Video & Transcript Research : 'dig safe'
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MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity
Transcript Highlights:
- According to this legislation, it means that building is no longer safe and habitable.
- Children deserve to be able to Children deserve to be safe.
- As you said, Madam Chair, we cannot trust these companies to keep our kids safe.
- I think you're safe. Thank you. Thank you.
- At the same time, we're digging into limited reserves to keep going.
Summary:
The committee held its second hearing on a large docket of technology, internet, cybersecurity, broadband, and media bills. Early testimony focused on community media funding legislation, with lawmakers and local access advocates arguing that as cable subscriptions decline and streaming grows, revenue tied to cable franchises no longer supports community television and PEG programming. Supporters said community media remains a key source of local news, government meeting coverage, and civic transparency as newspapers disappear or consolidate. A related bill on cable contract oversight also drew support, with testimony that the Department of Telecommunications and Cable is backlogged and should more actively review municipal-provider agreements and report its workload to the committee.
Another major topic was a proposal to create a Massachusetts Innovation Fund for state IT modernization. The Alliance for Digital Innovation backed the bill, saying agencies need flexible upfront capital to replace outdated systems and improve cybersecurity, and pointing to the federal Technology Modernization Fund as a model. The witness noted that funding for the state program still needs to be identified. The committee also heard strong support for a bill requiring free broadband in public housing, with Rep. Emmela Goodwin and MAPC describing internet access as essential for jobs, school, telehealth, and civic participation. They said the digital divide in Massachusetts is driven largely by affordability rather than infrastructure, though questions were raised about costs, wiring, and whether all housing sites already have broadband access available at the curb.
A substantial portion of the hearing centered on bills to limit addictive social media feeds for minors. Supporters, including lawmakers, parents, teens, and advocacy groups, argued that algorithmic feeds contribute to addiction, anxiety, body image problems, and other harms, and said the bills would restrict surveillance-based curation and overnight notifications while leaving search and followed accounts available. Opponents, including FIRE, CCIA, and the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, argued the bills would require invasive age verification, threaten privacy and cybersecurity, burden adults’ anonymity, and likely face First Amendment challenges. They also warned the measures could disadvantage smaller businesses and may be unconstitutional based on recent court rulings in other states. The committee also heard support for blockchain-related bills creating a commission, a pilot program, and consumer education efforts, with testimony that Massachusetts has the talent but needs a coordinated state strategy. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
US House Floor Proceedings (Friday, June 6, 2025)
US Federal House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- just<01:36:15.199>
want <01:36:15.360>to <01:36:15.520>be <01:36:15.880>safe - ,<01:36:16.880>
make children who just want to be safe, make children who just want to be - safe, make friends,<01:36:17.760>
and <01:36:18.000>be <01:36:18.679>themselves. - So I'd love to be creating more jobs, but we could create jobs by hiring people to dig a hole and then
- by hiring jobs, but we could create jobs by hiring people<02:59:01.120>
to <02:59:01.520>dig
WY
Wyoming 2026 Regular Session
House Floor Session-Day 7, February 17, 2026-PM
Wyoming House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- And at that point, call dig deep. Get with the directors of these different agencies.
- And at that point, call dig deep. Get with the directors of these different agencies.
- And at that point, call dig deep. Get with the directors of these different agencies.
- And at that point, call dig deep. Get with the directors of these different agencies.
- of teaching new employees how to be safe of teaching new employees how to be safe on<02:42:48.080
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
- So under our safety, our safe model or easy safe model, when we bring a child into care, we give the
- If kids can be kept safely at home, that's where they should be.
- Not having a safe roof over their head.
- It was also failing the caregivers trying to keep them safe. Arizona was sued first.
- The Silver Alert passed as now the Safe Alert. Just to let you know, we have to leave.
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
JHA Public Hearing - Tue Feb 25, 2025 @ 2:00 PM HST
Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- Let's dig a little deeper and understand.
- Let's dig a little deeper and understand.
- Let's dig a little deeper and understand.
- Let's focus on holding criminals accountable and to help make our community safe instead of focusing
- Let's focus on holding criminals accountable and to help make our community safe instead of focusing
Summary:
The committee first heard House Bill 302, which would repeal the requirement that a provider-patient relationship for medical cannabis certification be established in person first. The Department of Health said it supported the House Draft 2 version as a way to expand patient access, and several testifiers from the medical cannabis community and dispensary industry supported the bill, especially for patients on outer islands or those unable to travel. One witness asked that earlier language removed in committee be restored to further improve access. Representative Shimizu asked whether follow-up in-person visits would still occur, and DOH responded that this varies by provider, with some continuing in-person care and others moving to telehealth for chronic conditions.
The committee then took up House Bill 712, relating to the federal 340B drug pricing program and contract pharmacies. The Office of Consumer Protection and the Attorney General’s office both said they supported the bill’s purpose but wanted it clarified and possibly moved into a standalone chapter rather than chapter 481B. Supporters, including Hawaii Pacific Health and the Queen’s Health Systems, said the bill is needed to protect safety-net funding and access to discounted drugs, citing large financial benefits from 340B and losses caused by manufacturer restrictions on contract pharmacies. PhRMA opposed the bill, arguing the issue is not access to discounts but accountability and transparency in how contract pharmacies distribute benefits, and said it was willing to discuss amendments. Members asked follow-up questions about whether there was data showing misuse; PhRMA said it did not have numbers, while hospital witnesses said the program is federally audited and used appropriately in Hawaii.
Finally, the committee heard House Bill 1482, HD1, which would tighten hemp and controlled-substance definitions to exclude Schedule I cannabinoids from manufactured hemp products and clarify the treatment of artificially derived cannabis. The Department of Health supported the measure, saying it adds clarity to existing prohibitions. Kūre Hawaii and other supporters said it would close loopholes involving Delta-8 and similar products. An individual testifier urged stronger language to also cover compounds such as HHC, THCA, THCP, and THCO. In response to questions about enforcement against mislabeled hemp products, DOH explained that THC percentages are relative to product weight, that some products can remain under the hemp threshold while still containing significant THC, and that hemp flower is already prohibited from direct retail sale, though enforcement can be complicated and involves both administrative and criminal authorities.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- I think it's an important conversation, um, not because I think it's really important that we dig down
- five layers deep and the path that that money took, because that exists out there today, for them to dig
- , and so that's a, I think it's very different. ...because that exists out there today, for them to dig
- that and want to get the rights to dig through that data and then to validate.
- through that and want to get the rights to dig through that data and then to validate.
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Interim Joint Committee on State Government (7-29-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- on TV to go to elect.ky.gov elect.ky.gov elect.ky.gov and<00:36:44.640>
uh <00:36:45.280>dig - And if you really want to dig into it, watch the numbers, and that's one way you can see this process
- And if you really want to<00:37:36.400>
dig <00:37:36.560>into <00:37:36.720>it, - 36.960>
watch <00:37:37.200>the <00:37:37.359>numbers <00:37:37.680>and to dig - into it, watch the numbers and to dig into it, watch the numbers and and<00:37:38.800>
that <00
Keywords:
Voter List Maintenance - State Board of Elections -- 05:38
State Employee Health Insurance Plan – 44:18
Discussion of HB 622 (2025 RS) – 01:01:43, 958, all
Summary:
The Interim Committee on State Government met on July 29, established a quorum, approved the June 24 minutes unanimously, and heard an update from the State Board of Elections on voter list maintenance. Taylor Brown, the board’s general counsel, explained the federal NVRA requirements and Kentucky’s statutory process for maintaining voter rolls, including use of USPS change-of-address data, ERIC reports, and agreements with non-ERIC states. He said Kentucky has entered or discussed agreements with several states, and that the board sends postcards to voters believed to have moved; if a voter does not respond to an 8D2 postcard and does not vote over two federal election cycles, the registration may be removed. He also described other removal categories such as death, felony conviction, incompetency, duplicate registrations, and self-requested cancellations.
Brown reported that between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, the board removed 284,381 registrations from the rolls, including 42,675 for death, 5,940 for felony conviction, 5,527 for registration in another state, 578 for incompetency, 223 based on jury questionnaires indicating non-citizenship, 746 self-removals, and 3,381 duplicates, along with 225,311 removals through the address-maintenance program. He said Kentucky’s total registrations decreased by roughly 169,000 over the year and are now below the Census Bureau’s estimate of the state’s voting-age population. Brown emphasized that receiving a postcard does not mean a voter has been purged and that failure to vote alone does not trigger removal.
Members asked about the 223 non-citizen-related removals, the availability and effectiveness of alternatives to ERIC, the partisan criticism of ERIC, and how duplicate registrations are identified. Brown said the non-citizen jury questionnaire cases had been referred to the Attorney General for further review, that Kentucky currently has no organized alternative to ERIC but is pursuing reciprocal agreements with states such as Florida, and that ERIC recently changed bylaws to remove a postcard requirement that had been costly for member states. On duplicates, he said the board uses multiple data points, not just name and address, and noted that fuller Social Security data could improve accuracy. Committee leaders praised the board’s work and said they wanted to meet before session to discuss possible statutory changes to improve voter list maintenance.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- And that backhoe will be digging the foundations as soon as they get the people back there to do it.
- And that backhoe will be digging<00:40:37.400>
the <00:40:37.760>foundations <00:40:39.040 - >
as <00:40:39.240>soon <00:40:39.480>as <00:40:39.720>they digging the foundations - as soon as they digging the foundations as soon as they get<00:40:40.040>
the <00:40:40.440>- This is the way we ended up digging into our EMS structure about making sure we do the oversight we have
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Should Minnesota mandate coverage for infertility treatment? 4/8/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- So I I just need to I don't mean to dig into this but not only personally I'm interested in this data
- So I I just need to I I don't mean to dig into this but not only personally I'm interested in this data
- maybe by a brief or something to the committee if you need the time to collect it. mean to mean to dig
- 06.360>
but <00:53:06.720>not <00:53:06.920>only <00:53:07.080>personally dig - into this but not only personally dig into this but not only personally I'm<00:53:07.760>
interested
Summary:
The committee heard House File 4609, the Minnesota Building Families Act, and laid it over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill. The bill would require insurance coverage for infertility diagnosis and treatment, including IVF-related care, and the author emphasized that it would not change Minnesota’s current surrogacy laws. She also noted the bill already contains a religious exemption and clarified that it had been referred through commerce but came to health first because of reviser delays.
Supporters testified that infertility is common and financially devastating, describing personal experiences with miscarriages, cancer-related fertility loss, and large out-of-pocket costs such as second mortgages, retirement withdrawals, and fundraising. A physician testified that infertility is a disease, that delays in care can worsen outcomes, and that insurance coverage can improve health outcomes and reduce multiple births and costs. Supporters also argued that fertility coverage is already offered by some large employers and in other states without major premium increases.
Opponents, including representatives of the Minnesota Catholic Conference and Minnesota Family Council, argued the bill would subsidize IVF and potentially surrogacy, which they said raises ethical concerns about embryos, commodification, and exploitation of women. They urged the committee to vote no and instead support restorative reproductive medicine or other approaches that address underlying causes of infertility. In member discussion, some legislators expressed sympathy for families affected by infertility and miscarriage but raised concerns about insurance costs, success rates, and the need for guardrails; others noted adoption as another way families are built. No vote was taken beyond laying the bill over.
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Higher Education Funding Review Committee Jun 3rd, 2026
Higher Education Funding Review Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- I think this will get worse if we continue forward with CIP codes, because now we're all really digging
- We're all really digging in and wondering, how can I manipulate this and move this to where it's better
- I think this will get worse if we continue forward with SIP codes because now we're all really digging
- We're all really digging in and wondering, how can I manipulate this and move this to where it's better
Summary:
The Higher Education Funding Review Committee met to continue work on a draft higher education funding formula and related capital building fund changes. Lisa Johnson of the North Dakota University System updated the committee on the board’s developing policy for low-producing academic programs. She said the board is using a five-year rolling window, with thresholds of fewer than 10 undergraduate graduates or fewer than 5 graduate graduates, and that programs flagged in three consecutive review cycles would go to the board for review. Possible outcomes include continuation, continuation with modifications, inactivation, or termination. Members asked about how the policy would account for enrollment, program costs, workforce need, and programs that serve students outside their major. Johnson said the board would likely use an accompanying procedure to consider those factors. She also reported that about 200 programs could potentially be reviewed under current guidance, with 135 inactivated and 112 terminated, and said the process is intended to support quality and stewardship rather than simply cut programs.
Jamie Wilkie then reported on the Capital Building Fund. He reviewed the fund’s history, matching requirements, and use for extraordinary repairs, deferred maintenance, and some legislatively authorized projects. He said about $334 million in state and matching dollars has been invested overall, with roughly 78.7% going to deferred maintenance and extraordinary repairs. Committee members pressed for updated information on how much deferred maintenance has actually been reduced, and several members said they wanted clearer reporting on the return on investment from new buildings versus repairs. NDSU representatives said the tier funding has helped significantly reduce deferred maintenance and allowed demolition and renovation work on campus. The committee also discussed the need for updated five-year facility plans and space-utilization information from the institutions.
The committee then began a section-by-section review of a draft bill that would replace the current higher education funding formula with an FTE-based model and restructure the capital building fund. The draft would fund UND and NDSU differently from the other nine institutions, use fall enrollment rather than completed credits, add performance funding for completions in in-demand fields, create research incentives for UND and NDSU, and combine capital building fund tiers while changing matching requirements and eligible uses. Members raised concerns about the treatment of professional students, the use of CIP codes, incentives for waivers, and whether the formula should rely on more current data. The committee did not take final action on the draft during this meeting, but it continued detailed discussion and indicated more review would follow.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- Um, so I want to dig into a few things here.
- c> so<00:35:11.760>
I <00:35:12.000>want <00:35:12.079>to <00:35:12.240>dig - Um, so I want to dig into a few that. Um, so I want to dig into a few things<00:35:13.520>
here.
Bills:
HF4770
Summary:
The committee approved the March 26 minutes and then took up House File 4770, as amended by an A1 technical amendment. The bill was presented as a proposal to help Liberty Diversified International and Liberty Paper in Becker plan for replacement steam and energy supply as the Shuro facility closure approaches in 2030. Testimony described Liberty Paper’s current closed-loop steam arrangement with Shuro, the need to study future fuel and technology options, and the potential use of anaerobic digestion, biomass, construction and demolition waste, and food waste to produce steam and possibly power. Members asked about feedstock availability, the need for a feasibility study, possible backup natural gas use, and whether waste heat or wastewater heat could be useful. The bill was laid over as amended.
The committee then heard a presentation from CenterPoint Energy on Minnesota heating demand and electrification. CenterPoint staff said affordability and reliability are central concerns and outlined how the utility manages customer costs through energy efficiency, contracting, storage, peak shaving, and conservation. Dr. Joel Lynch presented research on peak heating with natural gas and the “missing piece” in Minnesota’s electrification puzzle, explaining that Minnesota’s cold climate makes winter heating demand especially challenging and that replacing natural gas would require substantial new electric capacity and renewable resources. He compared his work with prior national and state studies and said the analysis used Minnesota-specific gas throughput, COP assumptions across several electrification scenarios, and January renewable capacity data.
Lynch summarized preliminary findings that Minnesota’s peak gas heating throughput could be up to 40 gigawatts, with electric resistance heating implying roughly 36 gigawatts of new demand, and lower but still substantial demand under heat-pump scenarios. The presentation was informational only; no vote was taken on the CenterPoint presentation. The meeting ended with House File 4770 laid over and the energy demand presentation continuing.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- discussed here, and I will say I'm testifying as introduced mainly because I have not had a chance to dig
- had a<00:21:10.880>
chance <00:21:11.200>to a chance to a chance to um<00:21:12.120>dig - <00:21:12.240>
into <00:21:12.400>the <00:21:12.520>amendments, um dig into - the amendments, um dig into the amendments, but<00:21:13.760>
the <00:21:13.920>reform <
Summary:
The committee took up House File 3603, and Representative Olson first offered and had adopted an A1 author’s amendment. Olson then explained that the bill would direct the Commissioner of Children, Youth and Families to seek a USDA waiver allowing Minnesota to bar SNAP purchases of items subject to state sales tax, such as prepared foods, chips, soft drinks, and candy. He argued the goal was to promote healthier nutrition, noted that other states have similar waivers, and said the change could help Minnesota qualify for significant federal rural health care funding.
Public testimony was divided. Patrick Garofalo of the Minnesota Grocers Association opposed the bill, saying SNAP is a supplemental program and that the proposal would be difficult to administer at retail stores, create confusion, and expose retailers to serious penalties for mistakes. He argued the state tax code is not a nutrition standard and pointed out inconsistencies, such as some candy-like products still being taxable or some healthy items being treated as prepared food. Will Hagen of Minnesota Retailers also opposed the bill, warning it would require costly point-of-sale changes, retraining, and would turn store employees into enforcers while creating cross-border shopping problems. Matt Schmidt of the American First Policy Institute supported the concept, saying SNAP should emphasize nutrition and that restricting unhealthy purchases would reduce taxpayer subsidies for junk food and soda.
Members then debated the bill’s logic and practicality, including questions about which snacks would or would not be allowed under the tax-based standard. Representative Sencer-Mura offered an H2 amendment, framed as applying the same restrictions to legislators’ own per diem spending; Representative Hansen responded that the comparison was not equivalent and raised concerns about household circumstances and accessibility. The H2 amendment was put to a vote and did not prevail. The committee then continued member discussion on the bill.
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
Senate Legislative Session Day 48 (3-17-26)
Kentucky Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- When we read about finances, academic failings, safety, we become concerned and it causes us to dig deeper
- 54:52.840>
to we become concerned and it causes us to we become concerned and it causes us to dig - dig deeper. dig deeper.
Summary:
The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a roll call establishing a quorum. The chamber approved the prior journal, excused absent senators, and received a House message noting passage of several House bills, including House Bill 1 despite the governor’s veto. The clerk also reported committee recommendations on a number of House bills, which were placed on the calendar, and new resolutions were introduced recognizing Chloe Yates, student wellness and physical activity in schools, and the Kentucky State Long-Term Care Ombudsman program.
The main floor action centered on House Bill 1, which implements the Federal Education Opportunity Program in Kentucky. Supporters argued the measure would bring federal tax-credit dollars into Kentucky to expand educational opportunities for students and families at no cost to the state budget, while opponents urged sustaining the governor’s veto and raised concerns about accountability and the bill’s structure. After debate, the Senate voted 31-5 to override the veto, and House Bill 1 was finally passed notwithstanding the governor’s veto.
The Senate then took up Senate Bill 183 on proxy advisory services. The House committee substitute exempted certain nonprofits with less than $500,000 in annual gross revenue from proxy advisor services from the bill’s cause-of-action provisions while preserving attorney general enforcement authority. The chamber concurred with the House substitute and then passed the bill as amended. Senators also passed Senate Bill 263, the School of Innovation cleanup bill, which makes technical changes, requires KDE support for waiver applications, and creates a pilot project for three schools of innovation with proposed matching grants. Senate Bill 281 on grandparent visitation was also adopted with committee substitute and passed unanimously after discussion focused on balancing grandparents’ access with parental rights and existing case law. Later, the Senate began consideration of Senate Bill 324 on the film industry credit, with the sponsor describing technical changes and expanded provisions to support film, video, gaming, and related production activity in Kentucky.
AL
Alabama 2026 Regular Session
Alabama House Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure Committee Mar 11th, 2026
Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure
Transcript Highlights:
- 41.119>
When <00:38:41.280>a <00:38:41.839>public We are limited on where we can dig - on<00:39:01.520>
where <00:39:01.760>we <00:39:02.000>can <00:39:02.320>dig - <00:39:02.800>
We We are limited on where we can dig. - We We are limited on where we can dig.
Keywords:
medical clinic board, clinic board, hospital bankruptcy, Chapter 11, bankruptcy, debt restructuring, municipal indebtedness, municipal bankruptcy, health care provider, acute care hospital, lease property, board immunity, director liability, civil liability, healthcare finance, insolvency, debt readjustment, federal bankruptcy law, Alabama Code 11-58-5.2, library materials
WY
Wyoming 2026 Regular Session
House Floor Session-Day 21, March 6, 2026-AM
Wyoming House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- You dig through that and find a good one. Come back to us after a bit. All right.
- [laughter] [laughter] [laughter] You<00:19:31.919>
dig <00:19:32.160>through <00:19:32.320 - 19:32.480>
and <00:19:32.640>find <00:19:32.720>a <00:19:32.880>good You dig - through that and find a good You dig through that and find a good one.<00:19:33.200>
Come <00:
AL
Alabama 2026 Regular Session
Alabama Senate Education Policy Committee Feb 4th, 2026
Education Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- And being able to get out and dig in the dirt and catch the frogs, it's so rich when we can get out and
- And being able to get out and dig in the dirt and catch the frogs, it's so rich when we can get out and
- And being able to get out and dig in the dirt and catch the frogs, it's so rich when we can get out and
- And being able to get out and dig in the dirt and catch the frogs, it's so rich when we can get out and
Keywords:
military installations, tall structures, local government, construction approval, wind energy facilities, tobacco regulation, vaping, sales restrictions, youth protection, tobacco compliance, public health, education programs, electronic nicotine delivery systems, judicial compensation, salary adjustments, district attorneys, Judges, local officials, computer science, education reform
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
JLCAR Administrative Rules (12/18/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- There was an excavator in the yard digging up the septic system, and I was a little nervous.
- excavator<00:47:14.960>
in <00:47:15.119>the <00:47:15.280>yard <00:47:15.520>digging - <00:47:15.839>
up <00:47:15.920>the excavator in the yard digging up the excavator - in the yard digging up the septic<00:47:16.480>
system.
Summary:
The committee began with routine business, including the Pledge of Allegiance, approval of the minutes, seating of an alternate member, and approval of the consent agenda. It then took up Department of Health and Human Services Rule 25188 on New Hampshire Early Childhood and Out-of-School Time Credentials. Staff explained that the rule adopts two new parts to implement RSA 170E:50, which had long required rules. The main issue was an unclear comment created by changes in the department’s amended conditional approval request: language defining out-of-school-time basics and a requirement tied to the New Hampshire Professional Registry training transcript had been removed, creating a mismatch between the form and the rule text. The department said it revised the language so the form and rule now match. A member also asked about the fee schedule, and the department said the fees are sufficient and supported in part by federal funds. The committee then approved Rule 25188 as amended, with oral edits, on a voice vote.
The committee next considered Department of Environmental Services Rule 25206, dealing with subsurface wastewater rules and an administrative fine schedule. Staff said most comments had been addressed, but one remaining issue concerned the fine schedule because the prior interim rule had expired years ago. Staff also noted public concerns about septic tank replacement sizes, but pointed to waiver provisions and replacement-in-kind language that would still allow smaller existing systems to be replaced under certain conditions. DES officials explained that the rule package adds the fine schedule into the program rules and that no fines have been brought under these expired provisions for many years. They also described the waiver and grandfathering provisions as intended to protect existing systems and seasonal campgrounds from unnecessary upgrades.
A public witness, Christopher Albert, testified that two sections of the rule would harm manufactured home parks and cooperatives. He argued that the new “two people per bedroom” assumption and the minimum bedroom threshold for using water-meter data would inflate design flows, make water-meter data unusable, and increase costs for low-income residents. Committee members questioned both the witness and the agency about the assumptions. DES staff responded that the two-person-per-bedroom standard is meant for individual on-site system design, not citywide planning, and that water-meter data is only useful in larger or unusual facilities. They said the rule still allows flexibility through waivers and grandfathering for existing uses, and that the drinking-water rule cited by the witness was not the correct comparison. No final vote on Rule 25206 was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee 3/9/26
Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- The few that I was able to dig into more deeply and go through the records of the investigation, I found
- So I did some digging on this program, and what I found out was kind of shocking: this program was never
- So I did some digging on this program. And what I found out was kind of shocking.
MO
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Legislative Ethics Board Jun 8th, 2026 at 09:00 am
Transcript Highlights:
- It's difficult to know without hearing some answers, but I would expect it to be over an hour to be safe
- So EEC was digging their heels in that they wanted ownership and control over the work product that they
- So in this meeting, So in this meeting, Sharon Davis on behalf of EEC was digging in her heels and insisting
Summary:
The hearing concerned a Legislative Ethics Board complaint against Representative Tara Simmons in Washington State OAH Docket 401-645. The judge outlined the process, the two issues on appeal—whether Simmons violated RCW 42.52.020 and RCW 42.52.070, and, if so, what penalty should apply—and admitted a number of exhibits by stipulation or prior ruling, while taking one exhibit under advisement pending an offer of proof. The board also moved to sequester witnesses, which was granted, and the judge deferred ruling on a motion to exclude three defense witnesses until after hearing the board staff’s case. Opening statements followed, with staff alleging Simmons used her position to benefit an outside organization and to secure special privileges, and the defense arguing the conduct was lawful, technical in nature, and consistent with prior ethics guidance.
Board staff then called Kimberly Gordon, an attorney and founding board member/treasurer of American Equity and Justice Group (AEJG), as its first witness. Gordon testified that AEJG used data dashboards to make justice-system data more accessible, received state proviso funding sponsored by Simmons, and also received two donations from Simmons—$10,000 and $40,000. She said the first donation was intended to help hire Antoine Coleman, whom Simmons had recommended and who was later identified as Simmons’s romantic partner, and that AEJG returned the $10,000 and declined the $40,000 after concluding there was a potential conflict of interest. Gordon also testified that AEJG believed Simmons’s involvement in the organization and her communications about Coleman created ethical concerns.
Gordon further testified about a second proviso intended to expand AEJG’s work into education data and its subcontract with Equity in Education Coalition (EEC). She said EEC did not perform the expected deliverables, prompting repeated communications with the Administrative Office of the Courts and a meeting involving Chris Stanley, where AEJG raised concerns that EEC was not complying and that Simmons had intervened in the dispute. According to Gordon, Stanley ultimately directed the parties to rewrite the subcontract and continue, but AEJG later moved forward largely without EEC’s assistance. The board staff introduced AEJG’s complaint and related timeline exhibits during her testimony. After direct examination, the hearing recessed for lunch, and cross-examination by Simmons’s counsel began when the hearing resumed.