuss S.B. 1131, which makes various changes to dairy licensing requirements and fees. John Grant at jhg@stateside.com
MINNESOTA
The Senate Health, Housing and Family Security Committee will meet March 8 to discuss S.F. 2700, which prohibits a health plan from requiring a provider to give notice of termination of its contract before meeting with the provider regarding contract amendments or renewals. Tom Kaczmarek at tgk@stateside.com
MISSISSIPPI
A special run-off election will be held March 9 for Senate District 36. The candidates are Albert Butler (D) and Jimmy Strong (R). Carly Froshour at cf@stateside.com
NEW HAMPSHIRE
The Senate Education Committee will hold a public hearing March 8 to discuss S.B. 503, which requires postsecondary institutions to participate in the unique pupil identification system. Randi Powell at rkp@stateside.com
A special election will be held March 9 for House District 2. The candidates are John Roberge (D) and John Tholl, Jr. (R). Carly Simpson at cms@stateside.com
The Department of Environmental Services will hold a public meeting March 11 to discuss the New Hampshire Energy and Climate Collaborative initiatives. Melissa Martin at mpf@stateside.com
NEW YORK
The Assembly Codes Committee will meet March 9 to discuss A.B. 1819, which prohibits persons or business entities from filing unnecessary personal identifying information with a government agency. Megan Stokes at mem@stateside.com
OHIO
The House Civil and Commercial Law Committee will meet March 9 to discuss H.B. 226, which provides civil and criminal immunity to an owner or employee of a hotel or another person who performs automated external defibrillation in good faith at the hotel or facility. Tom Kaczmarek at tgk@stateside.com
PENNSYLVANIA
The House State Government Committee will meet March 8 to discuss H.B. 2245, which prohibits employment discrimination based on familial or marital status. Carly Simpson at cms@stateside.com
RHODE ISLAND
The Senate Finance Committee will meet March 9 to discuss articles in H.B. 7837, the FY 2010-2011 budget, which eliminate motion picture tax credits and tax credits for scholarship organizations. Matthew Green at mg@stateside.com
SOUTH DAKOTA
The Legislature will recess March 12 until its veto review session and final adjournment March 29. Anastasia Feaster at arf@stateside.com
TENNESSEE
The House State and Local Government Committee will meet March 9 to discuss H.B. 3252, which would grant special consideration for veteran owned businesses in awarding state contracts. Craig Orlan at cso@stateside.com
The Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee’s Subcommittee on Tax will meet March 9 to discuss S.B. 3282, which excludes members of the military from the application of the additional single article sales tax. Matthew Green at mg@stateside.com
TEXAS
The House Interim Committee on Public Health will meet March 8 to discuss the implementation of legislation intended to curb rising obesity rates in the state. Anastasia Feaster at arf@stateside.com
UTAH
The Legislature will adjourn sine die March 11. Carly Simpson at cms@stateside.com
VERMONT
The Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy will meet March 11 to discuss S.B. 234, which proposes to authorize the automatic adoption by the state of amendments to the California motor vehicle emissions standards. Carly Froshour at cf@stateside.com
The House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development will hold a public hearing March 12 to discuss H.B. 722, which prohibits the resale of tickets to an entertainment event, including a sporting event, a concert, or a theatrical or operatic performance, if such resale is not authorized in writing by the owner or operator of such structure or event. John Grant at jhg@stateside.com
VIRGINIA
The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee will hold a public hearing March 8 to discuss H.B. 872, which prohibits a credit services business from charging or receiving any money prior to full and complete performance of the services, unless the consumer has agreed to pay for such services during the term of a subscription agreement. Randi Powell at rkp@stateside.com
WISCONSIN
The Department of Natural Resources will hold a public hearing March 13 on proposed amendments to the definition of volatile organic compound. Becky Lukaesko at bml@stateside.com