Latest news with #HouseBill396
American Press
23-04-2025
- Business
- American Press
Louisiana lawmakers seek to rein in carbon capture projects Trump supports
(Special to the American Press) By Nolan McKendry | The Center Square President Donald Trump has formally endorsed carbon capture and sequestration, a potentially unfriendly move for Louisiana citizens and lawmakers. Currently, Louisiana legislators have proposed a slate of bills aimed at slowing or even halting carbon capture in the state. Trump's latest energy pitch includes reversing the Biden-era pause on liquefied natural gas export approvals and expanding carbon capture projects to reduce global emissions and create jobs. 'America is producing the cleanest energy in the world,' the White House said in a recent statement, arguing CCS and other innovations will ensure U.S. leadership in both energy production and environmental performance. But in Louisiana, where oil and gas are deeply entrenched in the state's economy, carbon capture has become a point of controversy – particularly in rural areas where landowners say they're being sidelined in favor of industry interests. Several bills now before the Louisiana Legislature seek to sharply restrict carbon capture development. House Bill 396 by Rep. Danny McCormick, R-Caddo, would criminalize carbon sequestration entirely. Another measure, HB380 by Rep. Rodney Schamerhorn, R-Beauregard, would strip carbon projects of eminent domain powers and remove their designation as a public good. 'We've already had almost 200,000 acres taken by eminent domain in Vernon Parish alone,' Schamerhorn said in an interview with The Center Square. 'People still remember what it did to their families.' Schamerhorn, who represents a largely rural district, said opposition has intensified as carbon capture projects move forward near homes, schools, and aquifers — often without enough public engagement. A survey he conducted of more than 1,000 constituents found that 85% opposed carbon capture in his district, and 82% didn't want it anywhere in the state. Other lawmakers have focused on limiting industry authority more broadly. HB601 by Rep. Brett Geymann, R-Beauregard, would require pipeline developers to get consent from 95% of affected landowners before seeking state permits. It would also bar foreign-owned companies from expropriating land, strengthen notice requirements and boost compensation for mineral rights owners. 'People want to know they're safe,' Geymann told The Center Square. 'They want to know the groundwater won't be contaminated, and that if there's a leak, it's not too close to a school.' The bills reflect growing grassroots opposition to carbon storage projects, especially in parts of Louisiana that have historically hosted heavy industry without seeing corresponding economic benefits. But industry leaders warn that Louisiana risks losing its competitive edge if the legislature clamps down. 'This is a business opportunity,' said Tommy Faucheux, president of the Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association. 'If we lose that, the investments — and the jobs — will go elsewhere.' Elsewhere includes Texas — a state Gov. Jeff Landry often cites as an example of what Louisiana could become, and one that Faucheux says is 'catching up' to Louisiana's carbon capture potential. In August 2023, the Texas General Land Office took a major step toward developing offshore carbon storage by approving six new leases. A year later, Texas announced plans to offer 1.13 million acres of state waters and bays along the Gulf of Mexico for bidding, aiming to attract interest from parties pursuing carbon capture and sequestration projects, according to the Carbon Herald. Faucheux argues carbon capture is not a threat to the oil and gas sector but a natural extension of it. Louisiana's pipeline infrastructure, emissions base, and industrial know-how give the state an edge in capturing carbon at the source and marketing low-carbon products — from steel to chemicals — to global buyers demanding cleaner supply chains. Companies like Exxon and Chevron, Faucheux said, are already capturing emissions and storing them underground, allowing U.S. manufacturers to advertise 'low-carbon' steel, fertilizer and other goods. One such project in Ascension Parish, between CF Industries and Mitsui, aims to produce low-carbon ammonia for export. 'These CCS projects and the associated development could transform communities in ways they've never seen,' Faucheux said. 'We're talking about economic development in parts of Louisiana that haven't traditionally benefited from the oil and gas footprint.' He acknowledged concerns around eminent domain and transparency but said companies are making an effort to engage with residents and avoid forced land acquisitions. 'The industry has been spending a lot of time engaging with communities, with land owners,' Faucheux said. 'The companies want to work and come to agreements with all the landowners. They want to have conversations about pipeline routes, for instance.'
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Cox returns ‘home' to sign bill boosting support for Utah's rural schools
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox didn't need to pull up his GPS app to find Manti Elementary School for Monday's ceremonial signing of a bill boosting state funding for the state's rural schools. The Sanpete County native — by way of nearby Fairview — felt right at home flanked by Manti school kids for the ceremonial signing of House Bill 396 into law. 'When we want to celebrate some really important new law, we do what's called 'ceremonial bill signings',' he explained to his young constituents. 'They are already laws and I've already signed them — but we can get together and pretend like we're doing it for the first time.' Sponsored by Rep. Karen Peterson, R-Clinton, HB396 amends the funding formula used at Utah K-12 schools classified as rural schools — providing up to 1.5 of the weighted pupil units now being generally allocated to Utah K-12 students in non-rural schools. To be concise: Supplemental funding is coming to rural schools. And rural schools and districts will enjoy the flexibility to, say, hire and incentivize teachers — or use the money in other ways that they deem necessary to improve their classrooms. During Monday's signing ceremony, Cox recalled attending rural Fairview Elementary School as a child. Like many Utah public schools in rural communities, there was not a large community tax base to supplement state education funds. 'It's a lot harder in rural Utah where we don't have the same amount of taxes — and sometimes we need a little help,' said the governor. 'And that's what this bill is about.' Peterson said her rural school funding legislation is designed to ensure all K-12 students in Utah's public schools have access to quality teacher, principals, school counselors and other educators — regardless of the size of their respective schools and districts. 'This bill makes sure that we have funding for you now,' Peterson told the Manti Elementary kids. 'Then this will continue so that your administrators can hire teachers and school counselors and bus drivers and school administrators and custodians and everyone that makes it happen here at our schools.' After 'signing' HB396 into law, Cox offered parting words to the young Manti Elementary students: 'Keep up the good work. Study hard. Listen to your teachers. Listen to your parents. Be nice to each other. Be kind.' Following Monday's ceremonial bill signing, Cox admitted a soft spot for the state's rural schools. 'I care deeply about our teachers. I care deeply about our education system, especially in rural Utah. We want teachers to know, we want educators to know, we want parents to know, and we want families to know that the public education system in Utah is robust, that it's supported and that we've got their backs.' Gov. Spencer Cox 'Some of the best schools in America are right here and there are so many good people in rural Utah, (but) the way we fund schools makes it really hard,' he said. 'Schools are mostly funded with property taxes. And without a sizable community tax base, he said, 'it just makes it hard.' The governor recalled attending rural North Sanpete High School where only one foreign language — Spanish — was offered. 'And that was taught by the football coach.' Meanwhile, high schools along the Wasatch Front and other populous areas of the state enjoyed the resources to offer several foreign language course options. Utah's Constitution, he added, mandates that every K-12 student, regardless of ZIP code, deserves a quality education. 'And we need funding to do that ... and the Legislature has really stepped up to help supplement some of the funding here in rural schools.' It's been a volatile few weeks for public education across the country. Last week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the disassembling of the U.S. Department of Education after his administration had already laid off a sizable chunk of the embattled agency's workforce. Meanwhile, Cox penned an op-ed articulating his support of the president's actions within the DOE — saying the job of educating the nation's youth is best accomplished by states, not the federal government. Monday's event at rural Manti Elementary, noted the governor, illustrates the importance of local decision-making within education. 'What we're doing is empowering people at the local level who can make those decisions and helping to provide the funding that they need to protect these schools.' Cox added he's disturbed by any narrative suggesting Utah's leaders 'don't care about teachers or that we're averse to education — and that's just not true.' The state, he said, has funded education over the past four years 'more than at any time in our state's history.' 'I care deeply about our teachers. I care deeply about our education system, especially in rural Utah,' he said. 'We want teachers to know, we want educators to know, we want parents to know, and we want families to know that the public education system in Utah is robust, that it's supported and that we've got their backs.' HB396, according to Peterson, remedies a funding formula that wasn't working for Utah's rural schools. Now an ongoing funding system will be in place that allows rural schools and districts to adequately hire principals, teachers, bus drivers and other essential staff. 'This money comes to them flexibly — so they can make those decisions,' said Peterson. '(The rural schools) can decide: Do we want more concurrent enrollment? Do we want more technical education? Do we just need another school counselor that maybe covers a couple of schools? 'The money comes to them, so that they can make the decisions about the highest priority in their community.' Piute County School District Superintendent Koby Willis said Monday that the provisions outlined in HB396 do more than simply direct more cash to Utah's rural schools. 'It incentivizes the right things — and then it creates a more sustainable formula for the future ... it creates a more sustainable long-term program for small schools in Utah,' he said.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NH Republicans' bill would allow trans people to be banned from bathrooms, locker rooms
A group of Republicans are again trying to pass a bill in New Hampshire to keep transgender people out of bathrooms and sports teams that align with their gender identity. If passed, House Bill 148 would allow transgender people to be banned from using restrooms or locker rooms consistent with their gender identity. It would also allow schools and organized sports to keep transgender athletes off sports teams matching their gender identity. Lastly, it would allow them to be placed in prisons, mental health facilities, or juvenile detention centers with members of their at-birth sex against their will. The bill, however, does not require that transgender people be banned from these spaces, but it allows whoever owns the restrooms, administers the sports teams, or runs the prison to do so without facing discrimination charges. In a room packed with trans rights advocates, Rep. Jim Kofalt, a Wilton Republican and the bill's sponsor, introduced the legislation with a story. He said he'd heard from a mother from Milford whose daughter was being harassed by 'a biological male' who 'claimed that he was transgender' and was entering the girls' locker room to watch other girls change and make fun of them. The bill is a word-for-word repeat of 2024's House Bill 396, which was approved by the House and Senate but vetoed by then-Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, who called it 'unacceptable,' said it 'runs contrary to New Hampshire's Live Free or Die spirit,' and 'seeks to solve problems that have not presented themselves.' Sununu has since been replaced by Gov. Kelly Ayotte, a Republican who won election in November. Kofalt denied accusations that the bill was transphobic or that it supports an underlying belief that transgender people are inherently predatory, saying: 'I absolutely do not believe that. I have never said that, and I have never implied that.' 'What I will say,' he said, 'is that this provides a loophole for people who may not actually present themselves as transgender at all to gain access to spaces that, practically speaking, they should not have access to.' Asked by fellow lawmakers to define what biological sex is for the purposes of the bill, Kofalt said: 'Practically speaking, we know what males and females are. We have known that for thousands of years. I don't see a need to define it so I have chosen not to include that in the bill.' Pushing back, Rep. Eric Turer, a Brentwood Democrat, pointed to four different ways to define it: by chromosomes, gonads, hormones, and secondary sexual characteristics. 'Those are four possible ways, I can imagine and I'm wondering without a definition, how might anyone use this bill to make policy?' Turer asked. Kofalt maintained he doesn't think there is any confusion on the matter. Rep. Catherine Rombeau, a Bedford Democrat, said she hadn't heard of any concerns or incidents about transgender people in the spaces identified by this bill from her constituents. Kofalt said he'd heard about issues at Milford, Kearsarge, and Mascenic school districts. He also said he'd heard from fellow legislators that were uncomfortable using the same restroom with transgender people in the State House and legislative offices. Rep. Alice Wade is one of those transgender people using the State House bathrooms and was among those who testified. 'Just this morning, I used the women's restroom down that hall,' she said, pointing toward the restroom in the Legislative Office Building where they were meeting. 'No issues. I have used the women's restroom for six years in public. No disruptions. No one has ever called me out for it.' Wade, a Democrat representing Dover, argued no issues were actually happening in this matter and questioned how enforcement would work should a community decide to enact some sort of transgender bathroom restriction, asking if people would be forced to bring their birth certificate around or submit to genital inspections. 'I myself am a trans woman, and I am going to bet that most of you would not have known that unless I had told you,' she said. 'All of my documents say female. I have had bottom surgery. I have had voice therapy. I have been transitioning for over six years now.' This story was originally published by the New Hampshire Bulletin. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: NH GOP bill would allow trans people to be banned from bathrooms
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NH Republicans introduce bill allowing trans people to be banned from bathrooms, locker rooms
Supports of transgender rights gather at the Legislative Office Building in Concord on Feb. 19, 2025. (Photo by William Skipworth/New Hampshire Bulletin) A group of Republicans are again trying to pass a bill to keep transgender people out of bathrooms and sports teams that align with their gender identity. If passed, House Bill 148 would allow transgender people to be banned from using restrooms or locker rooms consistent with their gender identity. It would also allow schools and organized sports to keep transgender athletes off sports teams matching their gender identity. Lastly, it would allow them to be placed in prisons, mental health facilities, or juvenile detention centers with members of their at-birth sex against their will. The bill, however, does not require that transgender people be banned from these spaces, but it allows whoever owns the restrooms, administers the sports teams, or runs the prison to do so without facing discrimination charges. In a room packed with trans rights advocates, Rep. Jim Kofalt, a Wilton Republican and the bill's sponsor, introduced the legislation with a story. He said he'd heard from a mother from Milford whose daughter was being harassed by 'a biological male' who 'claimed that he was transgender' and was entering the girls' locker room to watch other girls change and make fun of them. The bill is a word-for-word repeat of 2024's House Bill 396, which was approved by the House and Senate but vetoed by then-Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, who called it 'unacceptable,' said it 'runs contrary to New Hampshire's Live Free or Die spirit,' and 'seeks to solve problems that have not presented themselves.' Sununu has since been replaced by Gov. Kelly Ayotte, a Republican who won election in November. Kofalt denied accusations that the bill was transphobic or that it supports an underlying belief that transgender people are inherently predatory, saying: 'I absolutely do not believe that. I have never said that, and I have never implied that.' 'What I will say,' he said, 'is that this provides a loophole for people who may not actually present themselves as transgender at all to gain access to spaces that, practically speaking, they should not have access to.' Asked by fellow lawmakers to define what biological sex is for the purposes of the bill, Kofalt said: 'Practically speaking, we know what males and females are. We have known that for thousands of years. I don't see a need to define it so I have chosen not to include that in the bill.' Pushing back, Rep. Eric Turer, a Brentwood Democrat, pointed to four different ways to define it: by chromosomes, gonads, hormones, and secondary sexual characteristics. 'Those are four possible ways, I can imagine and I'm wondering without a definition, how might anyone use this bill to make policy?' Turer asked. Kofalt maintained he doesn't think there is any confusion on the matter. Rep. Catherine Rombeau, a Bedford Democrat, said she hadn't heard of any concerns or incidents about transgender people in the spaces identified by this bill from her constituents. Kofalt said he'd heard about issues at Milford, Kearsarge, and Mascenic school districts. He also said he'd heard from fellow legislators that were uncomfortable using the same restroom with transgender people in the State House and legislative offices. Rep. Alice Wade is one of those transgender people using the State House bathrooms and was among those who testified. 'Just this morning, I used the women's restroom down that hall,' she said, pointing toward the restroom in the Legislative Office Building where they were meeting. 'No issues. I have used the women's restroom for six years in public. No disruptions. No one has ever called me out for it.' Wade, a Democrat representing Dover, argued no issues were actually happening in this matter and questioned how enforcement would work should a community decide to enact some sort of transgender bathroom restriction, asking if people would be forced to bring their birth certificate around or submit to genital inspections. 'I myself am a trans woman, and I am going to bet that most of you would not have known that unless I had told you,' she said. 'All of my documents say female. I have had bottom surgery. I have had voice therapy. I have been transitioning for over six years now.'
