Latest news with #Hansen
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Proposal to ban most THC, consumable hemp products in Nebraska delayed until at least 2026
State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha. Dec. 12, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — A legislative effort backed by Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers to ban most consumable hemp and other THC products in the state stalled Friday and will now wait until at least 2026. State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of the Millard area, sponsor of Legislative Bill 316, asked that her Legislative Bill 316 be 'passed over' on Friday. She waited to do so until just 10 minutes before a two-hour debate would have ended, a time when Kauth would have needed 33 votes to survive a filibuster. After that, she would have needed 25 votes to pass LB 316 and send it to Gov. Jim Pillen. Kauth had the backing of most of the officially nonpartisan Legislature's 33 Republicans. But Republican State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair held to his promise to oppose LB 316 if it wasn't amended to explicitly protect medical cannabis products. Kauth tried to address Hansen's concerns and would have, said Hansen. But lawmakers ran out of time, because State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha and other opponents successfully blocked LB 316 from being amended. Hilgers has argued that THC products with delta-8 are already illegal, to which Cavanaugh said Friday that if that's true, a bill isn't needed. Hansen said the current 'environment' with Hilgers, who has opposed medical cannabis and has launched a statewide campaign against delta-8, could be 'hostile.' Hansen said there was language in LB 316 that could 'greatly impact' medical cannabis. 'That's something I cannot have,' Hansen said. 'I think the people passed [medical cannabis] for a specific reason, and I think they are then due to have what they voted for.' Hilgers helped lead opposition to Hansen's proposal for clearer medical cannabis regulations and guardrails with 53 sheriffs. His LB 677 fell short 10 votes of advancing on May 20. Part of Friday's last-ditch effort featured pressure on State Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln, who said she was concerned about 'bad actors' in the THC arena but didn't want to take away the health products some Nebraskans rely on. Raybould echoed Hansen that lawmakers should allow a new medical cannabis regulatory commission to proceed with directives for those products. Kauth said multiple times during the debate that her bill had nothing to do with medical cannabis and that more than a dozen amendments from Cavanaugh made it 'impossible' to seek the changes needed to keep her bill moving forward. 'No one is going into anyone's homes and searching their medicine cabinets,' Kauth said. 'That is more hyperbole and hysteria from the left.' State Sen. Jared Storm of David City, who prioritized Kauth's LB 316 for this year's session, encouraged Nebraskans not to buy the 'garbage' products. He repeated that he would never jeopardize 'the health or safety of our citizens of this state, especially children and young adults, for revenue.' LB 316 would prohibit raw hemp above 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) of any concentration and with processed hemp prohibit the lesser of 0.3% THC on a total weight basis or 10 milligrams per package, effective Jan. 1. The mature stalks of Cannabis sativa and its fiber, oil, cake and any other naturally derived products would not be considered hemp, leaving a narrow legal path for some hemp-based products such as fibers and textiles. If the bill passed, it would have included a 'consumer safe harbor period' through the end of 2025 to give consumers time to discard any 'illegal hemp' as newly defined under LB 316. Legal products would have faced an additional 10% wholesale tax at the time of purchase. The new excise tax revenue raised would have been directed toward property tax relief. Besides protecting the voter-approved medical cannabis laws, Kauth also worked with State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth to offer an 'affirmative defense' in court if someone could prove they previously legally purchased what would have become 'illegal hemp' under LB 316. That could include a receipt. State Sen. Dan McKeon of Amherst, a Republican who represents a Pleasanton-based hemp company that has offered tours to state senators of its facilities, said there are good actors that lawmakers should be working with. State Sen. Dan Lonowski of Hastings, a close ally of McKeon, said there are no 'good actors.' Nebraska lawmakers again advance ban of most THC, consumable hemp products Kauth read a letter from Hilgers that had said if LB 316 passed, his office would have announced a pause on new civil enforcement actions against 'businesses operating in good faith' for at least 120 days, exactly through the end of 2025. Kauth declined to provide a copy of the letter because LB 316 did not pass. Kauth and Storm said they now hope Hilgers ramps up his legal efforts against THC stores. Many hemp-focused businesses said the broad language in LB 316 would shut down their industry, even as supporters said the bill wouldn't touch them. Kauth said Friday that some businesses that were fighting the changes are essentially 'admitting that they are selling dangerous, untested, unregulated, synthetic pot products.' 'They are pushing the health and well-being of their pocketbook above the health and well-being of Nebraskans,' Kauth said. 'I'm extraordinarily disappointed that that is where we have come.' Cavanaugh, who again led opposition to the bill, said regulations and not a ban were still the best path forward. He said LB 316 would go in the 'opposite direction' of economic development for budding businesses who are 'good actors.' His LB 16, to implement regulations on THC products, did not advance from the Judiciary Committee this year, and lawmakers repeatedly rebuffed his efforts. Cavanaugh repeated Friday that he is 'ready, willing and able to work on a regulatory scheme that will actually do this the right way and answer all the concerns that people have.' State Sen. Terrell McKinney of North Omaha, who also pushed for regulations, said Kauth's bill could cause more harm than good and that the state should let people be adults. 'Why do we have to act as if we're the moral compass for the state? We're senators. We're not people's parents,' said McKinney. State Sen. Margo Juarez of Omaha said she had purchased CBD with hemp in it for her nearly 101-year-old mother, but she didn't have a receipt for the product. Cavanaugh said the proposed defense provision only dealt with individuals, so businesses would have needed to destroy or sell all products by September, when the bill, if passed, would have taken effect. If not, business owners would risk 'countless felonies,' Cavanaugh argued. The debate on LB 316 has seen senators forcefully disagree with what would be banned, with supporters arguing it would only ban 'synthetic' chemically modified hemp or THC, while opponents said the bill would stretch to CBD, creams, ointments and most other products. Part of that is because LB 316 would count the THC level based on all concentrations — delta-8, delta-9, delta-10, etc. — and not just 0.3% delta-9 THCc. Cavanaugh and State Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Omaha have said that it could criminalize possessing a gummy as a felony. Supporters of LB 316, however, say that only chemically modified 'synthetic' products would be banned. Nebraska lawmakers in 2011 already banned 'synthetic' marijuana, such as K-2 or spice. Most hemp or other hemp-derived products require chemical modifications, such as heat. State Sen. Tanya Storer of Whitman said that while, as a conservative, she doesn't think government should be in the way of business or entrepreneurship, government does have a role to protect people 'from things that they couldn't otherwise do for themselves independently.' 'Individuals do not have the capacity to know the processes that go into developing a product. That's what we have things like the FDA for,' Storer said, referring to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Cavanaugh, McKinney, Raybould and State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln repeatedly said that was part of the reason why regulations, not a ban, would be better, treating the products similarly to alcohol, tobacco or other drugs. Kauth said that with lawmakers' failure to move forward, senators must own that the next time someone dies because of the products, they will know: 'We could have stopped it.' LB 316 will return next year one vote away from passing, with eight minutes to go in the third round of debate, though it's unclear what amendments might come. Rescheduling would be up to Speaker John Arch of La Vista. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Dwyer student accused of torching classmate's car faces 2 more 'retaliation' arson charges
PALM BEACH GARDENS — An 18-year-old man accused of setting fire to a high school classmate's car in January is facing charges linked to two other incidents in which he allegedly set fire to other vehicles, according to Palm Beach Gardens Police reports. Drake Hansen of North Palm Beach is facing two new counts of second-degree arson, in addition to one count of causing property damage with a destructive device. Police first arrested him in February after alleging he set fire to the vehicle of his William T. Dwyer High School classmate Koden Brown, the quarterback of the school's football team, on the morning of Jan. 26 outside Brown's home in the PGA National neighborhood. According to arrest reports made public May 30, all three arson incidents came in retaliation for a fight at a party at an undisclosed location during the summer of 2024. The latest two fires involve the vehicles of siblings who took part in the brawl. Hansen has pleaded not guilty to the first arson charge in that case and is scheduled to appear before Circuit Judge James Nutt in June. He has been free on bail following that arrest. He returned to court May 30, one day after his most recent arrest, for his first appearance on the new charges. Palm Beach County Judge April Bristow set Hansen's bail at $13,000 for one of the new arson cases, and ordered that he be released on his own recognizance for the other. A message left for an attorney who appeared with him in court at the Palm Beach County Jail on May 30 was not immediately returned. Fatal shooting: West Palm Beach police: Juvenile killed was recording social-media video Both arson incidents leading to Hansen's May 29 arrest occurred before the alleged incident at Brown's home. Investigators traced all three acts of arson to a fight at the summer party at which the younger brother of one of Hansen's friends was reportedly beaten. Hansen, who was a senior this past school year, also has ties to the Dwyer athletic program. He was a pitcher and outfielder for the 2024 Class 6A state championship baseball team. Investigators did not disclose the date of the party or the address of the home where the two fires occurred. Hansen reportedly accused the siblings of harming his friend's younger brother during the fight. Courts: Trump pardons Jupiter shark divers who destroyed fisherman's line, released catch According to Hansen's arrest report, the first of the two new acts of arson occurred at about 5:15 a.m. on Aug. 11, 2024, when a white Ford F-150 pickup was burned. The second occurred at about 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 3, this time resulting in a 2022 Dodge Ram Rebel being destroyed. In April, police arrested a 17-year-old Palm Beach Central High School student in connection with the Jan. 26 incident at PGA National, alleging he assisted Hansen in setting fire to Brown's car. Police reports indicate that the 17-year-old is the older brother of the teen who was beaten. Another teen who traveled to that location with Hansen and the 17-year-old told investigators Hansen targeted Brown's car because he felt that Brown had "disrespected" him. License-plate readers and surveillance cameras at businesses near PGA Boulevard and Fairway Drive recorded a silver Kia SUV driving in the area near Brown's home just before his car was set on fire, according to Hansen's arrest report. Police traced the car to Hansen, who said a friend had borrowed the car that night and that he had not been anywhere near the vehicle. Hansen later acknowledged being in the vehicle but declined further comment, the report said. Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@ and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Teen accused of torching classmate's car facing two new arson charges
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Hyatt launches upscale collection brand Unscripted by Hyatt
This story was originally published on Hotel Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Hotel Dive newsletter. Hyatt Hotels launched Unscripted by Hyatt, an upscale collection brand under its Essentials portfolio intended to bolster continued rooms growth for the company, according to a Friday news release. Created to bring independent properties and small portfolios under Hyatt's Essentials portfolio, Unscripted by Hyatt offers 'a light-touch operating model and flexible brand standards,' according to Hyatt. Hotels associated with the brand will be able to maintain their identity and positioning while leveraging the World of Hyatt loyalty program, which has more than 56 million members. The brand launch comes after Hyatt reported significant rooms growth at the end of the first quarter of 2025, with strong momentum in its Essentials portfolio, also including brands like Hyatt Studios and Caption by Hyatt, as well as its Luxury and Lifestyle portfolios. Hyatt has recently leaned on brand acquisition and partnership as a means to scale. Unscripted by Hyatt 'fills a key white space in Hyatt's portfolio and is designed to unlock growth through adaptive reuse and conversion-friendly opportunities,' according to the company. Currently, Hyatt is in talks with more than 40 hotels globally to join the new brand. 'The Unscripted by Hyatt brand gives owners a flexible path to join the Hyatt system while still delivering the high-quality, dependable experience guests expect from Hyatt,' Dan Hansen, head of Americas development at Hyatt, said in a statement, calling the brand a win-win for both Hyatt and owners. Owners who join Unscripted by Hyatt will benefit from the hotel company's broader loyalty and distribution capabilities. Hyatt, meanwhile, widens its guest and customer reach, per Hansen. Hyatt's focus on its Essentials portfolio is part of its 'insights-led evolution to deepen and enrich experiences for guests and owners,' according to the company. Overall system growth is a top priority for Hyatt, which in Q1 posted 10.5% year-over-year net rooms growth. Hyatt sees momentum in its Essentials, Lifestyle and Luxury portfolios as well as strong branded residential demand, according to the Friday release. Particularly in the lifestyle space, Hyatt has leaned on brand acquisitions to quickly grow portfolio scale. Last year, Hyatt acquired lifestyle hotel operator Standard International. And over the past two years, Hyatt has purchased Dream Hotel Group, Mr & Mrs Smith and German brand Me and All Hotels. Marriott International has also inked multiple brand deals in recent years, including its April CitizenM buy. Earlier this month, Marriott also launched a collection brand, Series by Marriott, in the midscale and upscale segments. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
At Lombardo's request, Hansen ‘reluctantly' blocks bill to rein in runaway corporate home ownership
Democratic state Sen. Dina Neal listens while her Republican colleague Ira Hansen explains he's reluctantly voting against her bill to limit hedge fund ownership of housing at Gov. Joe Lombardo's request. (Legislative stream screengrab) Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo asked the Republican legislative caucus to block a bill that attempts to limit cash-rich corporate investors from purchasing large swaths of housing in Nevada, Republican state Sen. Ira Hansen said on Tuesday. State lawmakers passed several bills on Friday that seek to bolster tenant protections and make changes to the eviction system, many of which were based on similar proposals that were vetoed by Lombardo in 2023. Democratic state Sen. Dina Neal also revived 2023 efforts vetoed by Lombardo to rein in corporate landlords. Senate Bill 391, which failed to pass Tuesday, proposed restricting corporate investors from purchasing more than 100 units per year. Unlike the other housing bills that passed this session, SB 391 needed a two-thirds majority to pass since it imposed fees. A yes vote from Hansen, who had supported the bill, would have given the legislation the 14 to 7 vote needed to meet the two-thirds threshold. Instead, the vote was 13 to 8. 'For the first time this session, I have actually been asked by the executive branch to support a caucus 'no' position, which I have agreed to do,' Hansen said in a floor speech Tuesday, adding he was doing so 'very reluctantly.' In an email to Nevada Current, Lombardo's press secretary Josh Meny said the governor was asked for input on SB 391 and 'voiced technical concerns with the initial draft of the legislation.' The efforts to block legislation is disappointing, especially since Nevada is in the middle of a housing crisis, Neal said. 'Going into today's vote, this bill had bipartisan support because preventing corporations from robbing Nevadans of the American Dream should be a bipartisan issue,' she said in a statement. 'The only reason it didn't pass is because of Gov. Lombardo's intervention. Senate Democrats will continue to fight to enact this bill and protect Nevadans from predatory out-of-state investors.' Hansen voted in support of Neal's 2023 bill. On Tuesday, he reaffirmed he still 'supported the concept' of the bill to do more to crack down on out-of-state investors, adding he was 'a little frustrated' that he had to vote against the legislation. He warned that private investors are buying up the housing in Nevada, adding that 'in Clark County 15% of all the residential housing is owned by hedge funds.' The estimate comes from Lied Center for Real Estate at the University of Nevada Las Vegas that found investors own roughly 15% of homes in the City of Las Vegas. Las Vegas Review Journal has reported that corporate investors purchased 264 homes in a single day for $98 million. Hansen said it creates a system where regular Nevadans are unable to purchase a home when up against out-of-state private equity investors. 'If me or a couple other ordinary people were bidding against Elon Musk, who is going to win that bidding war?' Hansen asked. Hansen said he hoped that 'some of the better elements' of Neal's bill 'could somehow be incorporated in the last waning days of the session.' In response to the state's growing housing shortage, Lombardo has brought forward Assembly Bill 540, which unanimously passed out of the Assembly Ways and Means committee Saturday. AB 540 seeks a $133 million budget request to establish a Nevada Attainable Housing Fund and Council. The legislation originally sought an allocation of $250 million in funding for housing projects. Christine Hess, the chief financial officer of the Nevada Housing Division, said during the bill's hearing in April that $50 million of the funds would be directed toward 'loans and will remain assets of the division's trust so that we can continue to issue the hundreds of millions of bonds annually for home ownership and multi-family rental housing.' The bill also proposed exempting projects from paying prevailing wages to construction workers that state law typically requires of publicly financed projects. In addition to reducing the dollar amount, the legislation removed language around the prevailing wage. 'Any plans to address our state's housing crisis, including the Governor's own housing bill, mean nothing if there are no guarantees or protections that support access or attainment,' said Ben Iness, coalition manager of the Nevada Housing Justice Alliance. 'Until the state of housing is taken seriously, Nevadans will continue to be squeezed and priced out of homes by large corporate interests.' That bulk of bills proposed by Democratic lawmakers that sought broader tenant protections and changes to the eviction process passed their final House in party-line votes on Friday. Those bills are now headed to Lombardo's desk, where similar versions of several of them met their demise two years ago. Assembly Bill 283, sponsored by Democratic Assemblymember Max Carter, once again, seeks to revise the summary eviction process. Nevada's 'summary' eviction system, which is unique to the state, allows landlords to evict tenants within days unless the tenant files a challenge to the eviction in court. Legal aid and housing groups have warned it has led to lightning quick evictions and worsened the state's housing crisis. State lawmakers initially introduced efforts to change the system in 2021 when they had a Democratic state government trifecta, but the legislation was converted to a study bill. When a reform bill passed in 2023, Lombardo killed it. Democratic Assemblymember Erica Roth of Reno also brought forward Assembly Bill 201 to expand efforts to automatically seal eviction records. Democratic Assemblywoman Venecia Considine also brought back efforts that were killed in 2023 via Assembly Bill 121, which seeks to add transparency to the rental application process. Considine also carried bills to address the state's habitation laws. Assembly Bill 211 allows a third party to take over the property until the repairs are made and living conditions improved. Assembly Bill 223 seeks to remedy the process and give tenants more power to hold landlords accountable for failing to provide livable conditions such as running water, working air conditioning, and a functioning lock on doors and windows. Legislation seeking to cap rent increases for seniors, which was revived by Democratic Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui, also passed out of its final house. Assembly Bill 280 would limit landlords from raising rents more than 5% on tenants 62 years or older or relies on Social Security payments through the end of 2026 and requires landlords to refund application fees if they don't screen a tenant who applied for the unit.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Van Dijk explains personal request to Hansen to present Premier League trophy
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk had asked for Alan Hansen, who was taken seriously ill last year, to present him with the Premier League trophy at Anfield on Sunday Virgil van Dijk was adamant that the Premier League trophy had to be handed from one great Liverpool captain to another. It was Van Dijk's idea for Alan Hansen, the last Liverpool skipper to lift the league title in front of an Anfield crowd in 1990, to be on hand to present him with the trophy in front of fans who had waited 35 years to see it. Reds icon Hansen, who was taken seriously ill last year, was cheered onto the pitch before handing the trophy over to Van Dijk to start a party which continues into Monday with a huge parade on Merseyside. 'I was very determined to make sure that he was going to be the one that handed the trophy to me,' said Van Dijk. 'Obviously he was ill last year. I'm glad he's looking well now and yeah, I was really happy for him that he also got his moment with the cup because he totally deserved it.' In 2021 an image of Van Dijk meeting Hansen after a Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid went viral after Jamie Carragher declared the pair Liverpool's greatest ever centre-backs. And they were back together on the pitch at Anfield to pose with the Premier League trophy, albeit after some gentle persuasion from Van Dijk. On the weekend that long-time host Gary Lineker stepped down from Match of the Day, former pundit Hansen - who has kept a low profile since leaving our screens in 2014 - had to be coaxed back in front of cameras for the celebrations. 'I spoke to him when there was a photo a few years ago that me and him took,' continued Van Dijk, 'and I was very keen on getting him here and doing the presentation with me. 'We didn't actually speak before it but obviously everyone was behind the scenes making it happen,' continued Van Dijk. 'But after the trophy lift, after a couple of pictures I wanted him to be there. And apparently he already went upstairs! So we got him back and I'm glad that we got him on the pitch.' The image of a beaming Hansen holding the trophy aloft with Van Dijk in front of the Kop will forever hold a place in Reds history, something the skipper is acutely aware of. Van Dijk has joined Hansen on an exclusive list of captains to lead Liverpool to their 20 league titles, and has become the first Dutchman to skipper a Premier League winning side. Even though Liverpool's league success was wrapped up a month ago, he admits he's still taking it all in. 'To join that list of 11 (Liverpool league winning) captains is something really special and I've never, ever dreamed about it,' he said. 'That's only because it was far, it was too far for me to think that this could happen. 'But anything is possible for anyone, as long as you keep believing, keep working hard and take it step by step. 'I'm glad that I've managed to write history with my team, with the club and as a Dutchman, and hopefully there's more to come.'
