2/11/21
Minimum Wage Measure Advances Out of Committee
The House Education and Labor Committee has approved increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour as part of the first piece of legislation to advance out of committee in President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan. The House panel voted 27-21 along party lines for the legislation, which also includes billions of dollars to reopen schools, bolster childcare centers and expand access to health insurance. According to Bloomberg, five more panels must act on their parts of the stimulus bill, with another six joining in the coming days. That means a House floor vote will occur the week of Feb. 22.

2/10/21
Connecticut Eyes Flavored Tobacco Ban
Senate Bill 326 would outlaw the sale of flavored tobacco, vape and electronic nicotine delivery systems. The proposal defines flavor as a "distinguishable taste or aroma," including any type of "fruit, chocolate, menthol, mint, wintergreen, vanilla, honey, candy, cocoa, dessert, alcoholic beverage, herb or spice." The taste or aroma of tobacco is not included in the description. Retailers oppose the bill because of the potential to lose a significant revenue stream. "By banning menthol cigarettes, it's not only going to jeopardize our sales, but also revenue for the state," said Nurul Alam, owner of Foodland, during a public health hearing on the proposal. "We are losing these cigarette sales, also other sales, because that individual might come to our store to find menthol, and they are also buying other stuff," Alam said.

2/9/21
Thieves Nationwide Are Slithering Under Cars, Swiping Catalytic Converters
Stricter car emissions rules around the world - particularly in China, which has scrambled in recent years to get its dire air pollution problem under control - have sent demand for the precious metals in catalytic converters surging. That has pushed up the asking price for some of the precious metals used in the device - like palladium and rhodium - to record highs. . .The metals prices, in turn, are fueling a black market in stolen catalytic converters, which can be sawed off from the belly of a car in minutes, and fetch several hundred dollars at a scrapyard, which then sells it to recyclers who extract the metals. These global trends in emissions regulations, metals markets and larceny appear to have converged that rainy night in Mr. Kevane's driveway. Nationwide, police are reporting a surge in cases. In St. Louis, catalytic converter thefts jumped more than eightfold, from 50 in 2019 to 420 last year, with the trend gaining speed near the end of the year into early 2021. In Lexington, S.C., sheriffs deputies responded to 144 catalytic converter thefts between July and December, nearly triple the number of cases over the year-earlier period. Converter thefts in Wichita, Kan., also almost tripled in 2020 compared to the previous year, to 547 cases from 191, and the pace picked up in January, with 102 reported cases just that month. (Other police departments, including those in San Jose and New York, said such detailed data was not available.)

2/9/21
Murphy Administration: PPP Loans Will Be Tax Exempt At State Level
In an effort to aid small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Phil Murphy and State Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio announced today that New Jersey will follow the federal government's lead in allowing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to be tax exempt at the state level and enabling recipients to deduct business expenses that were paid with the tax-exempt loan proceeds, thereby enhancing the tax benefits of the loans. "This decision is designed to help already beleaguered small businesses, which are the majority of recipients of these loans," said Governor Murphy. "It's no secret that New Jersey has been one of the hardest hit states by COVID-19 and our small businesses have shouldered the brunt of it. PPP loans helped many stay afloat and this move will provide added benefit to help them weather this storm."