Latest news with #HB455
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida animal abusers may soon show up on a statewide list. What to know about SB 494
In 2015, an Ocala man pleaded guilty to three counts of cruelty to animals after stabbing and beating his then-girlfriend's dog, Molly, the previous year. The dog suffered a fractured skull and three stab wounds to the head. Molly survived and became the namesake of Molly's Law, an ordinance adopted in Marion County that established a public registry listing people convicted in the county of animal cruelty-related crimes to allow residents, pet sellers and rescue organizations to make sure they are not placing an animal with an animal abuser. A bill in this year's legislative session would make a similar registry statewide, much like the sex offender registry. 'Most notably, such access is critical to animal adoption organizations to ensure that perpetrators are disqualified as recipients of animals seeking placement,' said Sen. Tom Leek, R-St. Augustine, who filed the bill in the Senate. Molly, an American boxer mix who became a beloved ambassador for animal rights, died in 2023 at the age of 15. SB 494, Animal Cruelty is very short. It simply adds this requirement to state animal cruelty laws: "Beginning January 1, 2026, the Department of Law Enforcement shall post on its website, in a searchable format prescribed by the department, the names of those individuals who have been convicted of, or who have entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, a violation of this section." An identical bill, HB 455, was filed in the House by Rep. Meg Weinberger, R-Palm Beach Gardens. It doesn't go quite as far as Molly's Law, which also fines offenders an extra amount to cover the costs of the registry, requires them to notify the county if they move or change their name, and blocks them from owning or working with animals or living in the same residence as one. There are currently 11 or 12 Florida counties with animal abuse registries, SPCA of Ocala President Lilly Baron (and the person who adopted Molly) told but they are not consistent, with different data and different periods of time for offenders to stay listed. Florida dogfighting law: Florida man gets 7 years for dogfighting. What is Florida, federal law? How to spot signs Hillsborough County started one just before Marion did. Volusia County added one after Ponce's Law — named after a 9-month-old Labrador puppy was beaten to death in Ponce Inlet — strengthened the severity of animal-abuse-related crimes and allowed judges to bar people convicted of animal cruelty from owning pets. 'The registry is the thing that's going to be the kicker, make the difference throughout the state," Baron said. Leek also filed SB 502, which would strengthen penalties of anyone convicted of animal cruelty toward a domestic animal as a primary offense. In 2018, he was the primary sponsor of the House version of Ponce's Law. According to Florida statutes: It's a first-degree misdemeanor to unnecessarily overload, overdrive, torment, starve, mutilate, or kill any animal, or to carry them in a cruel or inhumane manner, punishable by up to a year in prison and/or a fine of up to $5,000. A person who intentionally excessively or repeatedly hurts an animal or kills one, or has custody or control of the animal and fails to prevent excessive pain or death, commits animal cruelty, a felony of the third degree, punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000. If the person is found to have intentionally tortured or tormented the animal leading to injuries, mutilation or death must pay a minimum mandatory fine of $2,500 and undergo psychological counseling or complete an anger management treatment program on first offense. On second or subsequent offenses, it's a minimum mandatory fine of $5,000 and a minimum mandatory six months in prison without eligibility of parole. A person committing multiple acts of cruelty on an animal, or acts of cruelty on multiple animals, may be charged for each individual offense. It's a third-degree felony to intentionally trip, fell, rope or lasso the legs of a horse for entertainment or sport purposes. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida animal cruelty registry bill would be similar to Molly's Law
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
With reduced scholarship for homeschool students, Utah Fits All update poised to become law
Students work in an art class at Wasatch Junior High School in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) With about 80% of school choice voucher recipients being homeschooled in the Utah Fits All program's first year, the Utah Legislature has passed a bill restricting funding for extracurriculars and decreasing awards for students learning at home. HB455, sponsored by Rep. Candice Pierucci, R-Herriman, was updated in the Senate Education Committee last week to reduce the amount that homeschool students can receive, bringing down the $8,000 annual scholarship. Now, homeschooled Utah Fits All students 5 to 11 years old would have access to $4,000 a year, while those 12 to 18 years old could get $6,000. Private school students are still eligible for $8,000 a year to help cover their tuition or other expenses. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'We made that change,' Pierucci said on the House floor on Monday. 'It will open up a minimum $16 million in the current existing appropriation, so that that money can be reallocated to more students.' The bill passed both the House and the Senate and now only awaits the governor's signature. In a public hearing, many spoke against the change in scholarship amounts. Madeline Ogborn, who has two children in the program, said it would be devastating to lose 50% of her budget to educate them. 'We're, I guess, confused, disappointed, worried about being treated equally,' she said, adding that she has tried to be thoughtful about her expenses, but still, one of her students is already over that $4,000 limit for this school year, she said. However, Pierucci defended the scholarship amount cut, arguing that while she acknowledges that homeschool learning can work in many ways, with different expenses, she heard concerns about the program encouraging 'frivolous spending' with the $8,000 amount. She struggled with the cut, she said, because it could send a message that homeschooling is 'less than.' But, the change is to allow more students into the program. The school choice scholarship, which detractors call 'school vouchers,' has been controversial and even faces a challenge in court with a lawsuit questioning its constitutionality. But, it has also been highly sought after in the state, with a lengthy waitlist of those vying to get state dollars for education expenses including private school tuition and fees, homeschooling, tutoring services, testing fees, materials and other expenses. Pierucci said lowering the scholarship amount could potentially allow some of the more than 17,000 students on the waitlist to get into the program. And, more Utah students may also have access to the money in the coming year, as a new request for appropriations was included in the state's budget recommendation for the 2025 fiscal year, leaving some Democratic lawmakers frustrated. Currently the Utah Fits All is allocated $82.5 million in taxpayer funding a year, used to serve about 10,000 students. A request to almost double that amount was met halfway in the budget, which adds $40 million more in ongoing money for the program. The legislation also establishes more guardrails and clear guidelines for the program manager, strengthening residence requirements and adjusting the priority for families with an income from 200% of the federal poverty level to 300%, 'to make sure we're truly capturing low income and middle class families before it is available to all families in Utah,' Pierucci said. It also includes a provision that has been very unpopular among recipients — a 20% cap for extracurriculars and physical education, and the clear exclusion of ski passes, furniture, musical instruments, apparel and others from the allowable expenses. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Changes being made to the Utah Fits All program
This school year is the official first year of the Utah Fits All Scholarship, which was a created by state lawmakers in 2023. After audits and feedback, lawmakers have worked to make changes to improve the program. The Utah Fits All program provides scholarships for private school and home-based education. This year there were 10,000 scholarship recipients with 17,000 on the waitlist. HB455, sponsored by Rep. Candice Pierucci, R-Herriman, would change how much money is allotted to certain students, add residency and income standards and set stricter parameters around how the program is administered. 'I firmly believe that you can support a robust public education system while also empowering parents and students through school choice,' Pierucci said. 'We empower parents with tools to tailor their child's education to better meet their needs.' The bill passed unanimously through the House on Monday and will now be sent to the Senate. The bill's Senate floor sponsor is Sen. Kirk Cullimore, R-Draper. 'I appreciate the changes this year, because, as we know, there are growing pains with every new policy and program that we start here at the Legislature, and there's certainly been growing pains in this program,' said Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, R-Clearfield. Pierucci said the program came with some unintended consequences that her bill is meant to fix. Not everyone is in favor of the program itself. Rep. Carl Albrecht, R-Richfield, said he was a no vote on the bill to create the program but said he is in favor of the improvements that are being made to the program through HB455. 'I think whether you're a fan of the program or not, I think everybody could get behind tightening up the program, ensuring that it's running as responsibly as possible,' Cullimore said. Pierucci said that in the original bill, discretion was given to the program manager to establish guidelines on what qualified as an educational expense. 'Quite frankly, they just have not made those hard lines that I would think they should have. So that's why we're coming in now in code.' The bill does not change the amount of money that is allocated to the program. 'It takes an awful lot of integrity to recognize that a program that you care a lot about and make a lot of effort in getting started up has some flaws, and I appreciate the sponsor for being willing to take those criticisms and those critiques and coming back with solutions,' said Rep. Norman Thurston, R-Provo. Pierucci said she worked with stakeholders to make changes that work for everyone, but said there are some people who were upset by the guardrails being put in place. 'I think this program is about trusting the parents to do what's best for their kids. But, anytime you're dealing with taxpayer money, we've got to ensure that's being used responsibly. And sometimes you've got to come to consensus on that. You can't just do what you think is best and without any accountability,' Cullimore said. The bill would strengthen the residency requirements for scholarship recipients, making sure the money only goes to Utah residents. There are also changes that would be made to the income verification process. HB455 would also set limits for the amount of the scholarship that can be spent on extracurricular activities and physical education. Fine arts and music classes are a part of core education so they do not fall under the extracurricular activities category. There would also be adjustments made to the application dates and to the way families are notified that they will be receiving the scholarship. With the changes, the same amount would be available for private school families, but they are adjusting the scholarship amount for homeschool families. The amount for elementary school students would be $4,000 and the amount for middle school and high school students would be $6,000 a year. Pierucci said that 80% of this year's scholarship recipients are home-based learners and 20% are students in private schools. Pierucci said they are also changing the way the application works. The first tier of applicants would include those with a lower income and they would have higher priority. Oversight responsibility of the program would also shift from a third party to the department of financial information. HB192, sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost, D-Salt Lake City, would make changes to what scholarship money cannot be spent on. The bill would clarify that scholarship money cannot go toward costs related to sports, recreational activities or athletic programs. Any other expenses that are already available to the student through their local education agency or another public program, regardless of their status as a scholarship student, would also not count as scholarship expenses.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A cap in extracurriculars and no more skiing under new Utah Fits All proposal
About 80% of Utah Fits All scholarship recipients are homeschoolers and the remaining 20% use the funds for private school, according to Rep. Candice Pierucci, R-Herriman. (Photo) The Utah Fits All Scholarship program may tighten its requirements and guidelines on how Utah families can use their educational voucher dollars during the 2025 legislative session. But, with those new restrictions may also come more funding. The program, created in 2023, has now been effective for a year, giving lawmakers an idea of what tweaks need to be made to make it sustainable. This year, Rep. Candice Pierucci, R-Herriman is sponsoring HB455, a bill strengthening the requirements for the program and establishing limits for extracurricular and physical education expenses. To the dismay of some of the parents whose kids benefit from the program, if HB455 passes, the scholarship won't cover ski passes or lift tickets, or chaperone expenses for field trips. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The House Education Committee voted unanimously to move the bill to the House Floor for its consideration. 'This bill really works to create guardrails around expenses and program management, clears up confusion on the policy and implementation and management, and really works to create stability and structure to the program for success moving forward,' Pierucci told the committee. About 80% of scholarship recipients are homeschoolers and the remaining 20% use the funds for private school, putting Utah in a unique position compared to other 'school choice' programs across the country, she said. While families of all incomes can apply to Utah Fits All, there are income preferences in place, and HB455 makes clear the state will take into consideration the household's income, not just an individual. The proposal also allows the state to verify that recipients' primary addresses are in Utah and puts specific requirements for program managers. But what caused the most concern among the program's advocates who spoke in the public comment period was the new expense limit — physical education and extracurriculars each cannot exceed 20% of the full $8,000 scholarships. Judge hears arguments in case alleging Utah's 'school choice' program is unconstitutional Ray Ward, a parent of two Utah Fits All recipients, said that homeschooling restored her kids' confidence after experiencing a tough time in the public school system. While she supports the bill's enhanced guardrails, she urged lawmakers to reconsider the caps on extracurriculars. 'Public school students have unrestricted access to elective sports and clubs, only limited by their schedules. Homeschoolers deserve the same flexibility,' she said. 'The less I spend on a subject, the more labor I take on as the primary teacher. A lower cost does not mean less emphasis. It means more of my time.' Jennifer McClellan, who has three children in the program, said the bill would have an impact on parents' curriculum choices. 'As a homeschool parent, we have the right to choose our curriculum for our child. So defining what is extracurricular seems like something that just can't really be done. How can the state define what we feel is curricular for our children?' she said. Arts, music and languages are part of core standards, Pierucci said, so these wouldn't be considered extracurricular activities. She also reminded the committee that the cap is a compromise, since there has been a lot of pushback to eliminate extracurriculars altogether. The Utah Fits All program has been controversial among the education community. It has even been challenged in court by the Utah Education Association, the state's large teacher union, arguing that the program takes much-needed funds away from public schools. 'When I initially ran this bill, I feel like I made a commitment to make sure that we were good stewards of taxpayer dollars,' Pierucci said. 'And I think that this bill moves us in the right direction of allowing innovation, education and customization, while also being responsible for the funding structure.' While there are some similar state-funded scholarships, Utah is a bit unique because most recipients are homeschooled, Cullimore told reporters on Monday. 'I think there's just been some confusion for the program manager on what's appropriate. So the cleanup bill just establishes better parameters for that, and says what extracurricular things can be done,' he said. When looking at the expense data, Cullimore said, close to 80% of the funds for homeschoolers were used to cover curriculum costs. About 10% went to educational supplies and 'far less than 10%' was for extracurricular activities. Utah teachers, stretched by stress and student behavior, are asking for more funding Cullimore made an ongoing appropriation request of $80 million, which would provide scholarships to 10,000 more students. That's on top of the $82.5 million in annual taxpayer funding. 'We have 27,000 applicants, so another $80 million doesn't even fund the full waiting list. But like I said, it's a tight budget year. We put the request out there. It's likely to come down, maybe substantially come down,' Cullimore said. But that's still part of the budget negotiations, he said. When asked whether Pierucci's bill acknowledges a lack of accountability on the scholarships expenses, Cullimore stood in defense of the program, arguing that every expense has been registered. 'When we hear about the accountability argument, most of the time they're talking about educational accountability, which, we can talk about the philosophical differences there and trusting parents and families to know what's best for their kids' education,' Cullimore said. 'But as far as the finances, that's pretty transparent.' Senate Minority Whip Karen Kwan, D-West Valley City, said that every time the state takes money out of public education, it hurts schools, families and teachers. 'To put an additional $80 million will further exacerbate some of the issues that were happening in our local schools,' Kwan said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
