Video & Transcript : 'assessment reform' :
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CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 4 on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy, and Transportation May 15th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- and annually thereafter to support implementation of the exemption review and reporting penalty assessment
- To adjust and assess what's happening with DTSC's fees and the under-collection of fees that were assumed
- also just want to encourage you to reject the strike reauthorization of cap-and-trade and look at reforms
- I urge you to reject the strike reauthorization of cap-and-trade and look at reforms to that program.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
Business meeting to consider S.527, to require the Federal Trade Commission to study the role of intermediaries in the pharmaceutical supply chain and provide Congress with appropriate policy recommendations, S.1040, to amend the Federal Trade Commis Apr 3rd, 2025 at 09:15 am
Senate Judiciary
Transcript Highlights:
- decades and my colleague Senator Schiff has opened the aperture I join in his remarks about the need to assess
- ups and downs and say that I share the Chairman's very well-articulated impatience with the pace of reform
- This bill makes thoughtful reforms to the... process by which biologic drug makers and biosimilar competitors
- the bill and force the FTC to prove from the many of the same facts that were already weighed and assessed
Committee:
Senate Senate Judiciary
Keywords:
drug competition, product hopping, generic drugs, biosimilars, federal regulations, FTC Act, patent, biological products, healthcare access, affordable prescriptions, Medicare, Federal Trade Commission, sham petitions, competition, public health, unfair competition, healthcare, pharmaceutical, antitrust law, pay-for-delay
Summary:
The meeting focused on addressing the high cost of prescription drugs and the abusive practices that contribute to elevated prices affecting American families. Several bills were presented, including proposals to end pay-for-delay deals and to enhance transparency in the operations of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). The discussion was notable for its emphasis on consumer protection and ensuring that cheaper generic drugs reach the market more effectively. Members expressed frustration over past attempts to pass similar legislation stalling in the Senate, leading to renewed efforts to push these bills forward.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> long-term solutions to the assessment long-term solutions to the assessment process. process. process
- :13:07.440><c> waiver</c> Another component is reforming waiver Another component is reforming waiver
- </c> assessment backlogs. assessment backlogs.
- </c> dollars to try to get this assessment dollars to try to get this assessment right?
- </c> absolutely Let's get this assessment absolutely Let's get this assessment right.<01:17:55.480><c
Committee:
Senate Human Services
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 3 on Health and Human Services Apr 30th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- In 2025, we were able to launch our $1.9 billion access reform and outcomes incentive program.
- In 2025, we were able to launch our $1.9 billion access reform and outcomes incentive program.
- At the same time, we are assessing training and technical assistance strategies and certainly welcome
- During the same time frame, our mobile crisis teams conducted 1,723 in-person crisis assessments.
- After a quick assessment, I was discharged without a single connection to ongoing care.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- That is a quality assessment practice.
- So, quality assessment practices, we have an annual appraisal; it provides for...
- Assessment authority.
- We greatly thank you for the 2023 Reform and Relief Bill on property taxes.
- You should also give serious consideration to tax reform.
Committee:
Senate Local Government
Keywords:
property tax, homestead exemption, school funding, state aid, constitutional amendment, SJR 2, Senate Joint Resolution 2, property tax relief, school property tax, ad valorem tax, residence homestead, school district taxes, Texas Constitution Article VIII, public school finance, homeowner exemption, elderly exemption, senior tax relief, disabled exemption, tax year 2025, voter approval
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
House - Appropriations and Finance Jan 27th, 2025
House Appropriations & Finance
Transcript Highlights:
- They conducted a study of how to reform financial compliance. With state agencies.
- We are working on reforming those tiers.
- It needs to be updated, and we do intend to sponsor legislation to reform those tiers.
- We did an early assessment of the small local public body program; we actually hired...
- So I'm Assuming if we are assessed fees, Mr.
Committee:
House House Appropriations & Finance
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Ways and Means Mar 9th, 2026
Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Transcript Highlights:
- I believe you're referring to the COVID assessment.
- And so Governor Baker bonded out that money, and then it is funded through an assessment, a COVID assessment
- The Legislature's partnership has been essential to achieving progress and reform.
- The Gaming Commission is primarily self-funded through license assessments.
- The Gaming Commission is primarily self-funded through license assessments.
Committee:
Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Summary:
The hearing in Barnstable opened with remarks from the House and Senate co-chairs about the importance of holding Ways and Means budget hearings on the Cape, especially given the region’s seasonal economy and infrastructure needs. The committee then heard testimony from Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones on the governor’s FY27 budget proposal. She highlighted funding for workforce programs including the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund, Career Technical Initiative, registered apprenticeship, YouthWorks, reentry workforce programs, and services for young adults with disabilities. She also discussed MassHire career centers, the MassHire Innovation Project, and the Department of Unemployment Assistance modernization effort, noting improved call wait times and claims processing, but acknowledging continued challenges and federal funding uncertainty.
Members asked about job-seeker barriers such as child care, housing, and transportation; domestic outmigration of young workers; youth work permits; unemployment insurance costs and the COVID assessment on employers; and the state’s unemployment rate and UI trust fund solvency. Jones and Undersecretary Josh Cutler explained the difference between workforce training funds and the unemployment trust fund, described the statewide trigger that extends unemployment benefits from 26 to 30 weeks when regional unemployment averages 5.2 percent, and said the administration is reviewing the trust fund with labor and business stakeholders. They also said the administration is trying to preserve front-line DUA staffing while shifting resources to customer service and adjudication, including a Friday adjudication pilot and seasonal hires.
Senators and representatives also pressed the administration on regional equity in workforce funding, especially for Hampshire Franklin MassHire, which was described as serving a large rural area with fewer resources than other regions. Administration officials said they are reviewing MassHire funding formulas and modernizing the system with a policy committee and state workforce board input, but did not offer an immediate fix. The committee also heard that early childhood education apprenticeships are expanding quickly, with state funding leveraged to secure federal grants and support new Grow Awards. The hearing then moved to the Executive Office of Economic Development, where Secretary Eric Paley outlined House 2 proposals for economic development, including support for the Community One Stop for Growth, rural economic development, workforce partnerships, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, AI, small business assistance, tourism, and tax incentives. Undersecretary Leila D’Amilia followed with testimony on consumer affairs and business regulation, describing funding for consumer protection, banking oversight, occupational licensure, and public safety inspections.
MO
Missouri 2026 Regular Session
2026 Legislative Session - Day Twenty Three - Wednesday, February 18 -Afternoon Session-
Missouri House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- He explained that commercial property should not be assessed more than 15% in an assessment cycle, and
- He said commercial property should not be assessed more than 15% in an assessment cycle, and if it is
- He said commercial property should not be assessed more than 15% in an assessment cycle, and if it is
- assessment cycle.
- So now instead of assessing it market value, are you prepared? It caps the assessment.
Summary:
The House established a quorum and then took up several bills for perfection and printing. House Bill 2189, sponsored by the Jasper member, would allow five-year vehicle registrations, eliminate the old even/odd model-year registration rule, and limit the five-year option to vehicles six years old or newer. Members discussed how the bill would interact with emissions, safety inspections, insurance verification, and county tax collection systems. House Amendment 1, which set the five-year fee at $45, was adopted, and the bill was then perfected and printed.
The chamber next considered House Committee Substitute for House Bill 1790, a ballot-language measure sponsored by the St. Louis County member. The bill requires clearer ballot wording for local tax levies, including stating levy amounts in dollar terms, alphabetic labeling of propositions, disclosure when a measure would nullify a prior sunset, and a rollback rule tied to reassessment years and voter-approved levies. Members generally supported the transparency goals, and a drafting correction amendment adding a comma was adopted before the committee substitute was perfected and printed.
House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2178, sponsored by the Pike member, drew the most extended debate. The bill would limit commercial property assessment increases to 15% per reassessment cycle, require a physical inspection if increases exceed that threshold, and require Board of Equalization decisions by the end of September or revert to the prior year’s assessment. Amendments were adopted to add short-term rental protections so assessors cannot reclassify residential short-term rentals as commercial property, to incorporate ballot-language provisions from other bills, and to add taxpayer protections requiring clearer assessment notices, faster refunds, and litigation-cost recovery in some successful appeals. The body adopted House Amendment 1 by roll call, 92-43 with 5 present, and later adopted House Amendments 2 and 3; House Amendment 4 was then taken up for further discussion at the end of the transcript.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
Hearings to examine reforming SBIR-STTR for the 21st century. Mar 5th, 2025 at 01:30 pm
Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- Okay, the INNOVATE Act, a bill to reauthorize and comprehensively reform the SBIR-STTR program.
- First, the Innovate Act reforms Phase 1 to provide new applicants with a simplified, two-page proposal
- These reforms will enable more flexible use of SBIR funding to help bridge the valley of death for the
- It creates a stronger risk assessment baseline standard that must be applied consistently across all
- And what reforms should Congress consider? Thank you, Chair Ernst, for that question.
Keywords:
SBIR, STTR, Innovate Act, small business, innovation, legislative reforms, economic growth, funding, technology transfer
Summary:
The meeting focused on the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs (SBIR-STTR), emphasizing the critical reforms necessary to enhance their effectiveness. Chair Ernst introduced the Innovate Act to streamline processes, ensuring funding is awarded based on merit and addressing existing abuses within the system. The discussion was robust, with numerous members expressing concerns about phase transitions and the need for targeted funding to support impactful technological innovations. The conversation also highlighted the program's importance in fostering economic growth, particularly for small businesses in rural areas, and the urgency for legislative changes as the program's authorization approaches expiration.
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee Apr 21st, 2026
Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- One of them, Bob kind of alluded to it, was reforming the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's regulations
- The third one had to do with reforming DOE testing reactors.
- I’ve never been so busy and so excited, and I was put directly in charge of DOE regulatory reform.
- So I was put in charge of the regulatory reform.
- And if there are some impacts, then it goes up to an environmental assessment or EIS.
Committee:
Joint Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee
Summary:
The meeting was a presentation and Q&A at Idaho National Laboratory focused on the state of nuclear energy, advanced reactors, and the lab’s role in testing, regulation, and commercialization. Speakers described INL’s broader mission beyond nuclear, including cybersecurity and critical infrastructure, but emphasized its major nuclear capabilities: the Advanced Test Reactor, TREAT, the Materials and Fuels Complex, and other test beds used to accelerate fuel and materials testing. They also highlighted the lab’s size, workforce, internship pipeline, and partnerships with DOE, DHS, DOD, and private companies.
A major topic was the federal push to speed up nuclear deployment through executive orders and regulatory reform. Speakers said DOE and the NRC are reducing unnecessary bureaucracy, streamlining environmental reviews, and working toward a goal of having three new nuclear systems achieve criticality by July 4, 2026. They discussed the difference between microreactors, small modular reactors, and traditional gigawatt-scale plants, arguing that advanced reactors can be factory-built, safer, and better suited for data centers, military bases, remote communities, industrial heat, and other nontraditional uses. They also said the U.S. is rebuilding its nuclear supply chain, including enrichment and fuel fabrication, and that states willing to host parts of the fuel cycle could see major economic benefits.
The speakers addressed questions about cost, safety, waste, and international competition. They said advanced reactors rely on passive safety features, TRISO fuel, and natural circulation, and that the industry’s challenge is often cost uncertainty rather than a precise fuel or materials limit. They argued used nuclear fuel should be viewed as a resource rather than waste if recycling becomes policy, and said microreactors should produce relatively small amounts of spent fuel. They also noted that China and Russia continue to build aggressively, with China on pace to surpass the U.S. in total nuclear generation, while U.S. projects such as Palisades, Crane Clean Energy Center, Duane Arnold, Oklo, Aalo, MARVEL, and Project Pele are moving forward under DOE and private-sector partnerships.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Energy, Utilities And Communications Committee Apr 7th, 2026
Energy, Utilities and Communications
Transcript Highlights:
- with the recommendation regarding the benefits of a measured approach that would allow for a full assessment
- One of those reforms that was first implemented last calendar year requires the investor-owned utilities
- These reforms could save tens of millions... ...their fair share to system reliability.
- These reforms could save tens of millions of dollars each year, lowering customer costs while maintaining
- SB 237 requires the Energy Commission to do an assessment, which was due at the end of March, so that's
Committee:
Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee Mar 25th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- AB 1710 builds on one of the most important housing reforms that California has enacted in recent years
- However, SB330 only addressed local governments, and as the Select Committee on Permitting Reform emphasized
- And as the Select Committee on Permitting Reform emphasized in its 2025 final report, this leaves a massive
- Grower self-assessments cover 30%. The state’s contribution now makes up about 10%.”
- Local growers vote to reauthorize the assessment every five years.
Summary:
The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee heard a full agenda of housing-related bills, with most measures receiving broad support and advancing on unanimous or near-unanimous votes. Early in the hearing, AB 2035 by Assembly Member Dixon was presented as a narrowly tailored fix for a large senior HOA in Laguna Woods Village, allowing a lower vote threshold to amend outdated CC&Rs after repeated failed elections; members raised questions about broader impacts, but the bill passed 12-0 to Judiciary. AB 1684 by Assembly Member Ward would bar HOAs from restricting homeowners’ ability to install or replace cooling systems; supporters cited heat-related health risks and a constituent’s experience, while HOA representatives sought amendments to preserve reasonable rules on drainage, electrical capacity, and common-area protection. The committee discussed those concerns and advanced the bill 8-0 to Judiciary.
AB 1710 by Assembly Member Carrillo would extend SB 330-style vesting protections to state and regional permitting agencies so housing projects are not subjected to shifting post-entitlement standards, with supporters arguing it would improve predictability and speed housing production. Special districts and utilities opposed unless amended, warning about conflicts with changing state and regional rules, but the bill passed 9-0 to Local Government. AB 1738 by Assembly Member Crewe would require remote virtual inspections for certain simple home renovations; supporters from SPUR and Placer County described faster, lower-cost inspections already in use, while labor groups raised concerns and sought amendments. Members emphasized keeping inspections jurisdiction-based and not replacing safety oversight, and the bill passed 8-0 to Local Government.
The committee also approved AB 1890 by Assembly Member Curry, which increases state matching support for Napa County farmworker housing centers from $250,000 to $500,000 annually through 2036; supporters described the centers as a successful public-private model providing housing and services for farmworkers, and the bill passed 8-0 to Appropriations. AB 2433 by Assembly Member Alvarez would modernize the density bonus law by improving notice, clarifying eligibility and ministerial approval, and adding incentives for for-sale affordable housing; it drew strong support from housing and business groups and passed 10-0 to Local Government. AB 1567 by Assembly Member Ta would allow assisted living communities to be counted in housing element reporting and RHNA-related planning, and it passed 10-0 to Local Government. The consent calendar, including AB 1573 and AB 2162, was also approved unanimously, and the committee adjourned after taking roll-call votes on the remaining items.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee Mar 25th, 2026
Housing and Community Development
Transcript Highlights:
- AB 1710 builds on one of the most important housing reforms that California has enacted in recent years
- However, SB330 only addressed local governments, and as the Select Committee on Permitting Reform emphasized
- And as the Select Committee on Permitting Reform emphasized in its 2025 final report, this leaves a massive
- Grower self-assessments cover 30%. The state's contribution now makes up about 10%."
- Local growers vote to reauthorize the assessment every five years.
Committee:
House Housing and Community Development
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Human Services Committee Mar 24th, 2026
Human Services
Transcript Highlights:
- Assembly Bill 1324, but while that effort was ultimately vetoed due to cost concerns, the need for the reform
- Assembly Bill 1324, but while that effort was ultimately vetoed due to cost concerns, the need for the reform
- The old welfare rule known as the work penalty was adopted after the welfare reform era of the 1990s.
- The old welfare rule known as the work penalty was adopted after the welfare reform era of the 1990s.
- Effective July 1, 2025, counties are assessed a penalty for each IHSS Community First Choice Option,
Committee:
House Human Services
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
Business meeting to consider pending calendar business; to be immediately followed by a hearing to examine certain pending nominations. Apr 30th, 2025 at 08:30 am
Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- working directly with landowners, sponsors in industries, I've been been able to quickly provide assessments
- As someone who strongly supported permitting reform, and a majority of the members on this committee
- the permitting process and I joined with Senator Brasso and other Senator Manchin. on permitting reform
- I'm very strongly in favor of permitting reform, but a step which withdraws an already issued permit,
- I emphasize bipartisan permitting reform. But I am concerned about some of these drastic actions.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- With this bill, universities can consider other standard assessments to determine both automatic and
- Governing Board Authority, Faculty Senate Reform, and the new Office of Excellence. in Higher Education
- Follow state law first in the substituted expands on reforms made to curriculum development and approval
- Third, it revises the reforms made to Faculty Senate.
- that the state has been doing at the K through 12, where we're increasing, we're doing the bad ed reform
Bills:
SB530 , SB757 , SB769 , SB1085 , SB1241 , SB1242 , SB1409 , SB1878 , SB2138 , SB2314 , SB2231 , SB2361 , SB2431 , SJR59
Committees:
Senate Education , Senate Education K-16
Keywords:
accreditation, postsecondary education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, baccalaureate degrees, junior colleges, program delivery, faculty recruitment, higher education, performance standards, student loan debt, degree programs, funding, students with disabilities, accessibility, enrollment, report, SB 1085, Sul Ross State University, Rio Grande College, Del Rio
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Energy Finance and Policy Committee 3/27/25
Energy Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- </c><00:13:44.360><c> to</c><00:13:44.519><c> that</c> incurs fees that we assess to that incurs fees
- that we assess to that organization<00:13:45.800><c> and</c><00:13:46.000><c> then</c><00:13:46.399>
- <c> we</c><00:13:46.639><c> assess</c><00:13:46.959><c> the</c> organization and then we assess the organization
- and then we assess the rebate<00:13:47.720><c> so</c><00:13:48.040><c> as</c><00:13:48.240><c> they<
- one fee on ensure that um when we assess one fee on the<00:15:59.160><c> entire</c><00:15:59.639><c>
Committee:
House Energy Finance and Policy
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Rural Health Transformation Committee - Appropriations Division Jan 13th, 2026 at 02:00 pm
Transcript Highlights:
- But it is a big factor that we are going to have to assess as part of the evaluation.
- That is a factor that we are going to have to assess as part of the evaluation. Is this one-time?
- So it is something CMS will assess as well. Continue. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
- It's similar to the PRC, the Tax Relief and Reform Committee.
- It's similar to the PRC, the Tax Relief and Reform Committee.
Summary:
The Appropriations Division met in a work session on the draft Rural Health Transformation appropriations bill, 25.1392.01000, with no public testimony taken. Legislative Council and the Department of Health and Human Services walked through the bill, which would appropriate about $397.8 million in federal grant funds over two federal fiscal years, provide transfer authority, allow certain federal funds to be used for salaries and wages without counting against existing transfer limits, and authorize OMB to adjust other agencies’ spending authority if they receive grant awards through HHS. The bill also includes several temporary statutory exemptions to help implement the program, plus recipient acknowledgement/reporting requirements, periodic reports to Legislative Management, and an immediate effective date upon filing.
Committee discussion focused heavily on how the federal rural health transformation money can be used and administered. Department officials explained that CMS will review projects for allowability and sustainability, that the state has flexibility to move funds among categories, and that the grant is limited to 10% administrative costs. Members asked about whether the funding could support renovations, equipment, ambulances, bulk purchasing, food distribution, and other rural health ideas, and were told many details will depend on CMS approval and the eventual applications. Questions also addressed cash flow, timing of obligations and reimbursements, FTE funding, and whether grant recipients should be told the program will not continue beyond the federal period; officials said the language is meant to prevent expectations of automatic continuation, not to bar future legislative action.
The committee also discussed the bill’s use of a two-year appropriation amount, with staff explaining that the state must appropriate enough authority to cover the federal grant cycle and that unused authority would lapse if the full amount is not received or spent. Members raised concerns about whether the bill’s language could limit creativity or future program design, but department officials and several members emphasized the need for flexibility because CMS may reject overly specific directives. After discussion, the committee voted to recommend the bill draft to the full committee; the motion carried on a roll call vote, and the chair said the full Joint Appropriations Committee would take up the bill at the special session next week.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Education Finance Mar 11th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Our assessment is more on what we've been hearing from districts and about their local plans.
- The needs assessment in particular does require LEAs to do that targeted assessment looking at their
- We actually had improvements again. for LAUSD on the urban district assessment nationally.
- I mentioned that they have continued to do well in the national assessments as well as in the state assessments
- It has come online really well, considering the scale of the reform.
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- House Bill 1187 by Representative Sawyer is an act to amend Title 22 relative to emergency assessments
- So if we just used our common sense to assess where the state of Louisiana stood in terms of the public
Bills:
SR122 , SR123 , SR124 , SCR12 , HB940 , HB221 , HCR109 , HCR58 , HB27 , HB143 , HB205 , HB259 , HB267 , HB288 , HB308 , HB403 , HB405 , HB414 , HB417 , HB478 , HB546 , HB548 , HB555 , HB557 , HB609 , HB670 , HB672 , HB740 , HB779 , HB786 , HB796 , HB812 , HB848 , HB909 , HB915 , HB917 , HB921 , HB930 , HB933 , HB938 , HB971 , HB1095 , HB1096 , HB1103 , HB1129 , HB1154 , HB1166 , HB1187 , HB1195 , HB1230 , SB121 , SCR22 , SCR24 , SB29 , SB30 , SB32 , SB41 , SB42 , SB43 , SB47 , SB84 , SB93 , SB113 , SB192 , SB199 , SB219 , SB220 , SB221 , SB222 , SB241 , SB253 , SB255 , SB289 , SB292 , SB306 , SB314 , SB351 , SB399 , SB404 , SB14 , SB102 , SB133 , SB151 , SB165 , SB169 , SB170 , SB200 , SB217 , SB280 , SB291 , SB300 , SB303 , SB330 , SB449 , SB489 , SB521 , SB45 , SB156 , SB181 , SB203 , SB274 , SB304 , SB379 , SB396 , SB410 , SB425 , SB427 , SB436 , SB424 , SCR61 , SCR9 , SB35 , SB65 , SB215 , SB246 , SB249 , SB269 , SB282 , SB296 , SB323 , SB363 , SB369 , SB474 , SB490 , SB492 , SB500 , HCR31 , HB296 , HB299 , HB322 , HB364 , HB519 , HB535 , HB538 , HB568 , HB571 , HB622 , HB635 , HB676 , HB772 , HB784 , HB1006 , HB1018 , HB1043 , HB1070 , HB1134 , HB1239 , HB62 , HB193 , HB203 , HB210 , HB220 , HB228 , HB246 , HB420 , HB475 , HB486 , HB574 , HB584 , HB750 , HB813 , HB815 , HB826 , HB870 , HB949 , HB953 , HB1045 , HB1092 , HB1151 , HB1162 , HB1176 , HB1177 , HB1196 , HB1214 , HB1241 , HB22 , HB28 , HB33 , HB41 , HB47 , HB87 , HB115 , HB162 , HB195 , HB214 , HB217 , HB233 , HB283 , HB290 , HB319 , HB324 , HB345 , HB362 , HB363 , HB368 , HB377 , HB380 , HB382 , HB386 , HB392 , HB406 , HB431 , HB441 , HB466 , HB503 , HB533 , HB559 , HB575 , HB590 , HB593 , HB618 , HB636 , HB655 , HB664 , HB685 , HB692 , HB707 , HB715 , HB732 , HB738 , HB741 , HB748 , HB776 , HB807 , HB822 , HB856 , HB860 , HB868 , HB887 , HB888 , HB905 , HB908 , HB961 , HB980 , HB990 , HB992 , HB999 , HB1000 , HB1010 , HB1146 , HB1157 , HB1233 , HB1236 , HB1243 , HB17 , HB36 , HB73 , HB119 , HB126 , HB129 , HB133 , HB140 , HB159 , HB166 , HB211 , HB226 , HB245 , HB271 , HB280 , HB337 , HB351 , HB354 , HB399 , HB677 , HB712 , HB723 , HB726 , HB728 , HB759 , HB789 , HB844 , HB850 , HB966 , HB1036 , SB149 , SB382 , SB441 , HB134 , HB258 , HB359 , HB782
Keywords:
SR122, Senate Resolution 122, Metairie Park Country Day School, Country Day Cajuns, Cajuns basketball, LHSAA, Louisiana High School Athletic Association, Division III Select, boys basketball, state championship, high school sports, athletic commendation, sports resolution, Lake Charles, Marsh Madness, Mike McGuire, Brennan White, Kellen Brewer, Calvary Baptist Academy, school recognition
Summary:
The Senate convened with a quorum, heard a guest minister’s prayer and the pledge, and dispensed with reading the journal. The chamber then received Legislative Bureau reports on numerous House bills, many of which were reported favorably or without amendments and ordered to third reading or to the Legislative Bureau. The Senate also adopted a House concurrent resolution commending Special Olympics Louisiana by a 35-0 vote, and it took up several Senate resolutions, including one urging the Navy to use a transparent and competitive acquisition strategy to protect jobs at Conrad Shipyard, one commending Metairie Park Country Day School, one designating Early Ed Day, and one offering condolences for Carolyn Ann Cherry Moore.
The main floor debate centered on Senate Bill 121, the congressional redistricting bill. Senator Morris presented the bill as a response to the federal court’s Calais decision, arguing the current map was unconstitutional and that the new plan should avoid race as the predominant factor while using partisan advantage, incumbency protection, compactness, contiguity, and communities of interest. Senators questioned whether the proposal effectively created a 5-1 Republican map, whether it diluted Black and Democratic voting strength, and whether it split too many parishes. Morris said the map was drawn from the 2022 plan, tweaked in committee and again on the floor, and that litigation was likely regardless of the final version.
Two competing amendments drew extended debate. Senator Morris’s amendment, which further refined his map, was adopted 26-10. Senator Price then offered an alternative map based on an amicus brief and algorithmic criteria, arguing it would create two opportunity districts, split fewer parishes, avoid using race, and better reflect the state’s partisan balance; supporters said it was fairer and more compact, but it failed 10-27. After the amendments, the Senate returned to SB 121 for further questions, with members continuing to debate whether the bill’s 5-1 structure was a lawful partisan gerrymander or an impermissible racial dilution of voting strength.