State & Local

  • November 06, 2024

    W.Va. Revenue Through Oct. Trails Forecast By $14M

    West Virginia's general revenue collection from July through October unperformed an estimate by roughly $14 million, according to the state Budget Office.

  • November 06, 2024

    Nev. Sales Tax Revenue In Aug. Drops 1.7% From Last Year

    Nevada's sales tax collection in August trailed last year's total for that month by 1.7%, the state Department of Taxation reported.

  • November 06, 2024

    SF Voters Agree To Overhaul City's Business Tax Regime

    San Francisco voters agreed to a significant overhaul to the city's business tax regime, including a change in the way gross receipts taxes are levied on all businesses.

  • November 07, 2024

    CORRECTED: SF Tax On Ride-Hailing Cos. Passes, But To No Effect

    San Francisco voters agreed Tuesday to levy an annual additional graduated tax on ride-hailing companies and companies that offer rides in driverless cars, but because of language added to a different ballot measure, the vote will have no legal effect.

  • November 06, 2024

    Wyo. Voters Approve Residential Property Classification

    Wyoming will create a special property classification for residential real estate and a subclass for owner-occupied properties under a constitutional amendment approved by voters.

  • November 05, 2024

    Trump Has Official Immunity. What About His Aides?

    Whether the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on presidential immunity extends to subordinates who follow a president's orders has become a more pressing question in the wake of Donald Trump's projected election win, according to legal experts.

  • November 05, 2024

    How Trump Can Quash His Criminal Cases

    Donald Trump's projected victory at the polls also translates to a win in the courts, as the second-term president will have the power to end both of his federal criminal cases. And the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on presidential immunity would shield him from any consequences for ordering his charges to be dismissed, experts say.

  • November 05, 2024

    An Early Look At Trump's Supreme Court Shortlist

    With former President Donald Trump projected to win the 2024 presidential election and the Republicans' success in securing the U.S. Senate majority, Trump may now get the chance to appoint two more justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, cementing the court's conservative tilt for decades to come.

  • November 05, 2024

    GOP's Senate Win Hands Future Of The Judiciary To Trump

    Republicans were projected to take back the White House and Senate and possibly the House early Wednesday, putting the GOP in position to back Donald Trump's agenda and his slate of young, conservative judicial nominees. 

  • November 05, 2024

    The Firms With An Inside Track To A New Trump Admin

    Law firms that have represented Donald Trump and the Republican Party on everything from personal legal woes to election-related lawsuits could see the risks of that work pay dividends as Trump is projected to secure a second term in office.

  • November 05, 2024

    Florida, Georgia, Others Peel Back Real Estate Taxes

    Voters in seven states approved a spate of real estate tax ballot initiatives on Election Day, including measures that would curb property taxes for veterans, residential property owners and residents of municipalities that fail to enforce nuisance laws. 

  • November 05, 2024

    Cannabis And Psychedelic Reform Bids Fail In Multiple States

    Efforts to liberalize cannabis and psychedelic laws via ballot initiatives met with defeat in multiple states on Election Day, dealing a blow to reformers of drug policies.

  • November 05, 2024

    Oregon Voters Reject New Tax On Big Businesses

    Oregon voters declined Tuesday to impose a new minimum tax on large businesses that could have raised $15 billion each biennium with most of the funding used to make annual payments to residents, rejecting Measure 118.

  • November 05, 2024

    North Dakota Voters Choose To Retain Property Taxation

    North Dakota will continue to allow its political subdivisions to levy property tax after voters rejected a constitutional amendment Tuesday that would prohibit its imposition by a subdivision unless it had outstanding debt.

  • November 05, 2024

    South Dakota Voters Turn Down Grocery Tax Exemption

    South Dakota voters rejected a ballot initiative Tuesday that would have exempted food sales from the state's sales tax.

  • November 05, 2024

    Nev. Voters Approve Sales Tax Exemption For Diapers

    Nevada will exempt diaper sales from the state's sales and use tax under a measure approved by voters Tuesday.

  • November 05, 2024

    Calif. Managed Care Tax Made Permanent By Ballot Measure

    California's tax on managed healthcare insurance plans to fund the state's Medi-Cal health program has been made permanent following voter approval of a proposition on Tuesday.

  • November 05, 2024

    Ill. Voters Back Millionaire Tax In Nonbinding Referendum

    Illinois voters supported imposing a higher tax rate on millionaires to fund property tax relief in an advisory referendum Tuesday, a move that could prompt state lawmakers to take another pass at repealing the state's constitutional requirement for a flat income tax.

  • November 05, 2024

    Ga. Voters Approve Expanded Reach Of State Tax Court

    Georgia voters approved a ballot measure Tuesday that will give the state's administrative tax court jurisdiction with the state's superior courts with an amendment to the state constitution.

  • November 05, 2024

    Washington Voters Reject Repeal Of State Capital Gains Tax

    Washington state voters declined Tuesday to repeal the state's embattled tax on capital gains, voting 1,610,148 to 937,050 with 64% of the vote counted against Initiative 2109 and thus allowing the capital gains tax to stand.

  • November 05, 2024

    Wash. Voters Reject Repeal Of State Cap-And-Trade Law

    Washington state voters declined to repeal the state's cap-and-trade program Tuesday, turning down Initiative 2117 by a vote of 1,566,065 to 972,623 with 64% 0f the vote counted.

  • November 05, 2024

    Ga. Voters Approve Increase To Personal Property Exemption

    Georgia will increase its personal property exemption to $20,000 under a referendum approved by voters Tuesday.

  • November 05, 2024

    Ga. Voters Approve Local Option Homestead Exemption

    Georgia will give localities the ability to opt out of a statewide homestead exemption from ad valorem taxes under a ballot measure approved by voters Tuesday. 

  • November 05, 2024

    Calif. Couple Can't Carry Back Or Carry Forward Loss

    A California couple's loss in 2017 did not generate a net operating loss that could be carried back to 2015 and 2016 and carried over to 2018 and 2019, the state Office of Tax Appeals ruled, upholding the Franchise Tax Board.

  • November 05, 2024

    Calif. Seller Can't Retroactively Report Real Estate Gain

    A California seller of a $10.6 million property in Beverly Hills may not retroactively choose to report the gain on the sale of the property on an installment basis, the state Office of Tax Appeals ruled, siding with the Franchise Tax Board.

Expert Analysis

  • Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD

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    Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • A Ministry Of Silly Ideas: SALT In Review

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    From proposals before a District of Columbia tax revision panel to the defeat of an income tax cut in North Dakota, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.

  • What Ariz. Ruling Means For Taxation Of Digital Services

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    The Arizona Supreme Court recently declined to review ADP v. Arizona Department of Revenue, letting stand a state appeals court's ruling that software as a service is a taxable rental of tangible personal property, essentially granting the department of revenue power to tax all digital services, say Karen Lowell and Pat Derdenger at Lewis Roca.

  • Attorneys, Law Schools Must Adapt To New Era Of Evidence

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    Technological advancements mean more direct evidence is being created than ever before, and attorneys as well as law schools must modify their methods to account for new challenges in how this evidence is collected and used to try cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Tips For Litigating Against Pro Se Parties In Complex Disputes

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    Litigating against self-represented parties in complex cases can pose unique challenges for attorneys, but for the most part, it requires the same skills that are useful in other cases — from documenting everything to understanding one’s ethical duties, says Bryan Ketroser at Alto Litigation.

  • Pro Bono Work Is Powerful Self-Help For Attorneys

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    Oct. 22-28 is Pro Bono Week, serving as a useful reminder that offering free legal help to the public can help attorneys expand their legal toolbox, forge community relationships and create human connections, despite the challenges of this kind of work, says Orlando Lopez at Culhane Meadows.

  • The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Espinosa On 'Lincoln Lawyer'

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    The murder trials in Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer” illustrate the stark contrast between the ethical high ground that fosters and maintains the criminal justice system's integrity, and the ethical abyss that can undermine it, with an important reminder for all legal practitioners, say Judge Adam Espinosa and Andrew Howard at the Colorado 2nd Judicial District Court.

  • Permanence And Other Elusive Notions: SALT In Review

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    From a Michigan income tax that may or may not be permanent to a victory in court for online travel companies, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.

  • Newman Suspension Shows Need For Judicial Reform

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    The recent suspension of U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman following her alleged refusal to participate in a disability inquiry reveals the need for judicial misconduct reforms to ensure that judges step down when they can no longer serve effectively, says Aliza Shatzman at The Legal Accountability Project.

  • How And Why Your Firm Should Implement Fixed-Fee Billing

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    Amid rising burnout in the legal industry and client efforts to curtail spending, pivoting to a fixed-fee billing model may improve client-attorney relationships and offer lawyers financial, logistical and stress relief — while still maintaining profit margins, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.

  • How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies

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    Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.

  • Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial

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    Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.

  • Potential Calamities, Greatly Exaggerated: SALT In Review

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    From fears of judicial upheaval to a tax break for space travel, RSM's David Brunori offers his thoughts on noteworthy state and local tax news.

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