eRegions
February 19, 2019 View this email in your browser
Supreme Court to Decide Whether 2020 Census Will Include Citizenship Question
The Supreme Court has agreed to decide on whether the Trump Administration can add a question which asks, “Is this person a citizen of the United States?” to the 2020 census. The administration is in legal battles with dozens of cities, states, and groups that feel the question could depress participation by noncitizens and lead to an undercount of immigrants and communities of color. The court is set to hear the case in April.
Top FEMA Official Resigns
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Brock Long has resigned from his post. In his official statement, he stated he worked on more than 220 declared disasters during his tenure, and that he is resigning to spend more time with family. Peter Gaynor, who is the current FEMA deputy administrator, will lead the agency until a new administrator is confirmed. President Trump has already nominated Jeffrey Byrd, FEMA’s associate administrator for response and recovery, to be the agency’s next top official.
WOTUS Rule Comment Period is Now Open
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army are now accepting public comment on the proposed revised definition of “Waters of the United States.” The redefinition would potentially alter the geographic reach of EPA regulation under the Clean Water Act. The public comment period will close on April 15, 2019.
American Broadband Initiative Milestones Report
The American Broadband Initiative, a federal interagency working group comprised of more than 25 agencies, has released their first milestones report. The report addresses strategies the federal government can implement to increase access to affordable and reliable broadband connectivity as well as methods for growing private-sector investment. It provides recommendations for streamlining and maximizing federal funding in order to lower costs and close America’s digital divide.