Latest news with #SenateBill20
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Oklahoma bill requires truck, bus drivers to be English proficient, be licensed by certain countries
Motion blurred semi truck speeding on Interstate Highway 40 viewed from above in Oklahoma. (Photo) (This image cannot be republished without a Getty subcription.) OKLAHOMA CITY — House lawmakers advanced a bill on Thursday creating English-language proficiency and citizenship requirements for commercial drivers utilizing Oklahoma roads. Critics said the bill was 'drastically' changed from its original topic of the legality of ATVs on some U.S. highways and could harm businesses. Senate Bill 20, authored by Rep. Jonathan Wilk, R-Goldsby, moved through the House committee along a party line vote. The new language would require anyone operating a commercial motor vehicle in the state to have a 'sufficient proficiency' in the English language and a valid commercial license from the United States, or from Canada and Mexico with a valid work visa. Drivers must also carry proof of citizenship for the country that issued the license. It also prohibits people who hold certain tourism and business visas from operating commercial motor vehicles in the state. Penalties for violations of the bill range from $2,000 to $5,000 fines and vehicles being impounded. A commercial driver's license allows a motorist to operate specialized vehicles like buses or semi-trucks. A commercial motor vehicle refers to any motor vehicle used in interstate commerce to transport property or passengers, with specific weight and passenger limits. Rep. Arturo Alonso-Sandoval, D-Oklahoma City, said the new language was a 'drastic change from the original bill and the original intent' of the measure. This bill could be a burden on businesses and force them to drive around Oklahoma rather than travel through the state, Alonso-Sandoval said. Wilk, the bill author, said it's a 'due burden' to ensure businesses operate 'right' with 'qualified and safe drivers.' He said this is a 'public safety' bill that is intended to protect residents and anyone using Oklahoma's roads. Traffic fatalities had increased since federal rules were amended to allow states to waive some commercial driver testing requirements, he said. A National Safety Council analysis shows the number of large trucks involved in fatal crashes has increased slightly since 2016. A 2016 memo from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration removed the requirement to 'place drivers out of service' who have 'English Language Proficiency violations,' and changed the agency's standard for determining non-compliance. An Arkansas-based trucking association has been backing a measure in Arkansas similar to Wilk's and attributed a rise in fatal crashes involving large trucks partly to the 2016 federal policy change. They said more nondomiciled commercial licenses are being issued to drivers with lower qualifications. While Wilk said he hasn't spoken to any Oklahoma-based trucking associations, he said truckers in his district requested the measure. The bill doesn't prohibit licensed drivers from other states from coming through Oklahoma, he said. Rep. Annie Menz, D-Norman, said the language changes still 'merit' more consideration and asked Wilk to stall it. 'You should still feel empowered to want to work on it more if you want to, because like I said, your name is on it,' she said. 'It's something that your name is on. The people of your district, their name is on it through that. So would you be willing to, no pun intended, park it here in this lovely committee … to be able to work on the language?' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Express Tribune
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Texas bill proposes ban on ‘Furry' behavior in public schools
A new bill introduced in the Texas House seeks to prohibit students from engaging in 'non-human behavior' in public schools, referring to actions like barking, meowing, or pretending to be animals—practices sometimes linked to the furry subculture, a community of people interested in anthropomorphic animal characters. The legislation, known as the FURRIES Act (Forbidding Unlawful Representation of Roleplaying in Educational Spaces), was introduced on March 13 by Texas State Representative Stan Gerdes. If passed, the bill would ban students from using litter boxes, licking themselves, making animal noises, or otherwise pretending to be animals while in school settings. Gerdes defended the proposal in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating, 'No distractions. No theatrics. Just education. Texas schools are for educating kids, not indulging in radical trends.' He emphasized that the bill aims to keep classrooms focused on academic success rather than what he views as disruptive behavior. The bill has sparked divided reactions, with some arguing it is necessary for maintaining discipline, while others claim it unfairly targets a niche group. Although the bill has yet to be voted on in the House, it has already generated significant online debate. The FURRIES Act is the latest in a series of bills addressing cultural and behavioral concerns in Texas schools. Earlier in March, state senators passed Senate Bill 20, a separate piece of legislation that aims to ban material featuring minors in 'obscene' ways, including anime, video games, and AI-generated content. As lawmakers debate these proposals, their potential impact on free expression, school policies, and digital media regulation remains a growing concern in Texas and beyond.
Al Bawaba
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Bawaba
Is Texas banning anime that sexualizes underage characters?
Published March 17th, 2025 - 09:08 GMT ALBAWABA - A new Texas bill has sparked widespread debate on social media due to its possibility of criminalizing anime featuring underage characters in "obscene" ways. The bill was passed anonymously by several state senators. It's worth noting that Senate Bill 20's main focus isn't only anime but AI-generated cartoons or animations created with this type of material in mind. Many popular anime, manga, and games depict minors in "obscene" ways due to the target audience being of that age, so Texas might target several beloved franchises and titles. Texas Senators have unanimously passed a bill that, if signed into law, could make several games, anime, and manga series illegal to own in the state The bill bans any "obscene" depiction of a minor or someone who looks like one — Dexerto (@Dexerto) March 16, 2025 The statement was issued on March 12 and includes, "I named SB 20 as a priority because Texas law must do more to eliminate all types of child pornography and stop the crimes that result from it. SB 20 keeps Texas up to date with advancements in technology and cuts off any loopholes in the law to protect our kids." Several anime fans have expressed their disapproval of the new bill and wrote, "This could be extremely dangerous. Texas is the anime capital of the US. CR has its main studio in Dallas, same with HiDive and others. If this is not handled correctly and carefully, it could destroy anime in the US." Another added, "That's a very, very broad brush that will affect more than Anime. Disney better watch out with Tinkerbell for example. Obscene by whose standards?" Examples of anime featuring underage characters in "obscene" ways (Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War/ Tite Kubo/ Pierrot) For example, Persona is a video game franchise developed by Japanese developer Atlus. Most of its games take place in high school and allow players to date underage characters due to the main characters being similar in age. Moreover, the fourth and fifth installments bring up topics about the sexual exploitation of minors as an issue. Moreover, shonen anime such as Bleach, Naruto, Fire Force, Gurren Laggan, and many more showcase underage women characters in sexual ways due to the main demographic being Japanese males in their teens. The Monogatari series is definitely one of the most problematic since it depicts a +1000-year-old vampire as a child while the main character who is also a mi#tenor is showcased interacting indecently with child-like girls who are claimed to be over 18 in both the anime and light novels. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill to increase taxes on e-cigarette products draws mixed opinions
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – E-cigarette users may soon be paying more at the cash register. Senate Bill 20, which would raise taxes for vaping supplies, is moving through the legislature, with sponsors saying the goal is to keep them out of the hands of teens. Lawmakers have proposed similar bills in previous sessions. Once again, today, it drew mixed opinions. 'Hopefully, [it will] influence and help children stop taking up nicotine in their school years,' said Senator Martin Hickey (D-Albuquerque). Preventing youth from using and becoming addicted to nicotine is what Senator Martin Hickey says his new tax bill is meant to do while also generating money for the state. The bill would raise the tax retailers pay on e-cigarettes and e-liquids from 12.5% to 40%. The same goes for closed-system cartridges, which are currently taxed at 50 cents per unit. Senator Hickey says that other states that have imposed higher tax rates have seen a reduction in teens using nicotine products. New Mexico Senate passes Turquoise Alert Bill Supporters of the bill say the problem needs to be addressed. 'We have an e-cigarette epidemic in our schools, and you can ask your local principals, teachers and kids are vaping in bathrooms and it's a big, big issue,' said Mahesh Sita with the American Heart Association. Meanwhile, others argue it will not deter behavior, while negatively impacting law-abiding adults. 'Tobacco taxes are the most regressive of any tax we can impose on our constituents. they affect the most financially vulnerable the most,' said Art Hall with Native Trading Associates. The bill would also create a new nicotine use prevention and control fund to help educate youth on the dangers of nicotine. 'It starts here. If we can stop the addiction to nicotine, by discouraging the uptake in youth, we're going to have many less behavioral health problems down the line,' said Sen. Hickey. The bill passed today's committee with a 6-to-5 vote. It will now head to the Senate floor. If it passes there, it still needs to make its way through the house. The bill initially included a tax increase on traditional cigarettes and cigars, but the sponsors say they removed those as a compromise with opponents of the bill. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill raising NM's tax rate on vaping products, nicotine pouches advances Roundhouse
Feb. 18—SANTA FE — A proposed tobacco tax increase in New Mexico is advancing at the Roundhouse after being slimmed down to target vape devices and nicotine pouches. The Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee voted 4-3 on Tuesday to advance a bill broadening the definition of nicotine and raising the tax rate for e-cigarettes and other products. Sen. Martin Hickey, D-Albuquerque, a retired physician who is the sponsor of the measure, Senate Bill 20, said it would likely generate between $5 million and $10 million annually. But he said the bill's primary goal is not to raise money amid an ongoing state revenue bonanza, but rather to deter young people in New Mexico from using vaping devices and nicotine pouches. "The reason for this bill is it is a youth health bill," he told reporters after Tuesday's committee vote. "It's the kids I'm trying to save from learning addictive behaviors that, if they do (learn them), will plague them with other substances potentially for the rest of their lives," he later added. In its initial form, the bill would have also increased the state's cigarette tax rate from $2 to $3 per pack, among other changes. But that provision was removed from the legislation amid pressure from lobbyists representing large tobacco companies, Hickey said. Several lobbyists and business owners still testified against the legislation on Tuesday, with one claiming youth e-cigarette usage in New Mexico has declined in recent years. Dan Coffman, the vice president of Gem State Distributors, a wholesaler of candy and tobacco products with an office in Albuquerque, said the bill would have "devastating consequences" on local convenience stores. He also predicted the legislation, if approved, could lead to increased sales of tobacco products in border towns just outside New Mexico. However, advocates say New Mexico's tobacco tax laws have not kept pace in recent years with the proliferation of recent synthetic nicotine products, including flavored pouches, toothpicks, lozenges and gum. Mahesh Sita, government relations director for the American Heart Association in New Mexico, cited data indicating about 25% of New Mexico high school students used vaping products at least once in the last 30 days. Specifically, the bill approved Tuesday would impose a 40% excise tax on the wholesale price of tobacco products, excluding cigarettes and cigars. It would also create a new fund, administered by the state Department of Health, that would help pay for nicotine prevention efforts. New Mexico currently levies a 12.5% tax on vaping products, along with a 50-cent tax per cartridge, according to Tax Foundation data. After Tuesday's committee hearing, Hickey expressed optimism the bill could win legislative approval during this year's 60-day session. "I've got a bill that's going to treat the disease, and I'm thrilled," he said. He also said the higher tax rate for e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and other tobacco products would be only slightly higher than the state's cigarette tax rate. The state's current cigarette tax rate of $2 per pack ranks near the middle of the pack when it comes to the national average. New York currently has the nation's highest rate at $5.35 per pack, while Missouri has the lowest rate at just 17 cents per pack, according to American Lung Association data.
