Transcript Highlights:

• trailblazer, and someone who in this Black History Month, we certainly all can look up to with a great debt
• to with<00:04:28.800> a<00:04:29.120> a<00:04:29.360> great<00:04:29.520> debt
• <00:04:30.800> We with a a great debt of gratitude. We with a a great debt of gratitude.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Monday, February 23, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Maryland Senate convened on February 23, 2026, with an invocation by Reverend David Drake of the Church of Resurrection in Timonium, introduced by the senator from District 11. The chamber also recognized Denise Henderson Hector for 50 years as a licensed mortician and director at Recent Sons Mortuary in Annapolis, honoring her as a trailblazer and community leader during Black History Month. The Senate then welcomed several student pages, a guest from District 25, and Dr. Sarah Merritt, the doctor of the day. The Senate devoted a lengthy portion of the session to honoring fallen service members. Members presented tributes to Staff Sergeant Jared Allen Fenry, Specialist Jacob Mullen, Petty Officer First Class Dakota Brown Cullison, and Private First Class Devon Moore, describing their military service, community involvement, and family lives. The chamber then observed taps and a moment of silence, and members noted that the families present were deeply appreciated. The remarks were journalized for the record. After the memorial presentations, the Senate moved to routine business. It considered the introduction of Senate Bill 984 on correctional services and private immigration detention facilities, referred to the Rules Committee, and a bond initiative for Elton Flood Mitigation Management, referred to the Capital Budget Subcommittee. House Bill 146 on on-site wastewater systems, inspection and pumping requirements, and implementation dates was also read and referred to the appropriate standing committee. The Senate left the third reading calendar for the next day, announced caucus meetings for both parties on February 24, and adjourned until Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• If we are going broke, well, you don't want to be, uh, spending more and having to do the debt service
• 54.400> the be uh spending more and having to do the be uh spending more and having to do the debt
• 04:55.520> we're<00:04:55.680> going<00:04:55.759> to<00:04:55.840> be debt
• So, we're going to be debt service.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He's responsible for me meeting my wife indirectly, so I owe him an eternal debt.
• /c><00:01:39.280> him<00:01:39.399> an<00:01:39.560> eternal<00:01:40.280> debt
• indirectly so I owe him an eternal debt indirectly so I owe him an eternal debt his<00:01:42.159

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened, called the roll, and approved the previous day’s journal. Members then made several introductions recognizing visitors in the gallery, including staff and guests connected to tourism, a group from the Luso-American Development Foundation from Portugal, and students and administrators from Kahakai Elementary School. Senator Kim also introduced four University of Hawaiʻi Shidler College of Business Travel Industry Management students and their academic advisor and professor. Senator DeCoite spoke about Tourism Day at the Capitol, thanking HTA, HBCB, CNH, and Kilohana for their participation and youth-focused tourism programs, and later introduced the FLAD visitors from Lisbon, Portugal. The clerk reported Governor’s Message Nos. 713 to 717 transmitting nominations to boards and commissions, and Governor’s Message No. 718 withdrawing a nomination to the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund board. The Senate also received Senate Concurrent Resolutions 51 to 67 and Senate Resolutions 33 to 51 for referral to committee, which were ordered referred. The Chair announced that the deadline to file Senate Concurrent Resolutions and Senate Resolutions with the Clerk’s Office was 4:30 p.m. that day. At the close of business, Senator Wai moved that the Senate stand in recess, leaving the journal open until 4:30 p.m. for receipt of resolutions and reconvene at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, March 10. Senator Dort seconded the motion, and the Senate recessed without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• For debt set off, one month to go for this fiscal year.
• For debt set off, Minus a million dollars for debt setoff, we had zero for the month of May.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Huge trade deficits translate into growing U.S. debt.
• We hear a lot on the other side of the aisle about the debt, the debt to that.
• We hear a lot on the other side of the aisle about the debt, the debt to that.
• We hear a lot on the other side of the aisle about the debt, the debt to that.
• We hear a lot on the other side of the aisle about the debt, the debt to that.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, April 10, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, they've had a collection agency call them and try to collect the debt, and they still haven't paid
• /c><00:21:40.720> to<00:21:40.880> collect<00:21:41.120> the<00:21:41.360> debt
• call them and try to collect the debt call them and try to collect the debt and<00:21:42.559>
• In light of this, the Federal VA no longer authorizes new federal construction for anything other than
• <00:32:20.080> new the Federal VA no longer authorizes new the Federal VA no longer authorizes

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call- 00:00:00 Approve Minutes from November 13, 2025- 00:00:55 RiverLink Tolling Operations for Louisville Bridges-Quarterhill Testimony- 00:01:48 Staff Report on Veterans’ Centers- 00:26:45 Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs Response to Staff Report- 0:58:53 Adjournment- 1:18:00, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from the November 13, 2025 meeting and then heard testimony from Quarter Hill, the tolling subcontractor for RiverLink on the Indiana-Kentucky bridge system. Quarter Hill described its role in back-office support and call center operations for the Lincoln, Kennedy, and Lewis and Clark bridges, and said the contract began in 2021 with go-live in September 2023. The company reported that revenue has increased since it took over, customer service response times have improved, and it has been operating at a loss because the contract was based on outdated transaction estimates and did not account for higher-than-expected volume and added support costs. Members questioned Quarter Hill about the role of consultants, the low reported collection rate, and why the company was leaving the contract. Quarter Hill said a single large consulting engineering firm had been hired to help shape the RFP and contract, but argued that consultants and overly detailed requirements can create disputes and hinder efficient service. On collection rates, the company said the reported 85% rate reflects the absence of registration holds and other enforcement tools, and that the remaining unpaid tolls are the hardest to collect. The company also said it had lost significant money on the contract and had reached a change order and termination agreement, while emphasizing that the system itself was functioning well. The committee then received a staff report on Kentucky veterans centers. Staff said quality of care is generally high and staffing has improved, but reported occupancy figures are misleading because they are based on certified beds rather than functional capacity after conversions to single-occupancy rooms and capital projects. The report said actual occupancy is closer to 85% than the commonly reported 56%, and that increasing occupancy would not necessarily increase revenue because the state’s cost of care exceeds reimbursement and private-pay revenue. Recommendations included adopting functional occupancy reporting, continuing the move to single-occupancy rooms, reviewing modernization needs at Thompson Hood, including Eastern Kentucky in planning, and referring the Radcliffe HVAC procurement and installation to the Auditor of Public Accounts and Attorney General for review.

Transcript Highlights:

• I personally spent a lot of time, people on both sides of the issue with prior authorization, spent a
• People on both sides of the issue with prior authorization spent a lot of time in a lot of different
• Care in the form of prior authorization.
• Not everybody wants to go to college and acquire a massive amount of debt.
• And then it goes into the fund that DED will authorize to the rural communities.

Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the House Journal for the prior day by a vote of 118-1. The rest of the session was dominated by points of personal privilege, including farewell remarks from several outgoing members. Those speeches focused on service, family, staff, veterans, law enforcement, integrity, and concerns about lobbyist influence, with members also thanking legislative assistants and recognizing guests and family members in the chamber. The chamber then took up several bills. Senate Bill 1019, dealing with hospital finance and investment authority, was amended to align workplace violence, telehealth, prior authorization, physician licensure, and Lyme disease language, then passed 110-31. Senate Bill 1572, a pensions bill affecting police retirement, MOSERS, EMPERS, and related board provisions, drew extended debate over how to handle retirement overpayments; amendments were adopted to address technical and policy issues, and the bill passed 129-14. Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 1196, concerning workforce diploma programs, Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grants, workforce Pell Grants, higher education funding, and university board residency rules, was amended and passed 115-20, but its emergency clause failed 2-132. The House also granted further conference on Senate Bill 1020. Committee reports were read on several other measures, including bills recommended to pass by Fiscal Review. Later, the House began considering Senate amendments to House Bill 2508, an LLC-related bill involving certificates of good standing, court dissolution of LLCs in limited circumstances, and a St. Louis County property-management affidavit process for repeated ordinance violations.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:10:22.160> of care policy and the chief author of care policy and the chief author of
• , congressional authorization, congressional authorization, underscoring<00:15:23.279> their
• > President<01:16:29.840> Trump This was authorized by President Trump This was authorized
• Again, our constitutional authority. Again, our constitutional authority.
• Again, our constitutional authority. Again, our constitutional authority.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Would you also agree that there's a debt owed to those folks that were enslaved?
• If there's a debt owed to an estate, the descendants of that estate are entitled to collect on that debt
• So, would you agree that there's a debt owed to those folks that were enslaved? environment.
• Would you also agree that there's a debt Would you also agree that there's a debt owed<00:36:57.920
• I've never felt like I couldn't achieve something because I've collected that debt.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• That authority is fairly limited.
• Were outside of the authority.
• With respect to debt recovery, yes, sir. So there is a debt associated with Katrina, if you take...
• 300. 300. 300 authorizations.
• 300. 300. 300 authorizations.

Summary: The committee met on May 26, 2026, and first approved the minutes from the May 22, 2025 meeting. The main topic was the Northwest Louisiana earthquake cluster, with testimony from Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy staff, LSU and Tulane geoscientists, and later LSU law professor Keith Hall. Witnesses said the cause of the swarm has not been definitively identified, but induced seismicity from wastewater injection or hydraulic fracturing remains a concern. They described 50 earthquakes reported by the USGS in Red River, Bienville, DeSoto, and Natchitoches Parishes, including a magnitude 4.9 event on March 5, 2026, and explained that Louisiana’s sparse seismic network limits detection and depth/location estimates. C&E said it inspected Class II injection wells within 12 miles of the events, found no violations, now requires more frequent injection reporting, and is working with researchers and LSU on a possible state monitoring network and future policy changes. Committee members asked about injection depths, fault locations, whether the activity could be natural, and whether Louisiana should adopt stronger monitoring or a traffic-light regulatory system like other states. The witnesses said more data is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn, but that denser monitoring can detect smaller quakes and help identify patterns. Professor Hall summarized responses in other states, including more frequent reporting, increased monitoring, injection reductions, moratoria, and traffic-light systems in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Ohio, and Illinois. Members also discussed whether operators should share more seismic and geologic data, and several said the state should avoid jumping to conclusions while still improving oversight. The committee then heard from William Berger, a Texas geoscientist, who described using AI and operator data to model wastewater injection and seismic risk, and said broader data sharing would improve forecasting and siting decisions. He and another witness emphasized that many earthquakes arise from clusters of wells rather than a single well, and that proprietary concerns limit voluntary disclosure. The committee also received a brief update from GOSEP and the Louisiana National Guard on the Barksdale Air Force Base drone incursions. GOSEP said it logged the incident in WebEOC and shared releasable information, while State Police and the FBI said they were limited in what they could disclose. Officers said a task force has been formed, some personnel have received federal drone-mitigation training, and House Bill 940 is intended to mirror the task force MOU. Finally, Major General Thomas Friloux and Brigadier General Jason Maffus updated the committee on the merger of GOSEP into the Louisiana Military Department. They said the merger has reduced GOSEP from seven divisions to three, brought back employees to in-person work, modernized the state’s common operating picture, and produced about $10.5 million in first-year cost avoidance through staffing and contract changes. They also noted the planned transfer of the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, ongoing hurricane preparedness, and continued coordination with parish emergency managers. No votes were taken on the substantive topics, and the meeting ended with the committee moving through its agenda items and receiving informational testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• We still don't have any authors.
• Based trust in the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority.
• And thank the author for coming forward for the work you're doing.
• So we're also giving local authority and ability there.
• I would love to be added as a co-author. I'd like to be added as well.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The availability of a full eight-year tax abatement currently authorized in statute remains a critical
• this is accurate, but I do not believe because secondary property taxes are used to repay pledged debt
• But I do not believe, because secondary property taxes are used to repay pledged debt through bonds,

Bills: SB1221, SB1293, SB1294, SB1430

Keywords: taxpayer protection, law interpretation, transparency, public hearings, tax policies, GPLET, abatement, tax incentives, local government, property improvement, central business district, property tax, assessment, destruction, proration, Arizona Revised Statutes, Arizona tax corrections act, transaction privilege tax, sales tax, use tax

Transcript Highlights:

• It affirms that we can protect women's health without authorizing the intentional killing of a child
• has fought for more funding for higher education so that our students don't have to drown in student debt
• increase funding for higher education so students can reach the middle class without being drowned by debt

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . authority. authority.
• <01:07:26.960> to none of our regulatory authority to none of our regulatory authority to
• <01:13:56.000> We're regarding prior authorization. We're regarding prior authorization.
• It aligns authority with reality.
• <05:35:07.520> Uh, authorize permissible coverages. Uh, authorize permissible coverages.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But that in and of itself saved us $7 million in debt service costs, which we'll be able to use for future
• 00:54:56.960> they<00:54:57.079> have<00:54:57.280> long-term<00:54:57.839> debt
• <00:54:58.079> on alties where they have long-term debt on alties where they have long-term
• debt on public public public transportation<00:55:00.119> the<00:55:00.280> great<00:55
• But if we utilize all the bonds, that can, our debt service, you know, we're not going to be able to

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm proud to say that this bill has bipartisan support, signed on as joint authors and co-authors.
• . authored, a very reputable publishing house.
• Members, any more questions for the bill author? All right, thank you very much.
• Members, any questions for the bill author? All right. Thank you very much. Thank you.
• Members, any questions for the bill author? All right, we'll move on to testimony.

Bills: HB178, HB178, HB1551, HB1939, HB2040, HB2354, HB2674, HB3029, HB3460, HB3631, HB3662, HB5201, HB5381

Keywords: efficiency audit, political subdivision, tax rate, fiscal management, government accountability, Texas education, public schools, curriculum, social studies, high school graduation requirements, State Board of Education, Education Code, ethnic studies, world history, world geography, U.S. history, government, economics, personal financial literacy, free enterprise

Transcript Highlights:

• Therefore, Delaware has the authority to decide when and under what circumstances cooperation between
• local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities should occur.
• preserves carefully defined public safety exceptions for serious offenders and other circumstances authorized
• colleague at the Fines and Fees Justice Center, and the work that we do, and we've seen that this debt
• If broad waiver authority applies differently from one county or one courtroom to another, the public

Bills: HJR11, HB59, HB418, HB342, HB408, HB409, HB133, HB134, HB414, HB355

Keywords: HOPE Court, homeless court, housing instability, homelessness, poverty elimination, problem-solving court, community court, diversion program, criminal justice reform, reentry, warrants, fines and fees, low-level offenses, housing access, public safety, recidivism, Delaware Judiciary, DSHA, DHSS, DELJIS

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee met and heard presentations on several bills. House Amendment 1 to Senate Substitute 1 for House Bill 145 would restrict government use of reverse keyword searches, generally prohibiting reverse keyword court orders and voluntary requests, with a narrow exception for Class A violent felony investigations and rules on notice, deletion, and inadmissibility of unlawfully obtained evidence. House Substitute 1 for House Bill 368, with House Amendment 1, would limit Delaware law enforcement and the Department of Correction’s participation in federal civil immigration enforcement, especially regarding civil immigration warrants and detainers, while preserving exceptions for serious offenses and valid judicial processes; the Department of Correction said it had no operational or fiscal impact and supported the exclusions, and an ACLU-affiliated witness testified in support. House Substitute 1 for House Bill 427 would allow certain 16- and 17-year-olds to participate in hunting and target practice without direct adult supervision if they have parental permission, hunter education, and a valid Delaware hunting license. House Bill 355, the “Speak Your Truth Act,” would expand anti-SLAPP-style protections for survivors of sexual assault, discrimination, and harassment by raising the burden in defamation suits and allowing attorney’s fees and damages; advocates from the National Women’s Defense League and the Speak Your Truth movement supported it. House Bill 134 would increase penalties for repeat animal cruelty offenders and lengthen animal ownership bans. The committee also heard House Bill 133, as amended, which would create a hardship waiver process allowing courts to waive fines and fees for defendants who cannot afford them, while preserving restitution and exempting certain traffic-related penalties and victim compensation assessments. The administration said the bill is intended to address uncollectable debt and noted millions in outstanding fines and fees, while local government and police representatives raised concerns about lost revenue, administrative burden, and consistency; the Fines and Fees Justice Center supported the measure. Committee members asked about how the waiver funding would affect local governments, volunteer fire companies, and related fees, and the administration said the $5 million budgeted this year would cover the waiver costs and be treated as an annual expense going forward. No committee votes were taken during the excerpted discussion, but the chair indicated that bills ready for action would be circulated for signature or moved to the floor.

Transcript Highlights:

• Finally, House Bill 567 is an act relating to unclaimed property, state retirement systems, and capital debt
• Finally, House Bill 567 is an act relating to unclaimed property, state retirement systems, and capital debt
• Finally, House Bill 567 is an act relating to unclaimed property, state retirement systems, and capital debt
• Finally, House Bill 567 is an act relating to unclaimed property, state retirement systems, and capital debt
• Finally, House Bill 567 is an act relating to unclaimed property, state retirement systems, and capital debt

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with a devotional by Reverend Kemp Randolph, who reflected on the idea that simpler solutions often require letting go of existing assumptions and urged lawmakers to consider what they may need to give up to achieve the greatest good. After the prayer, the chamber introduced House Bill 889, exempting disability-related income on candidate disclosure forms, and House Bill 890, aimed at reducing barriers for nonprofit religious organizations providing preventive health care services. Both bills were read the first time and referred to committee. The House also referred three bills to money committees under House Rule 35A: H.548 to Appropriations, and H.557 and H.567 to Ways and Means. Members then offered several announcements, including welcoming the guest pastor Kemp Randolph and visiting European Parliament member Maria Walsh, along with her mother and aunt. There were also notices about caucus meetings and a correction to a prior vote explanation regarding H.70. The House then took up H.611, a technical and housekeeping bill affecting the Department of Vermont Health Access. Committee testimony and floor remarks described provisions to reduce administrative burdens, update advisory committee membership, remove outdated references tied to the individual/small group market split, adjust the VARMM prescription drug assistance program, increase the allowable amount in Medicaid-related prepaid funeral arrangements, and delay Medicaid coverage for doula services by one year while federal approval is sought. The Health Care and Appropriations committees both recommended the bill, with Appropriations noting no fiscal impact and correcting a prior vote tally. The House adopted the Health Care Committee amendment to H.611 and ordered the bill to third reading. It then passed H.540, relating to recommendations of the post-adjudication reparative program working group. Finally, the House concurred in the Senate proposal of amendment with further amendment on H.50, concerning identification of underutilized state buildings and land; the committee explained changes restoring annual reporting, removing leased buildings from the inventory, and directing annual reports to the Department of Housing and Community Development through 2030. The chamber concluded with announcements about a Joint Fiscal Committee meeting on a rural health transformation grant and then adjourned until February 10, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• One of those is the debt service on the tobacco sheet. We're asking for that to be paid off.
• One of those is the debt service on the tobacco sheet. We're asking for that to be paid off.
• One of those is the debt<00:13:06.079> service<00:13:06.320> on<00:13:06.560> the
• <00:13:07.600> We're debt service on the tobaca sheet.
• We're debt service on the tobaca sheet.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:20 Approval of Minutes 00:00:41 Department of Agriculture 00:01:06, 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on General Government met for its third meeting, approved the minutes, and heard a budget presentation from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. Department representatives Brandon Reid, Lee Macintosh, and Mark Bolan outlined the agency’s funding mix and requested support for several priorities in House Bill 500, including continuation of existing items, county fair grants, and an additional $5 million for the new economic development fund. They also discussed a capital request to replace two aging scale trucks, noting the vehicles are from 2002 and 2006 and have become unreliable and expensive to repair. The department emphasized several additional needs: funding to begin regulating and inspecting electric vehicle charging stations through the weights and measures division, retention and recruitment funding after losing 108 employees over three years, and a request to pay off tobacco-related debt service so more money can flow through the tobacco formula. They also cited House Bill 417, filed by Speaker Osborne, as supporting farmland preservation, saying the agency has a program ready but needs funding to implement it. Officials said the farm-to-food-banks and rural mental health items in the budget were acceptable as reduced by the tobacco formula. Members asked questions about pump inspection fees and staffing losses. The department said the inspection fee is $100 per station, not per pump, and that the same fee applies even to larger stations. On retention and recruitment, officials said the cost of turnover is significant but they did not have a dollar estimate. No votes were taken beyond the motion to approve the minutes, and the meeting ended with a motion to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• So in that sense, we were structured in such a way that we would be self-supporting and not a debt of
• I just want to talk briefly about the 2 types of debt.
• because that allows us a document that cash may name and reduces the likelihood of needing to issue debt
• The rates were low enough that we need to put, you know, some debt on the books and gift for to do that
• Every dollar cash, we have means less debt that we have to charged or let the less likelihood we have