Jan 7

EIW Today - January 7th, 2025

Prism Group's Daily Summary

TRUMP SEEKS EARLY CONSENSUS ON 2025 LEGISLATIVE STRATEGY… President-elect Donald Trump will meet with House committee chairs, members of the House Freedom Caucus, and Republican members from NY, NJ, and CA – the so-called “SALT Caucus” whose top concern is an existing cap on state and local tax deductions – this week to discuss what a far-reaching reconciliation bill might look like. Given the scope of the proposed legislative package and the slim Republican majorities in both chambers, reaching consensus will be a challenging task, to put it lightly.

MORE YOUNG WORKERS ARE APPLYING TO SMALL BUSINESSES... Recent graduates are increasingly favoring small businesses over big-name companies, as a tougher job market and high-profile layoffs in big tech reshape priorities, notes Christine Cruzvergara of Handshake. Over the past year, small businesses have received an average of 44 applications per opening, surpassing the 40 applications seen by larger companies.

FINAL RULE REMOVING MEDICAL DEBT FROM CREDIT SCORES ANNOUNCED... This morning, Vice President Haris announced a final rule by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. This rule aims to reduce the burden of medical debt and ensure that patients are not denied access to credit for home mortgages, car loans, or small business loans due to unpaid medical bills.

THE STATE OF THE STATES

SESSIONS BY THE NUMBERS:

Twelve states are in regular session.

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING:

Manufacture Alabama, a state manufacturers trade association, released its 2024 year-end review. Relevant achievements include the passage of the “Working for Alabama” legislative package and the Child Care Tax Credit.

Connecticut Senate Democrats are prioritizing a bill to regulate AI in the upcoming legislative session, focusing on transparency, accountability, workforce training, and criminalizing non-consensual deepfakes. After a similar bill failed last year, Senator James Maroney (D) cited Colorado's AI legislation as support for renewed efforts.

LAWMAKERS... IN OR OUT?

The House... convenes today at 11:00 AM. The full schedule may be found here.

The Senate... convenes today at 11:00 AM. The full schedule may be found here.

HAPPENING ON THE HILL

The House...