Latest news with #SB287
Boston Globe
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Governor Ayotte signs legislation requiring IDs for absentee voting in New Hampshire
McKenzie Taylor, director of the New Hampshire Campaign for Voting Rights, said Ayotte's signature on Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up A spokesperson for Ayotte did not immediately respond Friday to a request for comment. Advertisement The other legislation that Ayotte signed, These changes come after the state adopted tighter voter ID rules last year, including a strict While voting by non-citizens is rare, it does happen. In July, a registered Republican living in Manchester, N.H., was arrested on felony charges that he Advertisement Since the changes in SB 287 and SB 218 will take effect in 60 days, the tighter absentee ballot rules will kick in between the September primary elections and the November general elections. Steven Porter can be reached at
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Advocates for disabled criticize proposed voting changes
Advocates for the disabled charged that two pending election law bills would create unfair barriers for those seeking to vote by absentee ballot or to use accessible voting equipment to cast a ballot in person. But supporters insisted the voter identification requirements for those voting by absentee ballot should be as rigorous as those who vote in person at the polls. They maintain that small towns should not have to lease expensive accessible voting equipment if there aren't going to be any voters who need those services on Election Day. Dr. Randy Pierce is chief executive officer with Future in Sight, an advocacy group that assists the 29,000 residents in New Hampshire who are blind or visually impaired. 'What these result in are creating a barrier and in New Hampshire voting should be a private, independent and undue barrier-free system,' Pierce said. 'The good news is this is not too late.' Both the absentee voting (SB 287) and accessible voting (HB 613) bills are expected to go to a House-Senate conference committee to try and settle differences between the two measures. Currently, anyone can request by mail an absentee ballot application and then mail in their vote to the city or town clerk. The absentee voter has to sign an affidavit under penalty of perjury that he or she qualifies as a resident and eligible voter in that precinct. Late last month, the House Election Laws Committee attached to a related absentee ballot bill the proposed requirement that a copy of the voter's photo identification card and a notarized signature on the application form would be required to receive an absentee ballot. Chairman and state Rep. Ross Berry, R-Weare, said concerns about the mandate were overblown. 'Importantly, New Hampshire law currently allows for electronic and remote notarization services, providing an additional, accessible option for voters to verify their identity remotely,' Berry said. 'Voters who request an absentee ballot in person may simply present their ID at the clerk's office. During committee discussions, it was noted that electronic transmission methods — such as emailing a scanned copy of an ID — would be acceptable, as New Hampshire law currently imposes no requirements for ID submission.' Critics liken bills to voter suppression Rep. Connie Lane, D-Concord, said there's no valid reason for imposing the requirement. 'This bill, like many others passed over the past few years, is based purely on speculation and adds yet another barrier to exercising the right to vote — also known as voter suppression,' Lane said. The House passed the bill along party lines, 184-146 with GOP members in support and Democrats against it. Sen. James Gray, R-Rochester, convinced the Senate last week to have his accessible voting language replace an unrelated measure about default town budgets. As crafted, it would permit any city or town clerk to notify Secretary of State David Scanlan that it will not need to acquire accessible voting equipment unless a local voter asks for it within 60 days of an election. James Ziegra, senior staff attorney with the Disabilities Rights Center, said the change is unconstitutional and would be in violation of federal law as well. Pierce said his members reside in 'every town and city ward' in New Hampshire so all communities should the accessible machines available. 'No one in this state should have to fight to have their vote counted and heard,' added Krysten Evans, director of policy and advocacy for ABLE NH, an interest group that supports the disabled. What's Next: Both bills will be discussed before House-Senate conference committees next week and face a June 19 deadline to reach an agreement. Prospects: Given the support among House and Senate Republican leaders for these changes, odds are high that they are going win approval in the Legislature during these final weeks. klandrigan@
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
7 bills Indiana lawmakers approved in the final hours of the 2025 legislative session
Indiana lawmakers closed the books on the 2025 legislative session in the early hours of April 25, approving some of the most controversial bills of the session and the state budget on the last day. It's also the time of year where lawmakers in the House and the Senate make last-minute adds and eliminations to some bills and resurrect once-dead language in others before the final versions of legislation head to the governor's desk. The biggest lift was the two-year state budget. Lawmakers and Gov. Mike Braun on April 23 announced a deal on a slimmed down version of the bill following a dismal forecast last week that required more than $2 billion in cuts from what was originally proposed. But bills making school board elections partisan and reining in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in government entities saw tense debate before lawmakers gave their final approvals. Here are some of the efforts state lawmakers squeezed into the last day of the session. A tight budget year got even tighter with a surprise $2 billion revenue shortfall unveiled last week. The version of House Bill 1001, the two-year budget, that the House passed 66-27 and the Senate passed 39-1, was only a little more than a day old when those votes happened. In that time span, lawmakers added a cigarette tax hike, cut public health and public media funding, and enacted a litany of policies affecting universities and faculty that never saw the light of public testimony. Some of the most tense debate toward the early morning hours of April 25 centered around that process. Now Gov. Mike Braun will get to sign his first budget as governor. Senate Bill 287, a controversial plan to make school board elections partisan races narrowly passed the Indiana Senate by a vote of 26-24 on April 24. It's now on the way to Braun's desk. It was a rare close vote for the chamber with a Republican supermajority. Fourteen Senate Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the bill, with some GOP senators pleading with their colleagues to reject it Some Senate Democrats appeared surprised SB 287 squeaked through and following the vote said they expected the bill to fail. Sen. JD Ford, D-Indianapolis, urged Republicans who voted against SB 287 to call on Braun to veto the legislation. Opponents of SB 287 throughout the legislative session said they worried partisan school board races would continue to politicize the offices, while supporters said that's already the case. House lawmakers made it optional for school board members to disclose their affiliation, not mandatory, when running for office. Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville, who authored the bill said partisan identifiers provide increased transparency for Hoosiers at the ballot box. "If we think the work of the sheriff, the judges, the coroners is partisan," Byrne said on the Senate floor on April 24. "Than I would say school boards are more partisan than that." After executive orders in January from President Donald Trump and Braun, Indiana lawmakers on April 24 signed off on a bill aiming to rein in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, known as DEI. The House voted 64-26 and the Senate voted 34-16 to send the bill to Braun. Senate Bill 289, prohibits publicly-funded entities from taking actions based on a person's "personal characteristics," such as race, religion and sex. It also allows individuals to bring legal actions over alleged violations, but plaintiffs would only be able to receive court and attorney fees and actual damages if a court rules in their favor. More: Lawmakers send anti-DEI bill to Gov. Braun. Here's what it does The version of SB 289 on its way to Braun is a slimmed down version of the bill that passed the Senate earlier this year. The session's landmark DEI bill began as a blanket ban on DEI concepts, trainings and even offices within state institutions, including colleges. Earlier this year, some state colleges began shutting down DEI-related offices and trainings due to what was proposed in the Senate. The key piece of legislation that attempts to add some controls on the prices nonprofit hospitals charge is now on its way to Braun, for whom the cost of health care is a top issue. House Bill 1004 passed the House 67-23 and the Senate 37-13. HB 1004 came out swinging at the start of the session, but was watered down significantly as it traveled through the Senate. What started as financial penalties and the revocation of their nonprofit status if hospitals charge prices above a certain threshold, ended as a bill asking for a study of these hospitals' average prices, and then have the nonprofit-status threat take effect in 2029. It also restructures the hospital assessment fee to allow hospitals to draw down more federal dollars, and requires insurance agents to publicize their commissions in quotes they give customers as well as the all payer claims database. Senate Bill 140, the main bill taking a crack at the powerful pharmacy benefit manager industry ― the middlemen between drug manufacturers and pharmacies ― is now heading to Braun. The House voted 84-1 and the Senate voted 39-10 on the final version of the bill. The bill requires PBMs to provide adequate coverage networks, prohibits them from steering business to their own affiliated pharmacies, and requires PBMs to reimburse independent pharmacies at cost, plus a dispensing fee. (The dispensing fee is what the PBMs liken to a "pill tax.") The final version of the bill exempted out Medicaid, managed care and state employee health plan from the provisions. When lawmakers approved a House bill with directions for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles on April 24, they also signed off on a ban on advertising of marijuana products 'by any medium' within the state. More: Marijuana isn't legal in Indiana. So should advertising be legal here? Lawmakers say no The language hopped around in different bills in the final weeks of April before landing in House Bill 1390. The ban applies to signs on the interstate and flyers sent to mailboxes, which had started appearing in Indiana as companies in neighboring states try to entice Hoosiers to spend their money across state lines. (All of the states bordering Indiana have some form of legalized marijuana.) Advertising bill proposals appeared in three different bills at the start of the legislative session, which all died without receiving a hearing in legislative committees. Other controversial language lawmakers approved after it bill-hopped in the final days: a ban on local governments hosting or funding 'obscene' performances and the ability for 'anyone' to sue a local entity they believe violates the language. Democrats and LGBTQ advocates said the provision targets drag shows and other performances someone might not like. The original language was added in the House to Senate Bill 326, a bill clarifying language about 'child sex abuse materials.' It was removed in a conference committee and then added to House Bill 1014 on April 24, a bill about the terms of imprisonment for misdemeanors. The bill passed the House 78-13 and the Senate 42-8. It now heads to Braun's desk. Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany. Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@ or follow her on X @kayla_dwyer17. Sign up for our free weekly politics newsletter, Checks & Balances, curated by IndyStar political and government reporters. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 7 bills Indiana lawmakers approved in the final hours of the 2025 legislative session
Indianapolis Star
25-04-2025
- Business
- Indianapolis Star
7 bills Indiana lawmakers approved in the final hours of the 2025 legislative session
Indiana lawmakers closed the books on the 2025 legislative session in the early hours of April 25, approving some of the most controversial bills of the session and the state budget on the last day. It's also the time of year where lawmakers in the House and the Senate make last-minute adds and eliminations to some bills and resurrect once-dead language in others before the final versions of legislation head to the governor's desk. The biggest lift was the two-year state budget. Lawmakers and Gov. Mike Braun on April 23 announced a deal on a slimmed down version of the bill following a dismal forecast last week that required more than $2 billion in cuts from what was originally proposed. But bills making school board elections partisan and reining in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in government entities saw tense debate before lawmakers gave their final approvals. Here are some of the efforts state lawmakers squeezed into the last day of the session. State budget passes primarily along party lines A tight budget year got even tighter with a surprise $2 billion revenue shortfall unveiled last week. The version of House Bill 1001, the two-year budget, that the House passed 66-27 and the Senate passed 39-1, was only a little more than a day old when those votes happened. In that time span, lawmakers added a cigarette tax hike, cut public health and public media funding, and enacted a litany of policies affecting universities and faculty that never saw the light of public testimony. Some of the most tense debate toward the early morning hours of April 25 centered around that process. Now Gov. Mike Braun will get to sign his first budget as governor. Partisan school boards narrowly approved Senate Bill 287, a controversial plan to make school board elections partisan races narrowly passed the Indiana Senate by a vote of 26-24 on April 24. It's now on the way to Braun's desk. It was a rare close vote for the chamber with a Republican supermajority. Fourteen Senate Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the bill, with some GOP senators pleading with their colleagues to reject it Some Senate Democrats appeared surprised SB 287 squeaked through and following the vote said they expected the bill to fail. Sen. JD Ford, D-Indianapolis, urged Republicans who voted against SB 287 to call on Braun to veto the legislation. Opponents of SB 287 throughout the legislative session said they worried partisan school board races would continue to politicize the offices, while supporters said that's already the case. House lawmakers made it optional for school board members to disclose their affiliation, not mandatory, when running for office. Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville, who authored the bill said partisan identifiers provide increased transparency for Hoosiers at the ballot box. "If we think the work of the sheriff, the judges, the coroners is partisan," Byrne said on the Senate floor on April 24. "Than I would say school boards are more partisan than that." Anti-DEI bill After executive orders in January from President Donald Trump and Braun, Indiana lawmakers on April 24 signed off on a bill aiming to rein in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, known as DEI. The House voted 64-26 and the Senate voted 34-16 to send the bill to Braun. Senate Bill 289, prohibits publicly-funded entities from taking actions based on a person's "personal characteristics," such as race, religion and sex. It also allows individuals to bring legal actions over alleged violations, but plaintiffs would only be able to receive court and attorney fees and actual damages if a court rules in their favor. More: Lawmakers send anti-DEI bill to Gov. Braun. Here's what it does The version of SB 289 on its way to Braun is a slimmed down version of the bill that passed the Senate earlier this year. The session's landmark DEI bill began as a blanket ban on DEI concepts, trainings and even offices within state institutions, including colleges. Earlier this year, some state colleges began shutting down DEI-related offices and trainings due to what was proposed in the Senate. Nonprofit hospital pricing The key piece of legislation that attempts to add some controls on the prices nonprofit hospitals charge is now on its way to Braun, for whom the cost of health care is a top issue. House Bill 1004 passed the House 67-23 and the Senate 37-13. HB 1004 came out swinging at the start of the session, but was watered down significantly as it traveled through the Senate. What started as financial penalties and the revocation of their nonprofit status if hospitals charge prices above a certain threshold, ended as a bill asking for a study of these hospitals' average prices, and then have the nonprofit-status threat take effect in 2029. It also restructures the hospital assessment fee to allow hospitals to draw down more federal dollars, and requires insurance agents to publicize their commissions in quotes they give customers as well as the all payer claims database. Pharmacy benefit managers Senate Bill 140, the main bill taking a crack at the powerful pharmacy benefit manager industry ― the middlemen between drug manufacturers and pharmacies ― is now heading to Braun. The House voted 84-1 and the Senate voted 39-10 on the final version of the bill. The bill requires PBMs to provide adequate coverage networks, prohibits them from steering business to their own affiliated pharmacies, and requires PBMs to reimburse independent pharmacies at cost, plus a dispensing fee. (The dispensing fee is what the PBMs liken to a "pill tax.") The final version of the bill exempted out Medicaid, managed care and state employee health plan from the provisions. Marijuana advertising ban When lawmakers approved a House bill with directions for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles on April 24, they also signed off on a ban on advertising of marijuana products 'by any medium' within the state. The language hopped around in different bills in the final weeks of April before landing in House Bill 1390. The ban applies to signs on the interstate and flyers sent to mailboxes, which had started appearing in Indiana as companies in neighboring states try to entice Hoosiers to spend their money across state lines. (All of the states bordering Indiana have some form of legalized marijuana.) Advertising bill proposals appeared in three different bills at the start of the legislative session, which all died without receiving a hearing in legislative committees. "Obscene" performance ban Other controversial language lawmakers approved after it bill-hopped in the final days: a ban on local governments hosting or funding 'obscene' performances and the ability for 'anyone' to sue a local entity they believe violates the language. Democrats and LGBTQ advocates said the provision targets drag shows and other performances someone might not like. The original language was added in the House to Senate Bill 326, a bill clarifying language about 'child sex abuse materials.' It was removed in a conference committee and then added to House Bill 1014 on April 24, a bill about the terms of imprisonment for misdemeanors. The bill passed the House 78-13 and the Senate 42-8. It now heads to Braun's desk.
Axios
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Indiana Statehouse: Letter grades and partisan school boards on agenda
There are six weeks left in the legislative session and just three weeks to get bills passed out of committee. Why it matters: It's getting close to crunch time, when lawmakers start compromising on, cutting or killing each other's bills. Yes, and: The budget, property tax relief and health care costs — all priority issues heading into session — are hitting snags that likely won't get worked out this week. Here's what we're watching instead: 🟢 Partisan school boards nearing finish line Should it pass the House, which could vote as early as Monday, Senate Bill 287 will have passed both chambers — a first for a bill to make Indiana's school board elections partisan. Yes, but: The version passed by the Senate is substantially different from what the House is considering, so there's no guarantee lawmakers will come to an agreement. The Senate would have school board candidates follow the same nomination process as any other political candidate, while the House version skips primaries and still provides a nonpartisan option. What's next: If the House passes SB 287, the Senate could accept the new version or go to a conference committee and work out a compromise. 🟢 A-F grades coming back Schools could soon get graded again if House Bill 1498 passes the Senate. It's up for floor amendments as early as today, which means it could get a final vote in that chamber later this week. How it works: The bill would have the State Board of Education remake Indiana's school accountability system for what feels like the umpteenth time. It would go back to an A-to-F system, but taking into account more than just test scores. The state currently uses an "accountability dashboard" that displays various performance metrics. The bill instructs the board to include "other factors" it considers relevant, which would likely include chronic absenteeism rates and third-grade reading proficiency. ⏳ Rethinking religious education time Senate Bill 255 would allow high school students to miss more classroom time to attend religious instruction during the school day. Flashback: Last year, lawmakers passed legislation requiring schools to permit students to leave school for two hours each week for religious instruction. Sen. Spencer Deery, R-West Lafayette, said that equates to kids missing class 2.5 days a week. "That's not good for the schools, the students, that's not good for anybody," he said. The latest: SB 255 would give high school students more time, essentially letting them replace one elective course with religious instruction provided outside their school — rather than missing half a class each week. Yes, but: Rep. Bob Behning, chair of the House Education Committee, did not hold a vote on the bill last week saying the committee needed more time to understand it. An agenda for this week's education committee hasn't been released yet. 🚬 Cigarette tax on the table House Bill 1001 is still sitting with the Senate Appropriations Committee, which took public testimony on the state's two-year spending plan last week. Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, told reporters his caucus is more open this year to raising the cigarette tax than it has been in the past. What he's saying:"Perhaps that's partly because there's some challenges that we have," Bray said. "It's going to be a challenging budget year in the best of circumstances, even assuming that the April forecast doesn't get worse and that's not guaranteed because it looks like it could be problematic."
