A Racial Impact Analysis of HB 32: Minimum Wage Increase

The racial equity impact of HB 32 is important because minorities in Virginia disproportionately work in minimum wage positions. The purpose of this report is to provide a racial impact analysis of House Bill (HB) 32, legislation proposed in the 2014 Virginia General Assembly to increase the minimum wage from $7.25 to$8.50 an hour. According to 2013 data, 1.8 million workers in Virginia are paid hourly rates and 6.8 percent of these workers earn the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Examining fiscal years 2015 to 2020 for the Commonwealth, such an increase would cost$2,712,696. This impact includes the costs to cover additional staff for enforcement of the bill. Moreover, based on data provided by the Department of Human Resource Management, such an increase would also affect 264 salaried employees, costing an additional $296,252. In sum, this report examines the various and differing components surrounding HB 32 and minimum wage from a comprehensive perspective. This report examines why HB 32 failed, analyzes minimum wage versus living wage, and discusses what steps can be taken to promote racial income equality. In addition, this report charts a path forward toward policy that can be implemented legislatively with a positive effect on Virginia’s communities

Annual report of the implementation of energy use reduction legislation, section 48-52-620, code of laws of South Carolina

The South Carolina General Assembly passed legislation in early June 2008 requiring all state agencies to develop energy conservation plans to reduce their energy consumption by one percent per year during fiscal years 2009-2013 and by a total of a 20 percent reduction in energy use by 2020. This legislation requires that each of these entities develop an energy conservation plan that addresses how it will meet energy use reduction goals and submit it to SCEO. It also requires that each entity report its progress in meeting the energy use reduction goals on an annual basis. This is that report for 2008

Drone law: a reply to UN Special Rapporteur Emmerson

Mr. Ben Emmerson is the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms While Combatting Terrorism. In his March 2013 report to the UN General Assembly on “targeted killings”, Emmerson asks States to respond to a series of legal questions related to drone operations by next session of the UN Human Rights Council in September 2014. In the piece, Professor Schmitt examines each of the questions and the international law issues they raise. The work is designed to assist States in providing responses to Emmerson’s call and to provide a general overview of the contentious issues surrounding such operations

Annual accountability report fiscal year 2012-13

Each year the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education produces an annual accountability report for the South Carolina General Assembly and the governor. This report includes an executive summary, the Commission's mission statement, and information pertaining to the Commission’s programs and their performance for the fiscal year 2012-2013

A Racial Impact Analysis of SB 30: Medicaid Expansion

Virginia is the second worst state in providing Medicaid to its citizens. The focus of this report is to provide a racial equity impact analysis of Senate Bill (SB) 30, the Senate legislative vehicle for the appropriations of the budget submitted by the Governor of Virginia for fiscal years 2015 and 2016. SB 30 included a provision called “Marketplace Virginia” as an alternative to traditional Medicaid expansion in Virginia. This compromise bill would have covered an estimated 430,000 Virginians who fall in the Medicaid coverage gap by assisting them in purchasing private insurance. This report provides a racial equity impact analysis of the failure of the Virginia General Assembly to pass SB 30. The racial and ethnic impact of this proposed, but failed, legislation is important because minorities in Virginia disproportionately face disparities in health care access and quality. This racial impact analysis captures and reports the potential impact of this legislation by race in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The primary recommendation includesraising eligibility requirements to a minimum of 100 percent of the federal poverty level. Virginia’s current eligibility requirements are so strict that although it is ranked 7th in per capita personal income, Virginia ranked 43rd in Medicaid enrollment as a proportion of the state’s population and 47th in per capita Medicaid spending