Transcript Highlights:

• <00:28:59.159> like on people coming across the border like on people coming across the border
• <01:53:30.079> where register of deeds in the county where register of deeds in the county
• counties<01:56:51.840> um act no 10 counties um act no 10 counties um Registries<01:56:53.760
• It's a little tough on the southern border, so it's around 300 feet in is where the border is. uh uh
• around 300 feet in is where the border around 300 feet in is where the border is<04:04:55.439>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee received an overview from Chris of the Legislative Budget Assistance Office on how it will estimate unrestricted revenues for the General Fund, Education Trust Fund, Highway Fund, and Fish and Game Fund. He explained that the committee’s work is based on current law, not pending bills, and that the estimates will feed into a House resolution and an amendment to House Bill 1, the operating budget. He also described the broader budget process, including how House and Senate estimates are reconciled, how surplus statements account for revenue changes from enacted bills, and how a committee of conference could resolve differences later in the session. No votes were taken. Members then asked about why the Education Trust Fund was running below plan. Chris said the shortfall appeared to be driven largely by business taxes, including differences in the BET/BPT split and improved tax-processing systems that better track where business tax payments belong. Representative Orr also asked about tobacco tax collections and out-of-state sales; Chris said tobacco revenue was likely overestimated in 2023 based on COVID-era patterns, with more people smoking at home, and noted that e-cigarette tax revenue goes to the General Fund while cigarette taxes are split between the General Fund and Education Trust Fund. He said he did not have a specific estimate for cross-border sales. Commissioner Lindsay St. Pierre of the Department of Revenue then began a deeper dive into the department’s role and the taxes it administers. She reviewed the department’s mission, organizational structure, taxpayer services, and the tax policy and legislative analysis staff who prepare fiscal notes and testify on bills. She noted that the department administers about $2.9 billion in revenue across major taxes such as business taxes, meals and rooms, and utility property tax, and that the figures being discussed were preliminary because the annual report had not yet been issued. The discussion was informational only, with no formal action taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it attaches that part of Orange County and Osceola County with some of its southern, more rural counties
• So it attaches Okeechobee County with part of southern Polk County, Highlands County, and Glades County
• Also, the geography along that border can be very—keeping the county whole can look very jagged.
• It's following the railway up to the border and then going back down to the rest of the county.
• Johns County.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'll now turn it over to county leaders, starting with Commissioner Jenny Mojo from Clay County.
• I'll now turn it over to county leaders, starting with Commissioner Jenny Mojo from Clay County.
• I'm a county commissioner from Clay County.
• Many counties like Clay, particularly those on the border, already struggle with the disconnect between
• Part of that, I was a child protection prosecutor for Hennepin County and then Carlton County.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that operate in their county, but not with plans that operate outside of their county.
• operate outside of their county.
• I live in Alameda County. I'm here today. Thank you. Hello, I'm from Alameda County, Oakland...
• which is also a border county with Mexico on the eastern portion of the border with California.
• to benefit from the health care services available across the border, south of the border.

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee met on April 22 and took up a special order of bills focused largely on prior authorization and utilization management in health care. The chair framed the discussion as part of a broader legislative effort to reduce delays and barriers to care, especially in behavioral health, chronic disease management, cancer treatment, and rehabilitation services. AB 384 by Assembly Member Connolly would prohibit prior authorization for inpatient mental health or substance use emergency admissions and related physician care; supporters said it would prevent dangerous delays in crisis care, while insurers and health plans warned about fraud, abuse, and ambiguity around residential treatment facilities. The bill was moved on a due pass as amended motion and passed the committee on a party-line style vote, with Republicans largely absent or not voting. The committee then heard AB 510 by Assembly Member Addis, which would require health plans, upon request, to provide a peer reviewer of the same or similar specialty when a treating provider appeals a prior authorization denial or modification. Supporters argued that specialty-matched review would make appeals fairer and more clinically informed; opponents said the requirement was too rigid and that timelines and electronic submission rules needed changes. After discussion about the need for timely, specialty-specific review, the bill was approved on a due pass as amended motion and placed on call. AB 539 by Assembly Member Schiavo would extend prior authorization approvals to one year or the duration of the physician’s prescribed treatment for chronic conditions; supporters cited repeated denials and treatment interruptions, while opponents raised concerns about overbreadth, fraud, and the need for shorter validity periods. The bill was also passed as amended and placed on call. The committee next considered AB 669 by Assembly Member Haney, which would bar concurrent and retrospective review for the first 28 days of medically necessary substance use disorder treatment and limit prior authorization for related outpatient medications. The bill was presented with a powerful personal story from Ryan Matlock’s mother about her son’s death after an insurer cut off treatment early; supporters said the measure would keep patients in care long enough to stabilize, while opponents argued it would reduce oversight and could allow lower-quality or non-evidence-based care. The bill was moved on a due pass as amended motion and placed on call. Finally, AB 512 by Assembly Member Harabedian would shorten prior authorization response times to 24 hours for urgent requests and 48 hours for non-urgent requests; supporters said delays can worsen outcomes, while opponents warned the timelines were unrealistic and could increase administrative burdens and safety issues. The bill was approved as amended and placed on call. AB 574 by Assembly Member Mark Gonzalez was then heard; it would allow up to 12 medically necessary physical therapy sessions for a new episode of care without prior authorization, with supporters emphasizing stroke and neurological recovery and opponents warning of reduced oversight and unnecessary care. The transcript ends during testimony on AB 574, before final action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Within Collier County, Within Collier County, it uses most of Collier County, except for when it has
• So it attaches Okeechobee County with part of southern Polk County, Highlands County, and Glades County
• Also, the geography along that border can be very, keeping the county whole can look very jagged.
• It's following the railway up to the border and then going back down to the rest of the county.
• County.

Summary: The Committee on Rules met with a quorum present and took up a presentation from the Governor’s office on proposed congressional reapportionment. Executive Office of the Governor counsel Mo Jazeel argued that mid-cycle congressional redistricting is legally permissible, that race should not be used in drawing districts, and that the Florida Fair Districts provisions are inconsistent with federal equal protection principles and, in the executive branch’s view, are inseverable. Jason Parada then presented the proposed map, explaining that it was drawn using 2020 census block data, with county growth estimates used only as a guide, and that the plan was designed to be race-neutral while also considering compactness, county and municipal boundaries, and other traditional redistricting criteria. He said the map keeps 48 counties and 382 municipalities whole, has compactness scores comparable to the current map, and makes the largest changes in South Florida, with some districts remaining unchanged and others reconfigured around population shifts and geographic boundaries. Members questioned both presenters extensively about the legal basis for disregarding the Fair Districts Amendment, the use of partisan data, the absence of racial analysis, and whether the map truly reflects population growth. Jazeel said the executive branch’s position is that race-based provisions in the state constitution cannot be used if they conflict with the U.S. Constitution, and that the forthcoming U.S. Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Calais could further clarify the law. Parada said he did not use race in drawing the map, did use partisan information as one of several traditional criteria, and relied on 2020 census data for population equality. Senators also pressed him on who reviewed the map, why the public and legislators had limited time to review it, and whether the plan was intended to favor Republicans; Parada denied partisan intent and said he was the only person who moved lines on the map, though he consulted with other Executive Office of the Governor staff and counsel. Several senators raised concerns that the map did not clearly reflect Florida’s recent population growth, that some districts remained highly irregular, and that the plan appeared to be based on a legal theory contingent on future court rulings. The presenters responded that congressional districts must be equal to the person, that growth estimates can only guide orientation rather than replace census data, and that the map was designed to preserve as much of the existing structure as possible while making the largest adjustments in South Florida. No vote or final action on the map was taken during the excerpted portion of the meeting, and the committee continued with questions and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it attaches Okeechobee County with part of southern Polk County, Highlands County, and Glades County
• Also, the geography along that border can be very jagged, so keeping the county whole can look very jagged
• It's following the railway up to the border and then going back down to the rest of the county.
• County.
• Johns County.

Summary: The Committee on Rules met with a quorum and heard a Governor’s Office presentation on a proposed congressional reapportionment map. The governor’s counsel argued that mid-cycle congressional redistricting is legally permissible, that race should not be considered at all in drawing districts, and that the Florida Fair Districts provisions are inconsistent with federal equal protection law and should be treated as non-severable. The presentation also discussed the pending U.S. Supreme Court case Louisiana v. Callais and the Florida Supreme Court’s Black Voters Matter decision as part of the legal rationale for the map. Jason Parada, who said he drew the map alone, described the map as based on 2020 census block data, with county-level population estimates used only as a guide to identify faster-growing areas. He said the plan keeps 48 counties and 382 municipalities whole, has compactness scores similar to the current benchmark map, and uses traditional geographic and political boundaries such as roads, railways, county lines, and municipal lines. He walked through regional changes, emphasizing a race-neutral redesign that significantly altered South Florida, including changes to districts in Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and the Everglades, while leaving several northern districts largely unchanged. Members questioned the witnesses extensively about the legal theory, the use of partisan data, the role of race, population growth, and the timing and review of the map. The witnesses said partisan data was considered along with other traditional redistricting criteria, but race was not used. They also said they could not speak to who else reviewed the map beyond EOG staff and counsel. Several senators raised concerns about the map’s compactness, county and city splits, the apparent partisan effects, and the fact that the map was released shortly before the special session. No vote or final action on the map was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Your Cass County, your home county, uses it.
• We pay the counties’ witness fees up to $30,000 per county per biennium.
• Most, I think, well, certainly the rural counties don’t have any.
• That is our portal; it is still the southern border.
• That is our portal is still the southern border.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met to hear the Attorney General’s budget and related agency presentations. Legislative Council first reviewed the compliance with legislative intent report and the base budget worksheet, highlighting current and ongoing appropriations, FTE changes, one-time funding items, continuing appropriations, and major special and federal funds. Members asked about items such as the Missing Indigenous People Grant Fund, the Internet Crimes Investigation Fund, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit grant funding, and staff explained the funding sources and status of those programs. Assistant Attorney General Clare Ness then outlined the Attorney General’s office structure, staffing, and budget pressures. She emphasized the office’s broad statutory duties, the value of its legal and investigative work for state and local governments, and concerns about attorney salary competitiveness, the new and vacant FTE pool, and the impact of the 3% operating budget reduction on BCI, IT, and the crime lab. Members also discussed AG opinions, boards and commissions training, and the office’s litigation and settlement recoveries. Ness and committee members raised the possibility of broader attorney salary benchmarking across state government. The crime lab director described severe space and infrastructure constraints, including overcrowding, shared workspaces, glycol leaks, air handling limits, and aging fire and burglar alarm systems. She said the 2024 study projected a much larger facility would be needed and that a new building on the current health department site would best address the lab’s needs. She also reported that backlogs have improved significantly in DNA, drug, fingerprint, and firearms work, though toxicology had a recent delay after an air compressor failure. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit director described the unit’s fraud, abuse, and neglect work, noted federal-state funding and recent federal scrutiny, and said the unit needs more staff. The gaming division reviewed charitable gaming growth, e-tabs, trust accounts, and compliance issues, while BCI covered its caseload, cybercrime and child sexual abuse material investigations, the missing indigenous person task force, and the use of lottery funds for drug task forces. No formal votes or budget actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• anniversary of the Franklin County Area Developmental Corporation.
• and achievement throughout Franklin County.
• ...including county commissioners, in order to safeguard our laws.
• of miles of border wall with advanced border technology, hiring 10,000 new immigration and customs enforcement
• Lake County Board in 2002 and in 2018 was elected by her colleagues to be county board vice chair.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, June 29, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Places like Sierra County, Siskiyou County, Modoc County, Lassen County, and Plumas County are being
• I urge my Republican colleagues... like Sierra County, Syscue County, Modoc like Sierra County, Syscue
• County, Modoc County,<00:18:47.600> Lassen<00:18:48.080> County,<00:18:48.400> Plumis
• <00:18:48.880> County<00:18:49.360> are County, Lassen County, Plumis County are County
• County.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, May 1, 2025, 1012, house, all

Bills: HB2139, HB1892, HB1893, HB1890, HB2335, HB2468, HB2091, HB2092, HB1878, HB2297, HB2127, HB1785, HB2345, HB2344, HB1780, HB1891, HB2398, HB1764, HB2564, HB1783, HB2567, HB1934, HB1778, HB1781, HB2621, HB2019, HB1803, HB2454, HB1811, HB1943, HB1589, HB1607, HB1851, HB2490, HB2546, HB2568, HB1972, HB2391, HB2575, HB1896, HB2399, HB2004, HB1894, HB2397, HB2498, HB2560, HB2310, HB2214, HB2167, HB2197, HB2116, HB1879, HB1596, HB2096, HB2298, HB2343, HB2566, HB1518, HB2044, HB2336, HB1603, HB1718, HB1740, HB1616, HB2171, HB2022, HB2347, HB1882, HB1708, HB2086, HB2154, HB2027, HB2179, HB1620, HB1913, HB2159, HB1597, HB2121, HB1864, HB2305, HB2576, HB1713, HB1729, HB1756, HB2122, HB2559, HB1743, HB1733, HB1868, HB1723, HB1711, HB1812, HB2515, HB1724, HB1604, HB2270, HB1722, HB1727, HB1920, HB1593

Keywords: invasive species, Queensland longhorn beetle, agriculture, environmental impact, University of Hawaii, Board of Education, Hawaii public schools, teacher representative, nonvoting member, bargaining unit 5, HSTA, teachers union, education governance, school board, executive session, collective bargaining, public school teacher, policy-making body, student representative, military representative

Transcript Highlights:

• Helping fund local projects and support tourism, the bill is written specifically for counties that border
• For example, Chairman, Dallas County has a robust program. In Collin County, Rep.
• I'm a county commissioner for Grimes County, 800 square miles of pure Texas heaven.
• of the county.
• that border both the Gulf of Mexico and the United States, and that are home located in counties that

Summary: The committee heard a long series of bills, most of them expanding or adjusting hotel occupancy tax or qualified hotel project authority for specific local governments. Measures discussed included HB 2404 for Childress County; HB 3066 for Allen’s Kalahari resort project; HB 4682 for Plano; HB 4683 for Anna; HB 3076 creating a project finance zone in Frisco; HB 3567 for Wichita County; HB 3715 for McAllen; HB 1039 for Alpine; HB 3182 for Burleson; HB 4926 for Grimes County; HB 4222 for Victoria County; HB 3377 for Katy; HB 4659 for Addison; HB 3241 for Georgetown; HB 4098 for Taylor; HB 3178 for Kerr County; HB 3179 for Mason County; HB 2289 for New Braunfels; HB 4412 for Kermit; HB 5165 for Monahans; HB 3500 for Bastrop; and HB 3169 for Carrollton. In each case, authors and local officials described tourism, convention, hotel, airport, or mixed-use development needs and argued the bills would help attract visitors, investment, and jobs. One non-hotel-tax bill, HB 4226, would exempt Texas food banks from sales tax on vehicle purchases and rentals, with testimony emphasizing the scale of food bank operations and the savings’ impact on meal delivery and disaster response. Testimony was generally supportive from city officials, economic development representatives, and industry groups such as the Texas Hotel and Lodging Association. Several witnesses described major private projects, including Kalahari in Allen, a proposed hotel and conference center in Addison, a mixed-use project in Georgetown, and a large development tied to Samsung growth in Taylor. For HB 4226, food bank representatives said the bill would help them purchase refrigerated trucks and other delivery vehicles, while an opponent questioned the fiscal note and the scope of the exemption. HB 4926 drew opposition from Camp Allen, whose representative argued a new county hotel tax would raise costs for guests and could hurt the retreat center’s operations. HB 3178 also drew an objection from a Kerr County resident who argued the tax would grow county government and pointed to event center losses, though the author said the revenue would support tourism-related county uses. The committee took no final votes on the bills in this transcript. After each bill was laid out and testimony concluded, the chair repeatedly asked whether there was objection to leaving the bill pending; in each instance, no objection was heard, and the bills were left pending. Several committee substitutes were offered and then withdrawn or noted as conforming drafts, but no bill was reported out or otherwise acted on beyond being left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• that live in the county, not outside, live in the county—200 local employees.
• The border crossed us.
• I am a member of the Pueblo of Laguna, Lee County. I have lived in Lee County for 20 years.
• I've had the opportunity to visit Milan and Cibola County quite often. ...visit Milan and Cibola County
• the facility in Cibola County.

Bills: SB100

Keywords: burglary, aggravated burglary, dwelling, criminal law, property rights, 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I am an assistant county attorney for Anoka County.
• assistant County attorney for aen County assistant County attorney for aen County um<00:22:22.640
• committee packet a letter from County committee packet a letter from County attorney<00:22:40.919
• Senator Oumou Verbeten, thank you for pointing out that County Assistant County Attorney Mesa has some
• concern from outstate counties concern from outstate counties commissioner<01:05:25.319> uh

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills and a Department of Corrections budget overview. On Senate File 9, Senator Rest explained a bipartisan campaign finance refund bill that had previously moved through the Elections Committee and the tax bill process. Members asked about the $10 minimum contribution threshold for reporting and refund eligibility, and Rest said it was a reasonable number suggested by Senator Karan to make the system more efficient. The bill also included data practices language classifying certain refund-related information as private data, with a separate nonpublic classification noted for receipt validation reports. The committee voted to recommend the bill to pass and re-refer it to the Taxes Committee. The committee then took up Senate File 11, a sales tax exemption for firearm safety devices such as trigger locks and gun safes. Rest described the bill as an extension of prior tax exemptions and clarified that it does not apply to the firearm itself. An A1 clarifying amendment defining “government entity” by reference to statute was adopted. Members discussed the bill’s scope and data privacy language, including a provision making purchase or transfer information private if collected by a government entity. The committee then voted to recommend the amended bill to pass and re-refer it to the Taxes Committee. Next, the committee heard Senate File 456, a bill to update Minnesota’s drug statutes to address fentanyl more directly. Anoka County Assistant County Attorney Sebastian Mesa and Senator Oumou Verbeten testified in support, arguing that fentanyl has become more dangerous than methamphetamine and that the law needs to be updated to give prosecutors a better tool. Members discussed overdose trends and whether more recent statistics were available; one member noted 2023 fentanyl deaths exceeded 1,000, while another said national fatal overdoses had declined since mid-2023. The bill was laid over, with the committee noting it would wait for fiscal analysis before further action. Finally, Commissioner Paul Schnell gave an overview of the Department of Corrections, describing its mission, staffing, prison population, community supervision responsibilities, and budget context. He emphasized rehabilitation, evidence-based practices, reentry support, and the public safety benefits of reducing recidivism. No vote was taken on the department presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Town County had no stoplights at the time.
• They're in every county—33 counties—and we have 12 or 13 centers throughout the state.
• And we do depend on our county extension services.
• Still a long way from the New Mexico border.
• USDA closed that border again.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• > Protection<00:09:06.280> and The Customs and Border Protection and The Customs and Border
• County.
• County.
• I think I got that from Ramsey County Attorney's Office.
• , Now, in Hennepin and Ramsey County, Now, in Hennepin and Ramsey County, they're<01:03:26.400>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's essentially the agency working through contractors to control cane stands along the border to
• offered us Bill 2568, which directed the agency to determine the amount and location of cane along the border
• I grew up working on my family's farm and ranch in Live Oak County.
• My son farms and ranches in the neighboring county.
• You may not have a structure in your county, but look above you, and you're relying on these structures

Bills: HB294, HB405, HB519, HB294

Keywords: food production, property owners' association, home gardening, cottage food, urban agriculture, livestock, community standards, renewable energy, ethanol, biodiesel, incentives, agriculture, grants, honey production, beekeeping, food safety, local regulation, energy efficiency, tax exemption, residential properties

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, that was one of the concerns I had when we were down on the border last May, and we got a briefing
• I know when we do labor participation, it's outside of McKesson County because we're so close to Arizona
• Same way with the border and the east side of the state and so forth, but I'm wondering why we can't
• But we need to be aware of how these will affect our communities, the counties, and the municipalities
• You know, we've looked at health, we've looked at hospitals, we've looked at border issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• away from where their appointing agency is located—five counties, seven counties, many counties away—and
• Amarillo, Texas, sits on the county line between Randall and Potter County.
• Potter County.
• So the county-to-county kind of model or a geographic that says within 30 miles of the county or whatever
• They're all out of county.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Joy Esparza, Executive Director for New Mexico Counties.
• It most impacts not just animals but counties who have to continue to shelter animals.
• I'm a Bernalillo County resident, a Torrance County business owner, survivor of gun violence.
• There's a lot of drugs coming through the border.
• Members of the committee, Jacob Smith, Senate of All County.

Bills: SB38, SB17, SB41, SB264

Keywords: SB38, pet food, registered pet food, registration fee, fees, sunset repeal, repeal of repeal, revenue, state fee, business regulation, animal feed, pet food registration, New Mexico, gun control, firearm safety, dealer regulation, illegal trade, background checks, sexual crimes, statute of limitations

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, I am proud to welcome and represent Matagorda County.
• Matagorda County, please stand. I move adoption, Mr. Speaker.
• You've made your school, your city, and your county proud.
• Public Education HB 2658 by Verdell relating to the Kimbell County Hospital District of Kemple County
• subcommittee on County and regional government.