Latest news with #HouseBill10
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republicans pass parental rights bills as Democrats allege children will be harmed
Rep. Jim Kofalt, a Wilton Republican, speaks in favor of Senate Bill 72, a parental rights bill passed by the House, June 5, 2025. (Photo by Ethan DeWitt/New Hampshire Bulletin) The House and Senate passed a pair of parental rights bills Thursday, sending one to Gov. Kelly Ayotte's desk, as Republicans advanced a yearslong goal to strengthen parents' control over public schools. Both bills, House Bill 10 and Senate Bill 72, would enumerate a number of powers parents have to request information from teachers about their children, including the courses they are taking, the materials being taught, and what their children are saying at school. The House passed another bill, Senate Bill 96, that would also require teachers and school employees to answer questions from parents, and could impose stiff penalties for teachers who don't provide the information. Under that bill, a teacher or administrator could be investigated by the Department of Education for violations and face disciplinary sanctions by the department. Teachers found to have 'willfully violated' the law would face a mandatory one-year suspension of their teaching license. Republicans said the legislation is meant to establish a state policy that parents direct the upbringing of their children — not their schools. 'Today, it's time that we deliver on our promises to Granite Staters by affirming that parental rights are fundamental,' said Rep. Jim Kofalt, a Wilton Republican. But Democrats have denounced the bills, noting that they could force teachers to disclose information about students to their parents that the students do not want shared, such as their sexual orientation or gender identity, and remove supportive spaces for kids. Rep. Peter Petrigno, a Milford Democrat, said SB 72 would destroy trust in schools and leave children who don't feel safe sharing things with their parents with few options. Should they confide in teachers, those teachers might be compelled to share that information to parents who inquire, Petrigno said. 'If troubled kids cannot talk with their parents for any reason, and they know they now cannot talk to their trusted adults at school, then where will they turn?' Petrigno said. But Republicans argued that in most cases, a child's parent is the best person to receive sensitive information about their children, not a teacher. 'If I know that most parents are way more trustworthy than teachers like Pamela Smart, then I will vote to pass this bill as amended,' said Rep. Debra DeSimone, an Atkinson Republican, referring to a former high school employee convicted in 1991 for killing her husband. Republicans also pointed to provisions in two of the bills, HB 10 and HB 72, that allow teachers to withhold information to parents if they have 'clear and convincing' evidence that the infringement upon parental rights is necessary to prevent the child from being abused. Democrats denounced that language, noting that 'clear and convincing' is a higher legal standard than is typically required to report a child to the Division for Children, Youth, and Families and arguing that it would effectively bar teachers from withholding information from parents even if they had suspicion that it could lead to abuse. RSA 169-C:29 currently requires any teacher, school staff member, or other professional who interacts with children to make a report to DCYF if they have 'reason to suspect' abuse or neglect. In regard to that exception, one of the bills that passed, SB 96, differs from the other two. While HB 10 and SB 72 require 'clear and convincing' evidence of abuse for a teacher to opt not to share information with parents, SB 96 allows a teacher to refrain from giving the information 'if a reasonably prudent person would believe that disclosure would result in abuse, abandonment, or neglect.' But SB 96 allows the exception only if the child has been physically harmed or has been threatened to be harmed 'of such a grave nature by the actions or inactions' of a parent that it justifies withholding information. The bill states the exception does not apply to 'potential or actual psychological or emotional injury' that a parent imposes on a child upon learning information about their child. It does not apply to 'emotions such as anger, disappointment, sadness, disapproval or other behaviors.' HB 10 passed the House and the Senate Thursday and will head to Ayotte in the coming weeks; SB 72 and SB 96 both passed the House but had not yet received a final green light from the Senate as of Thursday afternoon.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
NC Senate panel approves bill expanding ICE detention requirements for sheriffs
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service Processing Center in El Centro, Calif. (Stock photo by) The North Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee voted in favor of a bill Wednesday that would expand state requirements for sheriffs to detain undocumented immigrants for retrieval by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The bill, known as House Bill 318 or 'the Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act,' passed the North Carolina House in April and is now set for a vote by the Senate Rules Committee Thursday morning. It represents a continuation of the detention requirements passed in November under House Bill 10. Rep. Carson Smith (R-Pender), a former sheriff, described the bill as an attempt to 'clarify and make a few changes' to the law after seeing it in effect. HB 318 would expand the requirement for verifying immigration status from a specific set of felonies to all felonies as well as any impaired driving offenses. It also modifies the requirements for releasing individuals in custody under ICE detention orders. Under the proposed law, a judge or magistrate would inquire into the immigration status of any defendant charged with a felony or impaired driving offense at their pretrial release hearing. If their status cannot be determined, they would be held for an additional two hours after an inquiry to ICE on whether they are subject to any detention orders. 'If an ICE detainer and warrant is received, they're taken to the judicial official, probably the magistrate, to determine that they are the person that is subject to that detainer and that administrative warrant,' Smith said. 'If they are, they will be held up to 48 hours after whatever point they would otherwise be released for ICE to come pick them up.' Democrats and members of the public spoke out against the bill, arguing that it damages rather than furthers public safety. Sen. Lisa Grafstein (D-Wake) said she believes the requirements violate the U.S. Constitution, given that they would require sheriffs to carry out the ICE hold even when the individual in question has been exonerated or had their charges dismissed. 'We're talking about keeping people where the state has no constitutional interest in holding them,' Grafstein said. Under the terms of the existing law, sheriffs must only hold individuals in custody for 48 hours after the ICE detention order is received. The new proposal would require a 48-hour hold beginning when they would otherwise be released from custody. Sen. Sydney Batch (D-Wake) said the proposal also violates the rights of crime victims, preventing them from getting justice if the offender is subject to deportation. 'As a victim myself, I wanted my day in court to testify against my offender, which I had the ability to do,' Batch said. 'This new change would mean that if he were here and there was an ICE detainer, he would then be deported prior to the time of which I would have my day in court.' Mary Ross, an activist with Democracy Out Loud who spoke during the public comment period, said deporting someone based only on allegations of a crime is 'a really cruel way to treat people.' 'They're people who are our neighbors, and most of whom are working hard, doing great work with us,' Ross said. 'I just object to, essentially, judge and jury — the police officer arrests somebody and, boom, they're a convicted criminal and a prisoner and they're gone.' The bill passed the Judiciary Committee hours before another bill on immigration, Senate Bill 153, passed the House. That measure, the 'North Carolina Border Protection Act,' now heads to Gov. Josh Stein's desk for his consideration. In a press release Wednesday, House Republicans announced an ad campaign targeting four Democratic lawmakers who voted against one or both bills.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alaska Legislature considers expanding University of Alaska's governing board
The University of Alaska Fairbanks campus is seen on Oct. 10, 2024. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon) The board in charge of the University of Alaska could grow by one member, if a proposal passed by the Alaska House of Representatives is approved by the state Senate and Gov. Mike Dunleavy next year. House Bill 10, from Rep. Ashley Carrick, D-Fairbanks, would add a UA faculty member to the university's board of regents. If enacted, HB 10 would expand the board from 11 members to 12, with the new seat reserved for 'a current full-time faculty member who is employed at and has acquired tenure at the University of Alaska Anchorage, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, or the University of Alaska Southeast.' Speaking on the House floor, Carrick said the addition of a new regent 'will provide the university with a greater ability to fulfill its mission and provide representation to this key stakeholder group.' Alaska would become the seventh state to have a board seat reserved for a faculty member, Carrick said. Other states have non-voting seats reserved for faculty members. The board expansion would expire in 2032 unless legislators later vote to permanently extend the new position. Under HB 10, the faculty senates of UAA, UAF and UAS would hold elections for two faculty members apiece for the board seat, and the governor would have the final pick. Each member would serve an eight year term. The Alaska Legislature passed 33 bills during its regular session this year, but HB 10 wasn't one of them. The House approved it by a 27-13 vote on May 7, but the Senate did not hold a committee hearing for the bill before lawmakers adjourned for the year. It's in a prime position to pass the Legislature next year, however; it's been assigned to just one committee before being presented to the full Senate. In the Senate, the bill is cosponsored by both Republicans and Democrats, including one member of the Senate's Republican minority caucus, Sen. Mike Cronk, R-Tok. The bill didn't advance through the House without opposition. In the House Finance Committee, Rep. Jamie Allard, R-Eagle River, said she had spoken to every member of the current Board of Regents and none of them were in favor of the bill. No members of the board offered testimony against the bill. Rep. Frank Tomaszewski, R-Fairbanks and another 'no' vote, said he believes that assigning faculty to the board could create conflicts of interest. Early this year, the university reached a three-year labor deal with the union representing faculty. That agreement happened after extensive work and a brief breakdown in negotiations, leading to both parties requesting a federal mediator. Speaking on the House floor, Carrick alluded to the university's budget and contract struggles. 'Over the last decade, the University of Alaska has navigated some of the greatest fiscal and social challenges that have taken place in our state's history,' she said. '(HB 10) allows for better representation in the driver's seat to help make difficult decisions with the rest of our board members about our university system in its future.' The 34th Alaska State Legislature is scheduled to reconvene on Jan. 21, 2026.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov Lujan Grisham signs electric grid, solar power and cannabis-enforcement bills into law
Gov. Lujan Grisham signed more than 40 more bills on April 8 ahead of an April 11 deadline. (Photo by Danielle Prokop/Source NM) Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed 41 more bills into law Tuesday, including several to boost New Mexico's ability to install solar panels in small communities and allow utilities to seek rate changes for technology to improve electricity transmission. She has until April 11 to sign or veto legislation. House Bill 128 establishes a $20 million dollar fund to provide grants for solar energy and battery storage for tribal, rural and low-income schools, municipalities and counties. 'This fund is an investment in our infrastructure, our economy, and our future,' Sen. Harold Pope (D-Albuquerque) one of the bill's sponsors, said in a statement. 'It fills crucial funding gaps for rural and underserved areas, ensuring that all communities — no matter their zip code — can implement solar projects that cut energy costs, lower emissions, and enhance our resilience during fires, blackouts, and intense storms. I'm proud that we passed it.' House Bill 93 will allow larger electric utilities to incorporate advanced grid technology projects into their grid modernization plans, and incorporate those plans into the ratemaking process before the Public Regulation Commission. Co-sponsor Kristina Ortez (D-Taos) told Source the alternative: building more transmission lines can be '100 times to 1,000 times more expensive' than using technologies that boost lines capacity to carry more electricity, and state law allows electricity companies to pass on those costs to customers. 'Advanced grid technologies are way cheaper for ratepayers,' Ortez said. 'These utilities now have incentives to try to make their existing lines more efficient rather than building a whole new one.' HB93 is limited to investor-owned utilities, such as Public Service Company of New Mexico Xcel Energy and El Paso Electric, and does not impact smaller electric cooperatives, she noted. The governor also signed : House Bill 10, which establishes a new enforcement division under the state's Regulation and Licensing Bureau to enforce state cannabis laws; House Bill 63, which proposes changes to the public school funding formula to generate more money for low-income, English-language learning students and students in seventh through 12th grades; andSenate Bill 19, which requires that members of university governing boards undergo 10 hours of training on ethics, student services and best practices. Four of the bills she enacted related to water treatment for ongoing climate impacts, addressing so-called 'forever chemicals' contamination and pollution control. Here's a full list of the bills the governor signed: House Bill 56: Medicaid Reimbursements for Birth Centers House Bill: Prohibit Discrimination Against 340B Entities House Bill 117: Death Certificate by Physician Assistant House Bill 171: Pharmacy Custodial Care Facilities House Bill 178: Nursing Practice Changes Senate Bill 120: No Behavioral Health Cost Sharing Senate Bill 122: Expand Prescription Drug Donation Program Senate Bill 249: Health Care Provider Gross Receipts House Bill 93: Advanced Grid Technology Plans House Bill 128: NMFA Local Solar Access Fund House Bill 137: Strategic Water Supply Act House Bill 140: 'Hazardous Waste Constituent' Definition House Bill 212: Per- & Poly-Flouroalkyl Protection Act House Bill 240: Drinking Water System Grants & Loans House Bill 295: Tax On Property Owned by NM RETA Senate Bill 21: Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Act House Bill 19: Trade Ports Development Act House Bill 368: High Wage Jobs Tax Credit 'Threshold Job' House Bill 456: Architect & Engineering Services & Construction House Bill 63: Public School Funding Formula Changes House Bill 69: Loan Forgiveness Multiplier Act House Bill 89: Graduate Scholarship Act Changes House Bill 336: Certain Retirees Returning to Work Senate Bill 19: Boards Of Regents Training Requirements Senate Bill 146: Educational Opportunity for Military Children House Bill 10: RLD Cannabis Enforcement House Bill 24: Community Governance Attorneys Changes House Bill 113: Animal Welfare Program and Trust Fund House Bill 158: Military Base Planning & Impact Act House Bill 296: Public Accountant Licensure Requirements House Bill 398: HMO & Contract Provider Exam Time Lines House Bill 468: Retiring of State Flags Senate Bill 88: Medicaid Trust Fund & State Supported Fund Senate Bill 92: Horse Racing & Jockey Insurance Fund Senate Bill 126: Increase Rural Service Fund Allocations Senate Bill 159: Independent Theater Beer & Wine Licenses Senate Bill 221: Additional Unfair Insurance Claims Practice Senate Bill 267: Housing Application Fees Senate Bill 280: NMMI In Capital Outlay Act Senate Bill 290: Raise Marriage License Fees Senate Bill 357: Essential Services Development Act
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
KRQE Newsfeed: National Guard, Visas revoked, Warm weather, Cannabis regulations, Albuquerque allergies
BCSO Sheriff: Rise in extradition costs drains resources and some suspects walk free New dashboard will show where Albuquerque housing voucher money is being spent Former UNM football player convicted for drug trafficking Boxing card at the Pit postponed Albuquerque Public Schools move to online food menus NM United offering bus trip for El Paso road game [1] Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham authorizes National Guard deployment to ABQ – New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced she is authorizing the New Mexico National Guard to support the Albuquerque Police Department along the Central Avenue corridor and other specific areas. The emergency request from APD Chief Harold Medina cited rising violent juvenile crime and the fentanyl epidemic as issues that require immediate intervention. According to the news release from the governor's office, 60-70 National Guard personnel will be deployed to Albuquerque starting in mid-May. [2] NMSU: 6 international students' visas revoked by federal government – New Mexico State University confirmed Tuesday night that six of its international students had their visas revoked by the federal government and could face deportation. The university said it's unclear why their visas were revoked. Student visas are approved by the State Department, and their legal status is determined by the Department of Homeland Security while they are in the country. [3] Near-record warmth for parts of New Mexico today – Very few high-level clouds will pass on through today out in front of a high pressure system moving in the Southwest, as temperatures across New Mexico will reach above normal. Temperatures will likely reach around record territory by the end of the week. [4] Governor signs bill enhancing enforcement of New Mexico cannabis law – Tuesday, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a number of bill into law, including House Bill 10. That will establish an enforcement bureau within the state's Cannabis Control Division to investigate potential criminal violations of New Mexico's marijuana regulations. The newly signed law will give CCD agents the authority to search cannabis facilities, confiscate suspicious products, destroy illegal products and make arrests when necessary. [5] These are some of the most common allergen causing plants in Albuquerque – Horticulturist Daniel Humbles says there are a number of pollinating plants to watch out for this time of year. Juniper and cottonwood trees are the most common allergens, but also ash trees and elm trees. These trees are the biggest contributors to allergies around Albuquerque because during the windy months, pollen from the tree is carried and can find its way in your eyes, nose and lungs. Flowers such as Gallardia and Coreopsis are also to blame. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
