Latest news with #HouseBill291
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
KY kids, economy would gain if lawmakers adopt alternatives to imprisoning parents
One in 10 Kentucky children have experienced the incarceration of a parent — trauma that can have lifelong consequences.(Getty Images) Settling into the year 2025, it feels as if America is divided right down to its foundation. Finding common ground across the ever-widening gap feels next to impossible, but in Kentucky two organizations on opposite sides of the political spectrum are coming together to reexamine and improve the American criminal justice system. The organizations we represent — KY FREE and — bring different perspectives to criminal justice policy. KY FREE, a voice for free-market principles, offers a center-right point-of-view to criminal justice and public safety policy coalitions. on the other hand, takes a more progressive approach by raising awareness, promoting harm reduction, advocating for policies which create safe environments for those who struggle with substance use disorders, and fighting to end mass incarceration. Yet, we stand united in support of the House Bill 291 and Senate Bill 118 Family Preservation and Accountability Act, an approach that takes a compassionate, solutions-focused approach to addressing the root causes of crime, while simultaneously safeguarding family stability. Modeled after successful programs in other states and recently adopted in Tennessee, this innovative legislation offers community-based alternatives to incarceration for parents convicted of nonviolent offenses. Instead of separating families, the act provides practical, evidence-based solutions such as: Vocational training and educational programs to empower individuals to build stable, productive lives. Therapy to address mental health challenges and trauma. Case management to help individuals navigate systems and access resources. Recovery services to support people struggling with substance use. Parenting classes to strengthen family bonds and equip parents with the tools to succeed. One in 10 Kentucky children have experienced the incarceration of a parent — trauma that can have lifelong consequences. By tackling the underlying issues that often lead to crime, the Family Preservation and Accountability Act ensures accountability while reducing the devastating impact of parental incarceration on children. This legislation will also strengthen the state's economy. A recent report released by KY FREE estimates that Kentucky would not only save $74 million in direct incarcerations costs per year, but add $740 million annually to the state's economy through indirect societal and economic cost savings. By keeping parents in their communities and out of incarceration, they can continue working, supporting their families and contributing to the local workforce. Stable employment reduces recidivism and helps families achieve financial independence. This represents a significant shift towards prioritizing safety and rehabilitation over separation. By investing in community-based supports, Kentucky can foster healthier families, stronger communities and a brighter future for its children. We urge Kentucky lawmakers to come together in support of this critical reform. The Family Preservation and Accountability Act represents a rare opportunity to unite during a time of such political division around a shared commitment to protecting children, strengthening families and promoting public safety. This is not a partisan issue — it's a Kentucky issue. By addressing the root causes of crime and investing in practical solutions like therapy, parenting classes and workforce development, we can create a justice system that reflects the values of accountability, compassion and rehabilitation. Together, we can build a future where families stay together, communities thrive and Kentucky's economy grows stronger.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
House votes to reduce penalties for improper fertilizer use, rejects ‘village district' bill
Toxins in the blooms are harmful to people and animals. (N.H. Department of Environmental Services, The House voted Thursday to remove certain penalties for incorrectly applying fertilizer, moving to change a law legislators passed in the fall over the veto of then-Gov. Chris Sununu. The law facing changes aims to reduce the fertilizer runoff that can feed cyanobacteria blooms, often-toxic growths that crop up around the state's water bodies, especially in the warmer months. In separate action Thursday, the House rejected legislation that would have given municipalities an avenue to formally organize to protect and remediate surface waters, with the sponsor highlighting the blooms as the key concern spurring the measure. The fertilizer bill, House Bill 291, was approved by a voice vote on the consent calendar, meaning it was OK'd among a host of other bills without discussion. The other measure, House Bill 332, was rejected on a 196-171 vote. The moves highlight ongoing action on an issue that has ramifications for the state's public health, tourism, and recreation. Dozens of cyanobacteria warnings were issued around the state last year, with rising temperatures expected to contribute to another active season of blooms this summer. The blooms can produce toxins that cause rashes, fevers, headaches, mouth blisters, vomiting, acute liver damage, and more, according to the Department of Environmental Services. They can sometimes lead to neurological issues like numbness and seizures. Here's more on the cyanobacteria-related action the House took Thursday. House Bill 1293, the fertilizer measure passed into law over Sununu's veto last session, went into effect at the beginning of the year. It further restricts the use of certain phosphorus-containing fertilizers and prohibits applying fertilizer within 25 feet of a storm drain or elsewhere where it can enter a storm drain. Rep. Erica Layon, a Derry Republican, said a lot of that bill 'makes sense,' pointing to the concerns about the consequences of fertilizer runoff. But the penalties it could dole out to regular, well-intentioned citizens don't make sense, in her opinion. 'The penalties in that chapter are misdemeanors for natural persons and felonies for all others, because if your business is selling the wrong fertilizers especially if you're mislabeling them, that's a serious problem, and that deserves (a) misdemeanor or felony,' Layon explained to the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee last month. She said she's concerned about what everyday residents could face for not following the provisions. 'This section, for the first time in the statute, deals with your average everyday person,' Layon said. 'Now your average everyday person who's putting on fertilizer they bought last year could be charged with a misdemeanor, and that just does not seem to be the correct level of punishment for adding a little more phosphorus than we want to see.' The bill would set up a new penalty system. A first offense would yield a written warning for a person and their corporate agent, while a second offense would make someone guilty of a violation and bring a $250 fine per acre. A misdemeanor wouldn't come until a third or subsequent offense. The committee recommended the bill for passage with amendment on a 15-1 vote, with the minority believing a higher penalty for corporate agents would be more appropriate, according to the report in the House calendar. HB 332, the measure the House shot down Thursday, would have added surface water remediation to the list of reasons a village district may be formed. Village districts, which may serve multiple towns or just part of one, are formed for specific reasons like firefighting, maintaining sidewalks and sewers, ambulance services, and more. The House also rejected a similar measure last session. Lawmakers on the House Resources, Recreation, and Development Committee voted, 9-7, to recommend that the full body reject the bill again this year. Critics argued it would add another layer of government, while prime sponsor Rep. Rosemarie Rung, a Merrimack Democrat, argued it simply added one more reason to the list of more than a dozen for which village districts can be formed. She pointed to the fact that these village districts would allow local areas to raise funds to address their cyanobacteria problems themselves, rather than using general tax dollars, and that the state has limited resources to address the blooms. Andrea LaMoreaux, president and policy advocate for NH LAKES, told the Bulletin ahead of the legislative session that towns were asking for this voluntary option to coordinate lake protection practices. It could be especially helpful for large water bodies that cross multiple municipalities, she said. 'Getting the whole, you know, area around the immediate part of the lake on the same plan for taking action to protect the lake would be very helpful,' LaMoreaux said. '… If one town on the lake is doing all the right things and all these lake friendly things, and the other town is not, it's sort of not very effective. It's not a long-term solution.'
