Advocacy Archives - Page 4 of 6 - The Edge from the National Association of Landscape Professionals

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Advocacy

Trump Supports H-2B During Weekend Rally

At a weekend rally in Washington Michigan, President Trump made comments in support of the H-2B guest worker program. The occasion marked the first time that he has made public comments about H-2B since becoming President. It is unknown how this will impact the timeline for 2018 cap-relief. In March, Congress granted Department of Homeland […]

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Kentucky Legislature Overturns Governors Tax Veto

A significant tax reform measure that contains a new 6% sales tax on 17 services including landscaping and snow removal was approved late last week when the Kentucky legislature overrode the veto of Governor Bevin. The outcome was the end of a series of questionable governance actions executed by Kentucky legislative leaders in pursuit of […]

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FARM Bill Introduced in House

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee introduced the text ofĀ H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (the ā€œFarm Billā€). Introduction of the measure was initially expected in February, however House Democrats expressed concern over reforms to the current federal food stamp program and the bill was held back by the […]

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President Signs Omnibus Bill that Includes H-2B Cap-Relief Language

Last week, President Trump signed into law the 2018 Omnibus budget bill. Included in that measure was language that COULD provide substantive cap-relief for this year. We say could because the language agreed to by Congress is the same language that they settled upon last year; the cap-relief language grants discretion to the Secretary of […]

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California Judge Bans Commonly Used Pesticides

Last week’s Advocate noted the injunction issued by a federal judge in California that temporarily halted the state from designating the popular herbicide glyphosate as cancer-causing.Ā  This week, a state judge issued a ruling saying the state must stop using a wide variety of pesticides:

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Fireworks at Massachusetts Public Hearing

Last Thursday, NALP was present at a public hearing held by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources as the agency began the process of renewing local electric utility Eversource’s five-year Vegetative Management Plan for rights-of-way maintenance.Ā  [from here link to blog post with the following text:] Under Massachusetts regulations, the public is invited to submit […]

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EPA Extends Neonic Comment Period

In part, due to pressure from NALP and other industry stakeholders the EPA has granted a 60-day extension to the current neonicotinoid benefits assessment open comment period.Ā Comments must now be submitted by April 21, 2018.Ā  This additional time will allow landscape professionals to more fully respond to the content and approach reflected in the EPA’s […]

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10 Point WOTUS Review

Already this year, there have been several noteworthy developments related to WOTUS and revisions that are being made under the current administration. There are a lot of moving parts and understanding where things stand can get confusing. Recently, NALP consultant David Crow of DCLRS provided a breakdown of where things stand that provides significant clarity […]

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Proposed Regulations Expand Association Health Care Options

Small businesses and self-employed individuals may soon have more options for obtaining affordable group health coverage. As directed byĀ Executive Order 13813, on January 5, 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)Ā released proposed regulationsĀ (83 Fed. Reg. 614) intended to increase the availability of association health plans (AHPs). The proposed regulations would achieve that aim by broadening […]

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Help Us Tell Your H-2B Story!

NALP has secured an important meeting with a senior staff member at the Department of Homeland Security. The meeting is scheduled for early February and will allow us to further illustrate the critical role that H-2B serves in filling the workforce needs of landscape professionals and other seasonal employers and to voice our extreme concerns […]

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