Prompted largely by a spike in the number of coronavirus lawsuits filed against businesses, efforts to create federal liability protections have been resurrected. As we’ve advised in past issues, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has called the creation of federal liability shields his “red line” for the next legislative aid package. Since May 1,…
Read More »With so much of the nation’s focus these past three months on the COVID-19 pandemic – and more recently, protests over the tragic killing of George Floyd, state and local issues that can impact your business could easily be overlooked. In the hope of keeping you informed of some of those possible oversights, we advise…
Read More »New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio this week signed a small business relief package that the New York City Council approved just last week. The package, which consists of seven different bills, includes legislation that imposes limits on third-party delivery services, extends the suspension of sidewalk café fee collection and protects commercial tenants from…
Read More »Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot this week announced new rules governing third-party food delivery platforms operating within the Windy City. Effective next Friday, May 22, all delivery platforms will be required to disclose full itemized costs to customers BEFORE purchase and again of the customer receipt. The disclosure, which will apply to Uber Eats, Grubhub, Postmates…
Read More »Notwithstanding the unprecedented challenges that small businesses across the country have faced and will continue to confront as we (hopefully) come out of the coronavirus crisis over the next few months, municipal officials from the east coast to the west continue to dictate to businesses how they should be run, who they should employ and…
Read More »Last week, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into law several bills to address issues raised in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic. Among those signed by Murphy were more amendments to the New Jersey Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act (NJ WARN Act) as well as expansions of the New Jersey Family Leave Act (FLA)…
Read More »In response to a proposal by Governor Ralph Northam, of which we advised you last week, the Virginia legislature has approved a delay in the minimum wage increase that was scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2021. Under the amendments passed this week however, the initial increase (from the current $7.25 to $9.50…
Read More »In what one could argue is an acknowledgement of the negative impact minimum wage increases can have on businesses, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam last week proposed an amendment to delay a planned increase in the state minimum wage, rather than veto the measure outright. Virginia became the latest democratic trifecta state in 2019 (both branches…
Read More »Apparently President Trump is not the only elected official itching to open the economy back up as quickly as possible. The Pennsylvania legislature passed legislation this week that would override Governor Tom Wolf’s current stay-at-home order and require the state to align with federal guidelines on which businesses will be allowed to reopen during the…
Read More »The California Insurance Commissioner and the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance both took actions this week to put more money in the pockets of insurance customers. In California, a Bulletin from the Office of Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara requires insurance companies to provide a premium credit, reduction, return of premium or other appropriate…
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