Latest news with #HB87
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Can you kill a Florida black bear in your yard? What to know before you get your gun
Florida black bears can be found in almost half of Florida. In some areas, especially in Southwest and Central Florida and along the Panhandle, there's a high density where bears spend "a considerable amount of time," according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Interaction between people and bears is rare, but it does happen. Bears can and have showed up even in populated areas like neighborhoods and Disney World, where a bear shut down a large portion of the Magic Kingdom in 2023. A Jerome, Florida, man, and a dog may have been killed May 5 by a bear. If the investigation confirms the suspicions, it will be the first death by bear attack in Florida, according to the FWC. If you encounter a bear in your yard, can you kill it? Here's what you should know. Florida law lets residents stand their ground against bears In June 2024, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law the The Self Defense Act of 2024. It allows for the taking of bears, without any penalties, under specific circumstances. 'HB 87 ensures Floridians have the right to protect themselves, their families and pets from bears. This bill is about self defense. No Floridians should have to worry about the consequences of killing a bear when they, or their loved ones, are in danger,' Rep. Jason Shoaf, R-Port St. Joe, told the USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida in 2024. Can you shoot a bear in Florida? The 2024 law allows "for the taking of bears, use of lethal force" if a person: The law does not allow someone who killed a bear to "possess, sell, or dispose" the dead bear or its parts. The FWC is charged with disposing of the bear. Fines for violating the law's provisions can be $5,000. Read HB 87 in its entirety Florida bear attack in Collier County: Man, dog killed Florida wildlife officials hauled a dead bear from the woods shortly before 9 p.m. May 5, more than 12 hours after Robert Markel and a dog were found dead in Jerome, a rural community south of Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area in Collier County. The bear and DNA from the scene will be sent to Gainesville for testing. Officials did not confirm the bear was the one involved in the attacks. If the ongoing investigation confirms Markel was mauled by the suspected bear, it would be the first death by bear attack in Florida. What to do if you encounter a bear in Florida? FWC recommends the following if you encounter a bear in Florida: From a distance: Enjoy the experience, but do not move toward the bear, if your presence changes the bear's behavior you are too close At close range: Remain standing upright Speak to the bear in a calm, assertive voice Back up slowly toward a secure area, be sure you are leaving the bear a clear escape route Avoid direct eye contact. Bears and other animals may view this as aggressive behavior Stop and hold your ground if your movement away seems to irritate instead of calm the bear What should you do if a bear attacks you? Fight back aggressively. People have successfully fended off black bear attacks using rocks, sticks, or even their bare hands, according to FWC. Will black bear hunt be held in Florida? The FWC had three virtual public feedback meetings in April for the return of a bear hunt in Florida. The draft of the proposal that will be presented to commissioners is expected to be ready for public review by Wednesday, May 7. The proposal indicates 55 bears will be permitted for harvest from Lee, Collier and Hendry counties. The last black bear hunt happened a decade ago, but the planned seven-day hunt was shut down at the end of the second day after nearly 300 bears were killed. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Can you shoot a bear in Florida? What to know about self defense law
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bills filed could restructure BREC's leadership, transfer control to city-parish
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Two bills filed for the upcoming Louisiana legislative session could bring significant changes to the operations of BREC, the agency that manages parks and recreational facilities in East Baton Rouge Parish. The bills, House Bill 86 and House Bill 87, were both filed by State Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge, on Thursday, March 20. The 2025 legislative session is set to convene on Monday, April 14. Under HB 86, the number of BREC commission members would be reduced from nine to five. Currently, the commission consists of nine members, including: Six appointed members chosen by the Metro Council. Three ex officio members: the mayor-president or a designee, an East Baton Rouge Parish school board member, and a planning commission member. The proposed bill would replace the current structure with a commission made up of the mayors of the following municipalities: Baker Baton Rouge Central St. George Zachary If passed, this change would terminate the terms of all current commissioners and replace them with the mayors of the specified municipalities. Three members would constitute a quorum, making decisions easier to reach with fewer participants. The second bill, HB 87, would repeal all existing statutes governing BREC, effectively eliminating the agency as an independent political subdivision of the state. Instead, the bill would transfer all obligations, property, records, and employees of BREC to the city-parish government. If enacted, this would place BREC under the direct control of the city-parish, rather than as a separate entity created under the Louisiana Disaster Act of the 1940s. BREC has operated independently for decades, managing recreational and park facilities as a political subdivision of the state. Proponents of the bills argue that greater local control and oversight could lead to more efficient operations. However, opponents may raise concerns about politicizing the agency's leadership and potentially impacting BREC's ability to maintain its award-winning parks and programs. The push for restructuring BREC's leadership and transferring control to the city-parish government comes just weeks after a 2022 audit revealed significant financial and operational concerns within the agency. The audit found: Payroll errors: Three employees were paid twice for their final termination payments, resulting in overpayments totaling approximately $42,000. Untimely reconciliations: The agency failed to reconcile bank accounts, payroll benefit liabilities, and inventory accounts in a timely manner, increasing the risk of financial mismanagement. Equipment theft: Multiple instances of theft totaling approximately $29,000 were reported, including stolen catalytic converters, power tools, and electronic equipment from various BREC facilities. BREC management responded to the findings by hiring additional accounting staff and improving financial oversight. The agency also said it is reviewing internal controls and enhancing security measures to prevent further thefts. While the audit is not mentioned in the two bills, the findings could play a role in shaping legislative conversations as the proposed bills move through the 2025 session. Louisiana First News has reached out to BREC for comment. BREC 10-year plan wants to improve East Baton Rouge parks, recreation centers White House: 'Critical functions' will stay under Department of Education Nearly all Cybertrucks recalled in latest blow to Tesla Family of 3 missing in Arizona after Grand Canyon visit Third juvenile arrested in fatal hit-and-run crash that killed bicyclist in New Mexico St. Gabriel police investigate after man found near fertilizer supplier dies Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
What makes fentanyl more dangerous than other drugs?
Fentanyl is about 100 times more potent than morphine, and carfentanil — an opioid used to tranquilize elephants — is 1,000 times more potent. A fatal dose of fentanyl can be fatal with a dose as little as 2 milligrams. Likewise, as little as .02 milligrams of carfentanil can end a life. Both are being trafficked for use in the state of Utah. Last month, a 14-month-old toddler overdosed on fentanyl in Neola, Duchesne County, per ABC4. If signed into law, HB87 would designate fentanyl distribution as the first drug to be classified as a first-degree offense when a person is caught trafficking 100 mg or more of fentanyl or a fentanyl-like substance. 'This has become more than just a drug possession issue. This has become, in many ways, a murder weapon in our state,' the bill's floor sponsor, Sen. Brady Brammer, R-Pleasant Grove, said Tuesday evening during Senate floor time. 'For that reason, we do need to have it be specific as to fentanyl versus other substances.' The bill passed its second and third readings and was unanimously approved with a vote of 26-0. The general rules were also suspended to expedite the bill's process further. After the Senate president's signature, it will be sent to the House speaker for approval before making its way to the governor's desk for review. Last year, Utah set its record for fentanyl pill seizures, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. By July, nearly 800,000 pills were confiscated, setting the end of the year up to reach at or above 1 million. Fentanyl also accounted for nearly 50% of all drug overdoses in the state in 2023, per the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, making it the most common drug overdose. 'We have to do something with this particular narcotic,' the bill's sponsor, Rep. Matthew Gwynn, R-Farr West, previously said. 'Fentanyl is the worst of the worst, and so we're going to create a policy that says if you're trafficking the worst of the worst, then you're the worst of the worst. You need to be in prison.'
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Lawmakers look to ramp up penalties for fentanyl trafficking
Jonathan Pullen, special agent in charge of the DEA's Rocky Mountain Field Division, holds a bag of fentanyl that agents recently seized at the DEA's Salt Lake City office on Thursday, July 25, 2025. (Kyle Dunphey/Utah News Dispatch) The Utah Legislature is looking to increase penalties for people who traffic fentanyl in the state, part of a recent crackdown from policymakers and law enforcement on the opioid epidemic. Sponsored by Rep. Matthew Gwynn, R-Farr West, HB87 would create a new criminal penalty for fentanyl trafficking which, if the bill passes, would be a first degree felony with no possibility of probation or a suspended sentence. The penalty — titled trafficking of fentanyl or a fentanyl-related substance — would be imposed on anyone caught with more than 100 grams of fentanyl, or other synthetic opioids like carfentanil or sufentanil. Gwynn's bill passed the Utah House of Representatives unanimously on Friday and will now be considered by the Senate. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, or DEA, just 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be considered a lethal dose to people without an opioid tolerance. Its lethality has resulted in record-breaking overdose deaths in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, nationwide. Gwynn's bill 'recognizes that fentanyl is the worst of the worst, and those who traffic in fentanyl are the worst of the worst,' he said on the House floor Friday. Utah has mostly bucked the country's trend of overdose deaths, with average rates in the last 10 years declining, while the national average has increased, according to data analyzed by the Kaiser Family Foundation. In 2013, Utah had 15.9 opioid-related deaths per 100,000, compared to the national average of 7.9. In 2024, Utah's rate was 13.5, while the national average was 25. But despite that decline, scores of Utahns are still dying from fentanyl overdoses. 'In 2023, over 600 families were impacted due to the deaths of a loved one because of an overdose. It knows no age, it knows no race, it knows no gender. But what we do know is it's taking Utahns who are in the prime of their life and otherwise healthy,' Gwynn said. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox recently announced a new task force aimed at combating the flow of fentanyl into the state, which includes partnering with federal agencies like the DEA, and pushing the legislature to pass public safety-related bills, like Gwynn's HB87. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Yahoo
Utah's battle against fentanyl: Legislation targets traffickers
Emotions ran high during a House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee meeting Wednesday, regarding proposed drug trafficking legislation. 'Over 600 times last year in the state of Utah, someone came home and found their son, daughter or parent deceased from an opioid overdose,' Rep. Matthew Gwynn, R-Farr West, the bill's sponsor, said during his opening remarks. He lost both of his parents to opioid overdoses. 'This is not new or common to Utah. Unfortunately, it's getting worse,' Gwynn said. 'In fact, this year, we're on track to outpace the number of deaths we had last year.' A nearly 24-year career in law enforcement, Gwynn said so often he's been on the receiving end of a 911 call where an individual was in hysterics after walking in on a loved one who was unresponsive. He said he's made a deal with his children where they cannot call him if they're too upset, because those emergency calls will replay in his head. The bill, a revised version of HB87, would treat fentanyl traffickers to a higher degree of prosecution than any other drug trafficker. If a person is found with 100 grams in weight or greater of fentanyl or a fentanyl-like substance in the state of Utah, the bill states that the person will be charged with a first-degree felony with prison presumed to follow. Gwynn acknowledged that each case has its circumstances and judges will maintain their discretion, but 'We have to do something with this particular narcotic,' Gwynn said. 'Fentanyl is the worst of the worst, and so we're going to create a policy that says if you're trafficking the worst of the worst, then you're the worst of the worst. You need to be in prison.' Last year, the state broke its record for most fentanyl pills seized. According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the DEA's Rocky Mountain Field Division had confiscated close to 800,000 as of late July. The committee passed the first revision of the bill unanimously with favorable recommendations. The bill will be heard next in a Senate committee. 'Unlike the rest of the nation, where fentanyl deaths are declining, that's not holding true for the state of Utah,' Criminal Defense Attorney Mark Moffat said during the meeting where he voiced his support for the bill. The Utah Office of the Medical Examiner, in a recent press release, reported that fentanyl is now the most common drug in overdose deaths: Deaths involving fentanyl surged by 1160.9% from 2014 to 2023. In 2023, there were 290 fentanyl-related deaths, a significant rise from just 23 in 2014. The number of fentanyl deaths more than doubled between 2019 and 2020 and has continued to climb rapidly since. The reality is that Utah is not used for traffickers to pass their drugs through, but rather the destination because of the demand here, Gwynn said. 'The problem is it isn't just tablets coming in Utah. The weight of powder coming into Utah is increasing and can be fatal if it goes airborne,' he said. As little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, per the DEA. Gwynn also warned that carfentanil — an opioid used to tranquilize elephants — is being trafficked into the state, which the DEA also warned is about 100 times stronger than fentanyl, making it deadly at around two milligrams, depending on certain factors. Jackie Larson, from Spanish Fork, told the Deseret News she lost her sister Crystal last October to carfentanil. Larson said she was so naive in regard to the drug that when she received her sister's belongings, she didn't know what to do. 'I felt like one little grain of it lands in your eyeball, and you're gone,' she said. Larson took the belongings to the police station, where she was told to double glove, take the clothes outside to shake out, and then proceed to put them in the washer. During her public comments during the meeting Wednesday, Larson said that her sister never stood a chance against the lethal drug. 'If you ask me, I don't think 100 grams is enough' to charge a first-degree felony, she said. Upon learning that her sister had passed away, Larson said her first two calls were to her sister's ex-husband and daughter. 'I don't want someone to go through what I had to go through. What my niece is going through, what my sister went through,' Larson said, urging lawmakers to pass the bill. Following the unanimous motion to accept the substituted bill, Rep. Mark Strong, R-Bluffdale, and Rep. Ryan Wilcox, R-Ogden, shared their own stories of loved ones whose lives were cut too short by fentanyl-related deaths. Wilcox emphasized the importance of openness in addressing drug abuse in Utah. 'I think if we're all being honest with ourselves, we all know somebody (affected by drug abuse) at this point,' he said. 'There's a lot of stuff to unpack, but as we have these conversations in our communities, and we're honest with them about what's happening and what we're seeing,' more action will take place to combat the issue.
