Declarations

Campus Guns

“College campuses as gun-free zones present an environment where murderers, rapists and other criminals may commit crimes

without fear of being harmed by their victims.”

— An NRA lobbyist who supported a new Tennessee law to allow state college faculty members to carry guns on campus, with certain restrictions.

California Wildfires

“It’s mirroring last year. Grass and brush are just tinder, they are like a fuse for these wildfires.”

— Scott McLean, deputy chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said the state should brace for another year of bad wildfires as it sees worsening drought.

Pushed to the Brink

“The combination of an uncompetitive tax structure, unfair and unnecessary regulatory burdens, and rising health care costs have pushed many state businesses to the brink. That is why these reforms, and the savings that come with them, are so significant.”

— Heather C. Briccetti, president and CEO of The Business Council of New York State Inc., said regarding the newly approved 11.7 percent reduction in loss cost rates in New York, which are the basis for setting workers’ compensation premiums for 2019. This reduction, coupled with the 4.5 percent rate cut achieved in the first year of the 2017 reforms, means overall system costs will be reduced by upwards of $1 billion dollars, the council says.

Airbnb Allegations

“The allegations in the complaint suggest that Airbnb does far more than just post listings. A website may not be immune where it contributes materially to the alleged illegality of the conduct.”

— Florida Circuit Court Judge William Thomas said in denying Airbnb’s request to throw out a Miami landlord’s suit against the home-sharing site, according to Bloomberg. Airbnb sought protection from the suit by Apartment Investment & Management Co. under the Communications Decency Act, a federal statute that shields online service providers from lawsuits over content posted by their users.

Duck Boat Tragedy

“If you have the information that you could have rough waters or a storm coming, why ever put a boat on that water?”

— Steve Paul, owner of the Test Drive Technologies inspection service in St. Louis, comments on the sinking of a tourist duck boat on Missouri’s Table Rock lake, in which 17 people were drowned during a thunderstorm. Paul said he wrote a report in August 2017 to the boat’s operator describing flaws in the vessel’s design that put it at greater risk of sinking in rough weather.

Being Prepared

“We need to be ready.”

— Edmond, Oklahoma, Traffic Engineer Tom Minnick said that the city is spending millions of dollars in preparation for self-driving cars and to alleviate traffic problems.

Topics Wildfire