HOUSE PASSES BILL TARGETING SPAM SENDERS
The House on Tuesday passed a bill that would impose tougher sanctions against senders of spam.
House Bill 1178 also would provide protections from lawsuits for Internet service providers who limit spam.
It would make it a Class 2 misdemeanor to send commercial e-mails that are deceptive, unsolicited or mask the real point of origin. The legislation, which passed 64-0, now moves to the Senate.
The House also passed measures to provide more funding for inspections of assisted-living centers and allow anyone who finds a violation of campaign-finance laws to file a written complaint with the secretary of state.
Liquor bills on tap today
Two landmark liquor bills are expected to hit Senate committees for the first time today.
Senate Bill 82, allowing for Sunday liquor sales, faces little organized opposition.
More contentious is Senate Bill 149, a measure to allow supermarkets, convenience stores and big-box retailers to stock their shelves with wine and full-strength beer. It is scheduled to come before the Senate Judiciary Committee sometime after 1:30 p.m.
That bill is being fiercely opposed by liquor stores.
Tougher drunken-driving penalties
Drunken drivers could face a spate of stiffer penalties under a bill that passed unanimously Tuesday through a House committee.
License suspensions could get longer. Reinstatement fees could jump by $70 to $130. And first-time offenders could opt to get their licenses back sooner if they agree to an ignition interlock device, in which a driver uses a blow test to have blood-alcohol levels analyzed before a car will start.
