KNOXVILLE President Barack Obama signed a disaster declaration Thursday, ordering federal funds be made available to victims of the fires that killed 14 and damaged or destroyed more than 2,400 structures in Gatlinburg and the surrounding Sevier County communities. Sevier County residents and business owners who sustained losses from wildfires during the period of Nov. 28 to Dec. 9 are eligible to receive federal funds, according to a news release from the White House.
Category: US Governors
Opinions
As we report in today’s edition, in the wake of the state’s presidential recount, county, city, and town clerks are being inundated with open-records requests related to the election, and some of the requests are quite significant. Friday, December 16, 2016 In his upcoming budget proposal, Gov. Scott Walker is proposing to establish a series of sunrise and sunset review commissions that would analyze proposed and existing occupational licenses to see if they are needed, or if they are too restrictive, and we think it is a good proposal that is long overdue.
Navy extends comment time on plan to add jets at Whidbey
The Navy is giving people an extra month to weigh in on its proposal to increase the number of electronic attack aircraft at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. The Seattle Times says the new Feb. 24 deadline results from requests by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Rep. Rick Larsen and Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray for more time for public review of the draft environmental study.
State News
Gov. Scott Walker is asking the Wisconsin state legislative body to approve a bill which directs an additional $35.5 million toward the construction of broadband infrastructures throughout the state. Friday, December 9, 2016 A special three-judge federal redistricting panel has ordered the governor and the Legislature to redraw the state’s legislative districts, in time for them to be jurisdictionally valid for the 2018 elections.