As the Alabama legislative session expires this week, so too do any chances of passing SB 129, the Protect Alabama Small Businesses Act. Despite outstanding efforts by the Alabama Franchisee Association to get the bill to the brink of going to the Governor’s desk, last minute scare tactics and misinformation from the IFA and its…
Read More »Notwithstanding the momentum that the Alabama Franchisee Association and local franchise owners across the state have generated in support of the Protect Alabama Small Business Act (SB 129/HB 352), the Alabama House has postponed a final vote on the bill that was expected to happen this week. There is still a strong possibility that the…
Read More »As local communities across the country continue to pass their local mandates on such things as environmental policies, employee benefits, minimum wages and the like, some states have responded with state preemption laws prohibiting local communities from getting involved in dictating certain issues. We have a recent example out of Florida and one still brewing…
Read More »The Alabama state senate this week approved the Protect Alabama Small Business Act by an overwhelming vote of 26 -2! The bill now moves to the Alabama house where it has an equally encouraging chance of passage and could be brought for a final vote as early as next week. The Protect Alabama Small Business…
Read More »The state of Tennessee has expanded its Healthy Workplace Act to allow private employers to shield themselves allegations of workplace bullying. Public employers have enjoyed immunity since 2014, but now with the Governor signing the expansion April 23 to be effective immediately, private employers can receive legal immunity as well. All the employer needs to…
Read More »The Protect Alabama Small Business Act (H134) was approved earlier this week by the House Committee on Commerce and Small Business and will likely be brought to the floor as early as next week. The committee sent the bill, which provides added security for franchisees to reinvest and grow their business, to the floor by…
Read More »As some cities and towns around the country adopt more restrictions on business – banning plastic this or Styrofoam that, some states (Maine notwithstanding) look to put a stop to the growing patchwork of laws within their borders by preempting local regulations. A couple of recent cases in point – a week or so ago,…
Read More »In what could undoubtedly be an expensive ruling for Kentucky businesses, the Kentucky Court of Appeals has tossed out a longstanding law allowing a non-lawyer to represent an employer at administrative unemployment hearings. In its April 26 decision, the court found the law an unconstitutional encroachment on the state judicial branch’s executive authority to regulate…
Read More »Good news for franchising came out of the deep south earlier this week when the Alabama Committee on Government Affairs endorsed the Protect Alabama Small Businesses Act by a vote of 9 – 1 with 1 abstention. The bill, which addresses a number of abuses to which franchise owners are currently subjected, will next be…
Read More »Speaking of minimum wages, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has asked the Florida Supreme Court to review a proposed Constitutional Amendment that would mandate a $15 minimum. The proposed amendment calls for the $8.46 minimum wage to rise to $10 on September 30, 2021 and increase $1 each year thereafter until reaching $15 per hour…
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