Video & Transcript : 'Amite River Basin' :
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WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Jan 19th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- One of those is what we're seeing and got an opportunity to read about a Green River College when you're
- One of those is what we're seeing and got an opportunity to read about a Green River College when you're
Summary:
The Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee began with a work session on student complaints in higher education. Faculty, union, and research witnesses argued that current complaint systems are sometimes misused in bad faith, disproportionately affecting faculty of color, women, and contingent faculty, consuming institutional resources, and chilling academic freedom. They called for an initial screening process for bias or retaliation, routine data collection and equity review, and a faculty bill of rights. Committee members asked about FERPA, Title IX, and how complaint data could be tracked consistently across institutions.
The committee then held public hearings on several bills. SB 6090 would create a Heritage Orchard Program at Washington State University to register and preserve heritage orchards and rare apple varieties; Senator Braun said it would honor Washington’s apple history and support research at low cost. SB 5931 would make technical changes to the Workforce Education Investment Oversight Board, including two-year co-chair terms, a later annual report date, and removal of a dashboard requirement; WASAC, labor, and Microsoft testified in support. SB 5963 would automatically qualify Passport to Careers students as income-eligible for the Washington College Grant and align financial aid definitions; WASAC, College Success Foundation, students, and student advocates supported it as a way to reduce barriers for foster and homeless youth.
The committee also heard SB 5978, which would codify and expand the Washington Guaranteed Admissions Program and require annual student notifications about admissions, financial aid, dual credit, and related opportunities. Supporters included the Council of Presidents, faculty, students, parents, and the Washington Roundtable, who said guaranteed admission and better outreach would reduce anxiety, improve transparency, and help more students enroll. Finally, SB 6082 would direct JLARC to audit fraud in state financial aid programs, including fictitious students and AI-enabled abuse; the sponsor cited recent fraud concerns, while community and technical college officials said colleges already have fraud controls in place, warned the audit was unfunded and potentially duplicative, and asked for more resources. No votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after closing the hearings.
MD
Transcript Highlights:
- these times, Lord, we are reminded of your word and your reprimand to let justice roll down like a river
- And Anne Arundel County, District 33B, South River High School.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- Targeted water quality improvements at $408 million, specifically Indian River Lagoon at $100 million
- Targeted water quality improvements at $408 million, specifically Indian River Lagoon at $100 million
Committee:
Senate Appropriations
Summary:
The committee first took up SB 7010, which would authorize post-tax Roth contributions in state and local deferred compensation plans, instead of limiting them to pre-tax contributions. After a brief presentation and one waived appearance in support, the bill was rolled and reported favorably. Later, members also recorded affirmative votes on SB 7010 before adjournment.
The bulk of the meeting was devoted to the Governor’s proposed “Floridians First” budget, presented by Lita Kelly of the Office of Policy and Budget. She outlined a $117.4 billion spending plan with $53.2 billion in general revenue, emphasizing reserves, debt reduction, trust fund sweeps, and targeted reductions in agency positions. Major priorities included K-12 and higher education funding, teacher salary support, school hardening, Everglades and water-quality projects, cancer and behavioral health initiatives, emergency preparedness, law enforcement, corrections staffing and facilities, cybersecurity, transportation, affordable housing, and economic development.
Members asked extensive questions about teacher pay, corrections staffing, emergency response reserves, the proposed federal reimbursement for the Everglades detention facility, the Second Amendment sales tax holiday, the animal abuse hotline, and the absence of a specific Hope Florida line item. A major portion of the discussion focused on the Department of Health’s planned changes to the ADAP HIV/AIDS drug assistance program, with public testimony warning that the changes could cut off access to medications for thousands of Floridians and alleging misuse of federal funds. Kelly said she would follow up on several details, including litigation costs, teacher pay comparisons, and ADAP funding questions.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Rules Committee Jan 14th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- district, and I'm sure Senator Limon had a similar thing, that were ground zero in the atmospheric rivers
- I come from the Klamath River, from a town of 300 people.
Summary:
The Senate Committee on Rules convened, established quorum, and first approved several governor’s appointments not required to appear: Courtney Welsh to the California Housing Partnership Corporation Board, Janessa Goldbeck to the California Veterans Board, and Tom Huntington to the State Parks and Recreation Commission, each by 3-0 vote. The committee also approved reference of bills to committees, the 2026 committee chair/member assignments, the 2026 session schedule, the 2026 holiday schedule, and floor acknowledgments, all by unanimous votes.
The committee then heard and advanced two appointments requiring testimony. Dr. Hernando Garzon, nominated as chief medical officer for the Emergency Medical Services Authority, discussed his background in emergency medicine, disaster response, EMS data modernization, local flexibility within statewide standards, ambulance offload time regulations, stakeholder engagement, and alternatives to emergency transport such as community paramedicine and telehealth. Members pressed him on strategic planning, rural and climate-related disaster response, ambulance rate reporting, and how EMSA can better protect vulnerable people during evacuations; his appointment was approved 4-0 and sent to the Senate floor.
Stephanie Weldon, nominated as Deputy Director of the Office of Health Equity at the Department of Public Health, described her tribal background, prior public service, and focus on health equity, behavioral health, tribal consultation, data, and community-led programs. Senators asked about measuring outcomes, serving rural communities, balancing equity work amid federal DEI opposition, youth mental health, and preventing fraud or waste through transparency. Public commenters, including tribal, health, and community advocates, strongly supported her nomination. Her appointment was also approved 4-0 and forwarded to the full Senate.
CA
Transcript Highlights:
- district, and I'm sure Senator Laird had a similar thing, that were ground zero in the atmospheric rivers
- I come from the Klamath River, from a town of 300 people.
Committee:
Senate Rules
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Select Committee on Biotechnology and Medical Technology Oct 27th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- because Monterey One Water is doing a beautiful job of taking water, wastewater, as well as Salinas River
- water, wastewater. is doing a beautiful job of taking water, waste water, as well as Salinas water, river
Summary:
The Assembly Select Committee on Biotechnology and Medical Technology held an informational hearing at Bakar Labs on the UC Berkeley campus titled “Biotechnology Industries’ Role in Wastewater Treatment.” Chair Assembly Member Ward and Assembly Member Papan opened by framing wastewater as a major California challenge tied to water scarcity, aging infrastructure, regulatory demands, affordability, and the need for innovation. Bakar Labs described its biotech incubator and public-private model, emphasizing the role of state support in helping early-stage companies commercialize technologies and create jobs.
The first panel focused on the current wastewater treatment landscape. BACWA Executive Director Laurie Fono described wastewater plants as part of a circular economy that can produce recycled water, environmental benefits, renewable energy, and biosolids for land application, but said agencies face major challenges from aging 1970s-era infrastructure, nutrient reduction mandates, climate change, sea level rise, evolving regulations, and Prop. 218 limits on rate structures. She highlighted PFAS as a major source-control issue, saying most of it comes from households rather than local manufacturing, and argued that treatment plants are not designed to handle everything entering the sewer system. Members asked about regional differences, energy generation, financing, smaller decentralized plants, and agricultural collaboration.
The second panel highlighted biotechnology research and testing tools. A Berkeley Lab scientist described using microbial communities and machine learning to improve PFAS and produced-water treatment, while a CEL Analytical laboratory director discussed pathogen testing for direct potable reuse, wastewater surveillance, and the need for larger sample volumes and better filtration methods to validate log reductions. A Stanford researcher presented an anaerobic membrane bioreactor system that converts domestic wastewater into clean water and biogas with lower energy use and less biosolids, reporting a demonstration project in Redwood City that is net energy positive and can reduce operating costs. Legislators asked about AI, scaling technologies, pathogen detection, and funding needs. Panelists and public commenters urged more pilot funding, stronger utility-state-industry partnerships, and better coordination among regulatory agencies. The hearing ended with public comment from the California Association of Sanitation Agencies and adjournment.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Floor Session Apr 28th, 2025
California House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- from infancy at her grandparents Brookdale cabin where she developed a the love for the Redwoods, the river
- Founding Save the San Lorenzo River and Valley Citizens for Clean Water.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- But also, I want you to see the gross misrepresentations of the term “from the river to the sea.”
- And I want you to notice, in 2013, it's been used that from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea
Bills:
SB2972 , SB1909 , SB2815 , SB735 , SB2233 , SB800 , SB1069 , SB2683 , SB2986 , SB2058 , SB2310 , SB2055 , SB1032
Committees:
Senate Education , Senate Education K-16
Summary:
The Senate Education K-16 Committee heard several bills before recessing to the floor, with most measures left pending subject to the call of the chair. SB 2986 would allow public schools and universities to permit after-hours facility use by religious groups on the same terms as other nonprofits, and SB 1032 would open the Governor’s University Research Initiative to private and independent universities; both had committee substitutes adopted and were left pending after brief testimony. Supporters of SB 1032 from Rice and Baylor said the change would help Texas recruit top researchers and strengthen the state’s research economy. The committee also heard SB 2058, which would require the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to publish annual data on nursing clinical training sites to improve placement coordination, and SB 2683, which would bar public colleges from giving benefits or recognition to student organizations that receive support from foreign entities of concern; both were left pending after testimony.
A large portion of the meeting focused on SB 2233, which would require public institutions of higher education to adopt policies prohibiting students or employees on nonimmigrant visas from publicly supporting terrorist activity or organizations, with enforcement through investigations, reporting to Homeland Security, and possible Attorney General action and fines. The author said the bill was intended to reinforce existing federal definitions and campus safety, while senators questioned the bill’s scope, the definition of terrorist activity, and the clause tied to U.S. policy or practice. Public witnesses, including civil rights advocates, law students, and others, argued the bill was vague, overbroad, unconstitutional, and likely to chill protected speech and increase surveillance of international students and Black and brown communities; several Jewish witnesses also said the bill misused Jewish safety concerns and could be used for viewpoint discrimination. SB 2233 was left pending after public testimony.
The committee then took up SB 735, which builds on prior Holocaust education legislation by funding optional age-appropriate and bilingual curriculum, museum field trips, teacher preparation partnerships, annual reporting, and regional collaboration with Holocaust museums and education service centers. The author and invited witnesses said the bill responds to survey findings showing uneven Holocaust instruction and a need for better teacher training and accountability. A fifth-grade teacher and the director of the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio testified in support, emphasizing the need for accurate, age-appropriate instruction and professional development. The committee recessed before finishing the agenda, and SB 735 was set to resume after the floor session.
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs (Part I) Apr 14th, 2025
Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- aggressive in water supply trading and cleaning that up for human consumption through discharge into rivers
- with cultural dynamism and persistent drought, are placing unprecedented strain on the Rio Grande River
Bills:
SB1169 , SB1285 , SB1583 , SB1611 , SB1898 , SB1976 , SB2160 , SB2161 , SB2658 , SB2661 , SB2662 , SB2692 , SB1055 , SB1359 , SB2660
Committee:
Senate Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- During your investigation, you have also found out or discovered that much of this property along the river
- the model that I see that they're taking; they're looking to purchase property all the way up the river
Committee:
Senate Border Security
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government Mar 18th, 2025
Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government
Transcript Highlights:
- Most atmospheric rivers that come from the Pacific, most of the tropical systems that come up from the
- I come from a long line of beekeepers on the Apalachicola River, cattlemen, farmers, fishermen, hunters
Summary:
The committee considered and reported favorably several bills, most of them sponsored by Senator Rodriguez. CS/SB 164 on vessel accountability was presented as a measure to help law enforcement identify vessel owners, create a free long-term anchoring permit program, increase penalties for derelict vessel violations, and authorize grants for local governments in FWC’s prevention program; it passed without amendment. SB 388, dealing with FWC trust funds, was also reported favorably after Senator Berman asked whether non-game wildlife funds would support immigration enforcement; Senator Rodriguez said they would not. CS/SB 1320 was amended to recreate the Resilient Florida Trust Fund and then passed favorably. CS/CS/SB 344 modernizing the Telecommunications Access System was amended to define new terms and reduce the maximum surcharge from 25 cents to 15 cents, then reported favorably. CS/SB 86 on peer support for first responders expanded eligibility to support personnel and passed with broad support from law enforcement and related groups.
The committee also took up CS/CS/SB 92, a hit-and-run accountability bill by Senator Gruters. The adopted amendment added a front license plate requirement, lowered the damage threshold from $5,000 to $2,500, and retained reporting requirements for repair shops. NFIB testified in opposition to parts of the bill, citing concerns about the lower threshold, short reporting deadlines, and potential license revocation, while supporters argued the bill would improve accountability and help solve hit-and-run cases. The bill was reported favorably after debate.
The final and most contentious measure was CS/SB 56 by Senator Garcia, which would prohibit geoengineering and weather modification activities in Florida, repeal older weather-modification statutes, create a public reporting system at DEP, and impose penalties for violations. Supporters, including individuals identifying with weather-watch and anti-geoengineering concerns, argued that the bill would address public fears and environmental risks. A cloud-seeding company representative testified that cloud seeding is distinct from solar radiation management and said permitting should exist for responsible weather modification, while warning the bill could hinder beneficial precipitation enhancement. Despite skepticism from some members about the bill’s premise and scope, the committee reported it favorably. The meeting then concluded after members recorded missed votes and the committee adjourned.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
Hearings to examine the nominations of Peter Hoekstra, of Michigan, to be Ambassador to Canada, George Glass, of Oregon, to be Ambassador to Japan, and Ronald Johnson, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the United Mexican States, all of the Department o Mar 13th, 2025 at 09:30 am
Foreign Relations Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- Hoekstra, are you familiar with the negotiations that are going on over the Columbia River Treaty?
- United States and Mexico signed a treaty to manage the water from the Colorado, Tijuana and Rio Grande Rivers
Committee:
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Keywords:
U.S. foreign policy, Mexico relations, Japan relations, border security, trade agreements, drug trafficking, ambassadorial nominations, intergovernmental communication
Summary:
The meeting of the committee focused on critical discussions concerning U.S. foreign policy, particularly relationships with Mexico and Japan. Notable attention was given to border security, trade agreements, and implications of drug trafficking. Ambassadorial nominees discussed their strategies to strengthen ties with these nations, emphasizing the importance of cooperation in addressing mutual challenges, particularly concerning security and trade. The committee engaged in extensive dialogue, highlighting the urgency of improving intergovernmental communications to deter drug trafficking and support democratic governance.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
House - Government, Elections And Indian Affairs Mar 5th, 2025
House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- Houston's, Hidalgo County, Simran River Valley, and Union County.
- find a home near a water source, which is why it's in the Rio Grande Valley, because they see the river
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
House - Government, Elections And Indian Affairs Mar 5th, 2025
House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- also have observations placed in diverse locations, including Onimus Mountain, Hidalgo County, Simran River
- it'll try to usually find a place, which is why it's in the Rio Grande Valley, because they see the river
WY
Wyoming 2026 Regular Session
Joint Transportation, Highways & Military Affairs Committee, May 4, 2026 - AM
Transportation, Highways & Military Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- you know, as we pointed out in the report, passing lanes along Wyoming Road 59, widening the Wind River
- </c><01:45:45.160><c> tunnel</c> Springs Green River tunnel Springs Green River tunnel uh<01:45:47.040
- </c><02:09:10.840><c> to</c> going from Green River to going from Green River to the<02:09:12.520><c>
- Director Westby, just in our area, in the Rock Springs-Green River area, and I think everything going
- area and I think everything Green River area and I think everything going<02:11:47.840><c> west,</c>
AR
Transcript Highlights:
- House Bill 1015 by Joint Budget: An act for the Black River Technical College appropriation for the 2006
NE
Transcript Highlights:
- we have a casino in Nebraska, because I can see most of the people from the area going across the river
Committee:
Unicameral General Affairs
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Floor Session Mar 5th, 2026
California Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- The river will run clear as we never knew it, and over it birdsong, like ...as we never knew it, and
Summary:
The Senate convened with a quorum present, heard a prayer and pledge, welcomed a seventh-grade class from Contra Costa Jewish Day School, and made routine announcements. The body then took up two resolutions on the floor: SR 82 by Senator Pérez recognizing Children’s Dental Health Month and emphasizing the importance of early oral health, Medi-Cal dental access, and disparities in childhood tooth decay; and SR 84 by Senator Caballero recognizing Women in Construction Week and calling attention to workforce shortages, apprenticeship pathways, and the need to expand opportunities for women in the trades.
Both resolutions were adopted unanimously by roll call vote, with 31 ayes and 0 nos. Senators also announced upcoming budget subcommittee meetings, including hearings on the Office of Emergency Services and the Department of Justice. The chamber then heard several adjourn-in-memory requests, including one for the victims of a fatal avalanche near Truckee and another for Camille Moran of San Francisco, a transgender advocate and artist.
The presiding officer noted a birthday for Senator Hurtado and made lighthearted remarks about an “artificial intelligence” experiment running the meeting. The Senate announced it would remain in recess until later in the day for an adjournment motion and would reconvene on Monday, March 9, 2026, at 2 p.m.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Floor Session Mar 5th, 2026
California Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- The river will run clear as we never knew it, and over it birdsong, like, As we never knew it, and over
AZ
Arizona 2026 Regular Session
02/09/2026 - Senate Federalism
Senate Federalism Committee of Reference
Transcript Highlights:
- the federal government, it would erect impediments to protecting areas such as the headwaters of rivers