Latest news with #SenateBill110
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Portland Diamond Project swings for fence in Salem
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The road to bringing Major League Baseball to Portland goes through Oregon's Senate Finance and Revenue Committee on Monday as supporters step up to the plate to fund construction with a bid competitive with other cities. The pitch is not a curveball. The along with city leaders will throw their weight behind , which would to $800 million. The bill, if passed, and team employees instead of taxing Oregonians. Back in 2003, , which laid out $150 million in bonds if Portland was awarded an MLB team. But the bonds had to be paid back within 30 years — the Earlier in March, Portland Diamond Project founder Craig Cheek, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and Metro Chamber President Andrew Hoan made a similar pitch to a House committee. 'We believe the state's support is critical for this project's success. We asked legislators to revisit SB5, originally passed in 2003, and update the law to better reflect the current revenue generated by players salaries and the rising costs to build a world-class stadium in downtown Portland,' 'This would not be a new tax on Oregonians. We look forward to working with the legislature to make Oregon better with baseball.' Last week, Cheek said this is an opportunity that may not come around again for decades since Major League Baseball is currently trying to add two new teams. 'We know Major League Baseball is eyeing up an expansion plan in the very near future,' Cheek said. Getting the amendment added to Senate Bill 110 is one of 'the steps that are necessary to put very serious dollars on the table to attract a team to downtown Portland, Oregon. All I can say is that this will be transformative for our city, for our region, for our state, for our community.' Cheek, Wilson, Hoan and local economist Mike Wilkerson are expected to testify to the Senate committee on Monday. The hearing begins at 8 a.m. In early March, the Portland Diamond Project released renderings of a proposed ballpark at the current site of Zidell Yards on the South Waterfront in direct proximity to the Willamette River. Portland is considered a strong contender for an MLB team. Other strong contenders include Salt Lake City, Nashville and Montreal. KOIN 6 News will continue to follow this story and have more information later in the day. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate Bill 110 sparks hope for rural counties
JACKSON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Jackson County school officials hope to continue making improvements but are worried about the recent state and federal budget-cutting mindset. They're moving ahead with upgrades to facilities and academics. They say there is a beacon of hope for future projects in the form of Senate Bill 110, or the rural renaissance bill, filed last month. It would, among other things, require the state land planning agency to give preference for technical assistance funding to local governments located in rural areas. Bay County leaders to discuss local needs with State Legislators 'Senate bill 110, Senator Simon has put that in the house and hopefully if it proceeds to the capital and some other issues, it will help small rural districts like ourselves funding future projects and I just appreciate him and all the hard work that's going on in Tallahassee right now for some of the small districts like Jackson county,' Superintendent Hunter Nolen said. The first of three committees heard the bill yesterday and passed it unanimously. Nolen says he will be following the bill closely. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New bill would provide property tax exemption to spouses of deceased first responders
Sen. Joseph Bellino has introduced a bill to provide a property tax exemption to the surviving spouses of first responders who died in the line of duty, according to a community announcement. Senate Bill 110 would extend the state's current homestead property tax exemption — which is already available to surviving spouses of disabled veterans — to include spouses of law enforcement officers, firefighters or members of a rescue squad or ambulance crew who died due to an injury sustained while on duty. Bellino, R-Monroe, emphasized the importance of recognizing the sacrifices made by first responders and their families. James DeSana introduces House Joint Resolution D to make the Michigan legislature part-time 'We owe an enormous debt to our first responders, who often put their lives at risk to protect our communities and save lives,' Bellino said. 'My bill would extend this exemption to surviving spouses of first responders who died in the line of duty — to help express our gratitude for their loved one's service and sacrifice.' This story was created by Janis Reeser, jreeser@ with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Bill introduced to offer tax exemption to first responder spouses
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Publishers sound off on journalism measures proposed in N.M. legislative session
Since the 1930s, Barbara Beck's family has owned the Roswell Daily Record in Southern New Mexico, best known for meticulously chronicling the UFO fever that first swept the region and then the nation as a whole in 1947. But she knows the challenges facing the print news industry today. "It's important that we protect and that we pay journalists a fair salary," said Beck, publisher of the Record. "It's kind of a struggle to be honest as a small, daily newspaper. But it's something I believe in and fight for every day." Several measures aimed at supporting members of the media have been introduced in the 2025 legislative session. Among them is a pair of bills from state Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, that deal with a tax credit for news organizations in addition to a proposal to update protections for reporters' sources and communications. The bills favorable to media come after a Democratic lawmaker has backed off a proposed overhaul of New Mexico's public record law that critics warned would have an alarming effect on government transparency and accountability — and could potentially have an impact on how journalism is done in the state. Rep. Kathleen Cates, D-Rio Rancho, indicated Wednesday her proposal, House Bill 139, would not be heard by a committee at her request. She wrote in a text message the legislation was filed to "start discussion." The media landscape in New Mexico is continuing to experience seismic shifts driven by an erosion in print advertising wrought by the arrival of the internet and a general decline in print subscriptions. Industry woes extend well beyond the Land of Enchantment: The number of local news deserts expanded in the U.S. last year, with 127 newspapers shuttering, leaving nearly 55 million Americans with limited to no access to local news, according to a report from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Tax incentive for media Senate Bill 110 — sponsored by Wirth — would create a refundable tax credit for local news organizations equal to 30% of the company's annual wages, according to a bill synopsis from the Legislative Finance Committee; the total amount news organization could claim in a year, under the legislation, would be capped at $4 million. An analysis from the state Taxation and Revenue Department estimates the bill would cost the state $4 million annually beginning in the 2026 financial year if signed into law. In the analysis, the Taxation and Revenue Department assumed there are 210 journalists in New Mexico, of which 45% work full time and have a median annual wage of $46,600, using occupation employment and wage statistics estimates. Carol Clark, the owner and publisher of the Los Alamos Daily Post, said the 13-year-old publication has four reporters on staff currently — and they are all swamped. Clark said her publication and others could use the tax break. "We are so busy in our newsroom, and we could definitely use another couple of reporters. But because of the state of the economy, we're holding back, being very conservative and careful," Clark said. "This would allow us to bring on a couple of additional reporters, which would expand the coverage we can provide our readers." Senate Bill 111 — also sponsored by Wirth — creates a refundable tax credit for businesses that provide newspaper printing services for news organizations, with the credit based on the number of and wages paid to the employees of the printer. Both bills are on Thursday's Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee agenda. 'State spying' measure Titled the "Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying Act," House Bill 153 proposes updates to the shield law, which was last amended in 1973, to account for how reporting is done today. 'It updates and strengthens protections for journalists,' said Rep. Sarah Silva, D-Las Cruces, one of the bill's sponsors, during a committee hearing this week. The legislation would make updates to account for technological advances in journalism by protecting reporters' electronic communications, such as email, from "state spying," according to a statement from Silva. According to a Legislative Finance Committee analysis, the bill would prohibit a 'state entity,' defined as an agency in the executive branch or an administrative agency of the state with subpoena or other compulsory powers, to compel a journalist to reveal any information identifying a source or the contents of any communications or documents related to putting together or publishing a story. The state entity would also be prohibited from compelling a cellphone carrier or other similar electronic communications service providers to provide testimony or any document stored on behalf of a covered journalist. A decades-old state Supreme Court ruling does not permit the Legislature or governor from enacting laws related to rules of evidence in court, meaning only the judicial branch can do that, the statement from Silva said. The New Mexico Supreme Court enacted its own press shield rule in 1982 that protects journalists' sources in proceedings in local and state courts; separate from the bill, Silva is working to formally request that the Supreme Court's Rules of Evidence Committee consider amendments to the shield rule, her statement said. Media and transparency advocates said they supported the proposed measure. "HB 153 is a bill that upholds the First Amendment right to freedom of the press. It will strengthen protections for journalists against compelled disclosure of confidential sources, which will enable journalists to report freely when whistleblowers and informants come forward," wrote Christine Barber, executive director of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, in an email. Beck, of the Roswell Daily Record, said she believes the bill contemplates sensible updates to the shield law in a digital era that presents new challenges around cybersecurity and surveillance. "It's an important thing to do. With all of the hacking stuff going on, I know for our website we constantly have issues with hackers trying to get in," Beck said. "I think it's very important that we protect journalism." The bill passed the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee on a 4-2 vote on Tuesday following about 30 minutes of discussion. Some controversy broke out in the committee because Rep. John Block, R-Alamogordo, and Rep. Stefani Lord, R-Sandia Park, complained Lord was not given sufficient time to ask questions by committee chair Joanne Ferrary, a Las Cruces Democrat. "It's very frustrating that, if I was a Democrat, I would have been able to ask the questions," Lord said. "But because I'm not, I'm not going to be able to get [to] them, so … I am absolutely voting no on this bill, because I don't know enough about it."
