News from 2018

Advice for Businesses in Light of the #MeToo Movement

The past six months have seen a dramatic uptick in the visibility of sexual harassment cases in the workplace. This comes partially as a response to the solidarity women have felt thanks to a hashtag encouraging people to share their stories of workplace sexual harassment: #MeToo. As a business, it is important to understand how this may affect day-to-day operations and even the bottom line… Read On

Top Ten Most Significant RTKL Cases in 2017

2017 saw the end of the ninth year of the ‘new’ Right-to-Know Law. The flood of appellate cases has slowed somewhat, but the Law continues to provide fertile ground for numerous substantive and procedural issues with which the appellate courts must wrestle. Included in our top ten list are cases that continue to attempt to settle lingering procedural issues such as what is the proper enforcement mechanism for a requester to compel a recalcitrant agency who does not appeal but still refuses to turn over public records when ordered to do so by the OOR? Read On

Disallowance of Business Deductions for Employee Parking Benefits

Before the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), the Internal Revenue Code allowed employers to deduct up to $255 per employee for qualified parking. This deduction is no longer an allowable business expense. The new tax law removes qualified employee transportation fringe benefits from the list of deductions available to employers starting in the 2018 taxable year… Read On

Mini Casinos – Coming to a Municipality Near You?

Pennsylvania’s new gaming expansion law paved the way for a wide variety of new gaming activities including e-lottery games and video gaming terminals at truck stops. The most significant change in the new law for Pennsylvania municipalities is the creation of satellite casinos or mini casinos. Up to ten mini casino licenses will be auctioned off to current Pennsylvania casino licensees… Read On

OOR Orders the Release of the City of Pittsburgh’s Bid for Amazon Headquarters

On January 24, 2018, the Office of Open Records issued a final determination ordering the City of Pittsburgh to turn over to Paul Van Osdol and WTAE-TV a copy of the proposal submitted by the city to Amazon along with other records. Van Osdol had requested a copy of the proposal and various emails between the mayor and his chief of staff and others… Read On