Latest news with #Bill102
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PDAB expansion nears, FAMLI implementation gets farther off
Lawmakers have one more day of work -- and lots of work to fill that day -- when they return Monday for the last day of the 2025 General Assembly session. (Maryland Matters file photo) With the end of the legislative session looming at midnight Monday, the bills have been coming fast and furious for Maryland lawmakers in recent days — and the pace will only pick up when they return Monday. While they haven't cleared all the hurdles, some bills are pretty clearly on their way to final approval. A bill that would expand the authority of a state board that is working to lower certain prescription drug costs is ready for the governor's consideration, after the Senate passed House Bill 424 on party lines Friday evening. The Prescription Drug Affordability Board is currently tasked with finding ways to reduce the cost of prescription drugs on the state's health plan, saving some taxpayer dollars in the process. The bill would expand the board's authority to set what are called upper-payment limits on prescription drugs in the commercial market. Doing so would limit how much drug purchasers could spend on certain medications, which supporters hope would result in savings for more Marylanders. The bill also increases the number of people who sit on the board's stakeholder council. 'This is a big day for Marylanders who may struggle to pay for their prescription medicines,' Vincent DeMarco, president of the Maryland Health Care for All Coalition, said in a Friday statement. He has been a vocal supporter of the board's efforts and the bill expanding the board's authority. 'With this measure enacted, the board can expand its work and develop common sense solutions to bring down costs for average Marylanders,' he said in the statement. The Senate's 33-12 vote on the House bill sends the measure back to the House for review. If the House approves, the bill will head to the governor's desk for his review and possible signature. House approval is expected, as the Senate version of the bill is in the same posture. The Senate Finance Committee passed a bill – somewhat reluctantly – to delay the implementation of the state's paid family leave act, a program that has been pushed off twice already. The Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program is set to begin in July. But amid a $3 billion budget shortfall and rapid-fire policy decisions from the Trump administration, the Gov. Wes Moore's (D) administration proposed delaying the start of the program by 18 months, with benefits going out in 2028. House Bill 102 would impose the delay, but some lawmakers are not happy prolonging the start to the program, according to discussions in a Senate Finance Committee voting session Friday. Sen. Dawn Gile (D-Anne Arundel County) said the delay is 'disappointing,' though she understood that it may be a necessary move due to the state's budget concerns. Committee Vice Chair Antonio Hayes (D-Baltimore City) also had heartburn over delaying FAMLI program, which has been pushed off twice since the program was created in 2022. 'This is the third time it's been delayed,' Hayes said. 'It continues to concern me because we've put so much into it, but we are where we are.' Hayes ultimately voted against the bill, along with Democratic Sens. Benjamin Kramer of Montgomery County and Clarence Lam of Anne Arundel and Howard counties. 'I want to see it come to fruition,' Lam said. 'It's important to get this stood up as quickly as possible … there are a lot of people who need that help who could be helped sooner.' But Finance Committee Chair Pamela Beidle (D-Anne Arundel) said the delay is necessary. If the state keeps the current timeline, 'this program is going to start and we're not going to have anything set up for it because we don't have computer programs and we don't have people.' The Finance Committee voted 8-3 for the delay. Republicans who largely oppose the FAMLI program voted to delay the program start date but said that they'd rather not see the program get started at all.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bill filed to add chickens to dogfighting regulations in Georgia
Georgia lawmakers are working on a new piece of legislation that would add the same penalties and regulations to chicken fights as the state's dogfighting bans. According to Senate Bill 102, senators want to not only ban dog fights but also fights between game cocks, including those related to gambling. The legislation is straightforward and expands bans on selling or possessing fighting-related objects, as well as the punishments for dogfighting, to include cockfighting and game cocks. That means if convicted of owning game cocks for fighting, or having fight-related items, you would face the same penalties as dogfighting convicts. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The legislation defines a game cock as 'a domesticated fowl that is bred, reared or trained for the purposes of fighting with other fowl.' Anyone who uses these birds for fighting to entertainment or monetary gain would be in violation of the bill. The provisions also say anyone who owns or breeds fowls to fight and injure each other would be subject to criminal charges as well. TRENDING STORIES: Teenage girl shot at Sandy Springs apartment complex South Fulton mayor claims it's the city council who's misspending money 'All you have to do is stop:' Mom upset after she says lawmakers are trying to weaken school bus law Additionally, anyone who wagers on these activities and fights, who advertises them or charges money to view them, would also be subject to potential charges and penalties. Those allowing anyone under 18 years old to be present for these fights as well could be charged with misdemeanors of a high and aggravated nature. Second convictions and beyond would upgrade to felonies. The penalties listed include: Between one to five years of prison and/or a fine up to $5,000 on a first offense Between one to 10 years of prison and/or a fine up to $15,000 on a second offense Courts can ban people from owning, or controlling, species their conviction is based on, whether dog or game cock Those convicted of betting on and/or watching dog or game cock fights, or brings a minor to see one, would face a misdemeanor charge for a first offense. Subsequent second and third offenses or beyond would face similar penalties, including fines up to $5,000 or up to $15,000, respectively, in addition to the jail time. If passed, and signed by Gov. Brian Kemp into law, the legislation would take effect immediately. Felony animal cruelty charges could also be levied on those in violation of the statutes. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nevada Democrat reintroduces ‘fake electors' bill following governor's veto
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Nevada lawmakers will once again debate a bill to penalize a person who creates a false slate of presidential electors — except this time with lesser penalties. Democratic State Sen. Skip Daly, of Washoe County, reintroduced the so-called 'fake electors' bill — numbered this legislative session as Senate Bill 102 — which would punish a person who commits the act to at least a year in prison. The Nevada Legislature passed a similar bill during the last session, with a greater penalty of at least four years in prison, but Republican Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed it. In his veto message, Lombardo said the penalty was too high. In addition to prison time and a fine, the bill would prohibit a person convicted of violating the law from holding a state or local government job, and bar them from elected or appointed office. Voters do not vote for presidential candidates themselves but for a slate of electors, mainly political party leaders, who then in turn vote for the preferred candidate. In December 2020, six electors from the Nevada Republican Party signed paperwork claiming President Donald Trump won the election when he lost. The group then mailed their certificates to Washington, D.C. That year, former Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, a Republican, oversaw the official state ceremony, which certified the state's six electoral votes for former President Joe Biden. In a statement after the event, Nevada GOP chair Michael McDonald said the party's electors convened in Carson City due to ongoing legal battles seeking to overturn the election results. In 2023, a Clark County grand jury indicted the group on charges of offering a false instrument for filing and uttering a forged instrument — felonies that carry penalties of up to four or five years in prison. A district court judge later dismissed the case citing venue. The Nevada Attorney General's Office has since appealed that decision and refiled the case in Carson City. Trump won re-election in November against Vice President Kamala Harris by more than 46,000 votes. Two of the Republican electors from 2020 served as Republican Party electors in November, signing the state's certificate of ascertainment for Trump's win. Democrats did not hold any meritless ceremonies or submit false paperwork after Harris' loss. Daly's bill was scheduled to have a hearing on Feb. 18 in the Senate Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
