Transcript Highlights:

• and hard to regulate that.
• So the farms and hard to regulate that.
• line, like driving without a valid<01:11:17.040> license,<01:11:17.520> driving<01:11:
• There's a drive-by over here.
• There's a drive-by over here. there. There's a drive-by over here.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SB 83, which would require hotel keepers to give adequate notice of service disruptions to guests and third-party vendors. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Office of Consumer Protection supported the bill but asked for amendments to restore remedies and add a nonwaiver provision, arguing that without penalties the measure would lack consequences and that consumers should not be able to waive the notice rights. Supporters, including Unite Here Local 5 and individual testifiers, said guests deserve transparency and meaningful recourse when disruptions occur, especially for labor disputes, construction, or other service interruptions that affect the experience they paid for. Hotel industry representatives, including the American Hotel and Lodging Association, the Hawaii Hotel Alliance, and hotel workers/testifiers, opposed the bill in its current form while offering amendments. They said the measure was too broad, difficult to implement, and could interfere with collective bargaining, third-party booking systems, and existing contracts. They also argued that some disruptions are not easily known in advance and that the bill unfairly singles out hotels compared with other industries. One testifier emphasized that notice should be required only for actual, known disruptions rather than potential events, and another raised concerns about applying the bill to properties not directly involved in a labor dispute. After the SB 83 testimony, the committee moved on to SB 2798, which would make permanent and expand statewide the agricultural enforcement pilot program created in 2025 and rename it the agricultural enforcement program. The chair introduced the measure and called on the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity as the first testifier, but the transcript excerpt ends before testimony or any vote on SB 2798.

Transcript Highlights:

• The struggle to find a dentist to treat children has resulted in some families driving up to 2 hours
• on a waiting list for months just to See a dentist to treat children has resulted in some families driving
• These unnecessary calls not only frustrate the patients and parents, but these are hard-working parents
• Thank you for being so open and always answering the phone when needed, sometimes hard to find.
• Tony, thank you for all of your hard work. Miss Enola, always keeping me in line all the time.

Transcript Highlights:

• sometimes they're hard to understand. sometimes they're hard to understand.
• Those are very hard places to manage.
• Those are very hard places to event.
• want that to be something that drives want that to be something that drives people<01:16:55.720>
• <01:22:42.960> downtown or alternatively you're driving downtown or alternatively you're driving

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They've been through the hard work of the campaign. They're so happy to be here, so they're okay.
• On the family farm, Brandon learned early that hard work was not just a necessity, but an absolute way
• Cannon, play with intensity, drive on your opponent early so he respects you and never give up.
• That's hard to believe.
• It's the conviction that faith matters most, and that hard work is more than just a top priority.

Bills: SCR7

Keywords: legislature, adjournment, permissions, Texas Constitution, session, legislative authority

Summary: The Texas Senate convened for the opening of the 89th Legislature with an invocation, roll call, and certification of the newly elected senators. Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock administered the oath of office to the senators-elect, and Governor Greg Abbott and First Lady Cecilia Abbott addressed the chamber, emphasizing priorities such as foster care, the budget, border security, school choice, and maintaining Texas’s economic growth and constitutional principles. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick also welcomed members and guests, noted the Senate’s bipartisan culture, and highlighted the chamber’s organization for the session. The Senate then held its organizational election for President Pro Tempore. Senator Tan Parker nominated Senator Brandon Creighton, and Senator Paul Bettencourt seconded the nomination, both praising Creighton’s background, legislative record, and leadership. The chamber voted by standing vote to elect Creighton, who was then escorted to the front and sworn in as President Pro Tempore by State Minister Scott Wall. Creighton delivered remarks about his family, his time as a Senate messenger, and his priorities for the session, including education, border issues, energy, and Texas sovereignty. After the leadership election, the Senate adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 7, granting permission for either house to adjourn for more than three days during the specified January period. The resolution passed by a recorded vote of 31 ayes and no nays. The Senate then adopted a motion by Senator Zaffirini to recess until 11 a.m. on Wednesday, January 15, after a caucus at 10 a.m. in the Betty King Room.

Transcript Highlights:

• New Hampshire has moved in the opposite direction. sue under hard one exceptions to PLA. sue under hard
• :53.519> a<00:15:53.920> total Drive.
• Devilis Healthcare issued a total Drive.
• as every other industry will drive as every other industry will drive manufacturers<00:21:30.159
• from<01:38:36.400> services, It drives people away from services, It drives people away from

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That is really the driving force. more work needs to be done with respect to articulation.
• But timely counseling was hard to come by, and that experience is not unique to me.
• But timely counseling was hard to come by, and that experience is not unique to me.
• When counseling is this hard to access, students cannot get the guidance they need.
• We know how hard it is to come before a body like this and even testify.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A rate filing is about between 1,500 and 2,500 pages long of hard actuarial data.
• Chair, I just want to figure out how to drive the process because I just don't know.
• They're going to leave, and it's going to be hard. Melissa, you recognize. Sure.
• They're going to leave. and it's going to be hard. People talk.
• They're going to leave, and it's going to be hard for you to attract new customers.

Summary: The subcommittee held its first meeting on homeowners property insurance, with members from both parties introducing themselves and repeatedly noting that insurance affordability, roof condition, claims handling, and storm recovery are top concerns for their districts. Chair Yeager said the meeting was intended as an educational discussion rather than a legislative debate, and introduced a panel that included Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworski, consumer Chad Carr, agent Mary Catherine Lawler, insurer executive Melissa Burt DeVries, and policyholder attorney Chip Merlin. The panel and members discussed major cost drivers in Florida homeowners insurance, including inflation, home age, roof age, mitigation features, claims history, litigation costs, reinsurance, and the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund. Commissioner Yaworski said underwriting has become more sophisticated and that litigation costs, reinsurance, and replacement-cost inflation all affect premiums; he also said litigation is down about 30% and average requested rate increases have fallen from about 22.1% in 2022 to 0.8% today. DeVries said age of home, replacement cost, roof age, and coverage choices can materially change premiums, and explained that reinsurance is a major expense passed through to consumers. Merlin emphasized transparency concerns, argued that insurers are increasingly individualizing risk, and said consumers often struggle with coverage limits, deductibles, and claim denials. Members asked about flood coverage, hurricane deductibles, managed repair programs, mitigation credits, new insurer capitalization, and whether savings from reforms are reaching consumers. Yaworski explained that flood is generally excluded from homeowners policies and covered separately, that hurricane deductibles are mandatory in Florida and usually around 5%, and that the office tracks savings from reforms through rate filings and insurer discussions. He said the state is updating mitigation discounts and monitoring new entrants closely for solvency and market conduct. Several members and panelists said recent reforms have helped reduce some abuses and litigation, but many consumers are still seeing higher premiums because replacement costs and reinsurance remain elevated. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• the City of Honolulu to take necessary steps to finalize, prioritize, and materialize the Makakilo Drive
• the City of Honolulu to take necessary steps to finalize, prioritize, and materialize the Makakilo Drive
• the City of Honolulu to take necessary steps to finalize, prioritize, and materialize the Makakilo Drive
• Just so you all know, at the bottom of Makakilo Drive is a gas station.
• We'd be trapped in Makakilo with no way in, no way out, except for Makakilo Drive coming out from Kapolei

Bills: SCR11, SR9

Keywords: Civil Rights Act, discrimination, employment, housing, public accommodations, LGBTQ+ rights, gender identity, sexual orientation, Equality Act, civil rights, federally funded programs, 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs, Transportation, and later Judiciary heard two sets of resolutions. The first, SCR 132 and SR 124, urged the City and County of Honolulu to take steps to finalize the Makakilo Drive Extension Project. Testimony from a Makakilo resident emphasized the lack of a second access route and raised safety concerns about being trapped in the area in an emergency. Both committees voted to pass the resolutions unamended. The second set, SCR 11 and SR 9, requested that the U.S. Congress amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, education, federally funded programs, credit, and jury service. Supporters from the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, IMUA Alliance, and Pride at Work in Hawaii argued that stronger anti-discrimination protections are needed to reduce vulnerability to violence, housing insecurity, and exploitation, and to provide federal protections that mirror state law. One senator asked whether state protections already exist and was told the resolutions seek federal-level protections because federal law can supersede state law. Both committees adopted recommendations to pass SCR 11 and SR 9 unamended, with votes in favor and some members excused.

Transcript Highlights:

• It drives a partnership between local entities and the state so that libraries can be more attractive
• It drives a partnership between local entities and the state so that libraries can be more attractive
• It drives a partnership between local entities and the state so that libraries can be more attractive
• <00:04:52.560> a this program so key it drives a this program so key it drives a partnership
• Representative Murphy worked hard for funding this program so that everyone in the state could enjoy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It's hard to give a number, but we quote, I think, 97%, but it's high.
• And we have worked really hard at having a vision: what’s next?
• JFK once said, 'We do the hard things not because they're easy, but because they are hard.'
• JFK once said we do the hard things not because they're easy but because they are hard.
• North Dakota must choose to do the hard things.

Summary: The committee met at North Dakota State College of Science for a presentation from President Flanagan and campus leaders on the college’s mission, enrollment growth, workforce programs, facilities needs, and industry partnerships. Flanagan highlighted student success in national competitions, strong placement and retention, the college’s strategic plan, and new or expanding programs such as aviation maintenance, fire science, dental hygiene, community health worker, surgical technology, HVAC/plumbing, and precision agriculture. He also described the need for a new dorm and a remodel of the library into academic and allied health space, including a simulation center, to address capacity limits and support growth. Several committee members asked about program demand, faculty recruitment, pay competitiveness, and how the college shifts resources from lower-demand programs to high-demand ones. Industry partner Jim Albright of Comdell testified that the college has been essential to the local manufacturing workforce and that many employees and interns come from NDSCS. A major topic was dual credit. Flanagan said dual credit is important but financially challenging, noting that only a small share of dual credit students ultimately matriculate to NDSCS and that the college’s dual credit model is close to break-even. He explained that many dual credit credits are general education rather than CTE, and that the college pays instructors, supports high schools, and absorbs indirect costs. Williston State College President Bernal Herning added that his institution loses money on the front end but has shifted toward helping students complete associate degrees before high school graduation because many go directly to work after high school. Committee members questioned how dual credit is delivered, how instructors are qualified, and whether students are truly doing college-level work. The committee then received a University System presentation from Jamie Wilkie on the cost of delivering dual credit statewide. Wilkie explained the methodology used to allocate direct and overhead costs and said the analysis shows dual credit is not profitable at several institutions once tuition, instructor payments, and overhead are included. Members asked how much of the cost is borne by students, families, and the state, and whether K-12 funding should also be considered. Discussion also covered the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized dual credit, payments to high school teachers or schools, and the possibility of waiving tuition in the future. No votes were taken, and the committee mainly gathered information for the ongoing dual credit cost study.

Transcript Highlights:

• and um we know that Bob works hard every session.
• Speaker Hortman was again a driving force behind the legislation.
• Speaker Hortman was again a driving Speaker Hortman was again a driving force<00:10:54.160> behind
• She gave me a hard time joking, "What am I supposed to do? Retire now?"
• <00:25:20.000> and vulnerability can be it's hard and vulnerability can be it's hard and important

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House File 3556 was presented as a bill to rename Minnesota’s community solar garden program the Melissa Hortman Community Solar Garden Program. The author described the measure as a tribute to Hortman’s leadership and her role in creating the program, which was said to have helped launch Minnesota’s solar industry and expand access to clean energy. The bill was moved to the general register before testimony began. Testifiers from the Public Utilities Commission, Department of Commerce, solar industry groups, clean energy organizations, and community solar developers all supported the bill. They described Hortman as the original legislative champion of the 2013 community solar law and a driving force behind the 2023 revisions that increased access for low- and moderate-income households. Several witnesses said the program has become a national model, has generated jobs and investment, and has enabled renters, small businesses, schools, nonprofits, and households without suitable rooftops to participate in solar. Witnesses also shared personal reflections about Hortman’s accessibility, preparation, and willingness to listen, saying she treated people with respect and helped shape a durable clean energy policy framework. No opposition testimony or votes on final passage were recorded in the excerpt, but the committee did act to advance the bill to the general register.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we're trying very hard not to do that.
• And we're trying very hard not to do that.
• It was kind of all just blended together and hard to parse out.
• It is a very, very hard thing to see.
• It's hard for us to even imagine it.

Summary: The Assembly Standing Committee on Public Safety held an informational hearing in Pomona on sex work-related crimes and efforts to combat human trafficking. The chair and Assembly Member Michelle Rodriguez framed the issue as a major public safety and victim-protection concern, referencing the repeal of the loitering law in SB 357 and the recent enactment of AB 379, which targets buyers of sex rather than sex workers. The hearing was organized into three panels: data and research, policing and anti-trafficking efforts, and courtroom/prosecution impacts. In the first panel, the California Department of Justice presented arrest and conviction data for the repealed loitering statute, noting overall declines from 2019 to 2022 but also explaining that the data did not distinguish clearly between people selling sex, people loitering to sell, and people purchasing sex. USC law professor Hannah Gary summarized a 2021 report finding that law enforcement stings and raids often lack transparency, disproportionately harm Black women, minors, LGBTQ+ people, and undocumented migrants, and rarely achieve the stated goals of protecting victims, prosecuting traffickers, or preventing trafficking. The ACLU of Southern California argued that criminalization of sex work is discriminatory and historically used to police women and people of color, and that laws aimed at buyers still harm sex workers and can increase immigration consequences. Committee members asked about data collection, racial disparities, and whether the new law could worsen profiling; the panelists urged public health approaches, better data, and more survivor services. The second panel featured the California DOJ human trafficking coordinator, Pomona Police Chief Mike Ellis, and survivor advocate Jess Torres of Rising Worldwide. DOJ described its regional trafficking teams, task forces, victim services, and prosecutions, emphasizing a victim-centered and trauma-informed approach. Chief Ellis said SB 357 limited police intervention and contributed to visible open-air prostitution near schools and other sensitive locations, citing complaints from residents and a reported drop in juvenile rescues in Pomona after the law changed; he supported AB 63-style enforcement with safeguards and service referrals. Torres, speaking as a survivor, argued that anti-trafficking policy must be survivor-led, that many youth in the sex trade are boys or LGBTQ youth, and that criminalization and street enforcement often worsen harm and displacement rather than solving the underlying problems. In the final panel, a Riverside County deputy district attorney said AB 63 could help law enforcement make earlier contact with potential victims and identify traffickers, while stressing the need for training, documentation, and oversight. A Los Angeles County public defender argued that prosecuting trafficked people reinforces traffickers’ control, creates lifelong barriers, and retraumatizes survivors, and pointed to diversion programs as a better model. The Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking began its testimony by describing its survivor services and crisis response work. The hearing ended without any vote or formal action, but with committee members and witnesses continuing to debate the balance between enforcement, data collection, and survivor-centered services.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is too darn hard, and it is too darn long an hour.
• It's quite hard to do in 24 hours, but in 48, it will be on a shelf.
• We don't make people drive to the coast."
• So it's really caught... ...in a hard spot on this.
• It's going to help drive research and innovation.

Bills: HB3000, HB2622, HB2283, HB541, HB1776, HB1803, HB1669, HB2588, HB220, HB3415, HB50, HB1314, HB 107, HB220, HB50, HB107

Keywords: ambulance service, rural healthcare, grants, financial assistance, qualified counties, mental health, patient transport, female attendants, security measures, healthcare regulation, epinephrine, anaphylaxis, health care, school safety, training, emergency response, direct patient care, healthcare, physicians, medical services

Transcript Highlights:

• And not to mention, at the end of the day, these are the hard-working types of people that you want.
• I mean, these are hard-working, good people.
• These arrangements don't create jobs, they don't drive capital investment; they simply don't create jobs
• Continue to lead by empowering our businesses, rewarding hard work, and trusting the free market to drive

Bills: HB 105, HB982, HB1483, HB1508, HB2575, HB3646, HB3993, HB4083, HB4580, HB4725, HB5169, HB5511, HJR73, HJR102, HJR174, HB3746, HB4240

Keywords: economic development, job creation, energy, tax incentives, technology investment, ad valorem taxes, elderly, disabled, low-income, tax limitation, homesteads, Texas Tax Code, property tax, ad valorem tax, tax exemption, residential real property, home improvement, energy efficiency, energy-efficient upgrades, HVAC

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, hard bids in separate envelopes.
• Drive where we need to focus our efforts.
• But why not get these hard... ...maybe some of the, you know, the security pieces.
• And then I think hard choices have to be made.
• The other thing is really thinking hard about what should be general funded.

Summary: The task force reviewed survey results from state agencies on potential statutory revisions, with Levi reporting 70 proposals from 20 agencies and noting that about 33 might become agency pre-file bills. Members discussed the need to share the survey more broadly within higher education and to better coordinate issues involving IT and other cross-agency functions. The task force then heard from the Office of Management and Budget on three topics: concessions, architect/engineering pre-qualification, and legal notices. OMB said the concessions law is outdated and inconsistent with current practice, and suggested a collaborative rewrite to allow best-value evaluation, raise the threshold, and standardize solicitation templates. On architect/engineering pre-qualification, OMB proposed expanding authority beyond current state-agency limits and creating uniform templates. On legal notices, OMB proposed modernizing publication requirements, exploring online and abbreviated notices, and working with newspapers and other stakeholders on technology and accessibility improvements. Members asked about where concession revenues go, whether political subdivisions must follow the same rules, and how to move from discussion to action. The task force agreed to have OMB work with Legislative Council and affected stakeholders to develop bill drafts, and the motion passed unanimously. The University of North Dakota then presented a series of proposed revisions focused on public buildings and procurement. UND asked to rework the definition of construction so routine maintenance and one-for-one replacements over $250,000 would not automatically trigger public-improvement requirements, suggested raising the threshold to $500,000, and asked for more flexibility based on project complexity and risk. UND also proposed changes to public bid advertisements to reflect electronic bidding, revisions to construction manager-at-risk selection criteria, changes to architect/engineer procurement rules, an increase in the direct-hire design threshold, and a higher legislative-consent threshold for privately funded projects. The task force supported having UND work with counsel and OMB to develop bill drafts, and that motion also passed. The Department of Public Instruction concluded with proposed cleanup to credentialing and education statutes. DPI recommended reviewing its credential categories for relevance, possibly transferring credentialing authority to the Education Standards and Practices Board, removing outdated school safety patrol language, clarifying waiver provisions, and updating dyslexia screening reporting requirements so the statute reflects current practice. Members focused mainly on whether the dyslexia reporting requirement should remain, and DPI said the screening itself would continue even if reporting language were revised. No votes were taken on DPI’s suggestions, and the task force recessed after the presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's the hard part, but that doesn't change the fact that as a legislature, you still have to take
• They did pull out hard caps at the end of the bill, but it's still a caps bill due to the, due to what
• So you're just going to drive them out of business, out of business, you're going to drive the doctors
• Really appreciate your hard work.
• I think the first case is very telling, and it's not hard.

Transcript Highlights:

• It drives discovery. It informs policy. It drives discovery.
• <03:55:10.520> diplomatic need a strategy to drive diplomatic need a strategy to drive diplomatic
• Families loss and the hard days ahead.
• Hands off our hard-fought gains.
• Hands off our hard-fought gains.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, May 19, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• my bike on the back of my car and drive my bike on the back of my car and drive five<01:43:53.760
• and you know, we're we're working hard and you know, we're we're working hard to<02:14:23.440>
• Um, and if I were to drive, it takes about the same time or often less when you factor in driving, parking
• a learning disability for a driving a learning disability for a driving test.<05:08:07.840> Um
• requirements in this are are very hard requirements in this are are very hard to<05:11:51.600>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:13:54.320> people stepped up enforcement is driving people stepped up enforcement is driving
• This will drive up costs care workforce.
• These challenges very hard to come by.
• Being an entrepreneur is hard in a normal economy.
• Uh we need fuel to drive our farms.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We hold the Texas legislative drive-in.
• In fact, we commend these government governmental agencies for their hard work and dedication to serving
• It is through the hard work of the report card committee and the agencies that oversee the respective
• These grades do not reflect on the people who work hard every day to operate and maintain these systems
• Second, we must drive sound policy and regulations to ensure safety, efficiency, and reliability for