Guns in capitol buildings divide states after armed protests
FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, armed men stand on the steps at the State Capitol after a rally in support of President Donald Trump in Lansing, Mich. But the question of whether guns should be allowed in capitol buildings remains political and states are going in opposite directions. โ In the past year, insurrectionists have breached the U.S. Capitol and armed protesters have forced their way into statehouses around the country. But the question of whether guns should be allowed in capitol buildings remains political, and states are going in opposite directions. โWhat they said is that weapons, guns, bullets are still welcome in our state Capitol as long as we canโt see them.
Bill would get rid of Floridaโs state pension plan
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. โ Floridaโs pension plan would be no more under legislation that cleared a Senate Committee at the State Capitol Thursday morning. Some call the plan underfunded, but there are fears that ending the defined benefit plan could make it harder to hire critical workers. The state pension plan isnโt just for state workers. Starting next year, State Sen. Ray Rodrigues wants to force all new employees into a 401(k)-type investment plan. If no changes are made, the state will continue putting $373 million a year into the plan.
Florida lawmakers seek to slow down evictions
In Florida, more than 47,000 eviction notices have been filed, and a handful of bills filed at the State Capitol seek to keep people in their homes. Every day in Florida, 180 new eviction notices are being filed. In Florida legislation has been filed to require courts to send tenants and landlords to mediation. The CDCโs national eviction moratorium has been extended through the first of April. AdThe national moratorium has kept most cases from going to court, but this yearโs session begins March 2 and runs through April 30, a full month after the national moratorium is set to expire.
Florida State Capitol security tight ahead of potential protests
On Monday, Florida state senators spent an hour behind closed doors for a classified security briefing. โAnd our Senate President was dead serious when he said they would keep us safe, and I felt very good walking out of that security briefing,โ said State Senator Janet Cruz. State Senator Linda Stewart said the security briefing included tips for when senators were not in the Capitol as well. Lawmakers themselves wonโt be at the Capitol over the weekend, nor next week, when the chances of violent protests are greatest. Flags at the State Capitol are currently at half staff in honor of the two officers who died as a result of last weekโs protest at the U.S. Capitol.
US Catholic bishops: clergy sex abuse claims tripled in 2019
In the latest annual report on clerical sex abuse, dioceses and other Catholic entities reported paying out $281.6 million during the year for costs related to allegations, including payments for cases reported in previous years. There has been a huge overall surge in allegations over the past three years as dioceses faced unprecedented pressure to address the decades-old problem of clergy sex abuse. It is the 17th abuse report issued since 2002, when the U.S. bishops established and adopted a comprehensive set of procedures to address sex abuse allegations. Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, which advocates for survivors of clergy sex abuse, expressed concern about a section of the report indicating that only 60% of parishes nationwide were performing safety audits on their own. Every single sitting attorney general should be investigating cases of clergy abuse in their state, identifying enablers and removing them from power, and ensuring that hidden abusers are made known to their communities.
Court: Montana family owns dinosaur fossils worth millions
Circuit Court of Appeals on June 17, 2020, upheld a federal judge's ruling that said dinosaur fossils are part of a property's surface estate in an ongoing battle over ownership of millions of dollars of fossils unearthed on an eastern Montana ranch. Dinosaur fossils worth millions of dollars unearthed on a Montana ranch belong to the owners of the lands surface rights, not the owners of the mineral rights, a U.S. appeals court ruled. The surface rights where the fossils were found are owned by Mary Ann and Lige Murray. In the meantime, the 2019 Montana Legislature passed a bill stating that dinosaur fossils are part of a property's surface estate unless they are reserved as part of the mineral estate. In a 4-3 ruling last month, the Montana justices said dinosaur fossils are not considered minerals under state law.
Alabama coronavirus outlook worsening amid state reopening
Yet state statistics also show hospitalizations are up since early April, which has some health officials worried. Some people are trying to stay 6 feet (2 meters) apart, as required under state orders, but others aren't. Leaders in Republican-controlled, deeply conservative Alabama, like many states, are stuck between trying to revive a lagging economy and prevent the spread of disease. As of Friday, more than 13,400 people had tested positive for the coronavirus in Alabama, and 533 had died. Alabamas jobless rate jumped to 12.9% in April during the economic shutdown linked to the coronavirus pandemic, the worst in nearly 38 years, the state said.
7 barbers ticketed for cutting hair at Michigan Capitol
Barbers and hair stylists are protesting the state?? (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)LANSING, Mich. Police ticketed seven people for cutting hair during a protest outside the Michigan Capitol, where about a dozen barbers and hair stylists defied stay-at-home orders to give free hair cuts Wednesday. At one point, about 300 people attended the demonstration that was organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition to oppose the measures imposed by Gov. Angela Rigas, of Caledonia in western Michigan, said she was ticketed after refusing three times to stop cutting hair. I will not stand down, said Karl Manke, a 77-year-old barber who cut hair at the demonstration.
Families gather at State Capitol to remember missing children
Families gather at State Capitol to remember missing childrenPublished: November 22, 2019, 11:18 pmTALLAHASSEE, Fla. โ Each year at this time, families of missing children gather at the State Capitol, many knowing theyโll likely never see their loved ones again.