In April 2021, the Maryland Legislature passed House Bill 264, “Solid Waste Management – Organics Recycling and Waste Diversion – Food Residuals,” sponsored by Delegate Lorig Charkoudian (District 20). The bill’s goal is to divert wasted food from landfills and incinerators and spur the development of more capacity to reduce, rescue, and recycle this material. It became law on May 30th without Governor Hogan’s signature. … Read More
Decisions made by city officials in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 left some devastated areas of the city, especially New Orleans East and the Algiers neighborhood, particularly vulnerable to the invasive spread of dollar store chains. … Read More
Birmingham, Ala. is one of the largest cities yet to pass a dollar store dispersal restriction. The city did this in coordination with a concerted effort to combat food deserts. Birmingham created a “Healthy Food Overlay District,” which includes the majority of the city’s footprint.… Read More
Passing a city-wide ordinance in July 2018, the City of Mesquite, Texas, has made dollar stores a “conditional use,” which means they must undergo a review and receive a special permit to open. This requirement is in addition to a dispersal rule. … Read More
The Unified Government of Wyandotte County, Kansas City’s regional planning commission, passed an original dollar store dispersal policy prompted by community concerns about the growth of chain discount stores and lack of access to healthy food in 2016, and subsequently passed an updated ordinance in February 2019.… Read More
In April 2018, the City of Tulsa, Okla., passed an ordinance that limits new dollar stores and encourages full-service grocery stores in area of the city known as north Tulsa. Since its passage, the Tulsa policy has become a national example and motivated other communities to consider and pass similar policies.… Read More
Every purchase you make with a card has a swipe fee baked in. These fees alone make billions for big banks and card companies. We need to cap them.… Read More
Oregon’s composting regulations aim to facilitate composting while preventing public nuisance issues and any adverse environmental consequences. Oregon revised its composting regulations in 2009, as a means to both facilitate greater amounts of composting, as well as ensure new and existing facilities performed at the same same level of quality standards.… Read More
PBMs use several tactics to undermine competition and monopolize the prescription market. In some cases, they impose mandatory mail-order clauses on health plans and their customers, compelling people to obtain certain prescriptions through the mail rather than from a local pharmacy. PBMs commonly offer independent pharmacies take-it-or-leave it contracts that force them to either accept reimbursement rates that leave them losing money on some prescriptions or be left out of an insurer’s network altogether.… Read More