Legislation News
Legislation
'Pillaging them, that's the point': Serial plaintiff on tape describing how to take advantage of TCPA
PHILADELPHIA – Recorded conversations prove a Pennsylvania man who has filed dozens of lawsuits is intentionally taking advantage of a federal law to extort settlements from defendants, says one of the companies he has targeted.
Legislation
Commonwealth Court rejects argument of Pittsburgh, which had defended its Section 8 housing ordinance
HARRISBURG – According to the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, the City of Pittsburgh’s prior citation of a statewide law does not justify the existence of an ordinance it passed, which would mandate that landlords accept Section 8 housing vouchers from tenants.
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Legislation
Fla., N.Y. marketing companies deny they violated TCPA and illegally called Pa. man
PHILADELPHIA – A pair of digital marketing companies in Florida and New York have flatly denied claims from a Delaware County man who says he received illegal telemarketing calls from them on his cellphone in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).
Legislation
Lawmakers in Oklahoma, West Virginia the latest to call for rejection of ALI's insurance Restatement
PHILADELPHIA – Oklahoma and West Virginia can be added to the growing list of states seeking to formally reject the American Law Institute’s controversial Restatement of the Law of Liability Insurance - a project that some see as evidence of an ideological shift at the organization that amounts to a power-trip.
Legislation
Pa. Supreme Court to consider possible overreach of sovereign immunity in Huntingdon County woman's property injury case
HARRISBURG – The concept of sovereign immunity as it relates to state property will soon be taken up by Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, which will hear an appeal from a Huntingdon County resident who claims such immunity should not be applied to an incident during which she sustained a broken ankle near her residence.
Legislation
Serial TCPA plaintiff facing RICO lawsuit has $33K verdict upheld by Third Circuit
PHILADELPHIA – A King of Prussia man who collected a $33,000 payday in a Philadelphia federal court for litigation brought under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) has just had that verdict upheld in a federal appellate court.
Legislation
Sides argue for judgment in lawsuit against Philadelphia; Former employee says he was told staff was 'too white'
PHILADELPHIA – Motions for summary judgment will soon be decided in a case pitting the City of Philadelphia’s former Chief Information Officer against the City and involving alleged retaliation, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Legislation
Elizabeth Warren's Trojan Horse
Populated by zealous Obama administration holdovers, the CFPB is unaccountable to Trump and taxpayers.
Legislation
Sued by Fox news anchor over photo used in ads, Facebook claims immunity
PHILADELPHIA – In response to a lawsuit filed by a local television news anchor who believes a surreptitious image taken of her was later broadcasted online without her knowledge or consent, social media giant Facebook has claimed immunity through a federal anti-indecency law.
Legislation
AG's Office to mull new overtime compensation rule, while business group urges legislature not to support it
HARRISBURG – A regulation recently approved by a state board to adjust the overtime compensation of employees throughout Pennsylvania is now heading to the desk of Attorney General Josh Shapiro for review – while a prominent business group is persuading the state legislature not to support it and still wanting stakeholders to work with lawmakers towards a compromise.
Legislation
Third Circuit rules Philadelphia's Wage Equity Law, meant to close pay gaps, is valid
PHILADELPHIA – A three-year-long fight over a wage equity law ended with a victory for those looking to end wage gaps, as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled Thursday that a Philadelphia law forbidding employers from asking potential employees about their salary history is constitutional.
Legislation
A year of study and Senate still unsure about changing rules for medical-malpractice lawsuits
HARRISBURG – After nearly a full of year of study, a bipartisan Pennsylvania Senate Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC) report released Monday on the effects of changing current medical malpractice litigation venue rules came to no specific conclusion on the potential impacts of such a proposal.
Legislation
Pa. Supreme Court to let controversial decision stand in medical-malpractice lawsuit
HARRISBURG – The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has formally denied an application for reconsideration and re-argument in a significant case that gave personal injury lawyers a boost by finding the seven-year time limit on filing medical malpractice lawsuits was “unconstitutional.”
Legislation
State agency approves overtime measure that will affect 334K Pennsylvanians
HARRISBURG – A proposed regulation to reshape the overtime compensation of employees throughout Pennsylvania was approved 3-2 by the Independent Regulatory Review Commission on Friday, and now heads to the desk of Attorney General Josh Shapiro for review.
Legislation
Teachers union takes to court to fight Philadelphia School District over asbestos in classrooms
PHILADELPHIA – The union representing Philadelphia’s public school teachers has filed a lawsuit against the city’s school district, alleging its improper handling of asbestos contamination in its school buildings has put 125,000 students and 13,000 staff members at risk for serious health issues
Legislation
Pittsburgh appeals rejection of its controversial firearms ordinance to Commonwealth Court
HARRISBURG – After rejection from a state court judge and a subsequent appeal by the City of Pittsburgh, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania is now overseeing the City’s attempt to regulate firearms in the city beyond what is allowed by other laws.
Legislation
Overtime pay proposal affects 400K Pennsylvania workers but leads to 'unsustainable costs,' group says
HARRISBURG – A recent proposal championed by the state to determine the overtime compensation of employees throughout Pennsylvania, has also met with opposition from a statewide business group which indicates that unsustainable cost increases and other issues make the proposal in its current form untenable.
Legislation
Report on changing the rules in medical malpractice lawsuits is nearly complete
HARRISBURG – A Pennsylvania Senate Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC) report on the effects of changing current medical malpractice litigation venue rules is nearly finished and may be released in February, its executive director said.
Legislation
Pennsylvania health care groups fight Supreme Court ruling that gave plaintiffs longer to sue
HARRISBURG – Several Pennsylvania health care organizations, business groups and the attorneys representing them have joined forces in filing a brief seeking reconsideration of a key state Supreme Court decision that found the seven-year limit on filing medical malpractice lawsuits was “unconstitutional.”
Legislation
Judge tosses whistleblower lawsuits that DOJ says wasted its time
PHILADELPHIA – Through a pair of case dismissals, it seems two federal judges in Philadelphia have sided with the view of the Trump Administration, which said private attorneys wasted more than 1,500 hours of its time with frivolous whistleblower lawsuits filed against major players in the American health care industry.