Latest news with #HouseBill528
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
NH House passes mandatory minimums for fentanyl possession and reduces punishments for shrooms
The New Hampshire House of Representatives debates bills during a voting session in the State House Thursday afternoon. Earlier Thursday, they approved Senate Bill 14, which institutes mandatory minimums for fentanyl possession. (Photo by William Skipworth/New Hampshire Bulletin) The New Hampshire House of Representatives voted, 214-167, Thursday to pass Senate Bill 14, which creates mandatory minimums for fentanyl possession and reduces the penalty for people caught with psilocybin mushrooms. If enacted, SB 14 would create mandatory minimum sentences for people convicted on fentanyl charges. That includes manufacturing, selling, transporting, or possessing the drug with the intent to sell. People convicted with 20 grams or more of the drug would face at least 3½ years in prison under the bill. People convicted with 50 or more grams would face no less than seven years. There is currently no minimum sentence under state law, which gives judges leeway to decide. There is, however, a maximum of 30 years on the first offense and life imprisonment for repeat offenders. The bill was previously approved by the Senate in February. 'The people asked us for law and order,' Rep. Terry Roy, a Deerfield Republican, said on the House floor. 'Let's give them law and order.' One Republican lawmaker doubted the bill's minimums would actually be impactful. 'Twenty grams plus of fentanyl possession is almost certainly gonna be prosecuted as a federal crime,' Rep. Kevin Verville, a Deerfield Republican, said. 'The odds of the state actually using this bill when it becomes law is infinitesimally small in my opinion.' The representative characterized the mandatory minimums as something being done for show. 'You can campaign on law and order on this,' Verville said. 'In my opinion, that's what this is.' However, the bill was amended on the House floor to add a provision that aligns with one of Verville's biggest priorities as a legislator. That provision reduces the penalty for possession of psilocybin, a psychedelic drug commonly known as magic mushrooms or shrooms. Under the amended bill, possession or use of less than three-quarters of an ounce of psilocybin would be a misdemeanor on first offense as opposed to a felony, which is currently state law under the Controlled Drug Act. Verville is the sponsor of another bill, House Bill 528, that would reduce the penalty to a simple violation. Verville and his colleagues have argued it's less dangerous than other harder drugs and that it has medicinal benefits such as treatment for PTSD or migraines. HB 528 was approved by the House in March. Verville is a vocal proponent of fully legalizing psilocybin, though he has acknowledged he doesn't believe he can convince enough of his colleagues of that, so he settled for this measure. Verville urged his colleagues to approve SB 14. 'What this bill now has in it is it has real psychedelic reform for the citizens of New Hampshire,' he said. 'Compounds that help people beat alcoholism, opioid addiction, other drug addiction, depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome.' Verville said SB 14 'finally ends a felony charge for simple possession for a small amount of psilocybin,' which he called 'an excellent trade.' He also argued that the minimum sentences outlined by the bill were 'fairly short.' 'The benefit of the psilocybin far outweighs — far outweighs — any mandatory minimums,' he said. 'I'm begging you.' Eight Democrats joined Republicans to pass the bill, while six Republicans bucked their party to vote against it. Most Democrats were opposed to the legislation. 'I want to be clear, SB 14, like several other bills, is not about crime,' Rep. Linda Harriott-Gathright, a Nashua Democrat, said. Harriott-Gathright pointed out that fentanyl possession is already illegal and punished severely by law. She, and many of her Democratic colleagues, argued that mandatory minimums were ineffective at hindering crime. 'The question before us today is whether we think adopting mandatory minimums and maximums, an outdated one-size-fits-all solution, is going to be an effective use of taxpayer dollars to address the many substance issues in our state,' she continued. 'The bottom line is that our country has already tried that approach. … We all know that it has failed.' She said the bill 'robs judges of their ability to fully consider all relevant facts and circumstances and 'undermines basic principles of justice.' She also argued the psilocybin provision was 'likely to vanish in committee of conference,' the process where House and Senate members negotiate the differences between their bills. Because the bill was amended by the House, it will return to the Senate to be reconsidered. The Senate can now either accept the amendment, enter the committee of conference process to hash out its differences with the House, or reject the bill outright. Enacting the mandatory minimums has been a priority for Gov. Kelly Ayotte, who publicly called on lawmakers to bring the legislation to her desk. A similar bill, Senate Bill 15, would've created even harsher minimum sentences for cases where a death was involved. It would've created a minimum sentence of 10 years for people who illegally manufactured, sold, or dispensed fentanyl that resulted in someone dying. The Senate approved that bill the same day as SB 14 in February. However, that bill was retained in committee and has not yet been considered by the full House.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Under-the-radar bill floats toward the top of property tax discussion
Photo illustration by Getty Images. House Bill 528 has flown under the radar, Rep. Ed Byrne said on Thursday. The Bigfork legislator's bill isn't that way anymore and has become a property tax option for the Montana Legislature. 'It was beautiful, because nobody in the House knew it was coming, except the coalitions we built around it,' Byrne said in an interview with the Daily Montanan. 'So the support I had throughout the whole thing, building at this for two months to get the votes.' HB 528 drops agricultural land to a property tax rate of 1.7% from 2.61%, while residential properties less than $1.5 million would be taxed at 0.76%, currently at 1.35%. Residential property at more than $1.5 million would be taxed at 1.35% and commercial property in Class 4 would be taxed at 1.35%. Currently, residential property more than $1.5 million and commercial property in Class 4 are taxed at 1.89%. Two major property tax bills — House Bill 231 and House Bill 154 — were tabled in the Senate Taxation Committee on Wednesday as debate continues on a fix for homeowners across the state. HB 528 has bipartisan support, and Byrne, a Republican, worked with Sen. Mary Ann Dunwell, D-Helena, on the legislation. It passed 12-11 out of the appropriations committee on Tuesday. It previously passed the House on a 88-9 vote on March 21. Byrne's bill adjusts property tax rates on agricultural, residential and 'Main Street' commercial properties, Dunwell said. It's similar to SB 189, which was brought by Dunwell and tabled in the Senate Taxation Committee on April 1. The hope was that either Byrne's or Dunwell's bill would gain traction in the Legislature. 'And at the end, if it's not the vehicle, which it very well may not be, at least the meat of it would be in there, because our bills were simple, no complications,' Dunwell said. Dunwell also said their bills could be implemented immediately, giving Montanans access to property tax relief sooner. Byrne stressed the bipartisan nature of the legislation, noting how he watched then-speaker Sen. Matt Reiger, a Republican, work with Democrats, Rep. Mary Caferro and then minority leader Kim Abbott, last session, as they worked on problems they had with the Governor's budget. 'When you can work bipartisan on the budget issues, you still don't agree on the social, moral issues, you've got to put all that aside,' Byrne said. 'It's not personal, and you come in to fix what's right on fiscal and taxes. And our biggest mandate here was taxes.' HB 231, brought by Rep. Llew Jones, R-Conrad, would have shifted some of the tax burden onto those who are not residents of the state, but own property in Montana. Jones called HB 528 the 'preferred bill for implementing tax cuts' in an email to lobbyists on March 28. The bill also ran into trouble in Billings and Sunburst. During the bill's Senate hearing, Billings officials said HB 231 would shrink the tax base by about 12%. Sunburst and Billings have a unique charter, which has specific stipulations around how many mills they can levy without voter approval. Leaders there say they would have to go back to voters in their towns to raise taxes for critical services, like police and fire. HB 231 was supported by Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte, and the legislation came to be known as the 'Homestead bill.' Gianforte said he was disappointed in the tabling of the legislation, 'the fairest approach,' during a Thursday press conference. 'It's not over till it's over, but we collectively, including myself and the legislature, we can't leave here without implementing permanent property tax relief for the people of Montana,' Gianforte said. HB 154, brought by Rep. Jonathan Karlen, D-Missoula, was a tax credit seeking to give direct help to renters and middle class property tax payers. HB 231 and HB 154 were both tabled. 'So, of course, it's disappointing, but tabling a bill is not permanent,' Karlen said. 'We take bills off the table all the time. We can blast bills in the Senate. So by no means I view it as the end of the line.' Republicans have also brought a steady flow of rebate bills. Those aren't the whole answer, Karlen said. 'My take on a rebate is that it's like putting a band aid on a very deep wound that needs surgery,' Karlen said. 'And so I think that any place for rebates should be to augment structural tax reform.' Senate Bill 90, brought by Sen. Carl Glimm, R-Kila, sought to use lodging and rental car tax revenues to provide relief, but was tabled in the House Taxation Committee on Thursday morning. Other property tax bills have also been discussed. Sen. Daniel Zolnikov, R-Billings, has SB 117, which puts limits on what government property tax increases local municipalities can do and changes the inflation limitation for calculating property tax levies. Both bills were cited by Senate President Matt Reiger as part of the solution for property tax relief. However, Reiger also said two bills from Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson — SB 204 and SB 205 — would have completed the needed fix. SB 204 failed on a third reading in the Senate and SB 205 was indefinitely postponed. 'It was always going to be difficult, because anything that we do in Montana is just shifting taxes from one taxpayer to another,' Hertz said to the Daily Montanan. 'And that's a very difficult thing for anybody to raise somebody else's taxes.'
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Hampshire House moves to reduce criminal penalties for shrooms
The New Hampshire House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday that would reduce the penalties for people 21 and older caught with psilocybin, the psychedelic drug commonly known as magic mushrooms or shrooms. The House approved House Bill 528 during Wednesday's voting session as part of the consent agenda through a voice vote. If enacted, the bill would reduce the penalty for people 21 and older who obtain, purchase, transport, possess, or use psilocybin in New Hampshire from a felony to a simple violation with a small fine and no jail time. On the first offense, someone caught with psilocybin could face a fine of up to $100 under this bill; on the second offense that rises to $500, and for third-time offenders it could be up to $1,000. Second or third offenses would also rise from a violation to a misdemeanor under this bill. The drug is currently illegal in New Hampshire under the Controlled Drug Act. Originally, the bill's proponents, including its sponsor Deerfield Republican Rep. Kevin Verville, called for psilocybin to be legalized entirely for people 21 and older. However, the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee ultimately amended the proposal to simply lessen the punishment. Earlier this month, the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted unanimously in favor of the bill. The legislation still must be approved by both the Senate and the governor before it can become law. 'Not only is this not really a dangerous drug, but it also has medicinal benefits that people are unable to take advantage of currently because of its classification under the Controlled Drug Act,' Rep. Alissandra Murray, a Manchester Democrat, said during the committee's March 7 meeting. 'While entirely removing it might be too big a step for this Legislature to take right now, I think this is a good compromise to start with.' In 2019, psilocybin was outlawed in all 50 U.S. states. However, Oregon became the first state to legalize the drug in 2020. Colorado also legalized it in 2022. It is still illegal in the remaining 48 states. Cannabis is another recreational drug that has seen even more growing acceptance as of late. Cannabis is now legal for medicinal purposes in 39 U.S. states and for recreational use in 24 after once being illegal across the entire country. In New Hampshire, it is still illegal for recreational use. However, it is decriminalized and legal for medicinal purposes. Verville has sponsored another bill, House Bill 75, that would legalize recreational cannabis. This story was originally published by the New Hampshire Bulletin. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: NH House moves to reduce criminal penalties for shrooms
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Hampshire House votes to reduce punishments for shrooms
On first offense, someone caught with psilocybin could face a fine of up to $100 under the bill; on second offense that rises to $500, and for third-time offenders it could be up to $1,000. (Photo) The New Hampshire House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday that would reduce the penalties for people 21 and older caught with psilocybin, the psychedelic drug commonly known as magic mushrooms or shrooms. The House approved House Bill 528 during Wednesday's voting session as part of the consent agenda through a voice vote. If enacted, the bill would reduce the penalty for people 21 and older who obtain, purchase, transport, possess, or use psilocybin in New Hampshire from a felony to a simple violation with a small fine and no jail time. On first offense, someone caught with psilocybin could face a fine of up to $100 under this bill; on second offense that rises to $500, and for third-time offenders it could be up to $1,000. Second or third offenses would also rise from a violation to a misdemeanor under this bill. The drug is currently illegal in New Hampshire under the Controlled Drug Act. Originally the bill's proponents, including its sponsor Deerfield Republican Rep. Kevin Verville, called for psilocybin to be legalized entirely for people 21 and older. However, the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee ultimately amended the proposal to simply lessen the punishment. Earlier this month, the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted unanimously in favor of the bill. The legislation still must be approved by both the Senate and governor before it can become law. 'Not only is this not really a dangerous drug, but it also has medicinal benefits that people are unable to take advantage of currently because of its classification under the Controlled Drug Act,' Rep. Alissandra Murray, a Manchester Democrat, said during the committee's March 7 meeting. 'While entirely removing it might be too big a step for this Legislature to take right now, I think this is a good compromise to start with.' In 2019, psilocybin was outlawed in all 50 U.S. states. However, Oregon became the first state to legalize the drug in 2020. Colorado also legalized it in 2022. It is still illegal in the remaining 48 states. Cannabis is another recreational drug that has seen even more growing acceptance as of late. Cannabis is now legal for medicinal purposes in 39 U.S. states and for recreational use in 24 after once being illegal across the entire country. In New Hampshire, it is still illegal for recreational use. However, it is decriminalized and legal for medicinal purposes. Verville has sponsored another bill, House Bill 75, that would legalize recreational cannabis.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New Hampshire legislators attempt to reduce the punishments around magic mushrooms
The committee heard from constituents who described using small doses of psilocybin to deal with migraines. (Photo) After briefly considering legalizing the drug entirely for people 21 and older, a bipartisan group of New Hampshire lawmakers are trying to lessen the legal penalties for psilocybin, the recreational, hallucinogenic, and psychedelic drug commonly known as 'magic mushrooms' or 'shrooms.' The House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted unanimously, 16-0, this month to recommend the entire House vote to approve House Bill 528, which is sponsored by Deerfield Republican Rep. Kevin Verville. The bill would reduce the penalty for people 21 and older to obtain, purchase, transport, possess, or use psilocybin in New Hampshire from a felony to a simple violation with a small fine and no jail time. Psilocybin is currently outlawed in New Hampshire under the Controlled Drug Act. Originally the bill called for psilocybin to be legalized entirely for people 21 and older, but the committee ultimately amended the bill to simply lessen the punishment. In a hearing last month ahead of the March 7 vote, Verville argued psilocybin was different from more dangerous drugs like narcotics, amphetamines, and opioids. He described the bill as 'harm reduction' as it prevents people from suffering long-term consequences of felony convictions for something he doesn't believe is truly harmful. He argued the drug is readily available on the black market anyway. He also said that because the drug is still illegal federally, it wouldn't be openly mass produced. 'I dream of a day when we have medical psychedelics available,' Verville said. 'I dream of that day. There are demonstrated medical benefits with depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome, (and) interestingly enough, addiction.' The committee heard from constituents who described using small doses of psilocybin to deal with migraines, and members appeared to find this testimony compelling. 'Not only is this not really a dangerous drug, but it also has medicinal benefits that people are unable to take advantage of currently because of its classification under the Controlled Drug Act,' Rep. Alissandra Murray, a Manchester Democrat, said Friday. 'While entirely removing it might be too big a step for this Legislature to take right now, I think this is a good compromise to start with.' Rep. David Meuse, a Portsmouth Democrat, said psilocybin is 'increasingly analogous to what we saw with cannabis a decade ago.' Cannabis, which was once an illegal drug in all 50 U.S. states, is now legal for medicinal purposes in 39 states and for recreational use in 24. It is still illegal for recreational use in New Hampshire, though it is decriminalized and legal for medicinal purposes. Verville is also behind another bill, House Bill 75, seeking to legalize recreational cannabis; that bill passed through the state House in February. 'It's time to break the log jam, and I hope we pass this,' Meuse said of the psilocybin bill. A few of the bill's supporters were torn though. Rep. Jennifer Rhodes, a Winchester Republican, said she supported the bill because she has 'tremendous respect for' Verville, the sponsor, and because he 'is the one person I don't want to go up on the House floor against.' However, she said she doesn't believe psilocybin should be considered medicine as some had suggested. 'If we're doing this because we're trying to take away the penalty, that's one thing, but doing it because we're trying to say we're making it be medicine, that's the part I'm not OK with,' she said prior to voting in favor. Psilocybin was illegal in all 50 U.S. states in 2019. However, Oregon legalized the drug — which had recently been decriminalized in a handful of cities including Denver, Colorado, and Santa Cruz, California — in 2020. Colorado followed suit and legalized it in 2022. Currently, it is illegal in the remaining 48 states.
