Latest news with #Senate-passed
Axios
28-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Lawmakers sweeten the deal for Texas-based film and TV productions
Texas lawmakers have approved a major film incentive bill, signaling a long-term effort to make the state more competitive for projects. Why it matters: Senate Bill 22, filed by Houston Republican Sen. Joan Huffman, would inject $1.5 billion into a new Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Fund every two years through 2035 — the biggest support for film incentives in the state yet. Backed by celebs, the bill is a major win for production advocates who say Texas has lost out for too long. Eligible expenses would include wages for Texas workers, meals from local restaurants, and airfare on Texas-based airlines — all of which could be reimbursed through the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program. Driving the news: The Texas House approved the Senate-passed bill over the weekend and it will likely be sent to Gov. Greg Abbott, who is expected to sign it, per the Fort Worth Report. State of play: The proposal originally sought $500 million every two years, but the figure dropped to $300 million following committee discussions. Rep. Todd Hunter (R-Corpus Christi), who sponsored the bill in the House, said he'll keep pushing for the higher amount in future budget cycles, per the Fort Worth Report. Yes, but: Despite the drop, the bill would still mark the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program's biggest upgrade yet if signed by Abbott. The consistent funding would support long-term planning and extended productions, the nonprofit Media for Texas tells Axios. Flashback: Since launching in 2007, Texas' film incentive program has seen inconsistent funding. In 2023, lawmakers didn't overhaul the program but approved a then-record $200 million for the 2024–2025 budget — a major jump from the previous $45 million. Zoom in: Houston saw more than $81 million in film-related economic impact in 2024 — more than double the previous year — with projects like Netflix's "Mo" in Alief and Paramount's "1923" filming in the region, per Houston First. What they're saying: "This bill will enable Texans to take a leading place in this industry," Chase Musslewhite, co-founder of Media for Texas, tells Axios. "And instead of this fear of Hollywood coming to Texas, we should look at the opportunity for Texas to be a leader in this industry and spread light in places where industry may not be working. So I think it's just a huge, huge, huge opportunity for Texas."
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
SIG Sauer immunity bill clears House, heads to Ayotte
A controversial bill giving limited immunity from liability to SIG Sauer and other New Hampshire gunmakers over optional features regarding their weapons is headed to the desk of Gov. Kelly Ayotte. House embraces legal immunity for SIG Sauer over pistol lawsuits House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee Chairman Terry Roy, R-Deerfield, spoke in support of a Senate-passed amendment to give gun makers in the state limited immunity from lawsuits over optional features. A spate of lawsuits across the country against SIG Sauer and its P320 pistol sparked this bill to protect a major employer in the state. After a brief debate Thursday, the House of Representatives embraced by a 200-161 vote a Senate amendment that only surfaced publicly two weeks ago and has never faced a public hearing. The vote came after more than two dozen law enforcement officials from across the country had urged the House to turn aside the proposal given their involvement in dealing with SIG Sauer's P320 pistol that has resulted in 82 lawsuits filed in federal courts here. A group of 22 gun owners brought suits over the pistol last month. 'This has everything to do with a powerful company in denial with a defect on a key piece of their property,' said state Rep. David Meuse, D-Portsmouth, speaking in opposition. Rep. Terry Roy, R-Deerfield and chairman of the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, said many of the lawsuits came from opponents of gun owners that wanted to create legal problems for a prominent gun maker. 'At the end of the day this isn't about gun rights, this is about product liability,' Roy said. ''Do you want people to be able to sue carmakers over cars that don't have air conditioning?' During an interview, Roy stressed that while the SIG Sauer pistol spawned the legislation, it applies to all companies. 'I don't want to pass something that only affects one company, but this does not. It really seemed like the trial lawyers seized on a few cases of officers getting hurt with the weapon and that caused this avalanche of lawsuits because the gun has no safety. Well, if you order the pistol to have one, it will. If you don't, why should you be able to recover in court?' Roy said. The state Senate earlier this month approved the measure on a partisan, 16-8 vote with all Republicans in support and all Democrats against it. The House vote Thursday was similarly partisan with Republicans backing it, 197-1, while Democrats opposed it, 159-2. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Bill Gannon, R-Sandown, said the immunity was limited to optional features of the weapon and would not prevent a lawsuit over any gun's manufacturing defect. Gannon's amendment specifically exempts gunmakers from liability claims over the 'absence or presence' of items such as a magazine disconnect mechanism, a loaded chamber indicator, authorized user recognition (such as fingerprint) technology or an external mechanical safety. The change was added to a popular House-passed bill (HB 551) that would eliminate a license needed to sell handguns. What's Next: It will likely take a few weeks for final processing of the bill to get to the desk of Gov. Ayotte who has yet to take a public position. Prospects: Likely to sign. As a former attorney general, Ayotte would likely have raised concerns even privately with legislators and key supporters said she has not. .klandrigan@
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas votes to outlaw most hemp products, potentially crippling market
Texas is poised to decimate the state's booming multibillion-dollar hemp industry. The state House voted to ban almost all hemp products Wednesday, which would deal a crippling blow to an industry that's spawned more than 8,000 licensed shops and employs tens of thousands of workers. The ban bill previously passed the Senate and appears on a glide path to the desk of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, but it will almost certainly spark legal fights. Businesses 'are going to be wiped out,' said Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center, one of the most vocal opponents of the ban bill. 'This is especially unfair because this industry has been allowed to thrive for six years.' The vote was a stunning reversal for the House after it advanced legislation that sought to regulate — rather than ban — intoxicating hemp products. The state's hemp industry had looked to the chamber as an ally after Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made it one of his top legislative priorities to crack down on the burgeoning, loosely regulated market for intoxicating products, arguing that it presents a major public health threat. Patrick vowed that he would not compromise on anything besides an outright ban on THC and other intoxicating compounds, threatening to hold up other legislation from the House. 'I've never been more passionate about anything,' Patrick said in a video he posted to social media this week. 'If we leave Austin this session and we don't ban these products for the next two to three years, we're going to see lives destroyed.' Ultimately, just one House Republican voted against the proposal to ban almost all hemp products. The bill 'may have serious and harmful unintended consequences such as shuttering thousands of small businesses,' Republican Rep. Brian Harrison said in a statement explaining why he voted against the bill. '[It] exceeds the proper role of government and may ban many products that President Trump legalized in 2018.' State lawmakers and regulators across the country have been struggling to put guardrails around the rapidly growing market for intoxicating hemp-derived products, which has thrived especially in states with restrictive marijuana laws. The industry exploded in the years after Congress legalized hemp through the 2018 farm bill. Hemp industry advocates thought they had found allies in the Texas House, which was more concerned with the potential ramifications of killing an industry worth at least $4 billion in the state. During a marathon legislative hearing earlier this month, lawmakers listened to the concerns of small business owners and consumers. Hemp industry advocates pushed for increased regulations, asking lawmakers not to punish their small businesses due to bad actors who sell highly potent products to minors. Their entreaties seemed to work: After listening to hours of public testimony against banning intoxicating hemp products, the State House Affairs committee overhauled the Senate-passed bill to regulate the hemp industry, proposing public health measures like age restrictions, packaging rules and lab testing requirements. The House version of the bill would also have banned synthesized cannabinoids and capped THC content in consumable hemp products to 10 mg per serving. But on Wednesday night, Republican Rep. Tom Oliverson put forth an amendment to replace the House version of the bill with the Senate-passed language. While the House made some minor changes, the substance of the THC ban remains. The main reason for the seeming about-face is Patrick, who "held school funding hostage in exchange for votes on passing a ban," said Cynthia Cabrera, chief strategy officer of Austin-based hemp company Hometown Hero. "Children were used as leverage to get what he wanted." Neither Patrick nor Abbott responded to requests for comment. The hemp ban bill would also institute new criminal penalties for hemp possession that are even more severe than those for marijuana possession. Possessing non-compliant hemp products is punishable by up to one year in jail under the bill, while the maximum penalty for marijuana possession in the state is six months in jail. 'Sadly, we're going to see many, many thousands of people arrested between now and the next legislative session for possession of a federally legal product,' said Fazio. Indeed, hemp businesses are already strategizing their next steps, including efforts to persuade Abbott to veto the bill. If that doesn't happen, they are almost certain to sue over the ban. '[The bill] represents a blunt-force approach that will collapse an entire economic ecosystem,' Thomas Winstanley, executive vice president of hemp e-commerce platform said in a statement. 'For a state that prides itself on being pro-business, SB3 is antithetical to its values at worst and hypocritical at best.'
Politico
22-05-2025
- Business
- Politico
Texas votes to outlaw most hemp products, potentially crippling market
Texas is poised to decimate the state's booming multibillion-dollar hemp industry. The state House voted to ban almost all hemp products Wednesday, which would deal a crippling blow to an industry that's spawned more than 8,000 licensed shops and employs tens of thousands of workers. The ban bill previously passed the Senate and appears on a glide path to the desk of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, but it will almost certainly spark legal fights. Businesses 'are going to be wiped out,' said Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center, one of the most vocal opponents of the ban bill. 'This is especially unfair because this industry has been allowed to thrive for six years.' The vote was a stunning reversal for the House after it advanced legislation that sought to regulate — rather than ban — intoxicating hemp products. The state's hemp industry had looked to the chamber as an ally after Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made it one of his top legislative priorities to crack down on the burgeoning, loosely regulated market for intoxicating products, arguing that it presents a major public health threat. Patrick vowed that he would not compromise on anything besides an outright ban on THC and other intoxicating compounds, threatening to hold up other legislation from the House. 'I've never been more passionate about anything,' Patrick said in a video he posted to social media this week. 'If we leave Austin this session and we don't ban these products for the next two to three years, we're going to see lives destroyed.' Ultimately, just one House Republican voted against the proposal to ban almost all hemp products. The bill 'may have serious and harmful unintended consequences such as shuttering thousands of small businesses,' Republican Rep. Brian Harrison said in a statement explaining why he voted against the bill. '[It] exceeds the proper role of government and may ban many products that President Trump legalized in 2018.' State lawmakers and regulators across the country have been struggling to put guardrails around the rapidly growing market for intoxicating hemp-derived products, which has thrived especially in states with restrictive marijuana laws. The industry exploded in the years after Congress legalized hemp through the 2018 farm bill. Hemp industry advocates thought they had found allies in the Texas House, which was more concerned with the potential ramifications of killing an industry worth at least $4 billion in the state. During a marathon legislative hearing earlier this month, lawmakers listened to the concerns of small business owners and consumers. Hemp industry advocates pushed for increased regulations, asking lawmakers not to punish their small businesses due to bad actors who sell highly potent products to minors. Their entreaties seemed to work: After listening to hours of public testimony against banning intoxicating hemp products, the State House Affairs committee overhauled the Senate-passed bill to regulate the hemp industry, proposing public health measures like age restrictions, packaging rules and lab testing requirements. The House version of the bill would also have banned synthesized cannabinoids and capped THC content in consumable hemp products to 10 mg per serving. But on Wednesday night, Republican Rep. Tom Oliverson put forth an amendment to replace the House version of the bill with the Senate-passed language. While the House made some minor changes, the substance of the THC ban remains. The main reason for the seeming about-face is Patrick, who 'held school funding hostage in exchange for votes on passing a ban,' said Cynthia Cabrera, chief strategy officer of Austin-based hemp company Hometown Hero. 'Children were used as leverage to get what he wanted.' Neither Patrick nor Abbott responded to requests for comment. The hemp ban bill would also institute new criminal penalties for hemp possession that are even more severe than those for marijuana possession. Possessing non-compliant hemp products is punishable by up to one year in jail under the bill, while the maximum penalty for marijuana possession in the state is six months in jail. 'Sadly, we're going to see many, many thousands of people arrested between now and the next legislative session for possession of a federally legal product,' said Fazio. Indeed, hemp businesses are already strategizing their next steps, including efforts to persuade Abbott to veto the bill. If that doesn't happen, they are almost certain to sue over the ban. '[The bill] represents a blunt-force approach that will collapse an entire economic ecosystem,' Thomas Winstanley, executive vice president of hemp e-commerce platform said in a statement. 'For a state that prides itself on being pro-business, SB3 is antithetical to its values at worst and hypocritical at best.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Down to the wire: Texas lawmakers OK bills on handgun licenses, cryptocurrency, AI abuses
As the clock ticks down to the June 2 final adjournment of the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers are scrambling to pass — or kill — the bills that have been stacked up for weeks. Here's some of the action at the Capitol on Wednesday. The House finally passed and sent to Gov. Greg Abbott legislation to formally recognize in Texas any handgun license issued in other states. Senate Bill 706 would end the requirement for the governor to negotiate agreements with other states before Texas will accept the licenses. Abbott, a three-term Republican who has signed numerous laws expanding gun rights, is expected to sign the bill. The House gave final approval to Senate-passed legislation to establish the Texas Bitcoin Reserve, which would be administered by the Texas comptroller. The fund will contain Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies with a market capitalization of at least $500 billion. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made SB 21 a priority in the upper chamber, following up on President Donald Trump's pledge to make the United States "the cryptocurrency capital of the world." The measure now returns to the Senate for members to consider the modifications made to the bill in the House. A bill that would provide more protections for migrant workers who might otherwise be forced to live in substandard housing was sent to the governor's desk. According to the Legislature's analysis of SB 243, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs historically has lacked the resources to investigate allegations of substandard housing. Complicating matters is that "migrant laborers are often reluctant to report violations or collect damages related to substandard housing conditions because of fear of retaliation," according to the analysis. The legislation "seeks to address this issue by strengthening the TDHCA penalty structure for violations of provisions governing migrant labor housing facilities and by providing for increased accountability and enforcement of those provisions," the analysis said. A bill to outlaw AI-generated child sexual abuse material passed the House without opposition in a move that lawmakers said will give police more effective tools to crack down on child exploitation. SB 20 by Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton, would criminalize the possession of obscene material appearing to depict a child, "regardless of whether the depiction is an image of an actual child, a cartoon or animation, or an image created using an artificial intelligence application or other computer software." Under the proposal, the offense would be a state jail felony but a charge could be upgraded for previous convictions. The Senate will need to agree to a House amendment on the bill before it heads to the governor's desk for a signature. The Senate sent to the governor's desk legislation to assess whether veterans face unreasonable obstacles in securing burial space in the system of state-run cemeteries for those veterans. House Bill 1875 requires a panel of senators and state representatives to study the matter and make recommendations to eliminate any such barriers. The Texas General Land Office manages five veterans cemeteries around the state. A bill that would require Texas public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom suffered a procedural setback when a point of order halted discussion on the proposal in the House. SB 10 is one of the latest battles in the Christian right's pursuit of religion in schools and to confront the longstanding principle of separation of church and state. The bill is a priority for Patrick, whose Senate passed it along strict party lines in March. The point of order was brought by Austin Democratic Rep. James Talarico, a former teacher who is a Christian and an outspoken critic of Christian nationalism. He had found a procedural flaw that delayed but likely will not derail the bill. SB 10 will now head back to the House Committee on Public Education for correction but will likely be considered again in a future floor session. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas lawmakers OK bills on handgun licenses, cryptocurrency, AI abuses
