Transcript Highlights:

• involved in evaluating these projects that include, of course, the New Mexico Finance Authority, the Energy
• And so I just want to be sure that when we're talking about equity and ensuring that it's as equitable
• And I would add, in addition, Madam Chair and Representative, to the fairness and equity, that's why

Bills: HM26 , HB243 , HB109

Committee: House House Agriculture, Acequias And Water Resources

Keywords: insects, ecosystem, education, public awareness, wildlife conservation, state agency involvement, New Mexico, equine welfare, animal rescue, shelter funding, trust fund, veterinary care, water project fund, water project finance act, New Mexico Finance Authority, water infrastructure, water grants, water loans, regional water planning, water rights adjudication

Summary: The committee first heard House Memorial 26, a student-presented memorial encouraging state agencies to participate in insect education and conservation efforts, including free workshops sponsored by Wild Friends. The young witnesses emphasized the ecological and agricultural importance of insects, especially pollinators, and clarified that the memorial would not restrict fishing bait or other insect use. After brief questions about fishing, the University of New Mexico connection, and a planned BioPark bugarium, the committee approved the memorial on a due pass motion by unanimous consent. The committee then heard House Bill 243, which would provide more stable funding for shelters that care for homeless, abused, abandoned, or surrendered horses, donkeys, and mules. The bill would appropriate $500,000 to the existing Equine Shelter Rescue Fund, move administration of the fund from the Livestock Board to the Department of Agriculture, strengthen grant and reporting requirements, and create an Equine Welfare Trust Fund seeded with $5 million. Supporters from Animal Protection New Mexico, the Livestock Board, and the Department of Agriculture said the shelters are essential, underfunded, and at capacity, and that the bill would provide a more reliable funding stream. Some public testimony raised concerns about how animals are tracked and whether any horses could end up at auction or slaughter. Committee discussion focused on whether equine care should be funded through recurring appropriations instead of a trust fund, whether the Livestock Board or Department of Agriculture should administer the money, and whether the bill could affect wild or free-roaming horses. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would not change the Livestock Board’s enforcement role and that the trust fund was intended to create long-term support. A motion to table the bill failed, and the committee then voted 4-4 on the due pass motion, so HB 243 did not advance. One member explained his support but said the bill was not a good long-term solution. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 109, which would temporarily, through December 2029, allow the New Mexico Finance Authority to award water project funds without separate legislative authorization after projects have already been vetted. The sponsor and NMFA and Water Trust Board witnesses said the current authorization step delays projects for months, increases costs, and especially hurts small rural communities and acequias. They said the bill keeps existing oversight and evaluation processes, adds technical assistance for smaller applicants, and was amended to extend the sunset date to 2029 and remove an unconstitutional two-thirds-extension requirement. The committee approved HB 109 on a due pass motion by a vote of 7-1.

Transcript Highlights:

• ride-sharing, public transportation, and non-motorized commuting in order to reduce air pollution, energy
• House Bill 2307 strengthens equity, modernizes the statute, and supports statewide goals on sustainability
• House Bill 2307 strengthens equity, modernizes the statute, and support statewide goals on sustainability

Summary: The Transportation Committee held public hearings on three bills. HB 2307 would update the commute trip reduction program by removing the current 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. arrival-time requirement from key definitions, so more employers and shift workers could qualify for CTR benefits. The bill sponsor and several supporters, including Microsoft, transit and transportation nonprofits, local transportation management groups, and city representatives, said the change would modernize the program, improve equity, reduce congestion, and help workers with transportation costs. No one testified in opposition. HB 2374 would distinguish electric-assisted bicycles from higher-powered electric motorcycles, clarify labeling and equipment rules, and direct DOL to convene a work group on enforcement and consumer protection. The sponsor and many supporters, including cities, trail and park organizations, Washington Bikes, and several students, said the bill would address unsafe high-powered vehicles being marketed as e-bikes, especially those used by younger riders, while preserving access to true e-bikes. Some testifiers asked for additional work group members and suggested civil enforcement options for underage riders. HB 2379 would require WSDOT to suspend tolling on facilities that serve as evacuation routes during emergencies such as wildfires or levee breaches. The sponsor said the bill was prompted by constituents facing evacuation while tolls were still being charged; staff noted the fiscal impact would be indeterminate and could reduce toll revenue during suspensions. After the hearings, the committee took executive action on two bills. It adopted proposed substitute H-2771 for HB 1823, which cleans up Transportation Improvement Board provisions and removes obsolete language while retaining remaining bond authority. It also passed HB 2111, which directs interest earned from toll revenues for the Interstate Bridge project to be credited to that project. Both actions were approved by voice vote, 27-0, with two members excused.

Transcript Highlights:

• The clerk will read: Senate Bill 925 by Senator McNerney and others, an act relating to fusion energy
• of fusion energy.
• SB 925 is a responsible step toward a cleaner, more reliable, and more diverse energy future.
• roadmap for fusion energy. ...directs the California Energy Commission to develop a roadmap for fusion
• energy and commercialization in California.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly convened after initially lacking a quorum, completed the roll call, and proceeded with a prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, and a series of procedural announcements. Members also took up a motion to strike SB 958 from the file, which failed on a 12-32 vote. The chamber then moved through a long concurrence calendar, with most measures passing on largely bipartisan or unanimous votes, including AJR 9 on national parks, AB 1647 on juvenile transfer hearings, AB 1656 on human trafficking, AB 1660 on probate procedures, AB 1875 on marriage cooling-off waivers, AB 1892 on common interest developments, AB 1908 on civil actions, AB 1954 on business reservations, AB 1957 on mortgages, AB 1977 on notaries, AB 2001 and AB 2052 on criminal procedure, AB 2107 on pupil instruction, AB 2263 on housing, AB 2346 and AB 2595 on e-bike safety, AB 1562 on elections, AB 2180 on local government finance, and AB 2624 on privacy and the Safe at Home program for immigration support service providers. AB 2624 drew the most extended debate, with supporters saying it protects workers and families from doxxing and threats, and opponents arguing it could chill First Amendment activity and affect journalists; it ultimately passed 49-13 and was immediately transmitted to the Governor. The Assembly also adopted H.R. 134, designating November as California’s first-generation college celebration month. Supporters described the importance of first-generation students and higher education access, and the resolution was adopted by voice vote after 63 co-authors were added. On the Senate concurrence file, members approved measures on court transparency (SB 932), health authorities (SB 1400), community college procurement (SB 1154), child support notice in probate (SB 1264), atmospheric river forecasting (SB 599), emergency vehicle abatement (SB 692), contractor accountability (SB 1263), trash service during labor disputes (SB 1371), rural highway signage near Ridgecrest (SB 990), truck driver licensing and supply chain issues (SJR 16), emergency reporting deadlines (SB 401), CPR/AED instruction in schools (SB 945), healthy children’s meals at chain restaurants (SB 977), domestic violence litigation abuse protections (SB 1192), immigration legal services (SB 1194), water appropriations (SB 872), fusion energy planning (SB 925), conversion therapy protections (SB 934), CalWORKs eligibility rules (SB 1030), protective orders for sexually explicit materials (SB 1056), air pollution and aftermarket auto parts approvals (SB 1069), wildlife coexistence (SB 1135), and a disabled veterans property tax exemption expansion (SB 296). Most of these measures passed with little or no opposition, though SB 1371, SB 934, SB 1135, and SB 296 drew some dissenting votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Energy costs are also rising rapidly.
• According to UC Berkeley's Haas Energy Institute, electricity bills have increased nearly 40% over the
• lot of our work here is tackling some of the major issues that you raised, including housing costs, energy
• room, with a tax credit to put money back into your pocket, which translates into paying your higher energy
• Some of the industries that could benefit from this include fusion energy, something I'm kind of partial

Committee: Senate Revenue and Taxation

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• executive director of Oklahoma's Department of Environmental Quality testified before the Senate Energy
• Jason Jepsen with Eden Energy. Jason is Eden Energy's chief marketing officer.
• energy, biochar, and organic fertilizers with no harmful byproducts.
• We are at an impetus of energy, of waste, and of poison crisis in this country and around the world,
• That allows either a a family office, Private equity, city, state, private, public offerings, or us,

Committee: House Agriculture

Summary: The committee hearing focused on biosolids, sewage sludge, and PFAS contamination, with the opening remarks and first three presenters arguing that land application of municipal sludge poses serious risks to soil, water, livestock, and human health. Representative Shaw cited EPA and state data on detected pollutants and PFAS in biosolids, while Denise Travick Poyer described her background in chemical engineering and PFAS work and said the EPA’s draft sewage sludge risk assessment shows unacceptable risk at very low PFOS/PFOA levels. She urged source reduction, more testing, and consideration of total organic fluorine, and noted examples from Michigan where industrial pretreatment and source reduction reduced PFAS in biosolids. Johnson County, Texas Commissioner Larry Woolley and Investigator Dana Ames presented a case study of alleged runoff from land-applied biosolids affecting a ranch, with high PFAS readings in soil, water, fish, cattle tissue, and a stillborn calf, and said the county and state had pursued investigations, lawsuits, and legislative responses. Sandra Trawick of Save Oklahoma Farms and Ranches argued that Oklahoma’s biosolids program relies heavily on Class B sludge, that current rules are outdated, and that land application exposes farms and rural communities to pathogens, chemicals, odors, flies, and runoff; she cited examples from Maine, Texas, Georgia, Michigan, and Oklahoma to support calls for stronger regulation or a ban. After the testimony, members asked about sampling methods, lab testing, EPA limits, and whether the cited PFAS blood levels were comparable to the soil and sludge measurements. Witnesses said the Johnson County samples were collected by a Texas A&M PhD contractor and tested at a single lab, and they explained that the EPA’s 4 parts per trillion figure applied to municipal drinking water standards. Questions also addressed whether sludge is incorporated into soil; Trawick said it had often been left on the surface, though she had seen better disking after public scrutiny. Members asked how biosolids compare with manure and feedlot waste, and witnesses responded that municipal sludge is more contaminated because it includes industrial, hospital, and household waste streams, unlike animal manure. The committee then moved to alternative solutions, hearing from Doug McKinney of Advanced Microbial Solutions, who promoted biological sludge removal using bacteria to reduce sludge volumes and avoid land application, citing cost savings for wastewater plants and correctional facilities. Jason Jepsen of Eden Energy followed with a pitch for an eight-stage waste-to-energy system that converts mixed waste into clean energy, biochar, and reusable products, framing waste as an asset and presenting his company’s technology as a no-land-application alternative.

Transcript Highlights:

• They actually spoke at the Advanced Energy Conference last year and didn't even mention that they're
• storage that we need in order to realize our energy goals as a society.
• I was talking to some scientists recently, and they talked... ...about all the energy that was needed
• a very, very, very complex problem is the same amount of energy you'll use the entire year.
• It's more like Some kind of nuclear energy or something on that scale.

Committee: House Investments & Pensions Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• opportunities to help faculty rethink teaching methods and redesign courses, including ways to narrow equity
• Additionally, some faculty do have access to campus grants that fund... ...equity gaps.
• 2025 to help faculty enhance their instruction, improve overall student outcomes, and help close equity
• across its higher education and workforce systems contributes to unmet labor market needs, widens equity
• The project is so important; that's why we're devoting so much energy and attention to it.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think the world of her for her perspicacity, her energy, and her ability.
• Right now he has equity and things in his home that he's not getting now.
• We're not getting the equity, and we could never sell our homes for what we paid for them until the rest
• Right now he has equity and things in his home that he's not getting now.
• We're not getting in the equity and we could never sell our homes for what we paid for them until the

Summary: The committee first took up HB 620, a constitutional amendment and companion legislation to centralize collection of state and local sales taxes. The author and supporters from the Tax Foundation, COST, NFIB, and LABI argued that Louisiana’s decentralized system creates high compliance costs, inconsistent administration, and lost revenue, especially for small businesses and out-of-state sellers. Several members raised concerns about the recent rollout of the hybrid e-file system, the effect on local cash flow and auditability, and whether the state could implement a fully centralized system without disrupting parish and municipal revenues. The author ultimately agreed to voluntarily defer HB 620 and its companion HB 658 so the committee could see how the current system performs and continue working with local stakeholders. The committee then heard HB 898, which would dedicate a portion of surplus revenue to reducing and eventually eliminating the state income tax. The author described it as a gradual, revenue-triggered approach to tax elimination, while another member suggested pairing it with reductions in tax exemptions and credits. The bill was voluntarily deferred for future consideration. Next, the committee considered HB 217 and HB 214, a bill and constitutional amendment creating an optional property tax exemption for rehabilitated blighted or derelict properties. Support came from local government and law enforcement groups, who said the measure would give parishes and municipalities a tool to encourage redevelopment and reduce blight. Members discussed safeguards, including local option, whether the exemption should follow the property for 20 years, and whether a step-down at the end of the exemption period should be considered. HB 217 was reported favorably as amended, and HB 214 was also reported favorably. The committee also advanced HB 514 and HB 561, both by Rep. Farnum, which expand property tax relief for seniors and certain trusts. HB 514 creates an optional additional ad valorem tax exemption for homeowners age 65 and older, and HB 561 extends eligibility to certain trusts when the qualifying owner occupies the home. Both measures were described as local-option tools to help seniors remain in their homes, and both were reported favorably as amended. Finally, HB 812, by the vice chair, was heard to allow limited annual compensation increases for parish assessors. Assessor representatives said their duties have expanded and their pay has fallen behind clerks of court; members questioned the lack of direct local voter input, but the bill was presented as optional and funded locally, with discussion of transparency and a possible task force to coordinate future compensation policy.

Transcript Highlights:

• But long-term, that would help us stabilize operations if we could get green energy in there.
• housing program where families work alongside one another to build their first home by providing sweat equity
• housing program where families work alongside one another to build their first home by providing sweat equity
• Over time, many of these families have worked hard, built stability, and created equity in their homes
• several changes that I think overall have helped the entire state, but again, we talk a lot about equity

Summary: The committee held an outcomes review hearing on AB 457 and related farmworker and rural housing policy, with members and witnesses discussing whether recent streamlining laws are actually increasing production. Chair Haney, Assembly Members Soria and Pellerin, and others described the purpose of AB 457 and its predecessor bills AB 1783 and AB 3035: to make farmworker housing easier to build through ministerial approval and other reforms. Witnesses emphasized that farmworkers face severe overcrowding, high rents, long commutes, and limited access to housing in both rural and coastal agricultural regions. The first panel focused on practical barriers and local models. Napa County described its county-owned farmworker centers, which provide nightly lodging, meals, and services, funded by lodger fees, a grower assessment, and state support. Testimony stressed that these centers function as navigation hubs rather than permanent housing, and that stable, inflation-adjusted operating funding, language access, transportation, and local set-asides are critical. United Farm Workers urged that local farmworkers be prioritized over H-2A workers and warned against displacing long-term resident workers. Several witnesses said the biggest barriers remain infrastructure, land costs, local opposition, and insufficient subsidy rather than approval streamlining alone. The second and third panels addressed AB 457’s implementation and broader state funding issues. Santa Clara County said the bill could help on a county-owned Gilroy site, but financing remains the main obstacle. Self-Help Enterprises said AB 457’s expanded geography and project-size rules may help future sites, but rural projects still struggle with water, sewer, and environmental review costs, and with the state’s Super NOFA process, which tends to favor deeper-income projects that do not match farmworker household incomes. HCD reported that CERNA and other programs have increased farmworker housing production in recent years, but witnesses argued that rural regions still receive too little funding, that infrastructure dollars are too fragmented, and that more rural-specific set-asides, local funding incentives, and predictable allocations are needed. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill is centered on equity, on making sure that all students can utilize their right to waive credits
• While standardizing the process sounds like a path to equity, in the case of PE waivers, it is a path
• That is not equity, that is sorting. That is not equity, that is sorting.
• comply with state and federal laws regarding student safety, campus security, emergency response, and energy

Bills: SB5952 , SB5961 , SB5969 , SB5841 , SB5943

Committee: Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education

Keywords: physical education, school districts, student requirements, education policy, high school, early literacy, childhood literacy, book distribution, Imagination Library, Dolly Parton Imagination Library, preschool, pre-K, reading readiness, school readiness, birth to age five, young children, nonprofit contract, OSPI, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, DCYF

Transcript Highlights:

• Megan Abel, on behalf of Tech Equity Collaborative, in support. Thank you.
• The adjustment is necessary to maintain equity within the industry and ensure workers are receiving adequate
• Californians deserve to know whether the job they are spending the time and energy to apply for is actually
• Megan Abel with Tech Equity in support.
• Megan Abel with Tech Equity in support.

Summary: The committee heard a series of labor-related bills, with most measures focused on worker training, privacy, wages, and safety. AB 296 would require schools or districts to host apprenticeship fairs at least once a year, with flexibility on how they are run and whether programs outside the county can participate. Supporters said it would help connect students to skilled trades and address workforce shortages; school administrators opposed the bill as an unfunded mandate that could be impractical for elementary schools. The bill was later moved on call, with the committee noting it could not vote until quorum was established. AB 1221 and AB 1331 both addressed workplace surveillance. AB 1221 would restrict invasive monitoring tools, require notice to workers, limit the use and sharing of worker data, and require human review before discipline based on surveillance outputs. Labor groups supported the bill as a response to AI-driven monitoring, while business groups raised concerns about broad definitions, security cameras, investigations, and data-access provisions. AB 1331 focused more narrowly on privacy in off-duty and private spaces, limiting surveillance in places like restrooms, break areas, vehicles, and homes; hospitals and business groups opposed it as too broad and potentially disruptive to safety, cybersecurity, and facility monitoring. Both bills were advanced by committee vote. The committee also heard AB 1181, which would require firefighter turnout gear to be free of cancer-causing chemicals such as PFAS by 2027, and AB 1198, which would require prevailing wage rates on public works to reflect the wage in effect when the work is performed rather than when the project was first advertised. Firefighter representatives strongly supported AB 1181, while the chemical industry asked to continue working on scope and timelines. AB 1198 drew support from labor and contractor groups but opposition from local governments and housing groups concerned about mid-project cost increases; it was passed to Appropriations after a roll-call vote. Other measures approved included AB 1235 on skilled-and-trained workers for CSU construction, AB 1251 on ghost job postings, AB 552 on locating the Agricultural Labor Relations Board office outside Sacramento, AB 1110 on updating Cal/OSHA workplace posters, AB 1136 on expanding high road training partnerships, and AB 1234 on wage claim enforcement. AB 692, which would ban employer debt agreements that require workers to repay training or other costs if they leave a job, drew strong support from nurses and labor advocates and opposition from business and health care groups; it was also passed on a roll-call vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Under the name of diversity, equity and inclusion that administration imposed a nationwide regime of
• legal policy, you can expect me to pursue the President's and the Attorney General's agenda with energy
• Miss Dillon, you'll have to protect the civil rights of all Americans under diversity, equity, and inclusion
• And I think the President and Attorney General Bondi have made clear that diversity, equity, inclusion
• It goes by a bunch of different names, principally equity or DEI or CRT, you can go on and on, but whatever

Committee: Senate Senate Judiciary

Keywords: Department of Justice, nominations, Assistant Attorney General, civil rights, enforcement, committee discussion

Summary: The meeting covered important discussions surrounding key nominations in the Department of Justice, specifically for the roles of Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights and the Office of Legal Policy. Various committee members took turns to express their views on the nominees, emphasizing the implications of their potential confirmation on civil rights enforcement in the country. Alongside the committee discussion, the nominees provided insights into their professional backgrounds and how their experiences align with the responsibilities of the positions for which they have been nominated.

Transcript Highlights:

• For the Cal Asian Chamber and the communities we represent, this bill is a commitment to economic equity
• bills that this committee has passed over the last several years as part of California's nonprofit equity
• Whether it's providing energy assistance, food security, Whether it's providing energy assistance, food

Summary: The committee began with an informational hearing on the second amendment to the Yurok Tribe’s 2006 tribal-state gaming compact. Governor’s office staff and Yurok Tribal Chairman Joseph James explained that the amendment is a narrow, technical one that extends the compact’s expiration to December 31 of this year to preserve the status quo while the parties negotiate a long-term replacement. Members asked about the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ role, and staff explained that because the change is only a deadline extension and not a substantive compact change, it does not require BIA approval. No vote was taken on the informational item. The committee then heard AB 2156, which would designate March 31 as Farm Workers’ Day in California. The authors and supporters said the bill is intended to honor the farm worker movement and shift the holiday away from any one individual in light of recent allegations, while recognizing the contributions and sacrifices of farm workers. Several members spoke in support, including personal reflections on family histories in farm labor and on the need to center victims and farm workers’ dignity. The bill was moved to the floor, with the roll held open for absent members. Next, the committee heard SB 1044, which would raise the small business procurement cap from $250,000 to $350,000 and index it to inflation. The author and supporters from the Hispanic and Asian Pacific chambers of commerce argued the current cap is outdated and limits opportunities for small businesses, microbusinesses, and disabled veteran business enterprises. Some support was qualified, with one coalition noting concerns about access to capital for microbusinesses but still leaning in favor. The bill passed to Appropriations, with the roll held open. The committee also heard SB 1114, which would restrict state agencies from sharing LGBTQ-related data with federal agencies except where legally required. The author and Equality California said the bill is meant to protect sensitive data from misuse and preserve trust in voluntary state data collection. Support came from Planned Parenthood affiliates and Health Access California, with no opposition. The bill passed to the Privacy Committee, with the roll held open. Finally, the committee heard SB 1248 on automated decision systems in state government, SB 1273 on short-form video advertising for winery instructional events, and SB 917 on allowing more small wineries to sell at farmers’ markets. SB 1248 drew the most debate: the author said it would create baseline guardrails for automated systems, require human review for adverse decisions, and help state agencies use automation responsibly, while labor groups opposed it as authorizing use before meaningful stakeholder engagement and collective bargaining input. Several members supported moving it forward but stressed the need for labor participation in future negotiations; it passed to the Privacy Committee with the roll held open. SB 1273 and SB 917 were both presented as modest measures to help the wine industry adapt to current marketing and sales conditions, and both passed to Appropriations with roll calls held open. The hearing then moved on to SB 1240, which would create an Office of Nonprofit Empowerment to help nonprofits navigate state procurement and grant processes; the author described nonprofits’ economic importance and the need for a liaison, but the transcript cuts off before testimony or action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• And finally, we've harnessed the energy and the synergy between workforce and housing, just as they do
• I think one of the biggest benefits of this program is that there are lower-than-standard equity requirements
• You'll get your equity on the house. You can start because the interest rate is lower.
• And your energy is incredible, Mr. Chairman. That reminds me of coaching.

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The final 6% will be served by the federal BEAD program, Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program
• tremendous legislative wins that we had with the establishment of the Military Base Impact Fund and the energy
• So, expansion of aerospace and space programs, advanced energy, advanced computing, those are all things
• This is an investment in our equity and our compliance in our future. So thank you so much.

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• administration's AI action plan is tailor-made for Texas, where we're the leader in semiconductors and in energy
• done a better job, Republicans and Democrats, of funding key infrastructure—transportation, water, energy
• We think that builds stockholder equity, and that makes their property go up because people want to move
• We think that builds stockholder equity.

Bills: SB9

Committee: Senate Local Government

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax rate calculation, Tax Code, local government finance, municipality, county, special taxing unit, sales and use tax, property tax cap, tax rollback, tax levy, maintenance and operations, debt rate, disaster relief rate, Texas Legislature, local taxing unit

Summary: The Senate Committee on Local Government met to hear Senate Bill 9, which would lower the voter-approval tax rate for certain local taxing units from 3.5% to 2.5%. Sen. Bettencourt, the bill author, argued the change would continue the state’s property tax reforms begun in 2019, slow local levy growth, and give voters more say over larger tax increases. He and supporters cited data showing property tax levies have grown faster than population plus inflation, and said the bill would help protect taxpayers while preserving the state’s broader investments in school tax relief, water, rural law enforcement, and ambulance funding. Supporters included the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, the Texas Association of Business, the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and the Texas Association of Manufacturers. They said the bill would improve transparency, encourage more disciplined budgeting, and create certainty for homeowners and businesses. They argued that lower tax-rate growth would help attract and retain employers and investment, and that voters would still be able to approve higher rates when needed. Local officials and other opponents said the bill would constrain cities and counties facing rapid growth, inflation, infrastructure needs, and public safety costs. Testimony from county judges, city finance officials, firefighters, and urban county representatives emphasized pressures from jail operations, roads, water, EMS, police and fire staffing, and unfunded mandates. Several witnesses asked for carve-outs or exemptions for public safety and disaster-related costs, warning that a one-size-fits-all cap could force service cuts or shift costs elsewhere. The committee heard extensive questioning but no final vote or disposition on the bill was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• To equity and to students' right to speak and learn freely.
• We are an organization deeply committed to education equity and to the civil liberties and civil rights
• And so that's the energy that I'm here with.
• I'm here with the energy of Oakland students who appreciate maturity in the conversation.

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:40:01.200><c> So</c><00:40:01.520><c> 3.35</c> Um, we have energy renewable energy fund net proceeds
• </c><00:41:32.079><c> energy</c><00:41:32.480><c> fund</c> Um we have energy renewable energy fund Um
• we have energy renewable energy fund net<00:41:33.119><c> proceeds.
• :30.719><c> uh</c> Department of Energy unfunded uh Department of Energy unfunded uh position<01:13:31.679
• Um, just where is the information about taking money from the renewable energy fund?

Keywords: LBA Briefing on Budget, 928, house, all

Summary: The presentation was an LBA overview of Senate changes to the House-passed state budget, with Michael Kane explaining how Senate Finance updated revenue and spending estimates after April revenue figures and agency discussions. He said the Senate’s revenue outlook was higher than the House’s in some areas, but lower in others, especially video lottery terminal revenue, and that the biggest differences also came from changes to revenue splits between the general fund and education trust fund, lapse estimates, and several policy changes in House Bill 1 and House Bill 2. Kane highlighted several major revenue and policy differences: the Senate changed the business tax, tobacco tax, and real estate transfer tax splits; adjusted liquor revenue dedication; removed the House’s meals-and-rooms distribution cap; delayed the Lakes Region facility proceeds plan; altered the PECARD fund treatment; added a granite patron of the arts tax credit; and changed the treatment of unique funds and video lottery terminal revenue. On spending, he noted Senate changes to judicial, corrections, HHS, human rights commission, and other budgets, including additional settlement costs, higher lapse assumptions, and a different approach to Medicaid premium revenue and retirement savings. He also described Senate additions such as a nursing home bed fee, Hampstead Hospital transition funding, and changes to the YDC claims settlement fund. The presentation focused on comparing House and Senate surplus statements across fiscal years 2025 through 2027, including projected ending balances and rainy day fund transfers. Kane repeatedly emphasized that the numbers were still dependent on final revenues and lapse amounts, and that some balances would be carried forward and trued up later in the biennium. No committee vote or final action was described in the excerpt; it was an informational budget briefing and comparison of the two chambers’ proposals.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c> companies in critical minerals, energy, companies in critical minerals, energy, and<04:36:23.039
• </c><04:48:40.958><c> and</c> point for US international energy and point for US international energy
• </c> straight of Hormuse can disrupt energy straight of Hormuse can disrupt energy markets<04:48:59.520
• </c> strengthen critical mineral and energy strengthen critical mineral and energy supply<04:54:44.718
• </c><04:54:55.440><c> and</c> Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Resources Subcommittee on Energy and

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, June 8, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have new energy.
• We have new energy. We have a new staff member who is supporting that program.
• have not discussed this as a faculty recently, but I think the idea behind it is that it promotes equity
• have not discussed this as a faculty recently, but I think the idea behind it is that it promotes equity
• Which still provides equity but in a much more sophisticated way, I would say.

Bills: SB1 , SB3

Committee: House House Judiciary

Keywords: interstate medical licensure compact, physician licensure, medical license reciprocity, expedited licensure, medical practice act, New Mexico medical board, compact commission, physician mobility, telemedicine, license portability, background check, disciplinary action, joint investigation, reproductive health care, gender-affirming care, scope of practice, medical board transparency, multistate compact, licensure renewal, health care workforce