A federal judge blocked the Trump administration's efforts to cut homeland security funding to states that do not comply with immigration policies, ruling that such cuts were unlawful and tied to political motives, and emphasizing the importance of these funds for counter-terrorism and law enforcement efforts.
The Milwaukee School Board may fire Superintendent Keith Posley on Monday due to the district's failure to submit key financial reports to state officials, which could result in significant reductions in state aid. The board will discuss Posley's employment and the district's financial situation in a closed-door meeting before possibly taking public action. The district faces potential funding suspensions and may need to rely more on local property taxes if state aid is reduced.
Rain has helped contain still-burning wildfires in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, with the state deploying additional resources to the area, including fuel trucks, meals, provisions, and volunteer firefighting capacity. The fires, part of the Luray Complex, are 50 to 70% contained, while a separate blaze known as the Rocky Branch Fire is only 10% contained. The state's emergency management department is also deploying teams for logistics support and damage assessments. Gov. Glenn Youngkin visited the area and initiated a regional emergency response effort after Page County officials requested a state emergency declaration due to significant property loss and acres burned.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has proposed an $11.7 billion school funding plan, which could increase school aid in the state by $901 million. The plan would result in 422 districts receiving more state aid, while 137 would see a decrease and 15 would see no change. Governor Murphy stated that the budget proposal aims to ensure students receive a high-quality education for lifelong success.
Some north country schools in New York are facing potential cuts in state aid under Governor Kathy Hochul's proposed budget, with districts like Sackets Harbor, LaFargeville, Alexandria, and Thousand Islands at risk of losing hundreds of thousands of dollars. The proposed changes stem from the elimination of the "Hold Harmless" provision, leading to concerns about skewed calculations of district wealth. While some schools are set to receive more funding, others are facing significant decreases, prompting bipartisan pushback and concerns about the impact on staffing and services for students.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul's proposed budget includes cuts to foundation aid for several school districts, causing concern among administrators who fear job cuts and program reductions. The proposed changes would impact districts in Erie and Niagara counties, with some facing significant decreases in funding. While the overall school aid would increase by 2.7%, the inflation adjustment and "save harmless" guarantee are causing distress. Educators are calling for updates to the funding formula and are hoping for negotiations to improve the aid package during the budget process.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is set to release a $109.4 billion budget with reduced budget cuts due to higher revenue projections, decreased spending on migrants, and more state aid than anticipated. The unexpected windfall of nearly $3 billion in additional tax projections has allowed the mayor to soften extensive budget cuts proposed last year, addressing concerns from New Yorkers upset by service cuts. The rosier budget projections could complicate Adams' pleas for more federal money to address migrants but deliver a political win to the City Council, which had pushed back on spending reductions.
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen expressed disappointment that despite an increase of $324 million in state aid to K-12 schools, property taxes for local education still rose by $85 million. While 92 school districts were able to lower or maintain their property tax collections, 188 districts voted to override the 3% revenue cap, leading to the overall increase. Pillen's plan aimed to reduce property taxes, but many districts faced rising costs and were unable to achieve a dollar-for-dollar decrease. The governor plans to work with senators to further reduce property taxes and cut significant dollars from payments.
An adviser to the European Court of Justice has recommended that the court review the case against Apple's €13 billion ($14 billion) tax order, stating that the lower tribunal made legal errors in ruling in favor of the tech giant. The case, which dates back to 2016, is part of the European Union's crackdown on unfair state aid between multinationals and EU countries. The European Commission had previously claimed that Apple benefited from Irish tax rulings that significantly reduced its tax burden. While the EU's General Court had upheld Apple's challenge in 2020, the adviser's recommendation could potentially be a setback for the company. The European Court of Justice is expected to make a ruling in the coming months.
A federal appeals court ruled last summer that Wisconsin can’t force tribal landowners to pay property taxes on reservation lands, which has resulted in tribal members with property on reservation lands in close to a dozen northern Wisconsin towns being taken off the tax rolls. The decision is a victory for tribal sovereignty, but it also means fewer residents are paying property taxes in those communities, leading to skyrocketing taxes for nontribal residents and local governments seeking state aid to make up the lost revenue.
The Board of Regents has voted to ban Native American mascots, team names, and logos from all public schools in the state. Schools have until June 2025 to comply, and those that don't may not receive state aid. Several schools on Long Island, including Sachem East and Sachem North Flaming Arrows, Comsewogue Warriors, and Manhasset Indians, will be impacted by the ban.