NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 2 -- The American Farm Bureau Federation issued the following statement on March 1, 2024: * * * American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. "AFBF appreciates Administrator Michael Regan for creating a new Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in EPA. Mr. Regan recognizes the important role farmers and ranchers play in preserving the   more

WASHINGTON, March 1 -- Appalachian Voices issued the following news release: In an event highlighting investments secured through the American Rescue Plan Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act in Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky, Appalachian Solar Finance Fund Director Autumn Long discussed how the fund's work and impact have been amplified by federal investment in Central Appalachian states. "Federal legislation such as the Infl  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 (TNSres) -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations issued the following news release on Feb. 26, 2024: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called for a hate crime probe of a possible bias motive for an incident targeting a mosque in Tennessee. Officials with Islamic Center of Chattanooga says they are dealing with people "being disrespectful of their property." The mosque is offering   more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Feb. 29 (TNSres) -- The Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission issued the following news release: The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention announced a new resource to serve as a guide for answering questions about gender confusion, produced by the ERLC research team. "God's Good Design: A Practical Guide for Answering Gender Confusion" was assembled by the ERLC research team through consultation with pasto  more

ATLANTA, Georgia, March 1 -- The Georgia Public Policy Foundation issued the following commentary on Feb. 29, 2024: * * * Next steps in Georgia tax reform By Rea S. Hederman Jr., Vice President of Policy When it comes to state income taxes, Georgia competes in a low-tax region. North Carolina has a flat 4.75% rate, Louisiana's top tax bracket charges just 4.25%, and Florida and Tennessee levy no personal income tax at all. That is stiff competition. With the rapid post-pandemic rise in tel  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 -- The Human Rights Campaign issued the following Weekly State Fights Report on Feb. 26, 2024: * * * TOPLINE TAKEAWAYS: * 43 states are currently in session as of Feb 23 * So far, HRC is tracking about 740+ bills: - 190+ pro-equality bills - 400+ anti-equality bills - Four anti-equality bills have passed into law (one in Ohio, one in Tennessee and two in Utah) - Two pro-equality bills have passed into law (Maine and California) WHAT'S HAPPENING IN AMERICA: On Februa  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 [Category: National Defense] -- The Military Officers Association of America issued the following news: This article by Leo Shane III originally appeared on Military Times, the nation's largest independent newsroom dedicated to covering the military and veteran community. Fort Campbell's Army hospital in Tennessee will open its doors to veteran patients for the first time next month, part of a series of partnerships between military and Veterans Affairs medical facilities t  more

WASHINGTON, March 2 -- The Southern Environmental Law Center issued the following news release on March 1, 2024: Today, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina submitted Priority Climate Action Plans (PCAPs) as the first deliverable under the Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Pollution Reduction grant program. In March 2023, forty-five states sought and received $3 million each in planning grant funds to develop ambitious plans to inventory and reduce s  more

WASHINGTON, March 1 -- The Humane Society of the United States issued the following news release on Feb. 29, 2024: Today the Humane Society of the United States honored Carl Bledsoe as its Humane Horseman of the Year at the Horse World Expo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The annual award honors individuals who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to protecting America's equines. Bledsoe's journey in the horse industry has been a remarkable tale of transformation and courage. As a second-genera  more

NEW YORK, March 1 -- Scholars at Risk issued the following news release: On February 12, 2024, SAR and the Coalition for Academic Freedom in the Americas (CAFA) filed a joint submission to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to education. The submission reviews legal protections for academic freedom in the United States - and their limitations - and details recent challenges to academic freedom and freedom of expression in educational institutions including: * The passing of leg  more