Latest news with #SenateBill199
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bengals' odds of receiving funding from Ohio for Paycor Stadium renovations has increased
The Cincinnati Bengals and Hamilton County have been locked in negotiations on their lease involving Paycor Stadium. One of the more recent points in their negotiations has been the hopeful inclusion of funding from the state of Ohio after they initially proposed funding $600 million for the Cleveland Browns' brand-new stadium via bonds that would be paid back. That has since been called into question as it adds a ton of debt onto the state and the estimates for the Browns and Brook Park estimates were 'overly optimistic.' One thing that is for certain is there will be an added way of Ohio getting more tax money from legal gambling. It is just a matter of what it looks like. Dan Monk from WCPO recently wrote this on a promising new proposal, one that could actually mean that the Bengals are in better position to potentially get funding over the Browns: [Bill] Blessing introduced Senate Bill 199 on May 14 to propose a 2% fee on Ohio's sports betting handle, which is the total dollar value of all bets accepted by state-licensed sportsbooks. Ohio's handle was $8.9 billion last year, which means the fee could raise about $180 million per year, if approved. Blessing's proposal came one day after Sen. Nathan Manning, R-North Ridgeville, proposed the legalization of iGaming in Ohio in Senate Bill 197. It would allow online betting for casino games, including slot machines, poker and Blackjack, along with state lottery games and horse racing. Supporters claim it will raise up to $800 million in new taxes annually, money that could fund a reduction in state income tax or stadium projects. 'Just in talking with other members, there's a lot of skepticism over [Cleveland's financing plan],' Blessing said. 'They don't like the fact that it's bankrolled by state general revenue funds. I think that's probably one of the reasons why there's a mad dash to do iGaming as a potential alternative.' This could give us a better reason why the Bengals were so taken aback by Hamilton County hiring someone included in the Browns Stadium funding process. If they knew that support was waning for the Browns funding then hiring someone included in a possibly competitive process for funding could be problematic. In fact, the lawyer Hamilton County fired, Tom Gableman, actually had a hand in developing this proposal with Blessings. Essentially, the proposal deals out up to $200 million a year created by this two percent 'privilege fee' on each gambling transaction. The way that $200 is divided up would depend on several factors that favored the Bengals and Hamilton County after an agreement would be set up for a 10 to 20-year lease agreement. 'The way we structured it, there were ten factors to allocate funding,' Gabelman told Monk. 'The age of the stadium, capacity of the stadium, the public use of it, how many years are left in the term, or the new term. The amount of capital repairs put in by the local entity, by the team, and so on. Under those metrics, Paycor gets funded first.' This is still a proposal and is far from being set in stone, but it is a far easier pill for taxpayers to swallow than outright paying for the Browns to make a stadium from scratch outside of Cleveland and footing the entire bill upfront. This would still allow funding to go to the Browns, but it'd be much more of a supplemental payment than the original proposal. That ultimately fits the needs of the Bengals and Hamilton County much better. This all still depends on the two sides coming to an agreement before their deadline, which is less than a month away. Hamilton County's changing negotiators certainly put that process in more doubt than it appears they needed to. Hopefully, it still gets done, and the Bengals stay by the river for generations to come. More from NFL Week 14 injury report: 8 starters miss Bengals' Thursday practice Marvin Lewis a candidate to be Browns GM? Marvin Lewis reveals John Ross had been hiding a shoulder injury NFL Week 14 Bengals vs Bears: Behind enemy lines with Windy City Gridiron Bengals film room: Mistakes and injuries cause defense to fall apart vs Steelers Fantasy Football: Who to start and sit in NFL Week 14 Bengals Bytes (12/8): Getting over the Pittsburgh hangover
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Checking in on the Nevada Legislature: What's on death watch and what's still kicking
Time is ticking for the hundreds of bills still alive in the Nevada State Legislature. (Photo: Trevor Bexon/Nevada Current) The Nevada State Legislature has only a fortnight remaining before it must gavel out, which means it's crunch time for the hundreds of bills still trying to make it to Gov. Joe Lombardo's desk. Friday, May 16 marked the 103rd day of the session and the deadline by which most bills had to pass out of a committee. The bills subject to Friday's deadline had already passed one chamber of the Legislature, meaning their next step is to get a floor vote in whichever chamber hasn't already voted on it. The deadline for passing that full floor vote is this Friday, May 23. Meanwhile, there is an avalanche of bills exempt from standard deadlines. Some of these bills are chugging along. Others are languishing in inaction and likely already dead inside, though their sponsors may still be holding out hope. We know it's a lot to follow, so here's the Nevada Current's status check on the dozens of noteworthy bills we have covered so far this session. We've included links to our previous coverage and links to the official legislative website where you can find out more about each bill. This time around, we've broken out the bills that appear stuck in a budget committee. The rest of the bills are organized by subject. We've also added dates to give you a sense of how long each bill has been wherever it is. * Notes: Bills exempt from the legislative deadline are marked with an asterisk. Lead sponsors are listed in parentheses. Bills with no lead sponsor listed are sponsored by interim committees. One common joke among the halls of the Legislature is that Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means are the committees where bills go to die. That may especially be true this year because of a souring economic outlook and the potential for major federal cuts causing further financial damage later this year. Here's a look at bills that have been referred to these budget committees and not seen recent action. Senate Bill 54* would require the state's Department of Health and Human Services to apply for a federal waiver and amend the state Medicaid plan to cover medical respite care for people experiencing homelessness. Referred to Senate Finance on April 21. Senate Bill 172* (Sen. Edgar Flores, D) seeks to bolster protections for farm workers and amend overtime pay laws to include agriculture workers. Referred to Senate Finance on April 16. Senate Bill 199* (State Sen. Dina Neal, D) would establish guardrails around artificial intelligence. Referred to Senate Finance on April 21. Senate Bill 217* (State Sen. Nicole Cannizzaro, D) would establish the right to assisted reproduction treatment, including in vitro fertilization. Referred to Senate Finance on April 18. Senate Bill 220* (State Sen. Roberta Lange, D) is known as the Nevada Film Infrastructure, Workforce Development, Education and Economic Diversification Act. It is one of two bills that would massively expand the state's film tax credit program to support a film and production studio in southwest Las Vegas. Referred to Senate Finance on April 15. Senate Bill 244* (State Sen. Roberta Lange, D) would expand the types of obesity treatments covered by Nevada Medicaid, including approving weight-loss drugs like Ozempic for wider use. Referred to Senate Finance on April 1. Senate Bill 260* (Sen. Edgar Flores, D) seeks to ensure that outdoor workers receive protection when air quality reaches unhealthy levels due to wildfire smoke. Status: Referred to Senate Finance on April 21. Senate Bill 353* (State Sen. Marilyn Dondero Loop, D) would increase Medicaid reimbursement for mental health providers. Referred to Senate Finance on April 17. Senate Bill 391* (State Sen. Dina Neal, D) would establish a corporate landlord registry and cap purchasing power for corporate owners. Referred to Senate Finance on April 21. Senate Bill 431* would apply the state's live entertainment tax to tickets resold by third-party vendors and dedicate some funding to transit. Referred to Senate Finance on April 21. Assembly Bill 191* (Assemblymember Natha Anderson, D) would give graduate assistants the right to collectively bargain for better pay and conditions. Referred to Assembly Ways and Means on April 14. Assembly Bill 224* (Assemblymember Erica Mosca, D) would dedicate $100 million in state general obligation bonds for high-needs school construction projects in low-population counties that cannot fund them through typical means. Referred to Assembly Ways and Means on April 10. Assembly Bill 246* (Assemblymember Venicia Considine, D) would require the Nevada Department of Corrections to conduct a study on food quality, waste and nutrition within state prisons. Referred to Assembly Ways and Means on April 21. Assembly Bill 276* (Assemblymember P.K. O'Neill, R) would adjust the commerce tax threshold to inflation. Referred to Assembly Ways and Means on April 21. Assembly Bill 366* (Assemblymember Daniele Monroe-Moreno, D) would appropriate $25 million from the state general fund to supportive housing initiatives throughout the state. Heard by Assembly Ways and Means on March 28. No action taken. Assembly Bill 388* (Assemblymember Selena La Rue Hatch, D) would require private employers with more than 50 workers, as well as all public employers, to provide paid family and medical leave. Referred to Assembly Ways and Means on April 15. Assembly Bill 460* (Assemblymember Cecelia González, D) streamlines the process for selecting a temporary guardian for minors prior to any immigration action. Referred to Assembly Ways and Means on April 21. Assembly Bill 475* would provide funding for eviction diversion programs in Clark and Washoe counties. Heard by Assembly Ways and Means on April 4. Senate Bill 121 (State Sen. Dina Neal, D) changes what homeowners' associations are allowed to require of new residents. Status: Passed Assembly Judiciary on May 8. Previously: Passed full Senate with bipartisan support: 18 yeas, 2 nays. Republicans Ira Hansen and Robin Titus opposed. Assembly Bill 121 (Assemblymember Venicia Considine, D) would require all non-optional fees, such as sewer and water, be listed in advertisements for rental properties. It would also require landlords to offer a way for tenants to pay rent without added processing fees. Status: Passed Senate Commerce and Labor on May 12. Previously: Passed full Assembly on party lines: 27 yeas, 15 nays. Assembly Bill 201 (Assemblymember Erica Roth, D) would expand efforts to automatically seal eviction records. Status: Passed Senate Judiciary on May 14. Previously: Passed full Assembly on party lines: 27 yeas, 15 nays. Assembly Bill 211 (Assemblymember Venicia Considine, D) would allow a third party to take over the property until repairs are made and living conditions improved. Status: Passed Senate Government Affairs on May 16. Previously: Passed full Assembly: 41 yeas, 0 nays, 1 excused. Assembly Bill 223 (Assemblymember Venicia Considine, D) would give tenants more power to hold landlords accountable for failing to provide livable conditions. Status: Passed Senate Commerce and Labor on May 16. Previously: Passed full Assembly on party lines: 27 yeas, 15 nays. Assembly Bill 241 (Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui, D) would require counties to speed up the process to rezone land currently designated commercial use into residential or mixed use. Status: Passed Senate Commerce and Labor on May 16. Previously: Passed full Assembly 28 yeas, 14 nays. Republican Danielle Gallant voted with Democrats in support. Assembly Bill 280 (Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui, D) proposes rent stabilization for seniors. Status: Passed Senate Commerce and Labor on May 12. Previously: Passed full Assembly on party lines: 27 yeas, 15 nays. Assembly Bill 283 (Assemblymember Max Carter, D) would restructure the eviction process. Status: Passed Senate Judiciary on May 14. Previously: Passed full Assembly on party lines: 27 yeas, 15 nays. Assembly Bill 540* is Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo's housing bill. It would allocate millions of dollars to build more housing and expand the definition of affordable housing to include people with higher incomes. Status: Heavily amended and passed by Assembly Commerce and Labor on May 16. Senate Bill 316* (State Sen. Rochelle Nguyen, D) would curb how much profit pharmacy benefit managers can make. Status: Heard by Senate Finance on May 13. Senate Bill 417 would allow Southwest Gas and other natural gas utilities to ask the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada to depart from traditional rate-setting in favor of alternative rate-making. Status: Heard by Assembly Growth and Infrastructure on May 15 and moved out of the committee without recommendation the following day. Previously: Passed full Senate unanimously. Senate Bill 442 mandates utilities report the number of disconnections due to non-payment. Status: Passed Assembly Growth and Infrastructure on May 8. Previously: Passed full Senate with some bipartisan support: 17 yeas, 4 nays from Republicans. Assembly Bill 44 (Attorney General Aaron Ford, D) seeks to crack down on 'knowingly deceptive' price fixing. Status: Passed Senate Commerce and Labor on May 16. Previously: Passed full Assembly: 24 yeas, 18 nays; three Democrats voted with Republicans in opposition. Assembly Bill 204* (Assemblymember Max Carter, D) would prevent collection agencies from threatening to arrest people for debt, obtain a lien against a primary residence, seek to foreclose on a home, or garnish wages. Status: Heard by Assembly Ways and Means on May 15. Senate Bill 348 (State Sen. Julie Pazina, D) would increase the fee hospitals pay the Nevada State Public Health Lab for a newborn screening panel to expand newborn screenings for rare diseases. Status: Passed Assembly Health and Human Services on May 14. Previously: Passed Senate with bipartisan support: 16 yeas, 5 nays. Senate Bill 495*, known as the Nevada Health Care Access Act, is Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo's health care bill. Status: Introduced into the Legislature on May 15. Referred to Senate Health and Human Services. Assembly Bill 176 (Assemblymember Selena Torres-Fossett, D), known as the Right to Contraception Act, would strengthen protections against a state or local government burdening access to contraceptive measures. Status: Passed Senate Health and Human Services on May 15. Previously: Passed full Assembly with unanimous support. Assembly Bill 235 (Assemblymember Erica Roth, D) protects employees and volunteers of reproductive health care facilities, as well as their spouses, domestic partners or minor children, by allowing them to request a court order that keeps their personal information confidential on otherwise public records within the offices of county recorder, county assessor, county clerk, city clerk, Secretary of State, or Department of Motor Vehicles. Status: Passed Senate Government Affairs on May 16. Previously: Passed the full Assembly with bipartisan support: 33 yeas, 9 nays; six Republicans supported. Assembly Bill 411 (Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui, D) would allow prescriptions for drugs used for medical abortions and miscarriage management to list the name of the prescribing health care practice, rather than the name of the specific individual providing the prescription. Status: Passed Senate Commerce and Labor on May 12. Previously: Passed full Assembly on party lines: 26 yeas, 15 nays, 1 Democrat excused. Senate Bill 116 (State Sen. Skip Daly, D) would give pay raises to elected county officials. Status: Passed Assembly Government Affairs on May 16. Previously: Passed full Senate with bipartisan support: 19 yeas, 2 nays. Republicans Carrie Buck and Robin Titus opposed. Senate Bill 161* (State Sen. Rochelle Nguyen, D) would establish an expedited arbitration process for teachers unions and school districts and establish a pathway for K-12 public school teachers to legally go on strike. Status: Passed full Senate: 14 yeas, 6 nays. Republicans Lori Rogich and John Steinbeck voted with Democrats in support. Senate Bill 418* would enable the State Superintendent of Public Schools to withhold a charter school's per-pupil dollars in order to pay PERS delinquencies. Status: Passed Assembly Government Affairs on May 13. Previously: Passed full Senate unanimously. Assembly Bill 112 (Assemblymember Duy Nguyen, D) would allow workers covered by collective bargaining agreements to use their accrued leave to care for family members. Status: Passed Senate Commerce and Labor on May 12. Previously: Passed full Assembly: 29 yeas, 13 nays. Republicans Rebecca Edgeworth and Gregory Hafen voted with Democrats in support. Assembly Bill 215 (Assemblymember Daniele Monroe-Moreno, D) would prohibit high school teenagers from working between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. before a school day. Status: Passed Senate Commerce and Labor on May 12. Previously: Passed full Assembly unanimously. Assembly Bill 502* would boost the state's ability to investigate and enforce prevailing wage violations. Status: Referred to Assembly Ways and Means on April 17. Hearing scheduled for May 23. Assembly Joint Resolution 1* (Assemblymember Natha Anderson, D) would let voters in 2028 decide whether the taxable value of property should reset when a home is sold. Status: Heard by Senate Legislative Operations and Elections on May 15 and advanced without a recommendation the following day. Previously: Resolution passed full Assembly: 26 yeas, 16 nays. Democrat Brittney Miller joined Republicans in opposition. Assembly Joint Resolution 8 (Assemblymember Joe Dalia, D) would let voters in 2028 decide whether Nevada should establish a dedicated business court with the goal of enticing large companies to incorporate here. Status: Passed Senate Legislative Operations and Elections on May 15. Previously: Resolution passed the full Assembly with bipartisan support: 40 yeas, 2 nays. Democrats Selena La Rue Hatch and Erica Roth opposed. Assembly Bill 256 (Assemblymember Selena La Rue Hatch, D) would create a Regional Rail Transit Advisory Working Group to assess the need for a regional rail system in the state's largest metro areas, as well as potential funding sources for such a system. Status: Passed Senate Legislative Operations and Elections on May 15. Previously: Passed the full Assembly with unanimous support. Assembly Bill 277 (Assemblymember Rich DeLong, R) would make the Net Proceeds of Minerals Bulletin public again. Status: Passed Senate Revenue and Economic Development on May 15. Previously: Passed Assembly unanimously. Senate Bill 28 (City of Las Vegas) would create 'tax increment areas' in which a portion of future property tax revenue would be used to pay interest on bonds used to finance affordable housing development and public transit. Status: Passed Assembly Government Affairs on May 13. Previously: Passed full Senate with bipartisan support: 17 yeas, 4 nays. Four Republicans opposed. Senate Bill 69 (Storey County) would require companies seeking massive tax abatements to enter into agreements to defray the costs of the government-provided services they would require. Status: Passed Assembly Revenue on May 16. Previously: Passed full Senate with bipartisan support: 17 yeas, 4 nays. Four Republicans opposed. Assembly Bill 185 (Assemblymember Natha Anderson, D) would bar most HOAs from prohibiting licensed home-based childcare operations within their communities. Status: Passed Senate Health and Human Services on May 16. Previously: Passed Assembly with bipartisan support; 32 yeas, 10 nays. A third of the Republican caucus supported. Assembly Bill 238* (Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui, D) is known as the Nevada Studio Infrastructure Jobs and Workforce Training Act. It massively expands the state's film tax credit program to support a production studio in Summerlin in Las Vegas. Status: Heard by Assembly Ways and Means on May 9. No action taken since. Assembly Bill 376* (Assemblymember P.K. O'Neill, R) would create a 'regulatory sandbox' for the insurance industry. Status: Referred to Assembly Ways and Means on April 22. Scheduled for a hearing on May 20. Assembly Bill 457* (Assemblymember Venicia Considine, D) originally sought to close a potential loophole that can be used by corporate landlords to avoid paying the state's commerce tax. It has now been amended into a study on the issue. Status: Passed Senate Revenue and Economic Development on May 15. Previously: Passed Assembly on party lines; 27 yeas 15 nays. Assembly Bill 487 originally sought to ban retail pet sales statewide. It has been amended into a study bill. Status: Passed Senate Natural Resources on May 15. Previously: Passed Assembly with bipartisan support; 32 yeas, 9 nays, 1 excused. Six of the chamber's 15 Republicans supported. Senate Bill 318* (State Sen. Skip Daly, D) would ban charter schools from contracting with for-profit education management organizations. Status: Heard by Senate Finance on May 19. No action taken. Assembly Bill 217 would prohibit school employees from granting permission to immigration officers to enter a school, or provide student records, including information on a student's family, without a warrant. Status: Passed Senate Judiciary on May 14. Previously: Passed Assembly; 31 yeas, 11 nays. Four Republicans joined Democrats in support. Assembly Bill 398* (Assemblymember Steve Yeager, D) would provide additional pay for public school district teachers in hard-to-fill positions. Yeager plans to amend the bill to establish a fund for broader charter school raises. Status: Heard by Assembly Ways and Means on May 15. Assembly Bill 441 (Assemblymember Daniele Monroe-Moreno, D) would change how Opportunity Scholarships are administered. Status: Passed Senate Revenue and Economic Development on May 15. Previously: Passed Assembly on party lines; 27 yeas, 15 nays. Senate Bill 88* would discharge medical debt from those incarcerated once they leave prison. Status: Heard by Senate Finance on May 19. No action taken. Assembly Bill 91* (Assemblymember Erica Roth, D) is known as 'second look' legislation and would create an avenue for those incarcerated to have sentences reviewed by the State Board of Parole Commissioners after they've served extended periods of time. Status: Heard by Assembly Ways and Means on May 14. No action taken. Assembly Bill 107 (Assemblymember Tracy Brown-May, D) would allow people convicted of marijuana possession for amounts that are currently legal to become foster parents. Status: Passed Senate Health and Human Services on May 15. Previously: Passed full Assembly with unanimous support. Assembly Bill 111 (Assemblymember Brian Hibbetts, R) would make driving the wrong way a misdemeanor crime. Status: Passed Senate Growth and Infrastructure on May 14. Previously: Passed Assembly unanimously. Senate Bill 323* (State Sen. Melanie Scheible, D) would create a pilot program to provide free phone calls at Florence McLure Women's Correctional Center. Status: Heard by Senate Finance on May 13. No action taken. Assembly Bill 320* (Assemblymember Jovan Jackson, D) seeks to stop judges from using dress codes to turn away defendants. Status: Heard by Assembly Ways and Means on May 14. No action taken. Senate Bill 350 (State Sen. James Ohrenschall, D) would extend the time period the state has for carrying out an execution of someone on death row. Status: Passed Assembly Judiciary on May 16. Previously: Passed full Senate on party lines: 13 yeas, 8 nays. Assembly Bill 381* (Assemblymember Melissa Hardy, R) is known as Reba's Law and mandates prison time for killing a domestic animal. Status: Passed full Assembly unanimously on May 16. Assembly Bill 402* (Assemblymember Selena Torres-Fossett, D) would authorize traffic monitoring cameras in construction work zones when workers are present. Status: Scheduled for Assembly Ways and Means hearing on May 23. Assembly Bill 209 (Assemblymember David Orentlicher, D) would grant sex workers immunity from criminal liability from prostitution-related offenses if they call 911 seeking medical assistance. Status: Passed Senate Judiciary Committee on May 15. Previously: Passed Assembly on party-line vote. Assembly Bill 321 (Assemblymember Jovan Jackson, D) seeks to establish a pathway for formerly incarcerated people to work as firefighters with the Nevada Division of Forestry. Status: Passed Senate Judiciary on May 15. Previously: Passed full Assembly unanimously. Senate Bill 457 (Gov. Joe Lombardo, R) is known as the Safe Streets and Neighborhoods Act. Status: Referred to Senate Judiciary on April 7, no hearing scheduled Assembly Bill 96 would mandate that cities and counties with populations exceeding 100,000 people include 'heat mitigation' as part of their master plans. Status: Passed Senate Government Affairs on May 14. Previously: Passed Assembly; 29 yeas, 13 nays. Republicans Gregory Koenig and Toby Yurek voted with Democrats in support. Assembly Bill 104 would establish the Nevada Voluntary Water Rights Retirement Program, which would allow willing landowners to sell their water rights back to the state through the year 2035. Status: Passed Senate Natural Resources on May 15. Previously: Passed full Assembly unanimously. Assembly Joint Resolution 10 (Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui, D) a non-binding statement of support urging the federal government to prioritize the passage of the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, colloquially known as the Clark County Lands Bill, which would open 25,000 acres of public land in Southern Nevada to development. Status: Passed Senate Legislative Operations and Elections on May 15. Previously: Passed full Assembly with bipartisan support: 36 yeas, 6 nays. Six Democrats opposed. As of Monday afternoon, only four bills had actually made it to the governor's desk — a bill funding the session, a bill covering a budget shortfall in the Secretary of State's Office, a bill designating Jan. 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and the 'emergency egg bill' designed to help reduce egg prices. Lombardo signed them all. However, four bills have passed both chambers and should soon head to Lombardo. Most prominently: Assembly Bill 530, which would allow the Clark County Commission to extend fuel revenue indexing (FRI) an additional decade beyond its current sunset date. The bill passed both chambers with bipartisan support. The Senate vote on May 12 was 14 yeas, 6 nays. Republicans Ira Hansen and John Steinbeck voted with Democrats in support. (Democrat James Ohrenschall was excused.) The Assembly vote in April was 39 yeas, 3 nays. Republicans Jill Dickman, Danielle Gallant, and Gregory Hafen were opposed. Lombardo vetoed a similar bill in 2023. Once AB530 formally arrives at his desk, he will have 5 days to sign or veto.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
School discipline bill signed into law by Governor Morrisey
CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — A school discipline bill was signed into law by Governor Patrick Morrisey. According to a press release, Senate Bill 199, which outlines school discipline procedures for violent and threatening behavior in the classroom, was signed into law by Governor Morrisey on Tuesday, April 15, 2025 at a bill signing event at Ripley Elementary School in Jackson County. Mercer County school officials showcase newest elementary school set to open in August We cannot truly excel as a state without a world-class education system, and that means empowering parents, supporting teachers, rewarding merit, and ensuring that every child has what they need to succeed. This legislation provides teachers with the tools to regain control of the classroom and ensure safe learning environments for our kids. Governor Morrisey The press release stated that the bill will let teachers remove a student if they are threatening or intimidating staff or peers, creating an unsafe learning environment, or impeding on the other students' ability to learn safely. The bill will also set up a process for the student to be involved in an intervention program or even put in an alternative learning center that meets the needs of the student, and will help create a safe learning environment for students in the Mountain State, as well as offering teachers more control in the classroom. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Morrisey signs bill allowing teachers to remove students from class
RIPLEY, (WBOY) — Gov. Patrick Morrisey signed a bill on Tuesday that aims to give teachers more power over students in their classrooms. The governor signed Senate Bill 199 into law, which allows for teachers to immediately remove students from class who are 'intimidating staff or peers, creating an unsafe learning environment, or impeding on the other students' ability to learn safely,' according to a release. The new law also creates a process for students who are removed from class, which could include them being barred from returning to the class for the rest of the day, suspension or an alternative learning situation, if deemed necessary. How federal funding cuts are affecting West Virginia libraries 'We cannot truly excel as a state without a world-class education system, and that means empowering parents, supporting teachers, rewarding merit, and ensuring that every child has what they need to succeed,' Governor Morrisey said. 'This legislation provides teachers with the tools to regain control of the classroom and ensure safe learning environments for our kids.' Gov. Morrisey visited Ripley Elementary School to sign the bill, joined by Senators Amy Grady and Eric Tarr, State Superintendent Michele Blatt, and Ripley Mayor Carolyn Radler. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Morrisey says WV teachers will have ‘more control' over classrooms with elementary discipline law
Gov. Patrick Morrisey signed Senate Bill 199 into law at Ripley Elementary School in Ripley, on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. The bill allows teachers to remove disruptive students from their classrooms. (West Virginia Office of the Gov. Patrick Morrisey | Courtesy photo) West Virginia elementary school teachers have spent the last few years asking lawmakers for help addressing an uptick in violent and disruptive student behavior that includes punching, kicking and classroom destruction. On Monday, Gov. Patrick Morrisey signed a bill aiming to give teachers more control over their classrooms. 'We want our teachers teaching — not babysitting, not disciplining,' Morrisey said during a bill signing event at Ripley Elementary School in Ripley, West Virginia. The measure, Senate Bill 199, also mandates that school mental health professionals assess removed students to see what could be causing the behavior. The most violent attacks on elementary teachers are occurring most frequently in kindergarten classrooms. Educators say the problem is linked to the state's ongoing substance abuse crisis, and kids are arriving at preschool or kindergarten dealing with trauma, neglect or behavioral issues as a result of neonatal abstinence syndrome. Sen. Amy Grady, R-Mason, is a fourth grader teacher who spent two years working on the bill after it failed to make it to the governor's desk last year. 'The most important part is that we want to make sure that you guys always have a safe classroom and a safe learning environment to learn in and that your teachers have a safe environment to teach in,' Grady told Ripley Elementary students. Addressing student discipline has been a top ask from teachers across the state as they say student behavior is worsening and data shows suspensions are increasing. Some lawmakers have said they must address the issue to protect teachers and boost the state's struggling test scores. State Schools Superintendent Michele Blatt supported the bill, saying, 'I think we have something in place that's really going to support our teachers and make a difference. I'm thrilled that the governor has decided to sign this.' The bill outlines how and why teachers in kindergarten through sixth grade classrooms can immediately remove students who are violent, threatening or intimidating toward staff or peers, or students' whose behavior is impeding on other students' ability to learn. The House of Delegates amended the bill to include pre-K classrooms that are on public school grounds. Morrisey called it a 'streamlined process' for dealing with these students. School counselors and social workers will now be required to determine any underlying cause of the child's behavior. The measure gives the student a two- to four-week probationary period on a behavioral plan for improvement. If improvement isn't made, the student can be placed in an alternative school or behavioral intervention program. Fewer than half of the state's 55 counties have alternate learning centers. 'If there's no county program, the student may be removed from school and find alternative learning environments. Maybe it's a virtual school or other learning environments,' Morrisey said. The Senate unanimously signed off the bill, and the House passed the measure with a 94-3 vote. Three Democrats in the House opposed the measure, citing concerns about potentially unqualified counselors or social workers conducting an assessment to determine the underlying cause of a child's behavior. The bill doesn't come with funding for schools to add behavioral support staff; some teachers told lawmakers that money and additional staff were key parts of addressing the problem. Lawmakers also passed a bill permitting counties to ban cell phones in classrooms, which was a request from Morrisey. The session ended without any movement on teacher pay raises; West Virginia teachers are the lowest paid in the nation. 'We know a lot more needs to be done,' Morrisey said. 'Reversing courses is a major priority for my administration… I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure West Virginia kids excel.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
