OVERNIGHT REGULATION: DC poised to legalize pot
February 24, 2015
February 24, 2015
Welcome to OVERNIGHT REGULATION, your daily rundown of rules from Capitol Hill and beyond. It's Tuesday evening here in Washington, and we've been writing too many pot stories lately, but here's another one:
THE BIG STORY
Smoking pot in the nation's capital will be legalized Thursday -- as long as you light up in your home and not in public places like restaurants and bars.
Washington, D.C., becomes the latest place to legalize recreational marijuana use, even as a legal battle looms with Congress.
The District joins states like Colorado, Washington, Alaska, and Oregon in approving the use of recreational marijuana.
This comes after District voters approved a ballot measure last November legalizing pot.
According to the mayor's office, District residents who are 21 years of age and older will be allowed to smoke and grow small amounts of marijuana in their homes. They will also be allowed to invite their friends over for "pot parties."
But renters would need their landlord's approval to smoke pot in their home.
Meanwhile, it will still be illegal to sell pot or drive under the influence of marijuana, the mayor's office says.
But the legal challenges over the District's new marijuana laws are raging.
Congress passed a spending measure last December intended to block marijuana legalization, but District officials say they have found a loophole. Ultimately, it could be up to the courts to decide. Read more here: http://bit.ly/1BnASIY.
ON TAP FOR WEDNESDAY
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Abercrombie, which could help define religious freedoms in the workplace. http://1.usa.gov/
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing to discuss how to work toward a 21st century regulatory system. http://1.usa.gov/
The Senate Budget Committee will have a full committee hearing on how America's debt is becoming a crisis. http://1.usa.gov/
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will meet to discuss international standards for airline flight tracking in the wake of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 that disappeared in March. http://1.usa.gov/
The House Judiciary Committee will have a hearing on the unconstitutionality of Obama's executive actions on immigration. http://1.usa.gov/
The House Homeland Security Committee will have a full hearing to examine the president's cybersecurity information sharing proposal.http://1.usa.gov/
The Environmental Protection Agency will hold a webinar to discuss pesticide regulations and reform initiatives. http://bit.ly/
TOMORROW'S REGS TODAY
The Obama Administration will publish 178 new regulations, proposed rules, notices and other administrative actions in Wednesday's edition of the Federal Register.
Here's what to watch:
Same-sex couples: The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division is revising its definition of spouse under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) to include same-sex couples. http://bit.ly/1JDEeeD
The Labor Department is updating the FMLA regulatory definition of "spouse" to ensure that eligible employees in a legal same-sex marriage can take family medical leave to care for a spouse, regardless of the state in which they reside.
The previous definition of "spouse" did not include same-sex spouses if an employee resided in a state that did not recognize same-sex marriage.
The public has 30 days to comment.
Portable air conditioning units: The Department of Energy is considering a rule that would establish test procedures for portable air conditioners. http://bit.ly/
The agency said it wants to establish technologically feasible, economically justified energy conservation standards for products prime for improved energy efficiency.
The public has 75 days to comment.
Sunscreen: The Food and Drug Administration has determined that it does not have enough information to say that two active ingredients in new sunscreen products are safe and effective.
FDA said it needs more information to determine if ecamsule at concentrations up to 10 percent and enzacamene in over-the-counter sunscreens are safe and effective for their intended use, preventing sunburns. http://bit.ly/
The public has 45 days to comment.
NEWS RIGHT NOW
Got pot? It's every stoner's dream job. This marijuana lobbyist is convincing lawmakers to legalize pot. http://bit.ly/1GoOFNY
Tuition: Republicans say excessive regulations on colleges and universities are raising the cost of tuition for millions of students. http://bit.ly/
Child safety: Democrats are pushing legislation that would strengthen safety requirements for laundry and dish detergent packs they say pose a danger to children. http://bit.ly/
Recreational marijuana: Alaska is legalizing the recreational use of marijuana, following in the footsteps of states like Colorado and Oregon. http://bit.ly/1LAlVmr
Train crashes: A Senate Democrat is calling for better railroad technology to avoid train crashes. http://bit.ly/1w8M5FB
Retirement regs: President Obama is picking a new fight with Wall Street over so-called fiduciary standards. http://bit.ly/
Immigration: A Senate Democrat says President Obama "overstepped" on his immigration executive order last year when he deferred deportations for nearly 5 million people. http://bit.ly/17u37be
Keystone: President Obama on Tuesday vetoed legislation approving the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. http://bit.ly/
BY THE NUMBERS
$18,943: the average cost of a public four-year state school in the 2014-2015 fiscal school year for a full-time undergraduate student with room and board
.
$32,762: the average cost of a public four-year out-of-state school in the 2014-2015 fiscal year for a full-time undergraduate student with room and board. (Source: collegeboard.org)
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Colleges and universities should be accountable for high-quality outcomes that don't leave students with debt they struggle to repay," said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.).
We’ll work to stay on top of these and other stories throughout the week, so check The Hill’s Regulation page (http://thehill.com/regulation
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