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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Medical cannabis access, ‘fair' tax policies and more on deck as study committee season cranks up
Lawmakers created a long list of study committees during the 2025 legislative session, laying the groundwork for a busy offseason. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder School may be out for the summer, but at the state Capitol in Atlanta, lawmakers are gearing up for their own version of summer school. Study committees, which meet outside the regular 40-day legislative session, have already begun gathering information and soliciting expert testimony on topics ranging from chronic student absenteeism to improving tourism. All told, 16 different House study committees and 20 Senate panels will convene under the Gold Dome, which is the most each chamber has seen in the past decade. Here is a look at a few notable ones. Artificial intelligence, or AI, has been a hot-button issue both in Georgia and around the country. During the 2025 session, legislators in both chambers introduced bills aimed at increasing regulations on the use of AI technology, but none managed to pass through both chambers by the Sine Die deadline. However, two new study committees will allow legislators in the Senate to continue compiling research and drafting a report that may guide their efforts when lawmakers reconvene for the 2026 session next January. Senate Resolution 391, introduced by Roswell Republican Sen. John Albers, creates a new committee dedicated to examining the use of AI across industries like education, health care and financial services. The committee will also explore the use of digital and cryptocurrency, and how to better prevent security threats. A second AI-related committee, created by SR 431, will study the impact of social media on children across Georgia, examining privacy implications and the impact of chatbots and other AI features on minors. The resolution was introduced by Atlanta Democrat Sen. Sally Harrell, who will serve as co-chair alongside Johns Creek Republican Sen. Shawn Still. Lawmakers are getting a jump start on election policy this year, perhaps hoping to avoid a repeat of the months-long battle between Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and the five-member State Election Board that characterized the lead-up to Georgia's 2024 election. House Resolution 885 established a special panel that will examine Georgia's existing election code and how responsibilities are shared between election officials at the local and state levels. It will be chaired by Rep. Tim Fleming, a Covington Republican. Another study committee, created by SR 429, will research ways to remove barriers for those who are seeking to restore their voting rights after a felony conviction. Georgia 'has one of the longest parole and probationary periods in the nation and the highest number of individuals under supervision per capita of any state,' according to the resolution. The fight to overhaul Georgia's civil litigation landscape may be settled for now, but discussions over Georgia's insurance rates are set to continue. A newly created panel will investigate the driving forces behind insurance rate hikes throughout the state by analyzing insurance industry practices, profit margins and compliance with state regulations. It will be chaired by Duluth Republican Rep. Matt Reeves. House lawmakers will also delve into how the state's reinsurance landscape intersects with climate change in a study committee created by HR 40. Citing the estimated $6.46 billion in damage that Hurricane Helene caused in Georgia, lawmakers are hoping to combat insurance-related challenges that businesses may face during future storms and severe weather events. Co-chaired by Republican Reps. Darlene Taylor of Thomasville and Noel Williams of Cordele, the committee aims to collaborate with the Georgia Office of Insurance and Department of Agriculture to mitigate rising property and casualty insurance costs for small businesses across the state. Cannabis consumption, both medical and recreational, was another prominent issue that surfaced during the 2025 legislative session. While House Bill 227 and Senate Bill 220 both sought to widen access to medical cannabis, neither bill managed to make it over the finish line before lawmakers adjourned for the year. Instead, two separate study committees will tackle the issue over the summer. A House study committee led by Augusta Republican Rep. Mark Newton, who works as a doctor, will dive into Georgia's medical marijuana policies. In the Senate, lawmakers on the Study Committee on Intoxicating Cannabinoids in Consumable Hemp Products will tackle the issue of regulating recreational products like THC-infused drinks, which are chemically similar to medical cannabis but more broadly available to consumers because they fall under the federal 2018 Farm Bill and the Georgia Hemp Farming Act. Georgia lawmakers at both the state and federal level are pushing for legislation that would overhaul the current tax code, replacing the current system with a fixed consumption tax that proponents refer to as 'FairTax.' The congressional version of the bill, which was first proposed in 1999, was sponsored this year by U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, who recently announced a bid for the U.S. Senate. At the Georgia Capitol, the Senate State FairTax Study Committee will examine similar legislation that would apply a fixed sales tax rate within the Peach State. The committee will be chaired by Rome Republican Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, who also heads the Senate Finance Committee. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Governor vetoes rideshare safety bill: Sponsors call action a ‘devastating blow'
DENVER (KDVR) — On Friday, Gov. Jared Polis vetoed a bill that would have implemented safety standards for rideshare drivers, including tougher background checks and a right of action for people injured during a ride. Polis said in his letter justifying the veto that the bill would 'impose unworkable regulations on Transportation Network Companies, and potentially jeopardize their continued operation in Colorado.' Uber previously threatened to pull out of the state if the bill were made into law, and Lyft said the bill would 'leave riders less safe and leave the future of Lyft's operations in Colorado uncertain.' Lyft asks Gov. Polis to veto rideshare safety bill as companies threaten to leave Colorado 'I want to make sure that Uber, Lyft, and others will be able to continue to operate in Colorado, but are far more accountable for the safety of riders and drivers. These services go beyond convenience by providing essential means of travel for many Coloradans and improve public safety primarily by reducing driving under the influence,' Polis wrote to the General Assembly. Sponsors of the bill include Rep. Jenny Willford, who sued Lyft this year after she said she was sexually assaulted while using Lyft. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a man in connection with the incident. Officials say he impersonated a rideshare driver. Bill supporters, including Willford, said that Polis was using industry talking points to ignore Colorado constituents and veto the measure. 'If the Governor or his staff had chosen to engage earlier than the Monday before Sine Die, we could have addressed these issues,' the sponsors said in a release. 'We made good-faith amendments throughout the process, including at the Governor's request. What we needed was a partner — not a veto pen.' The bill passed overwhelmingly in the legislature, with the House voting unanimously to concur on amendments made to the bill after also voting 59-6 in favor of the measure, and the Senate voting unanimously on amendments after voting 22-13 to approve the measure. The bill changed while in the legislature, with legislators ultimately nixing a requirement for drivers to use dash cameras and audio record all rides. Denver sues Trump administration over potential loss of transportation funding 'We decided that there was so much in this bill that it was so important to get on the books that we were open to moving off of that required audio and video of every ride, shifted to an opt-in so that riders and drivers can decide what they are comfortable with. I believe this is a tremendous step forward,' Willford told FOX31 on the last day of session. Polis wrote in his letter to legislators that he is 'concerned about the language around audio-visual recording, which was modified at the last minute and is likely unworkable for both the PUC (public utilities commission) and TNCs (transportation network companies) as currently constructed.' 'Drivers and riders are entitled to privacy, and while I appreciate the movement on this issue, the net effect of the remaining language in the bill still strongly suggests making recording mandatory, which will put this law in direct conflict with other state privacy laws and make compliance a challenge. Moreover, the relevant data retention pieces remain challenging, without ensuring proper security protocols, and creates operational difficulties,' Polis wrote. Polis said that while he is vetoing the bill, he is also directing several parts of his administration to take action and help make rideshares safer. Those directions were: For the Department of Regulatory Agencies to work with sponsors to identify policy objectives For DORA to work with PUC to review current rideshare rules and focus on strengthening driver impersonation and penalties For PUC to conduct audits of rideshare companies to ensure they are complying with background check requirements Polis seemed to agree that the current state of rideshare safety in Colorado isn't enough. 'I am also challenging TNCs to do more to protect riders and drivers, including being more transparent about their rights, and more vigorous in preventing serious crimes,' Polis wrote. 'The status quo isn't sufficient. Enhancing criminal record checks for drivers and preventing bad actors, including impersonators, from getting behind the wheel are commonsense steps we canand should take, and steps we can address now.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Idaho state revenues lag nearly $100 million behind Legislature's projections
The rotunda at the Idaho Capitol in Boise on Jan.17, 2022. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun) Through April, state revenues are $97.7 million below the Idaho Legislature's forecast for the current 2025 fiscal year, according to a new monthly revenue report released by the Idaho Legislative Services Office. Although revenue collections are more than they were last year at this time, they are below the Idaho Legislature's forecast for the current fiscal year, according to the April edition of the Fiscal Year 2025 General Fund Budget Monitor report. That's important because the Idaho Legislature used the forecast in the state's 2025 fiscal year budget. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX When legislators left the Idaho State Capitol in Boise at the end of the 2025 session, they were forecasting to end the 2025 fiscal year on June 30 with a positive ending balance of $420.3 million. But just over a month later, the projected ending balance has shrunk to $322.7 million, according to the new budget monitor report. 'Thats why we left such a strong ending balance,' said Rep. Wendy Horman, an Idaho Falls Republican who serves as the co-chair of the Idaho Legislature's Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, or JFAC. JFAC is a powerful legislative committee that sets every budget for every state agency and department. 'At the time we adjourned Sine Die there were questions about the impacts of tariffs, and we gave more tax relief than the governor proposed,' Horman added, using the Latin phrase Sine Die that signifies the annual legislative session has ended for the year 'We wanted to make sure we had a cushion there to cover us – not only through the end of this fiscal year, but also carrying over to start FY26, and that's what we did.' 'At this time, we are still very well positioned moving into the next fiscal year,' Horman said. Idaho's budget runs on a calendar where fiscal year 2025 ends June 30 and fiscal year 2026 begins July 1. For fiscal year 2025, the Idaho Legislature adopted a revenue figure that was $42.1 million higher than the revenue projection Gov. Brad Little and the Idaho Division of Financial Management issued. Sales tax distributions appear to be a major driving factor in the revenue picture. The state's April revenue report indicates sales tax distributions to the state's general fund are $95.6 million less than last year. In a written statement Tuesday, Idaho Division of Financial Management Administrator Lori Wolff said she does not foresee the need for any holdbacks in the current budget. With the April revenue numbers coming in, Wolff said the state is still within 1% of its revenue projections. 'The governor and the Legislature left $400 million on the bottom line as cushion, and we do not anticipate any holdbacks will be necessary for FY25,' Wolff wrote Tuesday. 'The Governor's Office and (Division of Financial Management) will continue to monitor revenue, but the strength of our economy combined with responsible budgeting do not create any significant concerns about the state budget at this time.' With only two months left in the 2025 fiscal year, it doesn't look like the state will have a problem finishing this year with a balanced budget. CONTACT US But Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, is worried that revenue cuts approved by legislators could lead the Idaho Legislature to cut funding for programs Idahoans depend on during next year's legislative session. 'It may cause some havoc; in the next session we may see the Legislature cutting things,' Wintrow said in a phone interview Tuesday. 'Overall what I am deeply disturbed by – and what we are seeing in revenue collections – is I don't think Gov. Little or the Idaho Legislature is keeping its promises to Idahoans,' Wintrow added. In addition to serving as the leader of the Democrats in the Idaho Senate, Wintrow is a member of the Legislature's budget committee, JFAC. During the 2025 legislative session, Idaho legislators cut taxes by about $400 million and provided an additional $50 million in a refundable tax credit for education expenses including tuition at a private, religious school. In a press conference Monday, Little said the state can afford the $400 million in tax cuts this year, but it's important to consider the future. To pay for the tax cuts and tax credits, legislators reduced revenue that is available for funding in the state budget by about $453 million. Some of the Idaho Legislature's laws, like 2024's House Bill 521, divert sales tax revenue away from the general fund and put it to other uses, like paying for school facilities or reducing other taxes. On Tuesday, Horman did say she is concerned about the sales tax revenue diverted away before it reaches the state general fund. She said she first spoke out about the issue a couple of years ago. 'There has been a concern as we continue to draw from gross sales tax revenues in a way that distributes them before they are appropriated that we need to be cautious that the percentage going to cities and counties doesn't get so out of balance that when the next recession hits they feel the worst of the brunt of reduced revenues,' Horman said. Wintrow is also concerned about diverting sales tax revenue before it reaches the general fund budget. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Instead of cutting income taxes and diverting sales tax revenue, Wintrow said legislators should push to increase funding for special education programs and increase pay for state employees. Between the revenue cuts and Republican legislators announcing a new Idaho Department of Government Efficiency task force that seeks to consolidate state agencies and reduce the number of state employees – an effort similar to the Trump administration's and Elon Musk's DOGE process –, Wintrow worries cuts to programs are coming next year. 'Its not very conservative to hack your revenue stream so hard it potentially puts us in a place where we may have to continue to whittle at the oak tree until it's a splinter,' Wintrow said. 'Many of us (Democrats), and some Republicans, really were raising the alarm bell on that, to cut revenue so deeply at a time when the economy is going haywire.' The new April budget monitor report isn't the first sign that revenues were lagging projections. Little's budget office released a preliminary revenue report in March that showed revenues were lagging behind state projections at that point. JFAC is scheduled to conduct interim committee meetings next week in Idaho Falls. JFAC members are scheduled to receive a general fund and budget update Monday. Budget and Revenue Monitor 10
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
More pieces of legislation were prepared for Idaho's 2025 session than in the last 30 years
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Members of the Idaho Senate work from the Senate floor on the morning of March 10, 2025, at the Idaho Capitol Building in Boise. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) It has been at least 30 years since an Idaho legislative session has featured as many prepared pieces of legislation as the recent 2025 session at the State Capitol in Boise. During the entire 2025 session, legislators and bill drafters prepared 1,378 pieces of legislation, according to the official Sine Die report compiled and published by the Idaho Legislative Services Office. That's 140 more pieces of legislation than during the previous year's legislative session. Idaho legislators had so many pieces of legislation prepared – including draft bills, memorials, resolutions and proclamations – that it is difficult to find online records of another session that featured more pieces of legislation. According to an Idaho Capital Sun review of online legislative records and previous Sine Die reports that tracked the volume of legislation dating as far back as 1994, the 2025 session is the only time that more than 1,300 different pieces of legislation have been prepared in Idaho. The 1994 session came close, with 1,265 pieces of prepared legislation, according to a table embedded in the 2003 Sine Die report. Online legislative records only date back to the late 1990s and early 2000s, so documenting and comparing legislative trends prior to that time period becomes more difficult. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Model legislation makes its way into Idaho At any rate, the increase in legislation this session was so pronounced the House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, noticed it stood out before the session ended for the year April 4. Idaho House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, speaks from the House floor on March 10, 2025, at the Idaho Capitol Building in Boise. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) In an interview with the Sun in March, Rubel blamed some of the increase in the amount of legislation on an influx of out-of-state model legislation. Model legislation, or form legislation, is where an organization or advocacy group writes a bill template that can be easily introduced in different states simply by making a few minor wording changes or localizing a bill, the Sun previously reported. 'A lot of this is being driven, frankly, by these out-of-state bill mills,' Rubel told the Sun in March. Examples of form legislation that has appeared in Idaho and multiple states include bills restricting transgender athletes from participating in women's sports and the Texas-style immigration bill allowing local law enforcement officials to check the immigration status of people being investigated for a crime. From the 1,378 proposed pieces of legislation that were prepared for legislative committees and legislators, 790 bills, proclamations, resolutions or memorials were officially introduced in 2025, Idaho Legislative Services Office staffers wrote in the Sine Die report. In the end, 341 of those bills became law this year, and most will take effect July 1. Idaho legislative sessions, by the numbers Here is a closer look at the 2025 Idaho Legislative session, and how it compares to other recent sessions. Length of session 2025: 89 days 2024: 94 days 2023: 88 days 2022: 81 days 2021: 311 days, longest legislative session in Idaho history 2020: 75 days Number of pieces of legislation prepared for legislators or committees 2025: 1,378 2024: 1,234 2023: 1,155 2022: 1,046 2021: 1,226 2020: 1,,053 Source: 2025 Idaho Sine Die report Idaho Sine Die report SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WA's 2025 legislative session has adjourned. Here are some defining moments
Sunday marked the final day of Washington state's 2025 legislative session, an occasion known as Sine Die. Much has happened in the 105 days since the session started Jan. 13. Tears were shed, brawls were fought. Descriptors for this year's proceedings have ranged from 'really hard' to 'grueling.' 'Certainly today, it feels like the toughest one that I've been through,' House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon, a West Seattle Democrat, said at a Sunday evening press conference. 'But I'm sure every session to come will have its own challenges, too.' Earlier this year, then-Attorney General Bob Ferguson traded in his old title for a new one: governor. Washington said goodbye to longtime Gov. Jay Inslee. And residents got a glimpse of how the state could fare under the second administration of President Donald Trump. The Capitol saw policy squabbles and budget quarrels, thousands-deep protests and unexpected deaths. Washington lawmakers received a stormy revenue forecast in March, unwelcome news at a time when the state is facing a budget gap estimated between $7.5 billion and $16 billion, depending on the source. But it remains to be seen whether a special session will need to be called. Ferguson has kept mum about whether he'd approve lawmakers' final operating-budget offering; Democrats also passed capital and transportation budgets, too. In a lengthy statement Sunday, the governor thanked lawmakers for their hard work this session. 'I look forward to carefully reviewing the budgets line by line over the next few weeks,' he said. 'When that review is complete, I will share my thoughts with the public in greater detail.' Here are some of the highlights — and lowlights — of the regular session. Some of the biggest fights of the 2025 session centered around housing. Among the most hotly debated bills: one that would cap rent hikes. House Bill 1217 would limit annual rent increases to 7% plus inflation or 10%, whichever is lower, and up to 5% for manufactured homes. Another bill that divided lawmakers would allow striking workers to receive unemployment insurance benefits for up to six weeks. Democrats also pursued the closure of the residential habilitation center Rainier School for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, located in Buckley in Pierce County. One short-lived, but quite controversial, proposal would have created a redesign committee charged with overseeing a makeover for the state flag. Democrats broadcast a slew of revenue options this year. Republicans, naturally, objected — and Ferguson also poo-pooed the suggested mountain of taxes as being far too high, citing looming federal threats to funding, programs and jobs. The majority party this session gave the green light to a 6-cent increase on the state's gas tax to help address the transportation budget's own multi-billion-dollar deficit. Tesla would get hit with a new tax under one House proposal. Democrats also attempted to tax the state's wealthiest residents, a concept that Ferguson has said he'd be open to discussing with a $100 million figure. The bill cleared the Senate but stalled out in the House. Republicans pushed back against Democrats' efforts to lift the 1% annual property-tax growth cap. They also slammed a proposed 50% increase on the price of state-park Discover passes and other taxes on 'joy.' Ferguson hasn't said which taxes he would support. Republicans registered outrage after House Democrats tweaked the rules on floor debate, accusing majority-party leadership of 'censoring' dissent. Democrats, incidentally, said the rule changes would help focus debate and end redundant filibustering. One explosive moment occurred in the House days before the end of session. State Rep. Jeremie Dufault, a Selah Republican, was prohibited from returning to the House chamber following an outburst that interrupted proceedings on the so-called parental bill of rights. (He was still allowed to participate virtually.) Ferguson also ruffled feathers after suggesting that most state workers should take furloughs one day per month over two years to assist with the state's budget problem. As the state scrambled to fix its own budget woes, the Trump administration took a chainsaw to federal funding, programs and jobs. Shortly after assuming office as attorney general, Democrat Nick Brown came out swinging against the Trump administration. Months into Trump's second term, Washington state has led or participated in several lawsuits against the federal government. Litigation topics have included alleged unconstitutional federal executive orders, including attempts to end birthright citizenship and restrict mail-in voting. U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, has led a one-woman charge to warn against perceived ills emanating from the White House. And earlier this spring, House Speaker Laurie Jinkins said that if federal Medicaid funding were ever yanked, 'there is not a state in this country that can backfill that in any way, shape or form.' Ferguson has also directed state lawmakers to brace for additional federal hostility. State Superintendent Chris Reykdal, himself a former Democratic state lawmaker, doubled down on the state's position concerning the ability of transgender athletes to play in girls' sports and undocumented-student protections. The Washington Legislature mourned the lives of multiple state leaders. State Sen. Bill Ramos, an Issaquah Democrat, died unexpectedly April 19 while on a trail run near his home in Issaquah. Ramos' Senate colleagues commemorated him Sunday as someone who made Washington better. Former longtime Speaker of the House Frank Chopp, a Seattle Democrat, died last month from cardiac arrest at age 71. Ferguson described him as 'a force in Washington politics.' Days before Chopp's passing, former Republican Secretary of State Ralph Munro died at 81. Democratic Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said his predecessor had 'embodied the drive and attitude of a true statesman.' After lawmakers released the final operating budget on Saturday, Sen. Chris Gildon, the upper chamber's Republican budget lead, was called away because his wife of more than 31 years, Autumn, was discovered unresponsive at her workplace. She died of unknown causes. 'Legislators are people first, and at a time like this, our families are more important,' Senate Minority Leader John Braun of Centralia said in an emailed statement. 'We hold Chris and his family in our hearts and pray that they will find comfort and peace.'
