Understand public records and open meetings law in Texas so you can stay compliant and use them to your advantage. As a governmental entity, you are required to comply with the Texas Public Information Act (TPIA) and the Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA). However, many governmental entities do not understand the requirements of the TPIA and TOMA and are likely at risk for noncompliance. This topic provides a broad overview of the TPIA and helps t...

Learn about the updates on eminent domain and understand how it affects your clients and your practice. This topic will provide updates and analysis on eminent domain topics relevant to business owners, property owners, public agencies and their attorneys. We will discuss legislation at the Federal and state levels -- such as the use of alternative project delivery methods -- that has impacted the acquisition of private property for public use...

Get up to speed on the most significant Wisconsin employment law and labor issues. Steadily increasing is the number of EEOC charges being filed against employers where the employee claims retaliation because of engaging in protected activities. For the EEOC's 2015 fiscal year, out of the 89,385 claims filed with the agency, 44.5% of the claims were for retaliation. And that number is more than any other single category of claims. Even the cou...

Learn how to identify and handle the more difficult aspects of storm water permitting and SWPPP development. In 1972, Congress enacted the Clean Water Act, which prohibits industries and other "point sources" from discharging pollutants into surface waters unless they obtain NPDES permits and comply with their provisions. Although in 1972 storm water was not regulated-it was considered the quintessential nonpoint source-by 1990 the act had bee...

Get up to date on recent reasonable accommodation laws in California. California employers are frequently confronted with employee requests for work-place disability accommodations and requests for leaves of absences. California and federal law continues to evolve in this area, making it difficult to ascertain the employer's duties and obligations. Courts have seen a steady increase in law-suits alleging disability discrimination and failure t...

On Thursday, October 27 at 10 a.m. ET, the National Assessment Governing Board and the National Center for Education Statistics will release results of The Nation's Report Card: 2015 Science at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. This report features national and state-level results at grades 4 and 8, with national results at grade 12 from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). At this interacti...

Learn the steps that can be taken to address dramatic changes in Massachusetts employment law and pending changes at the EEOC. Massachusetts recently made dramatic changes to its employment laws. New rules govern the interview process, interaction with employees, and pay of men and women. At the same time, changes are looming at the EEOC that will have a far reaching impact on its enforcement of employment laws. This is one of those times when...

Make sure you are in compliance with Vermont's new paid sick leave law. Many employers, particularly multi-state employers, are being asked to comply with a number of paid sick leave laws containing different requirements that are popping up in jurisdictions throughout the United States. For other employers, this is the first time that they will have to implement one of the new paid sick leave laws. This topic helps the persons responsible for...

Are your employees entitled to paid sick leave? Learn everything you need to know about paid sick leave law updates in Maryland. In recent years, many social and political activists have demanded that lawmakers make paid sick leave available to all employees. In light of the rapidly changing state and local laws governing paid sick leave, many employers are unaware of their legal obligations and, accordingly, maintain sick leave policies that...

Learn everything you need to know about paid leave laws in Washington and how they will affect your organization. Sometimes it seems like paid sick leave obligations are changing by the month, the week or even the day. Just when you come up with a proposal and an agreed-upon solution that works for one location, another law in a nearby city gets passed. Surely there must be a compliance solution that works across the board? This topic will dev...