Latest news with #SenateBill84
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Poll: Most Granite Staters support bills to override zoning policies, encourage housing
The poll found that 55% of respondents considered New Hampshire's housing shortage and high prices to be the number one issue facing Granite Staters. (Photo by Dan) Midway through the 2025 legislative session, large majorities of Granite Staters say they support legislation aimed at expanding housing in the state, according to a poll commissioned by New Hampshire Housing Action, an advocacy group. According to the poll, conducted in early March by YouGov, 88% of respondents said they would support legislation to allow residential homes to be built in commercial zones; 76% would support laws requiring cities and towns to allow homes to be built on smaller lot sizes; and 76% would support allowing property owners to build detached accessory dwelling units by right. The poll found that 55% of respondents considered New Hampshire's housing shortage and high prices to be the number one issue facing Granite Staters, surpassing inflation, taxes, homelessness, health care costs, and immigration. And 80% said the cost of housing is 'a problem' in the state. 'The message is clear: New Hampshire is experiencing a severe housing shortage that is being felt from southern New Hampshire to the North Country and all across the state,' Nick Taylor, director of Housing Action NH, said in a statement. The poll was released as lawmakers are considering a number of bills aimed at increasing housing development by requiring cities and towns to change zoning policies seen as barriers to construction. One bill, House Bill 577, would allow the construction of detached accessory units — additional units that are not directly attached to the primary resident — by right, stopping cities and towns from passing zoning ordinances that automatically exclude them. Another, House Bill 382, would restrict the minimum number of parking spaces a municipality could require of housing developments to one space per unit, in an attempt to block what some developers say are unnecessary burdens. Senate Bill 284 would also limit the minimum number parking spaces in town zoning codes, while Senate Bill 84 would block cities and towns from setting minimum lot sizes of more than one acre for residential homes serviced by sewer and water lines — for at least 50% of residential zoned land. And House Bill 631 would allow property owners in commercial zones to build residential units, while allowing cities and towns to impose some restrictions. HB 577, HB 382, and HB 631 have passed the House and are currently being considered in the Senate Commerce Committee. SB 284 and SB 84 have passed the Senate and are being taken up in the House Housing Committee. The bills have the support of affordable housing advocates and industry groups in construction, such as the New Hampshire Homebuilders Association and Housing Action New Hampshire. But they have drawn criticism from the New Hampshire Municipal Association, which represents cities and towns, and another conservative group, the Coalition of New Hampshire Taxpayers. Opponents say the bills improperly insert the state into local zoning code decisions, and that municipalities should be allowed to decide how best to change their codes to expand housing. Gov. Kelly Ayotte has vowed to help combat the housing crisis in part by directing state agencies such as the Department of Environmental Services and the Fish and Game Department to speed up their permitting processes, promising to guarantee the state permitting process takes no more than 60 days for developers. But the House Finance Committee's recommended version of the state's two budget bills, House Bill 1 and House Bill 2, makes a number of cuts to agencies and programs designed to help expand housing. The budget eliminates the state's housing appeals board, a recently created entity designed to speed up developers' appeals of adverse zoning and planning board rulings, and it defunds the Housing Champion Designation and Grant Program, which gives towns and cities grants and special benefits if they voluntarily overhaul their zoning to encourage more housing.
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.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
In a shift, Senate passes string of bills overriding local zoning barriers to housing
Senate Bill 84 would restrict the minimum lot size for single-family homes to 88,000 square feet — or about two acres. (Photo by Dana Wormald/New Hampshire Bulletin) As state senators clashed over the best way to increase New Hampshire's housing supply Thursday, much of the debate hinged on a preference: the carrot or the stick. Some Republicans argued the carrot works well: Cities and towns should be incentivized to pass zoning ordinances that make housing construction easier, but they shouldn't be forced to do so, they argued. 'Every zoning change proposed in this bill can already be done at the municipality level, just as towns and cities have done hundreds of times in the past,' said Sen. Denise Ricciardi, a Bedford Republican. '… Each town or city knows what is best for them. A few politicians that want authoritarian central planning initiated out of Concord do not and cannot know.' A larger group, comprising Democrats and Republicans, argued the state was not going to expand housing to levels needed by voluntary action alone, and that the state should require that they do so — the stick. 'Some communities, in southern New Hampshire especially, have used every trick they can come up with to discourage building,' said Sen. Keith Murphy, a Manchester Republican. 'Every single inspection, every permit, every hearing, every redraft, every appeal, every impact fee, every meeting, every single delay, and every single penny a builder needs to put towards a project must be recouped through the sale of the property.' Those barriers increase housing costs, either causing the projects to die or requiring the housing to be prohibitively expensive. 'And that's why we are where we are,' Murphy said. On Thursday, a majority of the Senate chose to pass legislation adhering to the stick approach, in a notable shift for the chamber that comes amid high voter demand for housing action. The debate came to a head over Senate Bill 84, which would restrict the minimum lot size for single-family homes to 88,000 square feet — or about two acres — for at least 50 percent of zoned land that is not served by municipal water and sewer lines. For lots that are served by those lines, a municipality could pass lot size requirements no greater than 22,000 square feet, or about half an acre. Cities and towns would be required to change their ordinances to comply with those restrictions by July 2026. The Senate passed the bill, 13-10, Thursday, with a mix of Democratic and Republican support, but not before extensive discussion. The bill could force a rewrite of zoning codes in a number of towns that have minimum lot sizes much higher than two acres. Supporters say it would allow for much more subdivision of land by property owners and remove persistent barriers for developers looking to increase housing stock. But opponents said the bill would be taking away the power for towns to decide how much density they want within their borders. And they argued there are better ways to encourage housing in New Hampshire than by forcing zoning code changes on towns. Sen. Regina Birdsell, a Hampstead Republican, said the main barrier to housing development in New Hampshire is the price of construction materials, not zoning codes. Sen. Bill Gannon argued the overhaul would just encourage large-scale developers to build 'McMansion' homes on smaller lots. 'I don't see it helping your starter house, because the builder is going to want to maximize his returns and get the biggest house,' he said. And Sen. James Gray, a Rochester Republican, referred to the comic strip 'Peanuts,' arguing that the state limiting zoning abilities after originally delegating them was akin to the character Lucy pulling away the football from Charlie Brown. Though Republicans were split on whether to support or oppose the bill, Democrats were largely united in favor of it, with one exception: Sen. Debra Altschiller, a Stratham Democrat, voted against the bill. Altschiller said she had heard from planning and zoning committee members in the towns she represents, all of them imploring her to vote against the bill and let the towns pass their own zoning changes to encourage more housing. Altschiller argued the state should support incentive-based programs, such as the Housing Champions program, the 2023 law allowing towns to access infrastructure funding from the state if they choose to pass pro-housing zoning codes. 'Once you throw a blanket zoning ordinance on the entire state, if it doesn't work out for one particular town it's impossible for that town to get exceptions or to be relieved of that,' Altschiller said in an interview. '… I felt like this was a cudgel. It was: You're gonna do it and you're gonna do it this way.' Murphy pushed back at many of the concerns raised. 'It's absolutely undeniable that building cost and the cost of building materials is up, and unfortunately, we in the state Legislature — we don't do a lot to control that,' he said. Overhauling local zoning barriers is one lever the Legislature does have, he argued. 'There's still responsible local control options in the zoning ordinances allowed by this bill,' Murphy said. The approval Thursday came as the Senate passed a raft of legislation intended to remove regulatory barriers to housing. The actions stood in contrast to the chamber's behavior in 2024, when senators voted to kill several bills intended to force towns to allow for more housing development. Among the bills Thursday, the Senate approved Senate Bill 282, which allows residential buildings between four and six stories tall to have only one stairwell if they meet certain fire safety requirements such as sprinklers. It passed Senate Bill 284, which bars municipalities from requiring any more than one parking space per unit for many housing developments with fewer than 10 units. And the Senate passed Senate Bill 81, which would double the amount of money sent to the state's affordable housing fund from the real estate transfer tax. Currently, the state sends $5 million per year; SB 81 would increase that to $10 million. After passing it, the Senate laid SB 81 on the table, a typical maneuver during a budget year that allows the chamber to add it into the budget bills when they receive them in April. The House, meanwhile, passed a bill Thursday that would usher in major changes to zoning. House Bill 631, which passed 204-134, would require that municipalities allow multi-family residential developments in commercial zones. After an amendment added Thursday, the bill would allow municipalities to require that all ground floors of the buildings be dedicated to retail 'or similar uses.' And the bill would allow cities and towns to bar residential developments in areas where industrial and manufacturing activity 'may result in impacts that are incompatible with residential use, such as air, noise, odor, or transportation impacts.' That bill is heading now to the Senate.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arkansas legislature bill to end waterway moratoriums pulled by sponsor
Video: Report on changes to the electric utilities bill and the withdrawal of the moratorium prevention bill LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A bill that would end an Arkansas agency's ability to place a moratorium on issuing permits in watersheds was pulled by its sponsor in committee on Tuesday. Senate Bill 290 would end moratoriums along waterways, such as the one currently in place by the Department of Environmental Quality on issuing permits for confined animal feeding operations along the Buffalo River. The bill was withdrawn by its lead sponsor, Sen. Blake Johnson (R-Corning), after testimony by both supporters and opponents to the Senate Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development Committee. New bill introduced in Arkansas legislature to end Buffalo River, watershed protections After the testimonies, Sen. Jimmy Hickey (R-Texarkana) expressed concern about the bill's potential conflict with the Administrative Procedures Act, telling Johnson he could not support it in its current form. Johnson responded by withdrawing the bill. Other Senators on the committee voiced concern about its structure and terms before Hickey's statement. Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Searcy) pointed out that the bill would essentially empower four committee members to have power over moratoriums in the state. Committee members Sen. Ben Gilmore (R-Crossett) and Sen. Jamie Scott (D-North Little Rock) also had questions about the bill, including its ability to contend with a possible emergency. Arkansas reaches deal to shutter hog farm near Buffalo River This is Johnson's second attempt to create a law ending watershed moratoriums. An earlier version of the bill, Senate Bill 84, required approval by the legislative council for a moratorium to be in place. The new version of the bill, Senate Bill 290, mandated approval by the Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development Committee. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arkansas lawmaker will revise bill regarding watershed moratoriums
Don Hubble, an Independence County beef producer and second vice president of the Arkansas Cattlemen's Association, speaks in support of a bill affecting permit moratoriums in state watersheds to the Senate agriculture committee on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. The bill sponsor pulled the bill down for revisions. (Screenshot from Senate livestream) A bill that would make it harder to protect Arkansas watersheds from possible pollution from large animal farms finally got a hearing Tuesday after weeks of deferrals. Sen. Blake Johnson's proposal drew questions from lawmakers on the Senate Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development Committee, support from agricultural interests and opposition from environmental advocates. The Corning Republican ultimately pulled his bill for revisions. Johnson originally filed his proposal as Senate Bill 84 in January, but he filed Senate Bill 290 in late February, which expanded on the earlier version and was the subject of Tuesday's discussion. The bill drew public interest, especially as it relates to the Buffalo National River and follows an abandoned legislative discussion of permit moratoriums for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) on watersheds late last year. According to recent data from the National Park Service, the Buffalo National River saw nearly 1.7 million visitors in 2024, the second highest number of annual visits since it was established in 1973. Environmental advocates have routinely traveled long hours from their rural hometowns to Little Rock hoping that Johnson's bill would be heard in committee, as it was frequently listed on the agenda. When it finally came time to testify on Tuesday, speakers were limited to three minutes. Six people spoke against the bill, sharing concerns about potential pollution and conflicts with the Administrative Procedures Act; five spoke in favor of it, primarily citing personal property rights. Per state law, the Administrative Procedures Act gives state agencies, boards and commissions the authority to adopt rules regarding procedures. The law states an administrative agency must make rules or other written statements available for public inspection. As outlined in SB 84, the bill heard Tuesday would also prohibit state agencies from instituting a moratorium of permits on any Arkansas watershed. But according to SB 290, a state agency could institute a watershed moratorium if it first obtained legislative approval from the Senate and House agriculture committees. If lawmakers approved an agency's request, the moratorium would then be reevaluated every two years, according to the bill. Instead of eliminating existing moratoriums, as SB 84 would have done, Johnson said he 'tried to thread the needle with a legislative process for all future possible moratoriums' under SB 290. Approval for existing moratoriums would follow the same procedure under the proposed legislation, with a 30-day timeline for approval starting upon the bill's effective date to remain enforceable. Without legislative approval within the set deadline, the existing moratorium would be deemed unenforceable, according to the bill. After the legislative approval, the state agency would then resume the existing process to promulgate related rules and seek approval through the Arkansas Legislative Council, Johnson said. Johnson described SB 290 as a 'strictly legislative check-off before these sorts of things are placed on us.' Concerns about conflicts with the Administrative Procedures Act ultimately caused Johnson to pull down his bill for revisions. Republican Sens. Ben Gilmore of Crossett and Jimmy Hickey of Texarkana questioned elements of Johnson's bill after hearing public comment. 'I'm in favor of what you're trying to do — so let's just get that out there on the table,' Hickey said. 'I am 100% worried about the structure of this with the Administrative Procedures Act. … I'm no attorney, but I don't know how it holds up.' Tuesday's speakers brought a nearly even-numbered debate during testimony. Bill supporters told lawmakers the legislation prioritized protections for farmers and ranchers across Arkansas, while opponents called the bill confusing, too broad and a 'solution in search of a problem.' Many supporters were farmers themselves and said they operated farms near a waterway. Representatives from the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation made a case for the proposed law, as did members of the Arkansas Cattlemen's Association. 'The authority to either approve or deny moratoriums should rest with the Legislature, which is close to the people and not the administrative branch of government, specifically state agencies and commissions,' said Magen Allen, a farmer in Bismarck who also serves on the Board of Directors for the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation. Don Hubble, a commercial cattle producer in Independence County and second vice president for the Arkansas Cattlemen's Association echoed Allen's statements, and said ensuring watersheds are clean and healthy is a top priority for cattle producers. Hubble said he used tactics like riparian buffers — an area near a waterway composed of trees and shrubs that provide conservation benefits — to stop erosion and runoff into creeks along his property. 'These practices, which are common among cattle producers, are driven by our desire to care for the land that sustains our livelihoods and ensures its preservation for future generations,' Hubble said. The bill also earned the support of the state cattlemen's association because it upholds the fundamental rights to private property, he said. In contrast, environmental advocates and local tourism business owners said the bill was overly broad and didn't define key words like moratorium, permit or watershed. Gordon Watkins, president of the Buffalo River Watershed Alliance, said the bill 'seems to be just an effort to make this an onerous process.' Watkins said the proposal likely violates the Administrative Procedures Act's requirement for public input on rules, and asked about the precedent of a 10-year moratorium on the Buffalo River watershed. He questioned what type of permits the bill referred to and whether it extended beyond agricultural distinctions to building, fracking and crypto mining permits. 'As a farmer and a good neighbor myself, I know that my rights end at my fence row,' Watkins said. 'The right to farm does not confer unrestricted rights. Some sites are simply inappropriate for industrial scale — CAFOs. … State and federal regulations, such as moratoriums, are meant as guardrails to protect landowners and the public against environmentally damaging activities.' Brian Thompson, leader of The Ozark Society, said the proposed legislation would adversely affect the tourism sector by allowing feedlots near the scenic rivers. The society is a nonprofit that prioritizes the preservation of natural areas. 'It would put a nail in the coffin of Gov. [Sarah Huckebee] Sanders' outdoor economy,' Thompson said. Sanders has prioritized outdoor tourism in Arkansas during her governorship, and First Gentleman Bryan Sanders leads the Natural State Advisory Council. The group works in tandem with the Natural State Initiative to 'further establish Arkansas as a leader in the outdoor economy and a destination for outdoor enthusiasts from around the world,' according to the governor's office. Thompson spoke highly of the Buffalo National River and claimed Johnson's bill 'is a message to outsiders that we do not value our God-given unique natural resources, resources only found in our state, resources that draw visitors by the millions.'
