Latest news with #HouseBill2030
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arizona House revives bill criminalizing ‘stolen valor' claims after Senate obstruction
Rep. Walt Blackman, R-Snowflake, speaks at a March 19, 2025, press conference about his legislation to criminalize some stolen valor claims. Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror A bill to impose criminal penalties against people who falsely claim military service or honors that has become a political football once again cleared the Arizona House of Representatives, but its fate in the Senate still remains unclear. The chamber had previously unanimously passed House Bill 2030 by Rep. Walt Blackman, a Republican from Snowflake and U.S. Army veteran, which would have made it a class 4 felony to impersonate a veteran to obtain employment, government contracts or benefits. But that bill died in the state Senate after it was assigned to the Judiciary and Elections Committee and its chairwoman, Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, refused to hear it. Although Rogers and Blackman represent the same northern Arizona district, they are political enemies — Rogers endorsed Blackman's opponent in the GOP primary last year and the two feuded openly on the campaign trail. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Blackman defeated Rogers' chosen candidate, Steve Slaton, who owns the Trumped Store in Show Low, a popular campaign spot for the MAGA faithful. Slaton falsely claimed to be a Vietnam veteran, and even allegedly altered his DD214, a document given to veterans upon their retirement that includes a record of their service and awards, to show service in Vietnam. In reality, Slaton was stationed in Korea between January and December 1974 as a helicopter repairman and he was never deployed in Vietnam. Rogers and Blackman have traded barbs over the legislation in recent weeks, with Blackman claiming Rogers killed the legislation to protect Slaton and Rogers claiming the legislation does not pass constitutional muster. In 2005, a similar bill was passed by Congress, though parts of it were deemed unconstitutional because it violated the First Amendment. Blackman has said he aimed to avoid that by focusing solely on those who impersonate veterans for benefits that they would otherwise not be entitled to receive and adding that to Arizona's existing laws outlawing fraud. On Wednesday afternoon, the House approved a strike-everything amendment to a bill that had already been voted out of the Senate. But while the original bill had unanimous support, it earned a single opposing vote this time. 'This bill, for the first time in Arizona law, makes lying in the context of an election a criminal offense,' Rep. Alex Kolodin, R-Scottsdale, said when explaining his no vote. 'We cannot open the door to allowing our courts to judge political speech within the context of criminal law.' Kolodin said that, while he supported Blackman's original bill, the new version includes a provision that greatly expands its scope: It says that any person convicted of the offense outlined in the bill would be disqualified from public office. Blackman, in a fiery response to Kolodin, said that the bill has nothing to do with politics or political speech. 'This has nothing to do with political speech. This has to do with blood, sweat and tears men and women left on the battlefield,' Blackman said, at times yelling. 'The next time we have a conflict, I'd like to see whoever says 'no' on this board or in the Senate to jump in a Humvee and get shot at and tell me the service didn't matter.' Kolodin's other Republican colleagues also appeared to take jabs at him for voting against the legislation. 'You can explain this vote all you want, but if you are not voting (yes), you are not voting for the right cause,' Rep. Justin Wilmeth, R-Phoenix, said. The bill will head to the Senate next for a final vote. Blackman and Sen. Shawnna Bolick, the Phoenix Republican whose bill was amended in the House, have said that Senate President Warren Petersen has pledged to let the bill receive a final vote. If it passes the Senate, it will go to Gov. Katie Hobbs for her signature or veto. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Politics derails bill criminalizing ‘stolen valor' claims in Arizona
Rep. Walt Blackman, R-Snowflake, speaks at a March 19, 2025, press conference about his legislation to criminalize some stolen valor claims. Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror Arizona lawmakers want to impose criminal penalties against people who falsely claim military service or honors to receive benefits, but the proposal is facing major hurdles from some Republicans because of a political dispute in last year's elections. The Arizona House of Representatives already unanimously passed House Bill 2030, which would make impersonating a veteran to obtain employment, government contracts or benefits a class 4 felony. The bill is the brainchild of Rep. Walt Blackman, a Republican from Snowflake and U.S. Army veteran. Last year, Blackman was locked in a primary election contest against Steve Slaton, the owner of the Trumped Store in Show Low, a popular campaign spot for the MAGA faithful. Slaton falsely claimed to be a Vietnam veteran, and even altered his DD214, a document given to veterans upon their retirement that includes a record of their service and awards, to show service in Vietnam. In reality, Slaton was stationed in Korea between January and December 1974 as a helicopter repairman and he was never deployed in Vietnam. But Slaton was endorsed by Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, as well as Sen. Mark Finchem, R-Prescott. Blackman was critical of Slaton and Rogers during the campaign; Slaton lost in the primary election. Rogers, a retired Air Force pilot, chairs the Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee, the panel that was assigned to hear Blackman's HB2030. She has refused to schedule the bill for a hearing, and with the deadline for committees to consider bills coming March 21, the measure is effectively dead. Rogers, Finchem and Senate President Warren Petersen did not respond to requests for comment for this story. Now, Blackman and supporters of the measure are pursuing other options and seeking to apply pressure to get the bill heard, whether that be in another committee or by using a strike-everything amendment on another bill to resurrect the proposal. Sen. Shawnna Bolick, R-Phoenix, allowed Blackman to put a strike-everything amendment onto her bill, Senate Bill 1424, which has already been voted out of the Senate. That amendment was approved by the House Government Committee on March 19. The strike-everything amendment copies the text of HB2030 that is stalled in Rogers' committee. If the bill passes the full House, it would return to the Senate for a final vote. Whether that happens would be up to Petersen. 'We need to stop playing politics and start doing what's right by our veterans,' Rep. Stacey Travers, D-Phoenix, said at a March 19 press conference with Blackman and veterans about Rogers' refusal to consider the bill. Travers, an Army veteran herself, praised Blackman's bill and said that it has bipartisan support, pointing to its unanimous passage in the House. 'That wasn't a mistake, that was on purpose,' Rep. Quantá Crews, D-Avondale, said of the unanimous vote. Blackman urged Petersen to have the bill either reassigned out of Rogers' committee, urge Rogers to hear the bill or have the strike-everything version receive a vote by the full Senate. 'It is a shame, it is a sin,' said Jim Muhr, who served in the Army in Vietnam, adding that he did not understand why Rogers was blocking the legislation. He said he wants Petersen to move it to another committee. 'I'm not in her head,' Blackman said when asked why Rogers may be holding the legislation. 'I would say there are some personal reasons.' Blackman, without naming Slaton, said that he believes Rogers and Finchem may be trying to protect a 'gentleman in Show Low' but he is unsure why. Rogers and Blackman have a history of butting heads, and Blackman was one of the few Republican lawmakers to condemn comments Rogers made in the wake of a mass shooting targeting Black shoppers in a Buffalo, New York, grocery store in 2022. Blackman is Black, while Rogers, who is white, has strong ties to white nationalists, including speaking at a white nationalist conference and calling attendees 'patriots.' In 2005, a similar bill was passed by Congress, though parts of it were found to be unconstitutional because it violated the First Amendment. Blackman said he aimed to avoid that by focusing solely on those who impersonate veterans for benefits that they would otherwise not be entitled to receive and adding that to existing state scam and fraud laws. 'I am asking Senator Rogers and Senator Finchem to either get on board or get out of the way,' Blackman said, eliciting cheers and shouts of 'amen' from the veterans surrounding him. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmakers advance bill to increase payments to Oklahoma foster families
Rep. Nick Archer, R-Elk City, is the author of a bill seeking to increase reimbursement payments to Oklahoma foster families. Archer, left, and Sen. Kelly Hines, R-Edmond, listen to the governor's State of the State Address in the House chamber of the state Capitol on Feb. 3. (Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — House lawmakers pushed forward Monday an effort to increase reimbursement payments to foster families by at least $140 a month. House Bill 2030 would increase 'maintenance payments' to foster care parents by $5 per day. These payments are intended to help families cover the cost of caring for a foster child, including necessities like food, clothing, school supplies, personal incidentals and reasonable travel. Rep. Nick Archer, R-Elk City, said he authored the bill because of a constituent request and these payment amounts have not changed since 2018. 'We have some constituents in western Oklahoma who have taken in foster children and they chose not to break that family unit apart,' he said. 'They're just asking for a little more assistance because they have the heart, they have the will, but financially, it is tough.' The current reimbursement rates are $17.72 for children ages 0 to 5, $20.42 for 6 to 12-year-olds, and $22.62 for children 13 and older. These payments are dispersed on a monthly basis. The increase equates to average monthly payments ranging from $681.60 to $828.60 based on the child's age. Oklahoma's Department of Human Services estimates increasing the rates will cost over $48 million in total, but the state will only be responsible for paying $25.7 million, or 53% of the cost. Federal dollars would cover the remaining $22.5 million. Archer said legislators can't 'put a price tag on how these dollars would benefit kids who are in their most troubling time.' The Department of Human Services has said over 5,800 children are in the state's foster care system. The agency wants to add 400 new foster homes in 2025. Archer said inflation is one of the reasons the rate increase is necessary. Finances have become a barrier for foster families and that this bill has the potential to 'save money on the backend.' He said this bill changes the payments to 'traditional foster families,' which Archer said are foster parents who take in children with no relation or kinship to themselves. While the bill only mentions traditional foster families, a financial analysis said it would also increase the daily payments for associated DHS foster care programs in order for the agency to stay in compliance with a court settlement. The bill, which passed unanimously, can now be heard by the House Appropriations and Budget Committee. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Virginia legislation attempts to combat growing impacts of climate crisis
Coastal wetlands off the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Legislation introduced this session calls for creating a task force to develop a statewide wetlands strategy to restore, create, and plan for their migration as sea level rises. (Sarah Vogelsong / Virginia Mercury) As the climate crisis accelerates, so do the number of bills in the Virginia General Assembly to address resilience, adaptation and education. Some, like an attempt to require flood risk disclosure to potential buyers, are back after being tabled last year. Others are new efforts to build a foundation addressing the effects of a warming climate and rising sea levels. 'This year, the record number of bills related to climate change is a clear reflection of the growing impacts experienced by our communities across the commonwealth,' said Mary-Carson Stiff, executive director of Wetlands Watch, a nonprofit based in Norfolk where the effects have been increasingly clear. 'Let's just hope legislation starts to keep pace with the impacts because so far we're still behind the curve.' Here are some of the efforts making their way through the General Assembly. House Bill 1949 by Del. Phil Hernandez, D-Norfolk, and House Bill HJ 434 by Del. Michael Feggans, D-Virginia Beach, would create a methodology and criteria for state contributions to the local share of federal coastal storm risk management projects like the $2.66 billion plan Norfolk adopted in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2023. The city's share under current cost estimates would be $931 million. Officials there have said the state needs to fund half that amount for the project to move forward. So far, the city has received a $25 million state grant. There is $25 million in the state's fiscal year 2025 budget, but nothing in the 2026 budget. The Norfolk plan is the first of four in the works with drafts coming for Virginia Beach, the Peninsula including Hampton and Newport News, and Washington. D.C. metro area. 'The state needs to decide how they're going to deal with them, and what kind of process they're going to follow to ensure that there's equitable distribution of state resources, or plan for how they even want to fund these projects,' Stiff said. Controversy over the Norfolk plan helped fuel a House Bill 2030 by Del. Bonita D. Anthony, D-Norfolk, that would establish an Environmental Justice Task Force including representatives from numerous state agencies ranging from housing to health to conservation. The task force would meet with residents and governments and other stakeholders and develop metrics to evaluate the social, environmental and health outcomes for historically disadvantaged communities. Anthony said it would be a holistic look at the issue that complements the Virginia Council on Environmental Justice, a panel appointed by the governor. 'It is getting teeth to what the state agencies do in every project that is deployed in the Commonwealth,' Anthony said, noting the task force will report to the General Assembly. 'For so long, environmental justice has been a footnote. It hasn't been at the forefront.' Environmental justice became a flashpoint in the Norfolk storm risk plan when the feasibility study completed by the Army Corps concluded that floodwalls were not 'justified' under the benefit-cost analysis for the city's disadvantaged Southside neighborhoods because property values in the historically redlined area were not high enough. A bill by Del. Shelly Simonds, D-Newport News, would create a task force to develop a statewide wetlands strategy to restore, create, and plan for their migration as sea level rises. The Coastal Resilience Master Plan estimates that up to 89% of Virginia's tidal wetlands could be lost by 2080. Wetlands filter water, mitigate storm surge, sequester carbon, and provide key habitat for fin and shellfish. 'Sea level rise is the greatest threat to our wetlands health and survival in Virginia, yet we have no unified plan of attack,' said Stiff of Wetlands Watch. 'There's no state strategy. There's no unified approach. There's no expenditure of resources.' Chris Moore, Virginia executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, noted that HB2034 creates a policy task force, not new regulations. Virginia, he added, is behind other states that have outlined wetlands protection policies. He noted the success of oyster restoration illustrates what happens with the right plan and the right resources. 'Now is the time to put together a comprehensive strategy to protect our tidal and non-tidal wetlands,' he added. For Stiff, the need is urgent. 'From a wetlands loss standpoint,' she said, 'the losses are happening much sooner than later.' Two other pieces of legislation, House Bills 1950 and 2453, introduced by Hernandez and Del. Keith Hodges, R-Middlesexs, would create a Living Shoreline Grant Fund for local governments or tribes for the construction, renovation, or improvement of living shorelines greater than 1.5 miles. Living shorelines use vegetation to protect against storms, provide habitat, store carbon, clean water, and trap sediments. They're viewed as a key solution to rising seas. 'Living shorelines are an area where we can build better resiliency for the Commonwealth,' Moore said. 'With that legislation, what we're hoping to do is increase the number of living shorelines, especially when it comes to those larger projects.' A bill by Sen. Jennifer Boysko, D-Fairfax County, SB1123, would establish the Extreme Weather Relief Program administered by the Department of Conservation and Recreation which would hold fossil fuel companies liable to pay for relief projects stemming from extreme weather fueled by greenhouse gas emissions. Those costs are considerable — Gov. Glenn Youngkin recently requested $4.4 billion for Hurricane Helene relief efforts. The Chesapeake Climate Action Network and the Virginia Conservation Network back the bill. Another resilience effort backed by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and others are two bills aimed at increasing tree canopy. One, HB2630, allows localities to collect fees from developers who cannot meet tree requirements where a project is sited and use the funds to plant trees. The other, HB 2638, allows localities to increase tree canopy in developments. Trees, Moore noted, reduce urban heat island effects, improve water quality, provide habitat, and help reduce stormwater surge. Two holdover efforts from last year were up for consideration again, but only one is still alive. Del. Paul Milde, R-Stafford, introduced another bill, HB 2713, to fund a $3 million, three-year study of menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay through the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. A similar study was shelved last year while conservationists and Omega Protein Corp., the Canadian company that is the lone harvester in the bay, spar over the issue. 'Current menhaden management relies on incomplete information,' Milde said in a press release. 'This research will provide the scientific foundation needed to make sound decisions that balance the needs of the fishery with the ecological importance of this keystone species.' Moore said he was hopeful the bill would pass but noted that the menhaden industry had backed away after agreeing to the study. 'I think you see indicators that are raising questions throughout the Bay watershed,' he added noting concerns about the osprey population, which feeds on menhaden, and reports from tackle shops that are having difficulty supplying menhaden as bait. 'There's a whole lot of unanswered questions out there and I think we all simply hope that we will move this study forward to answer those questions, and that it won't be stopped by one company that happens to be the largest harvester of menhaden along the Atlantic coast.' One bill that again did not make it through was a flood risk disclosure bill, which was backed by Hernandez, Del. W. Chad Green, R-York, and Del. Will Morefield, R-Tazewell. The bill was a watered-down version of last year's effort. It would only have required a seller to disclose if they knew if the property was in a Federal Emergency Management Administration flood zone. After realtors objected, the bill was shelved again in committee on Thursday, despite having patrons from both parties. The Natural Resources Defense Council last year commissioned a study that found unsuspecting buyers of previously damaged homes are substantially more at risk of paying out of pocket for flood damages, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars over the term of their mortgage. Virginia is one of 14 states given an 'F' grade for flood disclosure by the NRDC. 'Until people care less about what the realtors' opinions are on the topic of blood risk disclosure,' said a frustrated Stiff, 'Virginia will not have flood risk disclosure.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
