Latest news with #HouseBill1539
Miami Herald
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Florida bill to ban books from schools over ‘sexual content' threatens literary classics
Classic books like '1984' by George Orwell, 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings' by Maya Angelou and 'The Diary of Anne Frank' offer profound insights into history, humanity and the complexities of our shared world. These are not fringe books. And yet, under the proposed House Bill 1539, now advancing in the Florida legislature, these titles could be removed from public school libraries and classrooms after little more than a formal complaint by a single person because they include sexual content. HB 1539 proposes a sweeping and rigid overhaul of how books are evaluated in Florida's public schools, defining those that may be challenged for being 'harmful to minors.' According to the bill's wording, that means any book containing 'depiction of nudity, sexual conduct or sexual excitement... patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole.' HB 1539 proposes a sweeping and rigid overhaul of how books are evaluated in Florida's public schools. If a book in a school is challenged as 'harmful to minors,' districts would be required to permanently remove the book, regardless of its educational value, cultural relevance or historical significance. The bill expressly forbids any consideration of a work's literary and artistic merit as a whole. Even foundational books, like the ones above, could be removed from public schools based on isolated scenes or language. One frivolous complaint will be all it takes to ban books, ignoring their context and complexity. Lawmakers should think carefully before making it even easier for censorship to spread. Policies like this have long been exploited by a loud few and those eager to turn personal morality into public restriction. These measures are used to ban books from classrooms and libraries, often without a transparent review or meaningful public input. The bill effectively guts the third prong of the 'Miller test,' the standard established by the U.S. Supreme Court in Miller v. California (1973), which protects works, taken as a whole, with serious literary or artistic value, from being labeled 'obscene.' That safeguard has protected important books from being labeled obscene for decades. By narrowing what is considered acceptable in Florida, this bill invites confusion, weakens First Amendment protections and opens the door to costly legal battles over free expression, which will fall squarely on Florida taxpayers. Let's be clear: HB 1539 threatens to sever the thread between students and textually rich literature. It reduces sophisticated narratives to flattened singular passages, ignoring the breadth and power a story can offer when taken as a whole. By rejecting the holistic evaluation of books, this bill undermines a key foundation of both literary expression and public education. This bill sidelines inquiry in favor of control. It does not protect knowledge; it restricts it. It does not enliven thought; it narrows it. PEN America has urged Florida lawmakers to reject HB 1539, warning that it endangers students' First Amendment rights and undermines the foundation of our public education system and academic freedom. The bill's new definition of 'harmful to minors' diverges sharply from constitutional standards. If passed, HB 1539 would likely result in the removal of widely taught and historically significant works from public school libraries and classrooms. It would deny public school students the chance to engage meaningfully with literature, to grapple with big ideas and gain a deeper appreciation for language and artistic expression. Our literary canon captures pivotal moments in our shared story and presents a layered portrait of life. When students are exposed to a wide range of reading materials, they don't just access information; they build cultural understanding and sharpen their imagination. Protecting access to nuanced works isn't just about saving books; it's about cultivating intellectual and emotional growth for as many as possible. William Johnson is the director of PEN America's Florida office.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Three bills for rural communities pass the legislature, signed by governor
Apr. 23—OLYMPIA — Gov. Bob Ferguson signed 35 bills into law Monday, including three pieces of legislation sponsored by Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake. Dent's bills include topics such as large animal veterinarian care, the pesticide task force and allowing small regional airports to use real estate excise tax funds. "I feel good about what I've been able to accomplish," Dent said. "I've been able to do some things that are in my area of expertise, in my wheelhouse, so to speak, and move those bills through the legislature." Dent said, despite three bills being signed into law, there are still a handful he is fighting for during the final week of the 2025 legislative session. One bill Dent mentioned is House Bill 1912, which would add an exemption from taxes under the Climate Commitment Act for fuels used for agricultural purposes. The bill has passed both chambers and is waiting for consideration from the House Speaker, Senate President and Governor as of Tuesday. The other is House Bill 1539, which would address wildfire protection and mitigation. The bill passed the legislature and was delivered to the governor on Tuesday for consideration. "There's been some wins here this year, there have also been some bills that are not so much, but that part is pretty normal," Dent said. "For every session, you hopefully always have a few wins and there's always some things you didn't (get passed). I will just come back again next year. That's what you do. Overall, it's probably been as positive as any session since I've been here. But we have a new administration, which gave us new people at the agencies. It's just been different and when I say different, it's been different in a good way." Veterinarians House Bill 1705 aims to address the shortage of large animal veterinarians in the state. The bill establishes a work group tasked with examining and providing recommendations on strategies to recruit, train, and retain large animal veterinarians. The work group will include representatives from various sectors, including agriculture, veterinary medicine, health and historically marginalized communities, Dent said. The bill passed both chambers of the legislature unanimously. "Veterinarians quite often are kind of a chain or a fence, a barrier, so to speak, between diseases that affect the animal world and the diseases that could affect the human world," Dent said. "We need them there to kind of act as another line of defense against some of the bad things that can happen. The bird flu is one of them. That can affect humans. We want to make sure, if we can, to have that line of defense in place." The Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine has trained nearly 7,000 veterinarians since its founding in 1899, according to the bill summary. The WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital facility is the largest veterinary referral center in the Pacific Northwest, testing thousands of animal patients every year. Large animal services specialize in horses, foals, dairy and beef cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, camels, llamas and alpacas. However, the field is seeing a decline in professionals specializing in large animal care, attributed to factors such as inadequate financial incentives, high student debt and the physical demands of the profession, according to the bill summary. The data collected shows that over the past 20 years, only three to four percent of veterinarians enter food-related care. "A lot of the newer, younger vets tend to gravitate into working on dogs and cats, because, No. 1, it pays a lot better and No. 2, it's a lot easier," Dent said. "So, we are trying to come up with a plan to how do we increase that pipeline for large animal veterinarians to be able to come in, to get them interested, get them into school and get them out there helping our farmers and ranchers." The work group's findings, due in preliminary and final reports by December 2025 and June 2026, respectively, will be part of addressing the veterinarian shortfall. "I expected some pushback on this bill, and there was none," Dent said. "People just like the idea. They were all supportive. I worked on this for over a year, and while I wasn't necessarily totally in love with the bill, I finally decided, well, I'll drop it, at least and we'll start the conversation. I just couldn't believe how it took off like wildfire, and everybody got behind it." Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, said she was in favor of the bill because she has large animals and has said she has had challenges with finding care for them. "I am very much in support of a large animal veterinarian study to see how we can increase the availability of large animal veterinarians," Warnick said. "My own family has horses and cows and it's sometimes very difficult in case of emergencies to find a veterinarian and even if it's not an emergency, finding someone who is willing to work on large animals is still challenging." The bill's fiscal statement estimates around $253,500 to be spent for the implementation of the legislation between 2025 to 2027. Around $28,000 will go to the Department of Agriculture, $203,500 to WSU and $22,000 to the Department of Health. The legislation is scheduled to take effect 90 days post-session adjournment, contingent upon budget approval. Pesticide Application Safety Committee House Bill 1294 proposes the extension of the Pesticide Application Safety Committee until July 1, 2035. Originally established to enhance communication and collaboration among stakeholders in pesticide application, the committee comprises legislators, agency heads from relevant departments and representatives from agricultural institutions. It monitors data collection processes relating to pesticide safety and recommends policy options aimed at improving pesticide application protocols. "We did that so we could kind of keep track of what's going on," Dent said. "So instead of being heavy-handed, we can work with industry to find better techniques, to make sure the industry has the latest techniques, the best management practices, and whatever resources they may have, so they can operate in a safe and efficient manner. That went pretty well, and the committee has been a good committee with good people who are really engaged in doing the right thing and protecting our use of pesticides, and also the people that are around them. But it expires in 2025. The agencies, along with the industry, wanted to re-up this thing." The bill also seeks to remove restrictions on the advisory group's ability to conduct in-person meetings, thus facilitating better interaction among its diverse members — including farmworkers, growers, health center representatives, aerial applicators and toxicologists. The initial expiration date for the committee and advisory group was set for July 1, 2025. "t's going to go out now to 2035, so we have a 10-year extension, which is a good thing," Dent said. "We need to keep our tools available to our agriculture producers, that they use to produce the food that we use, that we buy, that we like to eat, and also keep working with our farmworkers. We promote safety. It's about efficient and prudent and responsible use of pesticides. I'm excited that we got that one across the line. It's just going to be good, it's good for our industry, it's good for the farmworkers and it's good for the public. I don't see a downside to this bill." This measure garnered bipartisan support, passing the House with a vote of 97-0 and the Senate with a vote of 49-0. Warnick said she was in support of the renewal of the committee because she has been serving on it and she said they are making good progress. "It's something that we need to continue," Warnick said. "The work that has been started by the various stakeholders is important for the safety and future of agriculture in Washington." Although the bill contains an emergency clause for an effective date of July 1, 2025, it will be null and void unless adequately funded in the budget. The bill has a proposed expense of around $618,400 in 2025 to 2027. In 2027-29, the expenses are around $674,400 and in 2029-2031, the cost is about $673,000. The funds go to the Department of Health, University of Washington, Washington State University and the Department of Agriculture. Airports House Bill 1650 proposes an amendment to allow local real estate excise tax revenues to be utilized for airport capital projects, specifically benefiting small airports. The core objective of HB 1650 is to include small airports in the definition of "capital projects" eligible for funding through local REET, according to Dent. Traditionally, REET funds have been limited to public works projects such as roads, parks, and government facilities, leaving funding for airports limited and often unviable, according to the bill report. Nonetheless, the bill recognizes that small airports, as defined by their inclusion in the Washington aviation system plan and the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems, are critical to local economies and public safety, Dent said. "If the governing authority of a community that had an airport wanted to spend some money on an airport, then they could make a choice to do this," Dent said. "We're not telling them they have to do that. It's just another option for them." The economic significance of regional airports is highlighted in public testimony, citing the Tacoma Narrows Airport's contribution of approximately $160 million annually to Washington's economy. Additionally, these airports serve multiple functions, including facilitating business travel, educational programs for aviation students, and emergency services. Currently, small airports face logistical challenges, particularly concerning deferred maintenance, inadequate staffing and difficulties in securing matching funds for federal grants, which complicates their operational capacities, according to the bill report. There is no anticipated expenditure on the bill. Furthermore, the bill does not impose additional taxes but rather grants local governments the flexibility to allocate existing revenues from REET for airport projects if they opt to do so. "It's a pretty simple bill, but there were some counties that wanted it, and we worked hard to move that bill," Dent said. "It was because sometimes it's difficult for people to truly understand that it's that simple. All we did was add an option to where you could spend the money, but it will help, because we don't have enough funding for our airports."
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oklahoma Senate approves bill that includes a trigger for an income tax cut
After more than an hour of discussion, the Oklahoma Senate voted mostly along party lines Thursday to approve a bill that would trigger an income tax cut if the state met certain revenue collection thresholds in the future. House Bill 1539, authored by Rep. Mark Lepak, R-Claremore, and sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, passed by a 36-9 vote and will move back to the House for final consideration. Should the House approve the Senate's version of the bill without changes, it would go to Gov. Kevin Stitt's desk. All seven Democrats in attendance in the Senate chamber opposed the bill, along with two Republicans, Sen. Brent Howard, of Altus, and Sen. Darcy Jech, of Kingfisher. Howard said during debate he didn't think the bill 'went through the process it should have' and said the Senate committee that considered the bill noted the legislation 'has problems.' Howard did not say what those problems were. Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, supported the bill. He said there's always discussion about when is a good time to cut income taxes. 'When it comes to cutting taxes, I've found that we always find reasons not to do that,' Paxton said. 'It's a worthy discussion. … The caucus decided that we were ready to move forward with this.' For years, Stitt has pushed for an income tax cut without success. Last year, the Senate, under then-President Pro Tem Greg Treat — stopped any such cut in its tracks. This year, Stitt has requested what he calls 'a half and a path' plan — a 0.5% cut from the state's current 4.75% income tax and a path toward having no income tax. "I couldn't be more excited that a path to zero income tax is becoming a reality for our state," Stitt said. "We are headed in the right direction. Now, let's deliver an immediate income tax cut for the people of Oklahoma." Paxton said Thursday a potential income tax bill this year is 'not off the table' despite the Legislature having slightly less funds to appropriate this year, compared to last year. Behind the scenes, though, legislative leaders have said such a cut is unlikely, given the revenue situation. If it becomes law, the bill by Lepak and Bergstrom wouldn't result in an immediate income tax cut. But a tax cut would occur if state revenues — as estimated by the state Board of Equalization each December — rise by $300 million or more when compared against revenues collected during the just-completed fiscal year. The bill said any cut would be 'twenty-five hundredths of one percent (0.0025).' More: Stitt renews call for tax cut, wants investigation of wildfire response Multiple Republican senators used negative language when referring to the income tax. Bergstrom said Oklahoma should join nine other states with 'no state penalty on work.' Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, called income tax 'legal plunder' by the government. During debate, the Senate's two top Republicans, Paxton and Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, both expressed strong support for the bill. Daniels called it a 'fiscally conservative sound measure' and a 'sound way to slowly reduce the income tax.' Democrats disagreed, with four of the seven present on Thursday arguing against it. Senate Minority Leader Julia Kirt, of Oklahoma City, said the Senate should be prioritizing tax cuts targeted toward lower-income Oklahomans, noting the percentage cut included in the bill would, per capita, provide greater financial benefit to wealthier taxpayers. Kirt also said any such cut would 'put at risk critical state services' in a time of financial uncertainty for states, particularly when it comes to federal revenues, given the cost-cutting by President Donald Trump. Sen. Mary Boren, D-Norman, said cutting taxes would mean not having enough money to provide core services, such as law enforcement and education, should the state's population grow. She called the bill 'a four-day school week … waiting to happen.' Four-day school weeks are a measure used in recent years by some Oklahoma school districts to try and stretch financial resources. 'It was presented as if it was a conservative plan, but it actually did not have any measures or ways to determine what's going to happen with revenue in the future,' Kirt said. 'It's a trigger, which we've had problems with before. Other states have had problems with triggers.' She said it was concerning that any such trigger would occur in December, well ahead of the legislative session that starts in February. That wouldn't provide the Legislature with an opportunity to 'course correct in real time' if necessary, she said. According to an Oklahoma Tax Commission document attached to the bill's summary page, the agency noted it annually publishes income tax withholding tables in early December to ensure employers can withhold the appropriate amount of Oklahoma income tax for the upcoming tax year. The agency noted the two most recent December Board of Equalization meetings occurred on Dec. 22, 2023, and Dec. 20, 2024. That might cause logistical issues should the bill pass, the agency noted. 'This is a short time frame for employers to update income tax withholding for the potential new rate structure,' according to the document. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Senate approves bill with trigger for income tax cut
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Applied Digital plans to expand in Ellendale, ND
Mar. 21—ELLENDALE, N.D. — Applied Digital Corp. plans to expand its footprint in Ellendale, North Dakota, according to Nick Phillips, executive vice president of public affairs and real estate acquisitions for the company. Applied Digital completed a blockchain facility in Ellendale in 2023, and its current 380,000-square-foot high-performance computing facility is expected to begin operations in later this year. That will be followed by two additional 900,000-square-foot expansions, Phillips said. "The first building that's going up right now is about a $1.3 billion investment for us, and we're anticipating another $4 billion," he said. " ... That's our investment for the buildings, the transformers, the chillers, all of the mechanical equipment. We anticipate our customer will invest approximately another $15 billion so this is about a $20 billion total capital investment on our 320-acre site." Applied Digital hosted Gov. Kelly Armstrong and officials from the state, the city of Ellendale and Dickey County on Wednesday, March 19, to learn about the company's operations in North Dakota. The event included a tour of Applied Digital's data center that is currently under construction and Ellendale Acres. Ellendale Acres is a housing community that was developed with a partnership between Applied Digital, the city of Ellendale, state of North Dakota and Headwaters Development to build 20 homes and a 38-unit apartment complex. Armstrong also signed House Bill 1539 at the event in Ellendale. With the signing of HB 1539, on-site backup electric generation that exceeds 50 megawatts and is not connected to the power grid will no longer be subject to the North Dakota Public Service Commission's Siting Act, according to a news release from the Office of the Governor. The change in law takes effect Aug. 1. "This will allow data centers and other businesses to add on-site backup generation more easily with local approval while still complying with environmental protections," the news release says. "In testimony on the bill, Applied Digital, which also has a facility in Jamestown, said backup power generation will protect workers and equipment from unintentional harm caused by unexpected disconnection from the power grid and will allow the data center's large load to operate off-grid in emergency situations, improving the reliability of the grid for other customers and the grid's operators." Applied Digital designs, develops and operates next-generation data centers across North America to provide digital infrastructure solutions to the high-performance computing industry, Phillips said. In North Dakota, Applied Digital has blockchain sites that support cryptocurrency mining about 7 miles north of Jamestown and 1 mile west of Ellendale. Armstrong told The Jamestown Sun that Applied Digital's project in Ellendale can happen in North Dakota because of the state's great fiber buildout, business environment and energy. "When you have a town like Ellendale in this area of rural North Dakota that has really been struggling just to stay alive for the last 20 years, it's a tremendous opportunity not just for this community but for the economy of south-central North Dakota," he said. Ellendale Mayor Don Flaherty said Applied Digital gives the city of Ellendale an ability to move forward and do things for the community that weren't possible five to 10 years ago. "Now I can stand in front of you today and I can say with the things that are happening right now, I see Ellendale being a shining light in this area of North Dakota well into the 22nd century because of the things that we're going to do and the strength that we're going to bring back to our community because of this," he said. Phillips said Applied Digital expects to be a top 10 property taxpayer in the state in the next year or two. Applied Digital expects to employ 350 full-time employees at the Ellendale site and those people will need places to live in the community, Phillips said. "In terms of local infrastructure, one of the things that we've needed to do is we're trying to convince folks to move here, to live here in Ellendale, and that's very important for us," he said. Currently, about 450 workers are in Ellendale for construction of the 380,000-square-foot high-performance computing artificial intelligence data center, Phillips said. "I'm told that number (of workers) is going to go up drastically as the next two buildings get farther underway," he said. Flaherty said Ellendale's peak population was either 1,800 in the late 1950s or early '60s or 1,500 in 2000 depending on what artificial intelligence Google search engine was used. Ellendale's current population is over 1,100, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Flaherty said Applied Digital coming to Ellendale is the "first domino to fall." As a result, he said more people will want to do business in Ellendale. "We're going to have spouses of people who are going to work at the data center who are going to say, 'Hey, I want to start this kind of business,' or 'I've had this kind of experience and I want to bring that to here,'" he said. To help the Ellendale community, Applied Digital partnered with Headwaters Development and the Bank of North Dakota to build 20 new homes — eight four-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom — and a 38-unit apartment complex utilizing the state's Rural-Workforce Initiative to Support Housing (R-WISH) pilot program. The housing development is called Ellendale Acres and is located in south Ellendale. The R-WISH pilot program utilizes up to $10 million of Bank of North Dakota capital to complement the work done by the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency and the North Dakota Housing Initiative Advisory Committee, according to Bank of North Dakota's website. The maximum amount from the R-WISH fund is the lesser of 30% of the project costs, $3.5 million or the matching contribution from the company. Applied Digital contributed the $3.5 million toward the program to build housing in Ellendale. Headwaters Development will own the homes and apartment complex and rent them to Applied Digital employees. Armstrong said Applied Digital's project and helping with Ellendale's housing challenge is a holistic view of economic development. He said a local community and its elected officials need to promote and welcome business. "You need a company that wants to be there," he said. "You get private equity and then you get the Bank of North Dakota to step in. It really is kind of an all-above approach. They (Applied Digital) can't build that facility if anybody who works there has nowhere to live. So they've engaged in the community in a really meaningful way. I think it's a model for how you would do a large-scale project in a place like Ellendale." Ryan Sailer, president of Headwaters Development, said Ellendale Acres is a big accomplishment that had great collaboration to make it happen. He talked about the challenges and hurdles to bring housing to rural communities. He said construction costs have increased for housing in rural communities. He also said it's difficult for rural communities to get contractors and subcontractors to build housing the magnitude of Ellendale Acres. He said the rental prices are lower in rural areas compared to urban areas, which caps the mortgages. "As developers, we're bringing in more equity which often isn't sustainable because we have investors that require a certain risk adjusted rate of return, and they're not willing to take the risk," he said. He said if employers want to expand or a city wants to bring in employers, housing is need for their employees. "You almost have to come up with a combined solution to figure out how to do it somewhat all at once, to make it sustainable and viable," he said. Armstrong said Senate Bill 2225, which establishes the Housing for Opportunity, Mobility and Empowerment (HOME) grant program in the North Dakota Department of Commerce, is a complementary program to the R-WISH pilot program. "Not every community that has a housing need has an Applied Digital coming in," he said. "The R-Wish program only works because Applied Digital has bought in, the financing guys, Headwaters has bought in, and the bank (Bank of North Dakota) has bought in. There are places across North Dakota whether it's Richardton or Hillsboro and between that also need housing that don't have something like this (Applied Digital) at scale." If SB 2225 is approved, the Commerce Department would award grants to political subdivisions to build infrastructure to support affordable market-rate housing. The grant program would be funded one time and ends on June 30, 2027. SB 2225 would appropriate $50 million to the program. The Commerce Department would allocate $10 million for communities with a population of 5,000 or less, $20 million for communities with a population of 5,001 to 20,000 and $5 million for rural metropolitan areas located within 20 miles of city limits of a community with more than 20,000 people. The program provides grant dollars for one-third of the infrastructure costs for residential development projects. The local political subdivision and the developer of the residential lots would each provide one-third of the costs for residential development projects.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Claremore senator: It's a difficult budget year at State Capitol
Drafting the state's budget has been more challenging this year than past years, said Claremore's state senator at a Feb. 28 address. Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, said this is due in part to lower revenue from the grocery sales tax cut and potentially higher Medicaid costs. Seifried — along with Reps. Mark Lepak, R-Claremore, and Derrick Hildebrant, R-Catoosa, — discussed the budget process and other topics at the Claremore Area Chamber of Commerce's Eggs & Issues event. The three lawmakers shared what they've done at the Oklahoma State Capitol since the legislature convened Feb. 3. This session marks Seifried's third year in Oklahoma City — she first won election to the state Senate in November 2022. Seifried sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for vetting state agency budgets and other spending. She said state agencies are asking for $1 billion in increases to their budgets this year. "That's our job to sort through that," Seifried said. "This is a really difficult budget year, as far as the picture, for a variety of reasons." One is the state will reap less revenue this fiscal year because of the grocery sales tax cut. The 4.5% tax lapsed Aug. 29, 2024 — the Oklahoma Tax Commission calculated the state would lose out on about $239 million in Fiscal Year 2025 and $418 million next fiscal year. Another is the federal government may require Oklahoma to pay significantly more to offer Medicaid to able-bodied adults. Oklahoma voters approved an expansion to Medicaid to cover more adults in 2020, and since then, the federal government has footed 90% of the bill. Congress is considering changing the cost split to 60% federal, 40% state. Seifried said that could cost Oklahoma about $600 million annually. "Our ask to our federal delegation is ... if this were to happen, please don't just make it happen overnight," Seifried said. "We would be able to float it one year, but then the next year not ... it's really different this year trying to figure out a budget." Lepak is sponsoring a bill that could cut Oklahomans' income taxes but drop the state's FY 2026 revenue by up to $108 million. House Bill 1539, co-sponsored by Lepak and Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, would require the State Board of Equalization to compare FY 2025 tax collection to FY 2023's in December. If FY 2025's revenue exceeds FY 2023's by $300 million or more, the state would cut personal income tax by 0.25% across all income levels. This is the "path" to entirely cutting Oklahoma's 4.75% income tax that Gov. Kevin Stitt spoke about in his State of the State address, Lepak said. He said his is one of several bills moving through the legislature toward this purpose. "It's an idea that's getting work, and that's probably the headline [of my bills]," Lepak said. Other items the lawmakers discussed included: — The House of Representatives' new oversight committee structure, which requires each bill to pass two committees before making it to the floor instead of just one. "The idea is a better product, more eyes on something," Lepak said. — House Bill 1276, Seifried's bid to ban cell phones during the school day. This was the first bill to clear the full House this session. "I think it can really help our students, and it can help our teachers," Seifried said. "I get emails from all across the state saying, 'Please pass this.'" — House Bill 1076, Hildebrant's "Food Truck Freedom Act." Cities and counties make their own rules for food trucks under state law, but Hildebrant's bill would require the state to promulgate regulations that would apply statewide. "This new bill will have a state licensure," Hildebrant said. "We're still looking for safety and public health ... and the cities still have significant oversight." — House Bill 2728, the Republican caucus' "Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny" Act. The REINS Act, which received full House approval, would require state agencies to get extra legislative approval for new rules with a fiscal impact of $1 million or more. — House Concurrent Resolution 1004, adopted by both chambers and on the way to Secretary of State Josh Cockroft's desk for final approval. The consent decree will reduce wait times to treat defendants declared mentally incompetent to stand trial. "The new agreement is being touted as saving the state about $70 million over the previous agreement," Lepak said.
