Declarations

Cyber Risks

“Threat actors are forever looking for targets with weak security controls or unprotected infrastructures — these are the paths of least resistance into a company’s network. … Unfortunately, that’s why human inaction, such as not patching a publicized critical vulnerability or updating out-of-date software, is a high risk factor for a cyber incident or cyber claim.”

— Said Catherine Lyle, Coalition’s head of claims, in a Coalition report showing that outdated technology, poor software maintenance, and the clicking of malicious links were most to blame for cyber insurance claims experienced by policyholders in 2022.

Recreational Pot

“Knowing that a majority of our residents support legalization, it is reasonable to assume change is inevitable. … To ignore this reality would be shortsighted and harmful. That is why, with the right policy and framework in place, I stand ready to sign a legalization bill that puts the state of New Hampshire in the driver’s seat, focusing on harm reduction — not profits.”

— New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu proposed a path forward to legalize recreational marijuana a day after state legislators rejected a legalization attempt there. Sununu said the state should regulate recreational marijuana in the same way it controls the sale of wine and spirits. New Hampshire is the only state in New England that makes it a crime to smoke pot recreationally.

Amara’s Law

“Through her pain and exhaustion, Amara was willing to be a voice of those who have become the victims of illnesses that are linked to these forever chemicals.”

— Said Michael Strande, father of Amara Strande, a Minnesotan who died two days shy of her 21st birthday from a rare form of liver cancer. She spent the last months of her life campaigning for restrictions on the use of “forever chemicals” such as PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. She believed PFAs were part of what caused her cancer, which was diagnosed when she was 15. Proposed Minnesota legislation, named “Amara’s Law,” would ban certain non-essential uses of PFAs.

No Support

“It doesn’t have the support of the Legislature.”

— Texas Republican state Rep. Ryan Guillen said after a bill that would raise the purchase age for semiautomatic rifles from 18 to 21 was allowed to advance out of a Texas House committee. Two Republicans joined Democrats in an 8-5 vote on the House Select Committee on Community Safety to advance the bill. It has almost no chance of becoming law. Guillen, who chairs the committee, voted against the measure and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has spoken against it.

Firearms Protections

“With regards to the law, the GOP supermajority is more focused on protecting firearms and manufacturers and dealers than protecting our children and communities.”

— Tennessee Rep. John Ray Clemmons, a Democratic from Nashville, said after Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed off on additional protections for gun and ammunition dealers, manufacturers and sellers against lawsuits within a bill that lawmakers passed after a deadly school shooting in March. The Republican governor signed the legislation May 11; it becomes effective July 1.

Climate Litigation

“It’s highly significant that this case is going to trial at all. … Getting all of this information on the record will be a major advancement in climate litigation.”

— Sandra Nichols Thiam, an attorney with the Environmental Law Institute, said after a Montana judge allowed a climate change lawsuit from young people challenging the state’s pro-fossil fuel policies to proceed to trial despite efforts by the state to derail the case. The trial would be the first of its kind in the U.S., according to climate law experts. However, because of prior rulings that limited the scope of the Montana case, a victory for the plaintiffs would not automatically alter the state’s regulation of fossil fuels.