Latest news with #HB5
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A year after criminalizing street camping, KY has more homelessness as root causes go unaddressed
A tent where a homeless person lived is seen in a snowy camp on Dec. 23, 2022 in Louisville. (Photo by) On July 15, 2024, House Bill 5 went into effect and made Kentucky one of the first states in the country to criminalize street camping. One year later, we're left with a chilling legacy: hundreds of citations, growing mistrust of outreach efforts, worsening homelessness, and a question that still hangs heavy. Why did we let this happen? According to statewide data, more than 425 charges for unlawful camping have been filed across 30 Kentucky counties. That is more than one citation a day, overwhelmingly targeting unhoused people just for trying to survive. The largest share, 42%, was issued in Jefferson County, followed by Fayette (13.5%), Boyd (12%), and Daviess counties (7.4%). But these aren't just numbers. These are fellow Kentuckians trying to get by. Among them are: A man was cited and moved along after being woken up by police kicking his feet as he slept under a viaduct. A woman arrested while changing clothes in a parking garage during a heatwave was taken to jail without pants. She was later released, still without pants. A pregnant woman was cited while in active labor. Her story made national headlines. She has housing now, but it did not come from city services, it came from community care. A man cited multiple times, stuck in a cycle of court dates and jail, desperate for help that never comes. This law has not ended or even decreased homelessness. Statewide, numbers show a 10% increase. Homelessness jumps again in Kentucky as Trump administration moves to cut housing funds Daily 'caravan sweeps' in places like Louisville's Portland neighborhood give people five minutes to gather their only possessions — medications, documents, court papers, — before bulldozers and police trucks roll in to destroy their shelter and take what little they have to a dump. Legal identification, birth certificates, prescriptions, everything they have managed to hold on to, discarded without compassion. Without ID, people cannot get housing, cannot get services, can't get help. This is active harm. This is active cruelty. This is an active cycle. This is the truth about HB5. Even more disturbing, some of these citations come with promises of treatment or shelter that never materialize. Instead, people are met with citations, jail cells or court dates they cannot make, leading to bench warrants and deeper entanglement in the criminal legal system. Street outreach workers and advocates call this what it is: cruelty masquerading as a policy solution. One year in, we've seen what this bill delivers: more fear, more displacement, and a widening gap between the people who need help and the services trying to reach them. The word 'outreach' itself is now so mistrusted that some service providers must introduce themselves by name, just to avoid being mistaken for the police. Kentuckians deserve better than this. We can be better than this. We cannot arrest our way out of poverty. We cannot bulldoze our way to safety. And we cannot claim moral leadership while treating the unhoused with contempt and cruelty. What works is not criminalization. What works is affordable housing. Permanent supportive housing has a 97% success rate right here in Kentucky. Non-congregate shelters with trauma-informed care, robust outreach efforts, and harm reduction strategies are what keep people safe and, ultimately, housed. Other states may struggle to find people and organizations to help. In Kentucky, that's not our struggle. Organizations like VOCAL-KY, KyPolicy, St. John's Center, Louisville Outreach for the Unsheltered, the Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky and others are in the fight every day, despite limited resources. The additional harm is, those of us working to help real people in a real way, are shackled with limited capacity, funding cuts, and a government whose members are actively working to undermine the work. This is not just a policy failure. It's a moral one. But it doesn't have to stay that way. We urge our state and local leaders to confront the root causes of homelessness: the lack of affordable housing, the absence of mental health support, and policies that prioritize punishment over people. We can and must invest in solutions that lift people up instead of pushing them further down. Because no one should be cited for trying to survive. Not in Kentucky. Not anywhere. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As North Carolina lawmakers debate gun restrictions, schools stress safe storage
A North Carolina Highway Patrol officer demonstrates how to attach a gunlock. (Screenshot from NC SAFE video, This story first appeared on NC Newsline. Gun regulation has been one of the most hotly contested issues at the North Carolina General Assembly this year. Lawmakers have introduced bills on a myriad of topics: constitutional carry, handguns at private schools and privacy around concealed carry permits, to name a few. Permitless concealed carry — known as constitutional carry due to the idea that individuals have the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms without infringement — has drawn the most attention. Senate Bill 50, Freedom to Carry NC, would allow individuals who are U.S. citizens, at least 18 years of age and not otherwise prohibited by law to carry concealed weapons without applying for a permit. It's backed by Republican leadership and would make North Carolina the 30th state to approve of constitutional carry. The bill has passed the Senate and awaits further approval in the House. Its counterpart in the lower chamber, House Bill 5, or NC Constitutional Carry Act, is largely the same. This measure still needs approval from the House Rules Committee. The biggest difference in the legislation is that HB 5 would authorize elected officials in the state to carry a concealed firearm 'while performing their official duties if the official has a concealed handgun permit.' While the State Capitol and Executive Mansion are excluded from this list, it would be allowed at the State Legislative Building and Legislative Office Building, where lawmakers conduct their business. States move to outlaw popular 'Glock switches' that make some guns fully automatic North Carolina residents are overwhelmingly opposed to the measures, according to newly released polls. But lawmakers have chosen to move forward. 'There is political play around this policy that is lawmakers in both chambers pandering to the far right extremists and, frankly, being more worried about their own primaries … than they are about the safety of their constituents,' said Monisha Henley, senior vice president for government affairs at Everytown from Gun Safety. 'That is why they've been trying to push it through the legislature at lightning speed.' A 2022 study from the Crime Prevention Research Center looked at changes in crime and killings of police after adopting constitutional carry. Using data from 13 states, researchers found that the drop in murder is statistically significant, but the change in violent crime is not. Paul Valone, president of the Grass Roots North Carolina gun rights group, has spent decades working on the issue. He's modeled his advocacy after legislation in Vermont, the first state that didn't have restrictions requiring permits for concealed carry. 'SB 50 and HB 5 are not perfect bills, but they're what's achievable right now,' Valone said. 'Those of us who have spent a lot of time in the movement believe that because we lost our rights over generations incrementally, we will probably have to win them back incrementally.' The movement has spread to schools. House Bill 193, Firearm Law Revisions, authorizes individuals with a valid concealed handgun permit to possess or carry a handgun on educational property owned, used, or operated by a private school. The bill's wording would allow anybody lawfully entitled to carry a concealed weapon to do so on the premises of a private school below the college level, with written permission from the school. This could be school officials, teachers, and even students. 'This bill endangers students, it endangers teachers, and people don't want it,' Rep. Deb Butler (D-New Hanover) said during a committee hearing. 'You're telling the teachers of North Carolina that we don't really care what you say.' Coming up Tuesday, members of the House Judiciary 2 committee will discuss The Firearms Liberty Act. House Bill 674 would among other changes allow for the issuance of lifetime concealed handgun permits. NC S.A.F.E. (Secure All Firearms Effectively), a statewide initiative to raise awareness on storing firearms safely, announced a partnership with the Wake County Public School System last Thursday. NC S.A.F.E for Schools is designed to help school districts across the state share resources about safe gun storage with parents in the district. Youth gun deaths in the US have surged 50% since 2019 The Wake County Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution in March of last year to 'regularly and consistently' provide families with information and resources on the importance of secure gun storage. North Carolina experienced at least 12 incidents of gunfire on school grounds in 2024, resulting in one death and nine injuries. Residents of Raleigh's Hedingham neighborhood are still reeling from an October 2022 mass shooting in which a teenager who was able to access his father's firearms killed five people and wounded two others. The teen charged in that shooting spree will go to trial in 2026. Research has shown that secure firearm storage practices are associated with up to a 32% reduction in the risk of self-inflicted and unintentional firearm deaths. 'As a school system, we have resolved to educate our community on the importance of safe gun storage and its role in protecting students. Whether providing handouts for safety presentations, helpful information for digital communications, or even materials for school resource officers, resources from NC S.A.F.E. have been invaluable to that mission,' Robert Taylor, superintendent of the Wake County Public School System, said in a statement. For more information, click here for a safe storage fact sheet. NC Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit news organization. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As NC lawmakers debate gun restrictions, schools stress safe storage
A North Carolina Highway Patrol officer demonstrates how to attach a gunlock (Photo: Screenshot from NC SAFE video -- Gun regulation has been one of the most hotly contested issues at the North Carolina General Assembly this year. Lawmakers have introduced bills on a myriad of topics: constitutional carry, handguns at private schools, and privacy around concealed carry permits, to name a few. Permitless concealed carry — known as constitutional carry due to the idea that individuals have the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms without infringement — has drawn the most attention. Senate Bill 50, 'Freedom to Carry NC,' allows individuals who are U.S. citizens, at least 18 years of age, and not otherwise prohibited by law to carry concealed weapons without applying for a permit. It's backed by Republican leadership and would make North Carolina the 30th state to approve of constitutional carry. The bill has passed the Senate and awaits further approval in the House. Its counterpart in the lower chamber, House Bill 5 or 'NC Constitutional Carry Act,' is largely the same. This measure still needs approval from the House Rules Committee. The biggest difference in the legislation is HB 5 authorizes elected officials in the state to carry a concealed firearm 'while performing their official duties if the official has a concealed handgun permit.' While the State Capitol and Executive Mansion are excluded from this list, it would be allowed at the State Legislative Building and Legislative Office Building, where lawmakers conduct their business. North Carolina residents are overwhelmingly opposed to the measures, according to newly released polls. But lawmakers have chosen to move forward. 'There is political play around this policy that is lawmakers in both chambers pandering to the far right extremists and, frankly, being more worried about their own primaries… than they are about the safety of their constituents,' Monisha Henley, senior vice president for government affairs at Everytown from Gun Safety, said. 'That is why they've been trying to push it through the legislature at lightning speed.' A 2022 study from the Crime Prevention Research Center looked at changes in crime and killings of police after adopting constitutional carry. Using data from 13 states, researchers found that the drop in murder is statistically significant, but the change in violent crime is not. Paul Valone, president of the Grass Roots North Carolina gun rights group, has spent decades working on the issue. He's modeled his advocacy after legislation in Vermont, the first state that didn't have restrictions requiring permits for concealed carry. 'SB 50 and HB 5 are not perfect bills, but they're what's achievable right now,' Valone said. 'Those of us who have spent a lot of time in the movement believe that because we lost our rights over generations incrementally, we will probably have to win them back incrementally.' The movement has spread to schools. House Bill 193, 'Firearm Law Revisions,' authorizes individuals with a valid concealed handgun permit to possess or carry a handgun on educational property owned, used, or operated by a private school. The bill's wording would allow anybody lawfully entitled to carry a concealed weapon to do so on the premises of a private school below the college level, with written permission from the school. This could be school officials, teachers, and even students. 'This bill endangers students, it endangers teachers, and people don't want it,' Rep. Deb Butler (D-New Hanover) said during a committee hearing. 'You're telling the teachers of North Carolina that we don't really care what you say.' Coming up next Tuesday, members of the House Judiciary 2 committee will discuss 'The Firearms Liberty Act.' House Bill 674 would among other changes allow for the issuance of lifetime concealed handgun permits. NC S.A.F.E. (Secure All Firearms Effectively), a statewide initiative to raise awareness on storing firearms safely, announced a partnership with the Wake County Public School System on Thursday. NC S.A.F.E for Schools is designed to help school districts across the state share resources about safe gun storage with parents in the district. The Wake County Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution in March of last year to 'regularly and consistently' provide families with information and resources on the importance of secure gun storage. North Carolina experienced at least 12 incidents of gunfire on school grounds in 2024, resulting in one death and nine injuries. Residents of Raleigh's Hedingham neighborhood are still reeling from an October 2022 mass shooting in which a teenager was able to access his father's firearms killing five people and wounding two others. The teen charged in that shooting spree will go to trial in 2026. Research has shown that secure firearm storage practices are associated with up to a 32 percent reduction in the risk of self-inflicted and unintentional firearm deaths. 'As a school system, we have resolved to educate our community on the importance of safe gun storage and its role in protecting students. Whether providing handouts for safety presentations, helpful information for digital communications, or even materials for school resource officers, resources from NC S.A.F.E. have been invaluable to that mission,' Robert Taylor, superintendent of the Wake County Public School System, said in a statement. For more information click here for a safe storage fact sheet.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Creating DPRIT in Texas would revolutionize dementia care. UT is ready to help
Imagine a Texas where Alzheimer's disease can be treated like diabetes. It might look like a series of preventative shots a person gets in their 40s, or a pill they take in their 60s to mitigate and control symptoms, just like one might with a host of conditions. This is the future as envisioned by University of Texas researchers like Dr. Marc Diamond at UT Southwestern, whose work is dedicated to ending what he calls the 'neurological nightmare' of dementia. Thanks to a new effort at the Texas Capitol, we may be closer to ending this nightmare than ever before. Senate Bill 5 — sponsored by state Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, and designated a legislative priority by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — would give Texans the chance to vote on the creation of a $3 billion-backed Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT). The companion HB 5, authored by state Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, has 119 co-sponsors. DPRIT could revolutionize Alzheimer's care and research in Texas. Already immersed in leading research and clinical efforts in dementia prevention, UT stands ready to do its part. Nearly 7 million Americans over 65 are living with Alzheimer's. Here in the Lone Star State, nearly half a million Texans live with Alzheimer's, and a million more provide them with unpaid care, often at great personal cost. Nationally we spend $360 billion per year on dementia care. The promise of DPRIT is that the discoveries, innovations and technologies it will catalyze can revolutionize the lives of those who live with Alzheimer's and those who care for them. But how do we know DPRIT can deliver? Thankfully, the concept has been tried and tested in Texas over the last decade. In 2007, Texans voted to establish the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). Since then, the state has invested more than $3.7 billion in cancer prevention and research. The impact has been incredible. More than 300 researchers and their labs have relocated to Texas, more than 80 facilities are supported financially, and more than $8 billion in outside funds have followed. At the University of Texas, CPRIT funds have recruited scholars from all over the world to our campuses across the state. From imaging to immuno-oncology, new therapies are being conceived, trialed and rolled out. Whole new research and care hubs have been launched. MD Anderson — ranked No. 1 in the nation for cancer care — has seen 20 separate projects supported by CPRIT this year alone. Because dementia prevention and care are already priorities at the UT System, DPRIT promises to deliver the same level of investment, impact and collaboration that we've seen with CPRIT. In fact, CPRIT has been so successful, voters chose in 2019 to invest another $3 billion in the initiative. Take for example, the Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's & Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio, where researchers are pioneering retinal scans to detect Alzheimer's early — in the future, a trip to the eye doctor could detect dementia symptoms early. There are many other examples across UT institutions — at the Mulva Clinic for the Neurosciences at UT Austin's Dell Medical School — where we could turbo-charge such efforts with DPRIT's support. On the first Tuesday of each month, a support group for caregivers of family members with Alzheimer's meets at the Dementia, Geriatric & Brain Health Clinic at the UT Education and Research Center at Laredo. When I think of the fight against dementia, I think of those caregivers. Like CPRIT, DPRIT-funded research and care has the potential to preserve life to the fullest for millions of Texans. I'm grateful to live in a state where lawmakers are dedicated to fighting cruel diseases. Together, we're working to prevent, treat and cure cancer. Now, let's do the same to defeat dementia. James B. Milliken is chancellor of the University of Texas System. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: DPRIT would revolutionize dementia care. UT is ready to help | Opinion
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Legislative session ends, what bills made it through?
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) –The legislative session is officially over and the last few bills to make it over the finish line are on their way to the governor's desk. Bills that passed and failed drew mixed reactions from the governor and lawmakers. More than 1,100 bills were introduced this session; many covering the state's foster care system, crime, and education. With the session closed, nearly 200 of those bills passed, while others stalled. After countless hours of debate, lawmakers have wrapped up the 60-day legislative session – but what made it through? A top priority promised this session included legislation surrounding reforming the New Mexico Children Youth and Families Department (CYFD). A bipartisan House bill creating the Office of the Child Advocate, HB 5, was signed by the governor despite her expressing it wasn't what she wanted. A bi-partisan Senate omnibus package, SB 42, with additional CYFD reforms is headed to her as well. Which bills have been signed by the governor so far? 'New Mexicans have demanded reform at CYFD and we delivered,' said Reena Szczepanski, (D-Santa Fe) Majority Floor Leader. 'This is a huge step forward for children and families across our state that has been many years in the making.' Other accomplishments highlighted by Democratic lawmakers included the passage of a crime package, HB 8, that includes reforms to criminal competency and treatment as well as fentanyl trafficking. They also celebrated the passage of a bill increasing teacher salaries. Although some Republican bills passed, such as SB 11 which requires districts to create rules for student cell phone use in schools. Republican lawmakers shared disappointment over the lack of medical malpractice bills succeeding and the governor's decision to veto a proposal, HB 65, to let districts decide the number of days in a school year. 'I had the full support of the House [on] both sides of the aisle and the people of New Mexico have spoken, the people of the House have spoken, and ultimately, the people of the Senate have spoken,' said Gail Armstrong, (R-Magdalena) Minority Floor Leader. Bill giving student loan relief to some veterinarians heads to governor's desk The governor shared her frustrations on bills related to juvenile crime, after a House bill backed by the Bernalillo County District Attorney's office, HB 134, and a House bi-partisan bill, HB 255, failed. 'The notion that we spent far too little time addressing in any meaningful way juvenile crime and public safety issues in this state is a remarkable failure in so many ways,' said Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. She added lawmakers could be called to a potential special session on the issue of crime. 'Yes, I think the likelihood is far stronger than not which is why in our statement, they should expect it. I don't know how you don't expect it,' said Governor Lujan Grisham. Other bills that passed on Saturday and are headed to the governor's desk include the Trade Ports Development Act, HB 19, which would create designated port districts across the state. For bills passed in the last three days, the governor has thirty days to either sign pocket veto or veto the bill. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
