Latest news with #MelanieMiller
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram, testifies on Ohio's bill to require age verification
(Photo illustration by) Tech giant Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, testified on an Ohio bill to require age verification to download from app stores. Millions of kids use social media. 'I'm a parent,' Jennifer Hanley, head of safety policy in North America at Meta, said. 'I know teens are on so many apps.' That's why Hanley headed to the Ohio Statehouse to testify in support of House Bill 226, which would require age verification for all app store purchases or downloads for minors. 'The broad support of parents and lawmakers across political and ideological spectrums should not be ignored,' she said. State Rep. Melanie Miller, who introduced the bill, said this would hold companies accountable — ones like Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Manufacturers would need to create a way for parents to give consent for kids under 16 to download any application, and then that will be sent to social media apps. 'I'm introducing this legislation to protect children from harmful content, reduce mental health risks, enhance data privacy, and encourage responsible technology use,' Miller said. Although House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, likes the bill, she is skeptical of the tech giant. 'All you have to do is look at the opposition that they have waged not only in state legislation in this space, but also federal legislation in this space,' Russo said. Meta has been filing lawsuits against social media age requirements across the country, including in Ohio. The state legislature passed restrictions on media apps for kids under 16 in 2023, but it has now been blocked by a federal judge due to free speech concerns. This bill is different because it is not just targeting social media apps, but all apps, Hanley testified. Attorney General Dave Yost filed a lawsuit, saying that the company used 'manipulative tactics to entice teens and tweens.' Russo agrees, adding that the company could be doing much more to protect kids. 'Do I think that it is going to be as effective as some of the other things we know they have the capacity to do using their own algorithms?' she said rhetorically. 'Probably not.' Only in the past year, Meta created a teen program to monitor and restrict what minors can access and who they can talk to. 'We're always learning, we're always building,' Hanley said. 'Teen accounts are a really great example of that.' The bill will continue being heard in the coming months. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How Ohio lawmakers want to make schools safer
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Some Ohio lawmakers want to bring extra safety measures to schools by getting a pilot program for certain panic systems off the ground. 'Anything that we can do to prevent a tragedy from happening, we need to be able to do so,' Ohio Rep. Melanie Miller (R-Ashland) said. Ohio congressman introduces bill to study 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' Miller is one of the sponsors of House Bill 106, known as the SoS or 'Securing our Schools' Act. The bill would create a pilot $12 million grant program for public and chartered nonpublic schools to purchase panic alert systems or contract for artificial intelligence firearm detection software. 'I think these are some of the next steps,' Miller said. 'Unfortunately, with our society, we've seen active shooters throughout the country, and we wanted to be able to do something.' The bill has stipulations attached. For example, a school that has an existing system in place cannot apply for the grant to buy a new one, and the panic or AI system must also be made in the United States. 'We want to make sure that privacy data is protected as well in our schools,' Miller said. 'So, it's important we provide those guardrails in this new digital age.' Miller said the bill aims to help 'aging facilities' in the state. The panic system would also need to be able to initiate campus-wide lockdown notifications and transmit calls to 911. Ohio State to give LeBron James an honorary degree 'If there was an emergency, an active shooter or even a health emergency, [law enforcement] knows exactly the GPS location,' she said. 'They can get medical attention to that student or, in the event there is someone that escaped out of jail who might be a sex offender, or someone might have been spotted with a gun.' Right now, the bill has a $12 million dollar price tag to help some of those schools pay for the systems. When it was first introduced, that number was $25 million. 'We thought if we, maybe, cut that in half, that might start the conversation,' Miller said. But the money may be a nonstarter. Lawmakers are also working on a $60 billion state budget right now, and though this was pitched as a contender in that bill, it ultimately did not make it in the House version. 'We've obviously had a four-month process looking at budget requests,' Ohio House Finance Committee Chairperson Rep. Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) said. 'That's not something we were able to include in the budget that the House passed. We'll see what the Senate does with it.' Stewart said he is happy to discuss the bill in his committee, even though it has money attached to it. 'But I don't expect that we'll see a lot of bills passed that directly conflict with the House version of the budget in terms of the amount of money,' he said. 'Through the process, maybe as time goes on, revenue estimates change, maybe we can revisit some of those funding items.' Intel CFO: Division responsible for Ohio plant remains on track; layoffs have dual purpose Miller said even if the policy passes without the money, it will be a step in the right direction to ensure that the AI and panic devices are made in the U.S. and suitable for Ohio's schools; she remains hopeful something will get through. 'There are a lot of things that we can do to prevent something from happening,' Miller said. 'So if we can get ahead of that instead of reacting, I think this is a really important part of the conversation.' The bill is set to have opponent and proponent testimony in the coming weeks. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio GOP targeting app permissions for teens
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio lawmakers want to give parents more oversight on what apps their children can download. 'This legislation is so vital to protecting our kids,' Ohio Rep. Melanie Miller (R-Ashland) said. A little more than a year ago, state law required that social media companies verify users are older than 16, and if they aren't, to gain a parent's consent before allowing the teenager to create an account. A federal judge called the law a 'breathtakingly blunt instrument for reducing social media's harm to children,' and struck the law down less than a month after it went into effect. Ohio bill would mandate 'success sequence' education, including marriage before kids Since then, Ohio Gov. Michael DeWine has called for a new approach and now lawmakers said they are hopeful their new method is airtight. 'While the 'what' may be the same, the 'how' is different,' Ohio Sen. Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) said. 'It's going to be able to withstand a constitutional challenge.' Now, instead of requiring age verification on individual apps, Senate Bill 167, and a soon-to-be identical House bill, would make it so parents with children under 16 can be notified if they choose, any time their child tries to download an app like Instagram or TikTok. This puts the age verification method up front, instead of in the app itself. 'The App Store already has mechanisms to collect this information once, not 40 different times,' Reynolds said. 'The app wouldn't download on the teen's phone unless the parent approves it,' Miller said. 'This legislation will put parents, not the government, in charge of their children's online access.' Seven central Ohio strip malls sold to Florida company for $21 million The lawmakers behind this bill said it is about making sure kids stay safe, and helping reduce bullying. Tony Coder, executive director of the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (OSPF), is supportive of the measure. He said one 15-year-old who was bullied in school comes to mind. 'He'd go home and through his Instagram, which his mom didn't know he had, the bullying would continue,' Coder said. Coder said the inability to escape the bullying eventually added up. 'When he was just 15 years old, this young man reached out on Instagram to the world with a statement: 'I will give everyone 30 minutes to let me know you care.' Reaching out to anybody in that vast sea of people, but not one person answered,' Coder said. 'And that evening, which was also his mom's birthday, that young man took his life.' Columbus hotel that hosted U.S. presidents under new ownership after $10 million sale Social media companies like Meta favor these types of proposals and have called for the federal government to enact a similar law. This is despite criticism that social media companies are trying to pass responsibility. However, tech companies like Apple have supposedly worked behind the scenes to squash these bills in other states. 'I'm not going to be naive to think that we're going to have everybody on board,' Reynolds said. 'But hopefully, for the most part, it's good policy and good policy prevails.' Several other states have similar legislation, and Utah just signed a similar bill into law a few weeks ago. The governor's office did not respond to our request for comment on the new bill. Democratic leaders also did not comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio could contribute millions toward panic alert systems in schools
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Ohio lawmakers are pushing for the state to contribute millions toward safety products in schools, such as panic alert buttons and artificial intelligence gun detection software. House Bill 106, named 'Alyssa's Law,' would create a pilot program allowing public and chartered private schools to apply for grants to purchase panic alert systems. The program would contribute $25 million overall from the state's general revenue fund, which is primarily funded through taxes. Columbus ranks among world's happiest cities The bill, introduced in February by Reps. Angela King (R-Celina) and Melanie Miller (R-Ashland), is named after Alyssa Alhadeff, who was a victim of the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. 'By creating access to this life-saving technology, we can give both educators and students the security and peace of mind to feel safe while they're at school,' King said in a news release. The Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) would be in charge of developing an application process for schools and a method to determine grant amounts. The bill states funds should be equally distributed between schools in urban, suburban and rural areas, as well as schools with different socioeconomic statuses and enrollment sizes. To be eligible for a grant, a school could not already have a security system in place. Additionally, the safety device would have to be developed in the United States and capable of immediately contacting local law enforcement. The bill used the examples of wearable panic alert buttons and AI firearm detection programs. One measure of property tax relief works its way through Ohio Statehouse To receive a grant, schools would also have to ensure the appropriate staff receives training on the safety device. The bill states the ODPS would begin distributing the funds on Jan. 1, 2026, or 'as soon as possible thereafter.' The ODPS would be required to submit a report detailing the pilot program to the governor and legislature no later than Dec. 1, 2027. The report would include data such as program applications, rewarded grants and the types of device purchased. Alhadeff's family founded the nonprofit Make Our Schools Safe in the wake of their daughter's death. The organization pushes for school safety legislation in a variety of states, specifically 'Alyssa's Law.' Seven states have passed their own version of Alyssa's Law, which all look different from Ohio's current bill. The foundation of Alyssa's Law requires all public schools to be equipped with a wearable or stationary silent panic alarm, which can be pressed to notify law enforcement of an emergency. Six states' versions of the law require a panic alarm system in schools, while one's version states schools must 'consider' the use of such devices. Revived Big Lots stores to reopen this spring; HomeBuys to acquire central Ohio shop In the last General Assembly, an Ohio senator introduced a bill also called Alyssa's Law that would have required public school staff to wear panic alarm buttons. The bill had one hearing and did not pass by the end of the session. HB 106 varies from Ohio's previous bill named Alyssa's Law and other states' versions of the statute since it would not require schools to implement panic alarms. The legislation was assigned to the finance committee where it awaits its first hearing. It has one Democrat and four Republican cosponsors. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
I-Team: New move to help Browns get state money for dome
CLEVELAND (WJW) — The FOX 8 I-Team found a local lawmaker is now taking steps to help the Cleveland Browns get state money for their plans to build a dome. This week, the Browns went before a Statehouse committee asking for $600 million to help build a dome in Brook Park. The state would borrow that money through bonds, and the Browns would pay it back. Now, Rep. Melanie Miller, a Republican from Ashland, is taking action. Teens identified among the dead in violent Cleveland crash She told the I-Team she will submit an amendment to the state budget proposal within days, in order to provide money for the Browns. That could lead to putting the issue before all Ohio lawmakers for a vote. 'I am absolutely going to submit it,' Miller said. The Browns plan to pay for half of the dome project, which includes other development around it. The team is counting on state and local funding to cover the rest of the cost. 'I wanted our committee members to hear firsthand what the Browns are trying to do,' Miller said. She said other lawmakers can now 'be a champion or supporter of this amendment.' The Browns want to move quickly. They hope to get final approval on state funding when the next budget gets approved this summer. But Rep. Terrence Upchurch isn't sold on this. 'It's my hope we have some more discussions about it,' said Upchurch, a Democrat from Cleveland. He wants more hearings, and he'd like to see the team stay in the current stadium on the lakefront. He explained why he'd like more hearings. 'That ultimately works better for the city of Cleveland. That gives more time to tell our side of the story as to why keeping that stadium on the lakefront is better for the city as a whole,' he said. Behind all of this, the city is fighting in federal court and county court to block the Browns from moving to a dome. That battle is also taking time. Records show the county judge has set an attorney conference for next month. In federal court, the Browns have asked for a hearing before a judge. In his State of the State address, Gov. Mike DeWine once more said he's against helping to build sports stadiums with money that otherwise would go to things like schools or roads. DeWine has instead proposed an increase in taxes on sports gambling to generate money that could help pay for stadiums. Watch: New video of protesters blocking Hopkins Airport The Browns point out their request would not take away tax dollars from any state programs. Now, Miller has vowed to take a step toward helping the team get the money. 'This Browns' plan is transformational for Northeast Ohio,' she said. The city of Cleveland wants the team to stay on the lakefront, and Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne does too. He believes the Browns can still be persuaded to not build a dome. A final vote on the state budget is expected in June. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
