Latest news with #SenateBill100
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Louisiana lawmakers vote to toughen immigration enforcement
BATON ROUGE, La. (LSU Manship School News Service) — Lawmakers passed two bills this week aimed at expanding the state's role in immigration enforcement, joining states like Texas and Florida in helping the Trump administration crack down on undocumented immigrants. One bill would require agencies to track the legal status of people using public services, and the other would criminalize interference with federal immigration operations. The Legislature last year empowered local and state law-enforcement to arrest people on suspicion that they were undocumented immigrants. Gov. Jeff Landry signed that bill into law, and the two bills passed this week will now go to him for his signature. The latest legislation comes amid growing national tensions over immigration policy. Protests broke out in Los Angeles this week in response to enforcement actions, and Trump hinted at invoking the Insurrection Act, a set of laws that might let the president deploy the military domestically. One of the new bills, Senate Bill 100, by Sen. Blake Miguez, R-New Iberia, would mandate that state departments–including Health, Education, Motor Vehicles and others–disclose whether individuals receiving services are 'illegal aliens' or 'unaccompanied alien children.' Services covered under the bill range from healthcare and education to tax benefits and emergency assistance. Agencies would have to report how many people in those categories they serve and the cost of those services. The reports would be submitted annually to the governor, the attorney general and the Legislature and published online. The bill also would require agencies to verify legal status, either through immigration documents or by using federal tools like the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements system. Agencies that do not comply risk funding loss. Senate Bill 15 by Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, would prohibit private individuals and public officials from obstructing federal immigration enforcement or civil immigration proceedings. That would include refusing to cooperate with requests from agencies like the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, or failing to honor written detainer requests when releasing someone suspected of being in the country illegally. The bill updates the state's obstruction and malfeasance laws to cover immigration-related violations. Penalties range from six months in jail and a $1,000 fine to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine. More serious violations involving public officials could lead to felony charges and prison sentences of up to 10 years. The law would take effect Aug. 1. If SB15 is enacted, Louisiana would be the first state to institute state criminal penalties for interfering with immigration enforcement efforts. Under current law, these issues are handled as a civil matter. Both measures reflect Gov. Jeff Landry's broader agenda to position Louisiana as a more active player in immigration enforcement, which echoes moves in the other Republican-led states. Advocates against the legislation highlighted the negative impact the bills would have on immigrant families in the state. Tia Fields, policy manager at the Baton Rouge-based Louisiana Organization for Refugees and Immigrants, told the Louisiana Illuminator that the bills convey a 'chilling message' and portray immigrant families as expendable. Proposal to ban DEI college courses, state policy dies in Louisiana Legislature McKinley High School moves to temporary location as campus undergoes renovation Students urged to seek aid now as FAFSA deadline nears Kevin Durant's former townhome up for sale, listing price $35 Bonnaroo co-founder dies days before 2025 festival Man gored by bison at Yellowstone National Park, second incident this year Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
In final days of session, legislature advances Landry immigration agenda
Officers with Louisiana State Police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement escort a man arrested March 13, 2025, at the Port of Lake Charles. ICE reported 11 arrests of people working at the port who did not have legal status to be in the United States (Photo courtesy of ICE). Two controversial state bills in the Louisiana Legislature — both designed to aid federal and state crackdowns on immigration — are in the final stages of becoming law after passing overwhelmingly in the state House of Representatives Monday. With days to go in the spring legislative session, Louisiana's House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of Senate Bill 100, which requires agencies to track undocumented immigrants who receive state services, and Senate Bill 15, which makes it a crime for law enforcement agents, and others, to refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement agencies. The session is set to adjourn on Thursday. The bills both advance the priorities of Gov. Jeff Landry, a conservative immigration hardliner and ally of President Donald Trump. Senate Bill 100, sponsored by Sen. Blake Miguez, R-New Iberia, which requires service providing public agencies – including the state Department of Education, Department of Corrections and the Department of Children & Family Services – to collect data and report to the State on the immigration status of people who receive those services. It passed 74-27 Monday afternoon. Senate Bill 15, sponsored by Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, criminalizes the failure of local officials – including sheriffs and other law enforcement officers – to cooperate with federal immigration agencies, with penalties of up to 10 years in prison. It also criminalizes acts by everyday Louisiana residents deemed to obstruct or 'thwart' federal immigration enforcement efforts. It passed 71-30. If Senate Bill 15 becomes law, it would directly conflict with immigration policies adopted by the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office and, potentially, the New Orleans Police Department, both of which are under federal orders to limit their cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal immigration agencies. Both have already passed the Senate. SB100 will now head back to the Senate for Senate President Cameron Henry's signature and then to Landry's desk for his signature. Senate Bill 15, however, was amended in the House before final passage. The Senate will have to vote to approve the amended version before it can move on to become law. Advocates against the pieces of legislation say the bills, once effected, will push Louisiana's immigrant community into the shadows. 'With the passage of SB 100 and SB 15, our state has sent a chilling message: that Immigrant families and anyone seeking safety or services are seen as expendable.' said Tia Fields, who manages policy for advocacy group Louisianan Organization for Refugees and Immigrants in Baton Rouge. 'Let's be clear: these bills aren't about public safety. They're about punishment.' If enacted, Senate Bill 15 will be the first state law in the U.S. that criminalizes interference with immigration enforcement efforts, considered to be civil matters, or refusals to cooperate with federal immigration agencies. During debate on the House Floor on Monday Rep. Candace Newell, D-New Orleans, repeatedly asked how the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office would follow the law, which directly contradicts an agency policy that was created under federal court order. The bill requires jailers, including sheriffs, to honor administrative requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to hold an immigrant beyond their release date from jail so that they can be brought into ICE custody. But a Sheriff's Office policy prohibits the agency from honoring hold requests except in cases where a jail detainee is accused of a particularly serious crime. The policy exists as the result of a 2013 federal court settlement stemming from a 2011 civil rights case in which two men said they were illegally held in the city's jail for months at the request of ICE. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, another immigration hardliner, is challenging that settlement agreement. Louisiana already has a law, Act 314 of 2024 – enacted through Senate Bill 208, sponsored by Miguez and passed last year – that blocks local law enforcement agencies from adopting so-called 'sanctuary' like the one at the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office. But unlike Senate Bill 15 — which calls for prison sentences of up to 10 years — that is a civil law, carrying no jail time for failure to comply. 'The Orleans Parish Sheriff, who should be trying to get out from under the handcuffs of the consent decree, [is] using that as a shield to avoid the possible implications of refusing to cooperate with ICE,' Morris told committee members. Will Harrell, senior program monitor for the Sheriff's Office said while he's disappointed that the bill passed, he is 'not surprised with the outcome, given the anti-immigrant climate.' He said he's concerned about how Orleans Parish Sheriff, Susan Hutson, will follow both the state law and the federal court order 'The sheriff does not intend to be a breaker of laws,' Harrell said. 'It's just a question of which law we need to follow.' Senate Bill 100 mirrors a 2024 executive order from Landry, signed in the early days of his governorship, that requires state departments and their sub-agencies to calculate and report on the amount of money that undocumented immigrants are costing the state. According to Rep. Michael Johnson, R-Pineville — who brought the bill to the House floor — Landry and Murrill requested SB15 be crafted to codify the language in that executive order. Undocumented immigrants are already shut out of some state-administered services. They are ineligible for food stamp benefits or Medicaid, for example, and they can't get drivers' licenses. But they attend schools, get medical treatment at public hospitals and use emergency shelters, among other things. Advocates against the bill said recording identifying information like citizenship or immigration status, will not only affect undocumented immigrants, but also people who may not trust their government for other reasons, making it less likely that they seek out essential services like medical care. 'Not all of these services require any kind of identification right now, [like] the low barrier homeless shelters or food banks or things like that, and there are people who are going to be unwilling to get benefits if it requires of citizenship verification,' Sissy Phleger, a safety net analyst for state think tank Invest in Louisiana, said in a phone interview last week. 'It is going to burden people in Louisiana who don't have enough to eat. I don't have a place to live and that seems cruel and unnecessary.' During discussions over the bill on the House floor, Democratic Caucus chairperson Rep. Matthew Willard, D-New Orleans, expressed concern over the proposed penalties in the bill: the withholding of funding to agencies that do not comply. 'For me it seems kind of like a threat,' Willard said. Johnson called the penalty an 'incentive' to follow the law. 'This is just transparency,' Johnson said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE This article first appeared on Verite News New Orleans and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Local teen testifies about vaping
ASHLAND At 14, Delanie Crump has appeared before a Senate committee to testify about something she believes in. The Boyd County High School ninth-grader spoke to the General Assembly's Senate committee on education and the licensing and occupations committee in February about the negative impact vaping can have on youth using statistics to explain the urgency of the issue. She was urging the Senate to pass SB 100, which further enforces Tobacco 21, the law prohibiting those younger than 21 from purchasing tobacco or e-cigarette products. Crump, daughter of Daniel Crump and Brianna Davis, said the bill, which passed and will become law in January 2026, requires tobacco retailers to have a license to sell products and requires the use of a database to keep track of sellers; it also requires compliance checks on retailers and harsher penalties on those who violate the laws. These measures aim to enforce compliance, which would decrease underage sales. "This isn't just about lung cancer 30 years down the line. It's about kids dropping out of sports because their lungs can't keep up. It's about the anxiety and depression that nicotine addiction fuels. It's about academic distraction and under-performance. It's about an entire generation being stolen before they've had a chance to live fully," she said in her speech to the committees. Crump's mother said she was shocked to learn her daughter would speak to lawmakers. "It's not every day you see a 14-year-old who is brave enough to do that, especially on something as important as underage vaping," Davis said. "I'm so proud of her using her voice to make a difference." Crump said she enjoys public speaking, but she was nervous about speaking to the committee. "I've never spoken in a setting like that," she said. "However, once I was in the hearing room and on the stand, the nervousness went away, as I was focusing on what I was saying and how to say it in a way that would be most impactful. Following the speech, I was satisfied with the way it went, and I felt that the anxiousness leading up to it was worth it." Vaping wasn't an issue on her radar, but Crump said she joined the Youth Advisory Board for #icanendthetrend, a program through the University of Kentucky that aims to prevent vaping. Davis said joining the youth advisory board was a whim, but it turns out Crump found her passion. "They've really challenged all the students on the board and she made great friends in the process. She realized she wants to major in health care, thanks to this opportunity," Davis said. "I'm so grateful the program exists. I was also so impressed with the amount of respect the senators showed to her during her testimony. They were very encouraging and supportive. Senate Bill 100 is now becoming a law, thanks to these kids and the adults who believed in their bill." Crump's knowledge about vaping has grown, and learned some important facts, including: • Nearly one in 10 middle school students and one in five high school students uses e-cigarettes. • Flavored tobacco products, like menthols and sweet, fruity vapes, are directly designed to appeal to youth. • Nicotine can permanently damage developing brains. "These changes aren't radical. They're necessary. Every delay costs more lives. Every loophole in legislation lets addiction thrive," Crump said of the new law. Crump said the experience of speaking to the General Assembly was enriching. "I believe the most important lesson I learned was that anyone can make a difference, and the power of communities coming together," she said. "It was incredible to see so many other young people from around the state who are passionate about the issue coming together to make a change and actually seeing changes in progress. It taught me to never underestimate what can be done when people come together toward change." (606) 326-2661 | lward@
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Larry Rhoden gives nod to Mitchell's economic development triumphs
Mar. 24—MITCHELL — Gov. Larry Rhoden paused for a moment Monday afternoon following lunch at The Depot in Mitchell. As part of his Open for Opportunity Tour, he had earlier in the day taken a visit of Boyds Gunstocks, Trail King and High Plains Processing, the new soybean crush plant currently under construction along Highway south of Mitchell. Later he would be touring a local housing development. As he spoke briefly with local officials following lunch, he took a moment to show off the 2024 Governor's Cup, for which South Dakota had been named the recipient for the second year in a row by Site Selection Magazine, the premiere publication for economic development in the nation. He said it was appropriate to bring the trophy along during his outing Monday in Mitchell. "(South Dakota) won the 2024 Governor's Cup. It was a repeat from last year, and South Dakota was again number one in per-capita economic development. And we bring (the trophy) with us to Mitchell because Mitchell has certainly done their part in helping the state earn this award," Rhoden told the assembled leaders. "I mentioned it in a few interviews today, about how encouraging it is to come to Mitchell and to see the example they've set." Rhoden had seen plenty of examples of the economic development upswing even before the local tours came to an end during his visit. He opened up his visit with tours of Trail King and followed that with Boyds Gunstocks, the latter of which played host to the signing of a handful of bills meant to support Second Amendment rights in the state. Rhoden signed Senate Bill 100, which provides greater freedoms to exercise gun rights on college campuses; House Bill 1218, which protects the Second Amendment rights of employees, officers and volunteers of local governments; and House Bill 1222, which clarifies that if a parent comes on school property and has a gun on them, they can lawfully leave it in their car. In addition to the bills, Rhoden also signed a letter to United States Attorney General Pam Bondi and Kash Patel, acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, asking them to eliminate the seven-day waiting period to purchase a firearm or associated accessories, including silencers, over state lines. Rhoden said the time was right to reexamine the seven-day waiting policy now that President Donald Trump was back in the White House. "Once (Trump) was out of office the last four years, we've been on the defensive, just trying to hold things down and kind of hold your position," Rhoden said. "Now we have the opportunity once again to be on the offensive. There's no reason to have (the seven-day waiting period) on the books anymore with the Brady Act because they're already going through a background check. So why make our people wait seven days arbitrarily for no good reason?" Rhoden also took a tour of Boyds Gunstocks, the largest aftermarket gunstock manufacturer in the world , where he saw many of the processes that go into crafting its product. It was a return visit to the business, where he recalled having stopped by about 15 years ago looking for a stock to buy, not realizing the outfit is more a manufacturer than a retailer. He did eventually get a new stock from Boyds, and officials with the business told the Mitchell Republic they were excited to be able to share their space and process with the governor. "Obviously we're in the Second Amendment space being in the firearm industry. Anything that goes pro-Second Amendment, we're always for," Rob Carstensen, a co-owner of Boyds Gunstocks, told the Mitchell Republic following the tour. "South Dakota in general is a pretty lenient state when it comes to that stuff, so it was nice that he could stop here and sign a couple bills." The business, located just west of Mitchell, boasts about 70 employees engaged in a number of specialized and skilled positions. The number of employees can fluctuate, but Carstensen said when business is up there can be in excess of 100 employees hard at work on site. There was also plenty of work being done at the High Plains Processing plant, the under-construction multi-seed crush facility under the management of South Dakota Soybean Processors, LLC. The new facility has long been expected to have a major impact on the local economy, in part for its drawing employees to the area. Officials with the plant estimated a workforce of about 77 people, with a potential for a handful more. Of the hiring, the workforce at High Plains is expected to be from a diverse background of locations, including places like the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and Missouri to local natives from communities like Alexandria returning home to take advantage of the new employment opportunity. Officials estimated that they were about 20% of the way through the hiring process, but for all intents and purposes, that work had gone well despite the low unemployment figures in the state. "We really thought we were going to have to reach out a long way because we know labor's tight. But we've had a tremendous response from the community as far as the jobs that we've posted to date," said Tom Kersting, CEO of the South Dakota Soybean Processors and High Plains Processing. "A lot of the folks have been local." Rhoden and local development leaders took a tour of the plant, which comes in at a cost of around $500 million. Kersting noted to the gathered group that the work continues to be on time and on budget. It is expected to open in October this year. The employment impact is huge, but so is the value added to South Dakota soybeans as they make their way from the fields to plants like the one soon to be running outside Mitchell. The impact of the new plant will not only be felt in and around Mitchell, but all of South Dakota, he said. "35 million bushels of soybeans. That translates to 50 million gallons of oil and millions of tons of soybean meal. The economic development that represents for the state of South Dakota is huge," Rhoden said. The day in Mitchell was a chance for the governor to celebrate both South Dakota's receiving of the Governor's Cup award as well as Mitchell being named Community of the Year at the South Dakota Governor's Conference on Economic Development earlier this year. Following lunch at The Depot, Rhoden took a moment to present Jordan Hanson, mayor of Mitchell, with a declaration naming Mitchell as the 2025 GOED Community of the Year. There was still more on the schedule for Monday. The governor and his staff were scheduled early in the afternoon to visit a local housing development, another ongoing effort by local leaders to boost economic growth by providing potential future workforce members with an affordable place to live so they can work and contribute to the fabric of the community. Rhoden said that economic development progress like that which has emerged in Mitchell is a key reason why the community is receiving kudos and getting attention as an economic development leader in the state. When it comes to innovative and focused efforts on maintaining and improving the local economy, Mitchell exudes an energy that keeps its economic development plans on track and moving ahead. That's exciting, the governor said. "I've been really impressed when I come to Mitchell and talk to people and hear the excitement in their voice about what they have going for them in Mitchell. So, yeah, it's a shot in the arm to come here," Rhoden said.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Beshear signs licensing of nicotine retailers, other bills that ‘put our Kentucky families first'
Kentucky Capitol. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) Kentucky will begin licensing retailers who sell nicotine, which advocates have said will help regulate an industry and protect minors from addictive chemicals. Gov. Andy Beshear signed Senate Bill 100 into law on Monday, which is aimed at curbing minors' access to tobacco and e-cigarettes. Smoking is a leading cause of preventable death. Beshear also signed into law SB 120, which would require coaches and others to report abuse and neglect concerns; HB 38, which will make it a Class D felony to violate a protective order for the third time; HB 10, which will streamline the removal of illegal squatters from private property; and more. 'I will always put our Kentucky families first,' Beshear said in a statement. 'I was proud to sign into law several measures that will do just that – increasing opportunity and making our New Kentucky Home a better place to live, learn and do business.' Under the new law, Kentucky will license all retailers who sell tobacco and vape products, giving the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) inspection and enforcement powers over them, similar to those it exercises over alcohol retailers. It will also fine retailers who sell nicotine products to minors and give half the money collected in fines to a youth prevention program in a state where about 5% of high school students smoke and almost 20% use e-cigarettes, according to The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Smoking costs the state more than $2 billion every year in health complications, according to the campaign. The other half would go toward enforcement expenses. Parts of the bill will go into effect immediately and others — including the licensing portion — will wait until Jan. 1.
