The President's Advisory Panel on Tax Reform met last week, for the first time since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged the Gulf Coast, and again today, in preparation for making their recommendations for tax reform to the Treasury Department before the Nov. 1 deadline. During the two meeitngs, the panel referenced some loose conclusions it has reached on tax reform, mainly with regard to the alternative minimum tax, and to scrapping deductions for homeownership, employer-provided health insurance, and state and local taxes.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the Healthy Californian's Biomonitoring Program (SB 600), after its narrow passage by the state legislature. The bill would have established America's first state-wide program to assess levels of human chemical exposure. The governor struck down the bill despite its support by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the California Medical Society, and numerous health advocacy organizations.

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review two Clean Water Act cases that could prompt yet another examination of the limits of Congress' power to protect the public.

A GSE (government-sponsored enterprise) bill that would establish a new affordable housing fund, but limit nonprofits' rights to engage in, or affiliate with organizations that engage in, nonpartisan voter registration or lobbying activities, is racing ahead to a floor vote in the House.