Latest news with #SenateBill458
Indianapolis Star
23-06-2025
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
Auto Claim Specialists Wins Fight for Mandatory Right to Appraisal in Texas
Throwing Stones to Take Down a Giant FORT WORTH, TX / ACCESS Newswire They said it couldn't be done. They said it was impossible. No one believed the battle to require the Right to Appraisal be included in all Texas auto policies could be won – no one except Robert McDorman, founder of Auto Claim Specialists, whose devotion to ensuring the safety of roadways in the Lone Star State inspired him to take up a slingshot in this iteration of the classic 'David versus Goliath' showdown. For nearly a decade, McDorman tirelessly led the charge to persuade lawmakers of the importance of mandatory appraisal rights, and his hard work has finally paid off – Senate Bill 458 has been adopted into the Texas Insurance Code and made law! The war against the Appraisal Clause began in 2015 when State Farm removed this vital consumer protection from their Texas policies. McDorman took up the mantle and began sounding the alarm through meetings with the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) to alert them to the potential dangers that such an action presented to drivers and their roadways. Bills proposing mandatory appraisal rights were presented in the 2021 and 2023 sessions, but both times, the session ended before a conclusive vote; however, the third time was the charm! Senate 458, the 2025 iteration of this legislative initiative, was fast-tracked through the process, obtaining unanimous approval from both the Senate and the House during every review. That's a far cry from eight years ago when 'legislators didn't believe there was a need for mandatory appraisal rights,' McDorman recalls. 'They hadn't heard anything about it and couldn't be convinced that it was a problem that needed their attention.' Legislators' disinterest did not dissuade him from his mission. McDorman continued to beat the drum for mandatory appraisal, meeting with TDI five times and appearing before various legislative committees a total of eight times to educate them on the impact of the Appraisal Clause. 'Every time someone told me 'no,' I pushed forward. I refused to believe it was a waste of time.' His dogged determination ultimately attracted attention, leading TDI to acknowledge the need for legislators to 'establish policy form appraisal guidance' in its 2022 Biennial Report, and in its Report to the 88th Texas Legislature, the Office of Public Insurance Counsel (OPIC) expressed increasing concern with 'restrictions on appraisal in policy forms filed by top insurers [which] can adversely impact consumers, who buy insurance to make sure damage to their property will be repaired or replaced. Without appraisal, they may be forced to choose between accepting the insurer's offer and paying out-of-pocket for any disputed amount or taking on the costly and time-consuming burden of going to court.' OPIC reiterated those concerns in its Report to the 89th Texas Legislature, listing appraisal as its first recommendation, restating its previous position and adding, 'Restrictions on appraisal can remove an important consumer protection that saves the parties and the judicial system time and resources. Appraisal is usually the consumer's only economically realistic option for challenging the amount an insurer offers to repair or replace property. Filing a lawsuit is expensive – often more expensive than the amount of an auto repair claim. Eliminating appraisal leaves the consumer stuck in the middle of a dispute between the insurer and providers over the amount of loss, resembling the balance billing trap that health insurance consumers found themselves in before the Legislature addressed that issue.' They recommended that legislators 'amend the Texas Insurance Code to require personal auto and residential property insurers in Texas to preserve the insurance consumer's right to invoke appraisal in disputes regarding the cost to repair or replace covered property.' While McDorman stood at the forefront of the battlefield on this important issue, he had an entire army marching with him, throwing one stone at a time to combat this egregious violation of consumer rights. The Auto Body Association of Texas (ABAT) stood shoulder to shoulder with McDorman, providing pecuniary support and volunteering time and energy to promote all three iterations of the proposed mandatory appraisal legislation. In addition to significant personal financial contributions, ABAT President Burl Richards joined McDorman in several meetings with TDI and appearances before legislative committees to express the significance of this undertaking. Consumer advocacy watchdog Texas Watch also offered valuable support throughout the process through its efforts to generate public awareness, help educate legislators and the compilation of Impact of Auto Appraisal (available at a report that demonstrated the monetary affect that Right to Appraisal typically has on claim settlements. McDorman humbly credits the passage of Senate Bill 458 to Joe Collins, whose experience with the appraisal process yielded a large settlement from State Farm (see Recognizing how detrimental a similar under-indemnification situation might be for others, especially those who do not have the protections provided through the Appraisal Clause, Collins donated his entire settlement to the fight for mandatory appraisal rights. 'If that money goes toward making sure all Texas policies include the Right to Appraisal, then I'm helping everybody.' (Full story available at Collins entrusted the funds to Auto Claim Specialists and McDorman who used them to establish the Mandatory Appraisal Rights Advocacy Trust. Collins' story inspired many others from across the country to contribute to a GoFundMe fundraiser, creating a national movement. 'Joe's generosity and dedication to 'doing the right thing' resonated with people, and they wanted to support our efforts,' McDorman offers praise and gratitude to everyone who contributed to the fight. 'Many people helped us get to where we are, but Joe's donation was instrumental to building that momentum. I'm gratified by the passage of the bill which demonstrates that I was a worthy steward of his trust.' Countless others aided in achieving this victory for mandatory appraisal rights as well. Other public adjusters, multiple law firms and lobbyists stepped up, donating time, money and energy to support the cause. McDorman's own contributions are unquantifiable. Beyond the financial commitment he made personally and on behalf of Auto Claim Specialists, he spent thousands of hours away from the business, devoted to compiling data to present to legislators to help them understand why their constituents deserve the Right to Appraisal. 'The devil is in the detail,' he explains. 'Every time I shared information, I had the evidence to support it. The insurance industry tends to be a little less transparent with their reporting, which provides the opportunity for dishonesty and undervaluation; I put a microscope on that practice and demonstrated how often policyholders get cheated. Now, all of our legislators understand how this provision protects their constituents, and I commend them for doing what's right for all Texans, to help ensure safe roadways. The fact that the vote was unanimous from the House and the Senate – across both sides of the aisle – proves what a great job we did educating them on how the Appraisal Clause is a vital mechanism to ensure vehicle owners are reimbursed for all the operations required to safely repair their cars.' He equates the legislative victory with the concept of slaying a giant. 'We went up against really big odds; the insurance industry has deep pockets which enables them to walk all over people most of the time. Often, that happens because we are afraid to fight them; we're afraid to lose. But when you're doing the right thing for the right reason, it's worthwhile to keep going, to continue the fight to make a difference. That's what we did, and our efforts paid off – this was the people's fight…and the people fought and WON!' Senate Bill 458, which seeks to ensure that all Texas insurance policies 'must contain an appraisal provision' and specifies that this appraisal provision 'is intended to provide a type of dispute resolution process solely to determine the amount of loss when that amount is in dispute between the policyholder and the insurer,' will go into effect on September 1, 2025. (Read the bill in its entirety at McDorman is ecstatic that all Texas policyholders will soon have access to the vital protection of Right to Appraisal, and he 'looks forward to the next step, working with TDI to establish guidelines and appropriate time triggers.' ### Auto Claim Specialists is a national public insurance adjuster agency dedicated to ensuring consumers receive a fair settlement on their auto claims. Founded in 2017 by consumer advocate Robert McDorman, Auto Claim Specialists seeks to hold insurers accountable for fully indemnifying their policyholders for damages suffered by establishing the true value of losses. More information can be found online at or by calling 817-756-5482. For further information, please contact: claims@ Contact Information Thomas Greco thomas@ 9736676922 SOURCE: Auto Claim Specialists View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
Miami Herald
23-06-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Auto Claim Specialists Wins Fight for Mandatory Right to Appraisal in Texas
Throwing Stones to Take Down a Giant FORT WORTH, TX / ACCESS Newswire / June 23, 2025 / They said it couldn't be done. They said it was impossible. No one believed the battle to require the Right to Appraisal be included in all Texas auto policies could be won - no one except Robert McDorman, founder of Auto Claim Specialists, whose devotion to ensuring the safety of roadways in the Lone Star State inspired him to take up a slingshot in this iteration of the classic "David versus Goliath" showdown. For nearly a decade, McDorman tirelessly led the charge to persuade lawmakers of the importance of mandatory appraisal rights, and his hard work has finally paid off - Senate Bill 458 has been adopted into the Texas Insurance Code and made law! The war against the Appraisal Clause began in 2015 when State Farm removed this vital consumer protection from their Texas policies. McDorman took up the mantle and began sounding the alarm through meetings with the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) to alert them to the potential dangers that such an action presented to drivers and their roadways. Bills proposing mandatory appraisal rights were presented in the 2021 and 2023 sessions, but both times, the session ended before a conclusive vote; however, the third time was the charm! Senate 458, the 2025 iteration of this legislative initiative, was fast-tracked through the process, obtaining unanimous approval from both the Senate and the House during every review. That's a far cry from eight years ago when "legislators didn't believe there was a need for mandatory appraisal rights," McDorman recalls. "They hadn't heard anything about it and couldn't be convinced that it was a problem that needed their attention." Legislators' disinterest did not dissuade him from his mission. McDorman continued to beat the drum for mandatory appraisal, meeting with TDI five times and appearing before various legislative committees a total of eight times to educate them on the impact of the Appraisal Clause. "Every time someone told me 'no,' I pushed forward. I refused to believe it was a waste of time." His dogged determination ultimately attracted attention, leading TDI to acknowledge the need for legislators to "establish policy form appraisal guidance" in its 2022 Biennial Report, and in its Report to the 88th Texas Legislature, the Office of Public Insurance Counsel (OPIC) expressed increasing concern with "restrictions on appraisal in policy forms filed by top insurers [which] can adversely impact consumers, who buy insurance to make sure damage to their property will be repaired or replaced. Without appraisal, they may be forced to choose between accepting the insurer's offer and paying out-of-pocket for any disputed amount or taking on the costly and time-consuming burden of going to court." OPIC reiterated those concerns in its Report to the 89th Texas Legislature, listing appraisal as its first recommendation, restating its previous position and adding, "Restrictions on appraisal can remove an important consumer protection that saves the parties and the judicial system time and resources. Appraisal is usually the consumer's only economically realistic option for challenging the amount an insurer offers to repair or replace property. Filing a lawsuit is expensive - often more expensive than the amount of an auto repair claim. Eliminating appraisal leaves the consumer stuck in the middle of a dispute between the insurer and providers over the amount of loss, resembling the balance billing trap that health insurance consumers found themselves in before the Legislature addressed that issue." They recommended that legislators "amend the Texas Insurance Code to require personal auto and residential property insurers in Texas to preserve the insurance consumer's right to invoke appraisal in disputes regarding the cost to repair or replace covered property." While McDorman stood at the forefront of the battlefield on this important issue, he had an entire army marching with him, throwing one stone at a time to combat this egregious violation of consumer rights. The Auto Body Association of Texas (ABAT) stood shoulder to shoulder with McDorman, providing pecuniary support and volunteering time and energy to promote all three iterations of the proposed mandatory appraisal legislation. In addition to significant personal financial contributions, ABAT President Burl Richards joined McDorman in several meetings with TDI and appearances before legislative committees to express the significance of this undertaking. Consumer advocacy watchdog Texas Watch also offered valuable support throughout the process through its efforts to generate public awareness, help educate legislators and the compilation of Impact of Auto Appraisal (available at a report that demonstrated the monetary affect that Right to Appraisal typically has on claim settlements. McDorman humbly credits the passage of Senate Bill 458 to Joe Collins, whose experience with the appraisal process yielded a large settlement from State Farm (see Recognizing how detrimental a similar under-indemnification situation might be for others, especially those who do not have the protections provided through the Appraisal Clause, Collins donated his entire settlement to the fight for mandatory appraisal rights. "If that money goes toward making sure all Texas policies include the Right to Appraisal, then I'm helping everybody." (Full story available at Collins entrusted the funds to Auto Claim Specialists and McDorman who used them to establish the Mandatory Appraisal Rights Advocacy Trust. Collins' story inspired many others from across the country to contribute to a GoFundMe fundraiser, creating a national movement. "Joe's generosity and dedication to 'doing the right thing' resonated with people, and they wanted to support our efforts," McDorman offers praise and gratitude to everyone who contributed to the fight. "Many people helped us get to where we are, but Joe's donation was instrumental to building that momentum. I'm gratified by the passage of the bill which demonstrates that I was a worthy steward of his trust." Countless others aided in achieving this victory for mandatory appraisal rights as well. Other public adjusters, multiple law firms and lobbyists stepped up, donating time, money and energy to support the cause. McDorman's own contributions are unquantifiable. Beyond the financial commitment he made personally and on behalf of Auto Claim Specialists, he spent thousands of hours away from the business, devoted to compiling data to present to legislators to help them understand why their constituents deserve the Right to Appraisal. "The devil is in the detail," he explains. "Every time I shared information, I had the evidence to support it. The insurance industry tends to be a little less transparent with their reporting, which provides the opportunity for dishonesty and undervaluation; I put a microscope on that practice and demonstrated how often policyholders get cheated. Now, all of our legislators understand how this provision protects their constituents, and I commend them for doing what's right for all Texans, to help ensure safe roadways. The fact that the vote was unanimous from the House and the Senate - across both sides of the aisle - proves what a great job we did educating them on how the Appraisal Clause is a vital mechanism to ensure vehicle owners are reimbursed for all the operations required to safely repair their cars." He equates the legislative victory with the concept of slaying a giant. "We went up against really big odds; the insurance industry has deep pockets which enables them to walk all over people most of the time. Often, that happens because we are afraid to fight them; we're afraid to lose. But when you're doing the right thing for the right reason, it's worthwhile to keep going, to continue the fight to make a difference. That's what we did, and our efforts paid off - this was the people's the people fought and WON!" Senate Bill 458, which seeks to ensure that all Texas insurance policies "must contain an appraisal provision" and specifies that this appraisal provision "is intended to provide a type of dispute resolution process solely to determine the amount of loss when that amount is in dispute between the policyholder and the insurer," will go into effect on September 1, 2025. (Read the bill in its entirety at McDorman is ecstatic that all Texas policyholders will soon have access to the vital protection of Right to Appraisal, and he "looks forward to the next step, working with TDI to establish guidelines and appropriate time triggers." ### Auto Claim Specialists is a national public insurance adjuster agency dedicated to ensuring consumers receive a fair settlement on their auto claims. Founded in 2017 by consumer advocate Robert McDorman, Auto Claim Specialists seeks to hold insurers accountable for fully indemnifying their policyholders for damages suffered by establishing the true value of losses. More information can be found online at or by calling 817-756-5482. For further information, please contact: claims@ Contact Information Thomas Greco thomas@ SOURCE: Auto Claim Specialists press release
CBC
28-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Indigenous 2SLGBTQ+ advocates brace for changes under Trump
Social Sharing Indigenous people who advocate for 2SLGBTQ+ communities are questioning how their rights may change under the Trump administration in the U.S. In January, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order that the United States will recognize only two sexes, male and female, that are unchangeable. Alex Wilson from Opaskwayak Cree Nation in Manitoba, an activist for queer, transgender, and two-spirit rights, said she sees growing anti-transgender sentiments brewing south of the border. "It's a cycle that happens when there's policy that allows for the continuation of violence or that kind of condones it, then we see people picking it up and acting out those behaviours," Wilson said. "They're not acknowledging that there is a gender diversity or even sexual diversity. And we're seeing that trickle over here, too." Wilson sees these policies as a danger to Indigenous sovereignty. "It negates the reality that we have had many genders, not just two, three, but many understandings of gender and many sexualities in our nations since the beginning. And it's even part of some of our creation stories." Montana bill ruled unconstitutional David Herrera, co-founder and executive director of the Montana Two Spirit Society, is of Mestizo and adopted Blackfeet background and an advocate and educator for 2SLGBTQ+ communities. In 2023, the Montana Two Spirit Society along with members of the transgender, intersex community filed a lawsuit in Missoula County District Court challenging Montana Senate Bill 458, which would define "male" and "female" as binary based on the presence of XY or XX chromosomes. They argued it would infringe on the rights of members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, as well as the cultural and spiritual importance of two-spirit people. Last month, the plaintiffs won and the bill was declared unconstitutional. "It's definitely part of the colonization that has occurred and the attempt to erase the two-spirit culture," said Herrera. He said policies like these are nothing new and have played a culturally detrimental part in colonial history that has tried to erase Indigenous 2SLGBTQ+ identities. "We are not going to go away. We are going to continue," said Herrera. Charlie Amáyá Scott grew up in the Navajo Nation and now works as an educator focusing on what it means to be queer, trans, and Indigenous. "I think what I'm seeing within my community is that there is a lot of fear of what this really means in the long run," Scott said. "There's a lot of fear of the violence that could occur, whether it's being detained at the borders, whether it's being questioned about who you really are or whether it's you're being arrested, which all of that specifically would lead to incarceration." Her focus is ensuring that people and their stories are protected. "If I'm being quite frank, my concern is about myself right now and has been about my community ensuring their survival. I have been really focused on ensuring that my trans siblings and my relatives, whether they're two-spirit or part of the LGBTQ community, survives," said Scott.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill redefining sex passes Senate Judiciary committee
Sen. Carl Glimm, R-Kila speaks during the 2023 Legislative Session. (Photo by Nicole Girten/Daily Montanan) A bill to redefine sex in Montana law, which closely resembles legislation struck down from last session, was heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday morning. Senate Bill 437, brought by Sen. Carl Glimm, R-Kila, is 68 pages and seeks to redefine the term 'sex' across a large swath of Montana laws — and builds on a bill struck down by two different judges. It moved forward following a 5-3 vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee along party lines. 'In Montana, biological sex is immutable,' Glimm said in committee. 'You can't change it. There are only two biological sexes. You may claim to be able to change your gender or express your gender in a different way, but you can never change your biological sex.' In 2024, Missoula County District Court Judge Shane Vannatta ruled Senate Bill 458, a similar bill sponsored by Glimm in 2023, was unconstitutional because its subject wasn't clear in the bill's title. Glimm addressed that, too. 'The first challenge, the judge from Missoula said that the title of the bill was confusing. So we've addressed that,' Glimm said. 'We've made the title simple enough that even a judge from Missoula can understand it.' Two weeks ago, Missoula County District Court Judge Leslie Halligan struck down that same law for its contents rather than its title, saying it erased transgender and intersex Montanans. The new bill, SB 437, is specific in its title: 'An act for the codification and general revision of the laws relating to the definition for the words sex, female, and male when referring to a human; providing that the definition of sex refers to biological sex and not gender identity or sexual intercourse; providing that the definition of sex is limited to two types of sexes which are referred to as male and female; providing that the definitions of male and female refer to biological sex and not subjective gender identity.' The bill would define a female as someone who has XX chromosomes and 'would produce relatively large, relatively immobile gametes, or eggs, during her life cycle.' It further adds a caveat, 'An individual who would otherwise fall within this definition, but for a biological or genetic condition, is female.' Meanwhile, the bill would define male as someone who has 'XY chromosomes and produces or would produce small, mobile gametes, or sperm, during his life cycle.' Similar to the definition for female, it adds a caveat as well: 'An individual who would otherwise fall within this definition, but for a biological or genetic condition, is male.' It did have some support, including from the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal advocacy group, which claims the 'homosexual agenda' will destroy both Christianity and society. 'Number one, this bill aligns with what we're seeing the federal government do,' said Matt Sharp, senior counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom. 'On February 19, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued guidance reaffirming that sex refers to a person's immutable biological classification as male or female, and provided definitions consistent with that.' In his closing statement for the bill, Glimm said his legislation wasn't denying anyone anything. 'We're not denying anyone's existence,' Glimm told the committee. 'It's just biology, male and female, there are anomalies, but even those will fit into one of these two categories because of the definition that we're going to use. I look forward to explaining that new definition in a floor amendment.' Khadija Davis, an ACLU Montana representative who testified against the bill, said that's exactly what the legislation would do. 'This bill would force transgender people to live a lie,' Davis said. 'And deny who they are by disclosing the sex they were assigned at birth on documents like a driver's license, marriage license and burial paperwork.' She added: 'This bill also completely erases the reality of intersex and nonbinary people. The existence of trans people is not new, but this new outsized focus on their lives is meant to spread fear and anxiety.' The bill would force intersex and transgender people in the state to identify as the sex they were assigned when they were born, a specific issue brought by plaintiffs in a lawsuit against SB 458. One person in the suit had an XY pattern, which under both the struck-down bill and Glimm's newly introduced legislation, would identify them as a biological male. The person, though, has female genitalia and identifies as a woman. She'd be forced to identify as a male on her wedding license. Planned Parenthood estimates about one in 100 people are born intersex. This can include someone with genitals that do not correspond with their internal hormones or sex organs. Lynne Foss, a pediatric nurse practitioner and representing the Montana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, spoke to this issue in a comment. 'Some people have XY, but they appear to be female, and their reproductive and endocrine systems are a mixture of what one would consider male and female, and this is often not identified at birth, and instead is often identified at puberty,' Foss said. 'And there are other people that have androgen insensitivity and are typically XY, but they do not develop male external genitalia.' Some people can be intersex and might not be aware. In one example, Scientific American reported a clinical geneticist's account of a patient pregnant with her third child who discovered at age 46 part of her body was 'chromosomally male.' Stigmas around intersex people have long been an issue for that community, and one 2003 study in The Endocrinologist stated, 'intersex patients have frequently been subject to repeated genital examinations which create a feeling of freakishness and unacceptableness.' A more recent study in 2022 International Journal of Impotence Research delved into the topic of 'surgical intervention' at young ages, as well as public understanding of intersex issues. It found, 'Whilst many laypeople do consider intersex and transgender to be analogous (or wrongly consider them identical), those laypeople who are most likely to support intersex human rights are also those who endorse the gender binary the least.' Republican leadership applauded the bill's passage out of judiciary. 'This legislation helps to deliver on Senate Republicans' promise to stand up for Montana values, protect our women and girls, and return sanity to our state government,' Senate President Matt Regier, R-Kalispell, said in a statement.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kansas police could sell, give away guns seized without criminal convictions under Senate bill
Sen. Stephen Owens, pictured on Jan. 13, 2025, at his desk in the Senate, voiced support for a bill that would let police sell or give away the firearms seized through civil asset forfeiture. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — The Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would expand Kansas law enforcement officers' options for confiscated firearms. Under current law, agencies can sell or give away the guns they seize when someone is convicted of a crime, but under civil asset forfeiture, which doesn't require a conviction, selling firearms or giving them away are not available options. When police seize a gun through civil forfeiture, agencies currently have four options: destroy it, use it, give it to another agency to use or send it to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation's forensic lab. Senate Bill 137 would allow police to sell or give guns seized through civil forfeiture to any of the more than 1,200 licensed federal firearms dealers in the state. Sen. Stephen Owens, a Hesston Republican and former owner of Patriot Pawn and Firearms in Newton, introduced the bill in January after he said he received a call from the Harvey County Sheriff, who told Owens that state law was inconsistent. Owens spoke in support of the bill at a Feb. 11 Senate hearing and again on Wednesday when the Senate debated the bill. 'All that this bill is doing is bringing the civil asset forfeiture code in compliance with law that already exists,' Owens said Wednesday. Civil asset forfeiture has been criticized as a method for furthering 'profit-based policing,' a notion voiced by former Rep. Gail Finney, a Wichita Democrat who served in the Legislature for 13 years before her death in 2022. Finney pushed for comprehensive reform of Kansas' decades-old civil forfeiture laws, arguing they ran the risk of violating constitutional rights. That reform finally came in 2024 with Senate Bill 458. While civil forfeiture doesn't require a criminal conviction, it does require the government to show by a preponderance of evidence that the property in question was used in illegal activity. Vehicles and currency make up the bulk of seized assets in Kansas, according to data from the KBI. Megan Hillbish, a lobbyist for the Kansas State Rifle Association, wrote in testimony that the process of properly and legally destroying firearms can be costly and time-consuming for law enforcement agencies. 'This bill would allow law enforcement agencies to instead have the opportunity to make money from transferring the firearms to properly licensed federal firearms dealers,' Hillbish wrote. 'This could help offset costs and incentivize firearms being used in responsible manners.' The bill also drew support from the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, the Kansas Sheriffs Association and the Kansas Peace Officers Association. 'This consistency makes sense,' said Ed Klumpp, a lobbyist for the three law enforcement associations, in written testimony. No opponents testified on the bill, but Sen. Patrick Schmidt, a Topeka Democrat, challenged the bill Wednesday on the Senate floor with an amendment that would only allow police to sell firearms at public auctions. He said the change would help alleviate his concerns about transparency in how police unload the firearms. 'I think that as 137 is written right now, it does create significant loopholes and perverse interests that we don't want happening surrounding the transfer or sale of weapons, especially those that have possibly been used in furtherance of a crime,' Schmidt said. The amendment failed, and every Senator but Schmidt voted Thursday to advance the bill to the House.
