Colorado Department of Revenue Proposes Revisions to Conservation Easement Tax Credit Regulations
Otten Johnson Robinson Neff + Ragonetti PC Blogs
Latest from Otten Johnson Robinson Neff + Ragonetti PC
In Billboard Company’s Challenge to a Michigan Sign Ordinance, the Sixth Circuit Finds That Content-Based Commercial Speech Regulations Are Now Subject to Strict Scrutiny
A billboard company’s challenge to the Troy, Michigan sign variance standards–which we reported on three years ago–has now resulted in an appellate decision that has the potential to greatly change commercial speech regulation as we know it. Two weeks ago, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the city’s sign code was an unconstitutional prior restraint and was content-based in its regulation of temporary signs. The most remarkable aspect of the decision,…
Court Dismisses Claims Against D.C. Over “Black Lives Matter” Street Mural
Late last month, a federal district court in Washington, D.C. dismissed First Amendment and other constitutional claims filed against the District by a non-Black Christian group pertaining to the now-famous “Black Lives Matter” mural painted on 16th Street.
Following widespread protests in U.S. cities in response to the death of George Floyd, a Black man, at the hands of white police officers in Minneapolis—and shortly after federal law enforcement officials cleared protesters in Lafayette Park…
District Court Denies Preliminary Injunction in Philadelphia Homeless Encampment Case
Late last month, a district court in Pennsylvania entered an order denying preliminary injunctive relief in a First Amendment case filed by a group of homeless advocates seeking to raise awareness of homelessness in Philadelphia.
The case involves three homeless encampments at locations on city- and state-owned properties near Philadelphia’s Center City. The encampments started in the summer of 2020, and over 200 people reside in them. The plaintiffs in the case alleged that the…
Tenth Circuit Strikes Down Oklahoma City Median Restrictions
Last week, the federal Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ruled that an Oklahoma City law prohibiting people from remaining on street medians violated the First Amendment. The law was challenged by a diverse group, including panhandlers, minority political parties, and even joggers.
In 2015, apparently in response to concerns regarding panhandling, Oklahoma City passed a law that prohibited individuals from sitting, standing, or remaining in street medians throughout the city. Although the law…
Austin, Texas Sign Ordinance Declared Content Based, Unconstitutional
Last week, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling that the City of Austin, Texas’s sign ordinance was content based and unconstitutional due to the fact it impermissibly distinguished between on-premises and off-premises signs. The Fifth Circuit’s ruling follows a similar ruling by the Sixth Circuit in a challenge to a Tennessee state law governing billboards, and sets up the possibility of further confusion in the area of billboard regulation.
In the…
IRS Finalizes Settlement of Syndicated Conservation Easement Transactions Under Initiative to Resolve Pending Cases
Work from Where?
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated remote work capabilities of many companies (including Otten Johnson), but is this a permanent change? Here are some major companies that provide a glimpse into the future of working from home:…
Senate Report on Syndicated Conservation Easement Transactions
Great American Outdoors Act Permanently Funds LWCF
