Latest news with #HouseBill1687
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
IL House passes bill to train 911 operators in telehealth CPR
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — 911 operators may soon be able to provide lifesaving CPR care over the phone after a measure was passed by a state representative on April 7. State Rep. Lisa Davis (D-Chicago) passed House Bill 1687 to train emergency dispatchers to give tele-CPR instruction over the phone. The dispatchers would specifically be trained to learn telecommunicator cardiopulmonary resuscitation (T-CPR). Illinois House passes bill banning move-in fees for renters '911 operators are the first emergency personnel who a victim will interact with, and their timely intervention can mean the difference between life and death in the most serious scenarios,' Davis said. 'Having operators who are able to guide victims and others during times of crisis will save lives and make our emergency services more effective.' This measure is expected to save lives by ensuring that the emergency dispatchers who answer phone calls are able to relay accurate T-CPR instructions to a caller. The bill passed out of the House on Monday and now heads to the Senate. 'As the wife of a Chicago firefighter, I know how important each and every one of our first responders are,' Davis said. 'Providing them with the tools and training they need to do their jobs better makes us all safer.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Virginia Beach voting system remains in limbo after Senate rejection
Sen. Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach. (Photo by Markus Schmidt/Virginia Mercury) For the second straight year, Virginia Beach's attempt to formalize its voting system in its city charter has hit a dead end in the state Senate. House Bill 1687, which sought to officially establish the city's 10-1 voting system, failed to secure the required 27 affirmative votes in the Senate on Thursday — just as it did last year. The bill had previously made it to Gov. Glenn Youngkin's desk, but without final approval from the legislature, the effort remains stalled. Two votes this week saw the same outcome: 21-18 against the proposal. The city council had opted not to amend Virginia Beach's charter to reflect the 10-1 system last year, prompting some lawmakers to take matters into their own hands. But Sen. Bill DeSteph, R-Virginia Beach, distanced himself from the push. 'Until our city council becomes unanimous on this, I would suggest that we vote no on this matter,' DeSteph said Thursday. He pointed to a Jan. 30 memo from the Office of the Attorney General to Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer, which he said confirms the city is under no legal obligation to alter its voting system. Instead of legislative action, DeSteph said the Attorney General's Office advised city leaders to focus on better engagement with Virginia Beach's diverse communities. 'Recognizing and treating people based on their individual experiences is the touchstone that should guide our political debates,' the memo states. The debate took a turn when Sen. Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach, questioned the memo — one he said he hadn't seen until Thursday. 'Over 81% of the people voted and supported the 10-1 system,' Rouse said, citing a survey by the Weldon Cooper Center at the University of Virginia. 'The attorney's general office, in (its) official capacity, pre-cleared this election system twice with no objection, and now, all of a sudden in an election year he has posted his own personal opinion to the mayor.' Virginia Beach implemented the 10-1 system in November 2022 after a federal court ruled that the city's previous election structure violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by diluting minority voting power. The new system, which eliminated three at-large seats from the city council, became official in 2023 as part of redistricting. However, the city council declined to request an amendment to its charter at the time, partly because of an ongoing lawsuit challenging the system. Gov. Glenn Youngkin, aware of the legal dispute, vetoed the proposal last year. While the Virginia Supreme Court assigned a judge to the case in September, no further action has been taken to date. With the latest attempt to solidify the system in the city charter failing in the Senate once again, the future of Virginia Beach's voting structure remains uncertain — especially in a crucial election year. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers press Virginia Beach to keep 10-1 voting system
Virginia Beach, June 2021 (Photo by Sarah Vogelsong/Virginia Mercury) A push to align Virginia Beach's charter with its new voting system is advancing in the General Assembly, despite ongoing battles and prior opposition from Gov. Glenn Youngkin. House Bill 1687, sponsored by Del. Kelly Convirs-Fowler, D-Virginia Beach, cleared the House of Delegates on Friday and now heads to the Senate. The bill would formally allow the city to use the 10-1 voting system, which divides the voting age population into 10 equal districts, to elect the mayor and council representatives. Virginia Beach first implemented the 10-1 system in November 2022 after a federal court ruling. The city officially adopted it in August 2023 as part of its redistricting ordinance, replacing the previous 7-3-1 system that included three at-large seats. 'We're just trying to bring the charter in alignment,' Convirs-Fowler said during a Jan. 17 House subcommittee hearing. However, the city council declined to request a charter amendment last fall amid a lawsuit challenging the 10-1 system's legality. Youngkin vetoed a similar bill last year, pointing to the ongoing case. Court records show that the lawsuit is still pending with no judge assigned. Meanwhile, as Virginia Beach debates its electoral future, other localities, like Arlington County, continue to experiment with voting reforms, including ranked-choice voting. Some state lawmakers representing Virginia Beach voiced disappointment over the city council's refusal to back a charter amendment, citing strong public support for the 10-1 system. 'The 10-1 system, adopted in response to previous findings of racially polarized voting, is a step forward in protecting the voting strength of underrepresented communities,' wrote Sen. Aaron Rouse and Dels. Alex Askew, Michael Feggans, and Kelly Convirs-Fowler, all Democrats from Virginia Beach, in a joint Nov. 13 letter. 'It has already demonstrated its value in promoting inclusiveness and equity, with the 2022 election ushering in Virginia Beach's most diverse city council in its history.' A survey by the Weldon Cooper Center at the University of Virginia found that 78% of city residents believe the system fairly represents their interests. Under the proposed bill, elections for Districts 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10 would take place in November 2026, while g voters would elect representatives for Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 and the mayor in November 2028. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
