Latest news with #SB235
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bonne Terre Grandmother has success changing laws in other states, but not her own
ST. CHARLES, Mo. — Cecilia Williams has been pushing for law changes since experiencing an unthinkable tragedy in 2021. Her son, daughter-in-law, and one of her grandchildren were killed by a drunk driver. 'Missouri has an extremely huge problem with impaired driving,' she said. Williams said what's become 'Bentley's Law' has passed in other states but failed to pass again in Missouri. The state's legislative session ended on Thursday. The law would require impaired offenders who take the lives of parents to pay child support to caregivers left to care for surviving children. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The law is named after one of the surviving children Williams is caring for. 'Financially, a lot of people can't afford it, but with Bentley's law, it gives them the extra support that is needed,' Williams said. She attended a banquet in St. Charles on Thursday night, hosted by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The awards ceremony honored 133 members of law enforcement for their dedication to impaired driving enforcement. Jerod Breit, MADD's regional executive director, credits Williams' determination for other states passing legislation she's fighting for. 'She's been triumphant across the country and even outside the United States when it comes to Benley's Law,' he said. Williams said that states that have passed the law include Tennessee, Kentucky, Maine, Texas, Utah, South Dakota and Montana. She said the law has even passed in the Cayman Islands and South Korea. 'There's no reason why Missouri cannot pass this important piece of legislation to help families who really need it,' she said. First responders discover body following house fire Breit said MADD and the agency's supporters pushed for several measures aimed at reducing impaired driving in Missouri, but the effort failed despite overwhelming support from lawmakers and near unanimous support in the House, where the measure easily passed. 'Unfortunately, it didn't make it through in the Senate,' Breit said. Williams blamed political bickering for the measure failing to pass before the session ended. She and Breit vow to push again for a change in Missouri's law when the next legislative session starts in January. State Senator Mike Henderson sponsored SB 235 and supported the effort to pass the legislation. He said, 'I am very disappointed. I do not believe it had anything to do with Benley's Law or actually the bill itself. We just ran out of time.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill proposing changes to the Mathematics and Science Education Act advances this week
Sen. Bill Soules (D-Las Cruces) chairs the Senate Education Committee. (Photo by Leah Romero / Source NM) Lawmakers advanced a bill Wednesday that proposes statewide requirements for math instruction in K-12 schools and professional development for teachers Senate Bill 235, sponsored by Sen. Bill Soules (D-Las Cruces), makes changes to the Mathematics and Science Education Act, including requiring school districts to create professional learning plans, assess students for difficulties in learning math before they finish second grade, provide interventions for students with learning difficulties and notify parents of their child's learning difficulties. The bill will also require that the Public Education Department monitor math instructional materials, create a leadership framework and set minimum course requirements for teacher licensure. Soules presented the bill to the Senate Education Committee, which he chairs, on Wednesday and received unanimous support from members. SB 235 now goes to the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee. Soules said the state has worked hard in recent years to support structured literacy in public schools and improve literacy among New Mexico students, but the same attention has not been given to mathematics. Deficiencies in both math and reading were highlighted in the Yazzie/Martinez lawsuit by the late District Judge Sarah Singleton. 'It's now time that we start talking about math and the very low performance of students in New Mexico in the math area,' Soules said during the meeting. 'We've sort of pushed it aside.' 'Advancing the Science of Reading Act' gains unanimous support in Senate Education Committee The bill received ample support from attendees, including representatives from the Higher Education Department, Public Education Department, New Mexico School Board Association, New Mexico Coalition of Educational Leaders, Albuquerque Teachers Federation, Think New Mexico, Kids Can, Teach Plus New Mexico, Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, NM Partnership for Math & Science Education and New Mexico MESA. Higher Education Department Secretary Stephanie Rodriguez shared her personal struggle with math as a young student and applauded the bill's attention to screening for math learning difficulties. 'I have dyscalculia, and unfortunately, it took many years of struggle to figure that out,' Rodriguez told the committee. 'I still went to college, but there are many other children in New Mexico who will go their entire life of schooling thinking they may not be college material or may not enter a trade program because math is too hard.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
