Latest news with #Torres-Fossett
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
CCSD opposes school choice bill, while lawmakers say it empowers families
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Clark County School District is against a bill that would let parents enroll their children at any public school regardless of where they live. Nevada lawmakers held a hearing for Assembly Bill 533 (AB533), also known as the open enrollment bill, on Tuesday with CCSD providing the lone dissent among speakers. 'As we talk about open enrollment, I just want it to be clear that we are providing as many seats as we possibly can to any school that's underutilized,' Brad Keating, assistant superintendent at CCSD, said. Despite CCSD's opposition, the bill has support among Democrats, Republicans and the business community. During testimony, supporters argued the bill's lottery system for placing children in schools outside of their neighborhood will be fairer than what's currently in place. 'As an educator, as a school leader, and as a policymaker — I see the potential this bill has to change lives and to change the trajectory of so many students and close the equity gap for families,' Democratic Assem. Selena Torres-Fossett said. 'Parents should have freedom': Nevada law aims to allow open enrollment in schools AB533 would allow children to go to any school that has the room through a lottery system. Parents would have to apply first and if they're denied, there would be a mechanism where they could appeal the decision. Supporters said this proposal is about creating no address discrimination. 'Families will do what is best for them and I think we should empower those families to make those decisions,' Torres-Fossett said. The Vegas Chamber, the American Civil Liberties Union, Latin Chamber of Commerce, Americans for Prosperity and NAACP all came out in support of AB533. Keating said the district is against it. 'We're still struggling to figure out the difference between the COSA process and what this lays out in law, so we want to work with the stakeholders to figure that out,' Keating said. COSA is Change of School Assignment. According to CCSD, there are 16,000 students under COSA. Lesson learned: Lawmaker takes second crack at help for English learners in Nevada schools But unlike the new proposal, CCSD does not have a process to appeal a denial, according to the district's website. 'The reality right now is there is no equity. Those kids who are at schools where they aren't happy or not satisfied do not have other options unless they are attending a public charter school, or unless they're in a magnet program,' Torres-Fossett said. Another point that came up with the bill was public transportation, but according to the bill's text, school trustees will create and submit a report to the state every year evaluating the issue. Keating said the district has problems with the legislation's language on school capacity and the fact that a student's behavior will be used as a factor in their application. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lesson learned: Lawmaker takes second crack at help for English learners in Nevada schools
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A 2019 law put attention on efforts to help students overcome language barriers, but eventually it created more paperwork than it did results. It was a hard lesson for the lawmaker who sponsored it. 'I don't think it's too often that you have a legislator coming back and saying, 'Hey, I need to repeal my own bill from 2019,' ' Democratic Assemblymember Selena Torres-Fossett said Tuesday in Carson City. 'I think we found a way to make it better.' As Torres-Fossett, a high school teacher, presented Assembly Bill 335 (AB335), she was focused on the students the legislation is meant to help. And she was surrounded by like-minded educators who see value in her new proposal. CCSD opposes school choice bill, while lawmakers say it empowers families They talked about critical needs among students who come to Nevada speaking Spanish, Tagalog, Chinese, Vietnamese or some other language. Torres-Fossett said as much as 20% of Nevada's K-12 student enrollment has a primary language that isn't English. Only 11% of those students are proficient in English, and 11% are proficient in math. That's a formidable barrier to learning to read and write, as well as develop skills for listening and speaking, according to Ezra Goins, who has experience as an EL coordinator in Las Vegas. He currently works at Mater Academy East Las Vegas. 'When a newcomer is learning English as a second language — as a new language — they need support to access what they're supposed to be learning in English with native language support,' he said. The bill means training requirements for teachers and follow-through for administrators. But AB335 redirects the effort from paperwork to a more holistic approach to changing the course of education for English learners (ELs). 'EL students are not an English teacher problem,' Torres-Fossett said. 'These are Nevada students that deserve access to that high-quality education.' Torres-Fossett and fellow Democratic Assem. Selena La Rue Hatch, also a teacher, made the point that it's up to all teachers to help those students, not just the ones who teach grammar and spelling. AB335 would require Clark and Washoe County school principals to prepare plans to improve EL students' achievements. The goal: close the gap between ELs and other students in all areas from proficiencies in individual subjects clear through to graduation rates. Currently, 75% of English learners graduate compared to 82% for other students. The bill creates a 'Zero Year' for EL students, giving them an extra year to complete high school if they need it. 'Newcomers often need time to acclimate to their new home,' according to a one-page bill summary from Torres-Fossett. 'Recognizing that these students are learning a new culture, language, and school system this bill allows newcomers additional time to graduate high school.' The bill would create the English Learner Advisory Council to study policies to support English language acquisition, development and literacy. Elena Fabunan, who retired in 2023 as principal of Global Community High School, applauded the legislation because it doesn't lower the bar. Instead, it strengthens the system that supports EL students, she said. She recalled her own experience coming to the United States. 'Back then, I was a quiet child trying to make sense of a new country, a new language, and a school system that wasn't set up for students like me. That experience didn't break me. It shaped me,' Fabunan said. 'It led me to become a bilingual teacher when language support often meant handing a student a worksheet and walking away.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Legislation would create camera-automated traffic ticketing in construction zones
(Photo: Nevada Department of Transportation) The first of two bills that would authorize the use of automated traffic enforcement, such as red light and speeding cameras, was heard by state lawmakers Tuesday. Unlike other automated ticketing legislation expected to be heard this session, which would allow for a wider use of traffic cameras in interested jurisdictions, the intent of Assembly Bill 402 is to reduce accidents in work zones, said the bill's sponsor, Clark County Democratic Assemblymember Selena Torres-Fossett. 'This is very limited in scope to only in construction work zones when workers are actually working,' said Torres-Fossett. The bill, heard by the Assembly Committee on Growth and Infrastructure, would authorize traffic monitoring cameras in construction work zones when workers are present. Driving 10 mph or more over the posted temporary traffic control zone speed limit would trigger enforcement. An amendment presented by Torres-Fossett on Tuesday mandates signs to inform drivers they are entering a zone with automated enforcement along with the posted speed limit. AB 402, along with other bills seeking harsher traffic enforcement, comes as lawmakers are seeking to respond to the growing number of traffic-related accidents and fatalities across the state. While discussing the topic during the interim session, lawmakers and traffic experts agreed changing roadway infrastructure could also curb accidents and reduce roadway fatalities. But those solutions aren't often funded. Alexis Motarez, a lobbyist with the Nevada chapter Association of General Contractors, told lawmakers Tuesday that roadways are getting more dangerous in general, with work zones especially hazardous. And deadly. Data from the Nevada Department of Transportation shows 'that in the past five years alone there have been over 7,000 crashes in Nevada in workzones leading to the tragic loss of 17 lives,' Motarez said in testimony to lawmakers in favor of the legislation. 'At its core, AB 402 is about one simple but essential goal: to protect the lives of construction workers who risk their safety everyday to build and maintain our highways,' she said. 'Road construction is already a dangerous job. With the ever present threat of impaired, distracted and aggressive driving the risks only increase.' Nick Shepack, the Nevada state director of the Fines and Fees Justice Center, said the organization is wary of automated enforcement in any form and encouraged the state to look for alternatives to citations and monetary penalties. If the lawmakers did move forward with the legislation to use speed cameras in construction zones, they should consider making it a pilot program, he said. 'You could have a pilot program that could go up immediately into every construction zone but then you'd be forced to address any unintended consequences' of the enforcement program,Shepack said. The bill mandates law enforcement agencies be tasked with storing data and images collected and prevents the technology vendors from handling driver information. Data collected about enforcement is mandated to be reported to the Legislature every October. In previous legislative hearings, Shepack has warned that automated enforcement has been used as a revenue stream for jurisdictions across the country. Torres-Fossett said the amendment presented Tuesday would also direct any funds collected through enforcement be directed toward public infrastructure. 'The goal is that we make no money doing this,' she said. 'The goal is that people drive the speed limit.' If passed, a citation would be mailed to the owner of the car, who would have 120 days to respond, which was lengthened from 90 days to account for delays in mail. Torres-Fossett said she is working on an amendment to further clarify issues around whether municipalities or law enforcement would mail out tickets. Several state lawmakers questioned how enforcement would work, how the automation would determine if the owner of the car was actually driving and how people could challenge infractions. An amended version of the bill authorizes the ticket to be removed if a person can prove they weren't driving at the time of the ticket. 'What happens in a situation when you have two registered owners,' asked Assemblymember Shea Backus. Torres-Fossett wasn't able to answer and said it was something she'd look into. The committee took no action on the bill.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Reproductive rights bills in Nevada Legislature tackle IVF, contraceptives, provider protections
Members of Reproductive Freedom for All Nevada stand in the Assembly Chambers during the 2025 Legislative Session. (Photo courtesy of Reproductive Freedom for All Nevada) Democrats in the Nevada State Legislature two years ago sponsored the Right to Reproductive Health Care Act, a broad bill that covered myriad reproductive health services, including pregnancy care, contraception and sterilization, and treatments for miscarriage and infertility. Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed the bill. For this year's session, Democrats are taking a piecemeal approach, sponsoring bills focused on specific areas of reproductive health care rather than one omnibus bill that could again be vetoed. Democratic Assemblymember Selena Torres-Fossett is sponsoring legislation she has dubbed the Right to Contraception Act. The bill, Assembly Bill 176, was introduced with language covering a much broader swath of reproductive health services, including abortion, but Torres-Fossett told the Assembly Health and Human Services Committee last week those provisions will be amended out so the bill focuses exclusively on protecting access to contraceptives. Torres-Fossett said the revamped language attempts to address concerns raised by Lombardo in his veto message of the broader 2023 bill. Those changes include removing references to educational agencies to make it clear there is no intent to have school nurses providing birth control to students. Melissa Clement, president of Nevada Right to Life, which opposes abortion rights, testified in opposition to AB176 during its hearing last week, but Clement described their opposition as 'very very very soft' given Torres-Fossett's promise to narrow it to only contraception. 'We look forward to seeing the language' of the amendment, she said before suggesting the group may support an amended version. Senate Bill 217, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro and the rest of the Senate Democratic Caucus, establishes the right to assisted reproduction treatment, which includes in vitro fertilization (IVF) but also intrauterine insemination and the donation of eggs and embryos. The bill, among other things, requires many private and public insurance companies to cover some assisted reproduction treatment. 'This is health care,' Cannizzaro told lawmakers last weekend during a hearing for the bill in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. 'Assisted reproductive technology is health care. IVF is healthcare. To say that some people deserve to have access and some people do not deserve to have access … is to deny access to so many people.' Eighty-five percent of Americans are supportive of IVF, Amanda Klein, founder of Nevada Fertility Advocates, told lawmakers, but there remains a stigma that leads to people not talking about infertility. 'It's too painful, it's too personal, and it's too raw,' said Klein. 'But we need to speak up. We need employers to understand how hard it is to go back to work the day after having a miscarriage. We need our family and friends to be aware of what we are going through and to be sensitive to our plight. And most importantly, we need our lawmakers to understand how big of an issue this truly is.' Cannizzaro cited research showing that nearly 10 million women aged 15 through 49 experience impaired fertility, and among married women in this age group, 8.5% or 2.4 million are considered infertile. According to the National Infertility Association, 22 other states mandate some form of IVF coverage. Cannizzaro told the committee she is working with health insurance companies on the coverage requirements mandated by her bill. The companies are worried about potential costs. Anti-abortion rights advocates also opposed the bill, primarily because one section specifies that 'a fertilized egg or human embryo that exists before implantation in a human uterus is not a person for legal purposes.' Cannizzaro defended that inclusion, saying it safeguards against issues that have arisen elsewhere — namely Alabama — where strict definitions of personhood had the effect of shutting down infertility clinics. The Nevada State Legislature is also considering two bills intended to strengthen protections for providers of reproductive health care. Assembly Bill 411, sponsored by Democratic Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui, would allow prescriptions for drugs used for medical abortions and miscarriage management to list the name of the prescribing health care practice, rather than the name of the specific individual providing the prescription. Providers of mifepristone, misoprostol and their generics have been targeted by groups pushing for abortion restrictions. States with strict abortion restrictions have attempted to prosecute providers in states where abortion is legally accessible. Eighteen states, including Nevada, have already enacted shield laws that attempt to protect abortion providers from prosecution in other states. AB411 'is a necessary step to ensure that health care providers can offer essential services without fear,' Jauregui told members of the Assembly Health and Human Services Committee last week during a hearing for the bill. An estimated 63% of abortions performed each year in the United States are medical abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Jauregui told the Assembly HHS committee she is working with national pharmaceutical groups on a possible amendment to make sure the bill's language doesn't have unintended effects for patients, particularly ones coming from out of state. Assembly Bill 235, sponsored by Democratic Assemblymember Erica Roth, would allow employees and volunteers of reproductive health care facilities, as well as their spouses, domestic partners or minor children, to request a court order that keeps their personal information confidential on otherwise public records within the offices of county recorder, county assessor, county clerk, city clerk, Secretary of State, or Department of Motor Vehicles. The bill would also extend those protections to providers of gender-affirming care. Nevada already allows certain groups of people to request these types of court orders, including government employees, judges and politicians. Reports of stalking and threats of harm or death directed toward abortion providers have skyrocketed since the overturning of Roe v Wade in 2022, Roth told members of the Assembly Government Affairs Committee last week. President Donald Trump days after taking office for his second term pardoned anti-abortion activists — 'an act that sends a message that this hostility toward patients and providers is tolerated,' said Toby Frescholtz, a Reno-based medical doctor specializing in obstetrics and gynecology. In Nevada, reproductive health providers and Planned Parenthood staff have received 'countless threatening phone calls,' had anti-abortion literature physically dropped at their homes, and experienced 'threatening incidents' within their health centers, according to Planned Parenthood Votes Nevada Executive Director Lindsey Harmon. Harmon said Nevada Right to Life in an email encouraged supporters to 'call in' the location of people collecting signatures for last year's abortion rights ballot measure. The signature gatherers were 'subsequently stopped by police with false reports of breaking into cars and robbery,' she added. AB235 will not solve all of these issues, Harmon continued, but 'it will at least protect providers in their homes where they should feel most safe.' Democrats control both houses of the Nevada State Legislature, meaning bills pushing anything seen as an abortion restriction are highly unlikely to ever receive a hearing. But that hasn't stopped Republicans from introducing at least one bill related to abortion providers. Assembly Bill 260, sponsored by 11 Republicans, would require abortion providers to compile and give to their clients a list of post-abortion counseling and support services in their area. It specifies that both secular and faith-based perspectives be represented on the list. In 2024, Nevadans approved Question 6 and signaled their support for establishing abortion as a fundamental right in the state constitution. The measure passed with 64% of voters in support. Question 6 will appear before voters again on the 2026 general election ballot. If approved, the amendment will go into effect. Question 6 protects abortion until 'fetal viability,' which by definition would be determined by the patient's health care practitioner. Abortions beyond that point would also be legal if needed to protect the pregnant person's life or health. Abortions in Nevada are currently legal up to 24 weeks after the start of the pregnancy and after 24 weeks if a physician believes the pregnant person's life or health is at risk. Those protections were put in place via a citizen-driven referendum passed by voters in 1990. Putting abortion rights directly into the state constitution 'doubles down on the protections on statute,' Lindsey Harmon, who is also the Nevada for Reproductive Freedom President, has said. 'It makes it twice as hard to repeal or amend the referendum.' In a hearing for the Right to Contraception Act, Harmon reminded lawmakers that Nevada for Reproductive Freedom originally sought a proposal to enshrine reproductive rights more broadly into the state constitution, but they narrowed their ballot measure to abortion rights when facing legal delays. 'That is the impetus of a lot of this work that we're doing,' Harmon testified. 'We had to narrow that constitutional amendment, so we're here now doing some of this work legislatively.'
