Latest news with #HB19
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘A gut punch for sure'; Impacts from failed HB 19 felt on local level
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — 'We were expecting that $1.5 million to be approved a couple of weeks ago, and then we learned that it wasn't and it was a gut punch for sure,' Brandy Harris, the CEO of The Boys and Girls Club of Springfield, said. For Harris, to say she's frustrated with state lawmakers would be an understatement. That's because just a portion of their next project, the Risdal Family Teen Center, around 1.5 million of the $12 million needed to fund it, was part of House Bill 19. House Bill 19 was also going to give millions for other projects in the state, but didn't even make it to Governor Kehoe's desk after Republican lawmakers refused to vote on it. 'A lot of our kids already feel like they're not worth this building or they don't deserve the things that we're providing them. They've actually said that to me and focus groups, and now the state has essentially sent a message that like, actually you're not,' Harris said. 'Intentional or not, that's the message that's being received, and that's incredibly frustrating because they are.' Harris calls the teen center, located at 804 West Catalpa, a one-stop shop for teens. 'One of the really good things that Missouri has done over the last several years is put a heavy emphasis on early childhood education, and what that's unintentionally done is neglected middle school and high school students. A lot of people think like if you're in middle school or high school, you can just like walk home, go home, hang out with friends, and more, but that's what we're realizing, especially post-COVID, is that kids are engaging in really risky behaviors and they deserve a space to go that safe where they can learn, grow, and that's what this building does,' Harris said. 'It's 32,000 square feet. It is walkable from Parkview High School and Jarrett Middle School. The location is really important to us. It's in a neighborhood that really could use our services, and we have the neighborhood support, which has been incredible. So this building is incredibly important not only to that neighborhood and to local middle school and high schools, but also to the mission of Boys and Girls Clubs of Springfield. It's going to be like this one stop shop for teens. So like if you need to get a haircut, there's a barber shop inside. If you need mental health services, we have a partner that's going to be providing them a health clinic, an e-sports lounge, a gym, a games room, a cafeteria and a teaching kitchen where we're teaching life skills.' She's hopeful that a special session starting this week could shed more light on the issue and bring it back to lawmakers. 'I think what this decision has done has made a lot of us question Jefferson City in general, what their priorities and commitments are,' Harris said. 'Our legislators have a really unique opportunity today there's a special session, and this HB 19 is going to be talked about, and I like to have generous assumptions because that's the kind of leader I want to be. So I just want to assume that maybe some of the people who did not talk about HB 19 were either misinformed or just didn't understand the impact it would have on their own districts and their own communities.' Courtney Simpkins works with teens directly, and hopes people are help to help with donations for the funding. 'I think it's really vital because it helps teens get off the streets. So it is a safe place that they can come every single day for them after school in the summertime at night, time to come and do a lot of different activities, have that supervision, have those role models in their lives to help guide them. We have lots of opportunities and programs for them to be able to further their education,' Simpkins said. 'The teens … they've shown a lot of excitement. In the past, we've heard, well, I don't want to come to the club because it's with little kids, but now that they have their own space, they're super excited to be able to have their own areas that they can hang out.' Including Neveah H., who says she can't wait for the center to open. 'It's really big, and I've seen that there's going to be cooking and stuff, so I'm excited about that too,' Neveah said. 'I think it's going to be really cool because there is going to be people my age.' 'One thing that I'm very confident about is that we will reach our $12 million goal. There's no other option, and I'm confident in this community. I'm not as confident in Jefferson City right now, but the building will be done on August 19,' Harris stressed. Harris says she's had bipartisan support for the funding from Springfield state house and senate reps, including Rep. Melanie Stinnett, Rep. Betsy Fogle, and State Senator Lincoln Hough. Ozarks First reached out to lawmakers on both sides of the issue, but only Rep. Fogle responded to the request for comment. 'House Bill 19 was the capital investment bill that had been worked on in both the House and the Senate, totaling about $513 million worth of capital investments across the state. On the day that we served and passed the budget out of the House, House Bill 19 was omitted from debate. It was not up to a vote from the Republican leadership in the House. The budget chair did not communicate that with me, did not communicate that with Senator Hough as appropriations chair in the Senate. I was quite blindsided that all of our hard work that we had done and, you know, in a bipartisan way, there were a lot of projects. There were a lot of projects in House Bill 19 that Democrats had put in. There were a lot of projects that Republicans had put in and for it not to be brought up for a vote is something that I have never seen in my time in the General Assembly,' Fogle said. 'I think it is the only other ever happened, and one other time in our state's history.' She says the Boys and Girls Club of Springfield wasn't the only group in the Ozarks with funding in that bill. 'What that means for us here in Springfield, of course, there were projects in House Bill 19 that would impact our institutions of higher education, impact our nonprofits, and notably $1.5 billion going to our Boys and Girls Club, $2.4 million intended to go to Mission University on the north side on Kearney Street, money for Discovery Center, a lot of projects not only here locally, but across the state that had been well vetted and compromised on, and it was very frustrating for me and for a lot of people that the budget chair in House leadership decided to completely gut and kill those investments,' Fogle said. Fogle says the path is narrow, but the hope is that lawmakers can introduce House Bill 19 during the special session this week. 'I think that that path is narrow, but I can tell you myself in my position, I'll do everything I can to make sure that the promises we made, we hold true. I think if you had the opportunity to speak with Appropriations Chair Hough in the Senate, I think he would echo those sentiments. I know no one is more frustrated that House Bill 19 died other than myself,' Fogle said. Harris says she's not too confident in the entire Missouri legislature. 'If for some reason the answer is no, I will be incredibly frustrated. I will question a lot of things. I will be very sad, but then the next day I'll get up and figure out how we need to raise $1.5 million because the building is still happening. It needs to and we're just going to have to press on,' said Harris. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas bill, a trucking priority for tort reform, dies in House committee
Legislation that passed the Texas Senate last month and that the trucking industry believed would bring about 'much-needed reforms' in trucking-related lawsuits has died in the House. But another piece of legislation backed by the industry, SB30, and its companion bill, HB 4806, are still considered alive as the Texas state legislative session races toward its Monday conclusion. The companion House bill to SB39, approved in April, was HB 4688. It was referred to the Committee for Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence. While the House of Representatives' docket for the legislation shows several steps at the committee, including public hearings, there is no vote on the list of no action taken on the bill in recent days, barring a miraculous turn of events, the bill is considered dead in the Texas Legislature, which meets every two years. When the bill passed in the Senate, it was hailed by the Texas Trucking Association. In a prepared statement released at the time, TTA President John Esparaza said the legislation 'marks a significant step forward in protecting the integrity of our legal system and Texas trucking industry.' 'This bill introduces much-needed reforms to how commercial motor vehicle collision cases are handled in Texas courts,' he said at the time. 'These reforms will establish fair, consistent, and statewide standards, helping to ensure that justice is applied equally across the state.' But in a statement released to FreightWaves Thursday, Esparaza conceded defeat for this session.'SB 39 was an important piece of our tort reform package …,' he said in the statement. 'As a priority…we are disappointed that SB 39 died in the House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee and will not become law this session.' In a commentary about what SB39 and its companion House bill would have accomplished, attorneys for the law firm of Lewis Brisbois touched on several key points. One change would have minimized questions about the background of the driver, according to the law firm. 'Where defendant trucking companies have already stipulated to their drivers being in the course and scope of employment, plaintiffs' attorneys can no longer inflame juries with arguments about the trucking companies' actions when they have no causal/legal relationship with the harms alleged,' Lewis Brisbois said. 'In other words, if a case goes on to trial, then the jury should solely be focused on the actions of the drivers involved in the incident.' SB39 also was the vehicle that the TTA spoke of last year in trying to complete the unfinished work of HB 19, passed in 2021 but generally seen as not providing the relief in litigation that trucking attorneys had expected. In an interview last year with FreightWaves, Lee Parsley, general counsel for Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLS), said one of the goals of HB 19 was to give new emphasis to the 'admission rule.' Last year, Parsley said of that rule: 'It basically says that if I, as the employer, agree to accept responsibility for my employees' actions that may have caused the injury, it is supposed to simplify the trial. You don't need to go down the rabbit hole of figuring out things like negligent hiring and negligent training. It's supposed to simplify it so that in the trial, you're just focused on who actually caused the accident and what the damages are at that point.' The Lewis Brisbois commentary said SB39 would have 'recognized the admissions rule by eliminating key exceptions.' Quoting a precedent involving Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ: WERN), the attorneys said the admission rule clarifies that an 'employer's admission that an employee was acting in the course and scope of their employment when the employee allegedly engaged in negligent conduct bars a party allegedly injured by the employee's negligence from pursuing derivative theories of negligence against the employer.' That citation quoted by the attorneys is from the case of Blake vs. Werner, the nuclear verdict initially handed down in 2018 and which now awaits a decision by the Texas Supreme Court following oral arguments in December. The original verdict, less than $90 million, has ballooned to more than $100 million with case involves the death and injuries in a family that crossed the median strip in bad winter weather in West Texas and collided with a Werner truck headed the other direction. The jury verdict that the Werner driver should have been going slower in that weather and would therefore not have been in position to slam into the oncoming vehicle has been a particular source of anger within trucking. But the Blake family involved in the crash won at trial and on appeal before it headed to the state's highest court. The Lewis Brisbois commentary said the critics of SB39 'have voiced concerns that this change will further stifle plaintiffs' abilities to ensure that juries consider all parties and trucking companies' own liability in the harms by alleged company misdeeds.' There is still hope at the TTA for SB30, which seeks to limit various types of payouts in crashes involving trucks through a variety of steps. Like SB39, SB30 passed the Senate. It is considered to have life as HB 4806 before the end of the legislative session. 'We will continue to pursue tort reform in SB30, however, as we head into the weekend and our final day of session on Monday, June 2,' Esparaza said. HB 4806, is still listed as being in committee in the House. In a blog post from the law firm of Varghese Summersett, which among other activities represents plaintiffs suing trucking companies, the firm summed up the key points in the legislation. It would place caps on economic damages, the firm said. It restricts payouts only to amounts paid by the plaintiffs rather than what was billed by the providers of health care services to the plaintiffs. It makes changes in rules of evidence and also changes various liability standards. A jury must be unanimous in settling on noneconomic standards. There is also a shift in defining interest charges. In a summary of SB30 published by TLS, the organization said the combined SB30/HB 4806 'guides jurors with fair and consistent rules for awarding noneconomic damages, ensuring they are truly compensatory.' Among the provisions in the bill, according to TLS, are that the legislation 'gives jurors understandable definitions of pain and suffering and mental anguish and clear instructions that those damages should be based on the plaintiff's injury — not the defendant's conduct that is unrelated to the incident being litigated — and cannot be used to punish a defendant.' More articles by John Kingston Georgia tort reform aims to change practices in judicial 'hell hole' A Lego approach helps prepare Manhattan Associates' TMS for tariff chaos BMO's Q2 earnings show no improvement in credit conditions for trucking The post Texas bill, a trucking priority for tort reform, dies in House committee appeared first on FreightWaves.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Botched spending measure misses budget deadline
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Lawmakers are trying to figure out how to move forward after a botched spending measure failed to make it to the budgetary deadline last week. One of the issues was a dramatic increase in the amount allocated by the House and then the amount approved by the Senate. The original plan for House Bill 19 allocated more than $200 million for capital projects, including rural road construction. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now With only hours to spare, the Senate voted to increase that amount to more than $300 million. The version was then sent to the House, where leaders thought they didn't have enough time to get it passed. Speaker of the House Jon Patterson said HB 19 wouldn't derail the Legislature's business in the last week of its session. 'I think our relationships with the Senate and Senate leadership are still good,' Patterson said Friday. 'I think we'll continue to work with them. This is all part of the process.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Interview: Mayor Ron Nirenberg closes out eight years
As Mayor Ron Nirenberg prepares to depart the office this summer, he's leaving San Antonio with more affordable housing money, transportation plans, a workforce development program and, most recently, major proposals to bring sports and development downtown. Why it matters: Nirenberg is set to be San Antonio's longest-serving mayor since the 1980s. He's reaching his term limits at a time when a major project proposal to move the Spurs downtown hangs in the balance and when the city faces fluctuations in federal funding. State of play: The city has clashed with the Texas Legislature on local control and lost millions in federal health funding under the Trump administration. Catch up quick: Nirenberg will head back to Trinity University in August to work as a distinguished communications professor. San Antonio's next mayor will be either former Air Force undersecretary Gina Ortiz Jones or former Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos, who are competing in a June 7 runoff election. Both have strong ties to Democratic and Republican party politics, respectively. The big picture: Nirenberg tells Axios he sees his major successes as: Recent expansions of Pre-K 4 SA and the creation of the taxpayer-funded Ready to Work program during the pandemic. Plans for two VIA rapid bus lines, including one that will run from the airport to the Missions, to create something like a mass transit system for San Antonio. The passage of the city's first true affordable housing bond alongside upgraded housing goals. The $2.5 billion overhaul of San Antonio International Airport, which includes a new terminal under construction. We sat down to talk with Nirenberg about recent news affecting the city. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. We're getting into the home stretch of the Texas legislative session. Are there bills out there that give you concern for the city and its residents? State Republicans are "eroding self-governance in local communities, particularly urban communities where public opinion is clearly not on the side of the culture wars they're waging. "There's a bill called HB 19 that would essentially prevent every urban community in the state from issuing debt to support basic infrastructure." How do you personally think a mayor should toe the line between working with state officials and pushing back when you represent a blue city in a red state? "We have a perfectly fine relationship with the state when we're working together on a common cause and when we have reasonable debate. It would be a perverse relationship with the state if the expectation is, when they abuse our citizens, we shut up about it." How should the city position itself heading into future years of the Trump administration? You have cuts to services and jobs that could harm locals and local institutions, and maybe the city budget and certain projects. "We're going to have to continue to get through the rough waters ahead, and that's the concern I have for the next mayor — that these are very challenging times coming up economically. … We're gonna have to triage our priorities and our resources accordingly." Recently, proposals to bring the Missions and Spurs downtown have left some people feeling like downtown will become too expensive for everyday residents. Do you share those concerns? "We've gotten a handle on ensuring there's a proper balance to the housing development in downtown that is a mix of affordability and market rate and everything around that. The reason for getting our fundamentals and getting our priorities straight … is so that we can do the things that major cities do to build quality of life." If the Spurs move downtown, how much do you think the city should contribute or not to a new arena, and what type of fund(s) should it be if the city does contribute? "I believe that visitor taxes are a suitable source. … I do think none of this will happen without significant contributions from the Spurs and from private equity. The reality is this is not going to be coming from residents' property taxes." What advice would you give to San Antonio's next mayor? "Continue to work hand in hand with (city manager) Erik (Walsh) and his team. "This city works best when the mayor and the council are working in partnership with the staff. … It doesn't work so well when elected officials are only interested in scoring political points."
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers passed dozens of bills that add, increase, or enhance criminal penalties. Here's a list.
The Matheson Courthouse in Salt Lake City is pictured on Wednesday, January 3, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Changes to Utah's criminal justice system stood out as a major theme during the 2025 legislative session. Lawmakers held a news conference before the session even started, declaring public safety to be a priority this year. And as the session moved along, more than 100 bills were introduced that deal with law enforcement and public safety. At least 77 bills were introduced that sought to ramp up criminal penalties in Utah, with 43 of them passing and signed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. That includes new criminal offenses — like a bill from Rep. Matt Gwynn, R-Farr West, that makes trafficking fentanyl a standalone crime. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Or bills that impose harsher penalties, create new aggravating factors (which is when a judge can give a longer sentence based on the severity of a crime) and require mandatory minimum sentences — for instance, a law from Rep. Candice Pierucci, R-Herriman, that increases the penalty for human trafficking for sexual exploitation, while imposing a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years. And there were bills that widened the scope of existing crimes — like Clearfield GOP Rep. Karianne Lisonbee's bill to expand the definition of domestic violence in the presence of a child to include strangulation or choking. It's part of a recent trend at Utah's Capitol Hill. In the last five years, lawmakers have passed an average of 40 bills each session that add, increase or enhance criminal penalties — in that same timeframe, they averaged just six bills each session to repeal, decrease or narrow criminal penalties. According to the governor's office, and the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, here's a list of all 43 bills passed by lawmakers and signed by Cox. Many of them were signed last week by Cox, and have an effective date of May 7. HB13, Sexual Extortion Amendments widens the definition of sexual extortion to include 'threatening to distribute a counterfeit intimate image,' which includes a computer-generated or manipulated image or video. HB19, Child Labor Amendments enhances the penalty for repeat child labor violations, starting with a class B misdemeanor for a first offense, a class A misdemeanor for a second offense, and a third-degree felony for three or more violations. HB22, Prostitution Offense Amendments imposes new penalties for people who solicit prostitution from a child, creates the crime of 'entering or remaining in a place of prostitution' and creates new definitions in Utah code regarding sex work. HB38, Criminal Offenses Modifications creates a new offense for recruiting minors to join a street gang, which could be a second- or first-degree felony if a weapon is used to intimidate; increases the metric used when determining loss in retail theft; increases the penalties and widens the scope of sexual extortion; and allows for increased penalties for theft-related crimes if the person was guilty of a similar offense in another state. HB53, Litter Cleanup Amendments makes throwing burning material on a highway (which was previously an infraction) a class C misdemeanor. HB66, Ritual Abuse Amendments creates an aggravating factor for child abuse committed as part of a ritual, defined as using 'ceremonial objects, ceremonial clothing, religious texts, or specific words.' That means a judge can impose a harsher sentence if a perpetrator is found guilty. HB69, Government Records and Information Amendments prohibits a government officer from accessing certain voter information, making it a class B misdemeanor. HB78, Criminal Offenses Amendments increases the penalty for people who knowingly commit aggravated child abuse, raising it from a second-degree felony to a first-degree felony. It also restricts a court from granting probation or a suspended sentence to people guilty of violent crimes like murder, kidnapping or rape, with some exceptions. HB80, Disorderly Conduct Amendments creates a criminal offense called aggravated disorderly conduct on a street or highway, defined as intentionally blocking traffic on a road with a speed limit of at least 40 miles per hour. It's a class B misdemeanor on first offense and class A misdemeanor for a second offense. HB87, Drug Trafficking Amendments creates a new criminal offense for trafficking fentanyl or a fentanyl-related substance. If someone is caught with more than 100 grams of fentanyl, they could be charged with a first-degree felony, with no option for probation or a suspended sentence. HB96, Fraud Amendments changes the scope of defrauding a creditor. If the unpaid balance is less than $10,000, it would be a class A misdemeanor; if it's more than $10,000, it can be enhanced to a third-degree felony. HB105, Criminal Code Modifications makes attempted murder a first-degree felony with a minimum prison term of five years, increases the penalty for a teacher who has a sexual relationship with an adult student to a third-degree felony, and creates a crime called indecent exposure of another individual in public, a class C or B misdemeanor depending on the severity, and a class A misdemeanor if done in front of a child. HB127, Sexual Crime Amendments increases the prison term for sex crimes like rape and forcible sodomy from a minimum of five years to 10 years if the victim is an 'incapacitated individual,' which typically means they have some kind of intellectual disability. HB128, Dangerous Weapon at a School Amendments applies the crime of possessing a dangerous weapon on school premises to a minor. HB148, Child Sexual Abuse Amendments creates an aggravating factor for sex crimes involving children if the perpetrator traveled more than 45 miles from their residence, or paid a child to travel more than 45 miles. An aggravating factor means a judge can impose a harsher sentence. HB183, Noncitizen Restricted Person Amendments makes an immigrant with a pending application for asylum or temporary protected status a restricted person, meaning they cannot purchase or own a firearm. If they do, they could be charged with a second-degree felony. HB190, Motorcycle Amendments prohibits motorcyclists from lane splitting (which is when a motorcycle rides between two lanes while traffic is moving) and performing a wheelie on a highway, which could now result in a suspended license. HB196, Vehicle Traction Amendments creates a traffic infraction for drivers who fail to use specific traction equipment, like snow tires, if required by the Utah Department of Transportation. HB197, Criminal Conduct Amendments widens the crime of enticement of a minor to include all communications with the intent to entice, not just communications with the minor. That means communications with the minor's parents, with the intent to entice, would be criminal. HB199, Substance Use Treatment and Enforcement Amendments touches on a number of issues regarding substance use, including a new offense targeting people who rent buildings for the purpose of drug activity, called maintenance of a drug-involved premises, a second-degree felony. HB207, Sexual Offense Revisions imposes a mandatory minimum sentencing increase of five years each time a person is convicted of a second- or third-degree felony sexual offense; widens the scope of sexual exploitation of a minor to include accessing child sexual abuse material (sometimes referred to as child pornography) with the intent to view; and increases the penalty for aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor 14 years old or older from a second-degree felony to a first-degree felony. HB226, Criminal Amendments makes the maximum sentence for a violent class A misdemeanor 365 days, an increase of one day. Per federal law, a one-year prison or jail sentence automatically initiates deportation proceedings for someone who is not a U.S. citizen, and the bill is intended to facilitate the federal push for more deportations. HB267, Public Sector Labor Union Amendments imposes a class B misdemeanor on public employees who use taxpayer funds for union activity. HB290, Bicycle Lane Safety Amendments creates an infraction for drivers who obstruct or drive on bike lanes or sidewalks. HB312, Criminal Justice Amendments makes a number of procedural changes for jails, including redefining 'habitual offender' and preventing the release of people convicted of drug and violence-related crimes. It also widens the scope of domestic violence in the presence of a child to include strangulation or choking. HB358, Criminal Sexual Conduct Amendments creates a crime called unlawful sexual activity with a child using virtual reality, a third-degree felony, where an adult sexually targets an avatar or video game character that they know belongs to a minor. If the perpetrator is less than 10 years older than the child, it's a third-degree felony. HB405, Human Trafficking Amendments increases the penalty for human trafficking for sexual exploitation, moving it from a second-degree felony to a first-degree felony. It also imposes a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years; if the child victim is less than 14 years old, the minimum sentence is 15 years. HB430, Security and Land Restriction Amendments targets foreign espionage in Utah, specifically on and around military bases, and creates a third-degree felony for anyone who buys land on behalf of a restricted foreign entity (which includes Russia, Iran, China and North Korea). HB478, Brine Mining Amendments creates a class B misdemeanor for anyone who makes a false statement or report related to the Brine Conservation Act, which deals with the drilling and production of lithium, magnesium, bromine and other minerals extracted from salt water. HB505, Homeless Services Revisions creates a class C misdemeanor for unsanctioned camping on state property. SB24, Child Abuse and Torture Amendments creates a new crime called child torture for the most extreme cases of child abuse, a third-degree felony that, with some exceptions, would be punishable by a 10-year minimum sentence. SB55, Unauthorized Use of Residential Real Property Amendments targets illegal squatting, creating a second-degree felony for trespassers who cause more than $1,000 in damage; and a second-degree felony for people who falsely advertise, rent or sell a residential property that isn't theirs. SB68, Child Welfare Worker Protections separates the crime of assault or threat of violence against a child welfare worker into two sections; and makes assaulting or threatening the family of a child welfare worker a class A misdemeanor. SB77, Police Service Animal Amendments expands the current criminal code regarding police canines to include all public safety animals. SB82, Autopsy Photo Amendments creates a class B misdemeanor for anyone who receives a non-public autopsy photograph of a deceased person and shares it. SB90, Mandatory Jail Sentence Amendments requires a judge to impose a mandatory jail or prison sentence for crimes committed by a person who has already been deported, then charged with felony reentry to the U.S. SB144, Sexual Crimes Amendments widens the definition of child sexual abuse material; expands the crime of sexual exploitation of a minor to include accessing child sexual abuse material 'with the intent to view'; and makes aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor over 14 years old a first-degree felony, eliminating a carveout that imposed a lesser, second-degree felony if the victim was a teenager. SB149, Natural Resources Modifications makes a number of changes to Utah code regarding hunting on public land, including creating a class B misdemeanor for operating as a hunting guide without first registering with the state; and a class B misdemeanor for knowingly retaining a guide who isn't registered. SB170, School Discipline Amendments prohibits corporal punishment and seclusion in schools. School employees who violate the law could be charged with unlawful detention or unlawful detention of a minor, a class B misdemeanor. SB195, Transportation Amendments is an omnibus transportation bill that, among other things, expands the scope of certain bicycle-related infractions regarding speed, reckless operation and night usage to include electric unicycles and electric personal assistive mobility devices (often used by people who have difficulty walking or a disability). SB215, Emergency Medical Services Modifications makes it a class B misdemeanor to willfully disobey a cease and desist letter or subpoena from the Utah Bureau of Emergency Medical Services. SB336, Utah Fairpark Area Investment and Restoration District Modifications imposes a class B misdemeanor on any member of the Utah Fairpark Area Investment and Restoration District Board (which governs the area where lawmakers hope to soon see a Major League Baseball stadium) who fails to submit a disclosure statement. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
