Latest news with #HB221
American Press
03-05-2025
- Automotive
- American Press
Jim Beam column:Vehicle inspections to continue
Louisiana motorists don't much care for vehicle inspections but a state legislator's five-year effort to end them has failed again.(Photo courtesy of Louisiana Rep. Larry Bagley is like the Energizer battery 'bunny that keeps on ticking.' The Republican from Stonewall lost his fifth effort Monday to try and eliminate the state's vehicle inspections and the odds are that he will try again. Two other bills affecting Louisiana motorists are enjoying more success. One raises the fine for slow drivers who stay in the left lane too long. The other, if approved, would eliminate, except in school zones, all speed and red light cameras used to catch drivers who are violating traffic laws. The House Transportation Committee voted 6-5 to defer Bagley's House Bill 232. Three of the five votes for the bill were cast by GOP Reps. Ryan Bourrique of Grand Lake, chairman of the committee, Rodney Schamerhorn of Hornbeck and Phillip Tarver of Lake Charles. The Center Square reported that Bagley argues that the current inspection system is outdated, ineffective and ripe for abuse. Under current law, passenger cars, trailers and low-speed vehicles must display valid safety inspection stickers issued by the state. Bagley's bill would have only kept inspections for commercial and student transportation vehicles. Bagley's 2024, 2020, 2019 and 2017 bills never got far. The 2019 bill got out of committee but died on the House calendar before a final vote. Louisiana State Police have received some of the $10 cost of annual inspections and that has always been a problem for Bagley. However, he had a solution this year with HB 221 that would have levied a $10 motor vehicle inspection tax. The state Office of Motor Vehicles that handles inspections would have received $1.25 of the $10. State Police would have received $4 for training police officers and $4.75 for traffic enforcement. Radio 710KEEL in Shreveport quoted Bagley who said, 'What I'm going to do is add $10 a year to the registration fee, which is what you would pay anyway, but you won't have to go down and keep up with the inspection sticker. And if you get caught without one (inspection sticker), it's $200.' Only 13 states don't require regular safety, emissions or VIN inspections for vehicles owned by residents, according to They are Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Florida, Washington and Wyoming. I watched the committee debate at the Legislature. I'm guessing that the woman who testified that there are 500 inspection stations in Louisiana may have given legislators a major reason for opposing Bagley's bill. That is all that many of those stations do. State Sen. Jay Luneau, D-Alexandria, is sponsor of SB 11 that raises the fine of slow drivers who stay in the left lane from $100 to $150 on first offense, and the fine increases for additional offenses within a year. The bill cleared the Senate 35-3 and is in the House. Sen. Stewart Cathey Jr., R-Monroe, is sponsor of SB 99 that started out clarifying that public officials violating traffic camera regulations constitutes malfeasance in office. However, the Senate didn't object to an amendment by Sen. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport. The bill then passed the Senate 32-6. The amendment eliminates all speed enforcement devices except for those used in school zones during specified hours. And it prohibits the use of red light cameras in Louisiana. The legislation also mandates clear signage that indicates the presence of automated speed enforcement devices and mobile speed cameras. Local authorities that sponsor those devices and cameras would also have to disclose revenue from the devices. Traffic law violators usually get mail notices that they have been photographed and Cathey's bill requires local authorities to establish an administrative hearing process for appealing citations. Legislators have tried many times to do away with all of the traffic monitoring devices but have been unsuccessful. Whether they will accept Cathey's bill in the House the way it has been amended remains to be seen. KEEL News asked Cathey about revenue from traffic monitoring devices and he called them 'a huge money grab for many towns.' Cathey said Clayton, Louisiana, got $21,000 in traffic fines in 2022 but in 2023 after speed cameras were installed the town took in almost $500,000. Vehicle inspections are questionable government operations. However, they do improve traffic safety. Whether members of the House will accept Cathey's bill the way it has been amended remains to be seen. Whatever happens, look for Bagley to be back next year. Jim Beam, the retired editor of the American Press, has covered people and politics for more than six decades. Contact him at 337-515-8871 or Reply Forward Add reaction
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
NM Legislative Recap Feb. 27: Preserving joy in human expression
Jono Manson isn't your typical expert witness seen at the New Mexico Legislature. (Photo by Austin Fisher / Source NM) Meet Jono Manson: musician, audio engineer, producer – and expert witness on the human soul. Manson provided testimony on House Bill 221, which would regulate the use of artificial intelligence to create a digital replica of an artist's voice or likeness, and prohibit such use without their consent and compensation. The nature of lawmaking often relegates the role of expert to wonks: economists, attorneys and the like. But it was Mason who joined the bill's sponsor, Rep. Tara Lujan (D-Santa Fe), to testify before lawmakers on the bill during a hearing before the House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee last week. 'It's difficult enough for us, as artists, to chase after the royalties that are due to us from the work we actually have created, without also having to also chase after work that's being created in our likeness without our consent,' he told Source NM. In an interview on Thursday, Manson said the issue of digital replicas is a matter of economic justice for everyday musicians being underpaid and exploited by streaming platforms, of countering plagiarism and even of what constitutes art and human expression. 'What makes human beings special and unique among all the species living and now extinct who've walked this planet?' he said. 'Part of that is our ability to express ourselves through these various forms of expression. If we're choosing to give up that control, then it in a sense makes us, in my opinion, less human.' HB221 isn't designed to protect only pop stars or people whose faces and voices we instantly recognize, Manson said, but the vast majority of working musicians who try to make a living performing and recording music. Manson runs The Kitchen Sink, a recording studio in Santa Fe. Manson said Feb. 21 was the first time he had ever testified in front of a legislative committee. He said he hosts the annual New Mexico district advocate meeting for Recording Academy, where he has advocated for legislation related to creatives in the music field. Manson said while he doesn't know if his voice or likeness has been replicated, technology is advancing faster than legislation can keep up, and he's sure it's already happening to others. For example, applications exist that allow a producer to make a digital replica of a studio singer's voice, then make that replica sing whatever words they feed it, with whatever melody, inflection or volume they choose, on any subsequent record they want, he said. 'If there's no law prohibiting me from doing that, then I can do it without paying her to do it, which would put her out of work,' Manson said. 'I don't do it because I'm opposed to it and plus, I find joy in human interaction.' The bill passed the committee with Republicans in opposition, and awaits a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The House of Representatives voted 40-26 in favor of House Bill 260, which would prohibit some kinds of physical restraints of students in schools, including chemical restraint, mechanical restraint, prone restraint and seclusion without continuous line-of-sight supervision. At press time on Thursday, the House was debating House Bill 252, which would create a three-year pilot program in five counties that would provide services or referrals, including legal representation, public assistance and economic support, to grandparents raising grandchildren and other kinship caregivers. In the upper chamber, lawmakers passed a bill to strengthen the state's powers on water pollution Wednesday evening. During Thursday's session, the Senate voted 31-7 on Senate Bill 38, which would create an Office of Special Education in the Public Education Department. The Senate voted 34-3 on a substitute version of Senate Bill 115, which would authorize the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority to loan money for infrastructure and community development projects. The Senate voted unanimously in favor Senate Bill 280, which would make the New Mexico Military Institute eligible for public school capital outlay funding; Senate Bill 283, which would require the Children, Youth and Families Department to apply for federal benefits on behalf of children in its custody; Senate Bill 7, which would allow municipalities to manage stormwater runoff as a utility; and Senate Joint Resolution 11, which would allow school boards to have bond elections during general elections. The Senate, without debate, voted unanimously in favor of Senate Bill 343, which would strike a single line in the law that some school districts have interpreted in order to deny teachers a minimum salary for doing career and technical education; and Senate Bill 202, which would streamline agency processes, investment management, and conflicts of law. A bill creating a Turquoise Alert, similar to a Silver Alert or an Amber Alert, passed a Senate Committee on Thursday afternoon. The bill compels the state Department of Public Safety to issue alerts for Indigenous people reported missing, an effort to increase awareness and stem the tide of missing and murdered Indigenous people in New Mexico. The House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee approved a bill that would ban single-use plastic bags, which now heads to House Commerce and Economic Development. The Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee tabled a proposal that encouraged state fund managers to invest savings into Bitcoin. On Thursday morning, the Senate Conservation Committee passed a substitute version of Senate Bill 358, which would create a trust fund to pay for horse rescues and homeless horses; and Senate Bill 469, which would set aside $15 million to remove hazard trees near power transmission lines of the Mora-San Miguel Electric Cooperative. The Senate Finance Committee unanimously passed Senate Bill 199, which would move more liquor excise tax revenues to the Department of Finance and Administration and less to local governments; and voted 7-3 in favor on Senate Joint Resolution 3, which would create an elected 11-member state school board. In a hearing on Wednesday night, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed Senate Bill 57, which would create an exemption for public sector abortion providers in the state's sunshine law; Senate Bill 299, which would require a resigning lawmaker to notify county commissioners in their district about their seat becoming vacant; and Senate Bill 319, which would require all drivers to carry uninsured and underinsured motorist insurance for their vehicles. Reporter Patrick Lohmann contributed reporting to this story. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill requiring medical students to stay in Hawaii dies in House
A Senate bill remains alive that would require University of Hawaii medical school students to remain in Hawaii for two years after they complete their residencies, but the House version has died. House Bill 221 and Senate Bill 101 would require students who pay in-state tuition to attend UH's John A. Burns School of Medicine to work in Hawaii for two years after their residencies or fellowships. If they don't, they would have to pay the state the difference between their in-state tuition and the cost, nearly double, of nonresident tuition : $36, 372 for each academic year, compared with $71, 328. The bills are just one part of the ongoing effort to retain health care workers across the islands and keep them from leaving for the mainland—especially in a state that needs hundreds of more doctors. But Rep. Andrew Takuya Garrett (D, Manoa )—who chairs the House Higher Education Committee—called HB 221 and SB 101 'misguided ' and 'flawed.' Although he said he understands the desire to fill the demand for health care workers, Garrett said both bills would have 'unintended consequences.' Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. According to Garrett, the requirement of a two-year commitment could deter enrollment at JABSOM and punish local doctors-in-training who cannot find residences in their specialized fields and force them to relocate to the mainland where there are more opportunities. Both bills were referred to their respective higher education and money committees in the Senate and House. Garrett has killed HB 221 this session. 'I'm not planning on hearing the bill, ' Garrett told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Monday. 'This bill, if I don't send it to FIN (Finance ) by this Friday, the bill is dead—and I have not scheduled it for a hearing. We'll see if the Senate bill comes over.' 'I understand what they're trying to do, but the way they're going about it is all wrong, ' Garrett said. 'We all recognize there's a terrible shortage. But these kind of mandates have the effect of making JABSOM less desirable.' Garrett shares JABSOM's desire to increase the number of students it can accept for each year's incoming classes, and hopes the Legislature provides more funding for additional instructors to accommodate bigger numbers. At the same time, he supports JABSOM's effort to expand residencies and specialties in local hospitals to train more local doctors, offer them more professional opportunities and give them reasons to stay to take care of local patients. No one had submitted testimony on HB 221 as of Monday. The Senate Higher Education Committee passed out SB 101 last week. It's now waiting to be scheduled for a hearing before the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Johnnie-Mae L. Perry submitted a one-sentence, written testimony in support of SB 101 and said JABSOM graduates should be required to stay in Hawaii even longer. 'Five (5 ) years commitment instead of 2 years as (proposed ), ' Perry wrote. Carol Linde said in her written testimony, 'We have a scary shortage of doctors in Hawaii, especially in rural areas. I can often see the difference in the quality of experience between doctors who understand what it means to live in and love Hawaii and those who do not. I believe this initiative is a good way to encourage more local students to make their home and grow their practice here in Hawaii, for the betterment of the whole community.' And the Hawaii Primary Care Association submitted testimony that it 'believes that requiring graduates who benefited from receiving their medical education at reduced costs to serving in Hawaii for a period after residency or fellowship is not only appropriate but desperately needed given how urgent the workforce shortage is for qualified physicians in the State.' But Stephen Hazam called the Senate version 'a misguided effort to solve the problem of a lack of health care professionals. This will only reduce the number of Hawaii residents studying medicine in Hawaii, which is counterproductive. If they don't (choose ) to practice in Hawaii, this is unlikely to change their mind.' And Garrett shares the concerns of JABSOM Dean Sam Shomaker, Associate Dean Lee Buenconsejo-Luma and Michael Bruno, UH Manoa's provost. They wrote in opposition to SB 101 that requiring graduates to remain in Hawaii for two years after medical school and their residencies 'may be daunting for most applicants. This could discourage individuals from attending JABSOM, negatively affecting the number of applicants, especially residents. 'Typically, ' they wrote, 'medical education takes four years to complete. After earning their M.D. degree, students must undergo a graduate medical education (GME ) residency program, which involves three to five years of training in their chosen specialty. … Furthermore, students or residents wishing to further sub-specialize need additional fellowship training, which lasts from one to four years, before they can become board-certified in that sub-specialty.'
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill requiring medical students to stay in isles dies in House
A Senate bill remains alive that would require University of Hawaii medical school students to remain in Hawaii for two years after they complete their residencies, but the House version has died. House Bill 221 and Senate Bill 101 would require students who pay in-state tuition to attend UH's John A. Burns School of Medicine to work in Hawaii for two years after their residencies or fellowships. If they don't, they would have to pay the state the difference between their in-state tuition and the cost, nearly double, of nonresident tuition : $36, 372 for each academic year, compared with $71, 328. The bills are just one part of the ongoing effort to retain health care workers across the islands and keep them from leaving for the mainland—especially in a state that needs hundreds of more doctors. But Rep. Andrew Takuya Garrett (D, Manoa )—who chairs the House Higher Education Committee—called HB 221 and SB 101 'misguided ' and 'flawed.' Although he said he understands the desire to fill the demand for health care workers, Garrett said both bills would have 'unintended consequences.' Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. According to Garrett, the requirement of a two-year commitment could deter enrollment at JABSOM and punish local doctors-in-training who cannot find residences in their specialized fields and force them to relocate to the mainland where there are more opportunities. Both bills were referred to their respective higher education and money committees in the Senate and House. Garrett has killed HB 221 this session. 'I'm not planning on hearing the bill, ' Garrett told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Monday. 'This bill, if I don't send it to FIN (Finance ) by this Friday, the bill is dead—and I have not scheduled it for a hearing. We'll see if the Senate bill comes over.' 'I understand what they're trying to do, but the way they're going about it is all wrong, ' Garrett said. 'We all recognize there's a terrible shortage. But these kind of mandates have the effect of making JABSOM less desirable.' Garrett shares JABSOM's desire to increase the number of students it can accept for each year's incoming classes, and hopes the Legislature provides more funding for additional instructors to accommodate bigger numbers. At the same time, he supports JABSOM's effort to expand residencies and specialties in local hospitals to train more local doctors, offer them more professional opportunities and give them reasons to stay to take care of local patients. No one had submitted testimony on HB 221 as of Monday. The Senate Higher Education Committee passed out SB 101 last week. It's now waiting to be scheduled for a hearing before the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Johnnie-Mae L. Perry submitted a one-sentence, written testimony in support of SB 101 and said JABSOM graduates should be required to stay in Hawaii even longer. 'Five (5 ) years commitment instead of 2 years as (proposed ), ' Perry wrote. Carol Linde said in her written testimony, 'We have a scary shortage of doctors in Hawaii, especially in rural areas. I can often see the difference in the quality of experience between doctors who understand what it means to live in and love Hawaii and those who do not. I believe this initiative is a good way to encourage more local students to make their home and grow their practice here in Hawaii, for the betterment of the whole community.' And the Hawaii Primary Care Association submitted testimony that it 'believes that requiring graduates who benefited from receiving their medical education at reduced costs to serving in Hawaii for a period after residency or fellowship is not only appropriate but desperately needed given how urgent the workforce shortage is for qualified physicians in the State.' But Stephen Hazam called the Senate version 'a misguided effort to solve the problem of a lack of health care professionals. This will only reduce the number of Hawaii residents studying medicine in Hawaii, which is counterproductive. If they don't (choose ) to practice in Hawaii, this is unlikely to change their mind.' And Garrett shares the concerns of JABSOM Dean Sam Shomaker, Associate Dean Lee Buenconsejo-Luma and Michael Bruno, UH Manoa's provost. They wrote in opposition to SB 101 that requiring graduates to remain in Hawaii for two years after medical school and their residencies 'may be daunting for most applicants. This could discourage individuals from attending JABSOM, negatively affecting the number of applicants, especially residents. 'Typically, ' they wrote, 'medical education takes four years to complete. After earning their M.D. degree, students must undergo a graduate medical education (GME ) residency program, which involves three to five years of training in their chosen specialty. … Furthermore, students or residents wishing to further sub-specialize need additional fellowship training, which lasts from one to four years, before they can become board-certified in that sub-specialty.'
