Law

May 28, 2009 -- WASHINGTON -- The United States has filed a civil complaint against PowerTrain Inc., Wood Sales Co. Inc., and Tool Mart Inc., all based in Golden, Miss., alleging that they imported and sold more than 78,000 Chinese-made engines that do not meet federal air pollution standards, the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., is part of an ongoing effort to ensure that imported non-road engines and equipment comply with the Clean Air Act’s emissions standards. The filing marks the first federal court action enforcing the Clean Air Act’s emissions standards for portable generators, water pumps and other "non-handheld equipment."    » read more »

May 27, 2009 -- Washington, D.C – US Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement on the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court:

“By selecting Sonia Sotomayor to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, President Obama fulfilled his promise not only to consult with Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, but to ultimately appoint an individual with a ‘sharp and independent mind and a record of excellence and integrity.’ This is a historic appointment, and I believe that many will find inspiration in Judge Sotomayor’s remarkable personal story and realization of the America dream.    » read more »

May 27, 2009 -- Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Ranking Member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) Wednesday released the bipartisan questionnaire the Senate Judiciary Committee has asked Judge Sonia Sotomayor to complete in connection with her nomination to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Once the questionnaire is completed and returned to the Committee, copies will be made available online and in print.

A PDF of the questionnaire is available online.

UNITED STATES SENATE

COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR JUDICIAL NOMINEES

PUBLIC

1. Name: State full name (include any former names used).

2. Position: State the position for which you have been nominated.    » read more »

May 28,2009 -- SEATTLE, WA – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) today praised President Barack Obama’s nomination of U.S. Appeals Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court of the United States and urged the U.S. Senate provide a fair and bipartisan confirmation process.

“With this nomination, President Obama has demonstrated the breadth and depth of our judicial bench,” said Cantwell. “I am especially pleased the President has chosen a woman for the high court and, in a historic first, a person of Hispanic background. The court will benefit from diversity and from the common touch that Justice Souter brought to his tenure.”    » read more »

May 26, 2009 -- Denver, CO - Michael Bennet, U.S. Senator for Colorado, released the following statement on President Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court:

"Sonia Sotomayor is a tremendous choice for the U.S. Supreme Court. She is a thoughtful and balanced judge with a keen intellect and a broad academic and legal background. Her skill and fair-mindedness on the federal bench has won the praise and support of Republicans and Democrats alike.    » read more »

May 28, 2009 -- TRENTON - In a victory for all of New Jersey's children, New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine today praised the decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court affirming the constitutionality of the School Funding Reform Act of 2008.

"I am deeply gratified on behalf of the state and all of our children. This is a truly historic ruling that brings to conclusion decades of conflict and litigation that many thought would never end," Governor Corzine said.

"By agreeing that the new funding formula is constitutional and that the prior Abbott remedies are no longer necessary, the court has allowed us to focus in a unified and predictable way on meeting our obligation to all of our children while in no way prejudicing those who have benefited from the Abbott rulings in the past."    » read more »

May 26, 2009 -- THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Well, I'm excited, too. (Laughter.)

Of the many responsibilities granted to a President by our Constitution, few are more serious or more consequential than selecting a Supreme Court justice. The members of our highest court are granted life tenure, often serving long after the Presidents who appointed them. And they are charged with the vital task of applying principles put to paper more than 20 [sic] centuries ago to some of the most difficult questions of our time.    » read more »

May 27, 2009 -- Fellow Second Circuit Judge Guido Calabresi on Sotomayor: "She’s Always a Very Forceful and Powerful Judge. She Has, Not on a Insignificant Number of Occasions, Caused Me to Change My Mind." "Judge Guido Calabresi, a fellow judge on the 2nd Circuit Court who taught the young Sotomayor torts at Yale, said she was the one who organized dinners for the judges on the court and their spouses. But he was also quick to praise her for her work on the bench. ‘She's always a very forceful and powerful judge,’ Calabresi said. ‘She has, not on an insignificant number of occasions, caused me to change my mind. I would read one of the memos she had written on a case and say, "I think she's got it and I don't."’" [Los Angeles Times, 5/27/09]    » read more »

May 26, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. -- Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV issued the following statement following President Obama’s selection of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for United States Supreme Court Justice, to replace Justice David Souter:

“Judge Sotomayor is an honorable and wise choice for the Supreme Court of the United States. If confirmed, she will bring to the high court an almost unprecedented level of judicial and legal experience and a reputation for carefully balanced and research-based decision-making.    » read more »

05/26/2009 -- WASHINGTON -- United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today made the following statement about President Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court. If confirmed, Sotomayor will become the third woman to serve on the nation's highest court and the first Hispanic Justice.

Sen. Landrieu said:

"Judge Sonia Sotomayor is a historic choice for the bench. Her credentials are stellar, and I look forward to getting to know her better through the confirmation process."    » read more »

May 26, 2009 -- Senator Ted Kaufman (D-DE), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on the President’s nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the announced departure of Justice David Souter.

"In nominating Judge Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, President Obama has made the most of his first opportunity to apply his mandate for change to the nation's highest court. The President has selected a nominee with impeccable legal credentials and a record of excellence and integrity. Equally important, Judge Sotomayor has just the sort of experience, both on and off the bench, not only to make an excellent justice, but also to make a significant impact on a court that today reflects too narrow a slice of America.    » read more »

May 26, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - US Senator Kay R. Hagan (D-NC) released the following statement today in response to President Barack Obama's nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court.

"I am pleased to hear President Obama has nominated Judge Sotomayor to the Supreme Court," Hagan said.

"Certainly the historic nature of this nomination - the first female Hispanic on this court - is important. But more so than her identity, I am impressed by her record of service.

"I look forward to hearing more about Judge Sotomayor and her record as a jurist throughout the confirmation process."

Source: Senator Kay R. Hagan

May 26, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, United States Senator Roland W. Burris issued a statement on the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court:

“As a former Attorney General, I applaud President Obama’s selection of Judge Sonia Sotomayor as his nominee to replace Justice Souter in the United States Supreme Court,” said Senator Burris.

“Judge Sotomayor has demonstrated over her distinguished career that she has a firm grasp of constitutional law, an even judicial temperament, and first-hand knowledge of how the legal system can impact the lives others.

"Throughout her career, Judge Sotomayer has worked to build consensus among fellow judges that may not share her views about a particular issue.    » read more »

May 27, 2009 -- Burlington, Vt. – Vermont Governor Jim Douglas has signed into law a bill that will enhance the regulation and expansion of the captive insurance industry in Vermont, a key provider of revenues and jobs for the state.

At a ceremony in Burlington Wednesday, Douglas signed the omnibus banking and insurance legislation, S.42, and praised it as an important step in maintaining Vermont’s position as the largest captive insurance domicile in the U.S. and the second largest in the world in terms of gross written premium.    » read more »

Greater Protections For Every Oregonian And Our Environment

May 27, 2009 -- (Salem) - Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski signed 68 bills into law, representing many ways the state will better regulate those who care for children, protect seniors when confronting guardianship proceedings and prevent invasive species from entering ecosystems throughout Oregon.

A summary of some of those bills is below. For the full list, visit: http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/2009_Action.shtml

Children and Families    » read more »