Latest news with #SenateBill1109
American Military News
4 days ago
- Business
- American Military News
Democrat governor vetoes bill limiting Chinese land near US bases
Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-Ariz.) is facing backlash after vetoing a bill on Monday that was intended to prevent China from purchasing land located near military bases and other strategic assets. In a Monday letter to Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, a Republican, Hobbs wrote, 'Today, I vetoed Senate Bill 1109. Improvements to systems that protect our infrastructure are important. However, this legislation is ineffective at counter-espionage and does not directly protect our military assets. Additionally, it lacks clear implementation and opens the door to arbitrary enforcement.' The legislation vetoed by the Democrat governor, S.B 1109, would have prevented China from obtaining a 30% stake in the Arizona property. Fox News reported that the Arizona state legislature could still implement the bill if it votes to override the governor's veto. In a statement obtained by Arizona Daily Independent, Arizona Senate Majority Leader Janae Shamp, a Republican, slammed Hobbs for blocking the bill with a 'politically motivated veto,' which she said was 'utterly insane.' Shamp added that Hobbs was acting as 'an obstructionist against safeguarding our citizens from threats.' READ MORE: Red state orders Chinese company to sell US farmland According to Fox News, Shamp previously warned that China had attempted to lease buildings located near Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. State Armor Action CEO Michael Lucci also criticized the Democrat governor, saying, 'Governor Hobbs's veto of SB 1109 hangs an 'Open for the CCP' sign on Arizona's front door, allowing Communist China to buy up American land near critical assets like Luke Air Force Base, Palo Verde nuclear power plant, and Taiwan Semiconductor's growing fabrication footprint.' Lucci argued that Hobbs was 'substantively and completely wrong' for suggesting that S.B. 1109 was not effective at 'counter-espionage' and would not directly protect U.S. military assets in Arizona. The State Armor Action CEO added that letting China purchase land near 'critical assets' in Arizona presents a 'national security risk.' According to Committee of 100, a nonprofit organization of Chinese Americans, 27 states were considering 84 bills to place restrictions on foreign property ownership as of March 17. The nonprofit organization's website shows that 22 states have already approved bills that place restrictions on foreign property ownership, with 17 of the bills being passed into law in 2024.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Hobbs vetoes bill banning China from owning land in Arizona
Image via Getty Images Arizona's Democratic governor has vetoed legislation that would have barred the Chinese government from owning land in the state. The GOP-backed measure banned the People's Republic of China — including enterprises that are totally owned by the Chinese government and subdivisions of the Chinese government — from having a substantial interest in Arizona property. The bill defines a substantial interest as a stake of 30% or more. Sen. Janae Shamp, the Republican sponsor of Senate Bill 1109, said during a debate of the bill on Feb. 26 that it was aimed at protecting U.S. military bases from spying, and she alleged that has already happened in Arizona. 'The actual Chinese government, our enemy, was trying to lease buildings near the (Luke Air Force) base,' Shamp said. '(N)ot making sure that we are protecting our national security or our men and women on the ground here in Arizona is ludicrous to me.' Reports about the Chinese government purchasing land near military bases in the U.S. has, in many cases, been misleading. Democrats in the state House of Representatives and Senate shared concerns that the original version of Shamp's proposal was unconstitutional and that it would lead to discrimination in land sales. A substantial amendment to the bill, passed through the House on May 6, allayed some of those concerns. The initial version of the bill banned certain people and businesses from countries designated as enemies of the United States by the director of national intelligence from owning land in Arizona. There were exceptions for small plots of residential land more than 50 miles away from a U.S. military installation. The amended version narrowed the ban to only the Chinese government and its subsidiaries. The Arizona House of Representatives approved the amended bill on May 7 by a vote of 41-17, with eight Democrats voting in favor alongside Republicans. The Arizona Senate gave its final approval of the bill by a vote of 17-11 along party lines on May 28. In her veto letter on June 2, Gov. Katie Hobbs wrote that protecting infrastructure was important. 'However, this legislation is ineffective at counter-espionage and does not directly protect our military assets,' she said in the letter. 'Additionally, it lacks clear implementation criteria and opens the door to arbitrary enforcement.' In the language of the bill, Shamp claimed that its 'protection of this state's military, commercial and agricultural assets from foreign espionage and sabotage will place this state in a significantly stronger position to withstand national security threats.' Far-right Republican Sen. Wendy Rogers, of Flagstaff, on May 28 said that she had sponsored a similar bill a few years ago and was perplexed when it was voted down on the Senate floor. (Rogers sponsored her legislation in 2022 and 2023. Neither bill received a vote by the full Senate.) 'I hope it's not too late,' Rogers said, before voting for Senate Bill 1109. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas has a dentist shortage. Joining a compact with other states would help
State lawmakers are addressing a number of challenges facing Texans and the state economy, including many that don't get the media coverage they deserve, such as the worsening dental care crisis. Simply put, Texas does not have enough dentists and hygienists to meet current needs, let alone rising demand driven by population growth. Fortunately, the Legislature is considering a bipartisan solution that could bring swift relief: joining the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact (DDHC). Two companion bills filed in the Texas Legislature — Senate Bill 1109 and HB 1803 — would make Texas a member of this compact, enabling licensed dental professionals from other member states to practice in Texas without burdensome delays or redundant licensing hurdles. On March 31, the House Public Health Committee held a hearing on HB 1803, allowing Texans to hear firsthand about the compact's benefits. Across the country, this commonsense reform is gaining momentum. States from Arkansas to Virginia have already joined the DDHC, reflecting a bipartisan consensus that mobility and access matter. Texas nearly did the same last session: A bill for Texas to join the DDHC failed by one vote in the House, and didn't reach a vote in the Senate. The case for compact membership is strong. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, less than 29% of Texas' oral health needs are currently being met. More than 2 million Texans live in one of the state's 261 designated dental shortage areas, where delays in care can result in long-term health consequences. Enabling licensed professionals from other states to quickly enter the Texas workforce would increase the supply of care, particularly in underserved communities. This could lower patient costs, improve outcomes and ease the strain on current providers. It would also benefit job-seekers — particularly experienced hygienists and dentists — who want to relocate to Texas without having to navigate bureaucratic obstacles. The Texas economy continues to roar thanks to the state's pro-growth policies, no income tax and commitment to free enterprise. But even the strongest economies face constraints. Population growth outpacing service expansion can quickly create friction — especially in health care. If those constraints aren't addressed through smart reforms, the consequences will multiply: longer wait times, higher costs and missed opportunities to deliver essential care. This is where the DDHC fits. It represents a targeted response to a real problem, offering near-term gains in provider availability while maintaining professional standards. But the broader conversation should not stop there. Should Texas lawmakers enact HB 1803, it would mark a decisive step in the right direction. Still, the ultimate goal should be to remove government-imposed barriers to entry into dental care altogether. Whether trained here or elsewhere, qualified providers should be free to serve Texans without unnecessary red tape. This aligns with a broader principle: that markets, when left to function, produce abundance, not scarcity. Milton Friedman famously argued that many licensing regimes are less about protecting the public than about protecting existing providers. Research confirms this: Occupational licensing inflates wages, restricts supply and increases costs without consistently improving service quality. In dental care, this means fewer options and higher prices for families who can least afford it. The DDHC offers a meaningful reform. It doesn't fix everything but brings us closer to a system where competition, not regulation, drives outcomes. By considering this policy, Texas lawmakers can reaffirm their commitment to healthcare access, workforce mobility and economic freedom. In the end, it's not just about dentists. It's about restoring the basic right to work — and to receive care — without the government getting in the way. Grover Norquist is president of Americans for Tax Reform, an organization based in Washington, D.C. Vance Ginn, who lives in Round Rock, is a staff economist at Americans for Tax Reform and previously served as chief economist in the first Trump White House's Office of Management and Budget. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Less red tape, more smiles: Texas should join dental compact | Opinion
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Idaho House passes budget for new statewide public defense system
Idaho State Capitol building on January 11, 2023. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun) The Idaho House of Representatives approved more than $32 million in additional funding for the new statewide public defense system on Tuesday at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise. The funding was included in Senate Bill 1202, which includes budget enhancements for the fiscal year 2026 budget for the Idaho Public Defender's Office and supplemental funding for the current fiscal year 2025 budget. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Over the last two years, the Idaho Legislature's Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee has been setting budgets differently by breaking the budgets into two pieces. The first piece is called a maintenance of operations budget. The maintenance budget represents a bare-bones version of the previous year's budget with all of the one-time funding and new funding requests stripped out. The maintenance budget is simply intended to keep the lights on for state agencies. The maintenance budget for the Idaho Public Defender's Office was included in an earlier bill, Senate Bill 1109, which Gov. Brad Little signed into law March 18. The second piece of the budget is referred to as budget enhancements, or the enhanced budget. Budget enhancements include new funding requests or requests for additional staff positions. The budget enhancements for the Idaho Public Defender's Office were included in Senate Bill 1202, which the Idaho House took up Tuesday. Combined with the maintenance budget, the budget enhancements bring total funding for fiscal year 2026 for the Idaho Public Defender's Office to $83.2 million. The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, or JFAC, cut about $5 million from Gov. Brad Little's $88.6 million funding request. One of the differences between Little's budget request and Senate Bill 1202 has to do with funding for personnel costs. Little sought to increase the rate for contracted attorneys from $100 per hour to $150 per hour. Senate Bill 1202 sets that rate at $125 per hour. In October, Idaho transitioned from paying counties for public defense to a single, statewide system, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported. The transition to a new statewide system came following a 2015 ACLU of Idaho lawsuit alleging Idaho's previous county-run public defense system violated low-income Idahoans' Sixth Amendment right to legal counsel. Although the transition to a new statewide system is designed to address many of the concerns with the old system, the Sun has reported the process of moving from 44 different county systems to one statewide system has been rocky and troublesome. Rep. Dustin Manwaring, R-Pocatello, acknowledged frustrations with the transition, but said the new funding in the budget is necessary to help get the statewide system up, running and staffed to ensure Idahoans' right to legal representation is honored. 'We have over 1,200 cases without an assigned attorney today, and we still have an obligation to correct and fix this problem and make sure we're not leaving clients without that representation,' Manwaring said. After a 25-minute debate, the Idaho House voted 51-19 to pass Senate Bill 1202. The day before, the Idaho Senate voted 23-12 to pass Senate Bill 1202. Having passed both legislative chambers, Senate Bill 1202 heads next to Gov. Brad Little's desk for final consideration. Once the budget bill reaches his desk, Little will have five days to sign it into law or veto it, otherwise it will become law without his signature. Even though the Idaho House passed the public defense budget Tuesday, the House killed two other budgets. On Tuesday morning the Idaho House killed Senate Bill 1192, the budget enhancements for the Idaho State Liquor Division. That budget included new funding for shrink wrap that is required under the state's new freight contract. In addition, the Idaho House on Tuesday also killed Senate Bill 1193, the budget enhancements for the Office of Information Technology Services. Senate Bill 1193 included $11.1 million in additional funding for new office space, security enhancements, emergency connectivity network enhancements, IT infrastructure investments, software and IT personnel transfers. The Idaho House was not alone in killing budgets. On Monday, the Idaho Senate killed House Bill 450, the budget enhancements for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. House Bill 450 included $800,000 in money from a settlement agreement with Idaho Power to help pay for restoration of wildlife habitat burned in the Valley Fire in the Boise foothills in October. Any of the budgets that were killed may still be rewritten before the Idaho Legislature adjourns for the year. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
