Threat of a Senate filibuster has blocked the progress of a bill that would restrict enforcement of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Senate Democrats led by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) have won a victory in against legislation that would potentially "devastate the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)," reports Robyn Powell.
"Last week, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and 42 of her Democratic Senate colleagues wrote to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) pledging to block a vote on the ADA Education and Reform Act (HR 620)," explains Powell. With enough support for a filibuster, the legislation is unlikely to move forward in the U.S. Senate. The House of Representatives approved the bill in February.
In addition to updating the developing story, Powell editorializes HR 620, writing that the bill "is an assault on disability rights and completely upends enforcement of the ADA."
See also: previous Planetizen coverage of HR 620.
FULL STORY: Sen. Tammy Duckworth Saves the Americans With Disabilities Act—For Now
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association