Monthly Archives: October 2024

“Arizona voters will decide on Proposition 312, a ballot measure that would allow property owners to claim a tax refund for costs they’ve incurred to address people illegally camping, using drugs, or defecating in public.” Route Fifty | The next front in the war over homelessness is on the Arizona ballot

Wyoming Legislature nixed prohibiting eminent domain for green energy projects. Two bills were filed to prohibit eminent domain for green energy specifically. Opposition focused on how enhanced oil recovery projects could have been pulled into the prohibition. Cowboy State daily | Legislature Won’t Restrict Utilities Condemning Land For Green Energy Projects

On the ballot this Nov. 5, South Dakota votes will decide whether to uphold Senate Bill 201, which allows counties to impose a tax on carbon pipelines of $1 per foot. The law also imposes requirements for pipeline setbacks, minimum depth, rules for handling drain tiles, potential leaks and indemnities to landowners. Moody County Enterprise […]

  “Fairfax County, the most populous county in Virginia and the most populous jurisdiction in the Washington, D.C., region, received a rare letter late last month from the U.S. House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. Chinese-made drones, the letter warned, are “a threat to the national […]

 Building codes in North Carolina may cost the state up to  $70 million in FEMA funds. FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program uses a point system to assess potential projects. North Carolina automatically loses 5 points because it uses the 2015 International Building Code standards which the Legislature has not updated. NC […]

The US Forest Service budget for tree planting increased by a factor of 40. The budget is now $1.5 billion. Tree planting has been shown to lower heat in urban areas and prevent a significant number of heat related deaths. Look no further than to the large tree canopies of live oaks for urban cooling.  […]

Alaska is exploring hydrogen stored in Alaska’s metamorphic rock could fuel the state’s energy industry. Alaska is exploring energy options. The state’s fishing industry has lost $1.8 billion in 2022-203 due to changing environment. Governing | Is Underground Hydrogen the Key to Alaska’s Clean Energy Future?

A 2023 Brookings Institution Report shows that rents in areas increase 4-6% after a disaster. The rents continue to remain elevated for years after the disaster. After hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022, insurance rates for renters in Florida were 4 times the national average. Route Fifty | How renters often get left behind in […]

Theft or vandalism of a legally placed political sign on private property is a crime in all 50 states. Findlaw

California voters will cast a ballot on Prop 33. Prop 33 would repeal of the state’s restrictions on local rent control. The pros/cons: “While rent control — caps on rent increases — provides relief to tenants, some economists suggest there are significant trade-offs: Rent control policies can lead to higher rents for uncontrolled units, reduce landlords’ incentive to […]