WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- AASA, The School Superintendents Association, has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service regarding Notice 2025-70/IRS-2025-0466, which invites feedback on the Individual Tax Credit for Qualified Contributions to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs). Representing over 10,000 local school district leaders, AASA emphasizes the importance of state control and flexibility in educational funding and policy.  more ST

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- The Albuquerque BioPark Society has expressed serious concerns regarding a proposed rule by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that seeks to eliminate the Section 4(d) "blanket rule" option. This action is believed to potentially extend the duration during which certain species may not receive critical protections under the Endangered Species Act, exacerbating the risk of extinction for vulnerable species. The organization highlighted alarming statistical findings from pri more ST

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- Brookfield Zoo Chicago has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), expressing concerns regarding a proposed rule that could hinder the timely listing of endangered species and protections for critical habitats. The zoo, which has collaborated closely with USFWS on various species recovery initiatives, emphasized that any complication in the listing process contradicts the core mission of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In its lett more ST

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- A research biologist from Florida has submitted a public comment letter to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), urging the agency to reconsider its oil and gas lease sale proposals in vital habitats for endangered sea turtles. The letter expresses concerns about the environmental ramifications associated with potential leasing in areas that are critical to the survival of multiple sea turtle species in the Gulf of Mexico. In the letter, the biologist highlights th more ST

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- The California Farm Bureau Federation has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service. The organization expresses strong support for the proposal to revert to the 2019 regulatory framework under the Endangered Species Act concerning interagency cooperation regulations. This proposal seeks to rescind the 2024 amendments that altered consultation processes and restore the previous definitions relating to en more ST

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- The California Farm Bureau Federation has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), expressing strong support for proposed revisions to critical habitat regulations under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The letter, received on December 22, urges the agency to rescind the 2024 rule and restore the framework established in 2020, which the Farm Bureau argues brings clarity and balance to the designation process. With representation from  more ST

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security expressing strong opposition to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding the public charge ground of inadmissibility under 8 CFR Parts 103 and 212. In their correspondence, the organization emphasized the potential chaos and harm the proposed rule could inflict on immigrant families and their access to critical public benefits. The CBPP, a nonpartisan more ST

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is urging the U.S. government to implement a moratorium on the release of genetically engineered wild species into natural ecosystems. This appeal comes in a public comment letter addressed to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The organization emphasizes the need for caution in light of potential risks associated with genetic engineering technologies, particularly the introduction of synthetic biology products that more ST

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- The Okanogan County Farm Bureau (OCFB) submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, expressing strong support for proposed revisions to the Endangered Species Act Section 7 interagency consultation regulations. Farmers, ranchers, orchardists, and forestland owners in Okanogan County face significant challenges due to overlapping federal agency consultations, particularly concerning the management of multiple listed species and federal landholding more ST

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- The Office of the Mayor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands has submitted a public comment letter to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, expressing strong opposition to any proposals for deep-sea mining in waters near the islands. This stance reflects the community's concern over potential threats to local ecosystems, food sources, and cultural heritage associated with such projects. The letter, authored by a representative of the Office of the Mayor, hi more ST

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- The Surfrider Foundation has submitted a public comment letter to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management expressing strong opposition to new oil and gas lease sales proposed in the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program. This letter, representing the voices of eight volunteer-led chapters across Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, calls for the protection of U.S. waters from further oil and gas development. In the letter,  more ST

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- Public Citizen, Inc., along with the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club, has filed a public comment letter with the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, expressing strong opposition to Mexico Pacific Limited LLC's proposed change in control. The letter argues that the current documentation submitted by Mexico Pacific fails to adequately disclose critical management information about its parent company, MXP Holdings, L more ST

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- LAVIA ARGENTINA S.A., Alexandria, Virginia, has issued a public comment letter addressing the essential need for a service bulletin on the structural integrity of the front longitudinal spars of the Piper PA-25 series aircraft wings. This initiative comes in response to safety concerns due to observed wing detachments related to structural failures in these aircraft. The service bulletin replaces previous versions and aligns with responsibilities transferred from PIPER Air more ST

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops has submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of the Treasury regarding the proposed rules for the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC). The organization aims to clarify certain ambiguities within the FSTC law and is advocating for specific interpretations on various tax provisions that could impact charitable donations for educational purposes. In the letter addressed to Secretary Becent and a Treasury official, the more ST