Latest news with #SenateBill65
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sen. Baker's school bus safety bill unanimously passes Transportation Committee
Mar. 26—WILKES-BARRE — Sen. Lisa Baker on Wednesday said the alarming number of violations involving vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses makes it clear — more must be done to protect students. Baker, R-Lehman Township, said the Senate Transportation Committee voted unanimously to advance a critical piece of legislation she introduced to strengthen school bus safety laws and better protect children. "Every day, children across the commonwealth rely on school buses for safe transport, and it is our duty to ensure that safety is upheld to the highest standard," said Baker. Baker said her Senate Bill 65 increases the required stopping distance for opposing drivers from 10 feet to 15 feet, creating a greater buffer for children entering and exiting the bus. Baker said the bill also creates penalties for repeat offenders who fail to stop when a school bus has engaged its red signal lights and side stop arm, including higher fines and mandatory driver education. For a second or subsequent conviction, Baker said a person receives the same five points on their license and a 60-day driver's license suspension, plus a fine of no less than $500 and a $35 surcharge to the School Bus Safety Grant Program. Additionally, Baker said they must either attend a driver improvement school or undergo a special examination, as determined by PennDOT. The legislation also modifies the penalty for first-time offenders, giving judges the ability to impose a fine between $250 and $500, rather than the current flat $250 fine, as egregious violations warrant. For the first time, Baker said the bill establishes penalties for drivers who fail to prepare to stop when a school bus activates its flashing amber lights, ensuring greater accountability. Baker said the need for these changes is underscored by alarming statistics. During "Operation Safe Stop" in October 2024, law enforcement officials and bus drivers in just 22 school districts reported 131 violations in a single day — demonstrating the ongoing risks faced by Pennsylvania students. "This legislation sends a strong message that we will not tolerate reckless driving around school buses, and I look forward to seeing it advance through the Senate," said Baker. The measure is supported by the Pennsylvania School Bus Association. The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration. Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill aiming to strengthen school bus safety laws advances to Senate
(WHTM) — The Senate Transportation Committee has passed a new bill that aims to strengthen school bus safety laws in Pennsylvania. Senate Bill 65, proposed by State Senator Lisa Baker (R-20), increases the required stopping distance for opposing drivers from 10 feet to 15 feet, creating a greater buffer for children entering and exiting the bus. The bill would also create stiffer penalties for repeat offenders who fail to stop when a school bus has engaged its red signal lights and side stop arm, including higher fines and mandatory driver education. For a second or subsequent conviction, a person receives the same five points on their license and a 60-day driver's license suspension, plus a fine of no less than $500 and a $35 surcharge to the School Bus Safety Grant Program. Additionally, they must either attend a driver improvement school or undergo a special examination, as determined by PennDOT. The legislation also modifies the penalty for first-time offenders, giving judges the ability to impose a fine between $250 and $500, rather than the current flat $250 fine, as egregious violations warrant. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'Every day, children across the Commonwealth rely on school buses for safe transport, and it is our duty to ensure that safety is upheld to the highest standard,' said Baker. 'The alarming number of violations involving vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses makes it clear — more must be done to protect our students.' According to the bill's memo, current state law states that if a driver is convicted of overtaking a school bus when red signals are flashing, they will face a penalty of a $250 fine, 5 points on the driving record, and a 60-day driver's license suspension. The memo says despite these penalties, recent data shows that approximately 1,000 drivers each year are convicted of passing a stopped school bus with signals flashing, with many more citations issued without resulting in a conviction or even a citation due to the inability to catch the offender's license plate. 'This legislation sends a strong message that we will not tolerate reckless driving around school buses, and I look forward to seeing it advance through the Senate,' said says the Pennsylvania School Bus Association supports the bill, which now moves to the full Senate for consideration. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
These 17 bills received Gov. Beshear's signature, 4 vetoed for worker's rights and constitutional violations
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — Gov. Andy Beshear's desk has been a busy place to be. On March 24, Beshear took action on 21 pieces of legislation and returned three without signature. Read more of the latest news in politics 'I will always put our Kentucky families first,' Beshear said. 'I was proud to sign into law several measures that will do just that—increasing opportunity and making our New Kentucky Home a better place to live, learn, and do business. The bills that received my veto are bills that harm Kentucky workers or violate our constitution and longstanding laws.' In a Monday news release, Beshear announced the veto of four bills. Here's which bills were challenged at the governor's desk and why: Beshear's office noted that House Bill 6 would violate the Kentucky constitution by 'giving the Legislative Branch and its employees a veto of administrative regulations issued by the Executive Branch.' In a veto message, the governor wrote, 'The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled more than 40 years ago that the General Assembly cannot interfere with the Executive Branch's authority to file regulations to carry out the law.' Further, Beshear's office stated that if the veto of House Bill 6 is overridden, it would prevent numerous bills from going into law. The governor's office said House Bill 398 would 'abandon' policies protecting Kentucky workers and hand over regulations to the federal government. 'For example, Kentucky workers would lose important safeguards related to fall protection, exposure to toxic and hazardous materials, high-voltage electrical lines, and bulk hazardous liquid unloading,' Beshear's office said. In the governor's veto message, he wrote, 'House Bill 398 will lead to more workplace injuries, with Kentucky workers paying the price.' Senate Bill 65, according to Beshear's office, is another piece of legislation that would violate the Kentucky constitution. 'The bill would void and nullify administrative regulations filed by Executive Branch agencies, including three that were before a subcommittee for informational review only,' the governor's office noted. In the governor's veto message, he wrote, 'The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled more than 40 years ago that the General Assembly cannot interfere with the executive branch's authority to file regulations to carry out the law.' These 17 bills received Gov. Beshear's signature, 4 vetoed for worker's rights and constitutional violations Outrage sparked as Lexington animal abuse suspect could evade record of felony charge Georgetown woman crowned 2025 Kentucky Derby Festival Queen On the other hand, Beshear's office noted that Senate Bill 84 would violate the separation of powers. 'It prohibits courts from deferring to a state agency's interpretation of any statute, administrative regulation, or order,' a news release read. In the governor's veto message, he wrote, 'The Judicial Branch is the only branch with the power and duty to decide these questions.' Also on Monday, the governor's office announced these bills received Beshear's signature and will become law on their effective dates: House Bill 10 allows owners to request that law enforcement immediately remove someone unlawfully occupying property, under certain circumstances and provides a framework for dealing with squatters House Bill 30 supports state police, as well as other state and county employees, by ensuring mandated salary increases do not negatively impact the calculation of their final retirement compensation. The bill also requires the Kentucky State Police to increase leave time for retired troopers and commercial vehicle enforcement officers who return to work. House Bill 38 increases the penalties for those who violate a protective order. House Bill 73 amends a statute to add WeLeadCS, a virtual computer science career academy for Kentucky high school students, to the list of participating employers in the Teachers' Retirement System. House Bill 152 relates to a Medicaid supplemental payment program for public ground ambulance providers and helps support public ambulance services. House Bill 184 supports economic growth by extending an existing regulatory relief program. House Bill 306 supports job growth by allowing an individual to qualify for licensure as a professional engineer if they have graduated from an accredited fire protection engineering technology program and obtained at least six years of progressive experience. House Bill 313 establishes June as Kentucky History Month, putting a spotlight on Statehood Day, June 1. House Bill 415 amends the Kentucky Insurance Code to exempt certain health policies from wider requirements. House Bill 605 will expand the number of eligible recipients for the GRANT program. The program ensures communities have the resources needed to leverage federal grants, including infrastructure upgrades, the creation of recreational facilities, increased childcare access, and public transportation, among other uses. House Bill 783 will clarify the rules on the use of temporary motor vehicle tags. Senate Bill 4 makes the Commonwealth Office of Technology responsible for standards for the use of artificial intelligence systems. The measure creates an Artificial Intelligence Governance Committee to develop standards to manage emerging risks. Senate Bill 22 allows the Board of Barbering to govern, regulate, and license mobile shops. Senate Bill 100 seeks to create a licensing and regulatory framework for tobacco and vape retailers. The measure will help keep these products from being marketed and sold to minors in the commonwealth. Senate Bill 120 protects children from child abuse by requiring coaches and others surrounding kids to report abuse, neglect, or other concerns. Senate Bill 133 allows certain amateur boxing and wrestling competitions to charge admission without having to be licensed by the Boxing and Wrestling Commission. Senate Bill 169 protects children from child abuse by adding internet service providers, social networking companies, mobile payment services, and cloud storage services to the list of those subject to subpoenas in investigations of exploitation and internet crimes against children. Three pieces of legislation received by the governor were returned to the General Assembly without signature or veto. The first is House Bill 137, which clarifies that Kentucky would be able to use any method for air quality monitoring as long as it's approved by the EPA. Gov. Beshear's office noted that its concern is that the bill would leave the state dependent on the EPA's methods. House Bill 196 aims to establish the number of required certified emergency medical and mine emergency technicians (METs) at underground coal mines. The bill would require only one MET at small mine operations and would add one additional MET for underground mines with over 50 workers per 50 employees. Read more of the latest Kentucky news Beshear called House Bill 198 a 'mixed bag.' Senate Bill 63 would add a statute allowing 'special purpose vehicles equipped with the required street-legal features' to drive on state roads. Beshear said his main concern with the bill is the safety of Kentuckians, especially children riding in ATVs, UTVs, mini-trucks, and certain military vehicles. The bill would also pose a $500,000 cost to implement, as the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet would be required to add licensing and enforcement staff and technology upgrades. Two more veto days remain before the General Assembly returns to Frankfort for the last two days of the session. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
