Latest news with #SenateBill920
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Congressman questions whether state bill could've changed outcome at FSU
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Rep. Randy Fine, who was recently elected to Congress, is revisiting a discussion about guns on college campuses, following Thursday's deadly mass shooting at Florida State University. Fine served as a state senator in Tallahassee before voters sent him to Washington, D.C. He filed Senate Bill 814 to allow students to carry concealed firearms on campus. 2 food service employees killed in FSU shooting During a Senate hearing regarding that bill, the then-senator made a plea for lawmakers to approve the measure so it could move to the Senate floor. He told them he filed the bill after he felt Jewish college students were being mistreated during pro-Israel protests. 'I made a decision at that point that if schools would not protect these children, then I would make sure that they could protect themselves,' Fine said. The lawmaker had more to add in his attempt to gain support for his bill. 'There is no magic force field that keeps guns from coming onto our college campuses. There is not one,' Fine said. 'There are guns on college campuses right now; lots of them. They are just being carried by the people who don't follow the rules.' All 6 injured victims expected to make full recoveries following deadly FSU mass shooting Senate democrats on the Criminal Justice Committee pushed back. Senate Minority Leader Jason Pizzo spoke out against the measure. 'If there was a bill that spoke to much more funding for security, armed security for the protection of students, I would be all for it,' Pizzo said. Pizzo represents voters near the Miami-Dade and Broward County line, and there's discussion that he may run for governor. 'My other son is entering college this fall, and I don't trust his peers, his classmates, to have a gun in their dorm room. I just don't,' Pizzo said. One of Fine's final bills in the Florida legislature failed to move forward after a 4-3 vote. Who is FSU shooter Phoenix Ikner, stepson of Florida deputy? Republican state Sen. Ileana Garcia, out of Miami, joined democrats to vote no. Garcia recently posted on X, part: 'I have zero regret. Proud to have voted against your moronic campus carry bill, that didn't have a house companion. This decision wasn't about partisan politics; it was rooted in common sense.' Fine posted on X by calling Garcia a 'so-called republican.' Last month, a bill to lower the age to buy a firearm from 21 to 18 passed the state house. So far, it's unclear if its companion, Senate Bill 920, will make it onto the floor for a vote. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
PA receives $2.5M to establish statewide sexual assault kit tracking system
Jan. 27—WILKES-BARRE — Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis on Monday said rape and sexual assault is about power — that attackers want to take away their victims' power and dignity, their feeling of safety and security. Davis, who serves as chair of PCCD, added, "As leaders, we need to do everything we can to help victims feel safe and whole again. If a victim is able to summon the strength to go through the process of getting a sexual assault examination and file a police report, they deserve to know their rape kit is being handled with care and attention, that their case is a priority." Davis joined a bipartisan group of legislators and advocates to announce a new $2.5 million federal award from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) awarded to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) to improve the Commonwealth's ability to support survivors of sexual violence and increase accountability and transparency through a new statewide sexual assault kit tracking system. "Here in Pennsylvania, we're reducing the backlog of processing rape kits, but there's much more work to be done," Davis said. "Now that we've passed Senate Bill 920, Gov. Shapiro has signed it into law and with this federal funding, we can create a statewide tracking system that keeps victims informed and helps them get their power back." The federal award announced on Monday furthers recent legislation — Senate Bill 920 — sponsored by Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr., and signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro in October 2024 as Act 122 of 2024. "Act 122 reinforces the Commonwealth's dedication to supporting survivors and ensuring offenders are held accountable," Langerholc said. "This rape kit tracking system will allow sexual assault survivors to track the progress of their kits throughout an investigation. The $2.5 million federal grant from the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative will help launch the system sooner, ensuring faster access for survivors." The new law requires the establishment of an electronic statewide sexual assault evidence tracking system, enabling survivors to monitor the status of their rape kits throughout the testing process. The bill also enhances the rights of sexual assault victims and mandates reporting by the Pennsylvania State Police. "The implementation of this statewide tracking system for sexual assault kits underscores our commitment to enhancing public service and fostering transparency," said PA State Police Commissioner Colonel Christopher Paris. "Every victim of crime deserves respect, dignity, and the assurance that their case will be handled with professionalism and compassion, with a steadfast pursuit of justice." For survivors who choose to report an incident of sexual assault to police, preserving DNA and other evidence is crucial to investigate and prosecute those responsible. Sexual assault forensic exams, or "rape kits," performed by specially trained staff at hospitals and health facilities are vital tools in the fight to increase transparency, improve public safety, and ensure that survivors of sexual assault are supported, given a voice, and achieve justice. Sexual assault kit testing can be a lengthy process, often leading to significant backlogs in crime labs. Automated sexual assault kit tracking systems allow survivors to know where their sexual assault kit is throughout the testing process and prompt efficient processing to prevent backlogs and delays, which in turn can speed up the criminal justice process and prevent future assaults. "If we can track Amazon packages, airline flights, and Starlink satellites, there should be no issue with ensuring survivors can access and track the status of their sexual assault evidence kits and give them control in their fight for justice," Sen. Katie Muth said. "Today's announcement of federal grant funding to finally establish a statewide rape kit tracking system in Pennsylvania is a sign of progress and a sign that the voices of survivors and their advocates are being heard in Harrisburg. I appreciate the continued work of PCCD and PCAR to fight for survivors and to advocate for programs and funding that can make a difference in the lives of Pennsylvanians." With this new federal funding, PCCD, along with its partners at the Pennsylvania State Police and Pennsylvania Department of Health, will take a multi-phased approach to reduce the number of unsubmitted and partially tested sexual assault kits in the Commonwealth. Funds will be used to establish a new statewide tracking system as well as training and technical assistance support provided to rape crisis programs, hospitals, law enforcement, and other key stakeholders through a sub-award to PCAR. In addition, a portion of grant funds will help establish a state-level multidisciplinary team led by PCCD and comprised of key stakeholders, building on PA's existing collaborative efforts related to sexual assault evidence collection and other system-wide reforms. Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
$2.5M awarded to develop sexual assault kit tracking system in Pennsylvania
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — A federal award to Pennsylvania will see that over $2,000,000 will be used to develop a statewide sexual assault kit tracking system. The award comes from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and will help the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to improve the support for survivors of sexual violence and increase accountability. 'Rape and sexual assault is about power – attackers want to take away their victims' power and dignity, their feeling of safety and security,' Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, who serves as chair of PCCD said. 'As leaders, we need to do everything we can to help victims feel safe and whole again. If a victim is able to summon the strength to go through the process of getting a sexual assault examination and file a police report, they deserve to know their rape kit is being handled with care and attention, that their case is a priority. Here in Pennsylvania, we're reducing the backlog of processing rape kits, but there's much more work to be done. Now that we've passed Senate Bill 920, Governor Shapiro has signed it into law and with this federal funding, we can create a statewide tracking system that keeps victims informed and helps them get their power back.' Over $3M invested in Pennsylvania to develop maternal health coalitions In October of last year, a bill that would require Pennsylvania to develop a tracking system and enhance the rights of sexual assault victims was signed into law. That bill was sponsored by Senator Wayne Langerholc and he said that this award will help to support survivors. 'Act 122 reinforces the Commonwealth's dedication to supporting survivors and ensuring offenders are held accountable. This rape kit tracking system will allow sexual assault survivors to track the progress of their kits throughout an investigation,' Langerholc said. 'The $2.5 million federal grant from the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative will help launch the system sooner, ensuring faster access for survivors.' Sexual assault kit testing can be a lengthy process and it can lead to backlogs in crime labs. Automated sexual assault kit tracking systems allow survivors to know where their sexual assault kit is throughout the testing process and prompt efficient processing to prevent backlogs and delays, which in turn can speed up the criminal justice process and prevent future assaults. A portion of the funds will be used to develop a state-level team to build on Pennsylvania's efforts for sexual assault evidence collection. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
