Transcript Highlights:

• The Committee on Ethics and Elections will now come to order. Terrence, please call the roll.
• limits to 12 years in the Senate, 12 years in the House, for a cumulative total of 24 years in state legislative

Summary: The Committee on Ethics and Elections met with a quorum present and temporarily postponed Senator Yarborough’s bill and Senate Bill 1170 at the sponsor’s request. The committee first considered Senate Bill 982 by Senator Bernard, which was amended to remove language the sponsor said had been declared unconstitutional in 2016. As amended, the bill addresses qualifying fee payment issues, allows qualifying fees to be paid by properly executed checks or debit cards linked to a candidate campaign account, creates a private right of action for qualifying challenges limited to candidates, and addresses campaign expenditures by debit card. Mark Heron testified in support, saying the bill would clarify recent qualifying disputes. The committee adopted the amendment and then reported SB 982 favorably. The committee then took up Senate Joint Resolution 536, a proposed constitutional amendment to impose legislative term limits of eight years in the House and eight years in the Senate, with carve-outs for current officeholders and redistricting. An amendment to change the limits to 12 years in each chamber failed on a tie vote. Public testimony was mixed but largely opposed, with speakers from county and small-county groups arguing the proposal was a one-size-fits-all statewide mandate that would override local choice and reduce institutional knowledge. Several members debated whether the eight-year limit was the right number, with some supporting term limits in principle but questioning a lifetime ban on returning to office. The resolution was ultimately reported favorably. The committee also considered Senate Joint Resolution 802, which would place on the 2026 ballot an eight-year term limit for county commissioners and school board members, with school board limits applied retroactively and county commissioner limits prospectively. An amendment to change the limit to 12 years failed. The Florida Association of Counties, a county commissioner, and representatives of the Small County Coalition testified against the measure, arguing that counties should retain local control through county charters and local referenda. Some senators supported the concept of term limits but raised concerns about imposing a uniform statewide rule on counties and school boards. After debate, the joint resolution was reported favorably. At the end of the meeting, senators who had missed votes were allowed to register their positions on SB 982 and SJR 536, and the committee moved to rise.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:03:06.319><c> is</c> do and I was guilty as a legislator is do and I was guilty as a legislator
• We'll talk about legislation that we had in 2021, and then finally get to our idea.
• Moving on to legislation, in 2021 we did have legislation that mandated that we review the rule, and
• </c><00:49:55.559><c> auditor's</c> uh review by the Legislative auditor's uh review by the Legislative
• </c> rubber um in legislative rubber um in legislative policy<01:32:17.520><c> and</c><01:32:18.239><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill is referred to Ethics. Next is S. 646.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Investigations and Government Operations met on March 24, 2026 and took up a ten-bill agenda. Most of the measures were advanced by motion and second with little debate, and several were referred onward to other committees, including Finance, Local Government, Ethics, and Labor. Bills discussed included S.334 on publishing records of public interest, S.348 and S.3836 on Alcoholic Beverage Control Law changes, S.407 on the Executive Law, S.1572, S.3145, and S.7880A on the Tax Law, and S.7990 on the Executive Law and County Law. S.646 was reported, while S.334, S.348, S.407, S.1572, S.3145, S.4693, S.7880A, and S.7990 were referred to other committees as noted. A notable discussion occurred on S.4693, the Taxpayer Access to Publicly Funded Research Act. Members asked how public access would work and whether posting research online could affect scholarly journals that rely on subscriptions. Staff explained that the bill would require publicly funded research to be posted on agency websites and that the intent was to make taxpayer-supported findings available to the public without additional advertising or special access mechanisms. The sponsor’s rationale was that taxpayers should be able to access research they helped fund, though concerns about the impact on journals were acknowledged. Votes were generally favorable, with a few recorded objections or abstentions. S.348, S.1572, and S.7880A each had at least one nay, and several bills had one without-recommendation vote. The committee ultimately reported S.646 and S.3836, while the other measures were referred to the appropriate committees for further consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• imposes no new requirements, and it makes civil enforcement under the Attorney General instead of the Ethics

Summary: The Senate Committee on State Affairs met to consider pending business on three bills. Senator Hughes explained a committee substitute for Senate Bill 2035, which concerns foreign funding of elections. The substitute clarified that income to a U.S. citizen living overseas would not trigger notification, removed new reporting requirements, aligned the bill with existing reporting rules, and shifted civil enforcement to the Attorney General rather than the Ethics Commission. The substitute was adopted and SB 2035 was reported favorably to the full Senate by a 10-0 vote, then recommended for placement on the local and uncontested calendar. The committee then took up Senate Bill 31, the “Life of the Mother Act,” dealing with exceptions to otherwise prohibited abortions based on a physician’s reasonable medical judgment. Senator Hughes said the substitute reflected stakeholder feedback and was intended to further clarify that pregnant women would not be prosecuted, with support from pro-life groups and the medical community. The substitute was adopted and SB 31 was reported favorably to the full Senate by an 11-0 vote, then recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. Finally, the committee considered Senate Bill 2880, relating to abortion pills. Senator Hughes said the substitute focused liability on manufacturers and distributors of abortion pills and imposed civil liability to the fullest extent allowed by law. The substitute was adopted and SB 2880 was reported favorably to the full Senate by a 10-1 vote. After completing the three items, the committee recessed at the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• Claire's actions during the incident reflect strong work ethic, reliability, and willingness to step
• All right, that moves us to item D, the legislative committee.
• Any questions for Haw in the Legislative committee? I just got one.
• I've been Asked to be part of the GIS council, the legislative committee.
• all over the Capitol and chatted with people and even had a couple of meetings in hallways with legislators

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate File 3900 is the work of the Legislative Auditor and the Legislative Audit Commission.
• </c> from um from the work of the Legislative from um from the work of the Legislative Audit<00:03:35.840
• And Quade and the Legislative Auditor.
• </c><00:42:07.480><c> forward</c> for bringing this legislation forward for bringing this legislation
• The legislation also keeps us on track The legislation also keeps us on track for the second big SAF

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 235 amending the educator code of ethics.
• </c><00:39:18.560><c> and</c> boundaries between the legislative and boundaries between the legislative
• legislation legislation permitting<00:43:06.240><c> vouchers</c><00:43:07.200><c> education</c><00:43
• And co-equal legislative uh uh branch.
• </c><01:04:05.920><c> legisl</c> please understand the legislative legisl please understand the legislative

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Education Funding Committee Subcommittee on Adequacy and Funding Sources opened its second meeting by reviewing four retained bills assigned to it: HB 651, HB 772, HB 491, and HB 734. The chair said the goal was to compare the bills across the board, consider whether any one of them should be the committee’s recommended vehicle, and then vote on a recommendation to the full committee. He noted the bills would move out before November 21 and be taken up on the House floor in January, while related LSRs were also being developed for the coming session. Representative Ames argued that HB 651 should be the main vehicle because it would substantially raise the adequacy base and adjust differential aid categories to better reflect real school costs, including poverty, special education, and English learner needs. He described the bill as building on court guidance and said the current funding formula is far below actual district needs. He also supported HB 491 as a study vehicle to examine revenue options, saying the legislature needs informed choices about how to pay for the changes. Representative Damon strongly backed HB 651 and HB 491, citing constitutional obligations, the Conval and Rand rulings, and large projected funding increases for districts such as Claremont, Windham, and communities in the chair’s district if HB 651 had passed earlier. Representative Fellows said he has an LSR similar to HB 491 that would study existing and new revenue options using criteria such as revenue potential, administrative cost, affected groups, implementation timeline, and implementation cost, with input from revenue administration and outside agencies. Representative Papich Muller emphasized constitutional separation-of-powers concerns, reading Article 83 and saying he was not comfortable with the broad claim that “cherish” clearly mandates a specific spending level, though he said he intends to follow Supreme Court guidance. Representative Ricky read testimony from a local school board member arguing that the state already imposes many mandates on schools while providing the least funding in the country, and that HB 651 would help restore meaningful local control. No final vote or action was taken in the portion provided, though the chair had indicated the subcommittee would vote before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• will not permit conduct that disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of the legislative
• Chair Lindbergh on behalf of the Friends Committee on Legislation of California, in support, and also
• Jim Lindberg, Friends Committee on Legislation of California, in support. ...on Legislation of California
• We believe in the responsible, transparent, and ethical use of artificial intelligence.
• We believe in the responsible, transparent, and ethical use of artificial intelligence.

Summary: The committee heard several labor-related bills, with testimony largely focused on worker protections, AI, workplace safety, and employment access. AB 1697 would delay implementation of AB 692 on employer debt traps by one year to allow more time to address collective bargaining concerns; it drew support from the NFL and no opposition. AB 2495 would expand prohibitions on immigration-related threats used by employers to intimidate workers, with strong support from immigrant-rights, labor, and legal aid groups describing coercion and fear among undocumented and new-arrival workers; it advanced on a divided roll with some members voting no or not voting. AB 2511 would require DIR to study pay disparities between behavioral health and medical-surgical providers, with supporters arguing low reimbursement drives provider shortages and opponents warning of duplicative reporting, proprietary-data concerns, and added administrative burden; it was moved forward to the Health Committee. AB 2157 would make permanent the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund Pilot Program, with displaced refinery workers and labor/environmental groups supporting the bill as a needed transition tool; it passed to Appropriations. AB 2530 would require 60-day notice for public-employer layoffs, relocations, and closures, narrowed by amendment to public agencies; supporters said public workers deserve the same notice protections as private-sector workers, while some opposition sought clarification, and the bill passed to Judiciary. The committee also heard AB 2488, which would direct DIR and UC to study Cal/OSHA inspector vacancies and recruitment pathways. Supporters, including a laid-off refinery worker and WorkSafe, said chronic understaffing has weakened enforcement and that experienced workers could fill the gap; the bill passed to Appropriations. AB 2545 would create an EDD study of AI-related workforce displacement and safety-net impacts, with labor and tech-policy supporters warning of large-scale job loss and the need for data to plan for unemployment and other public programs; business groups opposed the reporting and task-force structure but acknowledged the issue, and the bill passed to Privacy and Consumer Protection. AB 2027 would restrict employers and vendors from using worker data to train or deploy AI systems that replace workers, while limiting collection to what is necessary for employment administration; supporters framed it as a privacy and anti-displacement measure, and opponents argued the definitions were too broad and could hinder useful workplace technologies. The bill advanced to Privacy and Consumer Protection. Later, AB 2095, the Fair Chance Act bill, was presented to clarify and strengthen rules limiting conviction-history screening in hiring, including written explanations and protections for applicants seeking promotions or new roles with current employers. Supporters described ongoing discrimination against people with records and the need for a real second chance, while opponents said the bill was too broad, added burdens, and could conflict with existing statewide rules. The transcript cuts off before the final vote on AB 2095, but the discussion centered on balancing reentry opportunities with employer concerns about individualized assessments and safety-based hiring decisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> refer to as our ethics exam. refer to as our ethics exam.
• You should have a letter of support in your materials from the Minnesota Legislative Mental Health Legislative
• </c> transparency or legislative oversight. transparency or legislative oversight.
• </c> violence prevention legislation. violence prevention legislation.
• </c> It's not going to be a legislated It's not going to be a legislated process<01:36:43.560><c> like

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:20:02.240><c> and</c> consumption as well as legal ethical and consumption as well as legal ethical
• legislation only, and it is not opposed by any group that I'm aware of.
• legislation only, and it is not opposed by any group that I'm aware of.
• </c><00:38:52.800><c> to</c> that you consider support legislation to that you consider support legislation
• </c> urge you to support the legislation urge you to support the legislation which<00:44:14.880><c> will

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Senate Bill 3065, Appropriation Ethics Commission.
• </c> &gt;&gt; Senate Bill 3065, Appropriation Ethics &gt;&gt; Senate Bill 3065, Appropriation Ethics
• On Senate Bill 3065, Ethics Commission, the Senate action is 909,689.
• >> It's over in the House. >> The enacting legislation for the department?
• legislation for the department?

Keywords: MS Senate Floor - 19 February, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• On our agenda, we have two pieces of legislation. Two of our fine senators will be presenting.
• Just for introduction, my name is Mark Harris, Idaho State Senate, Legislative District 35.
• Legislative District 35. I'm here to present Senate Bill 1358.
• Grover, last year we passed a legislation that allows for the lifetime certificate after 25 years of
• This legislation is a simple, common-sense policy.

Summary: The Senate Education Committee heard two bills. Senate Bill 1358, presented by Sen. Harris, would amend Idaho’s career ladder rules so superintendents and principals who return to classroom teaching can count qualifying administrative experience toward career ladder advancement, rather than restarting at their prior teacher-ladder placement. Testimony from a remote superintendent and the Idaho Association of School Administrators supported the bill as a fairness and retention measure, noting that administrators can face large pay cuts when returning to teaching and that the bill still requires proficient-or-higher evaluations. After brief discussion, the committee voted to send SB 1358 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee then considered House Bill 762, presented by Sen. Woodward, which would give charter schools the option to prioritize enrollment for children of active-duty or active-reserve military members and for foster children who already have a sibling in the school. A long line of testimony from military spouses, veterans, charter school leaders, and military children described frequent relocations, waitlists, and the difficulty of finding stable school placements, arguing the bill would improve access and support military readiness without creating new schools or changing accountability. One witness also noted the bill’s flexibility for charter schools and its limited, targeted nature. The committee voted to send HB 762 to the floor with a due pass recommendation and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Legislators routinely advocate for constituents' well-being by sending real-time alerts, and under this
• So the sheriffs wholly support this legislation. We like the amendment.
• And if the chairman is okay, I have a memo from legislative counsel with an opinion on whether or not
• this body to consider serious legislation.
• bill, and thank you to Senator Carroll for working with us to help sponsor this legislation.

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several bills on criminal justice, victims’ rights, education, and public safety. SB 1094, which creates a civil cause of action for minors who received irreversible gender reassignment surgery in violation of Arizona law, drew strong opposition from civil liberties and LGBTQ advocates who called it discriminatory and unnecessary, and support from the sponsor and medical-policy witnesses who argued minors cannot consent and that the procedures are not medically supported; it passed 6-3. SB 1635, a bill making it a crime to warn a person of an imminent arrest when the speaker knows police are there to arrest that person, prompted extensive First Amendment objections from the ACLU and others, while supporters said it was narrowly tailored to prevent people from helping suspects evade arrest; it also passed 6-3. The committee then approved SB 1673, appropriating lottery-funded money for the law enforcement crime victim notification system, after testimony that the program standardizes and improves victim notifications statewide; an amendment increased the amount from $5 million to $8.2 million, and the bill passed 9-0 as amended. SB 1092, which would bar early termination of probation for dangerous crimes against children, drew emotional testimony from victims’ advocates and opposition from defense-side speakers who warned it would remove judicial discretion and could sweep in people whose conduct was nonviolent or based on accidental online clicks; it passed 6-2 with one member present. Other bills considered included SB 1239, extending the statute of limitations for failure to register as a sex offender, which supporters said would help law enforcement and opponents said was redundant because registration violations are already tracked and prosecuted; it passed 5-4. SB 1139, a strike-everything bill requiring GPS monitoring for homeless registered sex offenders, failed after testimony that existing probation tools already cover the same population. SB 1502, increasing penalties for unlawful flight from police when aggravated by danger, injury, DUI, or transporting a child, passed 5-1 despite concerns about over-criminalization and possible impacts on innocent drivers. The committee also passed SB 1248 on county detention education programs, SB 1240 excluding certain DCAC probationers from county probation incentive calculations, SB 1669 narrowing rape-shield evidence rules to physical injury, and SB 1540 creating a new offense for fuel dispenser theft after an amendment removed mere possession of a device from the criminal statute.

Transcript Highlights:

• But if they are legislating outside the enumerated powers, then that...
• So as state legislators, and we know that's who selects the delegates, traditionally the state legislators
• 54.960><c> know</c><00:54:55.119><c> that's</c> state legislators, and we know that's state legislators
• :54:59.119><c> in</c> Traditionally, the state legislators in Traditionally, the state legislators in
• </c> want to leave that to state legislators want to leave that to state legislators at<01:08:39.440>

Keywords: Concurrent meeting of the House Standing Committee on Elections, Constitutional Amendments, and Intergovernmental Affairs and the House Standing Committee on State Government. Title of video has been shortened due to YouTube length restrictions. Discussion of HCR 45: 00:04:14, 958, all

Summary: The joint meeting of the House Elections, Constitutional Amendments and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee and the House State Government Committee was called to consider House Concurrent Resolution 45, sponsored by Representative Jason Petri. The resolution would support calling for a federal balanced budget amendment through the Article V process. Petri argued that Kentucky’s own constitutional balanced-budget requirement shows the value of fiscal restraint, and he said decades of federal deficit spending and rising debt make a constitutional amendment necessary. Governor Ron DeSantis and Lauren Ends of the National Campaign for a Balanced Budget Amendment also testified in support, emphasizing the growth of federal debt, the risk of a future debt crisis, and the view that Congress is unlikely to solve the problem on its own. Members asked about the mechanics and risks of an Article V convention, including whether the convention’s “sole purpose” language would be enforceable and whether a convention could become a “runaway” process. DeSantis and Ends said states can impose guardrails on delegates, including criminal penalties and delegate-limitation laws, and noted that any proposed amendment would still require ratification by 38 states. They also said that if Congress chose to draft the amendment itself in response to state pressure, that would be acceptable. One witness said 18 states have passed faithful-delegate or delegate-limitation laws. Representative Callaway asked what would happen if the debt issue is not addressed. Witnesses responded that continued borrowing could lead to economic dislocation, higher interest costs, and a debt crisis that would crowd out other federal spending. They said the current debt burden is already more than $100,000 per U.S. citizen and roughly $300,000 per taxpayer, and that a balanced budget amendment would be a first step toward stopping the growth of debt before any long-term paydown could occur. The transcript provided does not show a final vote or other committee action on the resolution.

Transcript Highlights:

• prevention legislation.
• prevention legislation.
• </c><00:25:25.360><c> are</c> like those within this legislation are like those within this legislation
• </c><01:29:20.159><c> that</c> introduce and support legislation that introduce and support legislation
• legislation to reduce includes legislation to reduce credentiing<01:29:24.719><c> timelines,</c><01:

Bills: HF3668, HF2779, HF2771

Keywords: gun violence, public health, Department of Health, prevention, criminal justice, health care transparency, ownership disclosure, control reporting, health care consolidation, private equity, management services organization, MSO, provider organization, health insurer, pharmacy benefit manager, hospital system, affiliate reporting, financial disclosure, public reporting, market concentration

Transcript Highlights:

• This is his third legislative session.
• What this legislation does is it creates a heart attack presumption for qualified first responders under
• What this legislation does is it creates a heart attack presumption for qualified first responders under
• This is very important legislation for our members, who are constantly fighting workers' compensation
• So this is really good legislation.

Bills: HB322, HB331, HB673, HB 1147, HB 1154, HB2488

Keywords: JET Grant Program, career education, technical education, community colleges, technology solutions, high demand jobs, first responders, acute myocardial infarction, stroke, benefits, compensation, presumption of disability, emergency services, healthcare, Medicaid, mental health, substance abuse, treatment access, cost, insurance coverage

Transcript Highlights:

• Despite being adjourned, are you able to work on bills and legislation?
• work individual members can work individual members however cannot pass bills they cannot pass legislation
• and quite frankly we should have passed legislation off this floor weeks ago weeks ago so the process
• The Texas Senate has referred literally hundreds of pages of consequential legislation to those committees
• Serving in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs, the Presidential Personnel Office and the U.S

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> cooperative legislation cooperative legislation will<00:04:33.199><c> result</c><00:04:33.680><c
• </c> Principal-based Leadership and Ethics Principal-based Leadership and Ethics and<00:06:04.560><c>
• This legislation helps to protect that role.
• </c><01:12:34.480><c> 1st,</c><01:12:34.880><c> the</c> similar legislation on the 1st, the similar legislation
• This legislation why we look to them.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• here at the Capitol with a few superintendents a few days ago, and one of their messages to the legislators
• </c><00:10:10.560><c> was</c> of their messages to the legislators was of their messages to the legislators
• And when you get removed the DEI, removed teaching uh removed the DEI, removed teaching uh ethics<01:
• uh principles or ethnic uh ethics uh principles or ethnic uh studies<01:00:52.960><c> and</c><01:00:
• The committee legislative assistant will take the roll. Oh. Oh. What? Oh, excuse me.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 29 was heard in committee as a proposal to suspend adoption of the revised social studies standards, push implementation to 2030-31, repeal the requirement to embed ethnic studies across all standards, and cancel related appropriations. The bill sponsor argued Minnesota schools should focus on basic academic achievement and that ethnic studies requirements add burdens and distract from reading, math, and science. The chair moved the bill to the Committee on Education Finance after opening the hearing and then took extensive public testimony. Testimony was sharply divided. Supporters of HF 29, including Katherine Kersten, Deanna Moose, Kendall Qualls, Hillary Swanson, and Diane Smith, argued the ethnic studies framework is ideological, overly focused on race, insufficiently transparent, and costly in professional development time; several said it would divide students or burden teachers. Some supporters also claimed the standards or framework promote activism, critical race theory, or racial stratification. Opponents, including Mark Westfall, Crystal Johnson, Jim Grathwol, Marcus Penny, Claude Sigman, and Courtney Major, said the standards are inclusive, research-based, and designed to help students understand multiple perspectives, civic life, and the contributions of diverse Minnesotans. They emphasized that ethnic studies can improve engagement, critical thinking, and representation, and that teachers should be trusted to implement the standards. No final vote on the bill was taken in the portion of the meeting provided. The only formal action noted was the chair’s motion to re-refer House File 29 to the Committee on Education Finance.

Transcript Highlights:

• Saying that this legislation should be stopped.
• I have a piece of legislation that's statutory.
• But you are correct in the fact that this legislative body and future legislators will have the ability
• And I'm grateful that this legislation is here.
• And there's good legislation.

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

Keywords: reading, intervention, literacy, education, third grade retention, teacher training, funding, Strong Readers Act, tort claims, inmate housing, government immunity, public trust, private prison, emergency legislation, vision screening, binocular vision, kindergarten, elementary education, health, firearm rights