Senate approves $3B conservation bill
WASHINGTON -- The Senate has approved a bipartisan bill that would spend nearly $3 billion on conservation projects, outdoor recreation and maintenance of national parks and other public lands, a measure supporters say would be the most significant conservation legislation enacted in nearly half a century.
The 73-25 vote on Wednesday sends the Great American Outdoors Act to the House, where approval is expected. The bill would spend about $900 million a year -- double current spending -- on the popular Land and Water Conservation Fund, and another $1.9 billion per year on improvements at national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and rangelands.
Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., one of the bill's chief sponsors, said the bill will create at least 100,000 jobs, while restoring national parks and repairing trails and forest systems.
The lawmakers persuaded President Donald Trump to support the bill at a White House meeting this year, even though Trump repeatedly tried to slash spending for the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund in his budget proposals. Trump has tweeted in favor of the lands bill, saying it "will be HISTORIC for our beautiful public lands."
The bill's opponents, mostly Republicans, complained that the measure doesn't eliminate an estimated $20 billion maintenance backlog on 640 million acres of federally owned lands. The bill authorizes $9.5 billion for maintenance over five years.
[CORONAVIRUS: Click here for our complete coverage » arkansasonline.com/coronavirus]
Trump's solicitor general to step down
WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration's top Supreme Court lawyer announced Wednesday he is leaving the job after three years in which he represented the government in a series of high-profile cases.
Noel Francisco argued 17 cases before the Supreme Court as solicitor general. He defended President Donald Trump's travel ban and the push to add a citizenship question to the census as well as the decision to wind down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that protects some 660,000 people from deportation.
Francisco won the travel ban case, but the high court's decision in the census case kept the administration from adding the citizenship question to the census.
Francisco's resignation is effective July 3. He said in a letter announcing his departure that it is time for him to "return to the private sector and spend more time with my family."
Netflix chief donates to black colleges
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin, are donating $120 million toward student scholarships at historically black colleges and universities.
The couple is giving $40 million to each of three institutions: the United Negro College Fund, Spelman College and Morehouse College. The organizations said it is the largest individual gift in support of student scholarships at HBCUs.
Hastings has a history of supporting educational causes, including charter schools. He launched a $100 million education fund in 2016, beginning with money toward college scholarships for black and Latino students.
Hastings said now is the time when "everyone needs to figure out" how to contribute to solving racism. He said HBCUs have been resilient "little-known gems" for black education.
Other tech industry donations have largely been on the company level.
On Wednesday, Google CEO Sundar Pichai outlined plans toward racial equity at the company that includes increasing the number of black and minority executives and creating a $175 million "economic opportunity package." Last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that the company will spend $100 million on a new Racial Equity and Justice Initiative. YouTube, meanwhile, pledged $100 million to help black artists and other creators.
Bill gives bonus to front-line workers
BATON ROUGE -- Grocery store employees, nurses, bus drivers and other front-line workers who stayed on their jobs in the early days of Louisiana's coronavirus outbreak could receive a one-time $250 state payment, under a bill that started advancing Wednesday in the state House.
Democratic lawmakers are pushing the hazard pay proposal -- paid out of $50 million in federal virus aid from Congress -- in an ongoing special session focused largely on business recovery from the pandemic.
The Ways and Means Committee sent the $250 hazard pay bill by state Rep. Sam Jenkins, a Democrat from Shreveport, to the full House for debate without objection Wednesday, in a bipartisan show of support.
The $250 payments would be available to workers holding one of the long list of jobs considered "essential critical infrastructure" with an adjusted gross income on their 2019 tax return of $50,000 or less and who had to report to a job outside of their home from March 22 through May 14.
"We have yet to do anything for the working people of Louisiana, said Rep. Matthew Willard, a New Orleans Democrat. "While some had the luxury of staying home and protecting their health and safety, others ... did not have that choice."