Latest news with #HouseBill85
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
No flood-related bills on first day of Texas special session filing
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Lawmakers head back to the Texas State Capitol in just one week to begin a special session with flood regulation and relief at the top of the agenda. But among the 82 bills filed thus far, none mention the deadly July 4 floods. So far, the bills filed predominantly focus on election law, property tax reform, abortion, fiscal transparency and campaign finance. Only bills that relate to topics added to the agenda by Gov. Greg Abbott are permitted to be filed. Two of the most noteworthy items added to Abbott's agenda were related to the floods and to congressional redistricting, though no bills on those topics have been filed yet. Here is a detailed look at the bills filed Monday. House Bill 85, as well as HJR 6 and 7, propose bills and constitutional amendments to clarify the attorney general's authority in prosecuting election-related offenses. Constitutional amendments require passage of two-thirds of the legislature and the subsequent approval of voters on the November ballot. HB 40, 50, 67 and 68 raise the threshold for some tax and bond elections to pass, increase transparency about how much bonds will cost taxpayers and require that bond elections be held on the November general election date. HB 49 would prevent those who donate to a political committee which supports the bond's passage from receiving any of the bond amounts. HB 52 would change the dates of state and local elections to be held separately from federal elections. HB 73 would allow Texans to register to vote online through a secure portal. If the bill passes, Texas would join 43 other states and the District of Columbia with online voter registration. HB 80 would mandate that the registrar inform a voter registration applicant of where they made a mistake if their application is rejected. HB 31 requires anyone elected or appointed to public office to be a U.S. citizen. Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian, filed a slew of property tax bills for the special session. The most targeted bill filed so far on property tax reform is HJR 8, which would abolish property taxes altogether. This would require a two-thirds majority of the House and Senate and ultimately would need to be approved by voters in November. HB 45 would create a committee to study how to abolish property taxes. HB 43 would change how property taxes are calculated and would require voter approval if local governments raise them. HB 48 would require ballot measures that increase property taxes to include language that clearly states 'THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE.' Harrison's HB 47 would require municipalities to use any surplus funds in their budgets to lower residents' property taxes or pay back existing debts, like bonds. Rep. Mike Schofield, R-Katy, introduced property tax relief bills aimed at vulnerable or financially struggling groups. HB 57 and HJR 10 would aim to cap property taxes for older persons and the disabled. HB 53 would lower the interest rate of property taxes charged to older people and the disabled. HB 34, 39, 62 and 71 all attempt to lower property taxes for schools and instead utilize funds from the state's budget surplus. HB 41 and 60 would repeal and limit some property taxes for schools, replacing them with a value-added tax. HB 82 would change how average school enrollment is calculated for school funding purposes. HB 55 would exclude homestead exemptions when calculating tax rates for state funding, intending to lower tax rates for certain jurisdictions. HB 35 would create ballot language to make clear the fiscal impact of any constitutional amendment. HB 60 would require any governing body to have a supermajority of votes in favor of creating a tax rate or general obligation bond. HB 54 would prevent a political subdivision from proposing the creation of a general obligation bond for voter approval if that same bond was already rejected by voters within the previous five years. HB 90 and HJR 13 would exclude the value of newly built or renovated homes when assessing the value of homes which are at least 30 years old. Though abortion is already nearly completely illegal in Texas under most circumstances, lawmakers filed several abortion-related bills, most of them to further restrict the procedure. HB 37 and 65 would create civil penalties for anyone who distributes abortion medication, allowing private citizens to sue anyone who distributes or aides and abets the distribution. HB 66 and 95 take a similar approach, but also requires internet service providers to block access to any website that promotes abortion medication or that is operated by an entity which carries out abortion services, with enforcement solely through civil lawsuits. HB 69 would prevent doctors from providing abortion pills unless the woman is present in the state of Texas and is being examined by the doctor at the same time the pills are issued. HB 70 would make it a criminal offense, as well as a civil penalty of a minimum of $100,000, for transporting or funding a minor to leave the state or country to receive an abortion. HJR 12 would create a constitutional amendment to establish an individual's right to 'personal reproductive autonomy,' but is unlikely to pass in the Republican-controlled House. HB 63 and 89 propose spending limits on cities and counties in Texas. The key difference is how they calculate the spending cap. HB 63 would multiply population growth rate by the inflation rate, while HB 89 would add the two rates together. HB 44 and HJR 9 propose to limit the growth of state and local government spending and return over-collected taxpayer money by reducing taxes. HB 46, 56, 64, 83, 86 and 94 would place regulations on taxpayer-funded government entities hiring lobbyists, aiming to generally prevent those entities from doing so without transparency and restrictions. HB 87 would place similar restrictions on school districts. HB 72 and HJR 11 would expand Medicaid eligibility in Texas to cover all individuals who qualify for federal matching funds under the Affordable Care Act. HB 76 proposes implementing an 'express lane' option for children in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program in Texas. It would allow Texas to use information already provided by families in other public programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, rather than requiring a new application or full eligibility process. HB 38 would make it a civil penalty to discriminate against someone based on race, color, disability, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or pregnancy status for the purposes of employment, housing and public accommodations. HB 51 would ban allowing the state to assist school districts in repaying bonds. HB 92 proposes to reduce the number of state-required tests, eliminating assessments not required by federal law, including the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test. HB 74 would make part-time state employees, not including legislators, eligible for a pay raise of $10,000 over two years. HB 42 proposes to create a legal defense for people prosecuted for possessing certain hemp products that turn out to contain illegal substances. HB 81 would require the state to hire a private developer to create high-speed rail along Interstate 35, with stops in Dallas, Waco, Austin and San Antonio. HB 32, a so-called 'bathroom bill,' would require individuals to use the bathroom corresponding to their biological sex, punishable by a civil lawsuit. HB 91 proposes an act that aims to protect workers from heat-related illnesses. It would establish a heat illness prevention advisory board to help the Texas Workforce Commission develop standards. HB 58 creates the office of a state special prosecutor. HB 93 proposes the expansion of the jurisdiction of the County Court at Law in Atascosa County, Texas. HB 84 proposes a statewide order authorizing licensed pharmacists to dispense ivermectin without a health care practitioner's prescription order. HB 75 provides a one-time cost-of-living adjustment for retirees and beneficiaries of the Employee Retirement System of Texas, increasing their benefits to match inflation. HB 79 increases the minimum notice landlords must give tenants in an eviction order from three days to 14. HB 77 provides immunity from civil liability for individuals who break into a motor vehicle with an attempt to save a vulnerable person, such as a child, or domestic animal. HB 59 proposes to provide sheriffs and constables in counties exceeding 3.3 million residents with increased independence in delivering and overseeing contracted law enforcement services. HB 33 would provide a credit to developers for water impact fees if the development results in water reuse or conservation. HB 78 proposes to create a new state fund to address affordable housing and homelessness. The money would mostly be allocated to affordable rental housing, with the remaining funneled into rehousing homeless individuals and homelessness prevention. Just one senate bill was filed Monday, Senate Bill 21, which proposes expanding the enforcement of human trafficking awareness and prevention in commercial lodging establishments. Visit the Texas Legislature Online for an updated list of bills filed ahead of the 89th Legislature's special session Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wyoming lawmakers on gaming committee revisit local control of HHR machines
CHEYENNE — Local control over simulcast permits will be the primary focus of Wyoming's new Select Committee on Gaming this year, as lawmakers prepare to draft a bill for the next legislative session. Chairman Sen. John Kolb, R-Rock Springs, reminded committee members the next session — which begins in early February — is a budget session. This means all non-budget bills will need to pass a two-thirds introductory vote for the Legislature's consideration. 'In the past, you know, we have not been successful legislatively (with gambling),' Kolb said during the committee's first meeting in Casper on Monday. Sen. John Kolb, R-Rock Springs (2025) Sen. John Kolb, R-Rock Springs Last year, members of the Legislature's Joint Appropriations Committee voted to sponsor five gambling-related bills for this year's legislative session. Four of the five bills died immediately, and one made it through the House of Representatives before dying in the Senate. Gambling in Wyoming recently exploded into a billion-dollar industry, and lawmakers are scrambling to decide what action is needed from the state to further regulate it. Legislative leadership assigned gambling as a study topic to the JAC last year, and a working group was formed, led by former Rep. Tom Walters, R-Casper. Since then, it's become apparent to lawmakers that gambling is a complicated issue. In response, the Management Council created a new select committee entirely focused on gambling in April. The committee has three meetings scheduled during the Legislature's off-season, formally known as the interim. Given the short amount of time, Kolb suggested starting with the framework of House Bill 85, which promotes local control over simulcast permits. HB 85 made it the farthest last session before dying in the Senate. 'Local control is very high on the list of things that need to be dealt with first,' Kolb said. 'We have to keep our eye on the ball and focus on what's achievable.' He also urged unified support between the two legislative chambers once this bill is drafted and filed for the session. 'We need the House, as we need the Senate, to work on a product,' Kolb said. 'We may not always have 100% agreement with that, but we need to have enough agreement that we want to move this forward.' HB 85 background A simulcast permit is needed to establish off-track betting sites (OTBs) and historic horse racing (HHR) machines. County commissioners reserve the sole authority to approve or deny these permits. However, state statute doesn't give the county any power to regulate gambling beyond the initial approval. Still, commissioners have incorporated limitations within approved simulcast permits, but these have yet to be challenged in court, said Wyoming County Commissioners Association Executive Director Jerimiah Rieman. It's unclear whether regulations imposed by commissioners would survive litigation. The Wyoming Supreme Court ruled in 2023 under the 'the plain and unambiguous language of the Pari-Mutuel Act' that county commissioners cannot revoke permits after granting approval. 'Once the commissioners say yes, they have no other authorities,' Rieman said. 'They've transferred that responsibility to the (Wyoming) Gaming Commission.' Rieman proposed a bill draft before the JAC in 2024, the original version of HB 85, that initially outlined regulatory authority to county commissioners once a simulcast permit is approved, including the ability to revoke a permit 'if there's good reason to do so.' The draft underwent several revisions, including an amendment that extended approval authority to city and town governments for simulcasting permits within city limits. 'Do I like where HB 85 got to? No,' Rieman said, although he mentioned his support for extending approval authority to city and town governments. 'But this is an important issue for us.' Rep. Jayme Lien, R-Casper (2025) Rep. Jayme Lien, R-Casper Co-Chairwoman Rep. Jayme Lien, R-Casper, asked Rieman if counties could regulate gambling entities through zoning laws. The county commissioner said he spoke with 11 of the counties with HHR machines last week, and none of them have specific zoning for HHR operations. 'It is important to note that there are a number of counties where zoning is not part of a lexicon,' Rieman said. 'And I doubt we'll have zoning anytime in the near future, and I suspect most of the others will not.' He added that most HHR machines operate within city and town limits, which are outside of county jurisdiction to implement zoning policy. Furthermore, zoning regulations do not grant authority to revoke simulcasting permits. 'You're gonna have to give us that,' Rieman said. City, town control City and town government leaders have also been frustrated by their inability to control how many HHR machines pop up within their jurisdiction. Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins previously told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle he supported HB 85. 'My frustration right now is that we have 10 approved casinos inside the city limits, and our governing body had no input on their approval,' Collins said. 'We're the governing body closest to the people living in Cheyenne, and I think we should have had the responsibility for making that decision.' Wyoming Association of Municipalities (WAM) Executive Director Ashley Harpstreith said OTBs impact city resources, including law enforcement, first responders, street maintenance and other public services. Ashley Harpstreith Ashley Harpstreith She added that city zoning ordinances are not enough to regulate the social and welfare issues from this industry. 'We need legislation to allow local governments (the) ability to impose specific conditions on permits, such as hours of operation or location restrictions based on their unique needs and concerns,' Harpstreith said. Cheyenne City Council President Mark Rinne said six of the seven properly zoned HHR sites in the city were approved through the Cheyenne Board of Adjustment. However, members of this board are not elected by the public, he said. 'They are not beholden to the public as (city) council members are,' Rinne said. 'Unless you have to go to the Board of Adjustment for something, you don't even know they exist. We may indirectly have control through zoning, but honestly we do not.' 100-mile rule Under the 100-mile rule, no simulcasting may be conducted within 100 miles of a live horse racing event. The Gaming Commission may waive the 100-mile limitation 'if the simulcast permit application includes written approval from the permittee whose permitted premises is within the 100-mile limitation,' according to W.S. 11-25-102(a)(vii)(C). Kolb recalled his days as a county commissioner, when the 100-mile rule first came about. Race tracks in Uinta and Sweetwater counties were going out of business due to lack of public attendance, he said. 'Now, with HHR, we don't have that issue anymore,' Kolb said. 'It's certainly a new day.' 307 Horse Racing President Kyle Ridgeway previously testified in February, during the session, that the 100-mile rule 'hurt our business' by forcing OTB vendors to close during a live horse racing event. Both Reiman and Harpstreith, representing county commissioners and local municipalities, respectively, said their organizations supported getting rid of the 100-mile rule entirely. However, attorney and former Cheyenne Republican lawmaker Affie Ellis urged caution against wiping out this rule. Former Sen. Affie Ellis Former Sen. Affie Ellis. 'I think it's a very effective tool that ties the HHR activity to the growth of Wyoming's horse racing industry,' Ellis said. Revenue from HHR machines contributes to the purse of horse racing events, which is key to the survival of horse racing tracks in Wyoming, Ellis said. The purpose of the 100-mile rule is 'to incentivize more horse tracks coming online.' In a follow-up phone call on Tuesday, Ellis told the WTE the rule is an opportunity for purse contribution negotiations between track operators and OTB vendors. She added it's not the intention of Cowboy Racing, her client, to shut down OTB vendors during race days. Cowboy Racing recently completed construction of Wyoming's first full-size live horse racing track 10 miles east of Cheyenne at Thunder Plains Park. The company has said it intends to operate at least three gaming facilities within the city limits of Cheyenne. 'We don't want anyone to close during our race times and race days,' Ellis said. 'If the agreement has a reliance on a percentage of that gaming revenue, we want that (OTB) to be open because that supports the purse.' Lawmakers will consider different bill drafts regarding local control at their next meeting in Evanston on Aug. 8-9.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chairmen appointed to new committee that focuses on Wyoming's billion-dollar gambling industry
CHEYENNE — Wyoming's billion-dollar gambling industry will be the sole focus of a new select committee created by legislative leadership this year, given the 'heavy lift' of the complex issue. 'The issue is, there's no home committee for gaming,' said Sen. John Kolb, R-Rock Springs, one of the co-chairmen for the new Select Committee on Gaming. 'It's been kind of the unwanted child, getting passed from committee to committee.' Last year, the Legislature's Joint Appropriations Committee took the first stab at investigating gambling in Wyoming. The JAC created a special working group devoted to exploring this topic and paid for a statewide comprehensive study of the gambling industry. By the end of the interim, five committee-sponsored bills related to gambling were filed for the 2025 legislative session. One of these bills focused on allowing local governments to have a say in approving historic horse racing machines, and another would have allowed national betting on Wyoming live horse races. However, a majority of these bills failed at the beginning of the session, and none made it to the finish line. This year, the Management Council created the new select committee that will be entirely dedicated to studying gambling issues in Wyoming. There are six members on the committee, three from the House of Representatives and three from the Senate. No meetings have been scheduled yet, however. Rep. Jayme Lien, R-Casper, and Kolb are the co-chairpersons of the committee. Kolb told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle he'd like to focus on local governmental control to issue gambling licenses and unifying revenue from the gaming industry to make it more equitable. 'There's a lot of issues with how the formulations have been constructed over the years, for lack of a better word, how this activity's been taxed,' Kolb said. 'It's certainly not uniform across the board, with different types of gaming activities.' He elaborated that gambling revenue is 'complex' and 'not some one-size-fits-all situation.' The gaming-related bill that made it farthest through the legislative session was House Bill 85, 'Local approval for simulcasting.' This bill would have given city and town governments the authority to approve or deny simulcast permits, a power that is currently reserved at the county level. HB 85 made it all the way through the House before dying in the Senate president's drawer. Before the creation of the new committee was announced earlier this month at a Management Council meeting, the Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources listed gambling and lottery issues as one of its priorities for the interim. Both chairmen told the WTE the committee will likely focus on lottery issues during the interim, but will hand over gambling to the new select committee. Co-chair Sen. Bill Landen, R-Casper, said the committee will review the modernization of the lottery and look at safety and security for retailers. Co-chair Rep. Andrew Byron, R-Jackson, said he appreciated that there's a new select committee to take on the heavy lift of gambling issues, especially after legislative leadership reduced the number of committee meeting days from six to four this interim. Byron hosted an educational meeting at 6 o'clock one morning during the session and invited lawmakers to attend to learbn more about the gambling industry. The meeting was led by Wyoming Gaming Commission Executive Director Nick Larramendy. 'If anything, it made me realize that … it needs its own standing committee,' Byron said. 'It's become such a huge industry. … It's the Wild West right now as it relates to what's happening in Wyoming.'
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chairmen appointed to new committee that focuses on Wyoming's billion-dollar gaming industry
CHEYENNE — Wyoming's billion-dollar gambling industry will be the sole focus of a new select committee created by legislative leadership this year, given the 'heavy lift' of the complex issue. 'The issue is, there's no home committee for gaming,' said Sen. John Kolb, R-Rock Springs, one of the co-chairmen for the new Select Committee on Gaming. 'It's been kind of the unwanted child, getting passed from committee to committee.' Last year, the Legislature's Joint Appropriations Committee took the first stab at investigating gambling in Wyoming. The JAC created a special working group devoted to exploring this topic and paid for a statewide comprehensive study of the gambling industry. By the end of the interim, five committee-sponsored bills related to gambling were filed for the 2025 legislative session. One of these bills focused on allowing local governments to have a say in approving historic horse racing machines, and another would have allowed national betting on Wyoming live horse races. However, a majority of these bills failed at the beginning of the session, and none made it to the finish line. This year, the Management Council created the new select committee that will be entirely dedicated to studying gambling issues in Wyoming. There are six members on the committee, three from the House of Representatives and three from the Senate. No meetings have been scheduled yet, however. Rep. Jayme Lien, R-Casper, and Kolb are the co-chairpersons of the committee. Kolb told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle he'd like to focus on local governmental control to issue gambling licenses and unifying revenue from the gaming industry to make it more equitable. 'There's a lot of issues with how the formulations have been constructed over the years, for lack of a better word, how this activity's been taxed,' Kolb said. 'It's certainly not uniform across the board, with different types of gaming activities.' He elaborated that gambling revenue is 'complex' and 'not some one-size-fits-all situation.' The gaming-related bill that made it farthest through the legislative session was House Bill 85, 'Local approval for simulcasting.' This bill would have given city and town governments the authority to approve or deny simulcast permits, a power that is currently reserved at the county level. HB 85 made it all the way through the House before dying in the Senate president's drawer. Before the creation of the new committee was announced earlier this month at a Management Council meeting, the Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources listed gambling and lottery issues as one of its priorities for the interim. Both chairmen told the WTE the committee will likely focus on lottery issues during the interim, but will hand over gambling to the new select committee. Co-chair Sen. Bill Landen, R-Casper, said the committee will review the modernization of the lottery and look at safety and security for retailers. Co-chair Rep. Andrew Byron, R-Jackson, said he appreciated that there's a new select committee to take on the heavy lift of gambling issues, especially after legislative leadership reduced the number of committee meeting days from six to four this interim. Byron hosted an educational meeting at 6 o'clock one morning during the session and invited lawmakers to attend to learbn more about the gambling industry. The meeting was led by Wyoming Gaming Commission Executive Director Nick Larramendy. 'If anything, it made me realize that … it needs its own standing committee,' Byron said. 'It's become such a huge industry. … It's the Wild West right now as it relates to what's happening in Wyoming.'
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gold Dome nuggets: No raises for powers that be, Senator Treasurer, Dem disarray
During the penultimate week of the 2025 legislative session, Sen. Brandon Beach marked his new gig as President Donald Trump's U.S. Treasurer by signing fake $100 bills at the Capitol for fellow state lawmakers. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder Back by popular demand, it's nuggets, tasty little tidbits of news from the Gold Dome. Lawmakers are getting ready for the last day of the 2025 legislative session on Friday, but they still drop some nuggets everywhere they go. This week: Democratic discontent comes to the dome, a ride-or-die always Trumper gets rewarded with a new gig and some funny money, and state leaders try to decide whether to add more real money into their yearly salaries. House lawmakers quickly swatted down a last-minute Senate plan to give the governor and other statewide officials pay raises. The Senate had added the salary bumps Thursday to a bill adjusting the pay of judges at higher levels in Georgia. Under the plan, Gov. Brian Kemp would have been tied with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul for the highest earning governor in the country. 'You may have seen a little something about the amendment in the news over the last 24 hours,' the bill's original sponsor, Elberton Republican Rep. Rob Leverett, said to his colleagues Friday. 'I think that is a discussion we as a body need to have at some point, but we shouldn't have it as an amendment to a bill in the last two or three days of session,' Leverett said. 'I believe it needs to be thought through a little more and it needs a little more study.' Some senators also tried to increase lawmaker pay in another judicial pay bill focused on superior court judges. Critics argued that the legislative pay amendment would sabotage a bill intended to create uniform statewide pay for Georgia Superior Court judges. The proposed pay raise amendment to House Bill 85 would have increased the salaries of lawmakers from $24,341 to about $55,000. Sen. Randal Mangham, a Stone Mountain Democrat, argued it would put Georgia lawmakers in line with the national average of $44,320 in 2024, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. He referenced the limited funding he receives for his staff. '$7,000 for an entire year with my budget for expenses to run the people's business. It's a $40 billion enterprise,' Mangham said, referring to the state budget. Sen. John Kennedy, a Macon Republican, urged senators prior to voting to consider how passing the amendment would come across to the taxpayers. 'Colleagues, are you willing to look at your constituents in the eye and tell them you need more of their tax dollars in your pocket and out of their pocket?' Kennedy said. The debate ended with the legislative pay amendments failing 33 to 18 before the superior court legislation passed with nearly unanimous support. In the wake of a bitter loss to President Donald Trump, Democrats across the country are trying to figure out where it all went wrong. A recent Politico analysis of a Quinnipiac poll found that for the first time in the poll's history, a majority of Democrats view members of their party in Congress unfavorably. Just 40 percent of Democrats polled said the party is doing a good job, compared to 49 percent who said the opposite. A March NBC News poll found 65% of self-identified Democrats want the party to fight Trump rather than seek compromise, even if that leads to gridlock in Washington. Around this time in Trump's first term, only 33% of Democrats felt that way, the pollster found. That discontent could be springing forth at the state level as well. The Forsyth County Democrats released a statement castigating Democrats in Congress and the state Legislature for 'voting like Republicans.' 'With democracy itself at stake – and with the public's frustration with figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk high – we cannot afford to hand political or legislative victories to Republicans or to validate their agenda while our constituents and values hang in the balance,' the statement reads. 'Likewise, here in Georgia, amid widespread discontent with Governor Brian Kemp's hard-right legislative push, it is imperative that Democrats stand together rather than bolster Kemp's initiatives that harm the public interest.' The statement lists three pieces of legislation where some Democrats broke rank – Senate Bill 68, Kemp's priority lawsuit overhaul bill, supported by three Democrats; Senate Bill 144, liability protections for fertilizer and pesticide manufacturers with the support of nine Democrats and House Bill 267, which bans transgender girls from playing on girls' school sports teams and got votes from three Dems. Republican Sen. Brandon Beach's selection as President Donald Trump's choice to become the next U.S. Treasurer has boosted his popularity. Beach signed fake currency featuring the face of Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch reading 'In Goochie We Trust' that was passed around the Capitol last week. The 63-year-old Beach's signature as U.S. treasurer could soon be emblazoned on the front of real legal tender in the future. The senator's role in state government will end shortly after the Legislature gavels out on April 4 for the final day of the 2025 session. Beach will act as a liaison between the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve, as well as oversee the U.S. Mint and Fort Knox. The president is boosting a conspiracy theory these days that some of the gold is missing from Fort Knox and says he plans to go to Kentucky to see for himself if the country's treasure is still secured. Inside the Senate chamber Wednesday, fellow Trump loyalist GOP Lt. Gov. Burt Jones celebrated Beach's new job opportunity. Jones recalled that not long ago they were part of a small cadre of hardline Trump supporters in the Senate who were persona non grata, even among fellow Republicans. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
