Transcript Highlights:

• The prosecutor can weigh in? No, before the prosecutor could not. No, I mean, the original bill.
• And now it's the prosecutor.
• We're allowing, so it's a prosecutor that's going to weigh in, where previously the prosecutor didn't
• And, you know, prosecutors are elected.
• a prosecutor testified to this, the representative of the prosecutors who supported the bill—that prosecutors

Summary: The House first established a quorum after a brief call of the board and then recognized several guest delegations, including a Kansas City Hispanic Day at the Capitol group and later visitors from Grandview, Pagedale, Bolivar, and a fire service leadership program. After that, the chamber took up House Bill 2498, a juvenile justice measure focused on more oversight in serious juvenile cases, expanded data sharing through the MULES system, and changes to certification procedures for certain felonies and repeat offenses. Members debated whether adding prosecuting attorneys to the certification process was appropriate, whether the bill would expand juvenile certification, and whether the bill’s original parent-liability provisions could harm foster placements; those liability provisions were ultimately removed through amendment. The bill was then adopted as amended. The House also considered House Committee Substitute for House Bills 2637 and 3155, described as a “transparency in sentencing” bill. Supporters said it would make sentencing and parole eligibility clearer by setting minimum time-served percentages in statute, while critics argued it would mostly raise minimums, especially for lower-level felonies, without truly increasing transparency. Members discussed changes to dangerous felony treatment, sex offenses, trafficking, prior commitments, and how time served would be certified at sentencing. The committee substitute was adopted and ordered perfected and printed. Finally, the House recommitted House Committee Substitute for House Bills 2780 and 2668 to the Special Committee on Property Tax Reform for further work, with members agreeing more hearings and revisions were needed. The chamber then moved to announcements, including committee meeting notices and a Black History Program invitation, and adjourned until the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill basically came to me from a relationship I have with a prosecutor and some other people in
• We're talking about three, four, five times no-shows, and we, the prosecutors, are losing witnesses in
• that would be paying for this if<00:14:07.720><c> a</c><00:14:08.000><c> prosecutor</c><00:14:08.519
• I'm a prosecutor at the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
• Step Anderson I'm a prosecutor at the Step Anderson I'm a prosecutor at the marac<00:26:16.360><c> county

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• It's not just a local prosecutor.
• I don't raise on, I'm sorry, what?
• You have no choice when you're paying your property taxes whether or not to pay for the lobbyists that
• But it's my take-home pay. It's your decision to make. that's my take home pay.
• I mean, the ones paying into Robinhood don't want to pay anymore, the ones receiving it want to keep

Bills: SB5 , SB11 , SB12 , SB9 , SB42 , SB15 , SB5 , SB11 , SB12 , SCR1

Transcript Highlights:

• It allows the prosecutors to appeal.
• We decided not to pay that price.
• raise, by the way.
• Indigo was raised in a loving home in Magnolia.
• We'll deal with prosecutors, we'll work with prosecutors, we'll work with our sheriffs to make sure that

Bills: SB9 , SB1047 , SB1048 , SJR17 , SJR49 , SB40 , SJR1 , SJR5 , SB 9 , SB 40 , SJR 1

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Transcript Highlights:

• management, which is what your prosecutors are for your elected officials. which is what your prosecutors
• pays.
• goes right back out to pay claims.
• Um, but she, as a former prosecutor, prosecutor, decided to leave the dismal practice of the law and
• You're essentially paying or You're essentially paying or wanting that readiness in that hospital.

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• What I, as a prosecutor, how I evaluate prosecutors is on. Preparation and presentation.
• You think that a prosecutor...
• This prosecutor was willing to give us more. than the prosecutor next door.
• And the prosecutor, we literally got resets for the prosecutor to evaluate the cases.
• They're a great prosecutor.

Bills: HB867 , HB1347 , HB1801 , HB1820 , HB2197 , HB2617 , HB3110 , HB3166 , HB3330 , HB4237 , HB4342 , HB4629 , HB4933 , HJR148

Committee: House Criminal Jurisprudence

Keywords: criminal case dismissal, attorney discretion, law enforcement misconduct, judicial approval, evidence, judicial consent, transparency, healthcare, Medicare, insurance, elderly, retired, benefits, access, cost, criminal justice, case dismissal, prosecutorial discretion, law enforcement oversight, criminal procedure

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:06:43.280><c> for</c> half of the funds that are paying for half of the funds that are paying
• </c><00:30:17.520><c> a</c> if you I think if they have to pay a if you I think if they have to pay a
• </c><00:32:33.679><c> But</c> is worth what you pay for it. But is worth what you pay for it.
• Because what is most prosecutors?
• </c> &gt;&gt; that's sufficient to pay. &gt;&gt; that's sufficient to pay.

Committee: Joint Judiciary, Division B

Transcript Highlights:

• that don't have the money to pay?
• </c><00:14:43.639><c> would</c> so I would think the prosecutors would so I would think the prosecutors
• </c><00:15:41.880><c> may</c> offense offenses or the prosecutor may offense offenses or the prosecutor
• </c><00:21:04.039><c> do</c> court um however the prosecutors do court um however the prosecutors do
• </c> coming into court and the prosecutors coming into court and the prosecutors decide<00:21:19.120>

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• , "This is the day I want to pay lawyers."
• Not because evidence was lacking, but because some local prosecutors...
• Lawbreakers find safe harbor in counties where prosecutors might look the other way.
• It preserves local control... ...by giving county prosecutors six months to act.
• Members, we want Texas to pay less for utilities while ensuring dependability.

Bills: HB842 , HB1907 , HB2844 , HB2892 , HB3439 , HB4211 , HB4536 , HB5111 , HB5138 , HB5182 , HB5247 , HB5269 , HB5323 , HB5435 , HJR201 , SB871 , HB3896 , SJR40

Committee: House State Affairs

Keywords: power lines, Gulf Coast, weather-related outages, Public Utility Commission, infrastructure, government contracts, Chinese companies, information technology, cybersecurity, state regulations, food safety, mobile vendors, licensing, permitting exemptions, health inspections, nonprofit organizations, personal information, government disclosure, privacy, criminal penalties

Transcript Highlights:

• Why would you take a job for what we believe to be modest pay to put yourself in the crosshairs of prosecutors
• Then they must pay $15 per agency listed in the petition.
• Then they must pay $15 per agency listed in the petition.
• I don't think it impacts it, but again we'll ask the prosecutors.
• They're not prosecutors. They're busy handling digital evidence.

Bills: SB552 , SB1099 , SB1124 , SB1208 , SB1372 , SB1506 , SB1667 , SB1804 , SB1806 , SB1870 , SB1936 , SB1937 , SB2180 , SB2405 , SB2569 , SB2570 , SB1646

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Summary: The committee heard a series of criminal justice bills, beginning with SB 1870 and SB 1727, both of which were adopted as committee substitutes and reported favorably to the full Senate. SB 1870 would bar local governments from adopting policies that decriminalize controlled substances or direct officials not to enforce state drug laws, with civil penalties enforced by the Attorney General for violations. SB 1727 was described as a technical change to make the draft a formal Legislative Council version of a TDCJ-related assault bill; both bills were also sent to the local and uncontested calendar. The committee then took up SB 2405, the major Sunset bill for TDCJ, the Board of Pardons and Paroles, Windham School District, and the Correctional Managed Health Care Committee. Senator Parker explained that the bill continues and modernizes those agencies, requires a 10-year facilities and staffing plan, expands rehabilitation and reentry programming, improves parole-board consistency and training, and codifies various cleanup and inspector general recommendations. Sunset staff and agency witnesses discussed the bill’s data-sharing, program coordination, and projected savings from reducing delays in parole-voted programming; public witnesses generally supported the post-secondary education and reentry provisions, while some urged stronger statutory direction for Windham and more reform to medically recommended intensive supervision. The bill was left pending. SB 1804, SB 1099, SB 2569, and SB 2570 were also heard. SB 1804 would allow restitution for tattoo removal for human trafficking survivors and remove the age restriction so adult survivors can qualify; it was reported favorably and sent to the local calendar. SB 1099 would increase penalties for certain felony offenses when committed by a person determined to be unlawfully present in the country; immigration and civil rights witnesses opposed it as overbroad and difficult to administer, but it was reported favorably. SB 2569 would modernize unmanned aircraft reporting by requiring law enforcement agencies to post reports on public websites; it passed unanimously and was sent to the local calendar. SB 2570 would create a defense to prosecution for peace officers and correctional guards using less-lethal force weapons within the scope of their training; law enforcement witnesses supported it, civil rights and prosecutor witnesses raised concerns that it was too broad and could weaken existing use-of-force standards, and the bill was left pending for further work.

Transcript Highlights:

• Number two, if that Texas prosecutor did to file it.
• You raised good points in terms of Is the state really out those dollars?
• It's been left to discretion typically these prosecutors, right?
• You need to pay the bill to obtain again. Thank you. I understand.
• All in favor, please say aye and raise your hand. Opposed the motion is adopted. Thank you.

Bills: SB1281 , SB1300 , SB1379 , SB1451 , SB1497 , SB1498 , SB1499

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Transcript Highlights:

• I can bring you my pay compensate us.
• </c> that problem is I can't afford to pay that problem is I can't afford to pay for<00:24:10.320><c>
• ><c> on</c><00:43:54.520><c> this</c> I notice prosecutors aren't on this I notice prosecutors aren't
• . prosecutor. prosecutor.
• </c> pay it. pay it.

Bills: SB2567 , SB2448 , SB3046 , SB2231 , SB2526

Committee: House Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• We have people on Zoom, but no one has raised their hands. Okay.
• Please raise your hand if you'd like to speak. Okay.
• I'm a prosecutor. I would have voted.
• Please raise your hand if you'd like to speak. Good afternoon.
• I think we will resolve a lot of cases with raising this up.

Committee: House House Consumer & Public Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Would you please raise your right hand?
• As a prosecutor, I upheld the trust of the citizens of the United States.
• You had a long and distinguished career as a federal prosecutor.
• You were a prosecutor.
• Blanchard, I wanted to raise one more issue that I also raised. with Attorney General Bondi, but I think

Committee: Senate Senate Judiciary

Keywords: nominations, Deputy Attorney General, Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice, Todd Blanch, Gail Slater, confirmation hearing

Summary: The meeting focused on the nominations of Todd Blanch and Gail Slater for the positions of Deputy Attorney General and Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, respectively. The committee considered the qualifications of both nominees, with opening statements provided by the nominees themselves. There was an evident emphasis on the rigorous vetting process that nominees undergo before their selection, highlighting the importance of the roles within the Department of Justice. Members of the committee engaged in a structured question-and-answer session to further evaluate the nominees' capabilities and fit for the positions they were nominated for, with each member allotted seven minutes to pose questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• It should be considered by a jury, by prosecutors, and by a judge.
• I was one of the prosecutors involved, I was not the lead prosecutor.
• I have 20 years as a prosecutor. I am currently a felony court chief.
• That the prosecutor does not represent the victim.
• Prosecutors have expressed that under current law, the prosecutor must choose a specific date of an incident

Bills: SB251 , SB608 , SB487 , SB535 , SB761 , SB955 , SB957 , SB958 , SB988 , SB990 , SB1019 , SB1021 , SB1120

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Transcript Highlights:

• I will insist upon performance before I sign off on a pay raise.
• And, well, because that's what we're paying for, right? That's what we're paying for.
• Now we have prosecutors out they're working and unfortunately the prosecutors have been punished because
• But the pay raise amount, there was a commission that talked about 30%.
• We support. accountability in raises for judges but we are opposed to conditioning these raises on the

Bills: SB260 , SB263 , SB293 , SJR18

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Judges are paying attention.
• Prosecutors may have to go back and change sentencing.
• And so that's not going to involve prosecutors' offices.
• HB 2156 raises concerns in all three of these areas.
• That's where the governor and prosecutors... That's where the governor and prosecutors...

Summary: The committee opened with a work session on effective interrogation techniques, hearing from two remote experts, retired homicide detective Matt Jones and former federal agent Mark Fallon. Both argued for science-based, information-gathering interviewing over confrontational or deception-based tactics, emphasizing rapport, open-ended questioning, corroboration, and avoiding coercion, especially with vulnerable interviewees. They said these methods improve reliability, reduce false confessions and wrongful convictions, and better withstand court scrutiny. Members asked for source materials and raised concerns about how friendly or minimization-style questioning could affect victims; the witnesses said they would provide research and noted that some common tactics can be problematic in sexual assault cases. No votes were taken in the work session. The committee then held a hearing on House Bill 1982, which would expand Washington’s existing process for vacating convictions tied to treaty rights. Staff explained that current law mainly covers pre-1975 fishing convictions, while the bill would extend relief to convictions involving treaty fishing, hunting, gathering, and pasturing rights, remove the date limit, include local ordinances, authorize the Office of Public Defense to provide direct representation and consultation, and create a tribal liaison position. The prime sponsor and tribal leaders testified in support, describing the bill as a way to correct historical wrongs and remove barriers to jobs, housing, and other opportunities. The Office of Public Defense said it supports the bill but needs statutory authority and a hub to identify and process cases; an Attorney General’s Office tribal liaison also supported the concept and suggested clarifying amendments. Some members questioned the scope of the affected population, costs, and whether the legislature could vacate the convictions directly, while others raised concerns about competing resource demands and the need for judicial action case by case. No final action was taken. Finally, the committee began hearing House Bill 2156, which would expand the Attorney General’s Office investigators’ authority in limited circumstances. Staff said the bill would let AGO investigators exercise only the authority of the entity granting concurrent jurisdiction, allow them to serve business search warrants only when authorized by a judicial officer, and clarify that they cannot detain, arrest, or carry weapons. The bill sponsor said it would reduce delays in economic-crime cases by allowing investigators to serve electronic warrants themselves instead of relying on local officers. Opponents from the sheriffs and police chiefs association and a retired veteran argued the bill blurs the line between investigation and prosecution, lacks sufficient oversight, and could create constitutional and training concerns. AGO representatives responded that the bill is narrowly focused, that most investigators are retired law enforcement, and that it would mainly streamline service of electronic warrants in cases such as organized retail theft and wage theft. The hearing was still in progress when the transcript ended, and no vote was recorded on this bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have elected prosecutors, we have elected judges, we have different community practices.
• I am indeed a Superior Court judge in Pierce County and a former federal prosecutor.
• Let’s have the two prosecutors, the Prosecutors Association, and the Thurston County Prosecutor come
• If the prosecutor amends that to an assault 2, that would be eligible.
• I don't have special information with law enforcement or prosecutors or anything like that.

Bills: HB2217 , HB2558 , HB2641 , HB2648 , HB1239 , HB1591 , HB2209 , HB2310 , HB2526

Committee: House Community Safety

Keywords: rehabilitation, felony offenses, criminal justice reform, first-time offenders, pathways to rehabilitation, mental health, sentencing alternative, criminal justice, diversion programs, HB 2641, ICE out act, law enforcement hiring, immigration and customs enforcement, ICE officers, former federal employees, sworn officer, police staffing, general authority law enforcement agency, limited authority law enforcement agency, immigration enforcement

Transcript Highlights:

• Raise your hand. Who is here to testify for this bill? Raise your hand.
• You break the law, you pay the price. This is about the sentencing aspect of it.
• Raise your hand. Rebecca Baker. Rebecca and Vicki.
• Hicks, so essentially the prosecutors already have discretion, full discretion.
• So we have to pay for a public defender? You do have to pay for a public defender.

Summary: The Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee heard and advanced several House bills dealing with criminal law, victims’ rights, and court fees. HB 2131 would remove the financial-gain requirement from weapons and explosives trafficking and make trafficking three or more weapons or explosives in one offense ineligible for probation, pardon, commutation, or early release until the sentence is served; it passed 6-1. HB 2132 lowered the fentanyl trafficking threshold from 200 grams to 100 grams and adjusted related sentencing language; supporters said it would help law enforcement and prosecutors, while opponents argued it would sweep in heavy users and lacked data on current enforcement; it passed 4-3. HB 2223 requires sex offenders seeking a name change to notify prosecutors and victims, and to register under the new name if granted; it passed 6-1. The committee also passed HB 2411, which creates the crime of coerced abortion for secretly or forcibly administering an abortion-inducing drug with intent to cause an abortion, as a class 2 felony. Supporters described cases of covert or forced abortion drug use and said existing laws do not clearly cover situations where the drug is given but no death occurs; opponents argued current assault, manslaughter, homicide, and food-contamination statutes already address the conduct and that the bill is unnecessary. HB 2043, which adds unborn children to the felony-murder statute, also passed 4-3 after testimony from prosecutors and advocates on both sides; supporters called it a cleanup measure, while opponents warned it advances fetal personhood and could have broader reproductive-health consequences. HB 2046, requiring victims to be notified of pre-hearings in probation review proceedings for certain sex offenders, passed unanimously after emotional testimony from a victim’s family and county prosecutors. The committee then approved HB 2666, which increases penalties for sexual extortion involving 15-, 16-, and 17-year-olds when the offender is an adult and knew or should have known the victim’s age. Finally, HB 2265, which eliminates court-imposed fees and assessments on criminal defendants for public defense, jury trials, and appeals, passed 7-0 despite county opposition over lost revenue and shifting costs to taxpayers. The last bill, HB 2133, would require commercial websites hosting sexual material to verify the age and consent of depicted persons, retain records, and treat synthetic depictions like AI-generated images similarly to existing revenge-porn laws; it drew support from adult-industry representatives on some implementation issues but also significant constitutional and privacy concerns, and the committee adopted an amendment before passing the bill as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Taxpayers will pay one way or another.
• Taxpayers will pay one way or another.
• </c> This raises three structural concerns. This raises three structural concerns.
• Are we Are we going to raise taxes?
• And prosecutors say, what do we do?

Bills: HF962 , HF3541 , HF2936 , HF3762 , HF2879

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy