In a major rebuke of Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled her executive orders extending the original declaration of a state of emergency violated the state constitution and was invalid. As backdrop, the Michigan legislature called a state of emergency back when the coronavirus pandemic first broke in March. That order expired however…
Read More »It may not be all that businesses need, but there’s many positives to be drawn from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signing HB 606 into law just over one week ago. The “Good Samaritan Expansion Bill”, as the legislation is known, provides employers with state-law immunity from civil actions brought by customers, employees or others for…
Read More »In the first such decision rendered since the coronavirus pandemic first struck the U.S. back in March, a federal court in Pittsburgh ruled early this week that a statewide shutdown and stay-at-home order issued by the governor of Pennsylvania is unconstitutional. U.S. District Court judge William Stickman IV found that despite being well-intentioned, the order…
Read More »The Volunteer State followed the lead of its neighboring Georgia, Alabama and Arkansas this week when Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed the COVID-19 Recovery Act into law. The new law, which became effective with the Governor’s signature on August 17, provides that businesses, healthcare providers, schools, non-profits and other entities and individuals will not be…
Read More »If you’ve already reached out to your congressman and advocated for needed amendments to the HEALS Act, thank you. If you haven’t, then we need you to do so ASAP!! As we advised this week in an Action Alert Membership Update sent out yesterday to all members, the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection and Schools…
Read More »Although there hasn’t been any further movement to speak of on this issue at the federal level to date, more states are providing businesses with varying levels of protection from liability lawsuits stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, 7 states already have legislation on the books, two have issued executive orders protecting business and…
Read More »Speaking of sexual harassment, the Minnesota Supreme Court early this month upheld the standard of “severe and pervasive” as applies to a threshold determination of sexual harassment claims, but it also whittled away some of the standard’s foundation. The court pronounced the Minnesota Human Rights Act more expansive and protective than federal Title VII protections…
Read More »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 »