States – Georgia
Andy McDonald attended and participated in the annual conference of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Georgia. Andy updated attendees on federal and state issues, upcoming industry events, and new and revised OAAA resources. State associations are strong partners in our government affairs, legal, and regulatory work.
Courts – FTC Rule
A federal district court in Texas has set aside a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule that would ban workplace non-compete agreements, and was scheduled to take effect on September 4. The agency rule was challenged by business groups in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. A judge initially found that the agency exceeded its authority and recently expanded that decision as having a “nationwide effect”.
Congress – Privacy
The U.S. Senate passed a pair of landmark children’s online privacy bills in August that require tech platforms to protect the data and privacy of children under the age of 13 and to restrict targeted advertising to youth 17 and under. Passage comes after years of hearings and calls by advocates to better protect children from online bullying, exploitation, and harm. The U.S. House has their own versions that would need to be reconciled with the Senate approach.
States – Ad Tax
The Nebraska legislature convened a special session to consider Gov. Jim Pillen’s property tax relief proposal. The package failed to advance during regular session earlier this year due to proposed new taxes to help offset the property tax reductions. Among those was a tax on advertising services, which was strongly opposed by digital online platforms and a broad coalition of advertising interests, of which OAAA is a member. As the special session began, we are happy to report that State Senate sponsors removed the advertising tax from the bill.
Federal – Airports
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced $636M in new grants for over 320 projects in 46 states. This is the fourth round of awards under the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). Among the larger grants are $26.2M for Stewart International in Newburgh, NY; $16.3M for Philadelphia International; $15.7M for Willow Run Airport in Detroit; $15M for Kona International in Hawaii; and $14.5M for Muhammed Ali International in Louisville.
Published: September 4, 2024