Transcript Highlights:

• You've had the governor's budget now for about two months, so you've had plenty of time to study that
• However, we did not go back in and blanket add back all those one-time appropriations.
• We will not blanket add back in all those one-time appropriations.
• By the time we get to 2027, I would not recommend that either.
• I really just got the spread yesterday about 12, so there was no time to really study and call.

Bills: HB186, HB185, HB184, HB183, HB181, HB312, HB405, HB182, HB460

Keywords: Alabama budget, general fund appropriations, fiscal year 2026, state budget, appropriations act, HB186, executive branch funding, legislative branch funding, judicial branch funding, debt service, capital outlay, corrections, Medicaid, public health, mental health, transportation, education, law enforcement, tourism, veterans affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• This time of the year is very crucial in my part, especially with all the ski areas.
• That policy has not been formalized at this time, but the working group has been directed to come up
• In terms of the Senate Rules Committee, a lot of times people don't see the.
• At this time, the council policy does limit travel and reimbursement until after July 1st, 2025.
• So I would offer that before that time, well before that time, a proposed policy.

Transcript Highlights:

• time has expired, the time and when your time has expired, the vice<00:06:53.280> chair<00:06
• Thank you very much for your<00:43:24.960> time. your time. your time.
• >> This is my first time in. >> This is my first time in.
• Thank you for your time. time. time. >> Thank<01:59:27.599> you.
• <03:00:30.240> they time they come on until the time they time they come on until the time

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I appreciate your time.
• vet on board all times.
• vet on board all times.
• And so full-time vet on board all times.
• Appreciate your time.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of time. of time.
• We have a hard time. Our hardest staff. We have a hard time.
• <02:08:30.480> U reason over time. U reason over time.
• funds in one-time funds. funds in one-time funds.
• We're out of >> Thank you for your time. We're out of time. time. time.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But it was mentioned a few times.
• to time.
• He saw, instead, that they need more time and more dedicated time to take care of these issues.
• He saw that they need more time and more dedicated time to take care of these issues.
• Some of those take more time, some of those take less time.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met to discuss special education funding and retention, beginning with approval of the prior meeting minutes and then hearing a presentation from North Dakota United on a statewide special education survey and retention rubric. Presenters described how the rubric and survey were developed from special educator input around four domains: paperwork and due process support, workload, student and staff safety, and paraprofessional management. They reported high levels of stress and burnout, including increased workload, difficulty taking prep and lunch time, concerns about mental health, and widespread difficulty filling special education positions. Committee members questioned the survey’s lack of a general-education comparison group, the interpretation of terms like “rarely” and “sometimes,” and whether results could be broken down further by district size, unit, or disability area. The survey results showed the weakest area was workload, with respondents reporting caseloads increasing without corresponding adjustments, little additional support or compensation when workloads rise, and few negotiated-agreement protections. Paperwork and due process also scored poorly, with many teachers saying they rarely receive dedicated time during the duty day, often work outside contract hours without compensation, and take work home on evenings and weekends. Student and staff safety scored somewhat better but still showed gaps in crisis follow-up, notification about violent behavior, protective gear, and leave options after incidents. Paraprofessional management also drew concern, especially low pay, insufficient staffing, limited administrative support, and the burden placed on teachers to supervise and train paras. Several teachers then testified directly about the practical impact of these issues. One special education teacher described the job as combining instruction, legal compliance, and paraprofessional supervision, often requiring work beyond contracted hours and contributing to burnout and turnover. Another testified that special education case managers are effectively doing three full-time jobs and that the paperwork and caseload demands are a major reason people avoid or leave the field. Committee members discussed whether the problems are primarily local or state-level, whether more funding would solve them, and whether changes to the funding formula or weighting for high-cost students might be needed. No formal vote or action was taken beyond a recess and return to order for the next presentation, which continued the discussion of possible special education study objectives and potential policy directions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Not at this time, thank you.
• Not at this time, thank you.
• And then I went up there another time. I think it was me and Addy that time.
• And then I went up there another time. I think it was me and Addie that time.
• Okay, so pretty close in time.

Summary: The hearing opened in a Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings matter involving Legislative Ethics Board complaint 2025-5 against Representative Tara Simmons. The ALJ outlined the process, the issues on appeal, and the burden of proof, which centered on whether Simmons violated the Ethics Act by using her legislative position for others’ benefit and by holding outside employment that conflicted with her duties, and what sanction would be appropriate. Several exhibits were admitted by stipulation or without objection, while Exhibit 2 was initially held for later ruling but was ultimately admitted after testimony from the witness who prepared it. The board also granted a motion to sequester witnesses and took under advisement a motion to exclude three defense witnesses until after the staff case-in-chief. In opening statements, board staff alleged Simmons violated RCW 42.52.020 and RCW 42.52.070 by sponsoring a proviso that benefited her outside employer, Equity and Education Coalition (EEC), by using campaign surplus funds to help hire a friend, by intervening in a dispute over the proviso-funded work, and by sending text messages to influence others. Staff said it would seek penalties of up to $5,000 per violation plus costs. Defense counsel argued the allegations were technical ethics issues, denied Simmons profited personally, and contended the proviso funding her employer was permitted under prior board guidance; counsel also argued the campaign donation and later contract dispute were lawful and context-dependent. The first witness, Kimberly Gordon of American Equity and Justice Group (AEJG), testified that AEJG received state proviso funding and donations from Simmons, including $10,000 and later $40,000, which Gordon said were intended to fund the hiring of Antoine Coleman, Simmons’s romantic partner. Gordon said AEJG returned the donations and terminated Coleman after learning of the relationship and potential conflict of interest. She also testified about a later 2024 proviso involving EEC, a subcontract between AEJG and EEC, and a dispute over EEC’s performance under that subcontract. Gordon said AEJG raised concerns with the Administrative Office of the Courts, met with contract manager Chris Stanley, and ultimately rewrote the subcontract after Stanley, allegedly after speaking with Simmons, directed them to do so. The hearing then recessed for lunch, and cross-examination of Gordon was set to continue afterward.

Transcript Highlights:

• June 8, 2026, and the time is now 9:21 a.m. Pacific Time. My name is Judge T.J. Martin.
• Coleman and Representative Simmons at the time? Not at the time, no. Did you speak with Mr.
• And then I went up there another time. I think it was me and Addy that time.
• And then I went up there another time. I think it was me and Addie that time.
• Okay, so pretty close in time.

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The hearing concerned a Legislative Ethics Board complaint against Representative Tara Simmons in Washington State OAH Docket 401-645. The judge outlined the process, the two issues on appeal—whether Simmons violated RCW 42.52.020 and RCW 42.52.070, and, if so, what penalty should apply—and admitted a number of exhibits by stipulation or prior ruling, while taking one exhibit under advisement pending an offer of proof. The board also moved to sequester witnesses, which was granted, and the judge deferred ruling on a motion to exclude three defense witnesses until after hearing the board staff’s case. Opening statements followed, with staff alleging Simmons used her position to benefit an outside organization and to secure special privileges, and the defense arguing the conduct was lawful, technical in nature, and consistent with prior ethics guidance. Board staff then called Kimberly Gordon, an attorney and founding board member/treasurer of American Equity and Justice Group (AEJG), as its first witness. Gordon testified that AEJG used data dashboards to make justice-system data more accessible, received state proviso funding sponsored by Simmons, and also received two donations from Simmons—$10,000 and $40,000. She said the first donation was intended to help hire Antoine Coleman, whom Simmons had recommended and who was later identified as Simmons’s romantic partner, and that AEJG returned the $10,000 and declined the $40,000 after concluding there was a potential conflict of interest. Gordon also testified that AEJG believed Simmons’s involvement in the organization and her communications about Coleman created ethical concerns. Gordon further testified about a second proviso intended to expand AEJG’s work into education data and its subcontract with Equity in Education Coalition (EEC). She said EEC did not perform the expected deliverables, prompting repeated communications with the Administrative Office of the Courts and a meeting involving Chris Stanley, where AEJG raised concerns that EEC was not complying and that Simmons had intervened in the dispute. According to Gordon, Stanley ultimately directed the parties to rewrite the subcontract and continue, but AEJG later moved forward largely without EEC’s assistance. The board staff introduced AEJG’s complaint and related timeline exhibits during her testimony. After direct examination, the hearing recessed for lunch, and cross-examination by Simmons’s counsel began when the hearing resumed.

Transcript Highlights:

• So thank you all for your time.
• Thank you for your time.
• And yeah, just thank you for your time.
• Sadly, at this point in time, I find it more challenging each time an election comes about to be able
• Speaking of race-blind, I mean, that was said time and time again during the debate on the Senate floor

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Gentleman's time is expired.
• Time has expired.
• Long, long time.
• China does it all the time.
• Seven times Seven times more is spent on healthcare lobbying in this town than on defense.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It upticks a little bit from time to time, depending on the economy.
• time time as<01:06:10.160> well.
• this point in time. this point in time.
• time consuming? I mean, no. time consuming? I mean, no.
• Um precedes my time. If you look there. Um precedes my time.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Dedicated Funds met to review inactive and dedicated accounts, note prior legislation that had passed, and begin its annual review of agency funds. Members discussed several inactive funds, including some HHS-related accounts, a law enforcement memorial fund, and possible cleanup of accounting references where funds had been reorganized or merged. Staff noted that some newer funds may simply not have started receiving revenue yet, and the committee agreed to follow up on specific accounts later rather than address everything immediately. The committee then heard from Fish and Game on its dedicated funds. Topics included the statewide public boat access account, which is used for boat ramp and access-site maintenance and is supported by boat registration fees and federal funds; the ORV education, training, and enforcement account, which has declined over time and may need attention because revenue depends heavily on weather and snowmobile use; and the search and rescue account, which is funded by Hike Safe cards, a $1 fee from boat and OHRV registrations, and court-ordered fees. Fish and Game also explained that the conservation license plate fund had been merged into the non-game species management account, which is supported by donations, federal funds, and a statutory general fund transfer, and that pheasants are treated as game species under a separate program. The committee spent considerable time on the lifetime license account, an off-book Treasury-held account that collects lifetime license sales and returns funds to Fish and Game based on annual sales plus 9% of the fund balance. Members questioned why the account’s presentation did not clearly show the transfer as a revenue reduction and suggested the reporting format needed cleanup so the flow of money would be easier to understand. Fish and Game said the account is operating properly and that the transfer to the unrestricted Fish and Game fund exceeded $400,000 in the most recent year. The committee also reviewed the publications and fundraising revolving fund, which keeps a $100,000 balance for inventory purchases and transfers excess year-end funds to the unrestricted Fish and Game fund; members again raised concerns that the reporting format did not clearly show the transfer, and staff said they could add a note or other clarification.

Transcript Highlights:

• . time. time.
• Even if it is night time. Even if it is night time.
• <01:52:39.600> full-time<01:52:41.000> talented be at least one time full-time talented
• numerous times. numerous times.
• I've had some good times here. I've had some bad times here.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• is beginning to take up a lot of time is beginning to take up a lot of time within<00:39:08.720>
• > those<00:40:56.240> recommendations the time to absorb those recommendations the time
• So projects may be multiple times.
• <01:02:08.000> to incoming applications and have time to incoming applications and have time
• With no... this time, I will appoint Jordan Odo as this time, I will appoint Jordan Odo as the<01:29:

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Speed Task Force met on December 15, 2025, with members participating in person and via Zoom. After roll call and introductions, the chair filed the previous meeting minutes without objection. The chair then gave a report on outreach presentations statewide about the task force’s permitting-simplification work, noting appearances before groups such as the Chinese Chamber, Small Business Regulatory Review Board, General Contractors Association of Hawaii, Hawaii Chamber, and the Land Use Commission. He also introduced the new task force coordinator, Reginald K. T. King, and outlined a January 6, 2026 process for member-submitted recommendations, including first-come consideration and structured debate. No public testimony or member questions were offered on these items. The task force heard a presentation from the Building Permit PIG. The presenter said the group reviewed 79 SWAT recommendation forms over seven meetings, with participation from 15 disciplines and about 270 hours of work. The group’s findings emphasized workforce shortages, inconsistent plan quality, limited departmental resources, and a lack of centralized tools for applicants to self-resolve issues. Recommendations focused on building a workforce pipeline, expanding training on codes and technology, and developing a universal platform, including AI-assisted review tools. The presenter also raised offsite construction, including factory-built, modular, tiny homes, and ADUs, as an area needing clearer state and county alignment to speed permit review and support housing needs. No public testimony or Q&A followed, and discussion and voting were deferred to the January 6, 2026 meeting. The task force then began the Chapter 6E Historic Preservation PIG presentation. The chair described historic preservation as a broad process covering research, protection, restoration, rehabilitation, and interpretation of significant properties, including burial sites and iwi kūpuna, and said Chapter 6E is intended to guide responsible development rather than stop it. The presentation explained SHPD’s role and the complexity of 6E review, including archaeological surveys, monitoring, and preservation plans. Early findings highlighted uncertainty in sensitivity determinations for iwi kūpuna and subsurface resources, repeated review of the same projects, and staffing and technical capacity shortages among SHPD and consultants. Public testimony was closed and no immediate Q&A was allowed; further discussion and voting on recommendations were scheduled for January 6, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• defense attorney is a full-time defense attorney is a full-time public<00:08:30.320> defender
• So, um, denied every single time. So, um, there’s times when they’re just flat out denied.
• It made it over to the Senate, and at that time the time expired.
• <00:24:05.800> But<00:24:06.080> basically time the time expired.
• But basically time the time expired.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And at this time, Mr.
• And he committed $50 million at that time.
• We're not allowing additional time for closures at all.
• During those times during the week, now we want to reserve the weekend peak times for the authority of
• Can you find one this time? I got one. He has one.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, heard an invocation, and adopted the previous day’s journal. Members then adopted Senate Resolution 358 honoring the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on its 10th anniversary, with remarks highlighting UTRGV’s growth, degree production, research expansion, medical school, and role in serving the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas. The chamber also recognized the doctor of the day and adopted additional resolutions, including one for Denton County Days at the Capitol and another recognizing Texas HBCU Day. The Senate gave extensive recognition to outgoing Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp through Senate Resolution 368. Senators from both parties praised his long public career, leadership of the A&M System, support for regional universities, and bipartisan approach. The resolution was adopted after multiple members added their names. The chamber also heard from advocates with the Texas Streets Coalition, and received gubernatorial nominations for the State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors and the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. On legislation, the Senate passed several major bills. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 27, relating to rights and support for public school educators, was debated and amended to address teacher vacancies, bilingual certification testing, paid leave options, classroom removals, and appeal rights, then passed unanimously. Senate Joint Resolution 12, proposing a constitutional amendment on parents’ right to direct a child’s education, advanced on a 22-9 vote. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 1741, aimed at preventing foreign influence and intellectual property theft at public institutions of higher education, passed unanimously. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 29, the business entities bill, also passed after debate over corporate governance and shareholder protections. Senate Bill 857, authorizing law enforcement to tow certain vehicles driven by unlicensed or uninsured drivers, passed despite some concern about towing abuses during disasters. The Senate also took up Committee Substitute Senate Bill 1536 on dementia and Alzheimer’s training for certain guardians, but the transcript ends as that bill is being laid out.

Transcript Highlights:

• I get that every time I speak in public.
• But what happens is, because everybody's taxed so much, a lot of times time is an issue.
• So, at this time, the Chair moves to reconsider.
• I need to interrupt you one more time.
• Thank you for your time and attention.

Bills: HB1583, HB1775, HB1832, HB1836, HB1837, HB1866, HB1983, HB2029, HB2217, HB2318, HB2363, HB2486

Keywords: mental health, emergency detention, peace officer, mental illness, prevention of harm, border security, private landowners, study and report, General Land Office, participation, controlled substances, opioid antagonists, law enforcement training, substance abuse prevention, Texas-Mexico border, criminal justice, public safety, law enforcement, National Park Service, arrest powers

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you so much for your time today. Thank you.
• It's the crisis of our time.
• And I have, it's my first time being here in the Assembly.
• So it's nice to be here at a bit of a stressful time.
• Thank you for your time, and I respectfully urge a yes vote.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to thank all of you for being on time. People associated with fire are always on time.
• on time.
• And at the same time, we need to protect our communities.
• And we've been really stuck in the woods for a long time.
• One home at a time. How do we harden a million homes? One home at a time.

Summary: The hearing focused on California wildfire resilience, with the first panel discussing statewide funding, policy, and strategic priorities, and the second panel shifting to home hardening and defensible space. The LAO outlined the state’s wildfire risk, the large increase in resilience spending in recent years, and the fact that most funding has been one-time rather than ongoing. Testimony emphasized that wildfire risk varies greatly by region, that the state must balance response spending with prevention, and that success should be measured more carefully than by acres treated alone. Witnesses also noted the importance of local, federal, utility, and Proposition 4 funding sources, as well as the need for long-term maintenance and strategic prioritization rather than scattered projects. Cal Fire leadership and other witnesses stressed that California’s wildfire problem is not uniform: forested areas, chaparral, and wildland-urban interface communities require different strategies. In Northern California and forested watersheds, speakers emphasized fuels reduction, prescribed and cultural burning, strategic fuel breaks, watershed protection, and maintaining forest health. In Southern California, testimony focused on wind-driven fires, ember intrusion, ignition prevention along roads and power lines, and the limits of large-scale vegetation clearing. Several witnesses argued that the state should invest where it can leverage local and regional partnerships, support capacity-building programs like Regional Forest and Fire Capacity, and improve data systems to track treatment effectiveness and project outcomes. Members repeatedly pressed witnesses on how to prioritize limited funds, asking what should be done more of, less of, and first. The chair argued that protecting homes and communities through hardening and defensible space should be a major priority, especially near structures, while also acknowledging the need for broader landscape work and watershed protection. There was discussion of incentives such as insurance discounts, property tax treatment, and community certification for hardened homes, along with the need for multiple payers rather than relying on the state alone. Cal Fire reported new and expanding data tools, including treatment trackers, defensible space inspection dashboards, and a fuels treatment effectiveness program that evaluates whether nearby treatments affected wildfire behavior. No votes were taken because the hearing was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• Happy to, and happy to have some time for us to talk.
• Happy to, I'm happy to set up some time for us to talk with a sponsor on it too.
• I know we're short on time, so all around here. There's been a lot of iterations of this bill.
• Committee, but he has been a very conscientious legislator and has looked at this bill for quite some time
• Print Number 1986 by Senator Hark: an act to amend the education law in relation to extending the time

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The New York State Senate Finance Committee met with Senator John Liu presiding for Chair Liz Krueger, joined by members of the majority and minority. The committee considered a broad agenda of bills covering agriculture, public health, technology, taxation, corrections, education, housing, transportation, and civil rights. Among the measures discussed were a youth agriculture entrepreneurship summer employment program, a Bronx asthma study commission, a statewide multi-factor authentication requirement for governmental entities, a tax on noise emissions from certain helicopter and seaplane flights, a requirement that state events serving alcohol include New York-produced alcohol, a veterans and service members alternative resolution program, packaging reduction and recycling infrastructure legislation, limits on certain debt-collection practices involving foreign sovereign debt, commissary rules in correctional institutions, school energy performance contract recovery periods, a senior rent cap tied to income, a dental health demonstration project, farm succession planning, Operation SNUG gun violence prevention grants, expanded breast cancer screening coverage, direct Medicaid billing for creative arts therapists, a vacant storefront registry, academic credit for volunteer firefighters and EMTs, a plan to expand wheelchair-accessible vehicles outside New York City, STAR exemption notification, restrictions on certain tropical hardwoods in state contracts, a PSC guidebook on gas and electric rate making, gender-affirming care coverage and anti-discrimination provisions, and state leave for Civil Air Patrol members on airport-assigned missions. Most of the meeting focused on the packaging reduction and recycling infrastructure bill, which drew extended debate. Supporters said the bill had been revised after months of discussion with industry, included waivers for food safety and federal-law conflicts, and could save local governments money through producer responsibility funding. Opponents argued it would raise costs, harm food packaging flexibility, threaten food safety, and hurt manufacturers and small businesses, citing examples from dairy, meat, and coffee businesses. The sponsor’s representative said the bill had been updated and that some small businesses would be exempt, while acknowledging not all concerns were resolved. The committee also discussed the fiscal impact, with testimony that upfront state costs would be reimbursed and localities could see savings. Several other bills prompted brief policy discussion, including the helicopter/seaplane noise tax, where staff explained it would be assessed per ticket or up to $200 per flight and exempt quieter aircraft meeting DOT standards, and the sovereign debt/claims bill, where a senator warned it could drive financial activity out of New York. The committee also heard concerns about the packaging bill’s effect on New York food manufacturers and the availability of waivers. After discussion, the committee voted to report the bills; the transcript indicates the measures passed, generally with some members recorded as without recommendation or opposed, and all listed bills were moved to the floor before the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the first time in the history of the facility that they have brought residents to the Roundhouse
• Time out. Time out. That's not what I have here. Sorry. Pause. Pause. Sorry. Take a break.
• This is a very controversial one, so I have to take my time and figure out exactly where this is going
• If there's an objection to that, I will make that change at this time. Thank you.
• tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock in room 315, assuming we don't have a floor session scheduled for that time