Hello everyone,
Today is the three-quarter mark in the 2025 legislative session, only 30 more days to go. Last week was a great week for CSPA priorities.
On Tuesday, we were successful in preventing an amendment to lower the penalty for repeatedly calling 911 without a justifiable reason. SB 060 expands the existing offense of obstructing government operations to include repeated 911 calls without a justifiable basis. Obstructing government operations is a class 2 misdemeanor. The CSPA supports SB 060. During second reading in the House, some legislators tried to lower the penalty to a petty offense. Thankfully, we were able to convince the vast majority of representatives to keep the penalty as a M2. On Wednesday, SB 060 passed the House on third reading 51 to 11. SB 060 previously passed the Senate 33 to 0 and is now on its way to the Governor for his consideration.
On Wednesday afternoon, the House Business Committee unanimously referred SB 036 State Patrol Bonding Exception, which the CSPA supports and is a State Patrol agenda bill, to the House floor. Current law requires the State Patrol to secure a bond for each member of the State Patrol from the Chief to the newest trooper. Because the state is self-insured, the Patrol has been unable to find an insurance company willing to supply the necessary bonds. SB 036 would provide an exemption to the bond requirement for members of the State Patrol if the State Division of Risk Management insures them. SB 036 is calendared to be heard on second reading in the House later today.
On Wednesday evening, the House Judiciary Committee killed HB 1243 Peace Officer Questions During Traffic Stop. HB 1243 would have prohibited a peace officer making a traffic stop from asking the driver or a passenger if they know the reason for the traffic stop and instead require the officer to inform the driver of the reason for the stop. The CSPA opposed HB 1243. The House Judiciary Committee killed HB 1243 on a vote of 8 to 3 which was a huge win.
In addition to the above, last week was budget week in the Senate. On Monday, the Long Bill (SB 206) and 63 orbital bills were introduced. Orbital bills make statutory changes related to the budget. Given the $1 billion shortfall the JBC needed to address, there were substantially more orbital bills this year than in the past. On Wednesday the Senate debated the Long Bill and the orbital bills on second reading. Senators drafted 61 amendments to the Long Bill, 52 of the 61 were offered, and 10 of the 52 were adopted. Only one of the amendments (which would have reduced the Executive and Capitol Complex Security Program by $1 million) would have impacted the State Patrol’s budget, but it did not pass. On Thursday, the Long Bill passed third reading 22 to 11. This week the House will follow a similar schedule to consider the Long Bill and orbital bills.
So far, there have been 604 bills introduced – 324 in the House and 280 in the Senate. Only 30 more days until the General Assembly is required to adjourn sine die.
Bill Skewes
Lobbyist