Issues
The twelve governors of California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington sent a letter to President Joe Biden this week urging him to set a zero-emission transportation goal for 2035. In their request, the governors referenced the recently unveiled American Jobs Plan, which would…
A group of public interest organizations including the State PIRG Affiliates, R-Street, and many more, released a letter this week in support of direct sales and service of electric vehicles (EVs). Currently, a patchwork of legislation in the United States prohibit the direct sale of automobiles in many states. However, this group states that,…
This week, France announced a new “Cash for Clunkers” program that incentivizes citizens to trade in their used vehicles for a 2,500 Euro ($2975) credit for an electric bicycle. This is the first program in the country that acknowledges a potential need for less vehicles on the road, and not just a turn toward clean…
Last month, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was extended from its original deadline of March 31 to its current deadline of May 31. However, the Small Business Administration (SBA) is now warning small businesses that the program may run out of money before the deadline passes. The program, which was re-opened in January with…
The U.S. House of Representatives is slated to vote this week on H.R. 7, a bill that would seek to address gender wage discrimination. If passed, this legislation would require employers to demonstrate that any gap in wages between a male and female employee was due to job performance rather than gender. Additionally, this…
President Joe Biden faces a decision this week of whether or not to overturn the International Trade Commission decision that ruled that South Korean battery manufacturer SK Innovation misused trade secrets to gain an unfair competitive decision. In 2019, South Korean battery maker LG Chem accused SK Innovation of taking key employees and stealing…
Yesterday in Pittsburgh, PA, President Joe Biden announced his proposal for a sweeping infrastructure plan entitled The American Jobs Plan. In his remarks, President Biden stated that this plan would be “the largest American jobs investment since World War II”. The plan includes a proposed $174 billion investment in creating good jobs electrifying vehicles. This…
The U.S. Senate passed the PPP Extension Act of 2021 today in a vote of 92-7. This legislation extends the deadline for eligible businesses to submit applications for first or second-draw loans to their lender of choice to May 31, 2021. The program was originally slated to expire March 31. Additionally, the legislation gives the…
U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-Del), Richard Burr (R-NC), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev), and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich) introduced the Securing America’s Clean Fuels Infrastructure Act this morning. This legislation would improve and expand the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Investment Tax Credit (ITC) (commonly referred to as 30C). This legislation would lower costs for clean vehicle…
The United States Senate Committee on Small Business held a hearing yesterday entitled “Oversight of SBA’s COVID-19 Relief Programs”. This hearing was intended to evaluate the progress of SBA COVID-19 Relief Programs including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program, as well as the Shuttered Venue Program and the impending…