Latest news with #HouseBill1489
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Tampa Bay lawmaker proposes additional Kratom regulations; advocates partially agree
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — State lawmakers are looking to add more regulations to the controversial herbal supplement known as Kratom. Kratom is a southeast Asian leaf that's often used for its stimulating effects. It's commonly found at gas stations along with tobacco and Kava shops. Florida bill ignites debate over parental consent for minors' healthcare Republican State Rep. Michael Owen is looking to prevent artificially elevated levels of a compound found in that tea leaf. 'We've got to regulate it because we got to get the 7-OH off the street,' Owen said. Rep. Owen, who covers southern Hillsborough and northern Manatee counties, has filed House Bill 1489. 'They're pulling out what's called 7-OH. Basically, it's 0.5% of the Kratom leaf. So, they're pulling kind of the worst parts of that out. They're mixing that with other alkaloids and other compounds and they're creating a product that is very, very dangerous,' Owen said. Senior Fellow on Public Policy Mac Haddow is with the American Kratom Association. He and the organization advocate for the responsible usage of Kratom which can be in the form of liquid, powder, or pill. 'Any adverse event or death that's related to Kratom occurs because of an adulterated Kratom product or poly drug use,' Haddow said. He agrees with getting products that are mixed with additional substances, making the effects stronger, off the shelves. 'We should be focused on eliminating those products from the marketplace and not taking a broad strike against all Kratom products and the millions of Floridians who are consuming Kratom safely and responsibly,' Haddow said. Owen's current bill includes additional regulations, like if Kratom tea is brewed, the shop must test it with a lab to monitor levels of 7-OH. Owen said he's making tweaks as the bill moves through committee. 'It does overregulate to where a lot of the Kava bars, for example, are put in a difficult spot where they can't brew their teas. I'm not out to get them. So, I've already made some changes,' Owen said. Kratom is often used to boost energy, improve someone's mood, or battle an opioid addiction. The FDA warns against its usage, saying it's dangerous for your liver, may cause seizures, and it's addictive. It has been banned in Sarasota County since 2014. Six states have also banned Kratom. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arkansas afterschool programming appropriation targets DEI policies
Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, asks a question about House Bill 1489 on the Senate floor Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) Youth organizations that promote diversity initiatives would be prohibited from receiving state grants under an appropriation bill approved by a legislative subcommittee Tuesday. Senate Bill 362 states that grant money will not be awarded to an organization that 'compels' a person to subscribe to an idea 'in violation of Title IV and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.' This would include any requirement that an individual is 'inherently superior or inferior' depending on their race, sex, age, religion, national origin, or 'other characteristic protected by federal or state law.' Bill sponsor Sen. Kim Hammer, a Benton Republican, said during the Joint Budget Committee's Special Language subcommittee meeting that it was important the grant funding goes to groups 'that align with the educational goals of the governor and General Assembly.' 'Some of this language is borrowed … out of Senator Petty's bill, because I think it's good language that kinda identifies that we want youth organizations that are meeting in the afterschool setting to align with the educational goals of the state of Arkansas with any of the programs that they may initiate,' Hammer said. The bill also lifts some language from the LEARNS Act of 2023, Hammer said, as far as 'what's allowable.' Nonprofits affiliated with a broader, national organization that wish to receive youth organization funds must submit a memorandum of understanding signed by both that acknowledges the state-level organization intends to comply with the law's provisions prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Legislators both in Arkansas and across the country have taken aim at DEI in public education in recent years. In a Joint Performance Review Committee meeting in 2023, Hammer questioned representatives of Arkansas Boys and Girls Club affiliates about the national organization's directives on the use of pronouns and other DEI issues. 'The Boys and Girls Club has a longstanding tradition of being built on traditional values. We'd hate to see that lost to any 'wokeism,'' he said in that meeting. The LEARNS Act, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' signature education law, prohibited 'indoctrination' by the Arkansas Department of Education or state public schools, while explicitly stating that the law did not ban the discussion of the ideas and history of the ideas otherwise banned or public policy issues that some might find disagreeable or offensive. SB 362 would appropriate $4 million for youth organizations. Appropriation measures specify funding amounts but no money becomes available until approved by the Legislature through the Revenue Stabilization Act. Only 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) organizations that have operated for at least five years, with 'a record of financial stability,' can qualify for the grants, according to the bill. Those operating for less than five years can still qualify for the grants if they provide a financial plan and are in good standing with the Arkansas Secretary of State's office. Regular afterschool programming and educational activities in specific categories would also be needed to qualify an organization for the grant funding; an organization would need to provide programming for four days a week, with a total of 12 hours, during the school year. The organization would need to provide regular programming in two out of five categories to qualify for the grants as well: STEM (science, technology, engineering and math); academic support; goal setting and leadership activities; career exposure and workforce readiness; and community service opportunities. The bill was accepted by the subcommittee with no audible dissents, and will go to the Joint Budget Committee next. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signs nitrogen gas execution into law with additional bills
Video: Alabama prepares to carry out first US execution by nitrogen gas LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed multiple bills, including one allowing nitrogen gas executions, into law on Tuesday. House Bill 1489, now Act 302, allows the state to use nitrogen gas hypoxia as a method of execution for condemned prisoners. The state can also choose to use lethal injection if the drugs are available. Louisiana man seeks last-minute court ruling to halt planned nitrogen gas execution The act requires the Division of Corrections to develop a method to induce nitrogen hypoxia. It also states that a death sentence will not be overturned if the method of execution is declared unconstitutional, adding that death will be caused by electrocution if a court order forbids lethal injection or nitrogen hypoxia. The last executions in Arkansas were of four men over eight days in 2017 by lethal injection. The state scheduled the executions back-to-back due to the pending expiration of the difficult-to-obtain drugs. Eight executions were initially planned, but four of the executions were stayed by the court. Oklahoma prosecutor urges panel to reject inmate's claims The state currently has 25 inmates on death row. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arkansas lawmakers approve nitrogen gas execution bill, await governor's signature
Senate Minority Leader Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville, speaks against House Bill 1489 on the Senate floor on March 11, 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) State lawmakers on Tuesday sent a bill to the governor's desk that would allow executions by nitrogen gas in Arkansas. If Gov. Sarah Huckabee signs House Bill 1489 into law, Arkansas would become the fifth state to authorize this method of execution. Alabama, the only state to have used nitrogen gas, has executed four inmates in this manner since January 2024. Legislators in Nebraska and Ohio have filed bills similar to Arkansas' as officials search for alternatives to lethal injection because of the challenges they've faced in securing the necessary drugs. South Carolina last week carried out the nation's first execution by firing squad since 2010. Arkansas last conducted executions in 2017 when the state put four men to death over the course of a week in advance of its drug supply expiring. Co-sponsor Sen. Blake Johnson, R-Corning, told the Arkansas Senate Tuesday that HB 1489 is needed because the state has a responsibility to citizens and death row inmates to take this issue seriously and administer the death penalty. 'I'm not here to advocate for a death for death; we are preserving life by protecting life,' Johnson said. 'These individuals, if they walk in our society, can take lives, and I will protect life through this method.' There are currently 25 inmates on death row in Arkansas, 11 of whom have exhausted all of their appeals, according to Department of Corrections Communications Director Rand Champion. The longest standing death row inmate is Bruce Ward, who was sentenced in 1990. The department does not have a stance on House Bill 1489, Champion said. Senate Minority Leader Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville, said he's opposed to capital punishment not just because of his Catholic faith, but because 'it's punishment that you cannot undo,' noting that approximately 200 people sentenced to die since 1973 were later been exonerated. Speaking in opposition to HB 1489, Leding argued that execution by nitrogen gas is not a painless death and that the colorless, odorless gas could accidentally kill prison staff if not administered correctly. 'I don't know that there's a humane way to take a person's life, but if we are going to take on this responsibility, I don't believe we can do it carelessly. We have to take it seriously,' he said. 'We can't just reach for what's most convenient. I understand the challenges in trying to do this, but our response to a horrific act of violence cannot be a horrific act of violence.' Speaking in favor of the bill, Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, acknowledged there are people who may have been wrongly executed, but he urged his colleagues to remember the victims of crime while deciding how to vote on the bill. 'I want to also acknowledge that we need to stand up for the victims because they didn't want to be in the position they were put on in the first place anymore than you and I want to be put in the position that today we're going to vote for this bill,' Hammer said. Kaleem Nazeem with the nonprofit group DecARcerate advocated for focusing on rehabilitation instead of retribution during the Senate Judiciary Committee discussion of the bill on Monday. Nazeem was incarcerated for nearly 29 years, but was released following a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that juveniles convicted of murder cannot receive a mandatory life sentence without parole. Arkansas lawmakers give initial approval to bill permitting nitrogen gas executions 'I think every human has a redemptive spirit, and I think as a society we should look for alternatives to killing people instead of rehabilitating people and try to look at the humanity in them,' he said. Members of the public who testified against the bill last month and again Monday, called nitrogen gas executions inhumane, experimental and expensive. Opponents also criticized the lack of implementation details in HB 1489, including whether nitrogen gas would be administered through a mask or in a gas chamber, what purity of gas would be required and the criteria of who and how nitrogen gas would be selected as the method of execution. Dylan Jacobs, deputy solicitor general for the Arkansas Attorney General's office, told the House Judiciary Committee last month that the exact protocol of the execution, including how to keep staff and witnesses safe, will be promulgated by the state Department of Corrections. Jacobs said it wasn't necessary to include those specifics in the bill, which could tie the department's hands to perform the execution in a particular way. The Arkansas Senate approved HB 1489 by a vote of 26 to 9. Republican Sens. Justin Boyd of Fort Smith, Jonathan Dismang of Searcy and Clint Penzo of Springdale joined all six Democrats in voting against the bill. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nitrogen gas executions bill clears Arkansas legislature, heads to governor's desk
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Executions using nitrogen gas will soon be legal in Arkansas if the governor signs the legislation into law. House Bill 1489 passed in the Senate on Tuesday. Having already cleared the House, the bill's next stop is at the governor's desk for signature. Arkansas nitrogen gas execution bill clears House and heads for Senate Arkansas, like other states, is having trouble accessing the drugs used to execute capital offense prisoners. The bill allows nitrogen to be used as an execution method through nitrogen hypoxia, where a mask is fitted to the condemned and they inhale the gas until they succumb. Arkansas currently has 25 inmates on death row, with its last execution in 2017. Louisiana and Arkansas look to nitrogen executions Opponents of nitrogen executions have called the process torture. Proponents deny it being torture and point to it as a replacement for lethal injections. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
