PEW STATELINE – By Lindsey Van Ness – August 31, 2020 More than ever, Eric Harris is mindful of the elected officials around him: The school board members deciding whether his children will go back to the classroom, the sheriff influencing how officers interact with people like him, and the U.S. president steering the country’s coronavirus response. …Read More
By Brian Skinner, Esq. In light of today’s press briefing in which Gov. Justice and his team tried to explain how data is compiled to color in the state’s county alert system map, I thought this story by Jenni Bergal in Stateline might be an interesting read. She writes that because of concerns about the accuracy and uniformity …Read More
By Brian Skinner, Esq. Yesterday, the North Carolina state legislature passed a nearly $1 billion spending bill that uses the remainder of the state’s share of federal CARES Act relief money. House Bill 1105, named the The Coronavirus Relief Act 3.0, grants all North Carolina households with children up to age 17, a $335 stimulus check called “extra credit grants”, to help offset …Read More
By Brian Skinner, Esq. Not only can raffles be fun, they can be a terrific way to generate revenue for a non-profit organization or charity. Most of us have had the experience of buying an inexpensive raffle ticket for a local nonprofit, perhaps a high school band, church, or volunteer fire department. In the …Read More
By Brian Skinner, Esq. During the month of August the British government implemented the Eat Out to Help Out program in which the government paid a 50% discount on all meals eaten in restaurants, pubs or cafes, up to 10 pounds ($13) per person, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Alcohol was not included. During …Read More
By Brian Skinner, Esq. Recent news that the U.S. House of Representatives will likely vote on a bill to decriminalize marijuana and leave legalization up to the states caused me to think it might be time to share an article on the economic benefits of legalizing marijuana. As I discussed last week, despite the potential for tax …Read More
By Brian Skinner, Esq. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended work and home life for everyone, but women in particular have carried the largest share of the burden. A recent article in the NY Times highlights the heavier domestic burden borne by women caused by the pandemic. Including, the fact that they are more likely to lose …Read More
By Brian Skinner, Esq. As states began the process of reopening their economies, they took different paths to put in place COVID-19 mitigation rules for businesses. Some have implemented mandatory standards for businesses that are intended to protect employees. Other states have simply issued guidelines. …Read More
By Brian Skinner, Esq. One of the major pre-requisites for states desiring to relax COVID-19 mitigation measures is the ability to identify those who are infected with and exposed to COVID-19 through contact tracing. Contact tracing is a time-honored public health tool used by state and local governments …Read More
By Brian Skinner, Esq. In a little reported development that is likely to have a big impact on consumer lending, in July, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rescinded its 2017 payday loan rule. The move could leave millions of Americans at high risk of becoming trapped in a cycle of debt. The final rule …Read More