COMMITTEE NEWS
Fall Forum Handouts Available Online
Did you miss the 2007 NCSL Fall Forum in Phoenix? Go to the Labor and Economic Development Committee Website for links to the meeting agenda as well as speaker handouts and presentations. Link: http://www.ncsl.org/standcomm/sclaborecon/07LEDFallForumHandouts.htm.
NCSL Co-Sponsors State & Local Immigration Meeting
The meeting was held December 6-7 at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. The meeting agenda and session materials are available on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce website at: http://www.stateimmigrationlaws.com/portal/stateimmigration/default.
NCSL 2008 Spring Forum
Mark your calendars for the upcoming NCSL 2008 Spring Forum in Washington, D.C. The meeting is scheduled for April 22-26 at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill. NCSL staff are currently working on the agenda for the Labor Economic Development Committee. More details coming soon!
IN THE NEWS
Peru FTA Passes, Business Lobbyists Set Sights on Colombia
Congress gave final approval to a Free Trade Agreement with Peru on December 4, handing President Bush his first victory on trade since Democrats gained the majority a year ago. The Senate vote on the Peru agreement was 77 to 18, 16 members of the no vote being Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. According to several business lobbyists who have been touting the agreement on Capitol Hill, members of Congress have now begun to focus on the U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement and appear to be more open to approving the pact than they were just recently. The lobbyists said that the U.S. business community plans to make a major effort early next year to win congressional endorsement of the pact, now that the U.S.-Peru FTA has been approved.
Buffett says economy close to recession
Reuters
Tuesday, December 11, 2007; 6:39 PM
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Billionaire investor Warren Buffett said the United States could slip into a recession if the jobless rate increases, he told CNBC television on Tuesday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/11/AR2007121100832.html
Housing to hit growth but economy good: Treasury
By Gerard Wynn
Reuters
Tuesday, December 11, 2007; 12:05 PM
JIMBARAN, Indonesia (Reuters) - Weak housing and credit markets are challenging U.S. growth, but the economy is fundamentally sound, senior U.S. Treasury officials said on Tuesday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/11/AR2007121100932.html
Hiring, Wages Increase Modestly
Housing-Credit Fallout Appears To Be Confined
By Neil Irwin
Washington Post
Saturday, December 8,
Companies created jobs at a moderate pace in November, the government said yesterday, suggesting that the labor market has not suffered excessively from the housing and financial market crises. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/07/AR2007120700735.html
December 7, 2007
National Conference of State Legislatures to Co-Host Event to Examine the Impact of State and Local Immigration Laws
WASHINGTON, D.C.-– The National Conference of State Legislatures will co-host an all day event entitled "State & Local Immigration Laws: An Open Dialogue" on Friday, December 7, at U.S. Chamber headquarters in Washington, D.C. Business leaders, state officials, and immigration experts will examine the current legislative proposals on immigration at the state and local levels, the economic impact of these proposals, and how to improve dialogue between businesses and public officials on these critical issues.
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/press/2007/pr120607Chamber.htm
RECENT REPORTS
Issue Brief Compares Public and Private Sector Pensions
The Center has released its first issue brief, "State and Local Pensions Are Different from Private Plans." Written by Alicia Munnell and Mauricio Soto of the Center for Retirement Research (CRR) at Boston College, the brief is a good primer on the characteristics of state and local government plans and how they are funded. Link: http://tinyurl.com/37dax4
New Report on America’s Middle Class
By A Thread: The New Experience of America’s Middle Class is the first comprehensive report to measure economic stability across the American middle class. Based on national data, By A Thread is also the first in a series of reports and briefing papers that will utilize the new “Middle Class Security Index” developed by IASP/Brandeis and the non-partisan policy center Demos. http://iasp.brandeis.edu/pdfs/byathread_web.pdf
