Press Releases

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today the Obama administration made another attempt at placating the millions of Americans who have moral and religious objections to being forced to cover or pay for contraceptive services. This mandate, issued in August, includes drugs that work after conception to destroy life rather than prevent it. The January 20th decision to grant a one year delay and add a referral requirement showed that the administration had no intention of providing conscience protections but wanted to defuse the political problem.

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Family Research Council President Tony Perkins had the following to say:

"This revised HHS mandate does nothing to change the fundamentally anti-religious, anti-conscience and anti-life contraceptive mandate.  It rather only creates some paperwork gimmicks that don't change the fact that religious employers who object to coverage of these services will now have to drop health insurance altogether to maintain their conscience and face severe penalties for doing so.

"This President is tone deaf to the very real religious and moral objections of millions of Americans. The so-called one year delay last month was a clear slap in the face of religious groups, and this new proposal still requires religious entities that are not exempt as a church to subsidize and pay insurance companies so they can give free birth control to their employees.  However, it won't be free, because the insurance companies will increase the premium and administrative costs to the employer.

"This new gimmick forces religious entities to violate their religious beliefs and continues to show a complete disdain for the First Amendment. There is no compromise if a single American citizen is required to violate his or her conscience.  Liberals say keep your morals out of the bedroom, yet the President's plan forces everyone to pay the cost for someone else's contraceptive use in the bedroom. That's not freedom, it's a mandate.

"The President and his senior counselors have run into an immovable wall of truth which is fixed and absolute.  No political machinations they attempt will surmount the unshakeable religious and moral convictions of those of us opposing this government order. We urge Congress to pass the Fortenberry/Blunt bi-partisan 'Respect for Rights of Conscience Act of 2011.'"

SOURCE Family Research Council

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Small Business Administration today published a final rule in The Federal Register that will increase some of the size definitions of small businesses in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services and Other Services sectors.

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The final rule will increase 37 of the revenue-based size standards in 34 industries and three sub-industries in the "Professional, Scientific and Technical Services" sector.  It will also increase one size standard in the "Other Services" sector.

As part of an ongoing review of all size standards, the SBA evaluated all of the revenue-based size standards in these sectors to determine whether to revise the existing size standards.  SBA took into account the structural characteristics within individual industries, including average firm size, the degree of competition, and federal government contracting trends to ensure that size definitions reflect current economic conditions within those industries.  Under provisions in the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, SBA will continue its comprehensive review of all size standards for the next several years. 

After receiving numerous public comments to the proposed rule published in The Federal Register on March 16, 2011, the SBA determined that increasing the size standards in these industries:

• will enable more small businesses to retain their small business status; and
• will give federal agencies a larger selection of small businesses to choose from for small business procurement opportunities. 

SBA estimates as many as 8,350 additional firms will become eligible for SBA programs as a result of these revisions. 

An SBA-issued White Paper entitled, "Size Standards Methodology", which explains how the SBA establishes, reviews and modifies its receipts-based and employee-based small business size standards can be viewed at http://www.sba.gov/size.  For more information about SBA's revisions to its small business size standards, click on "What's New with Size Standards" on SBA's Web site at: http://www.sba.gov/size.   

Contact: Tiffani Clements (202) 401‑0035Internet Address: http://www.sba.gov/newsFollow us on Twitter, Facebook & Blogs

SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration

CLEVELAND, Feb. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Adam L. Garn, an attorney and certified public accountant, has joined McDonald Hopkins LLC as an associate in the Multistate Tax Practice of the business advisory and advocacy law firm.  He is based in the firm's Columbus office.  Most recently, Garn was in the state and local tax practice at Ernst & Young, LLP. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Franklin University.   

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Garn joins a Multistate Tax Practice that is chaired by Ohio's former Tax Commissioner, Thomas M. Zaino. "We are excited to have Adam on our multistate tax team because it is increasingly important for businesses to be vigilant and careful in managing their state and local tax liabilities and exposures," Zaino said. "Adam will help us be even more responsive to the state and local tax needs of our clients in a broad range of industries."

A graduate of Capital University Law School with a J.D., cum laude, Order of the Curia, and a Master of Taxation degree, Garn has a Bachelor of  Science degree from the University of Findlay.  

Adam Garn can be reached at 614.458.0032 or agarn@mcdonaldhopkins.com.

Multistate Tax PracticeThe Multistate Tax Practice at McDonald Hopkins provides a broad range of state and local tax services including tax planning, tax controversy, real estate tax abatement and exemption, and tax policy advocacy. With attorneys who have worked both inside and outside government agencies, the multistate tax team leverages its knowledge and experience for the benefit of clients.

About McDonald HopkinsMcDonald Hopkins is a business advisory and advocacy law firm with an 80-year history. McDonald Hopkins has offices in Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Miami, and West Palm Beach. The president of McDonald Hopkins is Carl J. Grassi. For more information about McDonald Hopkins, visit www.mcdonaldhopkins.com.

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=77069

CONTACT: Deborah W. KelmMcDonald Hopkins LLC600 Superior Avenue, East, Suite 2100Cleveland, Ohio 44114Phone: 216.348.5733Email: dkelm@mcdonaldhopkins.com

SOURCE McDonald Hopkins LLC