Latest news with #SB284
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Housing poll finds strong support for pending bills
In a new poll, more than three-quarters of those surveyed support lawmakers passing four housing bills to set smaller house lot sizes, mandate allowing accessory dwelling units, favor residential apartments in commercial zones and eliminate community-wide parking space requirements. Housing Action N.H. reported that in its poll nearly six in 10 (59%) support building more housing, even if it would mean reducing local control over that development. 'The message is clear: New Hampshire is experiencing a severe housing shortage that is being felt from southern New Hampshire to the North Country and all across the state. Voters support solutions to our housing shortage,' said Nick Taylor, Housing Action N.H.'s director. 'These results show that a significant majority of New Hampshire voters support proposals currently in front of the Legislature this session, and we urge them to pass these proposals quickly to begin addressing the housing shortage.' YouGov conducted the poll for Housing Action, surveying 406 registered voters from March 3-10. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 6%. The proposal that received the most support (88%) was to permit apartments to be sited on the second floor of buildings in any commercial zone (HB 631). Only 7% opposed the idea and the rest (5%) were undecided. The accessory dwelling units legislation (HB 577) had the backing of 76%, as did the requirement that at least half the new residential units in a community be built on smaller lot sizes (SB 84). Giving developers and property owners more flexibility in deciding how many parking spaces (SB 284) to have had the backing of 75% of those surveyed. All four of these bills have cleared either the House of Representatives or the Senate. The most vigorous debate was over the legislation from Sen. Keith Murphy, R-Manchester, to set a lot maximum of half an acre on half the properties in a community with public water and public sewer. Communities that have private wells and septic tanks would have a lot size cap of two acres. The Senate approved the bill, 13-10, but it was roundly criticized by nine Republican senators who charged that it would violate local control and smacked of too much top-down direction from state government. As independent polls have found, the survey confirmed affordable housing was the top issue (55%), followed by inflation (44%), taxes (22/%) and homelessness (21%). The survey found that these majorities were held among all regions of the state and also by political affiliation as well. Roughly 55% said their area does a 'poor' or 'very poor' job of keeping housing affordable and more than 75% said there were not enough affordable homes in their community for the average person to rent or buy. klandrigan@
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
How the Utah Legislature impacted families this year
The Utah Legislature wrapped up its 2025 legislative session late Friday, having passed 582 bills. Utah families will be impacted by these laws — let's look at a few that passed and a few that did not. SB242 by Sen. Calvin Musselman, R-West Haven, expanded coverage for infertility treatments, including in vitro fertilization, for anyone covered by the Public Employees' Benefit and Insurance Program. According to KSL, the insurance premiums for state employees will increase by about 37 cents per member per month. Doulas, trained to support and help pregnant, laboring and new mothers, could be covered by Medicaid if approved by the federal government. SB284 by Sen. Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, passed nearly unanimously and requires Utah to apply to the federal government for permission to expand its Medicaid plan to cover doula services by Oct. 1. HB129, by Rep. Ray Ward, R-Bountiful, will allow adopted individuals to access their adoption records when they turn 18. All Utah adoptions are currently sealed records. HB30 by Rep. Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, would have allowed Native American tribes in Utah to establish foster home standards and oversee child custody cases, ensuring community-driven, culturally aligned solutions for Native children. This bill never made it out of the Rules Committee after being introduced the first day of the session. HB100 by Rep. Tyler Clancy, R-Provo, expands the free school breakfast and lunch program in Utah to families who qualify for reduced school lunch under current federal guidelines. This bill was a priority bill for the Utah Policy Project this year. The Utah Fits All scholarship has some new funding guidelines and accountability guardrails under HB455 by Rep. Candice Pierucci, R-Herriman. Homeschooled Utah Fits All students 5 to 11 years old will have access to $4,000 a year, while those 12 to 18 years old will get $6,000. Private school students are still eligible for $8,000 a year, the previous amount available to all. The new law also limits extracurricular expenses to 20% of the scholarship amount and limits physical education expenses to an additional 20%. Also — families can't buy furniture with this money. HB209, by Rep. Nicholeen Peck, R-Tooele, removes the requirement for homeschooling parents to attest to their own criminal background when choosing to homeschool their children. That means convictions for child abuse, domestic violence committed in the presence of a child, child abuse homicide, sexual exploitation of a minor and other felony offenses no longer need to be disclosed. No cellphones, smart watches or other devices in schools under SB178 by Sen. Lincoln Fillmore, R-South Jordan. This bill will go into effect this summer, impacting the 2025/2026 school year. While local schools and districts can create their own policies that are different, this is now the default policy across the state. HB104 by Rep. Rex Shipp, R-Cedar City, requires schools to teach firearm safety, beginning as early as kindergarten. The instruction would be required three times during elementary school, at least once in junior high and at least once in high school. Parents can opt out if they choose. SB189 by Escamilla and Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, R-Clearfield, would have allowed vacant, state-owned buildings to be retrofitted for licensed child care facilities. Under the bill, 40% of the slots would have been allocated for state workers and military families. However, this bill did not pass the Legislature for a second year in a row. The day after this bill was killed, and 44 minutes before International Women's Day, the Utah Legislature officially eliminated the Women in the Economy Commission, the group that had advocated for this plan. HB363 by Pierucci addresses newborn testing via heelstick screen that occurs shortly after birth. This bill requires a privacy consent form, and the destruction of the baby's blood sample, following the Department of Health's retention schedule, or immediately following the test if parents do not consent to the retention schedule. It also requires a newborn hearing screening. HB81 by Rep. Stephanie Gricius, R-Eagle Mountain, prohibits the use of fluoride in public water systems and prohibits local governments from passing or enforcing any rules or ordinances that would allow or require fluoride to be added to public water systems. Utah will be the first state in the nation to ban fluoride in drinking water once this bill goes into effect on May 7, 2025. SB24 by Sen. Don Ipson, R-St. George, creates a new criminal offense for child torture and amends definitions of child abuse and aggravated criminal child abuse. This bill was inspired by the Gavin Peterson and Franke-Hildebrandt cases. There will also be less money to help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault this year, as Utah lawmakers either decreased requests for funding or denied them altogether. Rep. Gay Lynn Bennion, D-Cottonwood Heights, asked for $1.4 million for Utah's 16 domestic violence service providers, in spite of a surge in demand. The Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee prioritized $1.3 million, but the final budget allocated zero dollars. There was also no money for strangulation forensic exam reimbursement, of the $260,000 requested. Rape crisis centers were hoping for $3.25 million in ongoing funding, had $1.625 million prioritized and instead received $600,000 of one-time money. Rep. Angela Romero asked for $300,000 of ongoing funds to staff the 24/7 Statewide Sexual Assault helplines available in both English and Spanish. The helpline received $100,000 of one-time money. HB106 gives Utahns a fifth year of tax cuts, lowering the income tax rate from 4.55% to 4.5%. The average Utah family will see annual savings of about $45. The bill also gives businesses a 20% tax credit for creating new child care options for employees and expands the child tax credit to include children who are 5 years old and under the age of 1.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Doulas improve the experience of childbirth. Now their services will be covered by Medicaid in Utah
After years of being brought up in the Utah Legislature, a bill to have Medicaid cover doula services passed through both the House and the Senate. The bill's sponsor has also introduced a variety of bills focusing on children's health and welfare. SB284, sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, will require the state to apply to expand its Medicaid plan to cover doula services. The bill passed through the Senate by unanimous vote last week, and on Wednesday, the House passed the bill with 55 yes votes and 16 no votes. The bill will now go to Gov. Spencer Cox for his signature. Escamilla has been working on getting this bill through passed for years, and was successful in 2025. During her time as a lawmaker, she says she has learned that persistence is important, also pointing out changes in the Legislature that helped this bill reach the finish line. 'I also think that we're seeing more women in the Legislature, and some of the newer legislators are younger, and some of them, even their wives, have experienced working with doulas,' Escamilla said. 'We have more people that actually have experience with doulas. That helps a lot.' Annual health care costs associated with preterm delivery across the country is $26.2 billion, studies have shown that the beneficial impact of doula services is associated with an annual savings of $58.4 million. Escamilla said that not only are doulas cost effective, but having a doula helps provide a better health outcome for both the mother and the child. Doulas have been associated with 3,288 fewer preterm birth annually, and with having fewer C-sections. She added that while expecting mothers don't get a ton of face to face time with their physicians who have so many other patients, doulas are there for them through the whole process. These doulas act as a coach through pregnancy, labor, delivery and postpartum to help women understand everything that they are going through. 'The doula becomes the coach, and it helps you, it educates you,' Escamilla said. 'The whole experience becomes better.' The covered doula services would include: Training and registration requirements for doulas paid by Medicaid. Non-medical advice and information provided by the doula. Emotional support provided by the doula. Physical comfort provided by the doula. Medicaid-covered payments during an individual's pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum time. Once the bill goes into law after receiving Cox's signature, Utah will have to apply to amend the state's Medicaid plan to cover doula services before Oct. 1. 'It's all about kiddos,' said Escamilla, who each year introduces multiple bills focusing on children's welfare and health care as well as infants and expecting mother as with the SB284. This year the senator had five bills fall under this focus and she acted as the Senate sponsor for multiple House bills that focused on children as well. She said it is important to her to protect children and to pass legislation that looks out for them. 'We should put our money where our mouth is,' Escamilla said. 'It's something that's very important to me, because children they're one of the most vulnerable populations we have. No one else is going to speak for them. And they have, they don't have control over what they do or their lives, really.' Escamilla has also had bills fail this session, like SB221, which would have required child care workers to receive a background check and be CPR certified was stopped in the House. Another bill Escamilla bill that didn't make it through this year was SB189, which will be known as the Child Care Capacity Expansion Act. The bill, which failed on Thursday, would flip unused, state-owned buildings into child care centers. 'It's the nature of the beast, and being part of the minority, sometimes it takes longer, and you have to work harder, to get through the whole thing. You have to fight your way through. But I also, I trust the process, I do and in many instances, it doesn't work in my favor,' Escamilla said about bills that don't make it through. The senator pointed out that lately there have been multiple major child abuse cases, and that more needs to be done in response to those and to prevent similar things from happening again. 'We need to do more to red flag some of these cases of isolation, where DCFS can act and help,' Escamilla added.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Sen. Escamilla's bill would expand Medicaid to fund doulas
Utah Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt. Lake City, has championed children and health this legislative session — her initiatives ranging from universal school lunches to expanded child care facilities. SB284, or 'Medicaid Doula Services,' would add doula services to that docket. The bill went before the Senate Health and Human Services Committee last Thursday, where it passed unanimously. Doulas provide information and support to parents before and after birth. If SB284 is enacted, Utah would need to apply to amend the state Medicaid plan before Oct. 1, 2025, to cover doula services. As described by the bill, covered doula services would include: Training and registration requirements for doulas paid by Medicaid. Non-medical advice and information provided by the doula. Emotional support provided by the doula. Physical comfort provided by the doula. Medicaid-covered payments during an individual's pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum time. This is not Escamilla's first experience with doulas and Medicaid — in 2023 and 2024 she released similar bills, neither of which was approved by both the House and the Senate. Escamilla pointed to House Republicans' budget concerns as an impediment to the bill's passage. The fiscal note on the bill says it will cost the state $240,200. SB284 has grown increasingly popular over time, however, she said, with growing Republican support for the Democrat legislator's initiative. This year a Senate committee composed primarily of Republicans passed the bill with no argument. It still faces votes by the full Senate and House. Per Doulas of Utah, which matches expecting parents with doulas, a Utah birth doula can cost anywhere between $1,200-$1,500. Doulas are not necessarily replacements for midwives or hospitals; they do not offer medical care, like the latter do, but they offer emotional and physical support in addition to advice. Nevertheless, doulas can reduce the ultimate cost paid by expecting parents. As Lara Salahi with the Association of Health Care Journalists shared, having a doula on hand reduces the likelihood of medical emergencies, thereby reducing the strain on Medicaid coverage. 'Women who received doula care had significantly improved outcomes compared to those who did not,' she said. 'The benefits included reduced rates of Cesarean sections, lower rats of preterm births and fewer complications during childbirth.' Adding doula care to Medicaid may, for Utah women, be especially be worth it. Utah's fertility rate is the fourth highest in the nation, with an average of 1.92 births per woman, per research from the University of Utah. 'We are a family friendly state, and I think we should invest on practices that help women be more successful when raising their families and their children,' said Escamilla. Correction: An earlier version of this story said doulas aren't trained. Most doulas do receive formal training.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tribune-Star Editorial: Spate of restrictive voting bills all about political control
Hoosiers — the people who live and work in Indiana — have not been clamoring for their elected officials to restrict voting. Instead, the motivation driving the proposed laws introduced into the Indiana General Assembly this winter comes from national party politics. The ruling party at the Statehouse — the Republicans, with their super-majorities in the Indiana House and Senate — have proposed those restrictions to follow along with a nationwide strategy. They cloak their proposals as 'election security' measures, but as every probe has proven during the Trump era, American voting systems already are overwhelmingly secure. In reality, these proposed restrictive voting laws come from the power party's own insecurities. Yes, they have already conformed Indiana's electoral landscape to ensure they remain in power, by craftily drawing legislative boundary lines that isolate areas where voters might actually choose a Democratic candidate. That protects incumbents, who rarely lose an election and often run unopposed, given that a rival's chances are so slim. That is not enough for the party leadership, though. They also aim to add hurdles for groups of people who could cast a Democratic ballot or split their ticket. So, in the current General Assembly session, Republicans have introduced proposals — unwanted by most Hoosiers — such as Senate Bill 284. Its target? Indiana's popular, heavily used early voting period. The state currently offers 28 days of early voting, one of the longest in the nation. That is a good thing. Hoosiers like it. National political movements, not so much. As a result, SB 284 would cut Indiana's early voting in half, from 28 to 14 days. Republicans pushing the idea insist that some counties struggle to staff vote centers for that amount of time. Indiana had the ninth-lowest turnout of the 50 states — 58.6% of eligible Hoosiers voted. What on earth would these places do if turnouts in Indiana were as perpetually robust as in places like Wisconsin (76.9%), Minnesota (76.4%), Michigan (74.6%), Maine (74.2%) or New Hampshire (74.1%)? They did not quit at SB 284. SB 10 would eliminate college students' ability to use their university-issued student IDs as a form of acceptable identification at the polls. Republicans behind the bill have no proof, but claim those IDs are not as reliable as state-issued IDs or driver's licenses. Those students are Americans, who live in Indiana's college communities, boost local economies, provide future workers and help boost those towns' population counts. They deserve to be able to vote smoothly in those places, where they live most of the year, if not all of the year. SB 201 would jump on the red-state bandwagon by closing Indiana's primary elections. Those May elections currently allow any voter to choose a Republican or Democratic ballot, to pick one particular party's nominees for a slate of offices to be finally decided in the fall general elections. SB 201 requires primary voters to register under a party affiliation 119 days before the primary election. Primary election turnouts in Indiana have gotten dreadfully low, and this will sink those numbers further. But for the political movement, SB 201 will help Republicans control who votes for their candidates, and those primary elections basically determine who fills the office, because fewer and fewer Indiana races are contested. Then there is SB 287, which might be the worst of the bunch. SB 287 would make school board elections partisan. Most Hoosiers prefer the longtime nonpartisan nature of their local school board races, but the residents' preferences are not the focus of those behind the bill. They are instead focused on the political forces behind efforts to put party tags on those candidates. They claim partisan races would inject transparency, yet it would only further unleash the polarization of national politics into the community schools. These restrictive voting bills do not fix problems. They create problems, the largest of which is too much control by one political party.
