Transcript Highlights:

• Ladies and gentlemen, this is the House Agricultural Affairs Committee.
• Agriculture isn't just an industry to me. Agriculture isn't just an industry to me. It's personal.
• My future is in agriculture.
• I work with the American Federation of Agriculture.
• And Idaho Code is already very clear on that. So that's why we wanted to reference that code.

Committee: House Agricultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the Executive Director of the Texas Broadband Association. Texas Broadband Association.
• allocated about $3.3 billion to provide here in Texas.
• I'm an attorney here in Austin, Texas.
• This Texas Constitution requires that fair market value be paid to the city. of the state of Texas for
• It was the Southwest, SBC Texas versus Harris County.

Bills: HB3713 , HB3953 , HB4055 , HB4272

Committee: House S/C on Telecommunications & Broadband

Keywords: telecommunications, local exchange companies, universal service fund, rate maintenance, business expansion, broadband access, internet service, multiunit residential properties, urban areas, affordability programs, fiber-optic cables, public land, construction permits, environmental impact, notification requirements, municipal projects, infrastructure, facility relocation, public right-of-way

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the tax code like traditional firearms. the tax code like traditional firearms.
• </c> violence that we saw in Yuvaldi, Texas violence that we saw in Yuvaldi, Texas that<01:05:04.720>
• If it's about the tax code, let's deal with the tax code. But as Mr.
• </c><03:20:18.000><c> Texas</c> primaries." What did Texas do? Texas primaries." What did Texas do?
• Midcycle racist redistricting in Texas. Midcycle racist redistricting in Texas.

Bills: HB5616 , HB2189

Keywords: less-than-lethal, firearm regulation, law enforcement, tax exemption, de-escalation, non-lethal

Transcript Highlights:

• So this bill hard-codes a specific funding formula into the Constitution.
• Hard-codes a specific funding formula into the Constitution.
• Fixes an issue with an impermissible code in the IRS and gets us into compliance, yielded questions,
• Code vote. Code to vote. 63 aye, 33 nay. The gavel is light. The code vote passed. Mr.
• My question is, could these procedure codes and then looking at the cost, could this potentially rein

Bills: HB4420 , HB3974 , HB3016 , HB3062 , HB3021 , HB3145 , HB4128 , HB3131 , HB3015 , HB3472 , HB3453 , HB1638 , HB4126 , HB2696 , HB2710 , HB3552 , HB3031 , HB3544 , HB3521 , HB4490 , HB4488 , HB1746 , HJR1069 , HB4428 , HB4429 , HB1170 , HB3538 , HB4124 , HB3904 , HB4106 , HB2999 , HB3982 , HJR1077 , HB3464 , HB2588 , HB3462 , HB4440 , HB3674 , HB3345 , HJR1067 , HB4326 , HB4331 , HB4337 , HB4338 , HB4359 , HB4392 , HB3557 , HJR1076 , HB4003 , HB3495 , HB3497 , HB3501 , HB3505 , HB3749 , HB3011 , HB4336 , HB4346 , HJR1087 , HB3240 , HB3647 , HB3796 , HB3969 , HB3972 , HB3983 , HB3984 , HB3989 , HB3383 , HB3130 , HB4358 , HB3327 , HJR1055 , HB3386 , HJR1089 , HB3087 , HB2970 , HB3314 , HB4129 , HB4199

Summary: The House considered and passed a series of bills focused on public finance, securities, pharmacy regulation, criminal penalties, energy, housing associations, and Medicaid. Early votes included House Bill 4428, which requires public retirement systems to base proxy voting and related engagement on fiduciary, pecuniary factors, and House Bill 4429, which adds disclosure requirements for proxy advisors and excludes charitable organizations from the definition; both passed. House Bill 1170, also dealing with public finance and aligning definitions with the earlier retirement-system bill, passed the House, but its emergency clause failed. The chamber also adopted a motion to suspend House Rule 4.4J to allow food on the floor for the rest of the legislative day. Members then passed House Bill 3538, a negotiated pharmacy benefits manager measure that establishes a mandatory minimum dispensing fee for pharmacies and was described as intended to help independent pharmacies; it passed unanimously. House Bill 4124, allowing pharmacies to sell human ivermectin over the counter, also passed after extended debate. House Bill 3904, which changes Oklahoma Medicaid maternity payments to separate prenatal, delivery, and postpartum reimbursements, passed with broad support. House Bill 4106, lowering the felony threshold for repeated petty larceny from $1,000 to $900 and tying it to multiple offenses within 180 days, passed after amendment. The House also approved House Bill 2999, which would prohibit requiring public officials to sign nondisclosure agreements under certain conditions, and House Bill 3982, addressing temporary tags for new and used dealerships and commercial vehicles. House Bill 3464, an energy bill adding landowner protections, notice, decommissioning, and permitting reforms for wind, solar, and battery storage facilities, passed unanimously and its emergency clause also passed. House Bill 2588, requiring HOA board members to own property and physically reside in the association, passed as well. A major debate centered on House Joint Resolution 1077, a constitutional amendment to restructure how tobacco settlement funds are used: it would move TSET legacy functions to the Health Department, direct more funding toward Oklahoma’s Promise/OLAP and related education opportunities, and preserve the corpus while redirecting distributions. Supporters framed it as a long-term investment in education and workforce opportunities; opponents argued it would undermine public health funding and repurpose a voter-created trust. The resolution passed the House, and the special-election referral required for the constitutional amendment also received the necessary two-thirds vote. Later, House Bill 4440, which would move Medicaid expansion from the Constitution into statute and separate expansion from traditional Medicaid, also passed after substantial debate over health care access, provider rates, and the role of voters. Finally, House Bill 3462 on plumbing licensing was laid over after amendments were discussed, including changes to apprenticeship and out-of-state reciprocity.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill comes to us from agriculture. So the amendment is not an author's amendment.
• So the amendment is not an agriculture.
• So we're the agricultural co-op and retailers across the state.
• Potentially, is it going back to agriculture, or is this requested to go back to ag?
• All those in Committee on Agriculture.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas Public Schools.
• Texas. 9,100 campuses.
• Not good enough for Texas.
• We're in Magnolia, Texas. In Magnolia, Texas. Can't imagine. Yeah, that's right.
• The updated, the outdated language in the Texas Education Code. 37.82 refers to things such as paging

Bills: SB451 , SB762 , SB1490 , SB1262 , SB1459 , SB1750 , SB1962 , SB2252 , SB2253 , SB2365

Committees: Senate Education , Senate Education K-16

Bills: SB79 , HB379 , SB253 , HB278 , HB438 , HB233 , SB79 , HB379 , SB253 , HB278 , HB438 , HB233

Committee: House Ways and Means Education

Keywords: sex-based terminology, gender identity, male, female, man, woman, boy, girl, single-sex spaces, women's rights, privacy, safety, fairness, anti-discrimination, vital statistics, birth certificate, intersex, DSD, differences in sex development, transgender

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas. Yes.
• to regulate Texas positions.
• in the state of Texas.
• the state of Texas.
• Medical Association, Texas.

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Articles VI, VII, & VIII

Transcript Highlights:

• So I don't think you want a private corporation acting as code enforcement.
• I know one of them is getting a code enforcement. It's a larger one.
• Doesn't have a permit, not allowed, getting code enforcement action.
• And you're creating an additional code enforcement requirement to say that people...
• I think it's twice the amount of Texas and 1.5 the amount in Colorado.

Summary: The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee heard a long agenda of housing-related bills, beginning with AB 518 on low-impact camping areas. The author and supporters said the bill would streamline permitting for small rural camping operations on private land, expand outdoor access, and support rural economies, while opponents from campground associations and counties warned it could undermine existing regulation, create enforcement problems, and allow advertising of unpermitted sites. Members raised concerns about fire safety and local control, but the bill was ultimately passed as amended on an 8-0 vote. The committee then approved AB 635, which would require HCD to refer up to 25 of the most serious mobile home residency law complaints to the Attorney General. Supporters said mobile home residents need stronger enforcement against egregious park-owner violations, while opponents argued the existing program is underused, costly, and should remain subject to a sunset. After discussion of the program’s surplus and enforcement role, the bill passed 9-1. AB 893, which expands ministerial approval for mixed-income housing near college campuses and broadens eligibility for affordable units to students, faculty, and staff, also drew strong support from student advocates and housing groups and respectful opposition from the League of California Cities over local control and height limits; it passed 10-0. AB 925, the Mobile Home Emergency Safety Act, would require stronger emergency preparedness measures in mobile home parks, including accessible exits, working fire hydrants, and gas shutoff access, with a fee increase to fund enforcement. Supporters framed it as a life-safety measure in disaster-prone areas, while opponents argued the bill duplicates existing requirements and imposes an unnecessary fee increase. The committee voted 6-1 to send it to Appropriations, with the bill left on call. The consent calendar, including several other housing and local government bills, was approved 8-0. The committee also heard AB 712, which would increase penalties and attorney-fee protections for applicants enforcing state housing laws against public agencies; supporters said it would improve compliance, while special districts opposed the bill as overly broad and unclear. Members discussed indemnification and timing issues, and the bill was advanced with amendments to Judiciary.

Transcript Highlights:

• That day in Texas when we can't say the same thing about our governor.
• The Texas Election Code states that it is the intention... ...of the legislature that the application
• of the Texas Election Code in the conduct of elections be uniform and consistent throughout the state
• As indicated by the code, your conduct in setting the special election should be uniform and consistent
• On November 9th, you ordered an expedited special election on December 11th, 2018, for the Texas State

Keywords: special election, 18th Congressional District, Governor Abbott, federal representation, constituent services, Sylvester Turner

Summary: State Rep. Jolanda Jones, joined by Sen. Molly Cook and Reps. Christina Morales, Charlene Ward Johnson, and Lauren Ashley Simmons, held a press event at the Capitol urging Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special election for Texas Congressional District 18. They said the district has been without federal representation since the death of Rep. Sylvester Turner and argued that more than 800,000 constituents are losing access to constituent services, federal assistance, and a voice in Congress. The speakers framed the delay as a constitutional and fairness issue, repeatedly describing the situation as “taxation without representation.” They said the vacancy affects Democrats and Republicans alike, and cited examples such as passport help, veterans’ issues, immigration concerns, and access to federal funding. Several speakers accused the governor of delaying for partisan reasons and called for immediate action so the district can elect a new representative. A letter from Sen. Borris Miles was read into the record, urging Abbott to set the earliest possible special election date and noting that the governor has acted quickly in past vacancies. The event ended with a unified demand that Abbott call the election immediately; no vote or formal legislative action was taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• providers, The tele-mentoring program in Washington State has engaged 289 providers across 250 zip codes
• Elementary Program in Washington State has engaged 289 providers across 250 zip codes, produced 42% gains
• And again, in Texas, Florida, it didn’t seem to affect the number of people that went.
• In Texas and Florida, it didn’t seem to affect the number of people that went.
• It's been done in Florida, has been done in Texas.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee began with a presentation from the Alzheimer’s Association Desert Southwest Chapter and Dr. Anna Burke of Barrow Neurological Institute on the growing impact of Alzheimer’s and dementia in Arizona, the need for earlier diagnosis, better provider education, caregiver support, and continued research funding. They described current gaps in training and access to specialists, but also highlighted new therapies, lifestyle interventions, and Arizona-based research efforts. Members expressed support and optimism, but no action was taken on the presentation. The committee then heard HB 2202, which appropriates $300,000 from the general fund over fiscal years 2027 through 2029 for a dementia care tele-mentoring grant program through the Department of Health Services. Supporters, including the Alzheimer’s Association, a dementia specialist, and a patient advocate, said the program would help primary care providers diagnose dementia earlier and improve care. The bill was passed out of committee on an 11-0 vote. Next, the committee took up HB 2251, the midwifery bill, which would authorize certain licensed midwives to dispense and administer specified medications and devices, require liability insurance disclosure and annual reporting, and create a Midwifery Advisory Committee. A committee amendment removed some medications and renamed the bill the Jordan and MacTerry Act. ACOG and the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association opposed the bill as drafted, citing concerns about oversight, peer review, and the medication list, while licensed midwives and other supporters argued the bill would improve safety, transparency, and alignment with national standards. The bill was held for further stakeholder work, with members indicating more amendments were likely. The committee then heard HB 2252, which would allow certified nurse midwives, certified professional midwives, or licensed midwives to accompany a patient in a ground ambulance during an out-of-hospital birth if approved by medical direction. Supporters described cases where continued midwife involvement during transport helped newborns and mothers, while firefighters and EMS representatives opposed the bill as written, saying it created ambiguity about command and scene control and could raise safety concerns. The chair said the bill would be held for further stakeholder meetings and possible language changes. After a recess, the committee reconvened for presentations on federal Medicaid and rural health funding impacts, beginning with JLBC’s overview of H.R. 1’s Medicaid provisions and the rural health transformation grant program.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, states like California and Texas, where this is currently the approach: local governments set tax
• of ethics by the to professional code of ethics by the State<00:48:50.840><c> Board</c><00:48:51.040
• We are all familiar with residential,<01:16:08.880><c> homesteaded,</c><01:16:09.440><c> agricultural
• ,</c> residential, homesteaded, agricultural, residential, homesteaded, agricultural, and<01:16:10.880
• Now, that's a code word for if nobody's against it, you know. Okay. Let's.

Bills: HF4906 , HF3971 , HF4777 , HF2109 , HF2988

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: property tax, tax refund, taxpayer relief, Minnesota taxation, one-time payment, taxation, property valuation, Tax Court, evidentiary standards, Minnesota Statutes, disparity reduction, aid payments, local government, funding, Fillmore County, education funding, managed forest land, classification, forest management plan, agricultural land

Transcript Highlights:

• We welcome everybody to the Senate Agricultural Committee, and thank you for being here with us.
• Idaho State Department of Agriculture.
• And we do have places in code where some specific pests are called out.
• As we talk about where agriculture has sat in the last... ...business, as we talk about where agriculture
• Exports are very important to food and agriculture.

Committee: Senate Agricultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• DPS-owned and operated aircraft... ...maintained by Texas DPS employees.
• The Crime Records Division at the Texas Department of Public Safety.
• I am the administrator for the Texas Anti-Gang Center in Houston, Texas.
• Procedures and also in the Penal Code as well.
• Texas. This requires a unified real-time intelligence platform.

Bills: SB2199 , SB2200 , SB2201 , SB2949 , SB2332

Committee: Senate Border Security

Transcript Highlights:

• We all know the prioritization for investing in our Texas students and our future Texas workforce.
• and our future Texas workforce.
• Thank you very much. ...for investing in our Texas students and our future Texas workforce.
• I thought Texas was number one.
• to be in the state of Texas.

Bills: SB 1 , SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee convened for its first hearing of the 89th regular session, confirmed a quorum, adopted committee rules by a 15-0 vote, and began review of Senate Bill 1, the state budget for fiscal years 2026-27. Chair Huffman outlined the committee’s organization, introduced staff, and described the budget as conservative and focused on one-time investments. She highlighted major SB 1 priorities including property tax relief, full funding for public education formulas, teacher pay, school safety, border security, Medicaid growth, dementia research, energy and water infrastructure, transportation, wildfire suppression, and other capital and public safety needs. Comptroller Glenn Hager presented the biennial revenue estimate, saying the state has $194.6 billion available for general-purpose spending in 2026-27, with a projected $23.8 billion ending balance from the current biennium. He cautioned that revenue growth is returning to more normal levels and that lawmakers should avoid committing short-term surpluses to ongoing expenses. He also explained that the Economic Stabilization Fund is projected to hit its constitutional cap, meaning an estimated $5.6 billion in severance tax and related revenue would remain in general revenue in the upcoming biennium rather than flow into the fund. Senators discussed whether to raise or rename the fund and the implications of keeping more severance-tax revenue in general revenue. The Legislative Budget Board then gave an overview of SB 1 and the budget’s major funding changes. LBB staff explained that the bill is essentially flat at $332.9 billion in all funds, but includes large method-of-finance shifts and major property tax relief. They detailed how prior property tax relief enacted in the 88th Legislature grew from an estimated $18 billion to $22.7 billion because of higher property values and hold-harmless provisions, and said SB 1 continues that relief with a total of $51 billion in ongoing and new property tax support. Members asked extensive questions about the automatic growth in school tax compression, the constitutional homestead exemption, COVID-era federal funding, Medicaid assumptions, and the sunset of the non-homestead circuit breaker. No additional votes or final budget actions were taken beyond adoption of the committee rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• So first up, Commissioner Peterson from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
• And why is the Department of Agriculture involved?
• My biggest question is, why is this in our agricultural bill?
• Not in agriculture in particular, but I see it used.
• Under the federal code, there are trainings that have to happen.

Bills: HF2446

Committee: House Agriculture Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• It'll be my 10th year as the chair of the Agriculture and Environment Committee.
• The USDA agricultural conservation programs have really taken a pretty heavy hit.
• Um the USDA agricultural land funds.
• </c><00:36:38.000><c> era</c> the court because the agricultural era the court because the agricultural
• Now we could have a climate protection plan put together by Texas.

Summary: The Judiciary and Agriculture and Environment committees held an informational briefing on how recent federal policy changes, funding delays, cancellations, and layoffs are affecting Hawaii’s climate mitigation and adaptation efforts, and on the legality of some of those federal actions. Chair Carl Rhodes and Chair Mike Gabbard opened the meeting by framing it as part of an interim series on the rule of law and Hawaii’s response to federal actions. They noted there would be no public testimony, only invited presenters, and that questions would be held until the end. No votes or formal committee actions were taken. State climate change coordinator Leah Laramie described broad impacts from federal actions, including grant cancellations, litigation over terminated funding, staff cuts at NOAA and EPA, and the effect of the federal tax and spending law she said would raise energy costs, reduce grid reliability, and threaten renewable energy and transportation projects. She highlighted the loss or expiration of incentives for EVs and other clean-energy technologies, the termination of the Solar for All program and other rescissions, and the risk to major Hawaii projects such as Carbon Smart Commodities and other energy and land conservation programs. She also said the state’s attorneys general had taken numerous climate-related legal actions, including suits challenging federal cuts and the oil companies’ role in the climate crisis. Retired Justice Michael Wilson focused on the rule of law and climate justice, arguing that Hawaii is on the front line of climate change and that fossil fuel companies pose the greatest long-term threat. He said the state lacks a comprehensive climate protection plan despite the urgency of the crisis, cited UN and scientific warnings about a limited time horizon and severe warming, and pointed to projected local harms such as sea-level rise, beach loss, infrastructure damage, and major economic losses in Waikiki. His remarks emphasized the need for stronger planning and legal accountability, especially in light of federal rollbacks and the influence of fossil fuel interests.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the state of Texas, the red state of Texas, all of their new generation has been in renewables because
• You require the sponsor requires compliance with fire code.
• Does the fire code require GFCIs or circuit breakers or...
• SO IT IS A CODE THAT IS USED GENERALLY STATEWIDE, RIGHT.
• Is there anything in New York State's code that specifically... Addresses this?

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several guest introductions, including students from Brooklyn and St. John’s University, followed by adoption of the resolution calendar with exceptions for two items. The chamber then took up a series of previously adopted resolutions recognizing Black Maternal Health Week, Workplace Violence Prevention Month, the one-year anniversary of the Jet Set nightclub tragedy in the Dominican Republic, New York Constitution Day, and the Month of the Military Child. Senators speaking on the maternal health resolution emphasized racial disparities in maternal mortality and the need for culturally competent care; the workplace violence resolution highlighted hospital safety programs; the Jet Set resolution was adopted in memory of the victims; and the Constitution Day speech reviewed New York’s delayed but eventual support for independence in 1776. The military child resolution stressed the sacrifices of military families and support for children of service members. All of these resolutions were adopted, and the resolutions were opened to co-sponsorship. The Senate then moved through the third reading calendar, passing several bills and laying others aside. Measures passed included bills on public health, environmental conservation, executive law, public authorities, and consumer protection. One notable debate involved a bill to require transparency from private arbitration organizations handling consumer cases; supporters argued it would provide basic public data and guard against conflicts of interest, while opponents said it would burden a useful dispute-resolution process and intrude on privacy. The bill passed after debate. Another debated bill would phase out number 4 heating oil statewide; supporters said cleaner alternatives exist and the fuel is harmful to public health, while opponents raised cost and transition concerns, especially for colder regions. That bill also passed. The chamber also considered a bill to create a rebate program for battery-powered landscaping equipment, funded through utility-related mechanisms administered by NYSERDA. Supporters said it would reduce air and noise pollution and help companies transition, while opponents argued ratepayers should not subsidize landscaping equipment. The bill passed after being restored to the non-controversial calendar. Finally, the Senate began discussion of a housing-related bill aimed at preserving manufactured home parks by enabling nonprofits or municipalities to acquire development rights and keep the land dedicated to that use, with the sponsor explaining that the goal is to protect affordable housing and help residents remain in their homes.

Transcript Highlights:

• California is losing military retirees and other veterans to other states, such as Texas, Georgia, and
• They serve as hubs for community events, fairs, and agriculture, and they play a critical role as emergency
• AB 2705 mirrors the State Controller's unclaimed property framework under civil code of procedure with
• There are, the more spending through tax codes, the fewer resources we have to allocate in the budget

Committee: House Revenue and Taxation

Transcript Highlights:

• The Texas Wildlife Service listed numerous animal species in Texas as endangered, while overlooking the
• We fight for a Texas run by Texans for all Texans, and as you set environmental policy in Texas, know
• HB 2912 from 2001 changed the name of the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission. to the Texas
• Commission in existing code.
• Savage, Railroad Commission of Texas, Philip Ledbetter, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. and

Bills: SB766 , SB290 , SB494 , SB1145

Committee: Senate Natural Resources