April 18, 2012, (Written by Maria Recio, Mcclatchey Newspapers – Miami Herald – On the cusp of the second anniversary of the BP oil spill, the House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a transportation bill that includes a provision setting aside 80 percent of the BP fines for the five Gulf states – Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Texas – for restoration and recovery of the areas affected by the Deepwater Horizon disaster.The move, said supporters, will lead to a conference committee with the Senate that will lock in how the money – an estimated $20 billion in Clean Water Act fines – is distributed by the states. The vote on the transportation package was 293-127.
News Release Category: Industry News
Feds sign off on all three redistricting plans
April 30, 2012 (Written by The Florida Current) – The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday approved all three of Florida’s redistricting plans. Shortly after the Justice announcement, a judge ruled that Florida can hold congressional elections under the Legislature’s new redistricting map this year. In late March the Senate submitted the legislative and congressional maps for federal “preclearance” under Section 5 of the federal Voting Rights Act.
Poll: Florida up for grabs in November election
May 3, 2012 (Written by Brent Kallestead, Associated Press) – TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney could be headed for a photo finish in Florida this November, a poll released Thursday shows. Forty-four percent of 1,169 Florida voters surveyed by Quinnipiac University between April 25 and May 1 said they’d vote for Romney if the election were now, compared to 43 percent who said they prefer the president. The latest snapshot of voter preferences has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points. The new figures were an improvement for Romney, who trailed Obama by 7 percentage points among Florida voters in late March.
Judge Allows Gulf Oil Spill Settlement to Proceed
May 2, 2102 (By Associated Press) – NEW ORLEANS—A federal judge on Wednesday preliminarily approved a proposed class-action settlement that would resolve billions of dollars in claims against BPBP.LN +0.70% PLC over the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier’s ruling allows the settlement process to proceed, but he will hold a “fairness hearing” on Nov. 8 before deciding whether to give his final approval to the deal between London-based BP and a team of plaintiffs’ attorneys.
U.S. may extend deadline for public pool accessibility
May 5, 2012 (ChillicotheGazette.com) – WASHINGTON — A federal rule that requires installation of permanent mechanical pool chairs for the disabled at public swimming pools and spas will cost too much and expose small business owners to lawsuits, the hotel industry says. Disability advocates argue that the alternative — portable pool lifts — can limit access and enjoyment of pools by disabled people.
New Technical Assistance Document for ADA – Pool lifts
5/27/2012 – The Justice Department today released a new technical assistance document, “Questions & Answers: Accessibility Requirements for Existing Pools at Hotels and Other Public Accommodations” regarding the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to swimming pools. The Department also released an updated version of its “ADA 2010 Revised Requirements: Accessible Pools—Accessible Means of Entry and Exit.” The documents are also available in PDF format at ADA.gov.
Both documents were issued as part of the Department’s ongoing technical assistance efforts to assist businesses in understanding their obligations under the ADA. These documents address common questions about accessibility requirements for existing pools. The documents also explain that, for existing pools, the Department will not enforce the fixed elements provisions in the 2010 Standards against those owners of existing pools who purchased otherwise-compliant portable lifts prior to March 15, 2012, as long as those owners keep the lifts in position for use at the pool and operational during all times that the pool is open to guests.
Relatedly, the Department recently extended the compliance date for existing pools to Jan. 31, 2013.
Those interested in finding out more about these documents or the obligations of public accommodations under the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or access the ADA Website at www.ada.gov.
Sugary Drink Ban Moves Forward
June 12, 2012, (Written By Michael Howard Saul – Metropolis). Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposal to ban the sale of large-sized sugary drinks inched closer to reality Tuesday, with the city Board of Health unanimously voting to publish the plan for public review. The board, an 11-member panel appointed by Bloomberg, gave the green light to publish the mayor’s proposal and hold a public hearing July 24. A final vote on the proposal is slated for Sept. 13
National Restaurant Association: Swipe Fee Reforms Have Been Critical for Small Businesses, Consumers
June 8, 2012, (Written by Sue Hensley – National Restaurant Association). (Washington, D.C.) A year after a bipartisan majority of Senators stood up to protect debit swipe fee reforms, the National Restaurant Association today noted those reforms have provided important benefits to restaurateurs and their customers. America’s restaurant industry is the nation’s second-largest private sector employer, and more than 90 percent of restaurants are small businesses.
Romney, in Florida, calls Obama out-of-touch; Obama ads respond in kind
June 12, 2012, (Written By George Bennett – The Palm Beach Post). Orlando — In case you missed President Obama’s remark Friday that “the private sector is doing fine,” Mitt Romney’s campaign is doing everything it can to make sure you don’t forget it. Much as Obama’s campaign lashed John McCain four years ago for declaring in bleak times that “the fundamentals of our economy are strong,” Romney and his surrogates at a campaign stop here Tuesday repeatedly used Obama’s remark to brand the president as “out of touch” with the struggles of ordinary people.
Dueling speeches: Obama, Romney go at it in Ohio
June 14,2012, (Written by Julie Pace and Steve Peoples – MyWay). CLEVELAND (AP) – President Barack Obama cast his re-election race against Republican Mitt Romney as the economic choice of a lifetime on Thursday, seeking to stir undecided voters and asking the nation to buy into his vision for four more years or face a return to the recession-era “mistakes of the past.”