Latest news with #Blacklock
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmakers reach last-minute deal on pay raises for Texas judges
AUSTIN (Nexstar) – Lawmakers worked into the final hours of the legislative session to reach an agreement to provide pay raises for Texas judges. The legislation led to a sharp divide between the House and Senate over how the raises would affect pensions for lawmakers. Senate Bill 293 calls for raising the pay for judges to $175,000 per year. That's a 25% increase from the current $140,000 salary. The legislation comes amid concern that Texas lags behind other states in judicial pay. 'Texas cannot afford to continue to lose talent due to a lack of appropriate compensation,' the analysis for SB 293 states. The idea of raising pay for judges has bipartisan support. The division comes over how those raises affect funds for retiring lawmakers. Currently, pensions for lawmakers are calculated as a percentage of the base pay for judges. Raising judges pay would also raise retirement benefits for lawmakers. Some House members believed that amounted to unethically approving a benefit for themselves. Their legislation included an amendment to keep decouple lawmaker pensions from judicial base pay, instead keeping it linked to the current level of $140,000. 'I do not believe, speaking for me that this is the right way for us to consider and/or pass increases to our legislative retirement,' Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, said Friday, explaining why the House added the amendment. He called on the Senate to accept the House amendment. 'I can tell you that if they want judges to get a pay raise, then they should move to concur with the House changes to Senate Bill 293, and in the interim and next session, we can have and should have a conversation about legislative compensation, including our retirement benefits,' Leach said. When the legislation came before the Senate Friday night, Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio, raised a point of order, saying that the amendment was not germane to the legislation. He agreed that legislation to revamp how lawmaker pensions are calculated should happen separately from SB 293. The point of order was sustained, potentially killing SB 293 and pay raises for judges. Senators called on House members to remove the amendment. House members pushed to keep the measure to decouple judicial pay from pensions for lawmakers. With the House and Senate deadlocked, Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock weighed in with a potential compromise. On Saturday, he sent a memo to members of the legislature, including proposed language for the bill. Blacklock's proposal would maintain the link between judicial pay and legislator pensions, but the impact of a pay raise approved this session would not immediately affect those pensions. Instead, Blacklock proposes that the next legislature would determine the effect. 'As you know, judicial salaries in Texas currently rank 49th in the Nation – an embarrassment that is making it harder and harder to attract and retain qualified, hard-working judges capable of delivering a high quality of justice to Texas families and businesses across our State,' Blacklock wrote. He added that he fears the long-range impact, should the impasse keep judges from getting a raise. 'If that happens, it is not the judges themselves but our Texas justice system – which should be the envy of the world – that will suffer most, along with the thousands of Texans who seek justice in our courts every day,' Blacklock wrote. Monday afternoon, word of the agreement was announced in the Senate. 'The House and the Senate came together, and the result of the conference committee report and the legislation will lead to the judges getting this raise,' Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, said as she laid out the conference committee report. 'I don't think I've ever worked so hard on a bill that wasn't mine,' Sen. Menéndez said, acknowledging the difficulty of the negotiations that started after his point of order, then stretched into the final day of the session. 'We went over and met with our House colleagues, and all 10 of us signed the conference committee report, because every person in the state of Texas recognizes that our judiciary and our judges needed a much needed raise so we can continue to attract competent persons to our judiciary,' he said. Senators did not discuss specifics of the agreement on the floor. In the House, Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas asked Rep. Leach to give further details. 'The bill raises the judicial base pay, salary, 25% to $175,000 along with that, the legislative retirement is linked, at least initially, to that $175,000,' Leach explained. He said going forward, the Texas Ethics Commission will decide how much legislative retirement pay should rise. 'We are requiring the Texas Ethics Commission every five years to adjust the legislative class retirement accordingly, taking into account various factors. Of those factors they're allowed to consider all statewide elected official judges from all branches of government, judicial, legislative and executive,' Leach said, responding to Anchia's question. Leach said the changes allow the legislature to increase judicial pay, and in the future do so without worrying about it affecting the pensions of lawmakers. 'That's, I think, the real big win in this bill,' he concluded. The measure passed 114-26. The legislation now goes to Governor Abbott for approval. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Toronto Sun
5 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Most Canadians want feds to focus on gun crime, not confiscation: Poll
'Planning to spend potentially billions of dollars on a program that Canadians don't think is effective is a waste of money," said the Canadian Taxpayers Federation's Gage Haubrich An in-house Privy Council study says middle-class Canadians are feeling overtaxed and underappreciated, according to Blacklock's Reporter. Photo by iStock / GETTY IMAGES OTTAWA — As Canada continues to battle high crime rates, most Canadians want the federal government to focus on criminals rather than law-abiding firearms owners, according to a survey. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account In a Leger survey commissioned by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, 55% of those polled say Canadian gun policy should focus on introducing tougher measures to stop illegal firearms from being smuggled into Canada from the United States. Just 26% want the government to instead ban the sale and ownership of certain models of firearms, and to compel owners to turn over their property via the Liberals' 'buyback' program. 'The poll shows that Canadians know the real problem is illegal gun smuggling, not firearms owned by licenced Canadian gun owners,' said Gage Haubrich, the federation's prairie director. 'Planning to spend potentially billions of dollars on a program that Canadians don't think is effective is a waste of money.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Introduced by the Trudeau Liberals, Canada's gun policy has largely focused on disarming licenced Canadian gun owners over closing Canada's porus borders to smugglers illegally importing weapons from the United States. Read More Attempts to strengthen Canada's gun laws was a long, messy road for the Trudeau Liberals. Experts, observers and even Canada's police chiefs have long stated that most crime guns seen on Canadian streets are prohibited firearms that were never legal for sale in this country. The Liberals have been trying to enact their firearm confiscation program since 2020 with little success. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As of last September, $67 million has so far been spent on the program without confiscating a single gun. As well, a key plan in Prime Minister Mark Carney's gun platform during the recent federal election — revoking gun licences for those convicted of domestic violence — is already Canadian law. A 1985 amendment to the Criminal Code — Section 109 — states those convicted of violent crimes against a person are subject to mandatory firearms bans. As well, specific regulations separating intimate partner violence as a separate aspect to the offence, was introduced by the Justin Trudeau Liberals in 2019 as part of Bill C-75. Licenced gun owners in Canada are already subject to automatic and daily criminal record checks. The poll was conducted among 1,537 adult Canadians via Leger's online panel between May 16 and May 18, 2025. As margins of error cannot be applied to online panels, an equivalent probability sample would yield a margin of error of ±2.5%, 19 times out of 20.f ±2.5%, 19 times out of 20. bpassifiume@ X: @bryanpassifiume Toronto & GTA Columnists Toronto & GTA Ontario Sunshine Girls
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Nearly 1 in 3 Canadians grumbled about internet provider in 2024: CRTC
Almost one-third of Canadians complained about their internet service provider last year, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission research suggested. Grievances about costs were not included in that tally. 'Just under one in three, 31.5%, reported having had a complaint related to the service provider they were subscribed to in the last 12 months, excluding complaints about pricing,' researchers wrote, per Blacklock's Reporter. Complaints were 'most often related to home internet service (47%) followed by mobile phone service (29%) and television (22%).' 'In terms of the nature of the complaints, respondents most often said they related to either service delivery or billing disputes,' said the report, entitled Understanding Consumer Awareness and Satisfaction With the Commission For Complaints For Telecom Services. Findings were gathered from questionnaires with 1,295 telecom users across the country. The CRTC paid $112,943 for the study by Nanos Research, per Blacklock's. Of those who complained, nearly half, 48%, 'reported their service provider was able to resolve their complaint.' Even fewer contacted the little-known Commission for Complaints for Telecom Services though the federal agency has been mandated to investigate customer service issues since 2007. LILLEY UNLEASHED: The CRTC is stuck in the past, it needs to be abolished Vandalism possibly to blame for widespread service outages: Cogeco When asked 'Why did you not submit a complaint to the Commission?', 63% said they 'did not know about it.' Others replied they 'didn't see the point' (mentioned by 11%), 'couldn't be bothered' (6%) or 'weren't sure how' (6%). The report said that low public awareness of the commission was a serious issue. Fewer than 1% of telecom users said they would know to contact the agency. 'A crucial aspect of the Commission's effectiveness is public awareness, as this increases consumers' ability to seek recourse with the Commission and allows the Commission the opportunity to help Canadians where it can,' Consumer Awareness said. 'When asked unprompted where they would go to try and resolve a complaint related to one of their communications service providers a strong majority, 84%, said they would go to their service provider,' researchers wrote. Most Canadians surveyed, 79%, said they had never heard of the Commission. Customers who complained to their internet service provider typically found it an uneven experience, said the report. 'More than 9 in 10 respondents who contacted their service provider about a complaint and whose provider did not resolve their complaint, 97%, reported their service provider did not mention the Commission as an avenue to address their complaint,' it said.
Fashion Network
20-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Source Fashion unveils content line-up for July event
Reflecting the current global market, this season it will explore how to 'drive opportunity out of crisis', with topics covering economics, trade, materials and sustainability. The 8 July (Tuesday) content programme opens with 'Beyond Transparency – Building a Culture of Accountability in Fashion'. A panel of industry leaders will examine how the sector can move 'from performative transparency to genuine, embedded responsibility'. Headed by Blacklock, the discussion 'will delve into practical strategies for integrating accountability across every layer of a business'. Attendees will gain insights into how progressive brands are shifting from box-ticking exercises to fostering cultures where sustainability and ethical practices are non-negotiable drivers of long-term success. In a keynote address on Tuesday (8 July, 1.30pm) entitled 'Volatility is Nothing New – But Are the Rules Changing?' McRaith will explore the 'shifting dynamics shaping the fashion and retail industries… from relentless cost pressures and supply chain instability to technological disruption and mounting regulatory challenges'. In the 'fireside chat' on 9 July (2pm), 'Leading and Collaborating Through Geopolitical and Economic Upheaval', Ladha will share his insights on navigating leadership in an era defined by uncertainty. Launched last season, the Source Debates stage 'facilitates conversations on the industry's most pressing and provocative topics, inviting industry experts, brands, and attendees to engage in open dialogue together, challenging the status quo and exploring actionable solutions in an interactive forum'. On 8 July at 3pm, Sumner 'challenges the fashion industry to rethink its fundamentals and recalculate cost, discussing: 'If We Started All Over Again, What Would It Look Like'? Suzanne Ellingham, event director of Source Fashion, said: 'This season's content agenda is built around a theme that feels more relevant than ever. Responsible sourcing, sustainability, supply chain management, will always be core to what we do. 'We have been talking about the need to drive change, but let's recognise that for many businesses, these priorities are secondary when just staying afloat is a challenge. Over the past eight years, we've seen Brexit, a global pandemic, supply chain collapses, geopolitical unrest, and soaring commodity prices. We live in an uncertain time and let's face it, volatility is now business as usual. So we're taking a fresh, more pragmatic approach and exploring how businesses can not only navigate this environment but succeed within it.' Source Fashion said its full programme of speakers and sessions 'will be announced soon'.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bell: The horror show Mark Carney and the Liberals want deep-sixed now
Those who think they're cruising to four more years in power don't want anything to get in the way now. They can already taste victory. You can see and hear it when they talk. Power is within their grasp. Just get through the last few days. Just get to Monday. A possible roadblock surfaces, quietly on the weekend. Kudos to Blacklock's Reporter. They entitled their piece. Fed Report Predicts Collapse. It could bear the horrible handle. Apocalypse Soon. It is a forecast of a hellscape Canada could become just 15 years down the road and it is produced by the Canadian government. You would think it would be big news, very big news given the timing just before decision day. And it is a Canadian government report! Wild stuff! It's produced by deep thinkers who advise the prime minister and his inner circle. The prime minister is Mark Carney, the Liberal leader who is out trying to fear-monger and double-talk his way to four years in power, hoping people forget the past 10 years where Justin Trudeau promised sunny ways and created for many Canadians the exact opposite. Darkening times. Most of the press don't want to touch the government's look into the abyss. As far as I know, no newshound asked Carney about it Wednesday, despite pleas on social media for someone to put the doomsday scenario in front of the Liberal leader. They no doubt felt they had more important questions for Carney but I can't remember what they were. By the way, you ought to know what happened Tuesday. Everything you need to know about the 'downward social mobility' report Poilievre quoted China says it wants Canada as a partner in pushing back against U.S. tariff 'bullying' Toronto Sun scribbler Joe Warmington asked Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre about this government gaze into the gruesome crystal ball, into what Canada could become, and he reports people in the press heckled and berated him for pitching the question to Poilievre. In the government report it is said Canadians assume following the rules and doing the right thing will lead to a better life. However, things are changing Poilievre couldn't believe the forecast wasn't on every front page. On Wednesday, the Conservative leader brings up the report again. Poilievre says Carney and the Liberals tell us to forget the past 10 years of lousy Liberal governing. But this is a federal government document about the future, the year 2040 if Canadians sleepwalk down the path the country is on. Poilievre says it is jaw-dropping. 'The shock value of this report is so massive you would find it hard to believe the things they say.' Just a few of the many points. More people struggling to make ends meet. Owning a home is not a realistic goal for many. Inequality between homeowners and the many folks forced to rent causes conflict. A widespread mental crisis, young people having lost faith in Canada flee the country and it is harder to pay for the services to older people who are left. Again, the most gobsmacking one. Some people hunting, fishing and foraging on public land in order to eat. Other examples from the report can be found in my Tuesday column. Poilievre also points out how many of the dire predictions for 2040, 15 years from now, is already a reality for many Canadians. 'That's how desperate the situation has already become,' says the Conservative leader. One can only hope the press asks Carney about the report. Surely Canadians should know what the prime minister and Liberal leader has to say. Meanwhile, it's all elbows up for Carney. Carney gets a little helping hand from American President Donald Trump. But Trump did say it was easier to deal with a Liberal. Trump didn't offer up any plans to take over Canada but he wants car plants back in the U.S. and threatens higher tariffs on Canadian vehicles. 'I really don't want cars from Canada. We can make our own cars.' Carney is all about Trump — again. America wants to own Canada. The biggest question in the election is who is going to stand up for Canada. Carney, of course, believes he is that person. So now the Liberal leader asks for a 'clear mandate.' In other words, he wants a majority government, a majority of the House of Commons seats, a free pass to do what he wants for four years. Still, if you really care about Canada, that frightening Canadian government look into the future is hard to forget. 'The report paints a terrifying picture of a national spiral of depression and decline,' says Poilievre. rbell@
