Latest news with #Parents'BillofRights
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Indiana Attorney General hosted office hours at public library
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)—Representatives with the Office of the Attorney General came to the Vigo County Public Library Tuesday. Representatives were available to constituents to answer questions on topics like scams, robocalls, unclaimed property, and recalls. There were also copies of the Attorney General's publications, such as the Parents' Bill of Rights and the Gun Owners' Bill of Rights, available. The Indiana Attorney General is responsible for providing legal representation to the state as well as protecting consumers from illicit business practices, investigating, and prosecuting Medicaid fraud. The release from the Attorney General's Office claims that the Attorney General reunites Hoosiers with approximately $1,000,000 each week. The mobile office hours took place at the Vigo County Public Library's Main Branch on Tuesday from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. For those who couldn't attend but wanted to speak with representatives can reach Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita's office at 317-232-6201. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Yahoo
6 new laws take effect in Ohio
Six new laws went into effect last week in Ohio. Below is a short, simplified summary of each new law. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] House Bill 531 is also known as 'Braden's Law.' Braden's Law aims to ban sexual extortion by making it a felony. The law also requires service providers to obey warrants, or requests from parents or guardians, for electronic information within 30 days of a minor's death or face a fine. TRENDING STORIES: Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer dies at 83 15-year-old arrested after deadly shooting near Ohio college campus Man accused of threatening person with gun inside Ohio restaurant arrested House Bill 8, which also goes by the Parents' Bill of Rights, bolsters the part of the parent or guardian in deciding when their child is ready to learn about sex. This law requires public schools to notify parents on student health and sex-ed materials. It also says that school districts will collaborate with religious entities for a specific time to offer the release time course in religion. House Bill 37 works to increase punishment for OVI and aggravated vehicular homicide. This law adds oral fluid to the list of controlled substance tests and adds that the court can submit evidence on the presence of the substance, not just the concentration level. It also imposes a mandatory prison sentence for a guilty plea to aggravated homicide of 12-20 years. There is also a raise in fines for OVI related offences. House Bill 206 covers school expulsion, community school closures and increases funding for the school choice program administration. This law allows superintendents to expel students for more than 180 days if they believe that student poses an imminent danger to others. The superintendent then must develop a plan for that student to follow, including an assessment of the student's danger to themselves and others by a psychiatrist, in order to be allowed back to school. It also raises the amount of money allocated to 200550, Foundation Funding - All Students from $4 million to over $8 million. House Bill 29 no longer allows driver's licenses to be suspended for failure to pay court fines or fees. Anyone that has had their license suspended in the past for these offenses are able to have it reinstated. Senate Bill 58 is also called the Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act. The law makes it illegal for companies to track firearms purchases within the state. It also bans the requirement of liability insurance or other fees on firearms. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
All about six new laws in Ohio that go into effect today
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Multiple new Ohio laws are going into effect on Wednesday, including a statute that requires public schools to allow religious release time and another that increases penalties for drunk driving. On Jan. 8, Gov. Mike DeWine announced he signed 29 bills into law, all of which are set to go into effect on Wednesday. A list of six notable new laws can be found below. House Bill 8, dubbed the Parents' Bill of Rights, requires school districts to adopt a policy that allows students to attend off-premise religious classes during the school day. Formerly, districts were allowed to permit religious release time, but not required to. In Ohio, religious release time programs are legally allowed to teach public school students during the school day as long as they have parental permission, do not use school resources and teach off of school property. The new law does not change these requirements. How Gov. DeWine, Ohio parents feel about proposed bill to ban cellphones in schools Although districts are required to have a religious release time policy enacted by Wednesday, schools have until July 1 to implement most other newly required policies in the law. This includes a policy ensuring content depicting 'sexual concepts or gender ideology' is available for parents to review, in case they would like their children to opt out. Starting in July, staff will also be required to 'promptly notify' a parent if their child requests to be referred to with a name or pronouns that vary from their biological sex at school. Liv's Law increases the fines for the offense of Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence (OVI). Specifically, the statute adds an extra $190 compared with the previous law. For example, the minimum fine for a first-time offense rises from $375 to $565. Video shows disagreement between Columbus principal, police officer The law also increases the maximum fine for aggravated vehicular homicide to $25,000, which is $10,000 more than the law previously allowed. Additionally, Liv's Law allows police to collect oral fluid samples from drivers suspected of driving under the influence, while the law previously only permitted blood, urine and breath testing. Similar to the other kinds of testing used in the state, refusing an oral fluid swab can result in criminal charges. House Bill 206 allows public schools to indefinitely expel a student who poses an 'imminent and severe endangerment' to others' safety. Ohio law previously allowed schools to expel students up to 180 days – or one school year – for bringing a gun or knife to school, making a bomb threat or causing serious physical harm to another person. Students aged 16 years or older could be permanently expelled only if they were convicted in court of a serious criminal offense, according to the nonprofit Ohio Legal Help. The new law allows expulsions past 180 days for students who bring a firearm or knife to school, make a bomb threat, cause serious physical harm to someone at school, make a hitlist, create a threatening manifesto or share a menacing post on social media. Organization offering 'bounty' for removal of invasive trees in central Ohio Under the statute, after 180 days, a student's expulsion can be extended for 90 days at a time, with no limit on how many extensions are allowed. To be reinstated, students are required to undergo a psychological evaluation by a psychiatrist. After the expulsion period, the superintendent, along with a 'multidisciplinary team' they select, will decide whether to reinstate the student. To make a decision, school officials will determine if the student has shown 'sufficient rehabilitation,' while taking the psychological assessment into consideration. House Bill 531, named Braden's Law, classifies sextortion, short for sexual extortion, as a felony in Ohio. Sextortion occurs when an individual is blackmailed over intimate images. The law categorizes sextortion as a third-degree felony; however, the charge could be upgraded to a second- or first-degree felony depending on a variety of factors, including if the victim is a minor or disabled, and if the perpetrator is a repeat offender. In Ohio, a third-degree felony carries a prison sentence of nine months to three years, and a judge may impose a maximum fine of $10,000. A first-degree felony is punishable by 3-11 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $20,000. Will speeding fines in Ohio increase? The law also provides immunity from prosecution to victims who sent explicit images, and implements fines for telecommunications companies who fail to give parents or guardians access to a device that belonged to a deceased minor within 30 days. House Bill 29 ends the practice of suspending driver's licenses for failure to pay court fines or fees, along with some other minor offenses such as school truancy. Residents whose driver's license or motor vehicle registration was suspended for such offenses before the law was passed are able to have their license reinstated. The law also allows those who have had their license suspended for being in default on child support payments to prove that a suspended license prevents them from making the payments and they could be granted 'limited driving privileges.' Within 30 days, impacted individuals will be notified and provided instructions on how to get their license reinstated. Senate Bill 58 enacts the Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act, which bars credit card companies, banks and other institutions from categorizing or tracking firearm-related purchases. Mail carriers say new contract failed union wishes The law states companies also cannot compile lists of gun purchasers and share such information with third parties, including government agencies, unless required by law through due process. The statute also prohibits the state or any local government from requiring liability insurance to possess a firearm. The legislation was a proactive move, as no local governments in Ohio required firearm liability insurance for gun owners before the law's passage. Nationally, some jurisdictions such as New Jersey and San Jose, California, have enacted such mandates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Ohio parents' rights law for schools takes effect
Ohio's "Parents' Bill of Rights" law takes effect Wednesday, another controversial and sweeping education overhaul, this time at the K-12 level. Why it matters: House Bill 8 shows Republicans' progress in gaining control over public education, particularly in areas tied to the culture wars, including transgender students' rights. What's inside: Districts must now notify parents of "substantial changes" to their child's health and well-being, including "any request by a student to identify as a gender that does not align with the student's biological sex." Separately, districts must also notify parents of instructional materials containing "sexuality content" and provide an opt-out option. Plus: All students must be allowed to leave for private religious instruction during the school day — a practice that has drawn scrutiny amid Hilliard-based nonprofit LifeWise Academy's growing presence. Zoom in: Local districts have made recent moves to comply with the religious teaching mandate, which requires a policy in place by today. That includes Westerville, which previously banned such absences. Columbus' school board revised its policy last month to prohibit religious organizations from sending students back to class with souvenirs like candy and trinkets. The board also reviewed a "Parents' Bill of Rights" policy last week but hasn't voted yet. Between the lines: Underlying the "parental rights" debate are concerns that minors could receive gender-affirming care through school without their parents' knowledge. The big picture: Twenty-four states currently have similar laws, per Ballotpedia, which proponents say are necessary to promote transparency and parents' involvement. "They're the first teachers, they're the best teachers, and that's very, very important," Gov. Mike DeWine said of parents when signing the bill into law. The other side: Critics say such laws are a tactic to instill distrust and fear. School counselors who testified against the bill shared concerns that students with unsupportive families will be deterred from seeking care, and LGBTQ+ activists noted educators may now be forced to out children.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Columbus parents, leaders express frustration over student name changes
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Columbus City Schools Board of Education had its first meeting Tuesday since students' preferred names were changed in the district's system to match what is listed on their birth certificates. After the meeting, district leaders spoke about apparent confusion in the decision. Students, teachers and parents were given no warning when names were suddenly changed on March 19, a move that mainly impacted transgender and gender variant students. Many people attended the meeting Tuesday night and gave public comments to the board, sharing their disappointment with this decision. Columbus schools facing special education teacher shortage 'It was embarrassment. I was angry,' said Stephen Hardwick, the father of two transgender district students. 'We get dozens and dozens of notices a week from CCS, but they couldn't tell us this in advance? This I get a letter on a Saturday when they already made the change Tuesday or Wednesday.' Columbus Schools Superintendent Dr. Angela Chapman said there is an investigation into what exactly happened. 'There are more questions than answers and so at this point, we have to accept non closure and so once we learn more, we'll be able to provide more of an update,' Chapman said. In a letter to students, staff and parents on Friday, Chapman cited Ohio laws like the bathroom bill and the Parents' Bill of Rights as reasons why preferred names were changed back to birth names in the district's system. After Tuesday's meeting, the superintendent said the policy over students' gender identities had to be changed because of the bathroom bill, but it's still unclear why names were changed as well. Chapman said she, too, has questions. Franklin County sales tax increase now in effect: how much it will cost you 'We are still looking into a better understanding to figure out how the decisions were made, why they were made, when they were made, and so forth,' Chapman said. 'So, there are lots of questions that we have and we're continuing to work on those details.' But for Hardwick's two children, he said all they want is to be able to go by their preferred names at school. 'That's what I want them to do, is to allow the preferred name in the same way that Governor Michael DeWine signs his orders Mike and Attorney General David Yost signs his pleadings Dave,' Hardwick said. Parents have questions about the name changes and it seems district leaders have them as well. Chapman said once they have answers, they will update the CCS community. The district has not yet cited any laws that require them to change students' names back to what is on their birth certificates, nor did they acknowledge whether or not this was a mistake. Hardwick and other parents and teachers said they are hopeful CCS will bring the preferred name option back to students. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
