Latest news with #SB25
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
State Legislature Acts To ‘Make Texas Healthy Again'
Under Senate Bill 25, which awaits Gov. Greg Abbott's signature, Texas could become one of the first states to mandate warning labels on foods containing artificial dyes and specific chemicals. The bill, dubbed the Make Texas Healthy Again Act, requires labels on products containing one or more of some 40-plus additives, such as Blue 1, Red 40, Yellow 5, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), and titanium dioxide. The label would state: 'WARNING: This product contains an ingredient that is not recommended for human consumption by the appropriate authority in Australia, Canada, the European Union, or the United Kingdom.' The warning label must be prominent, readable, and would apply to products packaged after January 1, 2027. A loophole allows producers using existing packaging through 2036 to avoid the requirement. The bill also invalidates state labeling rules if federal regulations supersede them. 'Texas can really lead here. … These bills represent a Texas way that prioritizes transparency, prioritizes good education and prioritizes incentive change,' Calley Means, a top adviser to U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said during a Senate Health and Human Services Committee hearing. Beyond labeling, SB 25 increases physical activity requirements for middle school students from four to six semesters of 30-minute daily sessions and mandates nutrition education for undergraduates, developed by a seven-member Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee appointed by the governor by December 31, 2025. The committee would include experts in metabolic health, a licensed physician, a Texas Department of Agriculture representative, and others. In addition, doctors and nurses must complete continuing education on nutrition to maintain their licenses. 'This sweeping legislation is not just another bill. It's a call to action — one that so many Texans and Americans are realizing — that something is wrong and that something needs to change in our food industry and in our sedentary lifestyle,' Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham), the bill's sponsor, told The Texas Tribune. The bill garnered bipartisan support, with 10 Senate Democrats and three House Democrats sponsoring or co-sponsoring. 'This is about the MAHA parents and the crunchy granola parents coming together to say, 'We are sick and tired of being sick and tired,'' said Rep. Lacey Hull (R-Houston) before the House passed the bill on May 25. Food industry groups, including Walmart, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, General Mills, and Frito-Lay, opposed the labeling, warning in a letter that it 'could destabilize local and regional economies.' Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (D-San Antonio) expressed concern that 'the cost of food will continue to rise,' the Tribune reported. Kolkhorst countered in February that 'the market will adjust.' Supporters, like the Episcopal Health Foundation, see health benefits. 'The amount of money and time we're spending treating diabetes as opposed to preventing it is huge, especially in Texas,' said Brian Sasser, the foundation's chief communications officer, per the Tribune. Andy Keller of the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute added, 'In a world that pretends the brain is not part of the body, this bill will put tools in the hands of children, parents and teachers to begin truly addressing emotional health and wellbeing.' The bill aligns with federal Make America Healthy Again initiatives, with Kolkhorst noting Kennedy's personal call urging its passage. 'As in so many cases, we're not waiting on Washington,' said Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) in February. 'Texas will act.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill to create St. George Community School System passes House
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — The bill to create a school system for the City of St. George has passed the House on Wednesday. SB 25 and SB 234, both authored by Sen. Rick Edmonds, are aimed at creating the St. George Community School System and treating it as a parish school district. SB 25 would allow the created school system the ability to participate in the Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) state funding formula, get free teaching materials from the state and levy local taxes for school funding. If the bill becomes a law, the school system would begin operating schools on July 1, 2027. SB 234 is the implementation plan, showing a breakdown of how the school system would operate. The school board will be made up of seven appointed interim members and one appointed interim superintendent. A more permanent board will be elected and can serve four-year concurrent terms. All public school property, including buses, within the City of St. George border would be transferred from the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board by June 30, 2027. Students will have the option to remain at their current schools after the split, depending on the student's grade level. East Baton Rouge must cooperate in transferring records, assets, and access to facilities. Until June 30, 2027, East Baton Rouge Parish will collect all sales, use, and property taxes before the City of St. George takes over on July 1, 2027. Louisiana bill on Baton Rouge blight moves forward More people speak out against Clinton tax preparer accused of fraud AI may cut drug discovery time, says scientific software leader Keeping pets safe in the summer heat: Local experts share tips May Street closures in effect, Baton Rouge residents concerned with traffic congestion Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How RFK Jr., Democrats and Republicans found common ground over food labels in Texas
Months ago, when Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee Chair Lois Kolkhorst first held a hearing on Senate Bill 25 — requiring among other things, warning labels on foods containing certain additives — the first person to speak was Calley Means, a top adviser to U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy. 'Texas can really lead here…These bills represent a Texas way that prioritizes transparency, prioritizes good education and prioritizes incentive change,' said Means, a former food and pharmaceutical consultant, who spearheaded the federal Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission. He's also the brother of Casey Means, President Donald Trump's nominee for U.S. Surgeon General. It was a powerful opening to Kolkhorst's first Senate health committee meeting of the year and also signaled immediately that Kolkhorst's SB 25 — also called the Make Texas Healthy Again bill — and other efforts of fellow Republicans dovetailed perfectly with those on the federal level by echoing Kennedy's interests. For a relatively quiet Texas legislative session for health, the RFK effect stands out. Republican-backed bills on everything from putting more regulation on doctors who administer COVID-19 vaccines and letting parents opt out of childhood immunizations more easily, to halting the use of food stamps to purchase sugary drinks and SB 25 have either passed or are about to before the end of session today. It begs the question, though, of exactly who is calling the shots in the Texas Capitol. Is Kennedy directing Texas, using the state as perhaps a test kitchen for his larger initiatives, or is Texas out-MAHA-ing Washington? 'I think it's both,' said James Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin. 'Long before Robert F. Kennedy gained some kind of surprising legitimacy by being named to the cabinet, these currents were already flowing in Texas, but they just get a lot more momentum from these national figures.' In a way, Washington and Austin have moved in on what was once the Democrats' exclusive turf: consumer health. It's become an easy pivot for Republicans as they incorporate healthy eating and exercise, traditionally left-leaning priorities, into typical GOP talking points such as national security, individual choice and reduction of health care costs. The result has been a seamless state-federal party alliance on an issue that can attract both the left and the right. Ten Democrats signed on in the Senate, and three Democrats in the House sponsored or co-sponsored SB 25. 'This is about the MAHA parents and the crunchy granola parents coming together to say, 'We are sick and tired of being sick and tired,'' Rep. Lacey Hull, R-Houston, said, before SB 25 passed the House on May 25. 'I have personally spoken to the White House who said they are looking to us, to Texas, to get this done to stand for our children and our future.' Alarmed food company executives from across the country flew into Austin when word spread that the Texas Legislature was prioritizing a bill requiring food labeling. A coalition of about 60 industry groups and producers, including Walmart, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Frito-Lay and General Mills, implored in a letter to Texas lawmakers to strip any requirement to label foods, saying the state 'could destabilize local and regional economies at a time when businesses are already fighting to keep prices down, maintain inventory and avoid layoffs.' As initially filed, SB 25 was wide-ranging, asking producers to put a warning label on any product containing artificial coloring, a food additive or other chemical ingredient banned by Canada, the European Union, or the United Kingdom. Sweeteners, including high fructose corn syrup and aspartame, were then later added to the proposed label list. After pushback from the food industry and from several House members during a 4-hour floor debate a week ago, Hull amended the bill to remove the sweeteners, but kept a list of 40-plus additives that would trigger a warning label. House Democrats still worried that the warning label requirement would push up food costs. 'What we don't want to do is destroy anyone's business and or create such a burden or financial cost that the cost of food will continue to rise,' said state Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, D-San Antonio. Kolkhorst back in February proclaimed that 'the market will adjust.' The bill was eventually weakened further when state Rep. Gary Van Deaver, a supporter of the bill, successfully proposed a change that invalidates SB 25's state labeling requirements for ingredients if the federal government moves forward with similar or a more far-reaching measure. The state labeling requirements would take effect on Jan. 1, 2027 but a loophole exists that if on Dec. 31, 2026 a snack food producer wants to stick with its existing packaging for another decade, no warning label is needed because the new law only 'applies only to a food product label developed or copyrighted on or after January 1, 2027.' Even so, the bill takes a step forward that states across the U.S. are still mulling. For Kolkhorst, the bill boils down to a national conversation about the health of Americans, especially American children. 'This sweeping legislation is not just another bill. It's a call to action — one that so many Texans and Americans are realizing — that something is wrong and that something needs to change in our food industry and in our sedentary lifestyle,' Kolkhorst told The Texas Tribune. While most of the attention has been on the food labeling language, the bill contains a major education plank. SB 25 will require elementary, secondary and postsecondary educational institutions to re-prioritize health and exercise. It also forces health professionals to take continuing education courses regarding nutrition and metabolic health. And it will require recess or physical activity for kids in charter schools – physical activity is already required in public schools. Supporters of the bill, such as the Episcopal Health Foundation and the Meadow's Mental Health Policy Institute, see some big benefits for Texans. 'The amount of money and time we're spending treating diabetes as opposed to preventing it is huge, especially in Texas, especially in certain areas like East Texas,' said Brian Sasser, the foundation's chief communications officer. 'This is an important first step in changing that focus to prevention.' Diabetes care costs Texas Medicaid up to $8 billion annually. In a world that pretends the brain is not part of the body, this bill will put tools in the hands of children, parents and teachers to begin truly addressing emotional health and wellbeing, said Andy Keller, the president and CEO of Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. 'I am proud of the work we have done with the encouragement of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. who personally called me and urged the passage of Senate Bill 25,' Kolkhorst said. In the summer of 2024, Kennedy was running for president on a campaign focused on rising chronic health concerns for many Americans, as well as vaccine hesitancy. At that time Means, who became Kennedy's right hand in the MAHA movement, was leading a coalition of health and fitness CEOs in pitching policies designed to rein in additives and promote healthier food choices. The end goal was to force 'Big Food' to offer healthier versions of food, like those found in Europe and Canada, through similar regulations. It's not surprising that Texas lawmakers, who are always on the lookout for the public's next policy fixation jumped on this opportunity, said Henson, of the Texas Politics Project. Lawmakers have to take advantage of openings to pursue agendas that come with some federal support. 'Without that national influence [some bills] might not have gone anywhere,' he said. And, the Trump administration knows how important Texas can be to its causes. As the nation's second largest state, both in size and population, any change in food regulation no matter how small, is expected to have a ripple effect elsewhere. Thirty years ago, regulations on food, the environment and land use, crafted by California's State Assembly, became policy standards for the rest of the country. In recent years, that title has shifted to Texas. The aim of Kolkhorst's bill is to change food formulas or perhaps offer Americans the same formulas sold to countries with stricter additive and coloring standards. Kolkhorst has maintained that no group had a role in crafting her bill, that it was unique to her and her staff based on the concerns of constituents. 'No outside groups provided any language for the filed version of SB 25," she told the Tribune. Nutrition advocates, who often fear legislative cuts to their programs, welcome the plug for more nutrition-backed measures. Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas, which represents 20 food banks statewide, praised Kolkhorst and Hull for also spearheading the passage of House Bill 26, which creates a pilot program within Medicaid to offer pregnant moms with nutritional counseling and medically-tailored meals. "We share the Legislature's goal of improving the health of low-income Texans and were very encouraged to see a focus this session on the link between good nutrition and health," Cole said in a statement to the Tribune. Keller found the prospect of state and federal collaboration exciting. Texas ought to lead the nation in the fight for children's health, he said. 'Nothing actually, really happens at a national level,' Keller said. 'Ultimately, all decisions about the well-being of children happen locally.' Sen. Bryan Hughes agrees. Texas waits for no one, he said. His Senate Bill 314 bars certain food additives in free- and reduced-cost school lunches. 'As in so many cases we're not waiting on Washington. We're thankful for what's happening about health in Washington, but we're not going to wait on them. Texas will act,' Hughes said in February. Disclosure: Episcopal Health Foundation, Feeding Texas, and University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bill to put St. George school system on a ballot advances in House Committee
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A bill that paves the way for the newly formed city of St. George to operate its own school system has moved forward in the Regular Legislative Session. Senate Bill 25 passed out of the Committee on Appropriations on Tuesday. 'All Senate Bill 25 does as a companion bill is it gives it an election date in April so that people can vote on it,' said Senator Rick Edmonds (R-Baton Rouge). The companion bill he's referring to is Senate Bill 234. That bill would actually create the St. George school board and system within the parish of East Baton Rouge. That bill still must go through the Committee on Education. In terms of legislative progress, SB 234 has a few more hurdles to clear. Tuesday opponents of SB 25 told committee members it would ultimately divert millions of dollars away from Baton Rouge schools, and they believe passing it now was 'putting the cart before the horse.' Senator Edmonds rejected the suggestion to defer his bill until SB 234 is passed through committee, saying it's not uncommon to pass legislation out of order. 'We do it all the time, it's the timeline we get under that we have to pass companion bills, this bill still has to go to civil laws, the language has to be approved. So if you just look at the timing of legislation, those are things that happen all the time,' said Edmonds. SB 25 passed out of the Appropriations Committee on a 15 to 2 vote. SB 234 is a constitutional amendment, so it must ultimately go before the voter before becoming law. Edmonds is hopeful to have it on the ballot for an April 2026 election. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
House vote advances ‘Make Texas Healthy Again' bill
AUSTIN (Nexstar) – Legislation dubbed the 'Make Texas Healthy Again' bill advanced in the Texas House Sunday night. The 105-28 vote showed bipartisan support for Senate Bill 25. The bill would require daily physical activity in public schools, a nutrition curriculum and food labels to warn Texas consumers which ingredients are banned in other countries. 'This is about the average Texan in the grocery store wanting to make healthy choices against a multi trillion dollar industry,' bill sponsor State Rep. Lacey Hull, R-Houston said as she presented the legislation on the House floor. 'Members we need to break the system and address chronic disease,' Hull added. SB 25 would establish the Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee to create nutritional guidelines for Texans and examine links between food additives and chronic health. The seven-member committee would be appointed by the governor. The legislation would create additional physical education requirements for public school and charter school students. The bill also adds a requirement for the State Board of Education to adopt standards for students to learn about nutritional guidelines. Those guidelines would be recommended by the Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee. The bill mirrors some of the elements of the 'Make America Healthy Again' commission established by President Donald Trump and led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., also known as MAHA. The MAHA commission has raised concern over life expectancy in the United States falling below that of other comparable countries. The commission has called for an emphasis on nutrition, lifestyle, and physical activity and for addressing an 'over-reliance on medication and treatments.' 'This is about the MAHA parents coming together with the crunchy granola parents coming together to say we are sick and tired of being sick and tired,' Hull said during her layout. She confirmed that the legislation shares the goals of the Trump administration. 'I have personally spoken to the White House, who said they are looking to us, to Texas, to get this done, to stand for our children and our future,' Hull said during her bill layout. The bill passed the Senate in March with unanimous support. That was not the case Sunday in the House. The vote on Senate Bill 25 came after Democrats attempted to block the legislation six different times by raising a point of order. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle proposed amendments to the bill, 19 in all. Most of the proposed amendments were rejected. The moves slowed down the process of passing SB 25, pushing back consideration of other legislation on the House calendar. The House faces a Tuesday deadline to advance Senate bills on second reading. State Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, voted against the bill, despite being in favor of many of the items in the legislation. 'I actually had high hopes for this bill when it was announced because some of the issues, especially dealing with chemicals, dealing with additives, are things that are important to me,' Wu said. 'What I did not expect was that this bill would turn into such a beast that there will be so many musts and shalls just jam down everyone's throats,' Wu continued, referencing concerns he had with the additional requirements on students that he believe could take time away from academics. State Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, acknowledged that she saw flaws with the legislation, but she believes the bill will help Texans. 'A lot of the Democratic amendments you heard today were very sincerely put before you because we thought that there were things we could do that could make the bill better,' Howard said. 'But the fact is, I am going to be supporting this bill. I think it takes us in a good direction.' Before the final vote, Hull told her colleagues that Kennedy had called her and praised the bill. 'This is the best bill in the entire nation. They are watching, and they want us to pass this bill,' Hull said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
