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Senate Democrats expect to pass an unemployment benefits bill soon that includes a provision retroactively reinstating a biodiesel tax credit through the end of the year, according to a spokeswoman for Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell (D) has proposed that the state extend the sales tax to services including trucking and warehousing, a move industry leaders said imperils a business sector the state actively recruited and developed.

The U.S. Senate last week passed legislation that would extend current highway legislation and transfer $20 billion to the Highway Trust Fund, but a key legislator reportedly said the Senate bill would not pass the House of Representatives, which already has approved a broader, more expensive measure.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is set to allow states to collect fees for the Unified Carrier Registration program, despite the fact the agency has yet to finalize what the level and structure of the fees will be for 2010.

A proposed 5% biodiesel mandate has died in the Iowa state legislature, the Fort Dodge Messenger reported.

While U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson indicated last week that her agency was moving forward with plans to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, opposition to a Senate cap-and-trade bill seemed to be gaining enough momentum to block its passage.

Ryder System said Monday it has signed a joint venture partnership with Cargo Services Far East Limited, an Asia-based logistics provider specializing in export consolidation services.