Declarations

Campus Guns

“College campuses as gun-free zones present an environment where murderers, rapists and other criminals may commit crimes without fear of being harmed by their victims.”

—An NRA lobbyist who supported a new Tennessee law to allow state college faculty members to carry guns on campus, with certain restrictions.

Building Codes

“The science could not be more clear – global warming is real.”

—Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said the state is facing more frequent and severe weather events as a result of global warming. Malloy issued an executive order directing state agencies to develop new building code standards for residential and commercial structures.

Home Sharing

“As homes and apartments are used in new ways in the sharing economy it is important that everyone involved understands what insurance coverage is available and who is providing it.”

—Armand Feliciano, vice president of the Association of California Insurance Companies, offered support for a bill that would require hosting platforms to disclose what insurance coverage they provide to protect the host’s property.

Baby Powder Distrust

“The more talc verdicts that come down against them adds to the public’s growing distrust of their baby powder, which is one of their iconic products.”

—Carl Tobias, product-liability law professor the University of Richmond in Virginia, comments on a recent $55 million verdict against Johnson & Johnson in a case linking the company’s talcum powder to ovarian cancer. It was the second such trial loss this year.

Uber Example

“Austin made Uber an example to the nation.”

—Political consultant David Butts, who led a successful campaign in Austin, Texas, to defeat the repeal of a city mandate requiring drivers for ride-hailing companies to be fingerprinted. Uber and Lyft spent $9 million on the effort to repeal the ordinance and have threatened to leave the city, which hosts major annual events such as Austin City Limits.