Andre Baker Jr

Key provisions of the bill include:

• Historic investment in our students, including $30 million for the Special Education Expansion and Development (SEED) grant program, which will help build capacity to serve students closer to home.
• Prioritizing better access to services through enhanced development screenings, behavioral assessment, and intervention plans, access to remedial classes in higher education, and involvement of parents and local school districts before a student is moved from their school.
• Reining in costs by regulating third-party rate processes and developing new billing and licensing standards.
• Increasing oversight through on-site compliance visits and detailed system-wide reporting to reduce unpredictability and improve accountability.

Children are our future, and it is our responsibility to provide them a proper education. In a state that has one of the best K-12 public school systems in the country, HB 5001 makes sure our special education program maintains that same level of quality.

We’re cracking down on street takeovers and illegal ATV use. House Democrats voted on Wednesday to authorize steep fines, vehicle seizures, and automatic license suspensions. This legislation targets both participants and organizers, aiming to curb dangerous road behavior with tougher enforcement and penalties. 

Senate Bill 1284 gives towns new tools to address the problem by:

• Allowing municipalities to seize and destroy illegal ATVs, dirt bikes, and mini motorcycles.
• Letting towns fine and impound vehicles used in street takeovers.
• Requiring permanent license revocation after a third offense involving illegal racing or takeovers.

What SB 1284 does is give our local law enforcement meaningful, proactive tools to hold people accountable without risking lives in a pursuit. We’ve all had enough of the reckless driving and disruptive behavior and this bill is a big step forward in restoring safety and order on our roads.