Latest news with #HB26
Axios
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Cleveland could face same scrutiny as other "sanctuary cities"
The recent spotlight on "sanctuary cities" could put Cleveland's immigration policies in the crosshairs of the Trump administration and state Republicans. Why it matters: Earlier this week, President Trump signed an executive order calling for federal agencies to document cities and states with laws and ordinances that don't comply with Trump's federal immigration laws. Zoom in: At the same time, Ohio lawmakers are considering House Bill 26, a Republican-sponsored bill that would require cities to cooperate with federal immigration laws or face state funding restrictions. The intrigue: Cleveland is not considered a "sanctuary city" by the Center for Immigration Studies, which tracks local governments that "obstruct immigration enforcement and shield criminals from ICE." However, Mayor Justin Bibb has been vocal in his opposition to federal immigration policies. "My administration will not engage in the deportation of individuals who have not committed violent crimes ... No law requires that we do so," Bibb said after Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids swept across Northeast Ohio in January. Flashback: City Council passed a resolution in 1987 declaring Cleveland a sanctuary city. What's next: Trump's order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Homeland Security to identify non-compliant cities and states within a month. They are to publish a list of jurisdictions and notify them, providing an opportunity to correct it. Meanwhile, HB 26 had its first hearing, which featured sponsor testimony, in front of the Public Safety Committee earlier this week. A vote has yet to be held. What they're saying:"Our role as the state and federal government is still to enforce reasonable laws, make sure that people's rights are protected," bill co-sponsor Rep. Tex Fischer (R-Boardman) said in February, per the Columbus Dispatch. "There is not a constitutionally protected right to illegally enter and reside in this country." The other side: What about those 'oops' moments where the sheriff goes, picks someone up, the person is detained, maybe detained for a long period of time, loses their job and loses their benefits, things of that nature?" Rep. Darnell Brewer (D-Cleveland) asked in questioning the bill, per the Statehouse News Bureau.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Advocacy at the Texas Capitol: Two district leaders champion public education
Mar. 19—Two Ector County ISD leaders, Bowie Middle School Principal Amy Russell and Director of Digital Learning Lauren Tavarez, spent two days at the State Capitol in Austin just before Spring Break, meeting state legislators and offering a firsthand perspective on the challenges and successes experienced in the district, highlighting the crucial need for supportive educational policies. Both Russell and Tavarez are alumni of Raise Your Hand Texas initiatives, and they were selected for this event from a pool of applicants from across the state. They were given two pathways — public testimony or office visits with Representatives and Senators. Russell joined a group that spent a day visiting the offices of elected officials, expressing support for public education, sharing personal experiences, and discussing the potential impacts of legislative decisions on our classrooms. Among those she visited, promoting support for HB (House Bill) 2 and HB 26, were Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows, Reps. Gina Hinojosa, Representative Brooks Landgraf, plus Sens. Royce West and Kevin Sparks. "It was impressive to see what goes into changing funding, and also rewarding to see non-educators stand up, speak up and work to make change happen for Texas schools," Russell said in a news release. "We really enjoyed being a voice for ECISD students, staff and families and value the impact we felt we made on such an important topic affecting so many of us." Tavarez volunteered to give testimony to the House Committee on Public Education about HB 2, which is related to public education and public school finance. She spoke for three minutes and then answered questions from members of the committee. You can watch her testimony here; her comments start about 17:00 into the recording. "It was a great day, we learned a lot and were so proud to have the opportunity for our voices to be heard," said Tavarez. "This was a unique platform to gain valuable insight, forge important connections, and contribute meaningfully to the dialogue about public education."
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama House committee approves Glock switch ban
Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road (left) speaks with Senate Majority Leader Steve Livingston, R-Scottsboro in the Alabama Senate on April 16, 2024 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. Barfoot's legislation cleared its first hurdle in the Alabama House. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) An Alabama House committee Wednesday approved one of the few bills remaining in the 2025 session that aims to regulate firearms. SB 116, sponsored by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, won unanimous approval from the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee. The bill makes it a state crime to possess devices that turn semi-automatic weapons into machine guns. 'This is the Glock switch bill that many of us have been working on for several years now,' said Rep. Phillip Ensler, D-Montgomery, a longtime advocate of Glock switch bans who brought the bill before the committee. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Barfoot's legislation makes it a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and $15,000 fine, to 'convert a pistol into a machine gun.' Using a Glock switch is already a crime in federal statute, but the legislation would allow people to be prosecuted by the state without having to pass off the jurisdiction to the federal government. 'It simply mirrors federal law to create a state level offense for possession of a part, or combination of parts, that convert a pistol into a machine gun,' Ensler said. Local officials urged lawmakers in the Legislature to pass gun control legislation to make it more difficult for people to convert firearms into fully automatic weapons. Police said Glock switches were used in a mass shooting in Birmingham in September that killed four people and injured 17. Alabama has one of the highest rates of firearm deaths in the nation. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, Alabama's firearm death rate in 2022 was 25.5 per 100,000 people in 2022, the fourth highest in the nation. Alabama had more overall firearm deaths than New York State, which has almost four times the population of Alabama. Barfoot's bill passed unanimously in the Senate last week. The bill is one of two that are nearly identical bills that the Legislature is considering for the session. The other, HB 26, sponsored by Ensler, also makes it a state crime to use a Glock switch that allows a user to fire multiple rounds with one pull of the trigger. Gov. Kay Ivey expressed her support for the measure at a news conference with law enforcement and mayors from the state's urban areas. Barfoot's bill is part of a public safety package that includes legislation to improve recruitment and retention of law enforcement by offering them enhanced immunity protection and providing their dependents with scholarships for college. Other bills establish tougher penalties for people who commit violent crimes, place greater restrictions on parole and those released from pretrial detention, as well as enhanced monitoring and oversight for juveniles in the criminal justice system. SB 116 and HB 26 are also the bills in the public safety package that Democrats have largely supported, while expressing concerns with the others. HB 26 was supposed to be considered in the same Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee last week, but Ensler said committee chair Rep. Allen Treadaway, R-Morris agreed to delay a vote on his legislation per his request at the Feb. 26 committee meeting. Ensler said they needed to 'clean up' the language in the bill. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
