Portage County Legal News

Portage County Legal News.

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Republican lawmakers will reshape tax policy in 2025 —what to expect

(THE CONVERSATION) Although coverage of the 2024 election was dominated by the economy, taxes didn't get much attention in the run-up to the vote. That's a bit of a surprise, since 2025 will be a major year for America's tax system – in fact, the fate of the most significant tax reform in three decades hangs in the balance.
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Federal judge rules that Louisiana shalt not require public schools to post the Ten Commandments

(THE CONVERSATION) Do the Ten Commandments have a valid place in U.S. classrooms? Louisiana's Legislature and governor insist the answer is "yes." But on Nov. 12, 2024, a federal judge said "no."
U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles blocked the state's controversial House Bill 71, which Gov. Jeff Landry ha ... (full story)

Racism is such a touchy topic that many US educators avoid it – we are college professors who tackled that challenge head on

(THE CONVERSATION) It is not easy to teach about race in today's political and social climate.
One hundred and sixty years after the United States abolished slavery, racial differences continue to spark pervasive misunderstanding, engender social separation and drive political and economic disparities. American educators are nat ... (full story)

Most US book bans target children's literature featuring diverse characters and authors of color

(THE CONVERSATION) Book bans in U.S. schools and libraries during the 2021-22 school year disproportionately targeted children's books written by people of color – especially women of color – according to a peer-reviewed study we published. They also tended to feature characters of color.
In addition, we found book b ... (full story)

Disaster survivors want to rebuild safer, more sustainable homes, but cost misperceptions often stand in the way

(THE CONVERSATION) As Florida and the Southeast begin recovering from 2024's destructive hurricanes, many people are asking: How can we rebuild sustainably and in a way that avoids the same damage, costs and trauma in future storms?
There are proven ways to strengthen homes that pay off in the long run, such as installing hurric ... (full story)