Transcript Highlights:

• , Monday through Friday. 10 hours a day, Monday through Friday.
• If I were king for a day, your department would be extremely small.
• But we're talking about—is that an additional four hours per day?
• Of care a day, what Representative Dow was referencing earlier.
• My question is, how many days is this convening held? And...

Bills: SB2

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Our main plea today and every day, Lord... Please help us to live at peace with everyone.
• Our main plea today and every day, Lord God, is that you would empower us to overcome evil with good
• And whereas May is recognized nationally as Mental Health Awareness Month, and Youth Mental Health Day
• And, you know, maybe some papers don't get pushed that day.
• So unlike this legislature, apparently, the general public actually celebrates and respects teachers

Summary: The Senate opened with a prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, attendance, and routine journal and appointment actions. Members also made brief announcements about caucus meetings and recognized guests from AIM Youth Mental Health, including a proclamation by Senator Epstein designating May 31, 2026, as Youth Mental Health Day in Arizona. The chamber then met as the Committee of the Whole to consider House Bill 2995, relating to legal decision-making and parenting time in domestic relations cases. A committee amendment and a Mesnard floor amendment were adopted; the floor amendment emphasized child and victim safety in domestic violence cases, tightened standards for rebutting presumptions, and added an emergency clause. The bill was then reported out of Committee of the Whole with a do pass as amended recommendation. Members next considered House Concurrent Resolution 2040, a proposed constitutional amendment concerning labor organization use of public resources in school districts. Supporters argued it would restrict use of district communication systems and public resources for union-related materials and work stoppages, while opponents raised constitutional, due process, contract, pension, and free speech concerns, and argued it would harm teachers and union communication. The Government Committee amendment was adopted, and after debate the resolution was reported out of Committee of the Whole with a do pass as amended recommendation by a 12-11 division. The Senate then adopted the Committee of the Whole report and adjourned until May 18, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our main plea today and every day, Lord Please help us to live at peace with everyone.
• Our main plea today and every day, Lord God, is that you would empower us to overcome evil with good
• And whereas May is recognized nationally as Mental Health Awareness Month, and Youth Mental Health Day
• protesting and so they walk out on their job and, you know, maybe some papers don't get pushed that day
• So unlike this legislature, apparently, the general public actually celebrates and respects teachers

Transcript Highlights:

• I overheard her giving the member from Ampilure some advice the other day.
• </c><00:03:15.040><c> She</c> Ampilure some advice the other day.
• She Ampilure some advice the other day.
• I sought him out on the first day and I sought him out to kiss the ring.
• </c> the day. the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I would love it if we could celebrate Jeremy. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you.
• Okay, we will sign the boards and talk about days some more, and with that, the committee's adjourned

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• Today is Jeremy's birthday, and so I would love it if we could celebrate Jeremy.
• Okay, we will sign the boards and talk about days some more, and with that the committee is adjourned

Summary: The Transportation Committee met in executive session on Gross Substitute House Bill 2711, a transportation resources measure, after a staff walkthrough of the Senate striking amendment S-5820.4. Staff explained that the striker largely replaced the bill with provisions from Senate Bill 6352 and related transportation revenue and policy changes, including updates to mobile driver’s licenses, account interest provisions, recreational vessel and luxury vehicle tax clarifications, peer-to-peer tax administration changes, fuel tax timing changes, aircraft fuel tax and account changes, bicycle education grants, ferry payment-card fee authority, traffic safety camera revenue and rebuttable presumption rules, online driver education regulation, transit annexation tax/liability clarification, Sound Transit 75-year bond authority limits, stolen copper protections for light rail and DOT communications infrastructure, and a highway contracting threshold change. Staff also reviewed fiscal impacts, including revenue gains from trade-in value clarifications and aircraft fuel changes, and losses from the diesel tax delay, motorhome exemption, and repeal of the luxury aircraft tax. Members asked several clarifying questions, including the luxury RV tax threshold, how trade-in value is treated under the luxury vehicle tax, whether ferry debit-card fees are authorized, and the legality of passing card-processing fees to customers. Staff and counsel said the luxury vehicle tax applies to value over $100,000, trade-in value is added back for the luxury tax calculation, and the ferry provision is intended to clarify that both credit and debit card surcharges may be passed through. On the traffic safety camera section, staff described a revised approach that would require stronger proof from registered owners to rebut presumed responsibility, and on Sound Transit bonds, staff clarified that bonds over 40 years would be limited to federal transportation loan purposes and would affect eligibility for certain state grants. After caucus, the committee returned to executive session, waived the amendment posting deadline under Senate Rule 45, adopted the striking amendment, and then voted to advance ESHB 2711 as amended with a do pass recommendation to the Rules Committee. The motion carried, and the chair thanked staff before adjourning the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Today we celebrate President's Day, a national holiday, and we are honoring our first president's birthday
• Every day they might save a life or lose their own.
• Every day they might save a life or lose their own.
• c> a</c><00:10:03.680><c> life</c> unknown every day they might save a life unknown every day they might
• It's a day to honor the lives of Officers Elmstrand, Ruge, and Firefighter Finseth.

Transcript Highlights:

• Lord, we thank you for the gift of this day.
• I think that's something we need to celebrate. I agree with you. Thank you.
• What we're talking about is for the instructional day for the...
• and then redistributed at the end of the school day.
• That is prohibited throughout the day, wherever it might be.

Bills: SB92 , HB9 , HB9

Committee: House Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Judge Tapia is facing that reality every day.
• So it's a balancing act that the branch does every single day.
• It sponsors and hosts celebrations.
• It sponsors and hosts celebrations.
• The courthouse was forced to close for 11 days that month.

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to thank all of your guests and witnesses for spending a long day here at the Capitol.
• day or 100 people a day, I think it would affect churches like the one I went to when I was a college
• This past December, I celebrated 18 years of recovery.
• I really appreciate them sticking around all day.
• have the right to destroy property, or to harm other people, or to block people from going about their day-to-day

Bills: HB551 , HB 1281 , HB1378 , HB1617 , HB2868 , HB2881 , HB3374 , HB4439 , HB4726 , HB4732 , HB4878 , HB4914 , HB4921 , HB4958 , HB5200 , HB5318 , HB5360 , HB5402 , HB5568 , HB5573 , HB5623 , HJR218

Committee: House State Affairs

Keywords: political contributions, address privacy, Texas Ethics Commission, election transparency, campaign finance, international organizations, World Health Organization, jurisdiction, state law, enforcement, United Nations, World Economic Forum, attorney general, Texas attorney general, state sovereignty, legal enforcement, Texas Attorney General, electric energy storage, municipal regulation, county regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• Post homes can be important meeting places for my day job.
• Post homes can be important meeting places for my day job.
• Celebrations of life and weddings in small towns.
• Post homes can be important meeting places for my day job.
• Have a good day, Ms. Cunningham. Well, thank you, Senator Weber.

Committee: Senate Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• It's going to be another fun and exciting day in Edna. Aren't all days fun and exciting in Edna?
• </c><00:03:38.480><c> in</c> exciting day in exciting day in Edna<00:03:40.159><c> aren't</c><00:03:40.480
• ><c> exciting</c><00:03:41.599><c> in</c> Edna aren't all days fun and exciting in Edna aren't all days
• You could have been doing it every day, hang on, for purposes of this section.
• You could have been doing it every day, hang on, for purposes of this section.

Committee: Senate Executive Departments and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:37:21.119><c> And</c><00:37:21.359><c> I</c> they do it every single day.
• And I they do it every single day.
• And I just wanted to share that I celebrate my birthday all month.
• And so celebrate my birthday all month.
• I can remember the day when big balance.

Bills: SB170 , SB177 , SB207 , SB208 , SB215 , HB27 , SB219 , SB247 , SB232 , SB81 , SB170 , SB177 , SB207 , SB208 , SB215 , HB27 , SB219 , SB247 , SB232 , SB81

Committee: Senate Banking and Insurance

Keywords: health insurance, health savings account, high deductible plans, federal regulations, cost-sharing, insurance law, breast cancer, health coverage, deductible, copayment, insurance, captive insurance, captive insurer, captive insurers, insurance regulation, Alabama Department of Insurance, insurance commissioner, premium tax, capital requirements, surplus requirements

Transcript Highlights:

• Many Asian cultures, including Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean, celebrate the Lunar New Year as a time

Summary: The House briefly convened, opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, and received a committee report from the Temporary Committee on Rules recommending adoption of a resolution filed by Representative Sabadosa honoring Barbara LaMontaine for her service to the Commonwealth. The House suspended the rules and adopted the resolution by voice vote. The chamber then recognized several visiting groups and achievements, including the Tri-County Cougars football team for winning the MIAA Small School State Vocational Super Bowl, the Westborough girls varsity volleyball team for its third consecutive Division II state championship, and the Wellesley High School girls swim team for its fifth Division II state swim and diving championship. Members of the House Asian Caucus also offered remarks recognizing Lunar New Year and the Year of the Snake. No substantive legislation was debated. The House took a brief recess, then adopted an order to adjourn and subsequently adjourned to meet Monday at 11:00 a.m. in an informal session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Opening day. Opening day at the Arizona Legislature is always special.
• It will be on the governor's desk in a matter of days.
• Some days it's bone dry, and other days it's a vigorous torrent.
• It seems like every day we learn about With no accountability.
• We believe in and realize the promise of freedom every day.

Summary: The transcript is the opening joint session of the Arizona Legislature’s 57th Second Regular Session, featuring remarks from House and Senate leaders and Governor Katie Hobbs. House and Senate leaders emphasized a conservative governing agenda focused on affordability, public safety, parental rights, accountability, school choice, election integrity, and water policy, while also highlighting plans for tax cuts and cooperation across chambers. Governor Hobbs centered her address on the “Arizona promise,” stressing affordability, security, and freedom. She highlighted prior actions on job growth, medical debt relief, housing, public safety, border security, water management, and economic development, and announced new proposals including a middle-class tax cut package, a capacity and efficiency initiative to save state funds, a new active management area for La Paz County, a Colorado River Protection Fund, elimination of the data center tax exemption, a housing acceleration fund, and an Arizona Affordability Fund funded in part by a short-term rental fee. She also called for more accountability in the ESA program and for renewing Prop. 123 to support public schools. The governor and legislative leaders also addressed political violence, honoring retiring Senator Lela Alston and recognizing public safety and firefighting personnel. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken in the session; it concluded with the joint session being dissolved after the governor’s remarks.

Transcript Highlights:

• Opening day. Opening day at the Arizona Legislature is always special.
• It will be on the governor's desk in a matter of days.
• Some days it's bone dry, and other days it's a vigorous torrent.
• It seems like every day we learn about With no accountability.
• We believe in and realize the promise of freedom every day.

Summary: The transcript is the opening joint session of the Arizona Legislature’s 57th Second Regular Session, featuring remarks from House and Senate leaders and Governor Katie Hobbs. House and Senate leaders emphasized a Republican governing agenda focused on affordability, public safety, parental rights, tax cuts, election integrity, school choice, and holding government accountable, while also highlighting cooperation on water policy and border security reimbursement. Senate President Warren Petersen said the legislature would pursue a major tax cut, send an election integrity measure to voters, defend women’s sports and school choice, and continue negotiations on Colorado River guidelines. Governor Hobbs framed her agenda around the “Arizona Promise,” stressing affordability, public safety, water security, housing, and economic opportunity. She highlighted prior-year accomplishments including job growth, medical debt relief, lower costs for child care and housing, public safety investments, and major business recruitment. She called for an immediate middle-class tax cut, more efficient government spending, and new initiatives including a Colorado River Protection Fund, elimination of the data center tax exemption, a housing acceleration fund, and an Arizona Affordability Fund financed in part by a nightly fee on short-term rentals. Hobbs also announced a new active management area for La Paz County to address groundwater depletion, defended her administration’s water and housing policies, and urged renewed funding for public schools while criticizing the ESA program for lack of accountability. She called for bipartisan action on disaster relief after floods in Globe and Miami, and condemned political violence. No legislative votes were taken; the joint session concluded with the governor’s address and the session was dissolved.

Transcript Highlights:

• I still talk about that story to this day, but I appreciate you being here.
• Every day, guests walk into our dining rooms to celebrate milestones, to connect, or simply to take a
• break from their day.
• These are real decisions happening every day. This is also a consumer issue.
• They’re using them because it’s how they’re conditioned to pay these days.

Summary: The commission met to hear testimony on the future of credit card payments and swipe fees, with a focus on impacts to small businesses, especially restaurants and retailers. Members and witnesses discussed interchange fees, processing fees, chargebacks, fraud risk, rewards programs, and the growing use of card-not-present and digital wallet transactions. Several witnesses urged the commission to support legislation that would prohibit fees on the tax and tip portions of transactions and allow businesses to pass credit card fees on to customers if they choose, while others warned that state regulation of interchange could reduce fraud protections and harm consumer rewards programs. Small business owners and trade groups described rising costs and thin margins, saying card fees are now among their largest expenses and are often charged on money that is merely passing through the business, such as sales tax and gratuities. Restaurant representatives said the current system shifts fraud and chargeback losses onto merchants, with little ability to negotiate rates or recover disputed funds, and argued that transparency and fee relief would help keep independent businesses open. Retailers gave similar testimony, citing rising swipe fees, complex statements, and the burden of online and phone transactions. A representative from the airline industry opposed interchange reform, arguing that airline credit card rewards are popular with consumers and support travel and jobs in Massachusetts. Credit union representatives cautioned that state-level interchange limits could weaken fraud prevention and force higher rates or reduced services, while the National Restaurant Association and a payments-policy attorney countered that banks and networks already operate under fee caps in other contexts and that interchange rates are fixed rather than competitive. Commission members asked questions about how chargebacks work, how fees are broken down, whether businesses can negotiate with processors or POS providers, and how consumer behavior has shifted toward cards, online ordering, and delivery since the pandemic. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Mahalo. >> [applause] >> If there are no further introductions, let's move on to the order of the day
• </c> let's move on to the order of the day. let's move on to the order of the day.
• Hina Mauka provides residential treatment, day programs, and outpatient services for individuals who
• It's the day right before Sine Die, so not much is going on. Make sure to reserve your time now.
• So not much day right before Sine Die.

Bills: HR206 , SB3083 , SB2377 , SB2816 , SB3248 , SB2436 , SB2259 , SB2928 , SB2577 , SB2697 , SB2399 , SB2665 , SB2851 , SB3102 , SB2521 , SB3157 , SB3255 , SB3016 , SB2765 , SB1432 , SB17 , SB2401 , SB2972 , SB3014 , SB3032 , SB3137 , SB847 , SB2261 , SB2271 , SB2272 , SB2804 , SB3007 , SB3019 , SB3250 , SB2603 , SB3022 , SB2256 , SB2147 , SB2014 , SB2114 , SB2115 , SB2117 , SB2246 , SB2519 , SB3055 , SB3095 , SB3144 , SB3264 , SB2325 , SB2211 , SB3245 , SB2090 , SB2803 , SB2866 , SB2250 , SB2497 , SB2032 , SB2487 , SB3136 , SB2756 , SB2615 , SB3262 , SB2024 , SB2177 , SB2552 , SB2319 , SB2407 , SB2153 , SB2321 , SB2805 , SB3010 , SB2892 , SB2781 , SB2489 , SB2174 , SB2169 , SB3123

Transcript Highlights:

• The Doctor of the Day today is Dr. Kai Sun from Legislative District 4. Dr.
• Welcome to the... ...of the day at the Arizona State Capitol. Welcome to the House, Dr. Sun.
• House Resolution 2001, Health Workforce Well-Being Day.
• Date this 18th day of March, 2026. Representative Selina Bliss, Legislative District 1.
• This is a health care workforce well-being day of awareness, so I appreciate that.

Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, approval of the journal, and recognition of the Doctor of the Day, Dr. Kai Sun. Members also welcomed newly sworn Representative Cody Rhyme and congratulated Sergeant-at-Arms Chuck Fitzgerald on his recent wedding. Several members introduced guests and visiting groups, including pharmacists at Pharmacy Day at the Capitol, the Arizona Education Association, the Well-Being Collaborative of Arizona, and local officials and constituents from around the state. The chamber then took up House Resolution 2001, which designated March 18, 2026 as Health Workforce Well-Being Day in Arizona. The resolution cited burnout and workforce shortages among physicians, nurses, medical students, residents, pharmacists, and other health professionals, and urged state officials and health organizations to prioritize workforce well-being. It was adopted without objection to waive first and second reading, and Representative Bliss introduced guests connected to the Well-Being Collaborative. The House also considered several bills on third reading. House Bill 2375, relating to housing and historic neighborhoods, drew extensive debate over local control, historic preservation, housing shortages, and concerns about exclusion and segregation; it passed 31-24, but without the required two-thirds vote for its emergency clause. House Bill 2931, concerning the Arizona Civil Rights Advisory Board, passed 36-19, and House Bill 2992, creating a child sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention pilot program, passed 35-20 after debate over whether funds should instead support broader sex education. Senate Bill 1010, substituted for House Bill 4027 and relating to historic names, passed 33-22. The House also handled committee assignments, referrals, and first readings of additional Senate bills before adjourning until the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, not only is today tax day, but Monday was John Stark Day.
• Okay, yes, today is tax day, the day we have to send in our 1040.
• Okay, yes, today is tax day, the day we have to send in our 1040.
• We tried to policies day in and day out.
• </c> legislature all day long. legislature all day long.

Committee: House Ways and Means