State & Local
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May 13, 2025
Pa. Sens. Reject Bill To Legalize Pot Through State-Run Shops
A Pennsylvania Senate committee on Tuesday voted to reject a bill to legalize adult-use marijuana and regulate its sale via state-run stores.
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May 13, 2025
Pot Dispensary Asks Mo. High Court To Block County Taxes
In incorporated areas of Missouri counties, a municipality's imposition of a 3% sales tax on adult-use cannabis supersedes a county's ability to impose its own additional tax, a dispensary told the Missouri Supreme Court during oral arguments Tuesday.
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May 13, 2025
Ala. Will Lower State Sales And Use Tax Rate On Groceries
Alabama will lower the state sales and use tax rate on groceries from 3% to 2% starting next fiscal year under a bill signed by the governor.
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May 13, 2025
Ariz. County Will Ask Voters To Extend Local Jail Tax 20 Years
Maricopa County, Arizona, will ask voters to extend the existing 0.2% jail facilities excise tax for 20 years with the approval of a countywide ballot measure under a bill signed by the governor.
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May 13, 2025
La. April Revenues Drop $169M From Last Year
Louisiana general revenue collection in April trailed last year by $169 million, according to a report by the state Department of Revenue.
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May 13, 2025
Idaho Revenues Through April Down $55M From Forecasts
Idaho's general fund revenue collection from July through April trailed estimates by $55 million, the state Division of Financial Management reported.
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May 13, 2025
Minn. Revenue Tops Forecast By $391M In April
Minnesota general fund revenue in April exceeded an estimate by $391 million, the state Department of Management and Budget reported.
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May 13, 2025
Ore. Panel OKs State Tax Court's Standing For Associations
Oregon associations and other organizations, in addition to aggrieved individuals and businesses, could seek relief in the state tax court under legislation approved by a Senate panel.
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May 13, 2025
Ala. To Exempt Menstrual Products, Diapers From Sales Tax
Alabama will exempt menstrual products, maternity clothing, diapers and baby supplies from state sales and use tax under a bill signed by the governor.
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May 12, 2025
Feds Say Tribal Tariff Dispute Must Stay In US Trade Court
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is fighting Montana tribal members' attempt to stop the transfer of their lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's Canada tariff orders from federal court to the U.S. Court of International Trade, saying the CIT has exclusive jurisdiction over the case.
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May 12, 2025
Texas Voters To Decide On Prohibiting Tax On Capital Gains
Texas voters will decide if the state should create a constitutional amendment barring taxes on individuals' realized or unrealized capital gains under a resolution approved by state lawmakers.
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May 12, 2025
Gunster Tax Ace Jumps To Spencer Fane In Tampa
Spencer Fane LLP announced Monday that it has bolstered its tax, trusts and estates practice group in Tampa with the addition of a former Gunster shareholder.
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May 12, 2025
Ga. General Fund Receipts Through April Up $312M
Georgia's total general fund receipts from July through April beat last year's total for the same period by $312 million, according to a report from the governor's office released Monday.
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May 12, 2025
GOP Floats $30,000 SALT Cap, Renewed R&D Credit
House Ways and Means Republicans proposed a $30,000 state and local tax deduction cap and a renewed research and development credit in updated legislation to extend their 2017 tax overhaul law, which the committee plans to consider Tuesday.
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May 12, 2025
Biz Groups Back Bill To Expand FDII Tax Benefits
A coalition of business lobbying groups has thrown its weight behind proposed legislation that would expand tax breaks for domestically held intellectual property, saying the changes would build on the goals of the 2017 federal tax overhaul.
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May 12, 2025
Ind. Revenue Through April Falls $51M Short Of Estimate
Indiana's general fund revenue from July through April underperformed an estimate by $51 million, according to a report by the state Budget Agency.
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May 12, 2025
Calif. Total Receipts Through April Beat Forecasts By $5.6B
California's total receipts from July through April outpaced forecasts by $5.6 billion, according to a report by the State Controller's Office.
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May 12, 2025
Arizona Creates Process To Identify Unclaimed Digital Assets
Arizona established a process and criteria for determining if digital assets may be deemed abandoned property that must be delivered to the state as part of a bill signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs.
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May 09, 2025
Ariz. Cities Required To Give Notice For Local Tax Ordinances
Arizona municipalities that propose an ordinance to adopt or repeal a provision of the state's code for the administration of local transaction privilege taxes must notify businesses before the proposed ordinance is approved or rejected, under a bill signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs.
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May 09, 2025
PL 86-272 Expansion May Face Rocky Path Through Congress
The fate of an element of a House budget reconciliation bill that would broaden state income tax protections for businesses may rest with the Senate parliamentarian's view on whether the provision passes muster under reconciliation rules.
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May 09, 2025
Tariffs And Tax Breaks Offer Risky Lifeline To US Film Industry
President Donald Trump's call for a 100% tariff on films made outside the U.S. has potential to improve a struggling domestic industry if it is considered in conjunction with new federal tax incentives to restore production, but the idea hasn't yet gathered support in Congress, according to lawyers who spoke to Law360.
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May 09, 2025
GOP Unveils Plan To Cement 2017 Tax Cuts, Expand Biz Relief
House Republicans plan to meet Tuesday to deliberate a sweeping extension of their 2017 tax overhaul that would lock in low individual rates and deduction limits, expand child care and estate tax breaks, and make permanent tax incentives for small pass-through businesses and U.S. multinational corporations.
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May 09, 2025
Tax Exemption Case May Bring Sweeping Impact, Attys Say
A U.S. Supreme Court case considering a religious exemption to unemployment taxes sought by a charity could have implications across a broad swath of organizations, tax practitioners said Friday.
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May 09, 2025
Souter's Clerks Remember Him As Humble, Kind And Caring
Former clerks of retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter are heartbroken over the death of a man many of them remember more for his conscientiousness, humility, kindness and disdain for the spotlight than for his undeniable brilliance as a jurist.
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May 09, 2025
Hiker And 'Raconteur': Atty Recalls 50-Year Bond With Souter
Behind a towering legal legacy was a man who loved to hike mountains, could recall details of things he read decades ago and was always there for those he cared about, a New Hampshire attorney said as he reflected on a lifelong friendship with U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter.
Expert Analysis
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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.
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Mental Health First Aid: A Brief Primer For Attorneys
Amid a growing body of research finding that attorneys face higher rates of mental illness than the general population, firms should consider setting up mental health first aid training programs to help lawyers assess mental health challenges in their colleagues and intervene with compassion, say psychologists Shawn Healy and Tracey Meyers.
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Colorado Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q3
In the third quarter of 2024, Colorado's banking and financial services sector faced both regulatory updates and changes to state law due to recent federal court decisions — with consequences for local governments, mortgage lenders, state-chartered trust companies and federally chartered lenders serving Colorado consumers, says Sarah Auchterlonie at Brownstein Hyatt.