Perdue Foods and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) have reached an agreement in which Perdue will pay an administrative penalty of $77,300 and an associated $7,601 assessment for expenses associated with the DNREC’s investigation into the company’s violations of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. [node:read-more:link]
A tax credit that’s helped motivate many fiscally conscious Iowa farmers to install solar panels would see an early demise under a sweeping tax reform bill that cleared a major legislative hurdle. Iowa is the only state in the Midwest and one of just a dozen nationally that still offers a state solar tax credit. The Iowa Legislature created the 15 percent tax credit in 2012. Since then it’s provided a total of $21.6 million in incentives for nearly 4,000 projects. [node:read-more:link]
Washington became the first state to pass a law making it illegal for internet service providers to manipulate their networks for money. Dozens of other states are considering similar measures through legislation and lawsuits. Governors in Montana, Hawaii, New York, New Jersey and Vermont have all signed executive orders on the issue. There's just one problem: The new rules passed by the Federal Communications Commission in December, in a 3-2 vote along party lines, pre-empt states from making their own net neutrality laws. [node:read-more:link]
Sid Miller maintained about 56 percent of the vote in a three-way race to lead a department whose wide-ranging responsibilities include inspecting lottery balls and running the federal school lunch program. [node:read-more:link]
According to the tax documents of the Humane Society of the United States, as well as other independent analyses, the national organization renowned for animal rights donated less than one percent of their $132 million budget to help care for actual animals in 2016; and members of this chamber should be encouraging the residents of Illinois to research other local humane societies that are completely unaffiliated with the National organization; residents of Illinois will find that these independent humane societies do not receive many donations and rely primarily on dedicated volunteers to [node:read-more:link]
States across the country argue that if Washington loses Supreme Court case, land uses from coast-to-coast will be vulnerable to lawsuits. Eleven states from around the U.S. argue that if Washington loses its case in the U.S. Supreme Court over culverts, land-use rules across the country will be at risk of being subordinate to tribal treaty rights. The states, led by Idaho, filed a brief with the high court March 2 supporting Washington’s appeal of a court order to replace more than 800 fish-blocking culverts. [node:read-more:link]
Unlike medical doctors in California, veterinarians are prohibited under state law from discussing cannabis as a treatment option for pets. That would change under a bill recently proposed by Assemblymember Ash Kalra, D-San Jose. AB 2215 would have the state Veterinary Medical Board come up with guidelines for discussing marijuana treatment and “protect state-licensed veterinarians from disciplinary action for discussing the use of cannabis on animal patient clients.” The bill is sponsored by the California Veterinary Medical Association. [node:read-more:link]
A plan to create an academic center focusing on the needs of rural Georgia cleared a milestone, but conversations about funding still await lawmakers. House lawmakers overwhelmingly approved the measure, sending it to the Senate. [node:read-more:link]
Lost Valley Farm opened in April 2017 near Boardman along the Columbia River in north central Oregon to supply the Tillamook County Creamery Association, which makes Tillamook Cheese. [node:read-more:link]
A U.S. District Court judge has denied Iowa’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state’s “ag gag” law. In October, a coalition of groups led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Iowa, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the Center for Food Safety, and Public Justice filed the lawsuit, claiming the law violates Iowans’ First Amendment right to free speech. The suit was filed in the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. [node:read-more:link]
