Latest news with #HouseBill245
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AG accuses Las Cruces business of fleecing veterans
Apr. 3—LAS CRUCES — A business offering assistance in accessing veterans' benefits was decried by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez as a predatory "claim shark" operation in a lawsuit filed Thursday in 3rd Judicial District Court. Disabled Veterans Consultants, whose offices are located in a Las Cruces shopping plaza, is accused in the complaint of deceptive business practices and operating without required federal accreditation in violation of New Mexico's Unfair Practices Act. Torrez announced the litigation in a news conference at the Veterans of Foreign Wars headquarters in Las Cruces. Flanked by veterans, he called out the business "for engaging in deceptive trade practices and fundamentally taking advantage of a group of American citizens to whom this nation owes a tremendous debt." The lawsuit alleges Disabled Veterans Consultants assists veterans with benefit applications for exorbitant and unlawful fees. Veterans are entitled to free assistance through accredited consultants. The company is also accused of marketing its services by suggesting they can speed up the process and elevate applicants' disability ratings in order to increase benefits, while doing neither. "This kind of conduct will not be tolerated by my office," Torrez said. "We will be aggressively investigating anyone who's engaged in this conduct." Besides Disabled Veterans Consultants, the lawsuit names Las Cruces residents John Sise and Graciela Lujan, who are listed as the firm's directors in state business records showing the for-profit company was registered in 2020. Also named are three companies registered in California and allegedly interrelated with the Las Cruces organization: Zeplin Global Group, MJJL Holdings and GTM Bookkeeping. On Thursday afternoon, an employee who answered the door at DVC's locked office suite said she was unaware of the lawsuit and had no comment. A staff member answering the corporate phone number said, "We have no comment at this time." Efforts to reach the other businesses were unsuccessful. "Claim sharks often charge astronomical fees, rates equivalent to five to 10 times their monthly VA benefit payment," Brian Ravak, the Veterans of Foreign Wars' state commander, said at the news conference. "These fees can place a veteran in debt simply by trying to access their earned benefits. This is unethical and illegal." He urged veterans to contact organizations such as the VFW, the American Legion or Disabled American Veterans for referrals to authorized, free assistance with VA benefits. The DOJ is seeking full refunds for DVC's clients and a $5,000 penalty for each violation of the law, a permanent ban on illegal business operations, rescission of its contracts and recovery of legal fees and costs. In a news release, the office called for veterans who had paid for the company's services to contact the office at 505-490-4060 or online at House Bill 245, a bipartisan measure that would have prohibited charging fees for processing VA claims except where allowed under federal law, stalled in the House Judiciary Committee during this year's legislative session. Ravak said veterans' organizations would work with lawmakers to reintroduce the measure in 2026, and Torrez pledged his support as well.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bills banning ballot drop boxes, touch-screen voting machines fail in Senate
CHEYENNE — Some of Secretary of State Chuck Gray's election integrity bills died Friday night after failing to pass first reading in the Wyoming Senate, including two that threatened to 'upend' Laramie County elections, according to County Clerk Debra Lee. A large number of election-related bills were filed this session, making up 8% of total proposed legislation, according to House Bill 245, 'Pen and paper ballots,' would have removed touch-screen voting machines that have been used by Laramie County voters for decades. Lee previously told lawmakers this bill would 'upend' elections in her county. 'We've been using these for decades,' Lee said in a House committee. 'They don't know how to mark a paper ballot, I have to be honest.' Another failed bill, HB 131, 'Ballot drop boxes-prohibition,' would have created a statewide ban on ballot drop boxes. Lee and several other county clerks argued that the removal of ballot drop boxes could disenfranchise qualified electors from participating in Wyoming elections. Lee previously told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle she received a lot of correspondence from voters who were grateful for the ballot drop box outside the Laramie County Governmental Complex. 'They could deliver their ballot securely, they could deliver it independently,' Lee said. 'Some of them had health concerns, and they really were glad that they were able to get that ballot to us without having to come into the office.' Gray's election priorities Before the start of the session, Gray told members of the press he was working closely with lawmakers to promote his election integrity priorities this legislative session. These priorities included requiring proof of voter residency and U.S. citizenship, a statewide ban on ballot drop boxes, a ban on ballot harvesting, requiring 'true' photo ID, a ban on Zuckerbucks, improving voter list maintenance statutes and requiring hand verification of voting machines. In a January news release, Gray added four more priorities, including adding a durational residency requirement, a default to paper ballots and banning foreign funding of elections and ballot measures. The secretary of state celebrated a victory on Monday, after HB 156, 'Proof of voter residency-registration qualifications,' successfully passed the Legislature and headed toward Gov. Mark Gordon's desk. Sponsored by Wyoming Freedom Caucus chairman emeritus Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette, HB 156 creates a new 30-day residency rule in order to vote in Wyoming elections and includes a requirement of proof of U.S. citizenship. 'Only United States citizens, and only Wyomingites, should be voting in Wyoming elections. Period,' Gray said in a news release. 'With the passage of this landmark legislation, Wyoming will further cement our commitment to election integrity, as the only state to require proof of citizenship for all elections, an important priority of President Trump. 'I urge the Governor to sign this common-sense, conservative piece of election integrity legislation.' Several House bills that ban Zuckerbucks and other third-party funding administrations, improve voter maintenance list statutes and prohibit rank choice voting are still making their way through the session. However, Gray expressed his disappointment over the other election bills that failed to pass the Senate. 'Despite a lot of the good work we have been able to achieve and continue to achieve, I am disappointed that seven key election integrity bills were not heard on Friday,' Gray said in an email to the WTE. 'All of these passed overwhelmingly in the House of Representatives, were heard and passed the Senate Corporations(, Elections and Political Subdivisions) Committee, and died before they could be heard in the Senate.' Correction: This story originally said that a majority of Secretary of State Chuck Gray's election reform priorities had died. Since he expanded the original list of six to 10 in January, that was incorrect. In fact, six of the 10 passed this session and are awaiting action by the governor.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bills banning ballot drop boxes, touch screen voting machines fail in Senate
CHEYENNE — A majority of Secretary of State Chuck Gray's election integrity bills died Friday night after failing to pass first reading in the Wyoming Senate, including two that threatened to 'upend' Laramie County elections, according to County Clerk Debra Lee. A large number of election-related bills were filed this session, making up 8% of total proposed legislation, according to House Bill 245, 'Pen and paper ballots,' would have removed touch-screen voting machines that have been used by Laramie County voters for decades. Lee previously told lawmakers this bill would 'upend' elections in her county. 'We've been using these for decades,' Lee said in a House committee. 'They don't know how to mark a paper ballot, I have to be honest.' Another failed bill, HB 131, 'Ballot drop boxes-prohibition,' would have created a statewide ban on ballot drop boxes. Lee and several other county clerks argued that the removal of ballot drop boxes could disenfranchise qualified electors from participating in Wyoming elections. Lee previously told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle she received a lot of correspondence from voters who were grateful for the ballot drop box outside the Laramie County Governmental Complex. 'They could deliver their ballot securely, they could deliver it independently,' Lee said. 'Some of them had health concerns, and they really were glad that they were able to get that ballot to us without having to come into the office.' Gray's election priorities Before the start of the session, Gray told members of the press he was working closely with lawmakers to promote his election integrity priorities this legislative session. These priorities included requiring proof of voter residency and U.S. citizenship, a statewide ban on ballot drop boxes, a ban on ballot harvesting, requiring 'true' photo ID, a ban on Zuckerbucks, improving voter list maintenance statutes and requiring hand verification of voting machines. The secretary of state celebrated a victory on Monday, after HB 156, 'Proof of voter residency-registration qualifications,' successfully passed the Legislature and headed toward Gov. Mark Gordon's desk. Sponsored by Wyoming Freedom Caucus chairman emeritus Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette, HB 156 creates a new 30-day residency rule in order to vote in Wyoming elections and includes a requirement of proof of U.S. citizenship. 'Only United States citizens, and only Wyomingites, should be voting in Wyoming elections. Period,' Gray said in a news release. 'With the passage of this landmark legislation, Wyoming will further cement our commitment to election integrity, as the only state to require proof of citizenship for all elections, an important priority of President Trump. 'I urge the Governor to sign this common-sense, conservative piece of election integrity legislation.' Bills that ban Zuckerbucks and other third-party funding administrations, improve voter maintenance list statutes and prohibit rank choice voting are still making their way through the session. However, Gray expressed his disappointment over the other election bills that failed to pass the Senate. 'Despite a lot of the good work we have been able to achieve and continue to achieve, I am disappointed that seven key election integrity bills were not heard on Friday,' Gray said in an email to the WTE. 'All of these passed overwhelmingly in the House of Representatives, were heard and passed the Senate Corporations(, Elections and Political Subdivisions) Committee, and died before they could be heard in the Senate.'
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Medicaid expansion continues momentum on Montana Senate floor
Photo illustration by Getty Images. With a wide margin, the Senate pushed Medicaid expansion over one of its last hurdles Thursday, albeit with a lengthy debate and questions about why at least one staunch opponent helped get it out of committee. Majority Leader Tom McGillvray, R-Billings, an outspoken critic of the federal deficit and the cost of Medicaid and Medicare, said he could see the writing on the wall for the program, which covers nearly 80,000 Montanans. McGillvray said he earlier voted to get House Bill 245 out of committee because he believed it was best for the Senate, given supporters had the votes to 'blast' it out anyway with a procedural move. 'I felt it was the best for the body, it was the best for the Senate, it was the best for keeping our Senate trying to work together, trying to have harmony,' McGillvray said. McGillvray was among the 21 senators who voted against it on second reading, but 11 Republicans joined all Democrats to pass it with 29 votes. The bill, one of the key proposals of the 2025 session, was referred to the Finance and Claims Committee, and it will need another floor vote, but it's in Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte's budget. During the debate Thursday, senators offered statistics about the program's costs and heartfelt, personal testimony about its benefits, but Sen. Carl Glimm, R-Kila, told his colleagues to mark his words about the appetite of the federal government to cut spending. Montana pays 10% for people insured through Medicaid expansion, and the federal government contributes 90%, but that could change, and if it does, some legislators argue they'll end up in a special session. 'We're going to be back here, and I'm going to tell you, 'I told you so,'' Glimm said. The program is set to sunset in June 2025 without legislative action. If the program continues, but the federal match drops, the Legislature would have to appropriate money, the state would have to apply to increase premiums to people in the program, or a combination. Proponents of Medicaid expansion argue the program is especially critical for rural hospitals in Montana, and Sen. Gayle Lammers, R-Hardin, said 50 critical access hospitals rely on the program, and he said he wanted to ask those who represent rural communities questions. 'Where will your constituents go if their father has a heart attack? When their child is in a car accident or your wife goes into labor?' said Lammers, who carried the bill in the Senate. Sen. Shane Morigeau, D-Missoula, described one of the people the program helps, a man who cuts cords of wood for a living, asks for no help because he's prideful, and is a simple person. The man is frugal, and his splurges are eating lunch at the local drive-thru in the hometown where Morigeau grew up. He said the same man has diabetes, and he's had a harder time in recent years. He has lost a toe as a result, and has spent days in the hospital fighting infection, trying to save his foot. 'This guy is my dad,' Morigeau said, after a long pause. 'You know, without rural hospitals, I don't think my dad would be here.' Sen. Dennis Lenz, R-Billings, voted against Medicaid expansion Thursday, but he said he had wanted to have a more robust discussion about how to make the program better. Instead, he said, the decision seemed made from the start, and he said it was time to move on from the topic. 'Medicaid has sucked the air out of the room here,' Lenz said. 'For somebody like me, with respiratory issues, I need more air.' Lenz said he and McGillvray debated about who would help send it to the floor from committee, and McGillvray ended up with the short straw — and the hate mail that came with it, but accolades too from people who might have been surprised. 'So anybody online, you can send the nastygrams to me,' Lenz said. In support of the program, Sen. Cora Neumann, D-Bozeman, said she appreciated senators taking health care and the budget seriously. Neumann said 20 other states have reached out to Montana about the way it has structured Medicaid expansion 'to get our best practices.' 'The Montana Medicaid model is a major winner that we should all be proud of,' Neumann said. A group of nine Republicans has worked with Democrats in the Senate this session, and that group, minus Sen. Shelley Vance, R-Belgrade, supported the bill, and Sens. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, Mike Cuffe, R-Eureka, and Mike Yakawich, R-Billings, also supported the bill.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Second bill to restrict Medicaid expansion goes down, but one to help participants heard
Photo illustration by Getty Images. A bill to help people stay on Medicaid for 12 months without having to submit and resubmit paperwork unnecessarily would save time and money, supporters said this week. Sponsored by Rep. SJ Howell, D-Missoula, the bill would ensure parents, caretaker relatives, and Medicaid expansion participants won't have to reapply if they only have slight changes to income. The policy, called 'continuous eligibility,' is already in place in Montana for children and pregnant women, Howell said. They said it is good for people's health to have consistent coverage, and it streamlines administrative processes. 'I think we could consider this a red-tape relief bill,' Howell said. The bill, House Bill 386, includes an aspect of Medicaid expansion. A separate bill, House Bill 245, would keep Medicaid expansion in place and will be up for a hearing in the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Safety committee on Monday after clearing the House. This week, the Senate voted down a couple of other bills that would have restricted or phased out Medicaid expansion, although with warnings that the Legislature could find itself in a special session given anticipated cuts at the federal level. Rep. Ed Buttrey, R-Great Falls, is sponsor of House Bill 245, to continue Medicaid expansion. Buttrey said he does not believe a precipitous drop is imminent, and Montana must plan based on current law, not on 'what ifs.' 'Federal law has funding at 90-10. That's how we plan for it today because that's the federal law,' Buttrey said. 'If the federal law were to change, we would potentially have decisions to make.' Buttrey said he believes the chance Congress will reduce funding quickly is low. Currently, the state puts in $1 for every $9 from the feds. 'I don't think we'll see a massive drop, if any,' Buttrey said of federal support. 'If Congress did say, 'We do want to reduce the (match),' I believe it would be over time, so they would give states a chance to adjust.' If the match falls below 90%, to continue the program, the Legislature would have to appropriate money, the state would have to apply for a waiver to increase premiums to people in the program, or a combination of both. One day after voting down a bill to slowly sunset the program, the Senate turned down a bill by Sen. Jeremy Trebas, R-Great Falls, that would have tied the program to work requirements, currently written into Montana law, but not approved at the federal level. Proponents of Medicaid expansion, which allows people at 138% of the poverty level to be insured, point to data that show small hospitals are on the ropes and will face closures without it. Trebas, though, said the health care system is already in trouble, and the smaller hospitals are a symptom, and larger ones are sinking, too. 'Small rural hospitals are simply the canary in the coal mine,' Trebas said. The Senate voted down his bill, Senate Bill 199, on a 23-27 vote with nine Republicans joining Democrats in opposition. In the House Human Services committee, proponents of continuous eligibility said it helps seasonal workers, and it helps hospitals and clinics have less uncompensated care and account for fewer uninsured patients. A fiscal analysis said it will cost $5 million to implement in just the first year and $10 million the second year, and Howell acknowledged — 'I won't lie' — the bill requires big money up front. However, they said the savings will be substantial, and the legislation will mean more Medicaid dollars going to health care instead of paperwork and bureaucracy. 'That's the goal of the program, to ensure that people are healthy,' Howell said. ' They're able to care for themselves and their families, get to work and participate in the community.' Supporters said it improves health because people don't avoid care, helps people seeking treatment for addiction stay in recovery, and uses taxpayer money efficiently. Jennifer Hensley, on behalf of the Montana Academy of Physician Assistants, said she would appeal to the frugality of legislators. 'If not passing this, you're stepping over dollars to pick up dimes, and that wouldn't make sense,' Hensley said. Other supporters include the Montana Medical Association, the Montana American Indian Caucus, the Montana Budget and Policy Center, the American Heart Association, and Catalyst Montana. The committee did not take immediate action on the bill Thursday.
