Latest news with #Bill430
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
NC advocates continue push for bill to crack down on youth vaping
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Dozens of advocates joined together at the North Carolina General Assembly Tuesday fighting for a chance to have a bill crack down on youth vaping heard by North Carolina lawmakers. House Bill 430, known as Solly's Law, and its corresponding Senate Bill 318 would require a tobacco retail sales permit for businesses to align with federal law, which sets the minimum age to purchase at 21. SPECIAL REPORT | North Carolina mother fighting against teen vaping with new bill The bill is named after Solomon 'Solly' Wynn. The New Hanover County teen died in 2023 at just 15. His stepmother Charlene Zorn says his doctors told her was due to complications from vaping. 'We have to do something now before someone else's child dies,' said Zorn. She was one of the advocates who came to the GA pushing for the bills to pass but it's been at a standstill in both the house and senate rules committees since March. Representative Donnie Loftis of Gaston County is one of the sponsors of the house bill. 'North Carolina is one of the last seven states to raise the age and to bring all unregulated vape shops into compliance with state law,' said Rep. Loftis. The North Carolina Alliance for Health says though most vapes are acquired from retailers, the next most common way teens are able to access them is from a friend under the age of 21. They also say e-cigarette sales have increased by 250% since 2020. Macey Morris, a student at Eastern Alamance High School, is just one North Carolina teen who spoke about what she's seeing at her school. 'Trying to use the restrooms throughout the day during class change and even during class time can be nearly impossible. The bathrooms are filled with students vaping and take up the majority of the space which can make it uncomfortable to try and use the restroom throughout the day,' said Morris. Rep. Loftis says they are waiting for the bills to go to their appropriate committees and they're hoping Tuesday's call for action will help. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NC bills introduced to protect children from effects of vaping
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – Lawmakers in North Carolina are considering a bill designed to protect kids from the effects of vaping. On Wednesday, state Rep. Donnie Loftis introduced two corresponding bills – House Bill 430 and Senate Bill 318. Both are called 'Solly's Law.' The bill is named after Solomon 'Solly' Wynn. His stepmother, Charlene Zorn, spoke at a press conference highlighting what supporters say is the need for more regulation of vaping. She said her stepson was a healthy 15-year-old boy with no major health problems, but once he started vaping, he developed breathing issues. Wynn died from severe hypoxia in 2023. 'Vapes and other nicotine products should not be available to underage kids,' Zorn said. 'We need enforcement. We need the legal age to purchase vapes and nicotine products to be at least 21 in North Carolina. We need to continue to educate our youth, our parents, our educators and the general public of the dangers of vape and nicotine products.' The North Carolina Alliance for Health says 95% of vaping and tobacco use begins before age 21, and North Carolina is currently one of seven states that has not raised the age for tobacco products. The group also says North Carolina is one of nine states that does not have a tobacco product licensing or permitting system, but believes there are about 1,200 to 1,500 tobacco retailers and 5,000 to 7,000 vape shops in the state. They say permitting or licensing the sale of vape and tobacco products allows the state to know where tobacco products are being sold, improves merchant education efforts and allows the state to inspect responsible retail practices. Rep. Loftis says if the bill were to pass, the permitting system would look similar to the process for beer, wine and lottery tickets. It would also be administered by the ABC Commission. Click here to read more information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NH House approves bill imposing punishments for false reports of child abuse or neglect
House Bill 243 will forbid people in New Hampshire from making false reports 'maliciously or with the intent of harm' and allow them to face criminal charges or civil lawsuits for doing so. (Getty Images) The New Hampshire House of Representatives approved a proposal through a voice vote on Thursday to punish people who file false reports of child abuse or neglect. If also approved by the Senate and governor, House Bill 243 will forbid people in New Hampshire from making false reports 'maliciously or with the intent of harm' and allow them to face criminal charges or civil lawsuits for doing so. It also specifies that reports 'may' include the name, address, or phone number of whoever was making the report. Thursday's vote goes against the wishes of the majority in the House Children and Family Law Committee. That committee previously voted, 10-6, to recommend the full House reject the bill over concerns it would be ineffective and have a chilling effect. Lawmakers opposed to the bill pointed out that by simply allowing the name and information of the reporter to be included and not requiring it, this bill still allows people intentionally filing false reports to remain anonymous, making it ineffective. They also said a provision in the bill that informs reporters they may be subject to criminal or civil penalties for malicious reports would have a chilling effect, possibly discouraging good-faith reporters and preventing real abuse from being addressed. 'If one child is put at risk, that is one child too many,' Rep. Peter Petrigno, a Milford Democrat, said Thursday on the House floor in opposition to the bill. 'While the bill has good intentions, it's impractical and potentially harmful.' Deerfield Republican Rep. James Spillane, who sponsored the bill, previously told the Bulletin, 'we've got a problem with people weaponizing the system.' He said he'd heard from constituents stories of aggrieved ex-spouses or squabbling grandparents making false reports vindictively. Another bill related to false reports of abuse and neglect, also sponsored by Spillane, is still being considered by the House. House Bill 430, if passed, would shorten the length of time the Department of Health and Human Services holds onto records regarding 'unfounded' reports of child abuse or neglect. The department currently maintains records of unfounded abuse or neglect for 10 years from when it was deemed unfounded, unless it determines there is 'reasonable concern' about the case, at which point the records are kept indefinitely. This legislation would shorten that period from 10 to three years. After that, the department destroys all electronic or paper records in the case. The Children and Family Law Committee will discuss that bill in closed session on March 4.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Unprecedented' number of immigration bills filed amid growing anti-immigrant sentiment
Most years, lawmakers in Indiana might file a few bills targeting illegal immigration. This year, following President Donald Trump's election win and inauguration, there are at least 15. The wave of immigration bills filed in the 2025 legislative session is a significant increase from each of the last 10 years as anti-immigrant sentiment grows both nationwide and in Indiana. Legislators have already advanced bills increasing notification, training and partnerships between local law enforcement and federal immigration officials, including House Bill 1393, which passed out of a House committee last week, and Senate Bill 430, which passed out of a Senate committee this week. This wave of proposed immigration legislation at the Statehouse mirrors federal action coming from both the White House and Congress. On his first day in office last week, President Donald Trump signed at least seven executive orders aimed at immigration to the U.S., many which focused on the country's southern border. State officers are taking action, too. Gov. Mike Braun signed an executive order on Tuesday directing state law enforcement to 'fully cooperate' with federal officials in enforcing immigration law and Attorney General Todd Rokita last week sued the St. Joseph County Sheriff and his office for allegedly not cooperating with federal authorities. Such a high number of Statehouse bills on immigration intersecting at the same time as federal actions could further frighten diverse communities around Indiana, advocates say. 'I think it's intentional, like the creation of all this chaos is intentional with this administration,' said Karla Lopez Owen, president of the Indiana Latino Democratic Caucus and a prosecuting attorney. 'We've lived through it in 2017. We've lived through this before, but this time, it's so much more aggressive, it's so much more malicious, and we just don't know what these people (will do).' Subscribe to our politics newsletter But Republicans at the Statehouse said they believe it's time for Indiana to take steps on immigration to support Trump's efforts after what they view as inaction from the former Biden administration. Nearly 70% of Hoosiers view illegal immigration as a somewhat or very serious problem for the state, according to a Ball State University 2024 Hoosier Survey of 615 adults. That's on par with the national trends: 2024 marked the first year since 2005 that a majority of Americans wanted less immigration. Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, who has authored three immigration-related bills this session, said his community also wants action from lawmakers. Koch's SB 430 creates a grant program for law enforcement agencies that want to participate in the 287(g) program with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Senate Bill 428 ensures local governments and postsecondary institutions follow immigration law and Senate Bill 429 increases penalties for someone who commits a crime and has never received a drivers license. It also requires prosecuting attorneys to collect information about crimes by people not legally in the U.S. 'This last national election told us that it is either the top or the second issue nationwide,' Koch told IndyStar. 'It's on top of the mind for voters and top of the mind in our community, so I think the bills are just a reflection of what we're hearing from our constituents.' The focus on Immigration during the 2025 legislative session likely stems from the 2024 election when Republicans won big in both Washington, D.C. and in Indiana, said Vanessa Cruz Nichols, a political science professor at Indiana University. The party alignment between Indiana and Washington, D.C. means state officials may try to win points with the current Trump administration, and lawmakers might see more opportunities for immigration-related bills to become law this year, Cruz Nichols said. "I think that's partly their attempt to show that they're going to be strong on immigration enforcement,' Cruz Nichols said. 'And it's a really missed opportunity for the necessary labor force that we have and the demands that we have in the state of Indiana, the farm worker base that we have, agricultural needs, the labor in terms of construction and manual labor that immigrant communities will fill.' But for state Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, it's important for Indiana to take action on immigration now. If someone is here legally, they should not be worried, Lucas said. "This is a problem that's been ongoing and I do have sympathy, I truly do, but there comes a time when a problem grows to a point where you have to do something,' Lucas said. 'And the open border policy of the Biden administration, they're the ones that put this in the spotlight.' Lucas said he filed four immigration-related bills in the House this year, including House Bill 1394 that allows school corporations to deny enrollment to immigrant students who they believe may not legally be allowed in the U.S. Migrant advocates said they were shocked with the abundance of immigration-related bills that were filed in the Indiana General Assembly this year. 'It's unprecedented,' said Carolina Castoreno, the co-founder of the Alliance for Latino Migrant Advocacy grassroots coalition, regarding the more than a dozen bills related to immigration at the Statehouse. Advocates told IndyStar they believe that these bills were introduced not in hopes of addressing Indiana-related immigration issues, but rather to echo sentiments being pushed by the Trump administration. Last year, of the bills labeled as immigration-focused, only one targeted those lacking permanent legal status. Even in 2017 when Trump first took office, four bills were labeled as immigration bills during the legislative session that year. Only two became law: Senate Bill 423, which prohibited Indiana colleges from enacting or implementing sanctuary policies and Senate Bill 344, which made it a Level 6 felony for someone who is not legally allowed in the U.S. to possess a firearm. Typically most Indiana legislation focused on immigrants has centered around increasing rights for those lacking permanent legal status, not looking for ways to double down on illegal immigration. Although those bills often fail to make it into law. For example, in previous years lawmakers filed bills offering migrant students in-state tuition costs if they met the criteria to be a resident, creating a driving privilege card program and offering public services to migrants who enter the country legally. Both Sen. Blake Doriot, R-Goshen and Rep. Mike Karickhoff, R-Kokomo have filed legislation on driving privilege cards this year, but neither bill has received a hearing yet. Lopez Owen, with the Indiana Latino Democratic Caucus, believes that the number of bills being presented during the 2025 legislative session is a deliberate action from Indiana Republicans. 'It's attrition through enforcement,' Lopez Owen said. 'The idea that they are going to make life so miserable, so awful for immigrants to live here that they have no choice but to self-deport.' Advocate leaders believe that if the state were to enact these laws, it would have a significant impact on the local community and economy. They highlighted in recent years, how much of the Midwest population growth has stemmed from an influx of immigrants, referring to an American Immigration Council study that showcased 78% of the Great Lakes region's population growth from 2010 to 2022 was caused by immigrants. Advocates also noted that much of Indiana's economy has become reliant on the workforce and labor provided by migrant populations. If the state were to adopt an anti-immigrant position, advocates believe that Indiana will significantly suffer. 'If all of these bills are to pass, we will see an exodus from the state like we've never seen before,' said Castoreno. 'The people who are going to lose out the most are Hoosiers.' : The bill requires the BMV to notify the elections division if someone registers to vote and has temporary legal status in the U.S. : The bill makes it a misdemeanor for law enforcement to refuse to cooperate with immigration enforcement or for someone leading an agency to establish a policy prohibiting cooperation. : The bill requires a person who is not legally in the U.S. to register with law enforcement in their county. : The bill outlines expectations for governments and universities in enforcing immigration laws and detentions. It gives the attorney general power to investigate and the governor power to withhold funding from entities that don't follow the law. : The bill increases the penalties for someone without a driver's license who commits a crime and requires prosecuting attorneys track information about crimes committed by people not legally in the U.S. Senate Bill 430: The bill provides grants for participation in the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement's 287(g) program for training on immigration enforcement. : The bill increases penalties if someone commits a crime with a car and that person is not legally allowed in the U.S. : The bill requires sheriffs to enter agreements with ICE to participate in a 287(g) program for immigration enforcement. : The bill requires law enforcement to notify the county sheriff if they arrest someone for a misdemeanor or felony and have probable cause belief that the person is not legally in the U.S. : The bill allows school corporations to deny enrollment to immigrant students if they believe they are not legally allowed in the U.S. : The bill makes it a crime to reside in Indiana if a person is not legally allowed in the U.S. : The bill requires certain employers to use the E-verify program and prohibits them from hiring someone not legally allowed in the U.S. House Bill 1435: The bill requires state universities to adopt policies prohibiting foreign students from enrolling in the school's STEM programs. : The bill mirrors language from Senate Bill 428, which outlines expectations for governments and universities in enforcing immigration law. : The bill increases the sentence for someone who commits a crime and is not legally allowed in the U.S. Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X@CarloniBrittany. Contact IndyStar reporter Noe Padilla at npadilla@ or follow him on X @1NoePadilla. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Why Indiana lawmakers are eyeing immigration bills in 2025
