Latest news with #SenateBill181
Bahrain News Gazette
12-05-2025
- Business
- Bahrain News Gazette
Minimum Deposit Casinos Warns of Sweeping Changes as States Crack Down on Online Sweepstakes Casinos
WATERFORD, Ireland, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Minimum Deposit Casinos (MDC), a leading global online casino review hub and division of the OneTwenty Group, has released new insights into the tightening regulatory landscape for sweepstakes-based gaming in the United States. Recent moves by lawmakers in New York, Louisiana, and Montana suggest a coordinated push to eliminate or restrict these alternative online gambling models. In New York, Senate Bill 5935, introduced by Sen. Joseph Addabbo, has advanced through the legislative process and targets the operation and supply of sweepstakes-style platforms. The bill specifically addresses platforms that use two forms of digital currency — one of which can be redeemed for real-world prizes — a setup now under scrutiny by state regulators. Meanwhile, Louisiana has taken a similarly hard stance with Senate Bill 181, led by Sen. Adam Bass. The bill aims to ban all forms of sweepstakes games that mimic casino or sports betting experiences, including both the promotion and operation of such services. It passed the state Senate unanimously and is currently being reviewed by the House. Montana could become the first U.S. state to enact a full prohibition if Senate Bill 555 is signed into law. The bill, which has passed both chambers, seeks to clearly define and outlaw the operation of unlicensed sweepstakes gambling websites. 'States are clearly starting to zero in on grey-area gambling models,' said a senior analyst at MDC. 'These bills show how quickly the legal landscape can shift, and it's crucial that players and operators stay ahead of the curve.' About MDC Minimum Deposit Casinos (MDC) is a trusted online portal under the OneTwenty Group. MDC evaluates online casinos worldwide, assessing safety, licensing, game fairness, and payment security before recommending the best options to players. Contact Email: [email protected] GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1001095989
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
KY lawmakers will ban trans folks from the bathroom but won't stop real child predators
Some Kentucky legislators puffed up their chests last week because they called the cops on a transgender woman who used a restroom at the Capitol. What big men they are, so intent on keeping our children safe from predators in our midst. Except they don't actually care about keeping our children safe from predators in our midst. For the third year in a row, an omnibus bill to address teacher sexual abuse failed in the General Assembly. Rep. James Tipton, R-Taylorsville, took up the issue after the Lexington Herald-Leader found that a majority of teachers who lose their licenses do so because of sexual misconduct. Guess what? The vast majority of cases are not about gay or transgender people. Instead, they involve male teachers and teenage girls. The legislation has been tinkered with a lot over the past three years, and it has broad bipartisan and teacher organization support. House Bill 36 would stop problem teachers from being shipped from one district to another and banning nondisclosure agreements between teachers and school districts about teacher misconduct involving minors, including sexual misconduct. The bill also would increase disclosure requirements about past misconduct and improve current training. Right now, teachers get some training, but not about inappropriate relationships between teachers and students. Incredible as that sounds, they still need it. The legislature did pass two piecemeal bills: Senate Bill 120, which would make it clear that coaches have to report abuse and neglect, including sexual misconduct, and Senate Bill 181 would make it clear that students and adults can only communicate via already-approved communication means. These are good steps, but they don't do enough. Tipton told my colleague Beth Musgrave that some people were still worried about false accusations. But there is plenty of due process to deal with that. Right now there aren't enough ways to stop bad actors from floating around school districts. Tipton's bill needs to become a top priority for next session. Kudos to him for his diligence and patience on this matter. But in this session, a lot of lawmakers went after after the things they think are dangerous, such as Black history, clean water and transgender folks, who are, by the way, a tiny percent of the population just trying to live their lives. What if instead they tried to stop the verifiably bad people who traumatize and abuse our children? Once again, it is the height of hypocrisy to target a man wearing a dress in the Capitol while, as we speak, a man wearing pants somewhere is sexting with one of his students.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sextortion is a growing threat. Here's what Kentucky is doing to protect teens.
Sextortion is a form of exploitation that occurs when a person obtains sexually explicit images of an individual and threatens to release them unless their demands are met (monetary, sexual or other requests). There is a steep climb in 14 to 17-year-old boysbeing targeted for sextortion; however, younger boys — or anyone can become a target of online sexual extortion. Teenage boys can be targeted by adult predators pretending to be young girls. Predators feign a romantic interest in the boys on gaming platforms, apps and social media sites. Mainly, money is sought after trickery to get sexually explicit photos from unsuspecting youths from their cell phones or computers; however, victims can be young adults as well as adults. Victims are threatened relentlessly with the release of the photos to teachers, classmates, friends, parents, etc. The end of 2023, I was horrified to read the U.S. Department of Justice had sounded the alarm in 2022 about the explosive increase of 3,000 children who became victims of Sextortion — with more than a dozen dying by suicide. Today, 30 young teens have taken their lives and a few cases have been ruled as homicides. Because of long-time human trafficking work, I quickly realized sextortion can lead to perpetrators engaging victims to become sex trafficked for financial payments. Legislation was needed. As president of United Nations Association of the USA Kentucky Division (UNA-USA KY Div.), I began forming a Kentucky Sextortion Coalition with the goal for a sextortion bill in the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly. I reached out to Sen. Julie Raque Adams to be the sponsor. Looking at data from National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) released on April 15, 2024, a graph of monthly reports spanning two years showed exponential growth in sextortion reports: In 2022 there were 10,731 reports, compared to 26,718 reports a year later. Likely, many more were not reported. The KY Sextortion Coalition helped pull together information for what would soon become Senate Bill 181, sponsored by Sen. Adams. But, SB181 did not move much and died — perhaps because of the emphasis on the budget. Opinion: Conversion therapy is child abuse. Kentucky lawmakers are trying to revive it. Nevertheless, the KY Sextortion Coalition held meetings and created an action plan for more education and advocacy. We were not deterred from the mission to pass a sextortion bill in the commonwealth. When the Kentucky General Assembly kicked off its session in January, the coalition continued to update flyers, provide information, data and sextortion cases to put teen faces with stories told by parents facing the devastating loss of their children. On Feb. 6, Senate Bill 73, which makes sexual extortion a felony and allows for enhanced penalties, was presented in the Senate Judiciary Committee and got "yes" votes from all present. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Adams, also requires schools to inform students about sextortion and how victims can get help. SB 73 got unanimous approval on the Senate Floor and went on to get unanimous approval before the House Judiciary Committee and the full House. Now, the bill is on the desk of Gov. Andy Beshear. Meanwhile, California is using SB 73 as model legislation. We hope more states will enact legislation, too. Opinion: I'm a Kentuckian fired from USAID. Here's what my work really did. To help victims, please provide the following: 1-800-CALL-FBI, 988 suicide prevention hotline, NCMEC's or Homeland Security. These crimes can devastate victims and their families. While Sextortion is a global problem, here in Kentucky, we can: Help bring awareness for parents to talk to children. Help the public understand that images can be taken from their cell phones, even if in Snap Chat, Instagram, Facebook, gaming or video chats, etc. Insist that everyone be vigilant to close the camera lens on cell phones and computers and TVs — especially when undressing or changing clothes. Let all know that hacking a victim's device to gain access and control of the webcam or phone camera to obtain images or videos can devastate lives. More laws will be needed as AI and other electronic devices are created and used. Multiple people are being extorted daily by even one predator. It is lucrative and they will not stop until laws force them to face responsibility. It only took one person to step forward to begin to hold predators accountable for their crimes. I hope you will be that person in the future! Teena Halbig is the Kentucky Sextortion Coalition lead president, United Nations Association of the USA Kentucky Division. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Sexual extortion is hurting teens. KY is fighting back. | Opinion
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate panel recommends approval of two medical parole measures
(Photo by Getty images) The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee recommended approval Wednesday of two bills that would reform the parole process for medical and geriatric parole petitions. It appears to be the first time Senate Bill 181 has made it out of committee, after four years of trying. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Shelly Hettleman (D-Baltimore County), would give long-serving or ill inmates a chance to take their case directly to the state's Parole Commission. The bill originally called for incarcerated individuals who were 60 years old and had spent at least 15 years in prison to seek parole and, if turned down, they could reapply every two years. The committee Wednesday raised the age to 65, with 20 years incarcerated, and a five-year pause between petitions. But another hearing could be sooner 'if the commission determines that extraordinary and compelling circumstances justify the subsequent parole hearing.' The committee also amended the geriatric inmate portion of the bill to include someone with a condition that 'substantially diminishes the ability … to provide self-care.' That and a few other phrases mirror federal law when it comes to compassionate release. The bill is supported by the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland and Attorney General Anthony Brown. Sen. William C. Smith Jr. (D-Montgomery), chair of the committee, said a work group with senators, members of the Public Defender's Office and state's attorneys agreed on the amendments. 'Everyone walked away in an agreement and has blessed off on this,' he said. 'I think it's amazing.' 'Miracles do happen,' said Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George's). Muse and Smith added themselves as co-sponsors of the bill, along with Sen. Chris West (R-Baltimore County and Carroll) and Democratic Sens. Sara Love of Montgomery, Charles Sydnor III of Baltimore County, Nick Charles of Prince George's and Shaneka Henson of Anne Arundel. Sen. Mary-Dulany James (D-Harford) was the only committee member to vote against the amendments. Muse sponsored the second bill, Senate Bill 648, long sponsored by former Sen. Jill P. Carter. The bill would remove the governor from the process of approving parolee for a geriatric or medical parole release. The legislature had approved removing the governor from the parole process four years ago, but Carter said last year that an oversight at the allowed the governor to remain a part of the process for medical parole. This year's measure would let the Parole Commission to decide whether a person can be released whose poor health condition pose no 'danger to society.' As a condition of release, the commission may require that person to be placed in a hospital, hospice or other housing. Both measures are scheduled to be read on the Senate floor next week.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill to loosen education requirement for public library directors heads to Arkansas House
From left: Judy Calhoun, John McGraw and Misty Hawkins listen to discussion of Senate Bill 181 during a meeting of the House Committee on City, County, and Local Affairs on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) An Arkansas House committee approved a bill Wednesday that would loosen the current education requirement for local public library directors. If Senate Bill 181 becomes law, library directors would no longer need a master's degree in library science 'from an accredited American Library Association program' in order for libraries to receive state funding. It would allow someone with 'work experience in the field of library operations' but without the requisite degree to run a library or the Arkansas State Library with approval from its governing board. Three regional library directors spoke against the bill before the House Committee on City, County, and Local Affairs. All three said they have the current required education and that SB 181 is unnecessary. 'It's deeply concerning and frankly a bit disrespectful to see my profession and the value of my degree undermined,' said Misty Hawkins, regional director of the four-county Arkansas River Valley Regional Library System. '…With 23% of Arkansans reading at or below the lowest literacy level, I cannot understand why we would discourage education rather than promote it.' Hawkins also said SB 181 has 'no clear definition or explanation' for what work experience in libraries would qualify a potential director without the requisite degree. The other two library directors who opposed the bill were Judy Calhoun, who recently retired from the five-county Southeast Arkansas Regional Library System, and John McGraw, director of the Faulkner-Van Buren Regional Library. All three said work experience is valuable, but education is an important supplement. 'It gives you valuable tools, it tells you a lot of the theory behind why we're doing what we're doing, [and] it gives you skills, like cataloguing, that I don't think you're going to get as easily just doing the job on the fly,' McGraw said. He also said the bill contradicted the current 'moral panic that librarians aren't doing enough.' None of Arkansas' institutions of higher education have American Library Association-accredited master's degree programs, said the bill's Republican sponsors, Rep. Rebecca Burkes of Lowell and Sen. Dan Sullivan of Jonesboro. They also said SB 181 will make it easier for local library boards to fill library director vacancies. The three library directors all asserted that these degree programs are offered online and that there is no shortage of degreed librarians in Arkansas. The Arkansas State Library Board provides scholarships for students in an ALA-accredited master's degree program, and the board rejected a motion earlier this month to remove the ALA from its scholarship requirements. The failed motion also would have removed the ALA from the State Library's standards for state aid to public libraries, which are partly based on one of the statutes SB 181 seeks to amend. Sullivan is also sponsoring Senate Bill 184, which would dissolve the State Library Board. Hawkins spoke against the bill before a Senate committee earlier this month. The bill passed the Senate and has yet to be heard by a House committee. On Wednesday, Sullivan reiterated his opposition to both ALA and the State Library Board. He has often criticized the statement within the ALA's Library Bill of Rights that access to libraries should not be restricted based on a person's age. Far-right conservatives nationwide have claimed this is proof that the ALA believes in forcing content about sexual activity and LGBTQ+ topics onto children. Arkansas State Library Board refuses to reject American Library Association, withhold funds Former ALA President Emily Drabinski called herself a Marxist in a 2022 tweet; Sullivan repeated his assertion that this means ALA supports a political agenda and expects libraries to do the same. He also criticized ALA's stated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. 'Our libraries are fantastic institutions,' Sullivan said. 'For decades, our professionals that run those are good hardworking folks in your communities… We can have professionals in our libraries who have a choice to go to programs that allow them to pursue what they think is important, and your local board can choose whether that's important.' Rep. Aaron Pilkington, R-Knoxville, said he found SB 181 confusing. He represents part of the Arkansas River Valley Regional Library System and said he appreciated Hawkins' testimony. 'It'd be different if I had people coming to me saying that we can't fill these positions at the libraries in Pope, Johnson and Yell counties, but… I'm not hearing that, so it makes me think this isn't a need,' Pilkington said. 'And then I hear all this discussion about all these other [things], and granted, I don't like Marxists either, I don't like a lot of the things that the senator mentioned, but to me, I'm not seeing how we're addressing those problems in this bill.' Pilkington was in the minority of committee members, primarily Democrats, who voted against SB 181 on a voice vote. The full House is expected to vote on the bill Thursday, and it would then go to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' desk. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
