Policy Matters

The Phase One trade deal with China announced Dec. 13 marked a step in the right direction. That’s one assessment from members of the Home Furnishings Association’s Government Relations Action Team. Others were less positive, and most are waiting to see further developments. The HFA as a whole has not

The Home Furnishings Association has asked leaders of a key U.S. Senate committee to protect employers’ ability to settle disputes with customers and workers through impartial arbitration. The Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act passed the House of Representatives in a divided vote in September and now sits in the Senate

At one point during the past year, Chris Andresen commented that the furniture tip-over issue was playing out on a four-dimensional chessboard. The senior vice president of Dutko GR, who monitors legislative and regulatory activity in Washington, D.C., for the Home Furnishings Association, wasn’t exaggerating. The STURDY Act was working

Home Furnishings Association members in California must pay attention to new state labor laws taking effect Jan. 1. The laws will affect recruiting and hiring; discrimination, harassment and retaliation protections; leaves of absence and benefits; workplace safety; arbitration; privacy; and wage and hour matters. CalChamber has provided a white paper

An article in The Wall Street Journal about the impact of tariffs on furniture retailers included comments from Home Furnishings Association members Matt Schultz and Ed Menapace. The report by Katy Stech Ferek, published Nov. 11, was headlined, “Furniture retailers start to feel tariff pain more acutely.” “’This has been

The Home Furnishings Association welcomes the Netflix documentary series “Broken,” which shines light on unsafe products, including ready-to-assemble furniture that can tip over on children. “People should know that children have been injured, and in some cases killed, by bedroom furniture that’s fallen over when children have tried to climb

California’s mattress recycling program expands to include futons on Jan. 1, giving more responsibilities to retailers. That came as a surprise to Home Furnishings Association member Suzanne Diamond, founder and CEO of The Futon Shop in San Francisco — and probably many other retailers, too. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB

Featured Story | Political Update | Retailer News Watch | State Reports HFA members in Florida want tax fairness Home Furnishings Association members in Florida are still looking for tax fairness. Florida is one of only two sales-tax states – the other is Missouri – that doesn’t require remote online vendors

Scott Whittier does not mince words. “I love kids. The last thing I want to do is kill one,” the president and CEO of Whittier Wood Furniture said in his showroom at High Point Market. He urges furniture retailers to make sure they don’t kill children, either, but he fears

Legislation aimed at fixing a tax glitch that affects Home Furnishings Association members has gained support from majorities of U.S. House and Senate members. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) was the co-author of Senate Bill 803, the Restoring Investments in Improvements Act. A news release from his office explained: “The Tax Cuts