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September is National Preparedness Month—an initiative designed to enhance emergency readiness across the nation. Investing time and resources into readiness before an event drastically cuts down on the chaotic, costly, and dangerous aftermath. While we typically associate September with peak hurricane season, emergency preparedness remains a vital year-round endeavor that covers far more than just…

ASA has joined a coalition of organizations urging the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee to include the Safer Roads for Those Who Serve Act of 2026 (S. 4245) in the Senate’s upcoming surface transportation reauthorization legislation. In a letter to Committee Chairman Cruz (R-TX) and Ranking Member Cantwell (D-WA), the organizations express strong support…

The House returns to session this week for a brief three-day work period before recessing again for Labor Day. Both chambers are scheduled to return September 14 for a three-week session, followed by another extended recess expected to run through the midterm elections.  The abbreviated calendar comes as Congress faces a substantial legislative backlog. As…

The House on Tuesday voted 370-48 to approve the Senate-passed continuing resolution (CR), clearing the way for the federal government to remain funded through December 11, 2026. Nineteen Republicans and 29 Democrats voted against the measure. The short-term spending bill includes some, but not all, of the funding anomalies requested by the White House. It…

Republicans face an uphill battle to enact a third budget reconciliation package before the midterm elections, with the latest Senate budget resolution lacking enough support to advance. The Senate Budget Committee released its FY 2027 budget resolution shortly before the August recess. The measure builds on a House-passed version approved in July but makes significant…

President Donald Trump continues to make passage of the SAVE America Act a priority, but the legislation faces significant obstacles in the Senate, where it does not currently have enough support to advance. The bill would, among other provisions, require states to establish procedures for verifying voter identification and citizenship status. Republicans have continued to…

FEDERAL APPELLATE COURT WEIGHS IN ON REGULAR RATE OF PAY CALCULATION UNDER THE FLSA The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (covering Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin) has issued a wage and hour decision affirming a dismissal for an employer in a class action arising out of its alleged failure to pay overtime in…

As of late summer 2026, lawmakers in 15 states have considered moratoriums or significant restrictions on data-center development, while data-center legislation in more than 30 states has addressed a far broader range of issues including: electricity demand and ratepayer costs, grid capacity, water consumption, tax incentives, environmental impacts, labor standards, transparency, and local control. State What They Are Addressing 1. Delaware…

Congress is in its August recess, but we will continue to provide intermittent updates on important legislative and regulatory developments as they emerge. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy these remaining lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer!

The Senate approved its version of the continuing resolution (CR) by a vote of 90-6, sending the legislation to negotiations with the House over differences between the two bills. Sens. Cassidy (R-LA), Kaine (D-VA), Markey (D-MA), Paul (R-KY), Sanders (I-VT), and Warren (D-MA) voted against the measure. The Senate debate was prolonged by disagreements over…