Latest news with #KenYager
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Tennessee law criminalizes AI technology for child pornography creation
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Beginning on July 1, 2025, it will be a crime in Tennessee to create or share technology specifically designed to create or facilitate the creation of AI-generated child pornography. The legislation, sponsored by Senator Ken Yager (R-Kingston), was signed into law by Governor Bill Lee on April 24, and it will take effect on July 1. The law makes it a felony to 'knowingly possess, distribute, or produce any software or technology specifically designed to create or facilitate the creation of AI-generated child sexual abuse material.' Possession will be a Class E felony, distribution will be a Class C felony and production will be a Class B felony. Locals, tourists recall major Gatlinburg crash that injured seven 'When in the wrong hands, artificial intelligence has the ability to make exploitive crimes even worse,' said Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch. 'I applaud the General Assembly and Governor Lee for seeing the value in strengthening our state's laws to better protect Tennesseans, and I'm proud our state is leading the way on common sense measures to ensure this emerging technology doesn't become a dangerous tool for bad actors.' Yager said the goal of the bill was to combat the rise of AI-generated child pornography while preserving legitimate AI applications. A release from his office explained that the legislation does not broadly ban AI, but targets tools with the intent to generate child pornography. The senator worked with the TBI to create the legislation. 'This law is about keeping pace with rapidly evolving technology to protect our children from unthinkable exploitation,' said Yager. 'Bad actors are using AI to create disturbing and abusive content, and Tennessee is taking a strong stand to stop it. By criminalizing the tools used to generate AI child pornography, we're giving law enforcement what they need to pursue offenders and protect victims.' What state laws protect kids against AI-generated deepfakes? This is not the first law in Tennessee targeting AI and child pornography. In 2024, the state added AI-generated images to the state's anti-child pornography laws. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Proposed vape regulation bill sparks debate; House committee vote delayed one week
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A bipartisan bill aims to regulate the vape industry and protect children in Tennessee, but some vape retailers call it a 'big tobacco bill' that would put them out of business. The proposed legislation would create a universal carding requirement, a 10% tax on 'open system' vape products where users add their own liquid to the cartridge, and a ban on products that aren't FDA-approved or approval pending. Sen. Ken Yager (R-Kingston), the bill's Senate sponsor, told reporters several judges in his district are concerned about the youth vaping rate and the safety of the products. 'A lot of these products being sold in these containers are not FDA approved,' Yager said. 'In fact, they're being made in China and sent here, and I just don't want to see our children poisoned by these toxins that are being imported by the communist Chinese government.' The bill would also establish a state registry of products that can be sold in Tennessee, which would include the 34 FDA-approved vape products and the 400-some others in the FDA approval pipeline. Classroom cellphone ban bill passes TN House of Representatives 'The market is being flooded with illicit vapes that are overwhelmingly manufactured and exported from China,' Rep. David B. Hawk (R-Greeneville), the bill's House sponsor said. However, vape industry experts testified to lawmakers the bill would require them to pull 99% of the products they sell off the market and would put them out of business. 'An outright registry and a ban on our products is not proper,' Danny Gillis, president of the TN Smoke Free Association said. 'It's actually a prohibition, and it's going to cause harm in our state—health harm.' Gillis argued he has thousands of customers who have used vapes to quit smoking. He said the 34 products currently approved by the FDA are all owned by 'big tobacco.' He's concerned the bill would enable the big tobacco companies to take control of the vape industry, which is meant to reduce harm. 'When they implement such regulation or opposing tax structures, it drives people back to smoking or goes straight into a black market,' Gillis said. During testimony in the House Government Operations Committee on Monday, March 3, the Tennessee Smoke Free Association (TSFA) argued the products they sell already go through a review process by the FDA. 'The FDA, if they ban products, which they do all the time, they're taken off distribution. The labs are closed; they stop the imports,' Gillis said. 'The FDA is already doing exactly what this registry is trying to accomplish. It is going to be a burden on this state, and it is going to be a burden on stores to try to know what is available to sell, and we're going to strand our customers to the black market.' TSFA Vice President Chris Lautz said states that have enacted similar registry legislation suffered negative financial consequences and saw increased smuggling rates. 'Massachusetts was one of the first ones back in 2020. They ended up seeing a $135 million loss in revenue; smuggling went from 19.9% to 37.6%; the state lost an additional $224 million annually,' Lautz said. 'California did the same thing in 2023. They're looking at a $150 to $200 million tax shortfall because of this bill. Alabama, Louisiana, Oklahoma, these are just some of the states that passed this, but every one of these states has had a massive negative impact, not only on taxes, but small business support; a lot of these businesses are closing.' Lautz told lawmakers Louisiana saw 100-plus store closures after approving a similar registry bill, which represents 25% of vape retailers in the state. However, Yager called the concern over businesses closing a 'false issue.' 'That is not the intention of this bill to put anybody out of business, and under the terms of this bill, it will not put anybody out of business,' Yager said. ⏩ Lawmakers pointed out that while Lautz and Gillis are responsible vape retailers who 'do it the right way,' that's not the case for all vape stores in Tennessee. 'For everyone that's doing it the right way, like these gentlemen, there's thousands that aren't doing it the right way, and it's harming our kids,' Hawk said. The House version of the bill was rolled to the next Government Operations Committee hearing due to timing issues. Hawk hopes proponents of the proposed legislation will testify at the next hearing, scheduled for March 10. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
10% tax on vape products moves forward in Tennessee statehouse
Tennessee lawmakers have taken a first step toward imposing a 10% tax on certain vapor products such as vape pens, vape molds, cig-a-likes and pod mods, and requiring FDA approval before vape products are sold. A Republican-led measure heard for the first time on Tuesday seeks to impose a 10% tax on vape products and add consumer safety rules for vape products. An estimated 400,000 people in Tennessee regularly use vaping devices. Tennessee is one of about 20 states — many of which are located in the southeast — that does not currently levy a tax on vape products, according to the Tax Policy Center. Members of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee approved Senate Bill 763 in a vote of 7 to 1, despite rigorous opposing testimony. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, who is facing DUI and hit-and-run charges in Georgia, and Senate Finance Chairman Bo Watson, R-Hixson. "We need to stop the influx of illegal Chinese vape products that are addicting our children and wrecking their lives," Yager said during the hearing Tuesday. "It is not an attack on legitimate businesses. It is an attack on people who are selling their soul and poisoning children to make a buck." The vast majority of vape products in the United States are imported from China. As of 2024, the FDA had approved only 34 vape products such as vape pens, hookah pens, electronic cigarettes, e-cigars and e-pipes. In addition to a new 10% tax on vapor products, Senate Bill 763 would also require vapor product manufacturers to register with the state and pay an annual $25 fee to ensure only FDA-approved products may be sold. The bill would also require customers to show proof of their age when buying tobacco, vape, hemp and smokeless nicotine products. Danny Gillis, president of the Tennessee Smoke Free Association and owner of three vape shops, called the bill an effort to "allow big tobacco to take over our harm reduction industry." "This is a big tobacco crafted bill. It's an attack on the state of Tennessee's vaping industry in our stores, and more importantly, on the rights of every adult consumer to access harm reduction products," Gillis said. "This is the latest example of a continued weaponization of public health rhetoric to justify the prohibition of vaping products under the guise of protecting youth." Gillis warned that the bill would "take 99% of vape products off the market," "create an unfair tax structure" and could lead to the closure of as many as 700 vape businesses across the state. "There is no public health justification for removing safer alternatives to cigarettes while allowing combustible tobacco cigarettes to remain widely available," Gillis said. The new tax is projected to bring in nearly $16.5 million in new tax revenue for the state, according to a fiscal analysis. Tennessee currently levies a $0.62 per pack excise tax on cigarettes and a 6.6% tax on other tobacco products. Smokeless nicotine products would continue to not be subject to state tax. Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. Reach her at vjones@ This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 10% tax on vape products moves forward in Tennessee statehouse
