PLI Bulletin

Conversion Therapy, Using Technology, America’s Libraries and More

Posted on April 11, 2018

No Conversion Therapy for Minors Act: Sadly, some churches and families pressure children to participate in so-called conversion therapy, to turn them “straight.” But being LGBTQ is not a disorder and there is no such thing as legitimate conversion therapy. The No Conversion Therapy for Minors Act is based on legislation that just passed in Maryland.

It sure seems like a cover-up: On October 1, 2017, a gunman killed 58 and injured more than 850 people who were attending a country music concert in Las Vegas. It was the worst single-shooter gun massacre in the history of the United States. So, it’s important to understand what happened. But we don’t, not at all. Police claim they have no likely motive for the shooting—and that’s absurd. To read why, see the latest IdeaLog, our blog intended to raise eyebrows and engage minds.

How states and localities can use technology to solve local issues: Wednesday, April 18 at 2pm Eastern, 1pm Central, Noon Mountain, 11am Pacific. This is a webinar offered by Broadband USA, a very useful project of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The speakers are the chief technology officers of Illinois, New York and Virginia who will talk about how technology is changing healthcare delivery, improving disaster mitigation, controlling traffic and lighting, creating economic growth, and enhancing public safety. You can register here.

State of America’s Libraries 2018: Too often, we take our libraries for granted. They play an invaluable role in our communities, supporting schools, lifelong learning, career and small business development, offering a variety of supports and services, and—sad to say how important this is—combatting fake news. The State of America’s Libraries is published by the American Library Association.

New federal cap on state and local tax deduction likely to hurt: An analysis from the Pew Charitable Trusts suggests that the new federal tax law will likely depress both property values and state and local revenues in at least 19 states.

Progress in the States and Localities for March-April: This is our latest report on proactive progressive legislation moving in the states and localities since the beginning of 2018.