Enacted Tax Bill Protects Tuition Waivers
A massive tax reform package signed into law by President Trump shortly before the holidays drew attention primarily for slashing corporate rates and amending individual filing rules. The legislation, however, was also of significance for the higher education community. The original bill that passed the House of Representatives included language that would have counted graduate…
AAG Statement on Charlottesville Tragedy and White Supremacy
The American Association of Geographers is deeply saddened and disturbed by the recent deadly and violent events in Charlottesville, Virginia. Rallies supported by white nationalists, neo-Nazis and Ku Klux Klan members led to the killing of one counter-protester, the wounding of at least 19 other protesters, and the deaths of two law enforcement officers doing…
Washington Policy Updates
The August Congressional recess is in full swing in the nation’s capital, and while we’re hard at work at the AAG, President Trump and lawmakers have left Washington for most of this month. Here are a few updates on key policy issues: OSTP Appointments As AAG members may recall, we led scientific community efforts in developing…
The New Plot to Hijack GIS and Mapping
A bill recently introduced in the Senate could effectively exclude everyone but licensed architects, engineers, and surveyors from federal government contracts for GIS and mapping services of all kinds — not just those services traditionally provided by surveyors. Read the document.
AAG Statement on the U.S. Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement
The American Association of Geographers (AAG) opposes the Trump Administration’s decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement. Climate change constitutes a major threat to the Earth’s environment and to the well-being of people in all nations and there is a substantial body of evidence that global climate change is driven by human-induced causes.…
Administration Releases FY 2018 Budget
Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA The Trump Administration’s budget proposal, which was released on May 23, includes sharp cuts for Federal science agencies. The document is the first step in the Fiscal Year 2018 appropriations process, and many bipartisan Senators and Representatives have taken issue with multiple aspects of the proposal. The National Science Foundation (NSF) would…
Federal Research Agencies Avoid Cuts in Congressional Budget Deal
Late last week, President Trump signed into law a budget deal that will fund the federal government through September 30. The bipartisan deal has generally been viewed favorably by science advocates, as it maintains or increases funding levels for most agencies that provide research support. Under the deal, the National Science Foundation (NSF) will remain…
AAG To Join March for Science
AAG is formally partnering with and affirming support for the March for Science, a multi-location event that will be held in Washington, , across the , and internationally on Earth Day, April 22, 2017. Read More
NAACP Endorses AAG Letter Opposing Restrictions on Geospatial and Racial Disparities Data
NAACP and 26 other prominent national organizations signed on to a letter written by the AAG expressing concerns about proposed bills (Senate Bill 103 and House Bill 482) that could impose restrictions on the use of and access to geospatial data related to racial disparities. Read more about AAG policy action. Read the letter.
President Obama Signs New K-12 Law, Includes Key Geography Provisions
This morning, President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) into law (the photo shown here was taken by John Wertman, the AAG’s Senior Program Manager for Government Relations, who attended the event). The ESSA is the given name for the new version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the primary federal law dealing with…
Geography Is Still an Important Part of K-12 Education Bill
As you are likely aware, Congress has been working throughout 2015 to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA; currently known as No Child Left Behind) – the primary federal law dealing with K-12 education policy. We have been monitoring the process throughout the year and have engaged with Congressional leaders to stress the…
American Scholarly Societies Joint Statement on ‘Campus Carry’ Legislation
The Association of American Geographers joins our colleagues in 28 other scholarly societies in opposing policies designed to facilitate the carrying of guns on college campuses. We encourage any state considering such policies to bring the perspective of geographers and other educators throughout the United States to the debate. Following is the official joint statement:…