Latest news with #HouseBill13
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Legislation creating statewide emergency communication system advances in Texas House
LUBBOCK — The Texas House gave initial approval Tuesday to a set of bills aimed at mitigating wildfire risks and improving the state's response to emergencies. The bills, filed by Ken King, R-Canadian, cover separate issues. However, both were filed in response to the devastating wildfires last year that engulfed the Texas Panhandle. More than 1 million acres burned, 15,000 head of cattle and three people died. House Bill 13 would create the Texas Interoperability Council, which would be tasked with creating and coordinating the implementation of a statewide plan for the use of emergency communication. The council would set up a network that connects all first responders and state agencies. They would also administer a grant program to help local governments purchase the equipment and construct the infrastructure needed to connect to that system. The Interoperability Council is one of the recommendations from the report by the House Investigative Committee, which King led last April. The initial cost is expected to be about $500 million. 'My goal is to ensure every first responder that puts their life on the line to battle these fires and other disasters have the tools to communicate effectively with those around them,' King said. King's second bill, House Bill 143, addresses one of the common causes for wildfires in the Texas Panhandle: unmaintained electrical lines for oilfield equipment. The House committee that investigated the wildfires last year concluded that unmaintained lines started at least two of the fires. This includes the Smokehouse Creek Fire, which became the largest fire in Texas history and ignited after a decayed power pole snapped and landed in dry grass, according to the report. [A year after Texas' largest wildfire, Panhandle residents tugged between hope and anxiety] King's bill would require the Texas Railroad Commission, which oversees the oil and gas industry, and the Public Utility Commission to notify electric utilities when the RRC identifies electrical hazards during inspection. The Panhandle lawmaker said the agencies developed a Memorandum of Understanding — a non-binding agreement — that allows them to work together. State Rep. Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo, spoke in favor of the bill. Both lawmakers live in the Panhandle, where state data shows power lines have caused roughly 60% of wildfires since 2006. 'I'm thankful to the Texas House that we realize how important it is that we pass legislation that affects and protects rural areas from wildfires,' Fairly said. The House will take up the bills one more time before passing them to the Senate for consideration. The Legislature is also considering House Bill 2063 to create a database of firefighting equipment that is readily-available, and Senate Bill 34. That is a sweeping priority bill by state Sen. Kevin Sparks, R-Midland, that also includes increased funding for rural volunteer fire departments. Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Get tickets before May 1 and save big! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tax hike on the wealthy, more money for teachers, housing. 5 takeaways from Meyer's budget
On Thursday, Gov. Matt Meyer unveiled a budget that raises taxes on higher paid Delawareans, provides additional assistance to those struggling to afford housing and offers further support for Delaware teachers. Meyer's budget proposal for the next fiscal year is a reset of former Gov. John Carney's spending plan. He has also prioritized government efficiency, transparency and tax fairness, with particular attention to 'shovel-ready' infrastructure planning in Sussex County and proposed changes in Delaware tax brackets. The reset also comes at an unprecedented and unpredictable time, as many Delawareans face – or have already faced – impacts from recent actions undertaken by the federal government, and several changes loom large on the horizon. During his budget presentation, Meyer proposed creating new tax brackets for wealthier residents. The current income tax rate for people making more than $60,000 in Delaware is 6.6%, which is the highest rate for that income level compared to surrounding states. In neighboring Pennsylvania, the income tax rate is flat at 3.07%. In Maryland, the rates – even for high-income earners – are lower than Delaware's top rate of 6.6%. And in New Jersey, someone making between $75,000 and $125,000 pays a rate of 6.37%, Tax Foundation data shows. Meyer's proposed tax brackets would include 'a moderate increase in income tax' for wealthy Delawareans by adding new tax brackets for higher-income earners. For example, those making $125,001 to $250,000 would pay a 6.75% income tax rate. Meyer said Delawareans with taxable income under $134,667 would see no income tax increase. The proposal is similar to House Bill 13, which creates two new income brackets: One for those making between $125,001 and $250,000 and another for people making more than $250,000. Delawareans making more than $250,000 would pay a 6.95% income tax rate. Meyer also proposed an increase in tobacco taxes, and said that state agencies like the DMV are reviewing possible fee increases. Meyer's reset also includes a roughly $3 million investment in a pilot program designed to go directly to First State classrooms and teachers. Meyer's administration will also seek a supplementary $3 million in private donations for this assistance, particularly as they work with students to raise literacy rates. This allocation would encourage educator experimentation and creativity. He also wants to invest $8 million in emergency funding for 'evidence-based literacy programs' led by the state Department of Education. His reset also includes $8.4 million in additional support for services addressing First State students' mental health and well-being and raising the minimum salary for teachers. Meyer's budget comes at a moment of uncertainty, as several Delaware federal employees were unexpectedly let go from their positions, and many more facing potential financial cuts in Medicaid and even the possible dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education. While he told Delaware Online/The News Journal this uncertainty is 'challenging,' Meyer added he is willing to work with President Donald Trump's administration to improve and expand opportunities in Delaware, while also protecting fellow residents. Meyer added $21.9 million in the budget to brace for potential federal government cuts. Meyer's reset includes raising investments in affordable housing by approximately $12 million. Such investments include roughly $6 million in funding for State Rental Assistance Programs. Meyer also intends to further streamline voucher programming and provide incentives for 'the construction of low-income rental housing' projects and new homes spanning different levels of income. Meyer also hopes to establish and build 'a coordinated homelessness response system' to help address and prevent homelessness in Delaware. Meyer presented his intended investments to improve access, affordability and overall quality of health care in the First State. He wants to provide $85.5 million in funding for Medicaid, ensuring Delawareans receive accessible critical care, and make 'preliminary investments' to explore the possibility of creating a medical school in the Delaware. Meyer also plans to invest $1.5 million in the Smart Food Program, which would bring better food and nutrition to local communities and schools. He also budgeted $4.2 million to increase the state's share of the cost of paramedics and first responders from 30% to 35%. Counties bear the rest of the cost. Meyer must now shore up support for his spending plan from lawmakers. The Bond Bill and Joint Finance committees and the full General Assembly have until the end of June to debate, alter and approve a budget before sending it to Meyer's desk to sign by June 30. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Meyer recommended operating budget raises taxes on Delaware wealthy
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate passes employee pay plan with legislator raises intact
The door to the Senate Chamber at the Montana Capitol. (Micah Drew/Daily Montanan) Montana senators overwhelmingly voted this week in favor of a bill implementing the state's 2026-27 employee pay plan — which includes substantial raises for state legislators. 'I've been around here a long time, and we've always, in my view, undervalued and sold ourselves short as legislators,' said Sen. John Esp, R-Big Timber, who is carrying the measure through the Senate. 'We leave home, we come up here, and then we volunteer our time, basically to serve the public … I realize there's other points of view, but we are valuable.' The employee pay plan, carried in House Bill 13 each session, is negotiated between the governor's office and public employees' unions, and usually passes the Legislature with strong bipartisan support. The legislation authorizes raises for the state workforce, increasing health insurance payments, adjusting per diem travel rates and raising legislator salaries in line with other public employees. However, this session the bill has ruffled some feathers in both chambers by adding in a separate provision to boost future legislators' salaries by tying them to Montana's average salary — a controversial inclusion. Sen. Sue Vinton, R-Billings, brought forth an amendment to strip out the legislator pay raise from the bill. Last session, Vinton said, a standalone bill was passed to increase legislator pay from $16 to roughly $24 an hour and was 'met with a very public rebuke by the governor.' ''As has been the case since before our nation's founding, public service comes with personal sacrifice — long hours away from home, less time with family, and appropriately limited compensation,'' Vinton quoted from Gov. Greg Gianforte's veto letter. Esp suggested that feelings in the governor's office may have changed over the biennium. The governor during a Thursday morning press conference said the employee pay plan needed to pass and had been a fair compromise with the unions. He also said that 'we put the pay raise for the legislators in the bill as well,' but added that the legislature has the final say in the bill. Gianforte's office did not respond to more specific questions from the Daily Montanan about whether he would sign the bill as is. The pay plan for state and Montana University System Employees calls for either a $1-per-hour or 2.5% raise, whichever is greater, for each of the next two years, effective July 1. The plan also increases the state's per diem meal rates by tying them to 70% of the standard federal rate of reimbursement — bumping up each meal roughly from $3 to $4 dollars — and boosts employer health insurance contributions by $26 in 2026 and an additional $27 in 2027. Crucially, and the reason for spirited debate on the Senate floor Wednesday, sponsor and Rep. John Fitzpatrick, R-Anaconda, added in a provision to make lawmaker pay a function of the state's average wage, which he said on the House floor would stop the legislature from debating the issue every two years. Legislators currently earn $16.11 an hour — a number that would go up along with all state employees if the pay plan passes on its own — equivalent wages to an annual salary of $33,900. Under HB 13, lawmakers during the 2027 session would earn the equivalent of 80% of the state average hourly wage, and during the 2029 session would make 100% of the state hourly wage. According to the latest Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean hourly wage in Montana across all occupations was $26.88 in 2023, or $55,920 annually. The bill would increase the state's payroll costs by roughly $41 million a year, including the standard increase for legislators. The additional cost of changing legislator salaries to tie them to the state average would be $1.4 million and $2.2 million during the next two years. The cost of increasing health plans are $2.9 million and $7.9 million respectively during the next two years. Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, spoke against the amendment to strike the legislator pay raise, saying that in his 13 sessions serving in Helena, legislator pay has inched up while the cost of living has skyrocketed — he said his housing costs had roughly tripled in the Capitol. 'Our pay here and the cost of living does not equate to one another. And not only that, I'm away from home, four months, from my residence, and I still have to pay all of those expenses, and so as this is just to double the burden on me personally,' Windy Boy said. But several Republican legislators sided with Vinton, saying that voting for their own pay increases was unnecessary, not what Montanans wanted, and just plain looked bad. 'What if this was a referendum? What if this issue, legislator pay, was on the ballot? How do you think that would go?' asked Sen. Forrest Mandeville, R-Columbus. '… We're in a unique situation. How many other people would love to be in the situation where they can vote for their own pay increase?' 'I'm not a fan,' he said. Sen. Daniel Zolnikov, R-Billings, said money should not be the motivation for serving in the lawmaking body, adding that opponents' arguments that only independently wealthy, retired, or remote-working individuals could afford to serve were misguided. 'I lived on nothing when I was in the House, if you knew me, and I loved serving this place. And I still do, because it was about being in here, ideas, philosophies, concepts,' Zolnikov said. '…We never used to do this. We got stopped doing this. This is service.' Zolnikov added last session the Legislature voted to increase the per diem rate legislators get paid while in session — to $206 per day in addition to a salary of $128.86 a day — which should be enough to offset living expenses. But proponents of legislator raises continually returned to the idea that a citizen legislature should more closely represent the population, and prospective lawmakers should have the means to take the time to serve. 'What this bill will do is allow more young parents, for example, to join right? It will allow people with different perspectives who wouldn't be able to take time off because they simply don't have the privilege of the support networks that we all do,' Sen. Cora Neumann, D-Bozeman, said. 'I just think that if we can do something like this, we're going to have a wider and higher quality of bills. I think that's going to make this body have much more depth people are bringing from their own personal experience.' Esp agreed it would widen the pool. 'It's getting more difficult to find people that are willing to serve that aren't retired like I am, or that have some other jobs that they can do from both places, or they're just making a great sacrifice to be here,' Esp said. 'I think it's high time we recognize that.' The amendment failed 12-38, and the full employee pay plan passed the chamber 37-13.
Associated Press
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Texas bills seek to improve state's response to wildfires a year after devastation in Panhandle
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — A Texas lawmaker is laying the groundwork to create a statewide system that connects all first responders and government agencies to the same network. The proposal comes as a possible solution to fix communication issues the agencies have encountered during emergencies and amid a rash of new wildfires in the state. State Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, filed House Bill 13 this month. The bill would create The Texas Interoperability Council, which would be tasked with creating a statewide strategic plan for governing the use of emergency equipment and infrastructure. King filed the bill in response to the devastating wildfires last year that engulfed the Panhandle, when more than 1 million acres burned and three people died. King, who lost part of his property in the fires, said he found communication problems as he led the investigative committee last year. 'The first responder community will tell you it takes three meetings in the middle of a disaster before everybody starts moving in the same direction,' King said in a House committee meeting last week. 'When that wildfire is moving 60 miles-per-hour, that's too long.' Since the wildfires last year, lawmakers seem ready to mitigate wildfire risk. King and state Sen. Kevin Sparks, R-Midland, filed a package of bills that address the problems uncovered last year. Their bills would put more oversight on unregulated power lines, increase funding for rural volunteer fire departments and create a database of readily available firefighting equipment. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also signaled that wildfire response is one of his priorities for the session. Last week, Sparks filed Senate Bill 34, which now includes his previous bills about wildfire response and creating the Texas Interoperability Council. In both bills, the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the Texas House of Representatives each would appoint two members to the council, which would be led by the chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. The members would serve staggered six-year terms, with the last term ending on Sept. 1, 2031. TDEM Chief Nim Kidd called the bill the boldest move he has seen in his career. Kidd, who started his career 33 years ago when he joined the volunteer fire department in La Vernia, told lawmakers he often paid for his own equipment and training. He mentioned that when he worked for the San Antonio Fire Department, the police, fire and EMS crews were responding to the same incident on three different radio channels that were all labeled the same. A network that connects all first responders and state agencies is important, he said, as several agencies respond to the same incident but aren't able to talk to each other. 'This council will set up an organization structure to bring in over 50 independent operators of radio systems on to the same place,' Kidd said. This month has been a test of preparedness. As the committee discussed the bills, most of Texas was under wildfire risk. A combination of weather conditions — including hurricane-force winds and drought — hit the Panhandle and South Plains. Gov. Greg Abbott directed the TDEM to ready state emergency response resources. Jordan Ghawi, a reserve firefighter and a leader for the state emergency medical task force, testified in favor of HB 13. Ghawi told lawmakers he has been deployed to numerous disasters, including the Robb Elementary shooting in Uvalde and hurricanes. He said in every response, the lack of communication and interoperability has been a problem. 'When seconds matter,' Gwahi said, 'the ability for our first responders, whether its law enforcement, fire, EMS or state agencies to communicate seamlessly can mean the difference between life and death, or property preservation or property loss. The bill states the strategic plan must include plans to develop any necessary communication infrastructure and training programs. It must also have a plan to make sure first responders have communication equipment that is interoperable with other equipment, and another plan to ensure any new emergency equipment and infrastructure can be integrated into the existing equipment. The council would also administer a grant program to assist local governments in getting emergency communication equipment that connects them with other emergency responders and the emergency infrastructure in the state. The grant also would go toward building more emergency communication infrastructure in the state. Two wildfires erupted in the Panhandle over the weekend. The Windmill Fire in Roberts County was still active Tuesday, but firefighters had it almost completely contained after burning more than 23,000 acres. Several small fires popped up around the state, as well, including the Crabapple Fire outside Fredericksburg. After burning nearly 10,000 acres, firefighters had the fire 90% contained Tuesday night. Firefighters also were battling another blaze late Tuesday night that started in Dallam County, which is near the Texas-Oklahoma border. Texas A&M Forest Service reported it had burned 15,000 acres and was 50% contained. The fire's forward progression also had stopped. A Texas 2036 study with state climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon found that the wildfire season — late winter and early spring — is expected to get longer. The study also states that while almost all of the wildfires occur in the western half of the state, other portions of the state will likely be susceptible to wildfire risk. ___
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bills seek to improve state's response to wildfires a year after devastation in Panhandle
LUBBOCK — A Texas lawmaker is laying the groundwork to create a statewide system that connects all first responders and government agencies to the same network. The proposal comes as a possible solution to fix communication issues the agencies have encountered during emergencies and amid a rash of new wildfires in the state. State Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, filed House Bill 13 this month. The bill would create The Texas Interoperability Council, which would be tasked with creating a statewide strategic plan for governing the use of emergency equipment and infrastructure. King filed the bill in response to the devastating wildfires last year that engulfed the Panhandle, when more than 1 million acres burned and three people died. King, who lost part of his property in the fires, said he found communication problems as he led the investigative committee last year. 'The first responder community will tell you it takes three meetings in the middle of a disaster before everybody starts moving in the same direction,' King said in a House committee meeting last week. 'When that wildfire is moving 60 miles-per-hour, that's too long.' Since the wildfires last year, lawmakers seem ready to mitigate wildfire risk. King and state Sen. Kevin Sparks, R-Midland, filed a package of bills that address the problems uncovered last year. Their bills would put more oversight on unregulated power lines, increase funding for rural volunteer fire departments and create a database of readily available firefighting equipment. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also signaled that wildfire response is one of his priorities for the session. Last week, Sparks filed Senate Bill 34, which now includes his previous bills about wildfire response and creating the Texas Interoperability Council. In both bills, the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the Texas House of Representatives each would appoint two members to the council, which would be led by the chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. The members would serve staggered six-year terms, with the last term ending on Sept. 1, 2031. TDEM Chief Nim Kidd called the bill the boldest move he has seen in his career. Kidd, who started his career 33 years ago when he joined the volunteer fire department in La Vernia, told lawmakers he often paid for his own equipment and training. He mentioned that when he worked for the San Antonio Fire Department, the police, fire and EMS crews were responding to the same incident on three different radio channels that were all labeled the same. A network that connects all first responders and state agencies is important, he said, as several agencies respond to the same incident but aren't able to talk to each other. 'This council will set up an organization structure to bring in over 50 independent operators of radio systems on to the same place,' Kidd said. This month has been a test of preparedness. As the committee discussed the bills, most of Texas was under wildfire risk. A combination of weather conditions — including hurricane-force winds and drought — hit the Panhandle and South Plains. Gov. Greg Abbott directed the TDEM to ready state emergency response resources. Jordan Ghawi, a reserve firefighter and a leader for the state emergency medical task force, testified in favor of HB 13. Ghawi told lawmakers he has been deployed to numerous disasters, including the Robb Elementary shooting in Uvalde and hurricanes. He said in every response, the lack of communication and interoperability has been a problem. 'When seconds matter,' Gwahi said, 'the ability for our first responders, whether its law enforcement, fire, EMS or state agencies to communicate seamlessly can mean the difference between life and death, or property preservation or property loss. The bill states the strategic plan must include plans to develop any necessary communication infrastructure and training programs. It must also have a plan to make sure first responders have communication equipment that is interoperable with other equipment, and another plan to ensure any new emergency equipment and infrastructure can be integrated into the existing equipment. The council would also administer a grant program to assist local governments in getting emergency communication equipment that connects them with other emergency responders and the emergency infrastructure in the state. The grant also would go toward building more emergency communication infrastructure in the state. Two wildfires erupted in the Panhandle over the weekend. The Windmill Fire in Roberts County was still active Tuesday, but firefighters had it almost completely contained after burning more than 23,000 acres. Several small fires popped up around the state, as well, including the Crabapple Fire outside Fredericksburg. After burning nearly 10,000 acres, firefighters had the fire 90% contained Tuesday night. Firefighters also were battling another blaze late Tuesday night that started in Dallam County, which is near the Texas-Oklahoma border. Texas A&M Forest Service reported it had burned 15,000 acres and was 50% contained. The fire's forward progression also had stopped. A Texas 2036 study with state climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon found that the wildfire season — late winter and early spring — is expected to get longer. The study also states that while almost all of the wildfires occur in the western half of the state, other portions of the state will likely be susceptible to wildfire risk. Disclosure: Texas 2036 has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. We can't wait to welcome you to the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Step inside the conversations shaping the future of education, the economy, health care, energy, technology, public safety, culture, the arts and so much more. Hear from our CEO, Sonal Shah, on TribFest 2025. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
