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Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
4 bail reform bills signed into law by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott
The Brief Gov. Abbott signed four bail reform bills into law Tuesday Reform advocates and crime victims' family members joined Abbott at the signing Two bail ban proposals were blocked by Democrats during the legislative session HOUSTON - With his signature, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott completed what was described as "a day of reckoning." Four bail reform items were signed by Abbott in Houston on Tuesday, completing a major judicial rewrite. What we know SB 9 provides the most substantial reform. The legislation restricts the use of cashless bonds and allows prosecutors to appeal a judge's decision to grant bail. SJR 5 authorizes a public vote on a constitutional amendment. If passed in November, bail could be denied to people charged with violent crimes, especially repeat offenders. Gov. Abbott called it a travesty that the criminal justice system gives offenders the opportunity to go back to their lives, while victims and their families can never go back. What they're saying "For all of us, this was a resounding call to action. And now today we stand on the verge of real lasting change. Senate Bill 9, Senate Bill 40, House Bill 75, especially SJR 5, the proposed constitutional amendment, represent more than a policy shift. They are promises kept. Promises to victims that their voices mattered, promises to families that we heard their pain, promises to Texans that we will not let violent offenders turn our communities into revolving doors of danger," said Rania Mankarious with Crime Stoppers of Houston. Among those who joined the governor for Tuesday's signing ceremony were several crime victims. Aimee Castillo spoke about her brother who was killed by a repeat offender. The man, according to Castillo, was out on bond. "And as if losing Josh wasn't enough, we were forced to endure even more injustice when we encountered the revolving door at the Harris County courthouse. This man charged with a capital murder while out on multiple felony bonds was offered another bond. How is this possible? How is it justice? There is something deeply tragically wrong with this system that gives repeat violent felony offenders chance after chance while families like mine are given a life sentence of grief," said Castillo. Dig deeper During the session, Democrats successfully blocked two bail ban proposals. State Rep. Joe Moody (D-El Paso) explained why he opposed allowing a public vote on SJR 87 during a debate on May 27. "We know that a few people may have been saved. That's true. Then why not do it for everything? Why not lock up all people accused of crimes indefinitely for fear that they may do something? I guarantee a handful of lives will be saved by doing that, too. But at what cost? The cost of our liberty. The cost to the state inflicting immense, life-destroying punishment on people who haven't been convicted of anything, literally regardless of what the strength of the current charges are. The cost, absolutely, members, to our taxpayers who will foot the bill for detaining these people without due process," said Rep. Moody. On Tuesday, Lt. Gov Dan Patrick called out those who blocked the bail proposals that failed. "We've called out names of judges who don't even work and let murderers out. I want the voters in these districts to call their Democrat members and say Alma Allen, Anna Hernandez, Anne Johnson, Morales, Rosenthal, Simmons, Thompson, Wally, Ward. Hubert Vo, Gene Wu, where are those Democrats, to not stand for the crime victims in this county and in this city," said Patrick. Patrick urged residents of Harris County to contact those lawmakers. "Voters, they are the ones still letting illegal immigrants who commit violent crimes out and they're still the ones letting people who are citizens of this country out on the streets to kill again," said Patrick. What's next Gov. Abbott and Lt. Gov. Patrick promised to bring back the items that failed, but they did not commit to calling a special session for that to happen. The Source Information in this report comes from reporting by FOX 7 Austin's chief political reporter Rudy Koski. This story was reported from Austin.
Biz Bahrain
01-06-2025
- Science
- Biz Bahrain
AGU-Published Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research Climbs in SCImago Rankings
The Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research, published by the Arabian Gulf University (AGU), has risen in the new review of scientific journals by the SCImago Journal Rank platform. The journal has moved up in the SJR ranking for 2024 from Q4 (Quarter 4) to Q2 (Quarter 2), a qualitative leap that is considered the best in the journal's history spanning more than forty years. According to the latest indicators published on the SCImago website for 2024, the SJR index has increased to 0.343, after being 0.181 in 2023 and 0.104 in 2022, which is the highest figure recorded by the journal since its establishment. Commenting on this occasion, His Excellency Dr Saad bin Saud Al Fuhaid, President of the University, expressed his pride in this progress, stressing that this achievement reflects the development of the quality of research published in the journal, the increase in its impact on the scientific community, and the growth in the number of citations to it as a reliable scientific source, which enhances its position among prestigious scientific journals. For his part, the Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Professor Waheeb Al Naser, explained that this improvement in the ranking came as a result of the continuous support from the President of the University and his deputies, the cooperation of the deans of the two colleges and their affiliates, and the International Advisory Committee of the journal, in addition to the effective partnership with the global publishing house, Emerald. He also praised the efforts of the editorial board, the participating editors, and the international referees, whose expertise and global reach contributed to enhancing the journal's presence and impact. Notably, in 2024, the journal witnessed qualitative leaps in performance indicators, represented by an increase in the number of citations per document during the two, three, and four-year periods, and an increase in the total number of citations to 275 compared to 78 in 2023 and only 9 in 2022, in addition to the growth in the number of published research papers to 128, which embodies a significant development in scientific productivity. The number of self-citations reached only 20, which confirms the strength of external citations and the rise of the journal's impact globally. This achievement is an important milestone in the journal's journey, enhances the position of AGU as a leading research institution, and opens up broader prospects for scientific cooperation at the regional and international levels.
CBS News
12-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Florida lawmakers push to replace Lt. Governor with "efficiency commissioner"
A proposal that would ask voters next year to eliminate the office of lieutenant governor and create a new Cabinet position of "commissioner of government efficiency" began moving forward Tuesday in the House. The House Government Operations Subcommittee voted 14-3 to approve the proposed constitutional amendment (HJR 1325), which, if passed by the Legislature, would appear on the 2026 ballot. The proposal would give the commissioner of government efficiency authority to "audit, investigate and report on fraud, waste and abuse" in the executive branch and in local governments and special districts. "Right now the watchdog, so to speak, is really spread out of a number of different agencies," said Rep. John Snyder, a Stuart Republican who is a sponsor of the proposal. He added, "What we're trying to do, specifically with this joint resolution, is consolidate that and empower the people of Florida to make their voices heard and elect someone that makes that their sole responsibility." What's next? The first commissioner would be appointed by the Legislature to serve until the office is up for election in 2028. The appointed commissioner would be barred from running for the office. Under the proposal, 2026 gubernatorial candidates would have running mates, but the lieutenant governor's office would be eliminated effective Jan. 5, 2027. The proposal is slated to go next to the House State Affairs Committee. An identical Senate proposal (SJR 1756) has not been heard in committees. The proposal comes as Florida has a vacancy at lieutenant governor after Jeanette Nunez resigned to become interim president of Florida International University.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers introduce dozens of proposed constitutional amendments
Republican Sen. David Brock Smith is behind a proposal that would not not allow people over 72 to run for state office in Oregon. (Photo by Jordan Gale/Oregon Capital Chronicle) Two years ago, Oregon lawmakers faced several dozen proposed constitutional amendments that reflected a range of frustrations with the state's governing document. Even more of that is back in this year's session. Lawmakers and committees have introduced 50 proposed constitutional amendments, with about twice as many in the Senate than the House. Any that pass — and the odds are few will — would be referred to the ballot November ballot in 2026 for a final decision. Some of these proposals are new this session, but others have been tried and failed before. Many would involve a reduction or expansion of one side's governing leverage. Some of the proposals are from Democrats, who hold a supermajority in both chambers, giving them the authority to raise taxes without Republican support. But most are from Republicans The new Senate Republican leader, Daniel Bonham of The Dalles, is one of the most prolific amendment sponsors, fielding a dozen. As in past sessions, one of the most overtly political of topics — redistricting — is proposed for constitutional amendment. Two Senate Joint Resolutions, 8 and 21, address legislative reapportionment by proposing a redistricting commission, an idea that has failed in the Legislature before. SJR 14 has another twist: It would increase Senate membership from 30 to 36, with each county electing a senator. You might expect that Republicans, long in the minority, would look for ways to impede the majority's ability to act, and you would be right. At least a half-dozen constitutional proposals seek to do just that by changing the rules for passing a measure. Under current rules, bills pass with a simple majority except revenue raising bills, which require a three-fifths supermajority in favor. Senate Joint Resolution 7, sponsored by Republican Sens. Bonham and Kim Thatcher of Keizer and Rep. E. Werner Reschke of Malin, would require a two-thirds majority in favor in each chamber to pass bills with an emergency clause to enact them sooner than normal. Now, such bills pass with a simple majority. SJR 12 would mandate a two-thirds majority to pass bills in even-numbered sessions. SJR 26 would end even-year regular sessions completely. Another amendment that could have unpredictable effects if passed, SJR 9 by Republican Sen. Fred Girod of Stayton, would 'prohibit members of the legislative assembly from voting on legislative measures when faced with a conflict of interest. Permits a vote to occur if the legislative entity is otherwise unable to muster sufficient votes to pass or defeat the measure.' Three more Republican-backed proposed amendments (SJRs 10, 11 and 23) would constrain legislative budget-writing. Others with Republican backing would limit the Democratic-controlled executive branch. SJR 18 would limit the time spans of emergency declarations by the governor, and SJR 31 would block a governor or agency from mandating use of a vaccine. Under other SJRs, legislative approval would be needed for some pardons and other actions (19 and 20), or for new or increased fees assessed by agencies (HJR 1). Approaching the question of control differently, a group of four Democrats — Sens. Khanh Pham of Portland and Jeff Golden of Ashland and Reps. David Gomberg of Otis and Nathan Sosa of Hillsboro — propose reducing the quorum needed to conduct business from two-thirds to one-half plus one. Republicans in recent years occasionally have used the high quorum requirement to block legislation. Still others would affect voters, or ballot status for ballot issues, directly. Three — SJR 30 and HJRs 3 and 11 — would change the rules for petitions for initiatives, raising the bar for petitioners. Another, HJR 5 by Sen. David Brock Smith, would add a new qualification for running for state office: a maximum age of 72 as of election day. (That would mean that current Republican President Donald Trump would be disqualified from running for Oregon office.) Apart from the relatively partisan amendments, a number of substantive topics — generally with clear partisan appeal on their own — also have been proposed. Many were framed as 'constitutional rights,' including: A right to fish and hunt (SJR 13) An end to the death penalty in Oregon (SJR 16) A parental right to choose a school for their children (SJR 24) A right to carry a concealed firearm (SJR 27) A right to a 'clean, safe and healthy environment' (SJR 28) Few of all these measures are likely to pass the Legislature and reach the ballot. Voters, of course, can choose to gather enough signature to get them on the ballot themselves by petition. That could transform some of these ideas into political battles ranging far outside the statehouse. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
