Latest news with #SenateBill36
Associated Press
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Bill to create a Texas Homeland Security Division passes state Senate
The Texas Senate on Thursday approved a proposal that would create a homeland security division within the state's Department of Public Safety to focus on immigration enforcement, organized crime and protecting the state's infrastructure from security risks. If passed into law, Senate Bill 36 would make Texas' immigration enforcement efforts a permanent part of the state's criminal justice system. SB 36, which passed in the Senate on a 26-4 vote, will now go before the state House of Representatives. For the past four years, Texas legislators have plowed more than $11 billion into Operation Lone Star, Gov. Greg Abbott's ongoing border crackdown that deployed state police and Texas National Guard along the state's nearly 1,300 miles of border with Mexico. OLS, launched shortly after Joe Biden's presidency began, also paid to build sections of border wall, deploy miles of razor wire along the Rio Grande and open facilities to house National Guard troops and process apprehended migrants. After peaking at the end of 2023, migrant apprehensions at the border began to drop last year after Biden created programs that allowed people to enter the U.S. legally and have reached historically small numbers since President Trump took office and shut down asylum claims by migrants. But even more enforcement is needed, said state Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, the bill's sponsor. He added that the state needs its own homeland security office because it would 'safeguard our border, our residents and our economic engines. 'It strikes the right balance between providing for our security and respecting the roles of our local and federal partners,' Parker said. Some Democrats questioned why the state needs its own Homeland Security Division if the federal Department of Homeland Security is already responsible for protecting the country's infrastructure and curtailing illegal immigration. 'Are everyday Texans the target of these folks, or who is the target of this new Homeland Security Division?' asked Sen. José Menendez, D-San Antonio. Parker said the intent is not to create more policing of Texas residents but to centralize the Department of Public Safety's functions into one division that could help streamline intelligence. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick designated SB 36 among his top priorities for the legislative session. 'By creating a Homeland Security Division within DPS, we can centralize vital homeland security operations within DPS, resulting in a better prepared and protected Texas,' Patrick said in a statement after the bill was passed. According to a fiscal report on the bill, SB 36 would allow the state to hire 23 full time employees for the new division, which could cost $7 million by August 2027. ___ This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill to create a Texas Homeland Security Division passes state Senate
The Texas Senate on Thursday approved a proposal that would create a homeland security division within the state's Department of Public Safety to focus on immigration enforcement, organized crime and protecting the state's infrastructure from security risks. If passed into law, Senate Bill 36 would make Texas' immigration enforcement efforts a permanent part of the state's criminal justice system. SB 36, which passed in the Senate on a 26-4 vote, will now go before the state House of Representatives. For the past four years, Texas legislators have plowed more than $11 billion into Operation Lone Star, Gov. Greg Abbott's ongoing border crackdown that deployed state police and Texas National Guard along the state's nearly 1,300 miles of border with Mexico. OLS, launched shortly after Joe Biden's presidency began, also paid to build sections of border wall, deploy miles of razor wire along the Rio Grande and open facilities to house National Guard troops and process apprehended migrants. After peaking at the end of 2023, migrant apprehensions at the border began to drop last year after Biden created programs that allowed people to enter the U.S. legally and have reached historically small numbers since President Trump took office and shut down asylum claims by migrants. But even more enforcement is needed, said state Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, the bill's sponsor. He added that the state needs its own homeland security office because it would 'safeguard our border, our residents and our economic engines. 'It strikes the right balance between providing for our security and respecting the roles of our local and federal partners,' Parker said. Some Democrats questioned why the state needs its own Homeland Security Division if the federal Department of Homeland Security is already responsible for protecting the country's infrastructure and curtailing illegal immigration. 'Are everyday Texans the target of these folks, or who is the target of this new Homeland Security Division?' asked Sen. José Menendez, D-San Antonio. Parker said the intent is not to create more policing of Texas residents but to centralize the Department of Public Safety's functions into one division that could help streamline intelligence. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick designated SB 36 among his top priorities for the legislative session. 'By creating a Homeland Security Division within DPS, we can centralize vital homeland security operations within DPS, resulting in a better prepared and protected Texas,' Patrick said in a statement after the bill was passed. According to a fiscal report on the bill, SB 36 would allow the state to hire 23 full time employees for the new division, which could cost $7 million by August 2027. Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Get tickets before May 1 and save big! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Groups ask NM governor to protect immigrants and sexual assault survivors' personal data
Members of local immigrant advocacy organizations Somos Acción and EL CENTRO Poder y Acción led approximately 1,300 people in a march to the New Mexico Legislature on Feb. 3, 2025. Both groups testified in favor of Senate Bill 36 throughout the legislative session. (Photo by Austin Fisher / Source NM) Organizations devoted to helping immigrants; crime victims; and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in New Mexico are asking Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to enact a privacy law they say would restore trust in public data systems that handle sensitive personal information. Senate Bill 36 would prohibit, for instance, state Motor Vehicle Division employees from disclosing driver's license data to any entity that would use it to enforce federal civil immigration laws. That includes requiring private companies that buy MVD data to certify they won't use the data in service of deporting immigrants who aren't accused of crimes. When immigrant New Mexicans apply for their driver's licenses, they must disclose their photos, addresses and other identifying information, said SB36 co-sponsor Rep. Christina Parajón (D-Albuquerque) during debate in the House of Representatives on March 18. Doing so makes them part of 'one of the most useful data systems available currently to law enforcement, and we want to ensure that everyone continues to use this data system,' Parajón said. Leaders of 21 different domestic violence, sexual assault and crime victim service organizations in New Mexico signed a letter to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Monday urging her to sign SB36 into law. They wrote that the bill is 'critical to advancing public safety, protecting survivor privacy and maintaining trust in the systems survivors must rely on to find safety and healing.' The letter comes as the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and Department of Homeland Security agree to share tax information of immigrants who have final orders of removal to help immigration agents find and deport the immigrants. The bill also would also create a uniform policy for all state agencies and their employees that would limit the intentional disclosure of someone's sensitive information like sexual orientation or their status as a crime victim. The letter states that survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault often take great personal risk in seeking help, and a foundational part of helping them is ensuring that their personal, sensitive information remains confidential. Survivors depend on access to state-issued identification, driver's licenses and essential services to maintain their independence, the letter states. 'When systems share or use survivor data without their informed consent, it jeopardizes not only their safety but also the safety of our communities,' the letter states. 'Without clear protections for their personal data, these lifelines become sources of danger. SB36 ensures that state systems do not become another failed link in the safety net.' The groups published the letter in a news release on Tuesday morning, after the governor's office announced late Monday that she signed a list of five dozen bills from which SB36 was absent. A spokesperson for Lujan Grisham told Source NM on Tuesday the governor's office received the letter and staff was reviewing it. 'The Legislative Session represents a cornerstone of our democratic process, and we deeply value every New Mexican's voice and participation,' Deputy Director of Communications Jodi McGinnis Porter said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE According to the letter, SB36 would remove barriers that prevent survivors from reporting abuse, seeking restraining orders or engaging with the criminal legal system. New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence Executive Director Mary Ellen Garcia, who signed the letter, told Source NM in an interview on Tuesday that under the current law, someone can ask for the information directly from MVD, or find it in databases run by companies that have purchased the data from MVD. Garcia said acquiring state-issued identification cards improves safety for survivors, because they need ID to access a protection order from a court, for example. A survivor trying to protect themselves doesn't want their perpetrator to find their information just because they handed it to MVD in order to get an ID, she said. 'As New Mexicans, we want to ensure that the systems we use don't also have us thinking about how they are going to be used against us,' Garcia said. Another person who signed the letter, Enlace Comunitario Executive Director Sara Yvonne 'Bonnie' Escobar, said in a statement that by signing SB36 into law, Lujan Grisham 'would be taking an important step in ensuring that all New Mexicans—including vulnerable immigrant communities — are protected.' Escobar's organization serves Latine and immigrant domestic violence survivors. 'SB36 ensures that all New Mexicans can access essential services with confidence, knowing their sensitive data is protected,' Escobar said. Marcela Díaz, founding executive director of Somos un Pueblo Unido, told Source NM in a phone interview on Tuesday that SB36 would replace the existing 'patchwork' of privacy and confidentiality policies in New Mexico. For example, the cities of Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces already have local policies preventing their employees from sharing sensitive personal information, she said. 'There are so many different kinds of services that victims need to access to support their families and their communities,' Díaz said. 'They just want to know that their most vulnerable information will be protected, and this will give them peace of mind.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Georgia governor signs religious liberty law, worrying LGBTQ+ advocates who say it'll allow discrimination
Georgia's Republican Gov. Brian Kemp on Friday signed the Restoration of Freedom Act, which critics believe will permit discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community under the guise of religious freedom, the Atlanta News First reports. Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. The new law, Senate Bill 36, entitled the Restoration of Religious Freedom Act, purports to protect religious freedom for Georgians by mandating the state government 'shall not substantially burden a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability' except in rare instances. 'Today I signed SB 36, also known as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, or RFRA, ensuring that once again at the state level, that Georgians are protected, including Georgians of faith,' Kemp said in a short speech following the signing. 'I wanted to let everybody know that despite signing that legislation, Georgia still remains a state that has no place for hate, and I can assure all Georgians of that today.' The only Jewish member of the state House, state Rep. Esther Panitch, who earlier said the bill would be used 'as a sword and not a shield,' last Wednesday was equally critical after the bill was signed into law. 'State-sponsored discrimination, that's what this is,' she said, adding, 'You just have to ask yourself, why won't they incorporate anti-discrimination provisions if they say that they're not going to discriminate?' Local LGBTQ+ support and advocacy group Georgia Equality released a statement following the bill's passage by a 96 to 70 vote last week. 'Over the last eleven years, a broad, bipartisan coalition has repeatedly rejected the Religious Freedom Restoration Act due to its potential harms to vulnerable communities.' Georgia Equality said in a statement posted to social media. 'It is reflective of the challenging times we are in that there simply was not enough momentum to stop it this year.' The bill's sponsor, Republican state Rep. Ed Setzler, congratulated Kemp and defended the bill's religious protections. 'Every Georgian should be free to exercise their faith without unfair federal, state, and local government intrusion,' Setzler said at the signing ceremony.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Georgia 2025 legislative session ends with an early exit
Georgia's 2025 legislative session came to an early end Friday, with senators adjourning abruptly and much earlier than usual and House members exiting a short time later. The early departure meant some high-profile issues didn't make it over the finish line this year to Gov. Brian Kemp's desk. Lawmakers did agree Friday to grant a new $250 state income tax credit to parents of children age 5 and under. And some top proposals won final passage earlier, including Kemp's effort to limit lawsuits and a school safety bill that came as a response to last year's shooting at Apalachee High School. Lawmakers also already agreed to income tax cuts and rebates. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] But the Senate left as the House was debating more changes to a proposal to regulate how automated speed enforcement cameras work in school zones. And it had become increasingly clear as the day went on that some other hot-button issues were languishing, including an effort to ban diversity efforts in public schools and colleges, Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones' push to establish more legislative control over agencies and a bill to change election laws. Measures that don't pass Friday could be considered again next year because 2025 is the first year of a two-year session. TRENDING STORIES: Deputies looking for missing teen last seen at Paulding County high school Dekalb County Police officer hurt, several others injured in serious crash The first 404 Day Parade marches to success on 405 Jones said after the Senate ended business just after 9 p.m. that he and senators had been building toward an early exit. 'We'd already gotten our priorities done,' he told reporters. House Speaker Jon Burns, a Republican from Newington, though, said he was displeased that the Senate left while the House was still trying to make a few more changes to bills. 'It appears that the Senate has checked all their priorities, all their political priorities, and decided to end their night early instead of finishing their work on behalf of the people we represent,' Burns told House members. Here's a look at where legislation ended up Friday. CHILD TAX CREDIT: Parents of children age 5 and under could claim a $250 state income tax credit under House Bill 136, which also expands the state income tax credit for child care expenses. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY: State and local governments wouldn't be able to 'substantially burden' a person's religious freedom under Senate Bill 36, but opponents say it would enable discrimination. Kemp signed the measure Friday. INCOME TAXES: An already-planned state income tax cut will be accelerated under House Bill 111, giving the state a flat 5.19% income tax rate retroactive to Jan. 1. And Georgians will get income tax rebates between $250 and $500 under House Bill 112. HURRICANE AID: House and Senate members agreed to spend more than $850 million on aid after Hurricane Helene did billions of dollars of damage in Georgia in September. LAWSUIT LIMITS: Senate Bill 68 would make it harder to bring lawsuits and win large verdicts while Senate Bill 69 limits who can finance lawsuits. SCHOOL CELLPHONES: Public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade would be banned from using cellphones during the school day under House Bill 340. TRANSGENDER RIGHTS: Both Senate Bill 1 would ban transgender girls and women from playing girls' and women's sports, while Senate Bill 185 would ban the state from paying for gender-affirming care for prisoners. AMERICA FIRST LICENSE PLACE: Senate Bill 291 would create an America First license plate for Georgia vehicles. DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION: Georgia's public schools and colleges would have been banned from having any programs or activities advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion under House Bill 127. SPEED ZONE CAMERAS: Georgia would have either banned automated speed enforcement cameras in school zones under House Bill 225 or further regulated them under House Bill 651. REGULATION RESTRICTION: Senate Bill 28 would have given lawmakers more oversight over regulations created by state agencies. IMMIGRATION: Senate Bill 21 would have removed legal protections and let people sue governments and government officials who don't follow Georgia laws requiring cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. ELECTIONS: Georgia's secretary of state would have been required to leave a bipartisan group letting officials share data to keep voter rolls accurate under House Bill 397 and Senate Bill 175. PUBLIC RECORDS: A discarded version of Senate Bill 12 would have exempted Georgia state legislators and police departments from some requirements to disclose public records. LIBRARY CRIMES: Librarians in public libraries, K-12 schools and colleges could have faced prosecution for providing sexually explicit materials to minors under House Bill 483. GUN TAX BREAKS: House Bill 79 would have offered a four-day sales tax holiday on guns, ammunition and safety devices, while offering income tax credits of up to $300 for paying for gun safety courses. CLARENCE THOMAS STATUE: The state would have put up a privately financed statue of the U.S. Supreme Court Justice and Georgia native under House Bill 254. ELECTED OFFICIAL PAY: Lawmakers abandoned a proposal to increase pay for statewide elected officials including paying Gov. Brian Kemp $250,000 a year. SPORTS BETTING: Georgians would have gotten a chance in 2026 to vote on a state constitutional amendment authorizing sports gambling under House Resolution 450. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
