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Legislation
Harvard Law professor: Government 'cannot lawfully' force private companies to engage in censorship
Noah Feldman, a professor at Harvard Law, has stated that while private companies are free to censor other private parties of their own accord, if the government forces a private company to engage in censorship, it becomes a violation of the First Amendment.
Legislation
Investor Choice Advocates Network files amicus brief supporting Binance's motion to dismiss SEC lawsuit
Investor Choice Advocates Network (ICAN), a nonprofit public interest litigation organization, filed an amicus brief on Sept. 28 in support of Binance's motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed against it by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). ICAN said it filed the brief due to concerns that the SEC's "ambiguous and expansive" application of existing securities laws could negatively impact investors and individuals wishing to participate in the digital asset industry.
Legislation
Legislation would ban foreign governments from backing civil litigation in federal courts
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Newly introduced legislation in Congress would ban foreign governments and sovereign wealth funds from underwriting civil actions in our federal courts, a more than decade old practice of litigation meddling that proponents of the legislation say is undermining our national security.
Legislation
Judge blocks Ark. law requiring ID check for social media accounts
EL DORADO, Ark. (Legal Newsline) - An Arkansas federal judge has stopped a new law that would require social media companies to inspect documents like the driver's licenses of would-be users to verify their ages.
Legislation
California lawmakers poised to extend 'temporary' Covid layoff protections for hotel, restaurant workers forever
Employers say the law would be virtually impossible to comply with, while leaving employers facing potentially massive fines and equally large hits to their reputation, if unions target them for action
Legislation
California's Prop 13 doesn't prevent voters from raising taxes on hotels, court rules
SAN DIEGO (Legal Newsline) - Amendments to the California constitution that limited property tax increases and require a two-thirds majority to pass special taxes don’t apply to voter initiatives, an appeals court ruled, rejecting challenges to a San Diego ordinance raising occupancy taxes.
Legislation
County's ban on drilling for oil, natural gas struck down by California Supreme Court
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - An ordinance banning oil and gas drilling within Monterey County that passed with 56% of the vote is preempted by state law promoting the production of underground hydrocarbons, the California Supreme Court ruled, rejecting comparisons to earlier decisions allowing municipalities to prohibit drilling in certain areas or ban marijuana dispensaries entirely.
Legislation
Librarians sue over Missouri law requiring removal of books with 'explicit sexual material'
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Legal Newsline) — Librarians are claiming a Missouri law requiring the removal of hundreds of books deemed to have "explicit sexual material" is unconstitutional.
Legislation
Ohio AG Yost questions timing of legal challenge to crew size law for freight trains
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Legal Newsline) - The legal challenge of an Ohio law mandating every freight train must have at least a two-person crew is premature, state Attorney General Dave Yost is arguing.
Legislation
TikTok moves to block Montana ban
MISSOULA, Mont. (Legal Newsline) - TikTok is asking a federal judge to impose an injunction against Montana's Senate Bill 419, which would ban use of the social media platform in the state.
Legislation
Caucus that challenged South Carolina law wants State to pay its lawyer fees
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Legal Newsline) - Attorneys who succeeded in their lawsuit against South Carolina lawmakers are now seeking to have their fees and costs paid by the State.
Legislation
YMCA can challenge North Carolina law reviving old sex-abuse claims
RALEIGH, N.C. (Legal Newsline) - A North Carolina appeals court had the power to allow a YMCA chapter to mount a constitutional challenge to a law that extended the statute of limitations for childhood sex-abuse victims, the state’s highest court ruled, rejecting arguments a strong dissent provided grounds to reverse the appeals court’s order.
Legislation
Law giving child sex abuse victims time to sue struck down by Colorado Supreme Court
DENVER (Legal Newsline) - The Colorado Supreme Court has declared a 2021 law that allowed certain victims of child sexual abuse a chance to file lawsuits unconstitutional.
Legislation
Judge: Ethics law in South Carolina violates First Amendment rights of legislative caucuses
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Legal Newsline) - Lawmakers in South Carolina have won their lawsuit against part of state ethics law that kept them from various political activities.
Legislation
Lawmakers, worker advocates line up to defend independent contractors vs efforts to take California-style restrictions national
The U.S. Department of Labor under President Biden is preparing to seek to impose rules nationwide to limit the ability of people to work as independent contractors, mirroring and expanding rules imposed by California through legislation like AB5.
Legislation
California taxpayers to foot $557K bill for part of gun control law no one wanted
SAN DIEGO (Legal Newsline) - Making a political point can have real-world costs, and California's taxpayers will now get to pay more than a half-million dollars so that state Attorney General Rob Bonta could deliver a message to Texas.
Legislation
As New York bans gas stoves, GE Appliances goes to court to fight no-injury class action
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - The parent company of GE Appliances is mounting its defense in one of the first cases over the safety of emissions from gas stoves - a lawsuit that does not allege any physical injury.
Legislation
RJR, others appeal after flavored-tobacco ban upheld
SAN DIEGO (Legal Newsline) - Tobacco companies are appealing a decision that rejected their challenge to California's ban on the flavored products they make.
Legislation
Florida governor signs 'watershed' tort-reform bill into law
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a comprehensive bill aimed at rooting out excessive, abusive litigation in what the measure’s supporters said was “a watershed moment” in the history of tort reform.
Legislation
Judge won't block California's ban on flavored tobacco
SAN DIEGO (Legal Newsline) - A California federal judge has tossed tobacco companies' challenge to a state law that prohibits the sale of flavored products.