Latest news with #HB220
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Yahoo
Bill would penalize Louisiana gun owners if minors access unsecured firearms; most states already have storage laws
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A Louisiana lawmaker is proposing legislation that would make it a crime to improperly store a loaded firearm if a child gains access and causes harm. House Bill 220, authored by state Rep. Matthew Willard (D-New Orleans), would create the crime of unlawful storage of a firearm. The bill targets cases in which a minor gains access to a loaded firearm inside a home or vehicle and either fires it or attempts to injure or kill themselves or someone else. If passed, violators could face up to six months in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. The proposed law includes two key exceptions: It would not apply if the firearm was stolen during an unlawful entry the home or vehicle. such as a burglar. It would also not apply if the child accessed the gun legally and with adult permission, for supervised hunting, sport shooting, or lawful activities. The bill defines 'firearm' broadly to include: Pistols and revolvers. Rifles and shotguns. Machine guns, submachine guns, and black powder weapons Any weapon capable of firing a projectile with explosives Could gunowners face charges if kids access unlocked weapons? State laws differ Louisiana has faced repeated tragedies involving children and unsecured firearms in recent years. In 2024 alone, several young children in Baton Rouge, Brusly, and Hammond accidentally shot themselves after finding loaded guns, with some incidents resulting in death. One high-profile case involved a Baton Rouge mother, Arieana Scott, whose four-year-old son fatally shot himself after finding a loaded handgun in their home. Scott was later charged with negligent homicide and other offenses after an investigation revealed unsecured firearms and evidence of drug activity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, unintentional injury is a leading cause of death among U.S. children and adolescents, with firearms among the most common injury methods. A July 2024 analysis by RAND Corporation found that 27 states and Washington, D.C. have laws making it illegal to negligently store firearms. Another nine states only make it illegal to 'recklessly provide firearms to children.' Louisiana currently has no law specifically criminalizing negligent firearm storage around minors. HB220 is currently pending in the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee. Parts of pedestrian bridge near Belle of Baton Rouge Casino underwater Falling vaccine rates could mean millions of measles cases: Study Central School Board Seeks voter approval for $35 million bond to improve school infrastructure Trump asks if NFL owners are 'stupid' for passing on Shedeur Sanders in draft Shedeur Sanders snubbed in NFL draft's Round 1 but leads list of top available players for Day 2 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
13-02-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Advocates push for bill that would remove trash incineration from Maryland's renewable energy portfolio
Some Maryland leaders and sustainability advocates are pushing for legislation that would remove trash incineration from the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and use the funds for sustainable alternative forms of renewable energy. It comes after a South Baltimore community filed a complaint with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over concerns about toxic chemicals coming from a trash incinerator. The Reclaim Renewable Energy Act, or HB220, would instead prioritize energy that comes from a Tier 1 renewable source, including solar, wind and geothermal energy. Energy derived from the ocean or from methane produced from decomposing organic materials in landfills or wastewater plants would also be prioritized. Under the bill, Tier 1 renewable sources would be eligible to be included in the state's RPS no matter when the system or facility was created. Renewable sources would also be eligible if they are generated at a dam that was built as of January 2004. However, the sources would only be eligible if they are connected to the electric distribution grid that serves Maryland or if they process wastewater from state residents. If the owner of a solar energy system moves to sell renewable energy credits, they would have to first offer to sell the credits to an electricity supplier or electric company to be applied toward compliance with the portfolio standards. "Trash incineration has devastating environmental and public health impacts, disproportionately affecting frontline communities like those in Baltimore City. The Reclaim Renewable Energy Act represents a critical step in Maryland's transition to Zero Waste, ensuring state resources support genuinely renewable energy solutions," advocates said. Trash incineration in Baltimore In May 2024, a South Baltimore nonprofit filed a civil rights complaint after residents raised concerns about inhaling toxic chemicals. Neighbors told WJZ they wanted the trash burning to stop, saying the toxic chemicals they were inhaling impacted their health and quality of life. They further called on Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and the Department of Public Works to send the trash elsewhere. The complaint, filed by the South Baltimore Community Land Trust, alleged that the city's Ten Year Solid Waste Management Plan does not do enough to divert trash from the BRESCO incinerator on Russell Street. In the complaint, the group said the toxic chemicals produced by the plant disproportionally impact Black and Hispanic residents in South Baltimore. "Our allegations are not that diversion is absent from the complaint but that it is not supported, and it is not fulfilled in a manner that would allow it to actually happen, to be actually implemented," said Taylor Lilley, an attorney with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and representing the South Baltimore Community Land Trust. By July 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it would investigate the site. "The EPA is investigating this as a possible civil rights issue because there's a lot of people of color and lower-income people that are breathing in this particulate matter, mercury, and other very dangerous pollutants from the Baltimore trash incinerator," said Tom Pelton, spokesperson for the Environmental Integrity Project. At the time, Washington, D.C.- based nonprofit, The Environmental Integrity Project, said the announcement was promising, but added they would like to see the city move away from trash burning altogether.
