Latest news with #SB173
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Proposed bill would give 911 dispatchers 'first responder' status, better retirement plan
Proponents of a bill that would boost retirement benefits for emergency dispatchers say the change could help improve recruitment and retention efforts in a high-stress profession that sees rapid employee turnover. Senate Bill 173 would reclassify 911 dispatchers — also known as public safety telecommunicators — as "first responders," a change from their current status as "clerical workers." This would put them in the same category as police officers in the New Mexico Public Employees Retirement Act, which could lead to enhanced, 25-year retirement plans. The law already includes probation, parole and corrections officers as well as paid firefighters as first responders. Josh Archuleta, the director of Española's E-911 Dispatch Center, said the bill would offer dispatchers long-deserved recognition and could allow them to retire five years earlier. This could help draw more people to dispatch centers that have struggled to fill positions. The Santa Fe Regional Emergency Communications Center, for instance, saw its vacancy rates climb to over 65% in 2022 amid a statewide and national shortage. However, the vacancy rate dropped to 28% last year. Law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians receive recognition for emergency response, Archuleta noted, "but it's kind of always forgotten that dispatchers are the ones that received that call first." The total potential costs of implementing SB 173 remain unclear, with some agencies not yet providing personnel data for analysis, the state Department of Finance and Administration said in a report. It estimated more than 1,000 dispatchers could be affected. Dispatchers would be required to contribute to their retirement plans at higher rates, but a report from the Public Employees Retirement Association found annual costs to municipal employers likely would be "minimal." Still, the measure already has faced pushback from the New Mexico Department of Public Safety. The agency takes issue with the bill, saying in a report it doesn't consider "the disparity in job duties, training, and physical risks faced by sworn officers compared to telecommunicators." The department counted 80 state dispatchers who could be affected, at a cost of about $26,000 total per year. Archuleta pointed to studies showing dispatchers' repeated exposure to trauma puts them at high risk for post-traumatic stress disorder. He also noted their high level of training. "We give instructions on how to perform CPR, how to deliver babies over the phone, how to deal with minor wound care," he said, adding dispatchers are required to attend the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy to earn a certification, just like other public safety workers. The bill "would allow us to recruit better, and we could offer the same types of benefits and the same retirement that other public safety is getting," he said. Archuleta has worked in the field for 23 years, he said, and in that time the national average tenure for dispatchers has decreased from five years to three years. Sponsored by Sen. David Gallegos, R-Eunice, SB 173 has been assigned to the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee but was not yet scheduled for a hearing as of Wednesday. If the bill is passed by the Legislature and signed into law, state and municipal-level dispatchers would have to hold an election to approve the change by the end of the year. Gallegos proposed a similar bill in 2023. The Health and Public Affairs Committee advanced the measure that year, but it later died in the Senate Finance Committee. Gallegos said the main hurdle for the measure has been gathering numbers from smaller communities around the state to get an accurate picture of the financial impacts of earlier retirement for dispatchers. About 10 or more small agencies have yet to report their numbers to the state, he said, adding "until DFA and PERA get the total cost, I think we'll get opposition." The Department of Public Safety lauded the dispatcher bill for "recognizing their critical role in emergency response." But it recommended the Legislature reject it. Along with what the agency called "an equity imbalance that could impact workforce morale and operational cohesion," its report said the bill would create "significant operational and administrative challenges." The report points to differences in the pay plans and retirement contributions between dispatchers and state police and recommends the state consider instead "designing and implementing a new retirement plan or benefits package specifically tailored for telecommunicators." Gallegos said he was first alerted to the plight of emergency dispatchers and high rates of PTSD by a dispatch center supervisor as well as the sheriff in Lea County, "I really do believe — after listening to them in multiple areas — that these individuals deserve to be treated as first responders," Gallegos said. "If we are allowing them to be harmed in the process of their job," he added, "they need the proper care and consideration because they're doing a really hard job for us that is definitely needed."
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Proposed bill would give 911 dispatchers 'first responder' status, better retirement plan
Proponents of a bill that would boost retirement benefits for emergency dispatchers say the change could help improve recruitment and retention efforts in a high-stress profession that sees rapid employee turnover. Senate Bill 173 would reclassify 911 dispatchers — also known as public safety telecommunicators — as "first responders," a change from their current status as "clerical workers." This would put them in the same category as police officers in the New Mexico Public Employees Retirement Act, which could lead to enhanced, 25-year retirement plans. The law already includes probation, parole and corrections officers as well as paid firefighters as first responders. Josh Archuleta, the director of Española's E-911 Dispatch Center, said the bill would offer dispatchers long-deserved recognition and could allow them to retire five years earlier. This could help draw more people to dispatch centers that have struggled to fill positions. The Santa Fe Regional Emergency Communications Center, for instance, saw its vacancy rates climb to over 65% in 2022 amid a statewide and national shortage. However, the vacancy rate dropped to 28% last year. Law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians receive recognition for emergency response, Archuleta noted, "but it's kind of always forgotten that dispatchers are the ones that received that call first." The total potential costs of implementing SB 173 remain unclear, with some agencies not yet providing personnel data for analysis, the state Department of Finance and Administration said in a report. It estimated more than 1,000 dispatchers could be affected. Dispatchers would be required to contribute to their retirement plans at higher rates, but a report from the Public Employees Retirement Association found annual costs to municipal employers likely would be "minimal." Still, the measure already has faced pushback from the New Mexico Department of Public Safety. The agency takes issue with the bill, saying in a report it doesn't consider "the disparity in job duties, training, and physical risks faced by sworn officers compared to telecommunicators." The department counted 80 state dispatchers who could be affected, at a cost of about $26,000 total per year. Archuleta pointed to studies showing dispatchers' repeated exposure to trauma puts them at high risk for post-traumatic stress disorder. He also noted their high level of training. "We give instructions on how to perform CPR, how to deliver babies over the phone, how to deal with minor wound care," he said, adding dispatchers are required to attend the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy to earn a certification, just like other public safety workers. The bill "would allow us to recruit better, and we could offer the same types of benefits and the same retirement that other public safety is getting," he said. Archuleta has worked in the field for 23 years, he said, and in that time the national average tenure for dispatchers has decreased from five years to three years. Sponsored by Sen. David Gallegos, R-Eunice, SB 173 has been assigned to the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee but was not yet scheduled for a hearing as of Wednesday. If the bill is passed by the Legislature and signed into law, state and municipal-level dispatchers would have to hold an election to approve the change by the end of the year. Gallegos proposed a similar bill in 2023. The Health and Public Affairs Committee advanced the measure that year, but it later died in the Senate Finance Committee. Gallegos said the main hurdle for the measure has been gathering numbers from smaller communities around the state to get an accurate picture of the financial impacts of earlier retirement for dispatchers. About 10 or more small agencies have yet to report their numbers to the state, he said, adding "until DFA and PERA get the total cost, I think we'll get opposition." The Department of Public Safety lauded the dispatcher bill for "recognizing their critical role in emergency response." But it recommended the Legislature reject it. Along with what the agency called "an equity imbalance that could impact workforce morale and operational cohesion," its report said the bill would create "significant operational and administrative challenges." The report points to differences in the pay plans and retirement contributions between dispatchers and state police and recommends the state consider instead "designing and implementing a new retirement plan or benefits package specifically tailored for telecommunicators." Gallegos said he was first alerted to the plight of emergency dispatchers and high rates of PTSD by a dispatch center supervisor as well as the sheriff in Lea County, "I really do believe — after listening to them in multiple areas — that these individuals deserve to be treated as first responders," Gallegos said. "If we are allowing them to be harmed in the process of their job," he added, "they need the proper care and consideration because they're doing a really hard job for us that is definitely needed."
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Utah won't have a universal school meal program, yet
Students eat lunch at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School in South Salt Lake on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) A universal school meal program for Utah kids, with a price tag of $160 million, was held in the Senate Education Committee Thursday morning, though there are plans to work on the bill during the summer. SB173 would have automatically enrolled students attending Utah public schools into a free meal program and given parents the option to opt out. Sen. Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, presented the program as an investment in the future workforce of Utah. She also compared it to Utah's Economic Development Tax Increment Financing tax credit program, which can provide tax credits of up to 30% to Utah companies if they meet performance goals, according to the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity. 'I think we should be investing in our children that will be the next workforce for these companies to succeed,' Escamilla said. 'Findings show that school meal programs really yield substantial benefits — an estimated $9 of return for every dollar … when we invest in school meal programs.' Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights, said teachers can't force a kid to learn on an empty stomach. 'We really need to start talking about, as a state, how we are going to invest in the kids of America or in Utah because we can't move forward with them being hungry,' she said. Some lawmakers were unwilling to swallow the bill's $160 million fiscal note, which, Escamilla clarified, would not account for parents who choose to pay for their children's meals, and what would happen if the federal government pulled funding from the national programs. Sen. John Johnson, R-Ogden, said he had a hard time believing his neighbors would need a universal meal program, and said he would support another bill by Rep. Tyler Clancy, R-Provo, that would provide free breakfast and lunch to students who qualify for reduced-price meals based on household size and income levels under the School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program. 'I think the general tendency is to let government pay for whatever government will pay for, and personally, I don't think that's fair to taxpayers,' he said. 'I could certainly support the bill coming in that basically tries to deal with kids that truly, even though they're on a reduced fee lunch, the families don't have the means to pay for that.' Escamilla acknowledged the policy questions and said she would consider them as she worked on the bill during the interim, but said children should not have to wonder where their next meal would come from. 'We're also seeing some instances where certain families, like middle-class working families, struggle for whatever situation, whether they're a paycheck away from homelessness or catastrophic illness and now they don't have money,' she said. 'That burden shouldn't be on a child that is trying to learn.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers tap brakes on call for universal free school meals for Utah kids
Universal free school lunch and breakfast is not coming to Utah schools — at least not anytime soon. Lawmakers on Thursday tabled Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla's bill calling for free school meals for every K-12 student enrolled in Utah's public schools, regardless of a family's ability to pay. The Senate Education Committee opted not to pass the bill to the Senate floor — instead asking Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, to fine-tune details in her universal free school meals bill details regarding federal government support issues. 'I'm excited for the work you're going to be doing over the summer,' Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights, told her colleague. 'I know that there's a lot of controversy behind this, but I think there is a way forward. I would love to see Utah come forward and come up with a parallel program that provides (support) from our own state to provide opportunities for our kids.' Escamilla's SB173 called for the creation of the Universal Free School Meals Program to be funded by a restricted account that would include legislative appropriations, federal grants and private contributions. All families, according to bill provisions, would be automatically enrolled in the program, allowing families the option to pay for meals to offset program costs. This won't be the last time lawmakers talk school lunch during the 2025 Legislative session. HB100 is more limited in reach — calling for free breakfast and lunch to 'eligible' students, while also prohibiting schools from publicly identifying free meal recipients and potentially embarrassing students or their families. Presenting her bill Thursday, Escamilla emphasized that hunger and learning can't coexist. 'When children are hungry, it creates a barrier and impacts our students' academic performance and well-being,' she said. 'We know that hunger affects their cognitive functions like concentration, memory and problem solving. 'One in six children are hungry in our state of Utah — they don't know where they're going to get their meal this evening.' Escamilla acknowledged that the bill's $160 million is 'a lot of money.' Drawing down sizable federal funds would be necessary to cover much of the remaining costs beyond the state's fiscal commitment. But given the current climate of federal uncertainties, Escamilla said future iterations of her universal free school meal would likely have to include a trigger to shutter the program without federal support. 'I will be working during interim on that idea,' she added. Committee chair Sen. John Johnson, R-North Ogden, said food security issues justify legislative discussion — especially when it involves hungry students. But he was skeptical that many Utah families, regardless of financial circumstances, would voluntarily pay for lunch if it was offered for free. 'I don't think that's fair to taxpayers,' he said. Escamilla warned it's risky assuming children are shielded from food insecurity simply based upon their ZIP code. 'We're seeing some instances where certain families — very middle-class working families — struggle …. and they're a paycheck away from homelessness or catastrophic illness, and now they don't have money. 'That burden shouldn't be on a child that is trying to learn.' Several voiced support of SB173 during the public comment period, while another questioned the bill's 'opt-out' provision, instead of being an 'opt-out' program. Granite School District Superintendent Ben Horsley took a few moments from visiting a government class at Granger High School to express, electronically, his support 'of this conversation.' Horsley noted that 62% of Granite's students are from impoverished households that qualify for free or reduced lunch. 'We invariably end up with several hundreds of thousands of dollars, and sometimes millions of dollars, in debt from our families who ... for one reason or another, do not participate in the free and reduced lunch program.' Covering those school lunch debts, he added, typically comes from the district's maintenance and operation funds. Such funds would have otherwise been used to support classrooms and teachers to ensure 'high quality instruction.' There are no perfect solutions, said Horsley. But 'I would encourage the committee to continue with this discussion.'
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill cracking down on ‘sextortion' clears Kentucky Senate floor with unanimous vote
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — A bill against sexual extortion cleared the full Kentucky Senate with a unanimous vote on Wednesday. SB 73 defines sexual extortion as 'using threats to coerce individuals into engaging in sexual acts, producing explicit materials, providing payments, or acting against their will,' the Senate explained in a news release. Changes to Kentucky driver's permit move forward To increase awareness and expand prevention of 'sextortion,' SB 73 would require schools and postsecondary education institutions to teach students and parents about the dangers associated with it. Schools would also have to prominently display resources, such as hotline numbers, and report information to ensure victims knew where to get help if they fell victim to sexual extortion. 'Sexual extortion is a deeply damaging and insidious crime, often targeting our most vulnerable populations, especially children,' Sen. Julie Raque Adams, R, said. 'This bill not only ensures that those who commit these heinous acts are held accountable but also provides victims with the support and resources they need to seek justice and heal. I'm grateful for my colleagues' support and look forward to working with the House to get this critical legislation across the finish line.' Bill cracking down on 'sextortion' clears Kentucky Senate floor with unanimous vote Member of extremist 'sextortion' group pleads guilty to racketeering, child murder plot in Kentucky 'We deserve better': Gun safety advocates demanding changes in Kentucky gun laws Sen. Adams added that sextortion is one of the fastest-growing crimes against children and called the bill essential to ensuring that every Kentucky child is protected from predators. Following its overwhelming support on Wednesday, SB 173 will proceed to the House of Representatives for consideration. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
