Latest news with #HouseBill11
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Abbott signs over 300 bills Friday as deadline nears
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Gov. Greg Abbott signed 306 bills Friday afternoon, including 15 described as 'critical legislation.' Senate Bill 1035 allows individuals or entities to sue if their local government violates Texas' Right to Farm laws, which gives protections to farm owners from neighbors if their farm has been in operation for at least one year. SB 2231 designates the second week of October as Free College Application Week, requiring the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to waive all college application fees during that week. The waiver only applies to in-state and public universities. SB 2570 allows correctional officers and peace officers to use less-lethal force weapons, like pepper spray, stun guns and batons once the law takes effect Sept. 1. The law is intended to prevent officers from 'frivolous litigation' for those officers. House Bill 11 reduces barriers for new residents of Texas by moving to recognize out-of-state occupational licenses in Texas. The law is targeted at workers who need licenses to work, like cosmetologists, electricians and real estate agents, whose licenses would be recognized if their home state's certification met similar standards to Texas. HB 12 orders the Sunset Advisory Commission, the state commission tasked with reviewing state agencies, to provide a 10-year report on agency performance targets. The law also strengthens transparency and public input requirements for the Commission. The bill is described as taking 'DOGE' measures to the Texas government. HB 29 mandates that if a large municipal water utility files an audit report showing it lost water, it must submit an audit planning for future mitigation. The audit must be conducted by an independent group, not the utility or the Texas Water Development Board. HB 33 is a school safety bill, also known as the Uvalde Strong Act. It strengthens emergency preparedness, requires updated law enforcement response systems and creates comprehensive training for active shooter situations at K-12 schools. HB 229 creates legal definitions for male and female sexes, and reinforces that those are the only two sexes recognized in Texas. HB 1393 creates a trigger law establishing permanent Daylight Savings Time across both time zones in Texas, if federal law establishes a law also. HB 1481 mandates the creation of policies in public schools to ban cellphones, smart watches and other personal communication devices. HB 2294 allows local workforce development boards to reimburse childcare providers for low-income students if their rating under the Texas Rising Star Program is sufficient, even if the private rate is lower. HB 2306 takes away the opportunity for parole for those convicted of human trafficking if the victim was a child or disabled person. HB 2674 prevents the Texas Education Agency and other state public education institutions from enacting regulations on homeschooling. HB 5115 expands penalties on election fraud to include destroying or discarding completed ballots, counting invalid votes or refusing to count valid ones and altering vote counts to exclude or include votes improperly. It also heightens the offense of election fraud to a second-degree felony. HB 5629 requires state agencies to expedite the process and waive fees for approval occupational licenses for veterans, active duty military members and their spouses. The deadline to sign or veto remaining legislation is Sunday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Louisiana House proposes habitual offender bill
LAFAYETTE, La. () — Last week, House Bill 11, also known as the Segus Jolivette Act, was introduced to legislators to implement harsher sentencing for repeat offenders. This comes after Sr. Cpl. Segus Jolivette was killed in the line of duty nearly a year ago. Louisiana State Representative Chad Boyer authored HB 11, saying 'It ensures that those with multiple violent felony convictions face real consequences.' Boyer, along with Sr. Cpl. Jolivette's family and law enforcement appeared in front of lawmakers, urging them to pass the bill to 'protect communities from repeat offenders.' HB 11 proposes that a repeat offender serve a minimum of 50% of the maximum sentence on the third conviction and 75% on the fourth or more conviction. Boyer says this bill is about accountability, justice for victims and preventing future tragedies. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Alexis Jolivette, the wife of Sr. Cpl. Jolivette gave her testimony in support of the bill. 'It was that day one person's fate being released early from prison stole the life of someone who was worth more than good behavior or time served,' she said. 'It was that day that I learned that this person had multiple convictions, which included a 10-year sentence and was released early each time.' Alexis says her goal is to spread awareness and show firsthand the effects of the current law in place. She tearfully shared how men and women like her husband are forced to face unknown threats when dealing with habitual offenders. 'The bullet that killed my husband did not come from Nyjal Hurst's weapon,' she said. 'That is my reality. I was torn, torn between the badge my husband stood for and the person who initiated it.' In addition to Jolivette's family sharing their testimony, law enforcement was also present to share their support of the bill. Duson Chief of Police Kip Judice asks that the committee forward the bill to the floor. Detective Charles Broussard Jr., with the and president of the Police Association of Lafayette, shares that the bill isn't about vengeance but public safety. 'It's about restoring credibility to our justice system and ensuring that dangerous repeat offenders, violent offenders, do not get another chance to harm our community and or our police officers,' said Broussard. At the request of Boyer, HB 11 was voluntarily deferred to be amended. Legislators will vote to either pass the bill or not at a later date. Watch: Man gets 20th impaired driving arrest while allegedly driving drunk in Ohio He disappeared after leaving his University of Utah dorm in 1973. His remains were just identified Americans purchasing more older homes than ever before Church Point police search for suspect in traffic and child safety case Louisiana House proposes habitual offender bill Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kentucky vaping law upheld after monthslong court battle
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) – An appeal challenging Kentucky's vaping law was dismissed earlier in May after a monthslong court battle. Kentucky's House Bill 11 prohibited vape stores from selling non-FDA-regulated vape products. According to the bill's language, manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers can sell only 'authorized' vapor products and only to customers over the age of 21. Blowback over new Kentucky vaping law prompts lawmaker to file a repeal After taking effect in January, those in the tobacco industry sounded the alarm because the list of what is regulated is a short one, and many feared the ban would put them out of business. 'Not everyone is complying with the new state orders, which is why people don't want to talk to you,' a vape store owner told FOX 56 in February, under the condition of anonymity due to concerns that their sales could be skirting the law. 'There are a lot of businesses already have closed up shop, and it's just really sad.' A lawsuit filed in December 2024 said the ban was unconstitutional. On Jan. 30, a judge dismissed the case, citing 'a lack of standing.' The case then moved to appeal. On Wednesday, May 14, Attorney General Russell Coleman announced the appeal was voluntarily dismissed after months of legal battles. The order is dated May 8. Kentucky vaping law upheld after monthslong court battle 2 killed in Perry County crash, deputies investigating Multi-state fugitive allegedly found with illegal narcotics in Prestonsburg 'Kentucky's General Assembly is entrusted with the responsibility to make laws, including to promote the health and safety of our families. Our Office will continue to fight to uphold those laws in court and deliver more positive outcomes like this,' said Attorney General Coleman. Solicitor General Matt Kuhn and Principal Deputy Solicitor General Jack Heyburn reportedly led the Attorney General's defense. 'Kentucky's young people face more threats today than ever before, and I'm proud of the General Assembly's ongoing work to protect them,' said Sen. Brandon Storm, who backed the bill in the Senate. 'I'm especially grateful to Attorney General Coleman for his leadership and partnership in defending Kentucky's laws. He is an outstanding ally in our efforts to safeguard the health and well-being of Kentucky's children and families.' Click here for a look at FDA-regulated tobacco products. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
A fair water flow: Justice for Miami Gardens ratepayers
The city of North Miami Beach runs its own public water utility whose sole water treatment plant is in the city of Miami Gardens and relies on the water coming from beneath the city of Miami Gardens. For as long as Miami Gardens has been a city, North Miami Beach has taken the water, treated it in Miami Gardens, imposed a 25% surcharge and sold it right back to the residents and businesses of Miami Gardens, which I represent on the Miami-Dade County Commission. This water feud by the neighboring cities has been going on for a decade, with both sides having a different take on the reason for the surcharge. I have been fighting on the side of Miami Gardens since I was a council member in the city and then its mayor. When first established in the late 1990s, the surcharge was intended to provide a way for cities to pay for infrastructure when they had to extend water service to another city. However, North Miami Beach never extended the infrastructure to Miami Gardens; the infrastructure was already there. The surcharge was not meant to help one city get rich off of another. For years, we have heard from North Miami Beach that the funds generated from the 25% surcharge support the operations, maintenance and capital plan of the water utility. As noted in North Miami Beach's bond documents, the surcharge is imposed by North Miami Beach and placed directly into the North Miami Beach general fund. The surcharge, paid by ratepayers in Miami Gardens, Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Golden Beach and portions of unincorporated Miami-Dade, is then used by North Miami Beach to pay for services that only benefit the residents of North Miami Beach. The North Miami Beach Commission is building out their city on the backs of residents who will never be able to vote for or against them. That is the literal definition of taxation without representation. Florida Senate Bill 202 aims to end this practice by requiring North Miami Beach to charge the residents of Miami Gardens the same rates and fees they charge their own residents. The companion, House Bill 11, was already unanimously passed. For years, opponents of this legislation have tried to delay the removal of the surcharge. This year's opposition is based around the notion that removing the surcharge may lead to increases in water rates to other customers. Implying that removing the surcharge from Miami Gardens customers would increase water rates is simply not true. We now know that eliminating the surcharge does not have to affect the water rate. From North Miami Beach's public bond documents, we know that the funds generated from the 25% surcharge are not a part of the water utility's gross revenues. Those funds are a part of their general fund. The rates and fees currently imposed by North Miami Beach without the surcharge applied cover the costs of all related expenses for the water utility. As a direct result, the $9 million settlement that North Miami Beach must pay Miami Gardens customers for illegally imposing the surcharge when the utility was privately operated is coming out of the North Miami Beach general fund and not the water utility service. We have been fighting to right this wrong for a long time. Over the last month, I have met with Senate leadership, the speaker of the House and legislators from across the state to ask for their support. State Sen. Shevrin Jones and Rep. Felicia Robinson have done an extraordinary job in advocating for their bills. SB 202 and HB 11 are closer than ever to becoming law and I trust that the Legislature and the governor will ensure that the North Miami Beach's water customers in Miami Gardens are no longer unjustly taxed for the right to clean drinking water that comes from their own backyard. Oliver G. Gilbert, III is a Miami-Dade commissioner and a former mayor of Miami Gardens.
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Paid leave likely dead for year after stalling in Senate committee
A bill to create a state-run paid family and medical leave program is not likely to pass this year after failing in the Senate Finance Committee. House Bill 11 failed on an 8-3 vote Saturday, with just three Democrats voting in favor of the measure. Advocates for the concept have been pushing for the past several years to create such a program, offering extended paid leave for workers for certain reasons, such as to seek medical care, welcome a new child or care for a family member. Last year's bill passed the Senate but failed narrowly in the House. This year's version passed the House, after a handful of more moderate Democrats who had opposed it either retired from their seats or lost their primary reelection races. It then passed one Senate committee a week ago, only to fail Saturday in the Finance Committee, with just a week left in this year's legislative session. 'While we're disappointed, our resolve is not diminished,' Tracy McDaniel, policy director at the Southwest Women's Law Center, said in a statement after the vote. 'We remain committed to fighting for this critical policy that will benefit workers, families, and our economy. This is not the end — it's a call to action to build a stronger, more equitable, and more prosperous New Mexico.' Opponents of paid leave worry it would burden both employers and employees with a new tax and make things more difficult for employers who have to replace workers who take time off. 'Employees need the money that they earn right now,' Carla Sonntag, president and CEO of the New Mexico Business Coalition, told the Senate Finance Committee during Saturday morning's hearing. 'They can't afford a tax, no matter how low it is.' The bill had two components. The first would have created a fund paid for by premiums on both employers and employees to pay for six weeks of paid leave for workers who get sick or need to take time off for listed reasons such as domestic violence or grieving a lost child. The six weeks' leave has been controversial among some paid leave supporters, who would have preferred the nine weeks in the bill that was originally introduced this year. The second component would have created a 'Welcome Child Fund' to pay new parents $3,000 a month for up to three months to take time off for a newborn or just-adopted child. Letting parents stay home for those first few months would help ensure a the new infant or child 'can prosper as a ... young child and productive adult,' bill sponsor Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos, told the Senate Finance Committee. 'We know that bonding with a child is important.' Overall, Chandler said this year's bill addressed some concerns that had been raised by employers but 'still maintained the kind of core, fundamental policy basis for the program.' And, she noted, this version of the bill gave the state some skin in the game with the Welcome Child Fund. Danielle Duran, the intergovernmental affairs manager for Los Alamos County, said paid leave would help the county's smaller employers attract workers. Many county residents work at Los Alamos National Laboratory, she said, 'but the rest of the community is made up of smaller businesses that have to compete with the laboratory in order to keep their employees.' Terri Cole, president and CEO of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, said it was the wrong time to create something like the Welcome Child Fund when there is so much uncertainty surrounding federal spending cuts that could affect the state's budget. And, she said, it was the wrong time to raise taxes when the state has a $3 billion surplus. 'The state can afford to provide these benefits and simply pay for it,' she said. Only Sens. Jeff Steinborn, D-Las Cruces, Michael Padilla, D-Albuquerque, and Linda Trujillo, D-Santa Fe, voted to advance the bill. Trujillo did express some concerns about it, among them that she would have preferred nine weeks' leave instead of six and that she would have liked it to include payments for stay-at-home moms as well as mothers who work. 'I think this discriminates against mothers who have chosen to stay home and care for their families,' she said. The lawmakers who voted against it expressed a mix of objections, many of them questions about how it would affect small businesses. The committee chair, Sen. George Muñoz, D-Gallup, one of the Legislature's most conservative Democrats, said he might have supported a bill that phased in a leave program more gradually but not one that moves as quickly as HB 11. 'It's always to the extreme with this bill,' he said. In a joint statement Saturday, some of the groups that have been pushing for paid leave expressed disappointment with the vote but promised to keep up the fight. 'Our families deserve the strongest possible policy, and the committee substitute for HB 11 that failed today needed to be strengthened,' said Gabrielle Uballez, executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children. 'While this is not the outcome we hoped for, we are undeterred, and we'll keep fighting for a robust paid family and medical leave policy until it's passed into law.' Senate Republicans celebrated the outcome. 'Despite progressive leadership's best efforts, which included taking out moderate Democrats in the previous election cycle, Senate Republicans successfully defended small businesses, employees, and industries throughout the state,' the caucus said in a news release after the vote.
