Latest news with #andEnvironmentCommittee
The Sun
20-07-2025
- The Sun
Kelantan cites faith, community in curbing LGBT-linked activities
KOTA BHARU: Activities linked to the LGBT community in Kelantan remain under control due to strict enforcement, strong religious values, and active community involvement. State Local Government, Housing, Health, and Environment Committee chairman Hilmi Abdullah credited public vigilance for helping authorities monitor and address suspicious behaviour. 'In Kelantan, if something seems unusual, people report it quickly to the authorities,' he told Bernama. Areas previously known for immoral activities, such as Jalan Hamzah and Lorong Limau Manis, have seen revitalisation efforts, including a new shopping centre in Jalan Hamzah. Hilmi noted that the Kota Bharu Municipal Council – Islamic City (MPKB-BRI) conducts regular patrols, and no recent reports of immoral activities have been filed. However, he acknowledged that any remaining cases likely involve foreigners or non-locals. On July 17, Kelantan police raided a private LGBT-related gathering at a bungalow in Jalan Kemumin, following public complaints and intelligence gathered by a special task force. Over 20 men were involved in the incident.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate Agriculture committee considers Wilson for DEQ secretary
North Carolina Legislative Building (Photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline) The North Carolina Senate Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee reviewed Reid Wilson's appointment as secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality during its hearing on Wednesday. The hearing was billed as 'discussion only.' Lawmakers will take a vote at their next meeting. Wilson formerly served as secretary for the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources from 2021 to 2024. Before that, he was DNCR's chief deputy secretary from 2017 to 2020. Following his appointment earlier this year by Gov. Josh Stein, he's been serving as DEQ secretary on an interim basis while awaiting confirmation. At the national level, Congress has been working on a federal budget that would include cuts to some of the areas under DEQ's purview. Sen. Jay Chaudhuri (D-Wake) asked what the cuts would mean to DEQ and how Wilson would respond. About half of DEQ's budget comes from federal sources, Wilson said. In particular, the proposed budget would remove $31.5 million from operating grants. 'We would have to let a whole lot of people go, and the consequences of that are that our permitting processes would take longer, our responses to spills and other problems would take longer, our responsiveness and assistance to businesses would not be as strong,' Wilson said. 'Everything we do, we would do less well.' Chaudhuri jokingly followed up with, 'Do you still want this job?' Wilson answered in the affirmative. Sen. Jim Burgin (R-Harnett, Lee, Sampson) asked about water quality, specifically microplastics. Wilson said DEQ staff are looking into the issue, and the department also collaborates with others like university researchers to learn more. 'Water quality is a huge priority,' he said. 'It is a significant health concern, so we're gonna' be involved with that.' After Hurricane Helene swept through the western portion of the state, DEQ worked closely with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to provide mobile programs testing the quality of drinking wells. Wilson said the agencies found out how polluted the drinking water was, how to get it cleaned, and tested it to make sure it was healthy before people drank it again. 'For folks with a well in the yard or on their property, they're more vulnerable, so we want to make sure we are doing as much testing,' Wilson said. 'We have a [fund] which helps pay for additional private well tests around the state when we determine that that is needed.' Lawmakers also voted to approve two pieces of legislation at Tuesday's meeting, which they discussed yesterday: House Bill 247 ('8-1-1 Amendments') and House Bill 694 ('Study Water/Wastewater Regionalization'). The former heads to the Senate Judiciary Committee and the latter proceeds to the Senate Rules Committee.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate Agriculture Committee reviews zoning, excavation, wasterwater bills
(Photo: NC Department of Agriculture 2018 Pesticide Report) The Senate Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee approved one bill and discussed two others during its hearing on Tuesday. Lawmakers voted to pass House Bill 126, titled 'Revise Voluntary Ag. District Laws,' without any discussion or testimony. This measure would require government agencies considering condemning or rezoning property within a voluntary agricultural district to hold a public hearing. There would be 45 days to set up the hearing and 120 days for the local agricultural advisory board to submit its findings and recommendations to the agency. 'At this point, I've heard no opposition to this bill,' primary sponsor Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin, Wayne) said. The bill now heads to the Senate Rules Committee. Legislators also reviewed two bills for discussion only: House Bill 247 ('8-1-1 Amendments') and House Bill 694 ('Study Water/Wastewater Regionalization'). Sen. Michael Lazzara (R-Onslow) presented HB 247 to the panel, explaining the language would be replaced with text from Senate Bill 328, which updates the Underground Utility Safety and Damage Prevention Act. 'We just made the corrections to some of the language, but essentially, it's a consensus,' he said. Sen. Tom McInnis (R-Cumberland, Moore) said he appreciated the bill, seeing as he's had a lot of complaints about 8-1-1. That's the number individuals should call prior to excavating to ensure they don't encounter any buried utilities. 'We can't move forward in our state unless we have a cohesive unit of construction,' McInnis said. If this bill passes the panel, it will proceed to the Senate Rules Committee. It's the same case for HB 694, which would direct the Environmental Finance Center at the University of North Carolina to study wastewater and water regionalization efforts. Sen. David Craven (R-Anson, Montgomery, Randolph, Richmond, Union) presented the legislation. Sen. Lisa Grafstein (D-Wake) asked about the Department of Environmental Quality's role in the process of transferring water between basins. 'This starts with a notice, then DEQ works with the water applicant to develop a draft environmental statement that looks at environmental impacts, it looks at alternatives to the water withdrawal, as well as several other things of that nature,' legislative analysis Kyle Evans said.
Qatar Tribune
26-05-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Shura submits two proposals on investment and agriculture support
QNA Doha The Shura Council, chaired by Speaker HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim, on Monday weighed in on the report of the Economic and Financial Affairs Committee, regarding the public discussion request submitted by the members on mechanisms to bolster both national and foreign investment. Upon the deliberation on the report in question, Al Ghanim stated that over the past years, the State of Qatar has made a remarkable breakthrough in terms of investment climate. He underscored the importance of advancing the relevant statutory legislation and policies and improving the supportive services, in pursuit of deepening the nation's standing as a global investment hub that contributes to undergirding the pillars of the national economy. Having reviewed the report, Vice-Chairman of the Economic and Financial Affairs Committee HE Essa bin Ahmad Al Nassr highlighted the outcomes of the meetings held by the committee, along with its engagement with expert opinions and the generated recommendations on accelerating the procedures, upgrading the systems, fostering the transparency, and optimizing the legislative and regulatory infrastructure to draw investments. Having thoroughly deliberated on thefindings, the legislature decided to submit a non-binding proposal to the competent government authority outlining an array of perspectives to support the national and foreign investment. These perspectives primarily include the consistent assessment of the Third Qatar National Development Strategy, development of digital licensing systems, modernization of investment legislation, the reassessment of fees and service structures, the expansion of support for local products, the localization of strategic industries, the expedited resolution of stalled projects, the provision of comprehensive investor databases, the regulation of industrial land allocation, and the offering of viable investment projects to the private sector. Furthermore, the legislature further weighed in on the report submitted by the Health, General Services, and Environment Committee on the request for public discussion with respect to the mechanisms of agricultural support provided to local farms, as well as their contribution to enhancing food security. Al Ghanim emphasised that it is incredibly important to advance the agricultural support policies in alignment with the imperatives of food security and sustainability. He underlined the pivotal role of national farms in attaining self-sufficiency and the pressing need to dismantle barriers that undermine their competitiveness. Chairman of the Health, General Services, and Environment Committee HE Mubarak bin Mohammed Al Kuwari reviewed the outcomes and proposals laid down in the report, which addressed the legislative, financial, technical, and oversight dimensions of agricultural support, along with the set of recommendations formulated by the committee following its engagement with the perspectives of the competent entities. Having fully deliberated on the committee's conclusive findings, the legislature decided to forward a non-binding proposal to the competent government authority outlining a range of measures that support local farms. The proposal highlights foremost measures such as enacting clear legislations to support domestic production, linking support to production levels, reducing electricity bills, offering specialized agricultural advisory services, encouraging contractual engagement with the private sector, establishing pricing mechanisms for agricultural products, bolstering oversight of imported goods' quality, promoting agro-industrial manufacturing, imposing import restrictions during peak domestic production seasons, and providing accurate statistical data to support agricultural planning. Afterwards, the legislature examined a draft legislation on biometric fingerprinting and a draft legislation on genetic fingerprinting, both referred by the competent government authority, and resolved to refer them to the Internal and External Affairs Committee for further review and submission of its conclusive findings thereon to the legislature. On the other hand, the legislature reviewed the report on the participation of its delegation in the 54th Political Bureau Meeting and the 19th Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, both of which were convened in Rome, Italy, in February 2025. Finally, the legislature scrutinized the report on the visit of its delegation to the Hungarian Parliament last April, alongside the report on the participation of its members in the fourth session of the first regular session of the fourth legislative term of the Arab Parliament, which was convened in Baghdad, Iraq, in April 2025.
Qatar Tribune
26-05-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
‘National farms' role in food self-sufficiency vital'
Al Ghanim emphasised that it is incredibly important to advance the agricultural support policies in alignment with the imperatives of food security and sustainability. He underlined the pivotal role of national farms in attaining self-sufficiency and the pressing need to dismantle barriers that undermine their competitiveness. Chairman of the Health, General Services, and Environment Committee HE Mubarak bin Mohammed Al Kuwari reviewed the outcomes and proposals laid down in the report, which addressed the legislative, financial, technical, and oversight dimensions of agricultural support, along with the set of recommendations formulated by the committee following its engagement with the perspectives of the competent entities. Having fully deliberated on the committee's conclusive findings, the legislature decided to forward a non-binding proposal to the competent government authority outlining a range of measures that support local farms. The proposal highlights foremost measures such as enacting clear legislations to support domestic production, linking support to production levels, reducing electricity bills, offering specialized agricultural advisory services, encouraging contractual engagement with the private sector, establishing pricing mechanisms for agricultural products, bolstering oversight of imported goods' quality, promoting agro-industrial manufacturing, imposing import restrictions during peak domestic production seasons, and providing accurate statistical data to support agricultural planning. Afterwards, the legislature examined a draft legislation on biometric fingerprinting and a draft legislation on genetic fingerprinting, both referred by the competent government authority, and resolved to refer them to the Internal and External Affairs Committee for further review and submission of its conclusive findings thereon to the legislature. On the other hand, the legislature reviewed the report on the participation of its delegation in the 54th Political Bureau Meeting and the 19th Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, both of which were convened in Rome, Italy, in February 2025. Finally, the legislature scrutinized the report on the visit of its delegation to the Hungarian Parliament last April, alongside the report on the participation of its members in the fourth session of the first regular session of the fourth legislative term of the Arab Parliament, which was convened in Baghdad, Iraq, in April 2025.
