SARL Members and Alumni

Nevada took a gamble on recreational marijuana, and it’s paying off.  Dispensaries sold $27.1 million of pot in Nevada, in July alone. That's almost double what both Coloradoand Oregon sold in their first months. It's almost seven times what Washington sold. Banking on weed, Nevada made $10.2 million off the fledgling industry during the first month of sales in July, according to the Nevada Department of Taxation. Of that, $6.5 million came from industry fees and $3.68 million came from tax revenue.Gov. [node:read-more:link]

Scientists. Tax collectors. Typists. Analysts. Lawyers. And more scientists. Recreational marijuana use becomes legal in California in 2018, and one of the things to blossom in the emerging industry isn’t green and leafy - it’s government jobs.The state is on a hiring binge to fill what eventually will be hundreds of new government positions by 2019 intended to bring order to the legal pot economy, from keeping watch on what’s seeping into streams near cannabis grows to running background checks on storefront sellers who want government licenses. [node:read-more:link]

Louisiana leaders see great possibility – and lots of money – in potential trade with Cuba. However, a new wedge between the U.S. and the island nation has put that dream in jeopardy. “It's a little bit distressing to see that we are now de-evolving in our relationship,” said Mike Strain, commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. [node:read-more:link]

The Trump Administration has filed an additional formal request on September 28 for consultations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over British Columbia (BC) regulations that favor BC wines over imported US wines.  Notably, the BC regulations allow BC wine to be sold on grocery store shelves while US wines must be sold in a separate “store within a store.”  The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative filed an original request at the WTO for consultations over the British Columbia regulations on January 18, 2017.  This new request updates the previous request. [node:read-more:link]

Minnesota is the only Midwest state ranked in the top 10 of the annual American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s State Energy Efficiency Scorecard. The state’s ninth place standing, announced this week, topped Michigan and Illinois (tied for 11th); Iowa (19th); Wisconsin (24th); Ohio (31st) and Indiana (40th). South Dakota and North Dakota rounded out the bottom.Last year Minnesota ranked 10th on the scorecard and was, once again, the only Midwest state to make the Top 10. [node:read-more:link]

The Kansas Department of Agriculture announced that the State Conservation Commission has approved the creation of the Kansas Wildfire Cost Share Initiative which will provide funding in the amount of $200,000 for specific recovery expenses following recent wildfires in Kansas. [node:read-more:link]

Mark Shanklin thinks he was well within his rights in June 2016 when a police officer knocked on his door after noting unusually high power usage at the St. Louis man's home.  Shanklin "...was covered in dirt or potting soil and reeked of marijuana" when Detective Gregory Klipsch asked him to talk, and he consented to a search after consulting with his wife, according to court documents. [node:read-more:link]

These volunteers spend their time and money to rescue dogs from municipal shelters by shuttling them to fosters or adopters in other parts of the country. They see it as a win for everyone – it eases overcrowding at shelters, keeps dogs from being euthanized and loving families get pets. But there are no laws in the U.S. about tracking dogs moving across state lines. Rescue groups say they self-police and emphasize transparency, but critics say the lack of regulation may put adopters at risk if they unwittingly take in dogs with behavioral problems. [node:read-more:link]

Anne Hazlett, assistant to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on rural development, came under pressure Sept. 28 from several senators on whether she will push for money for programs President Donald Trump proposed eliminating and on whether the USDA will formally weigh in with the Federal Communications Commission on fixed versus wireless broadband internet access. [node:read-more:link]

The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit has held that the First Amendment is applicable to a Wyoming statute that prohibits crossing private property to collect resource data.  The statute, which would prohibit a variety of acts such as photographing, videoing, sampling, or otherwise gathering data on water, soil, and animals, was challenged by several plaintiffs who claimed it violated their free speech rights.  The trial court dismissed the case, finding that the collection of data was not “speech” such that the First Amendment was implicated.  The Tenth Circuit reversed, [node:read-more:link]