NEWS: Sept. 29, 2016
Spending | The Nation
Congressional Votes Avert Shutdown
Congress averted a federal-government shutdown that would have begun after midnight Friday as the Senate and then the House approved a short-term spending bill to keep agencies running through Dec. 9. Lawmakers agreed to include funding to deal with the water crisis in Flint, Mich., in separate legislation, to fund a $1.1 billion package to halt the spread of the Zika virus, and to provide a half-billion dollars in aid to flood-stricken regions in Louisiana, Maryland and West Virginia.
>> New York Times, Government Executive, The Hill
California Treasurer Yanks State's Wells Fargo Investments
California Treasurer John Chiang hit Wells Fargo Bank with the loss of state investments and other sanctions, punishing the bank for "fleecing" customers who had accounts fraudulently opened in their names. He urged other state and local governments to follow suit.
>> Sacramento Bee
Oregon Bans Janitorial Firm from Government Work
Oregon permanently blacklisted a Hillsboro janitorial company from government work after an investigation by the state's Bureau of Labor and Industries found widespread underpayment of workers.
>> Portland Oregonian
Higher Education | Louisville, Ky.
Slamming Governor as 'Executioner,' Judge Rejects University Board Changes
Ruling that Gov. Matt Bevin had illegally acted as "judge, jury and executioner" in abolishing the University of Louisville board of trustees and appointing his own, a state judge permanently set aside Bevin's orders. Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd wrote that Bevin "maligned the integrity and competence" of the former board members, then broke the law by giving them no recourse to contest his "unilateral fiat."
>> Louisville Courier-Journal
Fired San Diego State Coach Wins $3.35 Million Judgment
Former San Diego State University women's basketball coach Beth Burns won her wrongful-termination lawsuit against the university, receiving a $3.35 million judgment from a jury for whistleblower retaliation after complaining about potential Title IX violations.
>> San Diego Union Tribune
University of Michigan: It's OK to Be a 'Ze'
The University of Michigan announced that it will allow students to designate their own pronouns, such as he, she, him, her or the gender-neutral ze, that will be reflected on class rosters.
>> Detroit News
| | James B. Comey and Hillary Clinton |
Public Officials | The Nation
Director: FBI Won't Reopen
Clinton Email Investigation
FBI Director James B. Comey rejected the idea that the bureau would reopen its investigation into Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while she was secretary of state, laying to rest a long-shot hope of Republican legislators who have questioned the government's handling of the case.
>> Washington Post
With Firing Expected, Philadelphia's Parking Chief Quits
A day before he was expected to be fired over accusations that he sexually harassed two co-workers, Vincent J. Fenerty Jr., the head of the Philadelphia Parking Authority, resigned.
>> Philly.com
D.C.'s Corrections Director to Retire
Thomas N. Faust, a former Arlington County, Va., sheriff who was appointed director of the Washington, D.C., Department of Corrections in 2011, announced that he will retire in November.
>> Washington Post
Public Workforce | New Jersey
State's Public Pension Lost Money on Investments
The last fiscal year was a rough one for New Jersey's public employee pension fund as it lost nearly 1 percent on its investments, state officials reported. The market value of the pension fund was $72.9 billion as of June 30, according to the state's Division of Investment, compared with $79 billion at the same time last year.
>> NJ.com
Feds' Health-Insurance Premiums to Rise by 6.2%
Federal employees and retirees will pay an average of 6.2 percent more toward their health-insurance premiums in 2017, the Office of Personnel Management announced, citing higher pharmaceutical costs and a rise in the average age of the federal workforce.
>> Government Executive
Chicago Teachers Set Oct. 11 Strike Date
The Chicago Teachers Union set a strike date of Oct. 11, moving one step closer to shutting down schools for the second time in Mayor Rahm Emanuel's tenure and increasing the heat on negotiations to replace a contract that expired more than a year ago.
>> Chicago Tribune
Voting | California
State Certifies One-Stop Voters' Website
After months of testing, California's centralized statewide voter-registration system has been certified, Secretary of State Alex Padilla's Office announced. The system, called VoteCal, enables Californians to register online to vote, check the status of their ballots and find their polling places, all via a one-stop website.
>> Government Technology
More Hacking Efforts Against State Voter Systems Reported
Hackers have attempted more intrusions into voter registration databases since those reported this summer, FBI Director James B. Comey said, and federal officials are urging state authorities to gird their voting systems against possible additional attacks.
>> Washington Post
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VIEWPOINT
Public Administration | Elizabeth K. Kellar
The Fantasy of the Quick Fix
Americans are impatient. When we see a problem, we want it fixed yesterday. That helps explain why public leaders are reluctant to tackle the gnarly problems our society faces: It is difficult to show results in time for the next election. And that's why we have such a backlog of critical infrastructure projects, why we struggle to improve police-community relations, and why we put off addressing our public-pension and health-care challenges. To make significant progress, all of these issues require a sustained effort over many years.
>> Governing | More commentaries
DATAPOINT
37%
Increase in the number of fatalities on Wisconsin's interstate highways in the 12 months following the increase in the speed limit on the roads to 70 mph, although it's not clear what impact the speed-limit change had on the rise in highway fatalities given other factors such as distracted and impaired driving, a rise in the number of miles driven as the economy rebounded, and increases in both the number of 16-year-olds eligible for driver's licenses and the number of older drivers staying on the road longer
>> Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | More data
QUOTABLE
“We are 100 percent with the police officers. We back them up. They work hard to keep the city safe, and we have to show them we're with them.”
Abu Ramzi, a member of the Muslim American Society in North Philadelphia, a mosque whose members, for the second year in a row, cooked breakfast Sunday for almost 1,000 city police officers before they began their workday at the city's Puerto Rican Day Parade
>> Philly.com | More quotes
Become the Next
PAR Editor in Chief!
The American Society for Public Administration is searching for the next editor in chief of Public Administration Review, ASPA's flagship professional journal. PAR has seen significant growth in its readership, impact and contributions to the field of public administration. Tomorrow is the deadline for applications. For more information, click here. |
UPCOMING EVENTS
Heritage Foundation
Oxford Union-Style Debate: "Resolved: The Supreme Court Should Overrule Its Decision in Miranda v. Arizona"
Today, noon-1 p.m. ET, Washington, D.C.
American Society for Public Administration
Webinar: "ASPA's New Website--Stepping into the 21st Century"
Today, 1 p.m. ET
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Reuters
Webcast: "Zika in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Beyond: Risks and Response"
Today, 1 p.m. ET
American Productivity and Quality Center
Process Conference
Oct. 3-7, Houston
Association of the United States Army
Annual Meeting and Exposition
Oct. 3-5, Washington, D.C.
Government Executive and Nextgov
Fedstival: the Innovation Festival for Feds
Oct. 3-7, Washington, D.C.
State Policy Network
Annual Meeting
Oct. 3-6, Nashville, Tenn.
>> Full events listings
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