Latest news with #SenateBill222
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former legislators could immediately become lobbyists under Senate bill
People are seen on the third and fourth floors of the Montana Capitol building on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. (Nathaniel Bailey for the Daily Montanan) Former legislators could immediately become lobbyists under legislation from Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson. Under Montana law, state legislators, elected state officials, department directors, appointed state officials, and members of elected official's personal staff are not allowed to be licensed as lobbyists if they've served in any of those positions over the previous two years. Senate Bill 222 would remove the statute entirely. Speaker of the House Rep. Brandon Ler, R-Savage, and Sen. Wylie Galt, R-Martinsdale, are co-sponsoring the bill. Hertz argued Wednesday that the ban was unconstitutional, and an Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals decision had already ruled on the topic. The court ruled in Miller v. Ziegler, a Missouri case, a two-year ban on former elected officials becoming lobbyists was unconstitutional, essentially saying it burdened political speech and that such a ban must be narrowly tailored. The idea behind the lobbying rules is to prevent corruption. Say, for example, a member of the legislature is promised a lobbying position in exchange for a vote or other political favor. 'The Court recognized lobbying is a form of political speech and warranting strict scrutiny and the most rigorous standard at the judicial level,' Hertz said in a Senate State Administration Committee meeting. 'They acknowledged Missouri's legitimate interest in preventing corruption, but the court found the two-year ban to be excessive. 'The ruling emphasized that less restriction, less restrictive measures, could effectively address corruption concerns without duly infringing upon individual free speech.' The bill had support from some lobbyists, several of whom said they had to deal with the ban themselves, or have seen it play out. Frank Cote, the state's deputy insurance commissioner, who was speaking for himself, described a situation where it was an issue. Cote said his predecessor was a classified employee and could lobby immediately after leaving his position. However, since Cote was appointed, he could not. 'The law as it stands today is all hat and no cattle and was, quite frankly, built on a house of cards,' Cote said. 'The dirty little secret is not the thick steaks and whiskey. That's just another red herring. I'm not sure if the current law was crafted by Darth Vader, the Chinese Communist Party, but I do know it has Stalinist tactics in it.' The bill passed off the Senate floor by a 42-8 vote. It is currently in the House State Administration committee.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bay Area official introduces bill that would allow wildfire victims to sue oil companies
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A Bay Area elected official has introduced a bill that could allow California residents impacted by wildfires and other climate-related disasters to sue oil companies. Senate Bill 222 was introduced Monday by State Sen. Scott Weiner. ICE agents were in downtown SF Friday, according to local official SB 222, according to Weiner, would ensure that oil companies pay for 'the climate-fueled disasters that are burning and flooding California.' 'Californians are bearing these costs with explosive insurance premium increases that make CA less affordable,' Weiner added. 'That has to change.' The bill would allow victims of fires and other climate disasters to seek damages from fossil fuel companies in court. It would also allow insurance companies to seek damage from oil companies 'so that increasing premiums isn't the only way to recoup losses.' Finally, SB 222 would allow California's FAIR Plan, state-sponsored insurance that is a last resort for many homeowners in fire-prone areas, to seek damages from fossil fuel companies. 'Californians shouldn't be the only ones to pay the costs of devastating climate disasters,' Weiner said on X, formerly Twitter. 'From last year's floods to the fires in LA, we know that the fossil fuel industry bears ultimate responsibility for fueling these disasters.' 'The fossil fuel companies knew this was going to happen,' Weiner continued. 'They had the studies decades ago, suppressed them and obstructed policy changes to transition away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy.' The bill, according to Weiner, would force fossil fuel companies 'to be part of the solution instead of dumping this burden on policyholders.' It will also help make people whole from losses from climate disasters and improve insurance affordability, Weiner said. SB 222 was co-authored by State Sen. Sash Renee Perez (D-Pasadena) among others. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
