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NCSL Updates
NCSL State-Federal Briefing: Federal Child Care Landscape
Friday, June 21, 2024 | 3 p.m. ET
Child care and early childhood education are priorities for federal and state policymakers alike. Join us for a briefing on the federal child care landscape, including an overview of existing funding streams and a discussion of bipartisan support for child care legislation. Register here
State and Local Government Leaders Urge Congress to Preserve the State and Local Cyber Security Grant Program
NCSL, along with several other organizations representing state and local governments, wrote to House and Senate appropriations leadership urging them to preserve current funding for the State and Local Cyber Security Grant Program. According to the organizations’ leaders, “Cyber-attacks represent existential threats to business and national security that impact the daily functioning of our society and economy.” The letter explains that sustained federal funding at $100 million for fiscal year 2025 is critical to continue implementing strong cybersecurity protocols and address vulnerabilities. Read more
NCSL Policy Submission Deadline Approaching
July 8 is the deadline to submit all new policy directives and resolutions for consideration at the NCSL Legislative Summit in Louisville, Ky., Aug. 5-7. Read more
Administration Updates
Biden Issues Order Limiting Asylum at US-Mexico Border
President Joe Biden last week issued an executive order directing border officials to stop conducting credible fear interviews and expel migrants while imposing a five-year bar on reentry to the United States when the seven-day rolling average of daily encounters at the Southwest border exceeds 2,500. The policy has limited exceptions for unaccompanied minors and survivors of human trafficking. In April, the Customs and Border Protection reported over 179,000 encounters at the U.S. border with Mexico, an average of more than 5,900 per day. Read more
Court Update
Court Sides With the NRA In First Amendment Challenge
In the case National Rifle Association v. Vullo, the NRA alleged that Maria Vullo, the former superintendent of the New York Department of Financial Services, violated the NRA’s First Amendment rights by coercing banks and insurance companies to disassociate themselves from the group through the issuance of department guidance. The Supreme Court unanimously agreed. Justice Sonya Sotomayor wrote the majority opinion reaffirming prior case law and holding that, “Government officials cannot attempt to coerce private parties in order to punish or suppress views that the government disfavors.” The court ruled that Vullo used her position as superintendent to pressure banks and insurance companies to reconsider their affiliation with the NRA with the goal of stifling the group’s advocacy efforts.
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