Latest news with #HouseBill10


Axios
10-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
ICE crackdowns hit Charlotte's immigrant businesses hard
The threat of ICE enforcement is weighing on Charlotte's immigrant community. Why it matters: A surge in arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents isfueling fear, racial tension and economic hardship in Charlotte, local business owners tell Axios. The big picture: President Trump's team has been demanding that agents arrest 3,000 immigrants a day — an unprecedented pace ICE is still trying to reach, Axios' Brittany Gibson reports. Context: We spoke to three immigrant entrepreneurs in Charlotte, who say they're seeing a trickle-down effect across several industries due to the immigration crackdown. What they're saying: Fear is spreading, regardless of immigration status. "No matter what their status is, they're afraid to go out, to drive, to speak up," said Astrid Muñoz, who co-owns SQS Catering, Mr. Pollo, SQS Junk Removal Service and SQS Janitorial with her husband Carlos Bergman. Muñoz describes customers and staff alike growing anxious about public interaction. Racist language, tense encounters with clients and fear of separation from family are all part of the emotional toll. "There's anguish. But I can't focus on that — I have to lead with peace of mind, or fear takes everything off course." Muñoz's biggest fear: That rising resentment and anxiety will spiral into violence. But she says she has faith that things will get better. Zoom in: Manolo Betancur, humanitarian and owner of Manolo's Bakery, Higher Grounds Café and Artisen Vegelato, says ICE's presence weighs on his businesses. Whenever there are rumors of ICE's presence, "nobody goes to the bakery," he told Axios subscribers at a recent Small Business Spotlight event. By the numbers: Orders for large cakes — usually in high demand in May for Mother's Day and quinceañeras — dropped to zero, Betancur says. Revenue is down 20%. In an interview with WFAE, Betancur said he had to lay off three employees and reduce the hours of others. "We are not criminals. We're survivors. Now the hardest thing for an immigrant is to survive in America," Betancur said. Natalia Silva, local entrepreneur and organizer of Festival Colombiano, said she refuses to let fear win. "We are business owners, professionals, entrepreneurs…and we deserve respect." Silva says events like Festival Colombiano Cultural are acts of resilience — a way to assert dignity and presence in a time of heightened scrutiny. Zoom out: North Carolina is an immigration enforcement hot spot, according to an Axios analysis. Local law enforcement agencies in nearby Gaston, Union and Cabarrus counties have been some of the most cooperative in rounding up immigrants through deals known as 287 (g) agreements, according to the analysis. Between the lines: Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden ended the county's 287(g) program agreement with ICE in 2018. Last year, lawmakers enacted House Bill 10, mandating that all state sheriffs honor ICE detainers by holding suspects for up to 48 additional hours to facilitate federal pickup, WFAE reported. But keeping those detainees is expensive, according to McFadden, who has expressed communication concerns with ICE in the past. The other side: Differences in opinion are emerging on how aggressively ICE should deport workers, longtime residents, and some people who've sought refuge from brutal regimes, Axios reports. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle detailed concerns to Axios, ranging from prioritizing the removal of criminals over peaceful residents to economic disruptions and humanitarian risks. But the differences are far from a GOP rebuke of Trump, Axios' Russell Contreras writes.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Hampshire lawmakers to vote on whether to give parents access to their child's library history
House Bill 273, if passed, would mandate public libraries make kids' borrowing histories available to their parents upon request. (Photo by Dana Wormald/New Hampshire Bulletin) Library records in New Hampshire are currently confidential under state law, but a bill being considered by the state Legislature could carve out an exception for parents. House Bill 273, if passed, would mandate public libraries make kids' borrowing histories available to their parents upon request. That bill, which went through the committee of conference process last week, is scheduled for a vote of the full House and Senate Thursday. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Mike Drago, a Raymond Republican. If both chambers approve it Thursday, the bill will head to Gov. Kelly Ayotte's desk, where she will have the option to sign it into law, veto it, or allow it to become law without her signature. Drago, introducing the bill in April, said the 'elephant in the room' is 'the inappropriate material that makes its way into our libraries these days.' 'That debate isn't going to be solved today or tomorrow on what's appropriate for who,' he continued. 'But I think it's more important than ever to at least have parents have access to their child's library records, so they can help decide what's appropriate and what's not.' The bill has already been approved by both the House and Senate, though each chamber voted for a different effective date. Last week, negotiators in a committee of conference hashed out their differences and decided the bill would be effective Jan. 1. They'll now take the newly amended bill to the full chamber. The bill comes amid a number of so-called parental rights bills in the Legislature this year that seek to give parents even more access to information about their children. Earlier this month, Ayotte signed House Bill 10 into law. That bill guarantees New Hampshire parents the right to ask school personnel for any information about what their child is doing at school and get complete disclosure. This was criticized by LGBTQ+ advocates worried that it would force teachers to out young gay or trans kids. The bill also enshrines into state law parents' right to opt their child out of sex ed, exempt their child from vaccine requirements with a doctor's note or because of religious belief, and home school their child, among other things. Many of these actions were already allowed, but the new law reaffirms them. It also creates new requirements of school boards to create policies promoting parental involvement in a child's education.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Hampshire establishes Parental Bill of Rights, universal school vouchers
CONCORD, N.H. – New Hampshire's governor Kelly Ayotte signed two bills Tuesday to give parents more control over their children's education. House Bill 10, which cites the 'fundamental liberty' parents have to take care of their children, creates a 'Parental Bill of Rights'. It allows parents to opt their children out of health or sex education, and to exempt them from vaccinations for religious reasons. NH House passes bill to ban cell phones in schools The bill also allows parents to view their children's records and any educational material being taught to them, along with affirming the right of parents to choose to enroll their children in private, religious, or home schooling. Senate Bill 295 revises the requirements for school vouchers in the state. The state's Education Freedom Account (EFA) program offers grants to families who are home-schooling or enrolling their children in private school. Previously, these grants were only available to families with an income of less than 350 percent of the federal poverty level, or $112,525 a year for a family of 4 as of this year. SB 295 removes this limit so that families of all events are able to apply for the grant. Hassan, Noem lock horns over habeas corpus Each bill passed in a near-party line vote. Democrats in New Hampshire's legislature were unanimous in their opposition to SB 295, with the House Democratic Office calling the bill a handout for millionaires that will cost the state over $50 million dollars. But New Hampshire education commissioner Frank Edelblut said the EFA program 'has already transformed lives by giving families access to the educational pathways that best fit their children's needs'. HB 10 also prompted criticism from House Democrats, who warned that the bill could make it harder to protect vulnerable children, while Ayotte said she was proud to sign the bill, saying it ensured 'parents are the central voice in their children's education.' New Hampshire bakery wins free speech case over a painting of doughnuts, pastries The parental bill of rights will take effect July 1, and the changes to the EFA program will be effective August 9. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ayotte signs universal EFA bill, parental bill of rights
Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed House Bill 10 and Senate Bill 295 into law at the State House Tuesday. The bills broaden parental rights and expand the voucher-like education freedom account program, respectively. (Photo by William Skipworth/New Hampshire Bulletin) Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed two pieces of legislation Tuesday, one to extend the education freedom account program to all income levels and another to give families more control over their schools, delivering significant victories to 'school choice' conservatives. Flanked by children in a crowded council chamber room adjacent to her corner office in the State House Tuesday morning, Ayotte signed Senate Bill 295, which would allow families of all income levels to access state funds for private and home schooling expenses, and House Bill 10, which would enumerate a number of requirements for public schools to respond to parental demands. 'No one loves a child more than a parent, and making sure that parents have rights and can understand and know what's happening in their classrooms when their children are in school is so, so important,' Ayotte said. Republicans have hailed the two bills as instrumental to allowing parents the freedom to make choices for their children and avoid mandates from public school districts. But LGBTQ+ advocates have denounced HB 10, which they say could require school employees to disclose information about a students' gender identity or sexual orientation to their parents, even when the student asks the school employee not to. And Democrats and public school supporters say expanding education freedom account will take away state money that should be spent on public schools. HB 10 lays out a number of requirements for public schools, as well as a list of rights that parents have to be informed about regarding what public schools are teaching and what their children are doing during the school day. For instance, the bill lists the rights to opt a student out of sex education courses; choose not to participate in any non-academic survey; receive all educational records for their children within 10 days of asking; review instructional materials, and others. Many of those are already allowed under existing state law. The bill also requires school districts to adopt policies to encourage parental cooperation with teachers over homework, attendance, and discipline. HB 10 also includes the right for parents to 'inquire of the school or school personnel and promptly receive accurate, truthful, and complete disclosure regarding any and all matters related to their minor child, unless an immediate answer cannot be provided when the initial request is made.' That requirement does not apply to information brought to any counselor, school psychologist, school nurse, or other certified health care provider that is 'reasonably expected to be privileged.' The bill allows school staff to withhold information if they have 'clear and convincing' evidence that disclosing it could lead to the child being abused by their parent. And it also allows parents to sue the school if they allege any part of the bill is being violated. SB 295, meanwhile, would remove income caps from the education freedom account program, which allows parents to access at least $4,182 per year in state funding to use toward nonpublic school education expenses. Currently, that program is limited to families making 350% of the federal poverty level or less — or $112,525 for a family of four. SB 295 would impose a 10,000-student cap on the program in the first year of the expansion — the 2025-2026 school year — and would increase that cap by 25% per year if demand for the program hits at least 90% of the previous year's cap. The EFA program had 5,321 students at the start of the 2024-2025 school year under the 350% federal poverty level cap, according to the Department of Education. However, a group of 'priority guideline' students would not be subject to that cap, according to the new law. That would include students already enrolled in an EFA program, siblings of students enrolled in the program, children with disabilities, and students in families making up to 350% of the federal poverty levels. Both bill signings represent the culmination of years of work by conservatives. Efforts in previous years to lift income caps on education freedom accounts were voted down in the Senate, while House Republicans have spent four years attempting and failing to pass a parental bill of rights.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Red herring should be New Hampshire's state fish
Nancy Brennan of Weare (center) and others protest outside of Gov. Kelly Ayotte's bill signing on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (Photo by William Skipworth/New Hampshire Bulletin) I used to like reading 'If You Give a Mouse a Cookie' to my daughters when they were little. In fact, my wife and I read it aloud so often back then that we still refer to the title when we set out to do one thing and get distracted by a bunch of side tasks that pop up along the way. We've all been there: You go to throw an empty can into the recycling bin, which is full, and then on your way to empty it your sock catches on that exposed nail you keep meaning to fix, so you head over to grab the hammer but then realize the tool drawer is stuck, and on and on it goes. So, it's a story about getting sidetracked. Gov. Kelly Ayotte and the rest of her party should give it a read. On Tuesday, Ayotte ceremoniously signed two bills that not only don't address any of the state's most pressing problems but actually exacerbate a couple that the party itself created. House Bill 10, establishing a 'parental bill of rights,' is legislation born out of right-wing, QAnon-esque paranoia about public educators collaborating to undermine the well-being of the students they serve and prevent parents from parenting. To understand the depths of this paranoia, consider this statement from Atkinson Republican Rep. Debra DeSimone, chair of the House Children and Family Law Committee, regarding the Senate's version of the parental rights bill: 'If I know that most parents are way more trustworthy than teachers like Pamela Smart, then I will vote to pass this bill as amended.' The absurdity of that statement represents a big part of the Republican problem. Between my first day of school at Londonderry's North Elementary in 1978 and graduation day at Merrimack Valley High School in 1990, I had some great teachers and some not-so-great teachers. I've also had good and bad auto mechanics, doctors, plumbers, barbers, etc. I bet that's true for all of you, and yet none of us (I hope) apply any singular unpleasant experiences definitively across an entire field or industry. But the Republican anti-public-school agenda seems dependent on making people believe, often in opposition to their own broad experiences, that the most notorious of school employees (and, for what it's worth, Smart was a media coordinator, not a teacher) is somehow representative of the profession — and the system — as a whole. The Republican Party is the party of dark fantasies. It is the party of distraction (purposeful and otherwise) and of red herrings. And it is also the party of nostalgia, which makes it all the more baffling that its membership is so intent on ripping apart the seams of the communities they claim to cherish. The second bill signed into law Tuesday, establishing universal eligibility for school vouchers, is a prime example of just how far Republicans have wandered from real public service. New Hampshire has a school funding problem, and we've known this for decades. We know it because of our punishing property taxes and because of the tense nature of our debates over school district budgets. And, we know it because over the past few decades the courts have said so more than once. Democratic governors in recent state history failed again and again to address the problem, but Republicans have truly excelled at making things much, much worse. Every state eventually learns that vouchers don't do what Republicans have long said they would — that is, save money and improve educational outcomes. What vouchers do accomplish, however, is hastening the demise of publicly supported places of learning that have educated generations of Americans and helped forge the communities that give us our collective strength. The attempted destruction of public schools is tragic enough, but the budget constraints aggravated by universal vouchers will ultimately lay waste to a much broader swath of public services. If you want to see that dynamic in action, look no further than the cutting crew now going to work on New Hampshire's budget. As much as I love the goofy, frantic, full-circle plot of 'If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,' I have to admit that the comparison to Republican policy pursuits in New Hampshire is largely flawed. You see, more than anything the mouse is an innocent victim of its own industriousness. It means well but is led astray by an overwhelming desire to create order amid endless strands of unavoidable chaos. Republicans' inability to avoid getting sidetracked — whether by perverse imaginings about pet-devouring immigrants, or vaccine conspiracies, or presidential robot clones, or sinister teachers — lacks that innocence because it is fully by design. In a country that boasts more than 900 billionaires yet is cutting health care for poor people, Republicans' foundational, centerpiece principle of trickle-down economics is a really, really tough sell right now. So, if the very existence of your party is predicated on passing laws that help wealthy people become wealthier, you're going to have to bundle that colossal dud with some visceral distractions. That's really what's behind all of the trumped-up, misanthropic, right-wing 'issues' that push voters to turn against teachers, scientists, researchers, antiracists, climate activists, and others — anyone whose driving ambition is for greater equality and a reduction, by degrees, in overall human suffering. If you've ever wondered why the GOP seems to jump from one hot-button issue to another, at breakneck speed and in the absence of credible data to support their breathless claims, I hope this helps.