Latest news with #PennsylvaniaHouse
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Mac's Law: New bill would prohibit insurance discrimination against dog breeds
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — A proposed law, named after a dog, will soon be introduced in the Pennsylvania House and will work to prevent discrimination against different breeds. Mac's Law would prevent homeowners from being discriminated against solely based on the breed of dog they own. In a memo, Representative Kathleen Tomlinson shared that a constituent in her area spoke up on issues that they had with getting homeowners insurance due to the fact that they owned a pitbull. ''Mac' the pit bull never had a history of being aggressive, and to be perfectly clear, he wouldn't hurt a fly. He was judged by an insurer purely because of his breed,' Tomlinson wrote. Pennsylvania parking ticket fines could change under new bill The proposed legislation would prohibit this type of discrimination. The stereotype against pitbulls isn't something that's new as it's estimated that nearly 800 cities and towns have Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL). Things like breed discriminatory legislation are the result of misinformation, stereotypes and irresponsible ownership that can reinforce it. BSL most often impacts Pitbulls, Staffordshire Terriers, English Bull Terriers, but it's been known in other areas to include Rottweilers, Mastiffs, Dalmatians, Chow Chows, German Shepherds and Doberman Pinschers. It can also affect mutts or other dogs that resemble them. The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that there are 4.7 million dog bites each year and 800,000 will require medical attention. It's also worth noting that critics argue that 100% of locations that have BSL will continue to see reports of bites as 'safety is not a breed-specific issue.' Tomlinson goes on to argue in her memo that while prohibiting discrimination, her legislation would also take into account if a dog has an aggressive history. You can read the full memo here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
14-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Bill that would legalize marijuana in Pennsylvania stalls out in state senate
A bill that would have made recreational marijuana legal in Pennsylvania stalled out in the state senate. The Senate Law and Justice Committee voted it down 7 to 3. That vote means the bill will not be taken up by the full state senate and the bill will not be signed into law by Governor Josh Shapiro. Bill passes the Pennsylvania State House Last week, the bill that would have allowed Pennsylvanians 21 and older to purchase marijuana legally passed the Pennsylvania House. It marked the first time that a recreational weed bill had been approved by either chamber in Pennsylvania. The main sponsor of the bill was Democrat Rep. Rick Krajewski of Philadelphia, who said it was a "balanced, responsible, and robust framework." Republicans in the House opposed the bill. Governor Josh Shapiro proposed legal marijuana in his budget and counted on Pennsylvania getting around $500 million in revenue from legal marijuana. The proposal would have allowed direct sales that would be managed by the state-owned liquor store system. However, Fine Wine & Good Spirits locations wouldn't have become marijuana dispensaries, other retail outlets would have been created for marijuana purchase. "Toothpaste is already out of the tube." Democrats in Pennsylvania want legal sales of marijuana According to one of the sponsors of the bills, Democratic Rep. Dan Frankel, it had the potential to bring in $600 million in revenue. "The toothpaste is already out of the tube," he said. Rep. Frankel also cited a state store model, such as Quebec, Canada, where there has been proven success. He did caution that the longer Pennsylvania waits to legalize marijuana, illegal or quasi-legal places will continue to pop up, and those places have no public health supervision. "You go right next door, you'll see a sign on the street with a big marijuana leaf saying no medical card needed here. We need to regulate that. That's a public health hazard," Rep. Frankel said. While the bill failed in the Senate, it's not clear what comes next or if there will be another attempt at passing a legal marijuana bill anytime in the future.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Real ID? Organ donor? Here's the next symbol one mom and son want Pennsylvania driver's licenses to add
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — Most people would never think of asking someone in a wheelchair to get up and run. But that's what advocates for people with 'invisible disabilities' say we all essentially do — even if unknowingly — when we ask some people with autism, for example, to have socially-appropriate interactions at moments when they're under a lot of stress. 'I will probably will be scared,' said Eric Carpenter-Grantham, 20, who lives in Montgomery County, Maryland. 'Because if they flash the lights on me, I don't like flashing lights on. So the sensory of it — people with autism and disabilities have sensory issues, so they do not like to be touched. And they probably would think I'm crazy. They would probably think I'm high.' Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now What Carpenter-Grantham is, in fact, is a person who describes himself as having high-functioning autism. He is also Black, and his mother, Linda Carpenter-Grantham, remembers talking to him after George Floyd's death — in 2020, at the hands of four Minneapolis police officers (who were later convicted, including of second-degree murder in the case of one officer). Mom told son how to do things — such as putting his hands in the air — to show police he's not a threat, in the event he's ever involved in an encounter. 'Eric started to cry and said, 'Mom, I could do that. But the police would shoot my friends that have autism,'' Linda Carpenter-Grantham recalled her son saying. 'So we started this mission.' Pennsylvania lawmakers propose changes to unemployment benefits, worker taxes 'This mission' included meeting with Maryland lawmakers, who took up the cause of legislation to add a voluntary marking on driver's licenses for people who want police officers and others to know they have invisible disabilities, which — in addition to autism — can be things such as hearing loss, dementia or bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses. The law passed unanimously and is due to be signed Tuesday by Maryland Governor Wes Moore (D). But in advance of that, the Carpenter-Granthams were in Harrisburg Monday with Delegate Kym Taylor (D-Prince George's County), who worked with other lawmakers to pass the bill. 'Now we're taking it state to state,' said Taylor, who worked with other lawmakers — including the leader of Maryland's Legislative Black Caucus — to advance the legislation. The bill was uncontroversial: 'Eric's ID Law,' as it's known, passed unanimously. But advocates say people who have invisible disabilities and are also non-white are at particular risk of being misunderstood and harmed by police. The Carpenter-Granthams and Taylor met Monday with Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia & Delaware counties), who subsequently recognized all three on the House floor once the session re-started. By Eric Carpenter-Grantham's count, Maryland became the 23rd state to allow some kind of voluntary mark on its driver's licenses indicating an invisible disability. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania House passes recreational marijuana legalization
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Pennsylvania House lawmakers have passed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana. The vote on Wednesday afternoon passed on party lines, 102 Democrats voting yea and 101 Republicans voting nay. Earlier this week, the bill passed through a House committee, also on a party-line vote. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now This Week in Pennsylvania The bill, known as the Cannabis Health & Safety Act, goes to the Republican-controlled State Senate, where its future is uncertain. A similar bill passed in the Democrat-controlled State House last year but did not advance through the Senate. House Democrats say the bill would give adults 21 and older 'the power of choice,' as well as create a public retail system 'with accountability.' Democrats say the bill also protects both residents' health and Pennsylvania minors, and will 'bring home billions of dollars.' Pennsylvania Governor proposes legalizing marijuana Pennsylvania House Republican Leader Jesse Topper (R-Bedford/Fulton) said following the vote that this was a 'flawed process' that created a 'flawed' bill. 'The bill to legalize marijuana in Pennsylvania was introduced at the end of the day Sunday and then rushed through a committee vote on Monday afternoon, a move that stifled debate and potential amendments,' Topper said. 'That flawed process led to a seriously flawed piece of legislation that creates an unnecessary government monopoly over the sale of marijuana, contains significant constitutional concerns, and fails to deliver on promised state revenue by cannibalizing the sales of legalized marijuana into new programs and state giveaways.' Governor Josh Shapiro has called for the legalization of marijuana as part of his state budget. This is a developing story. Stay with abc27 News as more information becomes available Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Analyzing Donald Trump's first 100 days: This Week in Pennsylvania
(WHTM) – On This Week in Pennsylvania, we're taking a deep dive into President Donald Trump's first 100 days in office. Jim Lee, President & CEO of Susquehanna Polling and Research, walks us through polling showing Trump underperforming compared to his election victory amid inflation and tariffs. Dennis Owens also gives us a recap of the top stories in Pennsylvania from the last week. PennDOT is reminding Pennsylvanians of the timeline to have a REAL ID to board domestic flights. If you do not have a REAL ID after May 7, you will need a passport or military ID. Around 3 million Pennsylvanians have their REAL ID ahead of the deadline. Pennsylvania House Minority Leader Jesse Topper (R) says PennDOT has not done enough, pointing to long lines at PennDOT facilities. A state budget is also due in less than two months, with Republicans saying Governor Josh Shapiro wants to spend more than the state is taking in. Shapiro has proposed taxing games of skill and legalized marijuana, however, Topper says those 'have a long way to go.' Every week, This Week in Pennsylvania gives a comprehensive look at the week's biggest news events in Pennsylvania, provided by the abc27 News team, along with the latest updates on local stories. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Check your local listings for weekly air times. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
