Latest news with #HB101
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alaska House votes to raise age of sexual consent — but with a caveat
Rep. Andrew Gray, D-Anchorage, speaks in favor of House Bill 62 on Friday, May 16, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) The Alaska Legislature is on pace to raise the state's age of sexual consent to 18 next year, after the state House voted 39-0 to approve House Bill 101 on Monday. The bill now goes to the state Senate, which is expected to take it up in January, when lawmakers convene for the second year of the 34th Alaska State Legislature. The bill comes from Rep. Andrew Gray, D-Anchorage, who said on Monday that it represents a way to fight rape and child sexual assault. Under current law, it is legal for an adult to have sex in Alaska with a 16-year-old or 17-year-old who consents. If that child is assaulted, Gray said, they must prove that they did not consent. 'This makes prosecutions of these cases of sexual assault and sex trafficking more difficult, especially if the young person had seen the perpetrator on multiple occasions, or if alcohol and drugs were involved,' Gray said. The bill has a significant exception: 'For teens 13 to 15 years old, they can consent to sex with someone up to four years older than them. Sixteen- and 17-year-olds can consent to sex with someone up to six years older than them,' he said. That exemption came at the suggestion of domestic violence shelters, sexual assault experts and homeless shelters, who were concerned that without the close-in-age exemption, they would deter teens from seeking help. Additional clauses in the bill criminalize the sending of explicit images of 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds. 'It is my hope that this bill will prevent the strategic targeting of 16- and 17-year-olds by predators,' Gray said. Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, also spoke in support of the bill. 'This bill reminds us that those who are under 18 are still children,' she said. 'They're vulnerable youth. They are figuring out who they are in the world. … Raising the age of consent to 18 makes it easier for law enforcement to say, 'We're going to help you.' It puts the onus on the offender instead of on the victim. That child victim no longer would have to prove that what happened to them was not consensual.' Vance and Gray unsuccessfully attempted last year to change the age of consent, but the proposal ran into technical problems and the session ended before those could be resolved. HB 101's passage came three years after the Legislature voted to limit child marriage by banning marriages involving Alaskans younger than 16. Because sex is permitted between married partners of any age, that effectively raised the state's age of consent to 16. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What passed in the Alabama Legislature: Feb. 25-27, 2025
Alabama Senate convenes for a session, Feb. 25, 2005. (Photo/Stew Milne for the Alabama Reflector) Here is a list of the bills that passed in the Alabama Legislature this week. House HB 73, sponsored by Rep. Patrick Sellers, D-Pleasant Grove, prohibits the possession of a trigger activator in Jefferson County, which enables a firearm to shoot automatically without manual reloading. It passed 25-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 101, sponsored by Rep. Mark Shirey, R-Mobile, allows the Mobile County sheriff to create guidelines for using the Sheriff's Office credit or debit card. It passed 16-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 104, sponsored by Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, allows the governing body of a Class 2 municipality to determine whether debris is a public nuisance and remove it. It passed 29-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 269, sponsored by Rep. Alan Treadaway, R-Morris, expands the boundary lines in Morris to include the corporate limits of the town in Jefferson County. It passed 27-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 159, sponsored by Rep. Joe Lovvorn, R-Auburn, renames the Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission. It passed 101-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 147, sponsored by Rep. Phillip Pettus, R-Greenhill, places bids and purchases by volunteer fire stations under local competitive bid law requirements. It passed 99-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 163, sponsored by Rep. David Faulkner, R-Mountain Brook, allows research companies to deduct research expenses in the year the company spends it, instead of waiting five years. It passed 99-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 195, sponsored by Rep. Rick Rehm, R-Dothan, allows disabled veterans to get a disabled veteran license plate when their physical disability is at least 50%, instead of when the disability exceeds 50% of the veteran's mobility. It passed 100-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 205, sponsored by Rep. Kerry Underwood, R-Tuscumbia, revises tax exemptions for personal property to include use taxes instead of only sales tax. It passed 101-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 261, sponsored by Rep. Corley Ellis, R-Columbiana, allows nonresident surplus line brokers to obtain a license from the Department of Insurance without a surety bond. It passed 102-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. SB 48, sponsored by Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, increases the Board of Registrar's pay from $80 to $115 each day a member participates in the business of the board. It passed 101-0. The bill now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey. HB 94, sponsored by Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, expands the definition of a Class B felony in second-degree human trafficking to include online or print advertising of sexual labor. It passed 103-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 250, sponsored by Rep. Kerry Underwood, R-Tuscumbia, requires public office candidates to submit a statement of economic interests within five days of the qualifying deadline, instead of within five days of filing for candidacy. It passed 100-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 106, sponsored by Rep. Chip Brown, R-Hollingers Island, expands the coverage of catastrophe savings accounts to expenses less than $15,000. It passed 101-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 88, sponsored by Rep. Jerry Starnes, R-Prattville, distinguished parole officers as law enforcement officers. It passed 102-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 84, sponsored by Rep. Matt Woods, R-Jasper, updates procedures for licensing and renewing licensing for chiropractors. It passed 100-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 238, sponsored by Rep. Parker Moore, R-Hartselle, allows nonviolent criminals that have served their time to receive an occupational license. It passed 97-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 266, sponsored by Rep. Matt Woods, R-Jasper, creates a non-traditional high school diploma program for dropouts. It passed 103-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 262, sponsored by Rep. Corley Ellis, R-Columbiana, updates the state's life insurance policy to reference the correct section of the Code of Alabama 1975. It passed 103-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 57, sponsored by Rep. Leigh Hulsey, R-Helena, prohibits local boards of education from purchasing land for its school that is outside of the school's municipality. It passed 76-8. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 287, sponsored by Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, requires law enforcement agencies to annually report how many sworn-in officers are employed to the state. It passed 86-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. Senate SB 116, sponsored by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, would make it a state crime to possess or distribute firearm conversion devices, commonly referred to as 'Glock switches,' which enable semi-automatic pistols to fire as fully automatic weapons. The bill passed 28-0. It goes to the House. SB 118, sponsored by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, would allow a judge to deny bail in cases of discharging a weapon into an occupied building, conspiracy or solicitation of murder. The bill passed 29-0. It goes to the House. SB 108, sponsored by Sen. April Weaver, R-Alabaster, would establish the crime of mail theft, or when a person takes mail addressed to another person from the addressee's mailbox. The bill passed 30-0. It goes to the House. SB 47, sponsored by Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, would include community emergency response team members among first responders exempt from civil liability when providing aid. The bill passed 31-0. It goes to the House. SB 68, sponsored by Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, would make it so the governing body of a local emergency management organization has the authority to enter into mutual aid agreements — instead of the organization's president. The bill passed 31-0. It goes to the House. House HB 220, sponsored by Rep. Jim Hill, R-Odenville, allows the St. Clair County sheriff to create guidelines for using the Sheriff's Office credit or debit card. It passed 15-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 221, sponsored by Rep. Jim Hill, R-Odenville, changes the salary of the St. Clair County revenue commissioner to be the same as the county's probate judge. It passed 14-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 223, sponsored by Rep. Jim Hill, R-Odenville, authorizes the St. Clair County Commission to pay county officials' cost of living adjustment. It passed 12-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 236, sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Fidler, R-Silverhill, increases the supplemental per diem pay of the board of equalization members from $150 to $200. It passed 20-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 254, sponsored by Rep. Jim Hill, R-Odenville, allows the St. Clair County Mental Health Officer to commit individuals under certain circumstances. It passed 11-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 289, sponsored by Rep. Brock Colvin, R-Albertville, updates the allocations for Tennessee Valley Authority in Marshall County. It passed 10-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 294, sponsored by Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, allows the Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit to auction, sell and destroy abandoned, stolen and unclaimed property obtained by the unit. It passed 12-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 301, sponsored by Rep. Brett Easterbrook, R-Fruitdale, abolished the Choctaw County office of constable. It passed 13-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 167, sponsored by Rep. Alan Treadaway, R-Morris, allows tow companies to report towed vehicles as unclaimed immediately to the Department of Revenue, instead of waiting five days. It passed 100-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 158, sponsored by Rep. Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, established a procedure for cost of living adjustments for retired teachers and state employees through the Education Trust Fund and General Fund appropriations. It passed 97-3. The bill now goes to the Senate. SB 36, sponsored by Sen. Wes Kitchens, R-Arab, allows educational institutions and some state agencies to place bids online, in addition to in person. It passed 103-0. The bill now goes to Ivey. HB 66, sponsored by Rep. Mark Gidley, R-Hokes Bluff, prohibits people convicted of elder abuse from receiving any benefits associated with the death of the victim. It passed 103-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 280, sponsored by Rep. Cynthia Almond, R-Tuscaloosa, requires participants of unpermitted events to reimburse municipalities. It passed 70-22. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 214, sponsored by Rep. Mark Gidley, R-Hokes Bluff, allows the Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology to enter the School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact. It passed 102-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. SB 59, sponsored by Sen. Donnie Chesteen, R-Geneva, allows the dependents of active duty military to provide medical and immunization records to enroll in a public or private school. It passed 100-0. The bill now goes to Ivey. HB 157, sponsored by Rep. Paul Lee, R-Dothan, sets the base pay for elected and appointed local officials as the same as their predecessor's base pay. It passed 97-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 222, sponsored by Rep. Jim Hill, R-Odenville, allows the Board of Pardons and Paroles to share GPS data with local law enforcement agencies during an active investigation. It passed 102-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 17, sponsored by Rep. Ron Bolton, R-Northport, prohibits squatted trucks from being raised four inches higher in the front fender than the back fender. It passed 102-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. SB 4, sponsored by Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, allows local sheriffs and police chiefs to contract a school resource officer for nonpublic K-12 schools. It passed 102-0. The bill now goes to Ivey. HB 187, sponsored by Rep. Jim Hill, R-Odenville, allows fees from the Sheriff's Fund to be spent on law enforcement functions of the office, instead of only for jail operations. It passed 97-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. HB 44, sponsored by Rep. Jim Hill, R-Odenville, reopens the Teachers' Retirement System to allow credits for prior services in St. Clair County. It passed 88-0. The bill now goes to the Senate. Senate SB 140, sponsored by Sen. Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia Hills, would require the Alabama Department of Public Health to notify youth athletics associations that are not in compliance with the Coach Safety Act and allow ADPH to fine associations after two years of non-compliance. The bill passed 31-0. It goes to the House. SB 83, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, would require the adult changing tables to be powered and height-adjustable, and installed in newly constructed or renovated public buildings starting in 2028. The bill passed 27-0. It goes to the House. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
