Latest news with #SenateBill1001
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senator Blanco files legislation to support the Permian Basin
AUSTIN (KMID/KPEJ)- Senator César J. Blanco has filed several bills this legislative session to support communities in the Permian Basin, strengthen Texas' energy economy, and address critical infrastructure needs in the Permian Basin, including Pecos and Reeves Counties – two of the top producing oil counties in Texas. Since 2014, oil and gas severance taxes have funneled over $35 billion to key state priorities, contributing $9 billion to public education, $13.3 billion to the state highway fund, and $13.3 billion to the rainy-day fund. Of that total, nearly 80% of these funds—around $40 billion—originated from just 32 Texas counties, many located in the Permian Basin. However, the region faces significant challenges, like oilfield theft, which costs the industry an estimated $30 million annually. Senator Blanco's legislative priorities for the Permian Basin include: Reinvesting in Energy Communities: Senate Bill 1001, known as the Texas Strong Act, would return a portion of oil and gas severance taxes to energy communities to support infrastructure, education, and local services. Combating Organized Oilfield Theft: Cracking down on crime that threatens patchworkers and costs businesses and landowners millions. Fixing Leaking Water Wells: Securing funding to repair wells like Lake Boehmer in Pecos County to keep clean water flowing to residents. Plugging Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells: Protecting land and water from pollution and safety hazards by ensuring these wells are properly sealed. Supporting Water Recycling and Reuse: Advancing responsible solutions for produced water to conserve resources and protect groundwater. Expanding Transmission for Electrification: Ensuring the Permian Basin has the power needed to sustain growth and meet future energy demands. 'The Permian Basin is the beating heart of Texas energy. The hardworking communities that power our state deserve investment, respect, and support. By addressing critical issues like oilfield theft, water conservation, and infrastructure needs, we are ensuring the Permian Basin remains a global energy leader for generations to come. Texas' energy future is bright, and I'm committed to making sure that future works for every community that powers it.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Idaho joins states with anti-SLAPP laws, aimed at combatting frivolous lawsuits
Idaho Gov. Brad Little gives his annual State of the State address on Jan. 6, 2025, on the House floor at the Statehouse in Boise. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) Idaho Gov. Brad Little has signed into law a bill that lawmakers say is intended to protect free speech by curtailing frivolous lawsuits. The law is designed to combat frivolous strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPP lawsuits. The law — created through Senate Bill 1001 — would put lawsuits on hold if a party files an anti-SLAPP motion. The law would let the winning party recover attorney fees. Little signed the bill Monday afternoon, according to the governor's office legislation tracker. The Idaho anti-SLAPP law takes effect on Jan. 1, 2026. Anti-SLAPP laws are in place in 35 states and the District of Columbia, according to a 2023 report by the Institute for Free Speech. Both chambers of the Idaho Legislature passed the bill with bipartisan, nearly unanimous support — with only one vote in opposition. Under the law, people who are subject to such lawsuits could file a new anti-SLAPP motion in court. The anti-SLAPP motion would freeze the case and allow a judge to quickly dismiss any lawsuit deemed by the judge to be frivolous. On the other hand, if a judge decides the lawsuit was not frivolous, the case would resume and the case would play out as normal. The bill was co-sponsored by Sen. Brian Lenney, R-Nampa, and Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Idaho House unanimously passes anti-SLAPP bill combatting frivolous lawsuits
The Idaho House of Representatives in session at the State Capitol building in Boise on Jan. 23, 2024. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun) The Idaho House of Representatives voted unanimously Wednesday to pass a bill that the sponsors say protects public participation and freedom of speech from frivolous lawsuits. Without any debate in opposition, the Idaho House voted 70-0 to pass Senate Bill 1001. The bill is designed to combat frivolous strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPP lawsuits. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX If the bill becomes law, people who are subject to such lawsuits could file a new anti-SLAPP motion in court. The anti-SLAPP motion would freeze the case and allow a judge to quickly dismiss any lawsuit deemed by the judge to be frivolous. On the other hand, if a judge decides the lawsuit was not frivolous, the case would resume and the case would play out as normal. The bill was co-sponsored by Sen. Brian Lenney, R-Nampa, and Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard. 'What SLAPP lawsuits are designed to do is they are designed to intimidate or distract you or bankrupt you,' Scott said on the floor of the Idaho House of Representatives. The Idaho Senate previously voted 32-1 to pass the bill on Jan. 27. Senate Bill 1001 heads next to Gov. Brad Little's desk for final consideration. Once the bill reaches his desk, Little will have five days – Sundays excluded – to sign the bill into law or veto. If Little does not take action within five days, the bill would become law without his signature. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Anti-SLAPP bill heads to Idaho House with bipartisan support
Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, speaks from the House floor at the Statehouse in Boise on Nov. 15, 2021. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun) A bill that its sponsors say is designed to protect free speech and public participation from frivolous lawsuits is heading to the floor of the Idaho House of Representatives with bipartisan support. Late Thursday afternoon, the House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee voted unanimously to send Senate Bill 1001 to the House floor with a recommendation to pass it. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Rep. Heather Scott, a Blanchard Republican who presented the bill Thursday at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise, described Senate Bill 1001 as a tool designed to fight strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPP lawsuits. If passed into law, the bill would create a new anti-SLAPP motion that people could file if they are subject to a frivolous lawsuit. The anti-SLAPP motion would place a stay, or a freeze, on the case and allow a judge to quickly dismiss frivolous lawsuits that are filed without merit without having to go through a lengthy, drawn out legal case. In such cases, the winning party would also be able to recover court costs and attorney fees. 'These lawsuits can take years to defend and cost tens of thousands of dollars because they're really not designed to win,' Scott told legislators Thursday. 'They're designed to intimidate, distract, bankrupt or punish free speech.' On the other hand, if the judge reviewing an anti-SLAPP motion finds there is merit to the lawsuit, the case would be allowed to continue. Everyone who spoke during a public hearing on the bill on Thursday supported it, including the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, representatives of the Uniform Law Commission and Driggs resident Dirk Leasure, who said the need to protect Idahoans from frivolous lawsuits is 'an American democracy issue.' CONTACT US The bill was sponsored by Sen. Brian Lenney, R-Nampa, and Scott, who are two of the most conservative members of the Idaho Legislature. House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, a Boise Democrat, thanked Lenney and Scott for bringing the bill forward on Thursday, saying the bill has been badly needed for years. 'This is something I had hoped we could pass for probably 10 years now, and I never thought it would happen. I'm so excited that we're here,' Rubel said. Senate Bill 1001 heads next to the Idaho House for consideration, where it could be taken up and voted on next week. The Idaho Senate already voted 32-1 to pass the bill on Jan. 27. If a majority of members of the Idaho House vote to pass Senate Bill 1001, it would then be sent to Gov. Brad Little's desk for final consideration. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Idaho Senate widely passes anti-SLAPP bill that aims to curtail frivolous lawsuits
Idaho Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, (left) and state lawmakers take a break from legislative proceedings on the Idaho Senate floor on Jan. 7, 2025. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) The Idaho Senate on Monday widely passed a bill intended to protect free speech by curtailing frivolous lawsuits. Sen. Brian Lenney, R-Nampa, has described the bill as an anti-SLAPP measure, targeting what are known as strategic lawsuits against public participation. The bill — Senate Bill 1001 — would put lawsuits on hold if a party files an anti-SLAPP motion. The bill would let the winning party recover attorney fees. Idaho is one of 15 states without anti-SLAPP protections, Lenney said in the state Senate on Monday. 'These are lawsuits that happen all over the United States that can take years to defend. And they can cost tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of dollars in legal fees for the defendant,' Lenney said. 'Because the type of lawsuits this bill deals with are not designed to win. They're designed to intimidate, to distract, to bankrupt or to punish a person for exercising free speech.' Anti-SLAPP laws are in place in 35 states and the District of Columbia, according to a 2023 report by the Institute for Free Speech. The Idaho Senate passed the bill on a 32-1 vote. Two Idaho state senators — Sens. Codi Galloway, R-Boise, and Ali Rabe, D-Boise, — were absent for the vote. Idaho Senate President Pro Tempore Kelly Anthon, R-Rupert, was the only senator to vote against the bill. Anthon said he agreed with Lenney's goal, but Anthon said he had a slightly different approach — through civil procedure rules. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The bill now heads to the Idaho House, where it could be considered by a committee before a possible vote by the full House, where Idaho Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, is listed as a co-sponsor. To become law, bills must pass the Idaho House and Senate and avoid the governor's veto. If passed, the bill would take effect on Jan. 1, 2026. The bill says it would apply to civil actions or causes of actions filed that day and later. Last year, Lenney sponsored a similar bill, Senate Bill 1325, which failed to pass the Idaho Senate on a 15-20 vote. Members of both major political parties voted against last year's bill after concerns over its legality were expressed. The bill gives courts a 'comprehensive, efficient framework' so they can 'quickly resolve sham lawsuits,' Lenney said in Senate floor debate on Monday. The bill has wide, diverse political support, he said. 'The judge still has discretion to be a judge. Decisions can still be appealed. This doesn't take away anything from the courts,' Lenney said. 'It just gives them, like I said, an additional mechanism. Nor does this bill give anyone a hall pass to engage in defamation, slander, things like that.' The bill would give courts an earlier chance to determine whether lawsuits should advance, said Sen. James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, who serves as assistant minority leader. 'It is designed for cases where it's not the outcome of the trial that everyone is interested, or that the person who brought the lawsuit is interested in,' he said. 'It's the lawsuit itself. It's the cost of litigation. It's the notoriety. It's the pressure. It's an effort to use lawsuits against somebody to get them to change their behavior, rather than the outcome of the lawsuit.' Without the bill, Ruchti, an attorney, said the first opportunity for that is usually within six months of the lawsuit's filing, if a motion to dismiss is filed. The second opportunity, he said, could happen if a motion for summary judgement is filed. 'That's where the court would say, 'Yep, there is law that supports your claim. But even if the facts are as you say, no reasonable juror could determine that you prevail, and so we're going to dismiss the lawsuit,'' he said. 'But that is done rarely. And when the court determines whether reasonable jurors could find in your favor, they take that very seriously,' Ruchti continued. 'In other words, the tendency, the trend, is always to allow — except in rare cases — the case to go to trial. Because you deserve your day in court.' Sen. Todd Lakey, R-Nampa, also an attorney, said he believes the bill protects the integrity of the judiciary and legal system. 'People need to be confident that they're getting an independent and unbiased review, and that the legal system is not being used to the advantage of some parties that may have the resources' to do that, he said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
