Featured Stories
Wis. DNR Seeking Public Comment On State Park System Strategic Plan Update
MADISON, Wisconsin, June 24 -- The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources issued the following news release:
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DNR Seeking Public Comment On State Park System Strategic Plan Update
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking public comment on an update to the Wisconsin State Park System's Strategic Plan.
The Wisconsin State Park System contains 126 unique properties offering a wide variety of outdoor recreational opportunities.
The updated plan will summarize the system's existing conditions, analyze conditions to identify issues and opportunities, and develop a strategy
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MADISON, Wisconsin, June 24 -- The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources issued the following news release:
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DNR Seeking Public Comment On State Park System Strategic Plan Update
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking public comment on an update to the Wisconsin State Park System's Strategic Plan.
The Wisconsin State Park System contains 126 unique properties offering a wide variety of outdoor recreational opportunities.
The updated plan will summarize the system's existing conditions, analyze conditions to identify issues and opportunities, and develop a strategyand direction for the system. This strategy and direction will serve to address potential issues and take advantage of opportunities over a 10-year period. Additional information on the plan and update process can be found on the Strategic Plan webpage (https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/strategicplan).
The public is encouraged to provide comments that will assist in the development of the updated plan by completing an online survey. If any member of the public needs the survey provided in a different format, please contact the following DNR staff for further information:
Wade Thompson, Project Lead
Wade.Thompson@wisconsin.gov or 608-419-1949
The DNR will accept public comments via the survey until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026.
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Original text here: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/newsroom/release/126411
N.H. Banking Department Legal Staff Members Attend Boston University School of Law Workshop
CONCORD, New Hampshire, June 24 -- The New Hampshire Banking Department issued the following news release:
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Banking Department Legal Staff members attend Boston University School of Law workshop
Two members of the New Hampshire Banking Department's Legal Division attended the "Fundamentals of Banking Law" workshop and lecture program recently at the Boston University School of Law.
Hearings Examiners Catherine Davidow and Josh Hipps attended the multi-day workshop, which offered intensive instruction, insight, and dialogue on all subjects relating to bank regulatory law.
"The deep dives
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CONCORD, New Hampshire, June 24 -- The New Hampshire Banking Department issued the following news release:
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Banking Department Legal Staff members attend Boston University School of Law workshop
Two members of the New Hampshire Banking Department's Legal Division attended the "Fundamentals of Banking Law" workshop and lecture program recently at the Boston University School of Law.
Hearings Examiners Catherine Davidow and Josh Hipps attended the multi-day workshop, which offered intensive instruction, insight, and dialogue on all subjects relating to bank regulatory law.
"The deep divesinto nuanced areas of banking law including Bank and Financial Holding Companies were really useful for my day-to-day working knowledge," Hipps said. "The networking and side conversations with the instructors who have long experience in the field was really useful in understanding the nuances of some the issues facing financial organizations."
The program was led by notable figures in banking law, including Scott Alvarez (former General Counsel to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System) John Buchman (former managing director and regulatory counsel at Charles Schwab & Co.), Hugh Conroy (partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP in New York), and Kevin Handy (Director of the Graduate Banking Program at BU and recently named Boston's Financial Services Lawyer of the Year 2026 by Best Lawyers).
Subjects explored included the bank regulatory structure; chartering; bank holding companies and concepts of control; examination and supervision; enforcement; mergers and acquisitions and the application process; financial statements; capital and liquidity regulation; restraints on lending; affiliate transactions; deposit products; privacy, cyber, and data security; prevention of money laundering and terror financing; regulation of fintech; bank failures and orderly resolution; and ethical issues facing lawyers representing bank institutions.
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Original text here: https://www.banking.nh.gov/news-and-media/banking-department-legal-staff-members-attend-boston-university-school-law-workshop
Mass. Environmental Protection Dept. Penalizes Housatonic Water Works Company for Failure to Comply With Consent Order
BOSTON, Massachusetts, June 24 -- The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection issued the following news release:
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MassDEP Penalizes Housatonic Water Works Company for Failure to Comply with Consent Order
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has issued a $2,500 Demand for Payment of Suspended Penalty to Housatonic Water Works Company for failure to comply with a July 2025 Administrative Consent Order with Penalty. The Order required the company to complete a manganese treatment plant at its drinking water treatment facility in Great Barrington by
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BOSTON, Massachusetts, June 24 -- The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection issued the following news release:
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MassDEP Penalizes Housatonic Water Works Company for Failure to Comply with Consent Order
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has issued a $2,500 Demand for Payment of Suspended Penalty to Housatonic Water Works Company for failure to comply with a July 2025 Administrative Consent Order with Penalty. The Order required the company to complete a manganese treatment plant at its drinking water treatment facility in Great Barrington byJune 1, 2026.
"It is unacceptable that Housatonic Water Works has failed to meet the required deadline for completing and placing the manganese treatment system into operation," said Michael Gorski, director of MassDEP's Western Regional Office in Springfield. "MassDEP expects the company to accelerate construction of the treatment plant and make it operational without further delay."
Under the terms of the 2025 order, Housatonic Water Works agreed to complete the manganese treatment plant by March 1, 2026, to mitigate ongoing seasonal drinking water discoloration affecting the company's service areas. MassDEP agreed to suspend the full penalty of $12,360 on the condition that Housatonic Water Works complied with the requirements of the order. The Company subsequently requested an extension of the March 1 deadline, citing pending litigation and related delays in acquiring required construction funding. MassDEP extended the completion date to June 1, 2026. The Company requested an additional extension; MassDEP denied that request.
Housatonic Water Works had failed to complete construction of the treatment plant. Based on that violation of its Order, MassDEP demanded partial payment of the suspended penalty in the amount of $2,500. Penalty costs may not be passed along to ratepayers in any way. MassDEP will continue to track this matter closely until compliance is achieved.
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Original text here: https://www.mass.gov/news/massdep-penalizes-housatonic-water-works-company-for-failure-to-comply-with-consent-order
ICYMI: Gov. Shapiro on CNBC's The Exchange Highlights Pennsylvania's National Leadership on Economic Development, Permitting Reform
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, June 24 -- Gov. Josh Shapiro, D-Pennsylvania, issued the following news release on June 23, 2026:
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ICYMI: Governor Shapiro on CNBC's The Exchange Highlights Pennsylvania's National Leadership on Economic Development, Permitting Reform
"If you put more money in people's pockets, if you've got good schools, if you've got safe communities -- good things are going to happen. We're proving that here in Pennsylvania."
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Yesterday in the Bellwether District, Governor Josh Shapiro joined CNBC's The Exchange with Scott Cohen and Kelly Evans to speak about his Administration's
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HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, June 24 -- Gov. Josh Shapiro, D-Pennsylvania, issued the following news release on June 23, 2026:
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ICYMI: Governor Shapiro on CNBC's The Exchange Highlights Pennsylvania's National Leadership on Economic Development, Permitting Reform
"If you put more money in people's pockets, if you've got good schools, if you've got safe communities -- good things are going to happen. We're proving that here in Pennsylvania."
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Yesterday in the Bellwether District, Governor Josh Shapiro joined CNBC's The Exchange with Scott Cohen and Kelly Evans to speak about his Administration'swork to spur economic growth and significantly reform the Commonwealth's permitting process.
Under the Governor's leadership, Pennsylvania has cut red tape and worked to speed up government. Since 2023, the Shapiro Administration has secured $500 million for site development, reduced permit processing times at the Department of Environmental Protection by roughly 30 percent, and implemented the Fast Track and PAyback Programs to streamline permitting and promote accountability for delayed permits.
Since taking office, the Shapiro Administration has competed for and won over $41 billion in private sector investments that are creating over 24,000 new jobs and driving economic growth across Pennsylvania.
See below for key excerpts from Governor Shapiro's CNBC interview -- and read more here (https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/22/states-data-center-permitting-public-opposition.html).
ON MOVING AT THE SPEED OF BUSINESS:
"I called CEOs right after I got elected governor who hadn't chosen Pennsylvania to set up their new warehouse or their new headquarters, and said, what are we doing wrong? And you know, they gave me a whole litany of things that hadn't been going right.
"The number one thing I heard over and over and over again was speed. We were just too slow. We completely reformed our permitting process, and now we're a national model for speed. Our Fast Track Program, which is what we have here, gives the CEO, not just speed, but absolute certainty in the process.
"And I want to be clear, you still need to adhere to strict environmental standards, public health, and public safety standards, but it doesn't mean it needs to take forever. We're a government that now works to get to yes and works quickly."
ON PERMITTING REFORM:
(video mark 2:10)
"Just because something took a long time to go through the bureaucracy didn't mean that the bureaucracy was working effectively. You can move quickly and still protect the environment and public health and public safety. It's a matter of mentality.
"I made clear to our 80,000 strong workforce, we got to move quickly, we got to generate jobs and economic growth, and we've got to give certainty. It doesn't mean we give a pass to CEOs who want to build a building and haven't earned that permit, but it doesn't mean that we have to create artificial slowdowns."
ON EFFECTIVE GOVERNING:
"I think we're a model of effective government -- by the way, a bipartisan government. We've made historic investments in our schools, because every kid deserves a foundation for success and opportunity. By the way, we've doubled the amount of funding for vo-tech and apprenticeship programs and noncollege pathways to success.
"We've invested in hiring 2,000 more police officers, a billion dollars in violence prevention initiatives. Violent crime is down 15 percent And then we make sure that in the community where you love to live, you can afford to live there.
"We've cut taxes seven times on my watch, and you can find a job in your communities. I want you to think about this for a second, Kelly -- we have done more economic development in the last three years than the prior 15 years combined. Moody's just said we've got the only growing economy."
Watch the interview on CNBC here (https://www.cnbc.com/video/2026/06/22/pennsylvania-gov-josh-shapiro-on-new-fast-track-business-development-and-company-investments.html).
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Original text here: https://www.pa.gov/governor/newsroom/2026-press-releases/icymi--gov-shapiro-on-cnbc-s-the-exchange-
Hobbs Veto Leaves Rural Ratepayers Defenseless Against Extreme Utility Rate Hikes
PHOENIX, Arizona, June 24 -- The Arizona House Republicans issued the following news release:
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Hobbs Veto Leaves Rural Ratepayers Defenseless Against Extreme Utility Rate Hikes
Governor Hobbs sided with her bureaucracy and utilities over Arizona families, putting population and politics ahead of financial harm
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Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed House Bill 2113, legislation that would have required the Residential Utility Consumer Office (RUCO) to intervene when a utility proposes raising residential rates by 100 percent or more.
State Representative Teresa Martinez, Chairman of the House
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PHOENIX, Arizona, June 24 -- The Arizona House Republicans issued the following news release:
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Hobbs Veto Leaves Rural Ratepayers Defenseless Against Extreme Utility Rate Hikes
Governor Hobbs sided with her bureaucracy and utilities over Arizona families, putting population and politics ahead of financial harm
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Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed House Bill 2113, legislation that would have required the Residential Utility Consumer Office (RUCO) to intervene when a utility proposes raising residential rates by 100 percent or more.
State Representative Teresa Martinez, Chairman of the HouseRural Economic Development Committee, introduced the bill after Pinal County residents facing a proposed rate increase of more than 200 percent asked RUCO for help and were turned away because their community was considered too small. Without RUCO's help, the residents were forced to hire and pay for their own attorney, even though the agency was created to represent residential ratepayers.
Representative Martinez and her Legislative District 16 colleagues pressed RUCO for answers last year about its refusal to help the residents and its handling of their requests. After RUCO suggested the utility's proposed increase could be justified before conducting a thorough review of the request, Martinez introduced HB 2113 to ensure families facing the most extreme rate hikes would receive representation from the state's ratepayer advocate.
RUCO was created to represent residential utility customers so they would not have to hire their own attorneys. Its director is appointed by the Governor and can choose which rate cases the agency takes on. RUCO currently gives greater weight to the number of customers affected than to the financial harm imposed on each household, leaving smaller communities without representation even when residents face the largest increases.
"What Governor Hobbs has done is wrong," said Representative Martinez. "Arizona families could see their monthly water bills double or triple, and the Governor's ratepayer office can refuse to represent them because their community is considered too small. The size of a town should not decide whether its families deserve help. Governor Hobbs had a chance to protect rural ratepayers, and she chose to protect her bureaucracy and the utilities instead."
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Teresa Martinez is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 16, which includes portions of Pinal and Pima Counties. She also serves as Chairman of the House Rural Economic Development Committee. Follow her on X at @TMartinez4AZ.
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Original text here: https://www.azleg.gov/press/house/57LEG/2R/260623MARTINEZHB2113VETO.pdf
Gov. Walz Files 16 FOIA Requests to Disclose Extent of Trump's Retribution Campaign Against Minnesota
ST. PAUL, Minnesota, June 24 -- Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release:
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Governor Walz Files 16 FOIA Requests to Disclose Extent of Trump's Retribution Campaign Against Minnesota
Governor Tim Walz today announced that his office has filed 16 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with federal agencies across the Trump Administration, seeking records, communications, and writings referencing "Minnesota", "Walz", "reckoning", "retribution", "punish", or "Democrat" since January 20, 2025.
"For nearly a year, Minnesotans have lived through a coordinated campaign
... Show Full Article
ST. PAUL, Minnesota, June 24 -- Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release:
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Governor Walz Files 16 FOIA Requests to Disclose Extent of Trump's Retribution Campaign Against Minnesota
Governor Tim Walz today announced that his office has filed 16 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with federal agencies across the Trump Administration, seeking records, communications, and writings referencing "Minnesota", "Walz", "reckoning", "retribution", "punish", or "Democrat" since January 20, 2025.
"For nearly a year, Minnesotans have lived through a coordinated campaignof retribution from the Trump Administration," said Governor Tim Walz. "We have seen it in lawsuits, funding threats, and investigations from an administration looking to come after those who disagree with them. Yesterday, a judge confirmed what we have known all along. Today, we are taking steps to find out exactly how far this campaign reaches, who's directing it, and what it has cost Minnesotans."
The filings come just one day after U.S. District Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz denied the Department of Justice subpoenas targeting Governor Walz and other Minnesota elected officials, ruling the subpoenas were politically motivated, unconstitutional, and without merit. The decision marked a significant rebuke of the administration's efforts to weaponize the federal government against perceived political opponents.
Minnesota has been subject to more than 100 federal demands, investigations, lawsuits, and threats to illegally withhold critical funding from the state.
The requests seek records to help identify how federal agencies coordinated actions targeting Minnesota and who directed those efforts. The requests were filed with U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HHS Office for Civil Rights, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Office of Management and Budget, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the U.S. Department of Education.
The Governor has previously demanded transparency from this administration regarding federal actions in Minnesota, including inquiries sent to former Secretary Kristi Noem regarding immigration enforcement and detention of children in the state. Those requests remain unanswered.
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Original text here: https://mn.gov/governor/newsroom/press-releases/#/detail/appId/1/id/756293
Ga. A.G. Carr Challenges California's Plastics Acts Over State Sovereignty and Economic Impacts
ATLANTA, Georgia, June 24 -- Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr issued the following news release on June 22, 2026:
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Carr Challenges California's Plastics Acts Over State Sovereignty and Economic Impacts
Attorney General Chris Carr has joined a 17-state coalition and the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) in challenging California's Plastics Act to defend the interests of producers and consumers nationwide.
California's law, formally known as the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act ("the Plastics Act"), seeks to impose extensive requirements
... Show Full Article
ATLANTA, Georgia, June 24 -- Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr issued the following news release on June 22, 2026:
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Carr Challenges California's Plastics Acts Over State Sovereignty and Economic Impacts
Attorney General Chris Carr has joined a 17-state coalition and the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) in challenging California's Plastics Act to defend the interests of producers and consumers nationwide.
California's law, formally known as the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act ("the Plastics Act"), seeks to impose extensive requirementson manufacturers, distributors, and companies that package or ship products in plastic containers or use other types of packaging materials that merely incorporate plastics, including aluminum, cardboard, paper, glass and even wood. The law will lead to increased costs that are passed on to consumers - making basic necessities more expensive for everyone. For this reason, the attorneys general and the NAW have filed suit to stop the enforcement of the Plastics Act - alleging violations of both the U.S. Constitution and the California Constitution.
"California has no right to tell us how to manage our businesses here in Georgia, and yet that's exactly what the Plastics Act attempts to do," said Attorney General Chris Carr. "This is an unconstitutional mandate from West Coast elites, who are fine with asking everyday Americans to pay more just so they can advance an activist agenda. It's regulatory overreach, and we're fighting back to protect Georgia producers and consumers."
The Plastics Act conditions access to California's markets on radical changes to packaging design, production, and waste disposal - forcing businesses across the country to comply with California's contrived environmental preferences. The law reaches far beyond California, impacting virtually every business that uses plastic packaging, regardless of their home state. The economic ramifications are significant. The Plastics Act's onerous requirements are expected to drive up prices on everyday goods, disproportionately affecting low-income and vulnerable populations.
"California is not entitled to pronounce nationwide policies," said Eric Hoplin, President and CEO of NAW. "Because the Act extends California's regulatory reach far beyond its borders and brings within its sweep conduct wholly unconnected to California, the Act violates principles of federalism, the horizontal separation of powers, and due process."
Concerned States also highlight the Act's delegation of regulatory and enforcement powers to the unelected Action Alliance, an unaccountable private organization. With minimal oversight from California, the Alliance is empowered to collect up to $500 million annually from businesses seeking access to California's market, raising concerns about transparency and accountability.
Joining Carr in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.
Read a copy of the complaint (https://law.georgia.gov/document/document/062226-court-filing-ca-plastics-actpdf/download) .
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Original text here: https://law.georgia.gov/press-releases/2026-06-22/carr-challenges-californias-plastics-acts-over-state-sovereignty-and
