State
Senator Nuxoll's weekly legislative report
 HB 154, the Physician Physical Presence Bill for web cam abortions, passed the House State Affairs committee after 4 hours of debate. If it passes the House, it will go to the Senate for a hearing. HB 113, Parental Rights Protection, which codifies that parents have the fundamental right of care, custody, control, and education of their children, passed the House and will be heard in the Senate. I am a co-sponsor of this bill because we need codification that parents have the fundamental right and obligation to educate their children. Please call your legislators if you approve of this bill. SB 1100, Water Modification Bill, allowing water users to authorize the water master to participate in weather modification projects including cloud seeding to enhance water supplies, passed out of the Senate Resource Committee. S1071, Civics Requirement Bill, requires graduating students to have passed the civics test that is required of legal immigrants for naturalization. It will indicate a fundamental understanding of the fundamentals of US History and government. Please call your legislators if you want this passed since it went to the amending order. I co-sponsored this bill since most of our students have insufficient knowledge of our history and government. SB 1060, the Psychologist Bill, allowing psychologists who obtain a doctorate degree in psychology, a master’s in psychopharmacology, and a national test, to prescribe psychotic drugs only in collaboration with the patient’s primary care provider, passed the Senate to be heard in the House. I co-sponsored this bill because of the shortage of mental health providers in rural areas. The IEN fiasco is being alleviated as the Dept of Ed reported that all schools now have achieved broadband coverage so that all seniors may graduate unhindered by loss of the network system. The Gas Tax issue has not been resolved yet. I want a decrease in other taxes if we increase gas tax, but there is no one definite proposal yet. I will do what I can to decrease taxes for those who have little income. SCR 106 lists 3 types of tests with reasons for testing. This resolution also directs the Dept of Ed to find an alternative to the SBAC because of its length and cost. The Dept of Ed is to report to the legislature the feasibility of a replacement. SB 1044, Eminent Domain, amending existing law to provide that eminent domain shall not be used for trails, paths, greenways or other ways for walking, running, hiking, bicycling or equestrian use, unless adjacent to a highway, road or street, passed the Senate. I agree that eminent domain often gives government entities like cities too much power over landowners. ACA and the State Health Exchange--to date the amount of federal money spent on the Exchange to implement the Affordable Care Act in fiscal years 2014-2016 is $33.46 million with $2.5 ongoing expense each year. I vote against any bills in JFAC that keep the ACA going through our exchange because I believe it is immoral, unconstitutional, socialistic, and violates our constitutional rights. Elk Bill--the Senate Agricultural Affairs Committee rejected legislation to loosen elk-import restrictions from regions endemic with Meningeal worm disease, known as Brainworm. Briefly, Meningeal worms live in the central nervous system of deer, elk, and moose. The life cycle involves larva excreted in feces which matures to an infective stage in an intermediate host, such as a snail or slug. The elk, and other forage browsers, inadvertently ingest snails or slugs carrying the disease. It is said that 80% of white-tailed deer in some eastern locations are infected with meningeal worm. Federal Lands Transfer--there is a draft bill for continuing the study of transfer of federal lands to the state. ~ Senator Nuxoll |
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