State & Local
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May 15, 2025
Conservatives Challenge Title Of Colo. Tax Cut Initiative
A proposed Colorado ballot measure to reduce the state income tax rate by one-hundredth of a percentage point was assigned an unlawfully confusing title by a state board, the conservative activists behind the initiative charged in a petition to the state Supreme Court.
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May 15, 2025
Pa. House Advances Energy Tax Credits
Pennsylvania would update an economic development tax credit program to offer incentives to electric-generating and hydrogen facilities, among other energy projects, under a bill passed by the state's House.
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May 15, 2025
House Plans Vote On Budget Bill With Tax Package Next Week
Republican leaders in the House plan to hold a vote next week on the chamber's budget bill that includes the GOP's $3.8 trillion tax package, with the aim of sending the legislation to the Senate before Memorial Day, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith said Thursday.Â
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May 15, 2025
Minn. Justices Affirm $9M Medical Building Tax Valuation
A Minnesota medical building was correctly valued by the state tax court, the state Supreme Court said Wednesday, affirming a decision that boosted the building's original valuation by more than $1 million.
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May 15, 2025
Hawaii Justices Won't Review Honolulu Property Class Case
The Hawaii Supreme Court declined to review an appellate court decision that found a special Honolulu property class did not violate the state and country's equal protection clause.
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May 15, 2025
Okla. Revenue Through April Beats Estimate By $144M
Oklahoma general fund revenue from July through April outpaced a forecast by $144 million, according to a report by the state Office of Management and Enterprise Services.
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May 15, 2025
Ill. Revenue Beats Budget Forecast By $58M
Illinois general fund revenue collection from July through April edged higher than a budget forecast by $58 million, according to the governor's Office of Management and Budget.
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May 15, 2025
Tenn. Extends Sales And Use Tax Break For Broadband Gear
Tennessee extended by two years a sales and use tax exemption for equipment used to produce broadband services under a bill signed by the governor.
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May 15, 2025
Wis. General Revenues Through April Up $512M
Wisconsin's general purpose revenue collection from July through April was $512 million higher than last year during the same period, according to the state Department of Revenue.
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May 14, 2025
House Panel To Fold $3.8T Tax Overhaul Into Budget Package
The House Budget Committee has scheduled a vote Friday on legislation that would combine the House Ways and Means Committee's $3.8 trillion tax bill with the work of other House committees as part of the fiscal 2025 budget reconciliation bill.Â
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May 14, 2025
Wisconsin Lake Homeowners Amend Tribal Tax Burden Suit
Four lake homeowners and an association have amended a suit against local governments in the Menominee reservation in northern Wisconsin, claiming the tribe has sought to grow the amount of tax-exempt land while leaving owners of taxable homes to pay more than their fair share.Â
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May 14, 2025
Newsom Blames 'Trump Slump' As Calif. Faces $12B Shortfall
California's fiscal situation has changed for the worse since January, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday, putting the blame on what he said was a "Trump slump" that has resulted in lower capital gains tax collections.
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May 14, 2025
SC Justices Probe Law For Ambiguity In Amazon Tax Fight
Justices of the South Carolina Supreme Court seemed focused Wednesday on whether there was ambiguity in a 2011 law that the state's tax department and lower courts said compelled Amazon to collect and remit sales tax before the landmark Wayfair decision.
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May 14, 2025
Ore. Senate Panel OKs Renewed Historic Preservation Credit
Oregon would reauthorize a historic preservation tax credit and limit it to commercial properties under legislation advanced by a state Senate panel.
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May 14, 2025
NJ's 2025 Revenue Forecast Revised Higher
New Jersey's tax revenue collection so far this fiscal year has been better than expected, the state's treasurer told the state Assembly Budget Committee on Wednesday, saying her department would increase its revenue forecast for both fiscal year 2025 and 2026.
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May 14, 2025
Pa. April Collections Surpass Estimate By $363M
Pennsylvania's general fund collections for April were $363 million higher than the state's estimate, finishing at $6.2 billion, the state Department of Revenue said in a report.
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May 14, 2025
Minn. House Bill Seeks 10-Cent Plastic Bottle Tax
Minnesota would impose a 10-cent tax on plastic beverage bottles, with the funds dedicated to water and sewer infrastructure projects, under legislation introduced Wednesday in the state House.
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May 14, 2025
Ga. Gives Income Tax Exclusion For Disaster Relief Payments
Georgia authorized a state income tax exclusion for eligible disaster relief or assistance grant program payments for agricultural damage wrought by Hurricane Helene under a bill signed by Gov. Brian Kemp.
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May 14, 2025
Ore. Riverfront Parcel Overvalued, State Tax Court Finds
An Oregon riverfront property was overvalued by $12,000 in tax year 2022-23, the Oregon Tax Court said, lowering its real market value while rejecting the owner's arguments for a much deeper cut.Â
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May 14, 2025
Ohio Revenues Through April Beat Estimates By $533M
Ohio's total revenues from July through April proved to be $533 million ahead of estimates, according to a report by the state Office of Budget Management.
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May 14, 2025
Alabama Will Offer Workers 30-Day Safe Harbor
Certain workers who spend 30 days or less per year performing their duties in Alabama will be exempt from income tax under a bill signed by the governor Wednesday.Â
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May 14, 2025
Minn. School Can Skip Accrediting For Tax Break, Court Says
A Minnesota school seeking a property tax exemption as an educational entity is not required to show accreditation by an outside organization to qualify for the break, the state tax court said.
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May 13, 2025
Pa. Court Debates RGGI Membership Without Lawmakers' Nod
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Tuesday weighed if a law empowering the state's environmental regulator equated to securing legislative approval to join a multistate Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, with the state justices noting Pennsylvania is the only member to join without lawmakers' blessing.
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May 13, 2025
House Panel Clears $3.8T Extension of 2017 Tax Overhaul Law
The House Ways and Means Committee voted along party lines early Wednesday to approve a $3.8 trillion tax bill that would make permanent many of the tax cuts for businesses and individuals enacted in President Donald Trump's first term.
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May 13, 2025
CarMax Says SC Failed To Justify Apportionment Change
South Carolina's tax agency did not prove that CarMax used intercompany transactions to distort an entity's business activity and its state tax burden, the company told an appeals court, arguing that the state was wrong to make CarMax use an alternative apportionment method.
Expert Analysis
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Judicial Committee Best Venue For Litigation Funding Rules
The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recent decision to consider developing a rule for litigation funding disclosure is a welcome development, ensuring that the result will be the product of a thorough, inclusive and deliberative process that appropriately balances all interests, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.
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The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO
The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.
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How Cos. Can Build A Strong In-House Pro Bono Program
During this year’s pro bono celebration week, companies should consider some key pointers to grow and maintain a vibrant in-house program for attorneys to provide free legal services for the public good, says Mary Benton at Alston & Bird.
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Home Canning Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Making my own pickles and jams requires seeing a process through from start to finish, as does representing clients from the start of a dispute at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board through any appeals to the Federal Circuit, says attorney Kevin McNish.
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Sound Ideas And An Ill-Advised Gamble: SALT In Review
From potential reforms in Louisiana to tax incentives for a gambling company in Colorado, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.
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Use The Right Kind Of Feedback To Help Gen Z Attorneys
Generation Z associates bring unique perspectives and expectations to the workplace, so it’s imperative that supervising attorneys adapt their feedback approach in order to help young lawyers learn and grow — which is good for law firms, too, says Rachael Bosch at Fringe Professional Development.
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Congress Can And Must Enact A Supreme Court Ethics Code
As public confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court dips to historic lows following reports raising conflict of interest concerns, Congress must exercise its constitutional power to enact a mandatory and enforceable code of ethics for the high court, says Muhammad Faridi, president of the New York City Bar Association.
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The Pop Culture Docket: Justice Lebovits On Gilbert And Sullivan
Characters in the 19th century comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan break the rules of good lawyering by shamelessly throwing responsible critical thought to the wind, providing hilarious lessons for lawyers and judges on how to avoid a surfeit of traps and tribulations, say acting New York Supreme Court Justice Gerald Lebovits and law student Tara Scown.
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State Of The States' AI Legal Ethics Landscape
Over the past year, several state bar associations, as well as the American Bar Association, have released guidance on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in legal practice, all of which share overarching themes and some nuanced differences, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law Group.
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8 Childhood Lessons That Can Help You Be A Better Attorney
A new school year is underway, marking a fitting time for attorneys to reflect on some fundamental life lessons from early childhood that offer a framework for problems that no legal textbook can solve, say Chris Gismondi and Chris Campbell at DLA Piper.
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Challenge To Ill. Card Fee Law Explores Compliance Hurdles
A recent federal lawsuit challenging an Illinois law that will soon forbid electronic payment networks from charging fees for processing the tax and tip portions of card transactions, fleshes out the glaring compliance challenges and exposure risks financial institutions must be ready to face next summer, says Martin Kiernan at Amundsen Davis.
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This Election, We Need To Talk About Court Process
In recent decades, the U.S. Supreme Court has markedly transformed judicial processes — from summary judgment standards to notice pleadings — which has, in turn, affected individuals’ substantive rights, and we need to consider how the upcoming presidential election may continue this pattern, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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Letting The People Decide: SALT In Review
RSM's David Brunori offers a look at tax-related ballot questions before the voters in 16 states this fall.