Latest news with #HB177
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Snag could stop shrimp bill, substitute proposed
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Georgia lawmakers have been working on passing a new bill to support local shrimpers, but with a little over a week before adjournment the bill was hit with a change. House Bill 117 would require all restaurants in Georgia to disclose, in writing on their menu, if their shrimp is foreign imported. It was introduced by State Representative Jesse Petrea (R-Savannah) and co-sponsored by Al Williams (D-Midway), Rick Townsend (R-Brunswick), Buddy DeLoach (R-Townsend) and Lehman Franklin (R-Statesboro) back in January. In February, the bill passed 165-7 in the House and moved on to the Senate, where an amendment was added in the Senate Committee on Interstate Cooperation. Committee chairman Senator Colton Moore (R-Trenton) proposed an amendment that would require imported chicken and beef to be disclosed alongside shrimp. It passed with the amendment. When WSAV reached out to Sen. Moore, he said that he amended HB 117 to include chicken and beef for the same reasons that Rep. Petrea wanted a bill for shrimp. 'Georgia is the chicken capitol of the world and our beef taste better than foreign beef,' Moore said. Rep. Petrea told WSAV that he has a substitute going to the Senate Rules Committee and it will pass including shrimp only. The bill is sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Ben Watson (R-Savannah). Petrea previously spoke with WSAV about HB 177 and said that in his opinion, the shrimp industry locally is suffering from unfair trade practices. The state legislative session adjourns on April 4. You can read the amendment here: 20252026-234239Download You can read the original bill here: 232197Download Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Idaho Reaffirms Gold and Silver As Legal Tender
BOISE, IDAHO / / March 21, 2025 / For the second time this month, new sound money legislation has become law in Idaho. Faced with the overwhelming likelihood of a veto override from the legislature, Idaho Governor Brad Little signed the Idaho Constitutional Money Act of 2025 reaffirming gold and silver as legal tender and making a symbolic statement in favor of sound money principles. House Bill 177, sponsored by Rep. Steve Miller, marks the third pro-sound money bill enacted this year, highlighting a sustained national trend that continues to grow. HB 177 simply affirms that gold or silver coin and specie issued by the United States government are considered legal tender whenever voluntarily agreed upon by both parties to a contract. The measure enjoyed popular support, earning approval in the state House with a 66-3-1 vote and unanimous passage, 35-0, in the Idaho Senate. This concept is consistent with the U.S. Constitution. In fact, Article 1 Section 10 reads: "No state shall…coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; [or] make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts…" America's 54-year experiment in a purely fiat currency system has gone poorly. Without backing of gold or silver, the Federal Reserve note "dollar" has continuously declined in purchasing power. The nation has faced a series of Fed-created booms caused by interest-rate manipulation, followed by busts and an explosive growth in government spending. When savers, wage earners, and investors seek ways to protect their savings from the ravages of inflation, they often choose precious metals over fiat currency because precious metals have preserved purchasing power over time. This bill provides symbolic support to Idaho citizens making this choice, and it is a modest step toward establishing sound money policies in the state. "States all over the country, most recently Idaho, are reaffirming what the U.S. Constitution already says: gold and silver are money," said Jp Cortez, executive director of the Sound Money Defense League. Political observers have noted that Governor Little appears worried about the potential of a conservative primary challenger in the upcoming 2026 election and also faces a high likelihood of veto overrides, so he has signed bills this session that the liberal Republican might normally be expected to veto. Last year, Little violated his fiduciary duty to taxpayers by vetoing a bill that would have merely permitted, not required, the State Treasurer to hold physical gold to hedge risks endemic to the state's large debt paper holdings. Idaho's $12 billion debt paper holdings have continued to lose real value as a result. Alabama, Utah, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Louisiana passed legislation in 2024 ending sales and capital gains taxes on precious metals, declaring that Central Bank Digital Currencies are not valid money in their state, or empowering state treasurers to invest state funds in gold and silver. This year, in addition to this legal tender bill, Wyoming has established a $10 million gold reserve for the state and Idaho has ended capital gains taxes on gold and silver. The Sound Money Defense League and Money Metals Exchange are actively working on nearly 20 other sound money bills in more than a dozen states this year. The Sound Money Defense League is the nation's leading public policy group working to restore sound money at the state and federal level since 2014 and publisher of the Sound Money Index. SOURCE: Sound Money Defense League View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alabama House committee OKs bill allowing Medicaid to sue parents over health insurance
Rep. Ben Robbins, R-Sylacauga, speaks to a colleague on the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives on Feb. 12, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. HB 177, sponsored by Robbins, would allow Medicaid to sue some parents who fail to enroll their children in available employer-sponsored health insurance.(Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) An Alabama House committee Wednesday approved a bill that would allow Medicaid to sue some parents who don't enroll their children in employer-provided health insurance when available. HB 177, sponsored by Rep. Ben Robbins, R-Sylacauga, would require some parents to place their children on employer-provided health insurance and would mandate that custodial parents with access to employer-sponsored health insurance enroll their Medicaid-eligible children in those plans. It would also give judges discretion to order noncustodial parents paying child support to do the same. If a parent fails to comply, Medicaid would have the authority to seek reimbursement through a civil lawsuit. 'If you are a parent that has employer provided insurance, you need to put your child on your insurance and not have more Medicaid,' Robbins said to committee members. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The bill passed with an amendment by Rep. Kerry Underwood, R-Tuscumbia, requiring attempts by Medicaid to seek reimbursement to comply with state and federal law. The amendment also removed a provision that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would have a lien on any amount recovered through a court order. Robyn Hyden, executive director of Alabama Arise, a policy advocacy group focused on poverty issues, raised concerns about affordability, arguing that low-income parents may struggle to pay for employer-sponsored coverage. Hyden said that insurance costs can consume a significant portion of a low-wage worker's income. 'One example I would use is a friend I know who works at Advance Auto Parts. Her take-home pay is $600 a week, or $32,000 a year, so she could opt in to pay for health insurance through her employer, [but] it would take more than one-third of her paycheck,' Hyden said. But Robbins said the bill is a cost-saving measure, saying it ensures parents who have the means to provide health insurance for their children do so. 'That's the ultimate goal of the bill, to incentivize noncustodial parents that can afford it, to take the responsibility they should take, and have the state have the mechanism to get their money back,' Robbins said. Other opponents worried about unintended consequences, particularly the financial burden on parents who already struggle to make ends meet. Apreill Hartsfield, policy and data analyst with VOICES for Alabama Children, said that there are about 200,000 adults in Alabama who can't afford health insurance through their employer but don't make enough to qualify for Medicaid. 'If they can't afford the insurance anyway, we just want that recognized by the legislation and to make sure that those aren't some of those unintended consequences,' Hartsfield said. Dr. Marsha Raulerson, a pediatrician representing the Medical Association of the State of Alabama on Medicaid Agency's Medical Care Advisory Committee, questioned after the committee meeting whether judges always act in the best interest of children or the mother, saying that she lost count on how many mothers have legal issues with fathers and 'they never get anything right from the court.' 'Why should anything that has to do with the child's health care be something that's at the discretion of a judge?' Raulerson asked. Committee members questioned how the bill would be enforced and who would oversee compliance. Robbins responded that while Medicaid would monitor cases, enforcement would largely happen in court. 'If you go in front of a judge, and the judge enters an order, and you don't follow it, then you're in contempt of court,' Robbins said. 'That could mean you go to jail.' The bill now moves to the House. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
GA shrimp bill basses House, moves on to Senate
ATLANTA (WSAV) — Georgia house lawmakers made a move to support local shrimpers with a new bill passed on Wednesday. House Bill 117 would require all restaurants in Georgia to disclose, in writing on their menu, if their shrimp is foreign imported. State Rep. Jesse Petrea, a sponsor of the bill, previously spoke with News 3 about HB 177. He said that in his opinion, the shrimp industry locally is suffering from 'unfair trade' practices. The vote passed 165-7 and will move on to the Senate. WSAV will continue to follow this bill. Stick with News 3 for more. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Hill Highlights: Making "Utahn" permanent and glass recycling
Have you ever been erroneously referred to as a "Utahan?" The big picture: State Sen. Dan McCay (R-Riverton) is so tired of it that he's sponsoring a bill that would make "Utahn" the official state demonym. What they're saying: "While it may seem trivial, I think how we're known and how people see Utahns is important, and we want to make sure they spell it correctly," he said at a legislative committee hearing this week, per KUER. What we're watching: A bill to remove obstacles to deport immigrants living in the country illegally with misdemeanor offenses has been changed to concentrate on violent crimes. HB 226, sponsored by state Rep. Candice Pierucci (R-Herriman), previously sought to extend all class A misdemeanor maximum sentences by one day (364 to 365 days). A full year of incarceration could trigger deportation for an immigrant, according to federal law. HB 177, which has received bipartisan support, would direct the Utah Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control to study how to ramp up glass recycling. It's making its way through the Senate now. 💬 Hill Highlights is a weekly feature to recap what's going during Utah's legislative session.
