Latest news with #SB76
Axios
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Hill Highlights: Utah lawmakers advance bill to dismantle records committee
We're more than halfway through Utah's legislative session. The latest: State lawmakers are considering a bill that would dismantle a long-time committee that determines which government records are available to the public. SB 277, sponsored by Senate Majority Assistant Whip Mike McKell (R-Spanish Fork), would replace the State Records Committee with a governor-appointed attorney "with knowledge and experience relating to government records law." The measure passed a Senate committee this week in a 4-2 vote. Between the lines: Similarly, legislators this week advanced a bill to the governor, HB 69, that would make it harder for the public or journalists to recover attorneys fees for records that are deemed public — even if they win access to them in court. The court may award the fees if it determines the government entity operated in "bad faith" to prevent the records from being released. The big picture: It's the latest blow to government transparency, according to critics and first amendment advocates. Last year, Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill to make the calendars of public officials private and not subject to Utah's public records law. What we're watching: A bill, SB 76, sponsored by state Sen. Jen Plumb (D-Salt Lake City) that would bar minors from marrying someone who is at least four years older is on its way to the governor's desk, Utah News Dispatch reports. 💬 Hill Highlights is a weekly feature to recap what's going during Utah's legislative session.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Proposed $500,000 fund would help victims of investment schemes in Nevada
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Victims of investment schemes would be eligible for $25,000 from a fund managed by the Nevada Secretary of State's Office under a proposal presented in Carson City on Thursday. Officials admitted that it's not much for some people who have lost their entire life's savings to people promising high returns on investments. But it's a start, they said. Senate Bill 76 (SB76) would set up a fund for Nevada victims of securities fraud, limited to a maximum of $25,000 and only if the perpetrator of the scheme was ordered to pay restitution. It's common in these cases for all the money to disappear when scammers realize they are going to be prosecuted. Erin Houston, deputy secretary of state for securities, described a typical scenario to lawmakers: A person with a low net worth or a low salary is lured to invest in a local startup company on the promise of high returns. The investment fails and the victim has no recourse. Often, the victim is a senior on a fixed income and they lose all the money they invested. Secretary of State Francisco 'Cisco' Aguilar presented SB76 to the Senate Judiciary Committee, telling senators the fund could be created from money that is being brought in already from enforcement actions. That money currently goes directly to the state's general fund, but Aguilar wants to hold back $500,000 each year to provide just a small amount of relief to victims of these crimes. It's been done in six states already, with such a fund in place in Indiana, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio and Vermont, according to the Secretary of State's Office. Representatives from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) said such scams are a monumental problem, amounting to $36 billion annually in the U.S. AARP said Nevada is No. 3 in the nation for such scams, citing an FTC report that Nevada consumers reported $113.6 million in fraud losses in 2023. AARP and others who testified in favor of SB76 lamented that these fraud cases aren't being treated more seriously. The $500,000 fund would help address the gap between actual restitution made in criminal prosecutions — $205,000 in the most recent fiscal year — and the restitution awarded in those cases — $760,000. Two more bills introduced this week: SEX TRAFFICKING: SB223 would increase penalties in cases involving sex trafficking a child, adding five years to the time an inmate would be eligible for parole. Cases involving victims under 14 years old would be eligible for parole after 20 years (currently 15). When the victim is 14 to 16 years old, parole eligibility would come after 15 years rather than the current 10 years under state law. And when the victim is 16 to 18 years old, parole could come after 10 years (currently five under state law). The bill would also increase the penalties for 'facilitating sex trafficking of a minor. Current sentencing guidelines of three to 10 years would increase to a higher level, eight to 20 years. The bill is sponsored by Republican Sen. Carrie Buck, who represents parts of Henderson and the southeast valley. SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS: SB227 would enact the School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact, allowing psychologists licensed in another state to work in Nevada. It's a strategy similar to agreements allowing nurses to work in multiple states without the need to acquire a license in each state. The strategy overcomes barriers when there is a high need and a relatively low number of people available with the right training. Nevada currently needs school psychologists. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Utah Legislature approves bill forbidding minors from marrying someone four years older
Members of the House of Representatives work at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) The Utah Legislature has passed a bill banning minors from marrying a person older than them by four or more years. Poised to become law, the bill now awaits Gov. Spencer Cox's signature. The legislation tightens the state code, which establishes that Utahns of 16 or 17 years old may marry if they obtain signed consent of a parent or guardian in addition to permission from a local juvenile judge. The current law forbids the approval of a minor's marriage to someone who is seven years older. There wasn't much debate over SB76, sponsored by Sen. Jen Plumb, D-Salt Lake City. The last vote on Thursday on the House floor was unanimous, even when a freshman lawmaker cast doubt on it. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Rep. Nicholeen Peck, R-Tooele, spoke about her personal experience, being engaged at 18 to a man six years older than her, which, she said, made her struggle on the vote. 'When I look at this and we're moving it from seven years to four years, even though they are a minor, so they would maybe be 17 or something, but I still think I don't know if we might be tightening it down too far for the normal circumstances,' Peck said on Thursday. 'I know we're trying to come up with a solution for some of these really hard, younger person things, too. But anyway, I just want to throw that out to the conversation on this, in case it helped anyone with a decision.' Utah bill would further restrict teenage marriages, lower legal age gap to 4 years Rep. Ariel Defay, R-Kaysville, the House floor sponsor of the bill, clarified that the proposal would apply to minors. Those 18 years or older wouldn't need permission from a juvenile court to get a marriage license. 'I think four years is a reasonable measure. Really, we're talking about a 17 year old,' Defay said. 'If they had someone who was a few years older than four years in gap in age, they could either wait until they are 18 or they can go to another state, and receive that permission.' Peck initially voted no on the bill on Thursday, but then changed her vote to approve the bill. Defay reiterated during her presentation that the bill intends to protect Utah minors from coercion and trafficking. In addition to the age restriction, the legislation creates a 72-hour cooling off period between the marriage application and the issuance of permission from the court. The bill had the support of a member of the Utah chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, who argued that data shows that child marriage sometimes is used to cover up statutory rape and trafficking. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama Senate passes bill exempting nursing mothers from jury duty
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — The Alabama Senate passed SB76, also known as Parker's Law, on Tuesday. The bill allows nursing mother to be exempt from jury duty. It was put forth by state Sen. April Weaver (R-Brierfield). It is named after Jeferson County mother Kandace Brown and her daughter, Parker. 'Safe Alabama Package' bills pass House Brown said she had issues at a courthouse in Jefferson County when she was called in for jury duty while nursing her child in January. The legislation will need to pass the House before heading to the governor. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Utah bill would further restrict teenage marriages, lower legal age gap to 4 years
Senate Minority Assistant Whip Jen Plumb, D-Salt Lake City, is pictured on the first day of the legislative session at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) A Utah bill to restrict the allowable age gap between an underage minor and his or her adult spouse cleared its first legislative hurdle Monday. The Senate Health and Human Services committee voted unanimously — without debate — to endorse SB76. The bill now goes to the full Senate for consideration. Currently in Utah, a minor must be at least 16 years old to be married, but those under the age of 18 must have signed consent from a parent or guardian and permission from a juvenile court. State law also already restricts a judge from allowing a 16- or 17-year-old from marrying anyone more than seven years older. With SB76, sponsor Sen. Jen Plumb, D-Salt Lake City, wants to lower that legal age gap for minors to four years. Her bill would also restrict the courts from issuing a written authorization for a minor to marry until at least 72 hours after the time at which the minor and his or her parent or legal guardian file paperwork for permission. 'Ultimately, for me, it is about protecting our young, our kids,' Plumb told lawmakers on the Senate committee. 'It is likely more our girls, but it is all of our kids who could be put in vulnerable situations when they're in this young, critical time in their lives.' Jennifer Brinton, a pediatrician and a member of the Utah chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, urged support of the bill. 'I really wish that children weren't victimized by child marriage at times, but unfortunately the data shows that sometimes it's used to cover up statutory rape and sometimes child trafficking happens as well, giving kids fewer options for their future,' Brinton said. Brinton cited a 2021 study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health that showed nearly 300,000 minors under 18 were legally married in the U.S. between 2000 and 2018, and a vast majority were ages 16 or 17. The study also found that included mostly girls wed to adult men an average of four years older or more. 'I really recommend looking at ways we can help strengthen the support and protection for these youth, to not limit their future potential and to not make them victims without a voice,' Brinton said. Over the last five years, the Utah County Clerk's Office has issued 28 marriage licenses to 32 minor applications, according to Russ Rampton, who works in that office's marriage license division. He said in that time frame, the average age gap was about one and a half years, while the highest was three and a half years. Salt Lake County Clerk Lannie Chapman said her office has issued seven marriage licenses to minors since 2019. Of those seven, she said three had an age gap larger than four years. 'But for the most part, most of them were relatively close in age,' she said, speaking in support of Plumb's bill. Lawmakers then voted unanimously to pass the bill and forward it to the full Senate for consideration. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
