Latest news with #HouseBill1203
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mississippi lawmakers ban camping on public property
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Camping on certain public property will soon be outlawed in Mississippi. House Bill 1203 was co-authored by State Rep. Kevin Felsher (R-District 117). It defines public property as sidewalks, streets and alleys. 'There were a lot of complaints about someone setting up a tent, obstructing a sidewalk, or setting up a tent in a park for days at a time,' said Felsher. Magee mayor won't seek re-election due to health concerns Stewpot Community Services Executive Director Jill Buckley said she's unsure what will happen when the bill becomes law. 'What I hope happens is that we will all discover as a result of this, the enforcement of this bill, where the gaps are, and then come together as a community to try to figure out how to fill those gaps,' she said. Those who violate the law will face a fine up to $50 or jail time. The law will go into effect on July 1. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bitcoin Holds Steady As ETF Inflows Continue And State Reserve Efforts Face Setback
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is trading near flat on Wednesday, up 0.14% to $83,788 at the time of writing. The world's largest cryptocurrency is up 0.44% over the past week but is down 0.74% on the month as price action stabilizes following last week's macro-driven selloff. After suffering nearly $900 million in outflows last week, spot Bitcoin ETFs are showing signs of recovery. The funds recorded $76.4 million in net inflows on Tuesday, extending a two-day rebound after a brutal seven-day streak of outflows. BlackRock's IBIT led the charge with $38.2 million in net new capital, while ARKB and BITB also saw healthy gains. Total trading volume across the 12 ETFs came in at $1.6 billion on Tuesday, down from $2.2 billion the day before, according to The Block. Analysts say the recovery in CME futures basis yields has revived interest in the spot/futures arbitrage trade, helping support inflows. Don't Miss: Trade crypto futures on Plus500 with up to $200 in bonuses — no wallets, just price speculation and free paper trading to practice different strategies. Peter Chung, head of research at Presto Research, told The Block, "the ETF inflows over the last few days may therefore be a result of the changing dynamics between the spot and the futures market." While Ethereum-based products continue to bleed capital, Bitcoin's positioning as a macro hedge and growing institutional vehicle appears intact. Bitcoin's growing role in state-level fiscal strategy suffered a minor setback this week as Oklahoma's Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee narrowly rejected House Bill 1203—a proposal to create a strategic Bitcoin reserve for the state. The 6-5 vote killed the bill despite a last-minute "yes" from Sen. Christi Gillespie, who said she changed her mind after hearing from constituents, according to Decrypt. The move puts more pressure on other states leading the charge. New Hampshire's House recently passed a bill permitting up to 10% of state reserves in Bitcoin. Texas and Arizona also have live legislation in the pipeline, with Arizona's House Rules Committee approving two BTC-related bills in March. According to the tracker Bitcoin Laws, 40 bills across 20 states remain active. On the institutional front, asset manager VanEck proposed a new hybrid bond instrument, called BitBonds, aimed at refinancing up to $14 trillion of U.S. debt. The bonds would allocate 90% to Treasuries and 10% to Bitcoin, allowing for upside capture if BTC appreciates beyond a 4.5% annual threshold. The product, still theoretical, is framed as a bridge between traditional finance and crypto-native yield, aligning with broader institutional interest in tokenized U.S. debt products. Bitcoin remains range-bound after a failed attempt to hold above $86,000 earlier this week. The asset is currently consolidating just below that level, with technical analysts watching for signs of support near $83,000. If the $85,000–$86,000 range is reclaimed, momentum could carry BTC toward a retest of its all-time highs above $91,000. Meanwhile, downside pressure remains limited, with macroeconomic tailwinds—such as easing Treasury yields and renewed ETF interest—providing a cushion. For now, Bitcoin appears to be stabilizing in the aftermath of last week's tariff-driven volatility, with ETF flows and institutional narratives again playing a central role in price discovery. Related Bonuses: New to crypto? Get up to $400 in rewards for successfully completing short educational courses and placing your first qualifying trade on Coinbase. Trade, earn, and grow your crypto portfolio with — plus receive up to $500 worth of rewards in the most popular tokens if you're a new customer. This article Bitcoin Holds Steady As ETF Inflows Continue And State Reserve Efforts Face Setback originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Proposed ban on flavored tobacco products is revived in WA Legislature
(Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Democratic lawmakers have revamped their approach to banning flavored tobacco products in Washington. In new bills filed Friday in the state House and Senate, the original prohibition on flavored vapes proposed early in the legislative session is combined with an increase in cigarette taxes. The measure's sponsor in the House, Rep. Kristine Reeves, D-Federal Way, said she hopes it becomes part of the smorgasbord of revenue measures Democrats are eyeing to fill the looming budget deficit. The new legislation, House Bill 2068, revives the ambitious and controversial prohibition that had made little progress in Olympia so far this year. Supporters hope it can curb youth smoking, as studies show middle and high school students overwhelmingly favor flavored options. Andrew Estep, the campaign manager for Flavors Hook Kids Washington, calls the new plan a 'holistic approach to bettering the health of Washington residents.' Critics of such bans have argued they would lead to increased cigarette use as consumers look for alternatives. And people who've turned to electronic cigarettes to quit smoking traditional cigarettes would no longer have flavored options. The ban on selling flavored e-cigarettes, also called vapes, and nicotine products, like menthol cigarettes, would begin July 1, 2027. The sale of nicotine pouches, like Zyn, to patrons under age 21 would also be prohibited. The initial proposal, House Bill 1203, would have banned the products beginning 90 days after the legislative session ends. This new approach allows the state to continue earning sales tax revenue from the products amid a budget deficit as high as $16 billion over the next four years. Flavored shisha, or hookah, tobacco would be exempt from the prohibition. The bill also adds a $2-per-pack tax on cigarettes. That tax would rise with inflation. The first $5 million from the new tax would go toward preventing youth tobacco and vape use. The rest would go into the state's general fund. It also adjusts how vapor taxes are collected, adjusting the rate so it's based on the product's price instead of the volume of liquid. Advocates say this will increase revenue, with money going to the Andy Hill Cancer Research Endowment Fund, foundational public health services and the general fund. Reeves said Friday that if the Legislature is going to further tax these products, it should go toward funding 'the social outcomes we want.' The tax provisions would take effect Jan. 1, 2026. The goal is to offset the lost sales tax revenue from the banned products. Washington smokers already face one of the nation's highest state cigarette taxes, totaling $3.77 between excise and sales taxes, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE A separate cigarette tax proposal, also sponsored by Reeves, would increase the existing $3.03 excise tax on a 20-pack of cigarettes by 30 cents. For vape liquid, the tax on containers of 5 milliliters or more would go up a penny to 10 cents per milliliter, and the fee on other vapor products would rise three cents to 30 cents per milliliter. The new legislation under consideration would also up the license fee for cigarette and vapor product distributors and retailers. Businesses licensed to sell these products would be required to post signage noting the statewide ban. And the state Department of Health would run a campaign to build awareness about the harms of flavored tobacco products. About half a dozen other states restrict flavored tobacco sales to varying degrees. Since the proposal would bring in new tax revenue, it is considered 'necessary to implement the budget' and so is immune from deadlines that have already killed numerous bills this session. Sen. Noel Frame, the leading Democratic voice on new revenue this year, said the bill is intriguing not just because it generates money for the state but because 'it's good public policy.' Reeves expects the bill to get a hearing from the House Finance Committee in the next couple weeks. If it doesn't make it to the finish line this session, she sees the legislation as laying the groundwork for progress in 2026.
Axios
20-02-2025
- Health
- Axios
Ban on flavored vape products advances in Washington Legislature
A proposal to ban flavored vapor and tobacco products in Washington state has cleared an early legislative hurdle, but could end up stalling partly because it could worsen the state's budget shortfall. Why it matters: Supporters say selling vapor products in fruit and candy flavors encourages kids to become addicted to nicotine, which the CDC says damages their developing brains. State of play: Washington state already bans sales of all vapor products to people under 21. But Chris Reykdal, Washington's superintendent of public instruction, told a panel of lawmakers last month that kids are still getting their hands on the products. The fine print: House Bill 1203, which was approved by the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Business on Tuesday, would ban not only flavored vapor products, but also menthol cigarettes. Banning sales of those products would cause the state to lose an estimated $234 million in tax revenue over two years. That's a "vast" financial impact, state House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon (D-Seattle) told Axios — particularly when lawmakers already face an estimated two-year budget shortfall of $10 billion to $12 billion. State Rep. Kristine Reeves (D-Federal Way), the measure's lead sponsor, said she's proposing other tobacco-related taxes this year to help offset those revenue impacts. What they're saying: "While we've been successful in getting kids off cigarettes, that has just transitioned to vaping," Reeves told lawmakers at last month's public hearing. By the numbers: In the state's 2023 Healthy Youth Survey, 14% of 12th graders surveyed said they'd used vapor products or e-cigarettes in the past 30 days. The other side: Stores that sell vapor products are opposing the bill. "Vaping is not smoking," Sara Stewart, a lobbyist for a coalition of retailers that sell vaping products, said during the Jan. 31 public hearing. Stewart said she wants to work to address lawmakers' concerns about youth vaping in a way "that still allows adults to have access to something that has allowed them to quit smoking." What's next: The measure still must clear the House Appropriations Committee, which deals with budgetary issues, and then pass the full House and Senate to become law.
