Corporate Funding for Local Housing Crisis

Which corporation is committing funds for housing? Apple

How is Apple helping housing?

  • committed over $400 million to housing programs
  • pledged a total funding of $2.5 billion
    • $1 billion California affordable housing fund
    • $1 billion for home buyer assistance
    • using land valued at $300 million for affordable housing
    • $150 million committed to Housing Trust Silicon Valley
    • $50 million to Destination: Home
  • fund over 1,250 new Bay Area affordable housing units
  • + aid thousands of first-time California home buyers

Is Apple the only tech company stepping into housing? no, Google and Facebook are each allocating $1 billion to housing, including funding affordable units.

Will tech companies partner to reach these housing goals? Yes, Apple is partnering with nonprofit Housing Trust Silicon Valley

San Francisco Chronicle | Apple commits over $400 million of $2.5 billion California housing pledge

Legislation Banning Eminent Domain for a Public Private Project

The public private project hyper loop project that won’t be permitted to use eminent domain? A Hyperloop in Missouri

How did the eminent domain prohibition pass? In an omnibus transportation bill HB 1093 (2020 | MO)

Can the project use public funds? no

Missouri Net | Parson signs megabill with partial motorcycle helmet repeal

WildLife and Private Property Rights

How is exotic game classified under Texas laws? As Private Property, just as livestock and pets are

What does that mean for hunting regulations? Hunting regulations do not apply, you can ” hunt them “day or night,” says John Silovsky, deputy director of theTexas Parks and Wildlife Department. “No bag limits, no seasons.”

National Geographic | A behind-the-scenes look at Texas’ exotic animal ranches

Public School Uses Eminent Domain to Take Charter School

Where: Minnesota’s Iron Range school district

How is the Iron Range school district using eminent domain? To build a new high school the school district seeks to take a charter school’s property

Is the district doing anything to help the charter school continue operations? yes, offering to assist with its relocation

Star Tribune | Minnesota public school district seeks to use eminent domain to seize charter school’s property

Are fossils surface rights?

So you’ve found dinosaur remains on your property. Do you have rights to the fossils?

Well, if you’re in Montana, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, says if you are the surface rights owner, yes you have rights in the dinosaur bones. If you are the mineral rights owner, no rights in the dinosaur bones.

Why did the surface owner get the fossil rights?

  • The fossils were found on the surface
  •  In 2019 Montana Legislature passed a bill defining dinosaur fossils as part of a property’s surface estate unless they are reserved as part of the mineral estate.

The value of dinosaur bones: $$$ millions.

Colorado Politics | OUT WEST ROUNDUP | Court says dinosaur fossils part of surface rights; New Mexico cancels state fair

COVID Legislation. Quarantines with no Executive Order

Which state is considering legislation to allow quarantines with no executive order? Hawaii

Which governmental agency would be granted quarantine authority? Hawaii’s Department of Health

How would this work?

  • State health director would have authority to declare a public health emergency
  • State Health Department would have temporary emergency powers
  • The agency could then :
    • impose of health screening, testing, contact tracing, quarantine and isolation protocols
    • require declarations of health status and travel histories from arriving travelers
    • order the temporary closure of schools or businesses

HB 2502 (2020 | HI) and HB 1049 (2020 | HI) containing provisions similar to HB 2502

Hawaii Tribune Herald | COVID-19 bills introduced in Legislature

COVID Tracing legislation. The data privacy issues.

What data privacy issues are at play in COVID tracing apps beyond personal information?

  • federal preemption of state law
  • the right of private parties to sue to enforce their rights in their data privacy
  • how much data, even anonymized, can a corporation or governmental entity access
    • can that data be sold?

What does polling say about giving up data privacy for contact tracing? People aren’t ready to say yes to giving their data for contact tracing

National Law Review | Privacy vs. Security in the Post-Pandemic World