Latest news with #Bill45
Calgary Herald
20-05-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Braid: Separatism is a ruse; the real battle for autonomy is fought with UCP legislation
Article content What the government owns it can also sell. AHS alone has 380 land titles and 700 structures. Article content The UCP flatly denies any such intention. But the government will be strapped for cash as low oil prices threaten a deficit far higher than $5 billion. Article content From now on, public health policy and management will be run by the health department. Regional public health officers, now employed by AHS, will work directly for a minister (if they still have jobs at all). Article content The UCP government will have an iron grip on controversial policies and programs, including vaccination. This is a political takeover of a medical matter. Article content The legislation also repeals references to health regions and Alberta Health Services itself. Hospitals and private surgery clinics come under the authority of new minister Matt Jones. Article content Article content On the federal front, the province is being shaped into a spearhead aimed at Ottawa. The UCP is amending a pile of legislation to make this happen. Article content Article content One example is Bill 45, the Critical Infrastructure Amendment Act, which claims control over every economic area Ottawa has power to regulate. Article content Oil and gas and other economic assets are designated as critical. The bill prohibits Ottawa from collecting data that relates to an emissions cap or new projects. Article content Earlier amendments to the Alberta Firearms Act have the same basic purpose. They say that only Alberta agents have control over firearms seizures. Article content This drive extends far beyond political demands for Prime Minister Mark Carney to approve pipelines and scrap the emissions cap. Article content The real fight is down on the ground, where legislation pulls Alberta ever farther away from the federal system. Article content
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kansas establishes task force to address water supply funding
Video above is from KSN News at 6 on Monday, April 7, 2025 TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNW) — The state is establishing a long-term water investment task force to evaluate funding strategies for Kansas' water supply. The task force will establish a dedicated funding source and submit recommendations to Kansas leadership in 2026 and 2027, based on the state's 10-year transportation plans. 'Developing a comprehensive, long-term, and sustainable water program is long overdue and a significant step forward in ensuring Kansas' water supply is preserved for generations to come,' Governor Laura Kelly said in a news release about the signing of Senate Substitute for House Bill 2172. Kansas lawmakers approve 12 new laws Monday The initiative will address issues related to water quality, quantity, infrastructure needs, and economic impact, while evaluating current funding levels for the State Water Plan. The task force will deliver a preliminary report by 2026 and a final report by Jan. 31, 2027, outlining funding, governance roles, and strategies for long-term water security in Kansas. Kelly proposed the task force in her 2025 State of the State Address. To prepare, her administration and the Kansas Water Authority held 14 public meetings in 2024 to gather citizen input, which was compiled into a Strategic Implementation Framework to guide the task force's work, according to the news release. In addition to the water task force bill, Kelly also signed the following bipartisan bills: Substitute for Senate Bill 45: Adjusts how certain K-12 students are included in graduation rate calculations. Substitute for Senate Bill 54: Enhances transparency by creating a process for judicial review of third-party funding agreements in court proceedings. House Bill 2016: The bill allows active military members, their spouses, and dependents stationed in Kansas but maintaining residency in another state to serve as poll workers. It also permits county election officers to remove a registered voter from the rolls upon the publication of their obituary online and clarifies technical requirements for advanced ballot applications. House Bill 2030: Excludes dealers and manufacturers of non-motorized trailers from certain provisions of the Vehicle Dealers and Manufacturers Licensing Act. House Bill 2118: New protections for Kansas consumers require private entities that charge fees for filing or retrieving certain government documents to inform consumers that these solicitations are not from a government agency. House Bill 2122: Increases the annual license fees of electric and hybrid vehicles, ensuring that electric vehicle drivers pay their fair share to maintain Kansas highways. The bill also aligns quarterly truck payment statutes for interstate and intrastate motor carriers. House Bill 2168: Extends the amount of time required for certain reports to be filed by public land surveys from 30 to 90 days, aligning Kansas with industry standards. House Bill 2242: Authorizes the governor to accept requests for concurrent jurisdiction from the federal government, allowing juvenile incidents on military installations to be handled in state juvenile courts using state resources. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Intense debate erupts over controversial bill that would have big impact on rivers: 'We would be smart to wait'
Wildlife experts and constituents pleaded with Wyoming lawmakers to cease a bill introduced in the state that would end 72 years of protection for river otters, WyoFile reported. The bill passed the House with a 52-8 vote and passed the Senate with a 22-9 vote. Republican lawmakers in Wyoming's State Legislature have proposed House Bill 45, "Removing otters as protected animals," which would do exactly that. The bill, conceived by Andrew Byron, originated from the trouble fishers were having in polluted waters and locals who were "having trouble with otters." If the bill passes, it would remove otters from a list of "protected animals for purposes of hunting regulations." Northern river otters, the only species of otter in Wyoming, according to Cowboy State Daily, have been protected since 1953, prior to the Federal Endangered Species Act. "After they were protected in 1953, you started to see their population spread," said Wyoming Game and Fish director Angi Bruce. According to Bruce, having the bill pass would help authorities deal with "problem-causing otters." Reports of otters in fish-stocked waters or attacking tubers have caused some concern. "Having this tool, in my perspective, allows us to help gain support for more otters," said Bruce. However, wildlife experts and other lawmakers caution that the bill is moving too quickly. Merav Ben-David, a University of Wyoming professor, asked for lawmakers to leave river otters alone. Her plea stemmed from research on otters that were nearly wiped out during the fur-trading eras and slowly reintroducing themselves to their habitats. "In 2021, we had 25% of the otter activity at these latrines compared to what we had a decade ago," Ben-David told lawmakers. "River otters are slowly clawing their way back. Their existence is tenuous, depending on water flow, fish abundance and pollution." " We would be smart to wait until we get viable populations in other places, [like] along the Wind River," Ben-David continued. "I would encourage a change in their status when I start getting complaints from anglers in the Bighorn River or friends of mine who live in Glendale." Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. State Rep. Karlee Provenza deferred to Ben-David's expertise: "If the number one scientist that knows what is going on says, 'No,' then I would also urge you to vote no on this bill." The bill passed the committee with a vote of 8-2 before moving through the House and Senate and being signed by governor Mark Gordon. According to the International Otter Survival Fund, northern river otters are listed as "least concern," meaning they are not at threat of extinction. However, this status is supported by the protections otters have had in Wyoming for 72 years. Bill 45 could place river otters in danger of becoming endangered. Removing the protected status allows for the moving and killing of "fish-eating nuisance otters," according to WyoFile. "The first step would be to try to relocate them to somewhere else," Game and Fish chief warden Dan Smith said. "In the end, if nothing works, that still would give us the tool to lethally remove them, but that would be a last step," said Angi Bruce. Food supplies for otters are dwindling due to rising water temperatures. This forces otters to move to different areas for food and to get creative in their search. Researchers even found otters eating foods 35% harder than their teeth are used to and using glass bottles to help break down their food. According to the National Environmental Education Foundation, river otters, as predators, are ecologically important as they help control populations of kelp and other species. They even help control the spread of invasive species. But they are also susceptible to "environmental contaminants," such as mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls. In England, scientists found high levels of toxic chemicals in dead otters due to waste. With less protection, otters can be more susceptible to these environmental hazards and have a harder time finding their food supply. Even though the bill was passed, there still are protections in place. According to Wyoming Public Media, the bill doesn't allow an open season on otters. "There are fears out there that this is an all-out attack, this is a free-for-all," said Rep. Byron. "It's really, really not the case." First steps would be to use electric fences and other mitigation practices before resorting to lethal methods. "I personally believe that when we are able to go in and address conflict situations with landowners, it helps build support for that species as they become more popular across the state," Angi Bruce said. According to River Otter Ecology, there are plenty of ways you can help protect otters on a personal level. These include picking up trash, not using chemical fertilizers, and supporting conservation groups and political candidates. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
