Transcript Highlights:

• So anyways, Trying to remove this bias, trying to change the voters' views or affect the voters' views
• </c> operating levies that are voter operating levies that are voter approved.<00:13:30.480><c> Um,</
• Voters deserve to understand how a voter-approved referendum impacts their pocketbooks.
• ><c> how</c><00:15:04.320><c> a</c><00:15:04.480><c> voter</c> Voters deserve to understand how a voter
• distributed to voters?

Committee: Senate Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• Lead a Lawsoner'si About 68, 25 nay, having with Sude majority voters like to on the house to go to bulldo
• pension board and it defines who is a mental health specialist for the purpose of diagnosing a disability
• for disability applications.
• other than the state law about what you can do with kids that have intellectual or behavioral disabilities

Bills: HB3329 , HR1039 , HR1040 , HB3413 , HB3414 , HB3415 , HB3416 , HB3417 , HB3418 , HB3419 , HB3420 , HB3706 , HB3711 , HB4139 , HB1268 , HB3660 , HJR1023 , HB3298 , HB3056 , HJR1084 , HB3934 , HB3919 , HB4118 , HB4119 , HB3791 , HB4260 , HB4178 , HB4215 , HB4324 , HB3270 , HB4352 , HB4305 , HB2955 , HB3315 , HB3066 , HB1245 , HB4125 , HB3075 , HB3129 , HB3239 , HB4153 , HB3265 , HB4491 , SB680 , HB4263 , HB4268 , HB1675 , HB3885 , HB2984 , HB3697 , HB2959 , HB3671 , HB3852 , HB2933 , HB3057 , HB3802 , HB4294 , HB4285 , HB3708 , HB3979 , HB3977 , HB3986 , HB3985 , HB3588 , HB3742 , HB3845 , HJR1070 , HB3590 , HB3595 , HB3391 , HB3183 , HB3764 , HB3765 , HB1002 , HB4434 , HJR1086 , HB4060 , HB3881 , HB3500 , HB4408 , HB3648 , HB3127 , HB3606

Keywords: long-term care, advisory board, sunset legislation, mental health, psychologists, University of Oklahoma, gymnastics, NCAA, congratulations, sports excellence, recognition, honor, athletics, Joseph Castiglione, leadership, education, sports management, HB3413, public finance, state budget

Transcript Highlights:

• reminded that a lot of the responsibility for what happens in CDCR is in this building and with the voters
• And High Desert, for example, is a concerning medically disabled elderly facility.
• CDCR recently released the SB 108 report regarding alternatives to incarceration for the elderly, disabled
• CDCR recently released the SB 108 report regarding alternatives to incarceration for the elderly, disabled

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Accountability and Oversight held a hearing on the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) budget, with a focus on prison population trends, spending, facility closures, and efforts to find savings. The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) presented data showing the prison and parole populations have fallen sharply over the past 20 years while CDCR spending has remained high, driven largely by security, health care, litigation-related requirements, and aging infrastructure. The LAO also said the state is likely to have several thousand empty beds by 2030 and recommended closing another prison, identifying the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad as the strongest candidate, while also urging more transparency around facility deactivations and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) efficiency contract. CDCR Secretary Jeff McCumber said the department faces structural budget pressures from retirement payouts, workers’ compensation, overtime, medical transport, aging facilities, and violence in prisons, but emphasized declining recidivism, expanding reentry beds, and the need for more single-celling and rehabilitation. Department of Finance representative Anthony Franzoa said the administration is not proposing another prison closure at this time, opposed new reporting requirements on deactivations, and said the BCG contract is intended to produce long-term savings even if near-term estimates are being revised downward. Amber Rose Howard of California United for Responsible Budget argued the state should close more prisons, redirect funds to community services, and stop spending on excess prison capacity. Members questioned why CDCR still relies on vacancy savings, why rehabilitation is only a small share of the budget, and whether the department should be more transparent about capacity reductions and legal liabilities. Several members criticized the $20 million BCG contract and the lack of competitive bidding, while others pressed CDCR on staffing levels, single-celling, suicide prevention, and health care costs for older incarcerated people. The hearing did not take a formal vote, but it ended with clear committee concern about CDCR’s budget transparency, the pace of prison closures, and the need to align spending more closely with the declining prison population and the department’s stated rehabilitation mission.

Transcript Highlights:

• strengthen our SNAP security and our program's integrity, protecting against fraud while ensuring disabled
• we want to fund the Office of Child Advocate, the Commission for the Blind, SNAP for Seniors and Disabled
• $200,000 to the Secretary of State just to get their website in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities
• into the election fund for the general election in '26, and we've added $560,000 to invest in the voter

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, prayers and pledges, and several procedural announcements, including permission for cameras, a relaxed dress code for guests, and excusing a few senators. Members also recognized numerous guests and honorary lieutenant governors, and discussed a planned bolo tie contest tied to New Mexico tradition and state history. The chamber then moved to business, including the confirmation of Anna Silva as Secretary of the General Services Department. The confirmation drew broad support from senators on both sides, who praised Silva’s long career in state government, her management experience, and her work on major projects such as the executive office building, procurement reforms, and facilities management. After debate, the Senate voted unanimously to confirm her appointment. Silva’s family and guests were recognized from the floor after the vote. The Senate then took up House Bill 2 and 3, the state budget. Senator Muñoz presented the Senate Finance version as a balanced budget with about $11.1 billion in spending, 27% reserves, recurring investments in health care, early childhood, public safety, education, roads, housing, and economic development, and targeted nonrecurring spending for items such as water, universities, and innovation sectors. Supporters emphasized affordability, teacher health insurance parity, medical residency funding, rural and community investments, and public safety funding. Critics raised concerns about the size of the budget, the late availability and complexity of the bill, the removal of a proposed 1% pay raise for state employees, and whether spending priorities and education dollars were being allocated effectively. No final vote on the budget was shown in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• contract oversight or case management responsibilities, where we have, in particular, developmentally disabled
• state mental health hospitals or the residential habilitation centers, where you have extremely disabled
• state mental health hospitals or the residential habilitation centers, where you have extremely disabled
• Some other comments that were made were that there could be a challenge in eliminating the voter-passed

Summary: The committee held a work session on tort liability and parole, with the chair explaining that the topics were linked because criminal justice reform and state liability often intersect, especially in cases involving child welfare and corrections. Staff first outlined Washington’s tort liability framework, including the state’s broad waiver of sovereign immunity, statutes governing mandatory reporting and investigation of abuse, the childhood sexual abuse statute of limitations, and the lack of caps on non-economic damages. Staff and presenters also compared Washington to other states and noted that Washington remains among the broadest states for state liability and childhood sexual abuse claims. Presenters from the Attorney General’s office, Washington State Association for Justice, DCYF, DSHS, and DOC discussed how tort exposure has grown, especially in claims involving DCYF, historical child abuse, juvenile rehabilitation, vulnerable adults, employment discrimination, medical negligence, and negligent supervision. DCYF and AG staff said claims and payouts are rising, with many claims tied to older abuse and new theories of liability, while defense counsel emphasized the human harm behind the claims and argued that tort cases have historically driven accountability and reform. Agency witnesses said they face large volumes of old claims with limited records, rising verdicts and settlements, and staffing and systems challenges, and they highlighted efforts such as early resolution programs, electronic health records, medication-assisted treatment, and improved incident review processes. The committee then shifted to parole. Sentencing experts reviewed Washington’s move from indeterminate sentencing to the current determinate sentencing system under the Sentencing Reform Act, and explained how parole could be integrated with sentencing guidelines through different models used in other states. They also summarized Criminal Sentencing Task Force recommendations related to a determinate-plus approach for three-strikes and persistent offender laws and a second-chance review process, noting there was no consensus on those ideas. Judges from the Minority and Justice Commission and the Superior Court Judges Association said a parole system could support rehabilitation and reduce disparities if it includes data collection, fairness, transparency, due process, and meaningful judicial review; they also pointed to research suggesting parole and structured reentry can reduce recidivism and costs, while warning that access and outcomes can vary by geography and other factors.

Transcript Highlights:

• Despite his immigration... and despite his physical disability, he pursued an education.
• legislation to deny access to an in-state tuition and then was overturned with a ballot initiative with the voters
• Disability is the number one concern of these families, not desire, not talent and not determination.
• students, particularly those from immigrant backgrounds, mixed-status families, and those with disabilities

Bills: HB232

Committee: House Higher Education

Keywords: disaster recovery, natural disaster, weather disaster, emergency relief, flood relief, hurricane relief, storm damage, wildfire, tornado, hail, windstorm, extreme heat, ice storm, snowstorm, property damage, personal injury, temporary housing, relocation assistance, lost wages, state emergency management

Transcript Highlights:

• So I would love to provide you more information specifically on handicap and disabled, accessible parking
• And with that being said, we're also reducing disabled parking if we are we looking at this at least
• in the event of the storms like we have here in Florida, like hurricanes, it can be temporarily disabled
• Kylie Dawn League of Women Voters, Florida waives in support Karen Missoula, AFL PTA waives in support

Transcript Highlights:

• I believe that it'd be highly beneficial for, uh, to see. disabled pet owners.
• As someone with a lifelong disability, I know how much of a production it is to just get out the door
• This lack of care forces people from all walks of... of life, whether they are elderly, disabled, or
• This is not a voter integrity bill. Are you in the right hearing? I am. Oh man.

Bills: SB34 , SB119 , SB261 , SB532 , SB1035 , SB1245 , SB1247 , SB1267 , SB1442 , SB1930 , SB1948 , SB2078 , SB2112 , SB2143 , SB2155

Committee: Senate Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• And the problem, again, is the military voters, right?
• a requirement that voter ID be provided, government-issued voter ID be provided with any vote that a
• voter casts.
• There's only going to be four options for this weird category of voter—not weird category of voter, but
• not weird category of voter but for this cat for this like statistically abnormal category of voter

Summary: The meeting covered a long list of House bills, mostly on third-read consent calendars, spanning appropriations, elections, education, public safety, water, taxation, and criminal law. Early discussion focused on HB 2148, which would give the legislature authority to appropriate non-custodial federal funds, described by the sponsor as a transparency measure. Other measures discussed included HB 2091 on insurance-related assessment limits, HB 2122 on reciprocity for BTR-related professions, HB 2138 clarifying firefighter workers’ compensation coverage, and HB 2008 barring public school libraries from using public money to pay library professional associations. HB 2110, removed from consent, would allow school governing body members to pray at meetings, with members noting Supreme Court precedent supporting such prayer. Several bills addressed school safety and parental rights. HB 2142 would create a School Safety Center at the Arizona Department of Education and allow up to 10% of school safety program funds for administration, with supporters citing an audit and lack of oversight. HB 2249 would expand the Parents’ Bill of Rights to require notice if a school employee facilitates social transitioning of a minor and to provide broader access to educational records, with penalties discussed for violations. HB 2074 would add mandatory reporting for anyone in a medical facility who knows a partial-birth abortion is occurring, and HB 2144 would allow child support calculations to begin during pregnancy based on a confirmed pregnancy test and related DNA testing provisions. The committee also took up election-related measures. HB 2022 would make permanent changes tied to the federal Electoral Count Act, including moving Arizona’s primary earlier to preserve military and overseas voting access, while keeping petition dates valid and preserving existing deadlines for candidates. HCM 2001 urged federal designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization, and HCM 2002 supported a separate congressional effort involving CARE and related federal review and designation processes; members debated the distinction between direct designation and a request for federal investigation. HCR 2001 proposed a constitutional amendment to limit voting to U.S. citizens, require government ID to register, prohibit foreign contributions, and end early voting by the Friday before an election. Water, land use, and tax bills were also reviewed. Measures included HB 2024 on snowpack augmentation as a water supply development project, HB 2029 and HB 2030 tightening how Water Conservation Grant Fund money is used, HB 2053 appropriating $100,000 for updated stormwater recharge mapping, HB 2096 expanding revolving fund uses to address cesspools, HB 2097 capping groundwater withdrawal in irrigation non-expansion areas, and HB 2116 funding potential Colorado River litigation. On the tax side, HB 2016 would remove late-filing penalties when no tax is due, HB 2104 and HB 2105 would protect agricultural property owners from repeated reclassification and require notice of inspections, and HB 2289 would update truth-in-taxation examples to reflect higher home values. The committee also heard bills on criminal penalties and other matters, including HB 2043 on felony murder involving an unborn child, HB 2045 on discharging a weapon near a vehicle, HB 2131 and HB 2132 on weapons trafficking and fentanyl penalties, and HB 2062 authorizing a Buffalo Soldiers memorial in Wesley Bolin Plaza.

Transcript Highlights:

• The voters of Marana collected signatures with an organization helping them.
• But what happens to all the voters who signed that petition? What happens to their rights?
• So to say that the voters of Marana, my voters, the voters who have put me in this chair, are left voiceless
• The Marana voters have had a chance to have their voice heard.
• In our state law, when it comes to city referenda, the voters have no other option.

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the journal, and announced that several House messages and Senate bills had been transmitted to the governor. Members also noted a planned recess to recognize the University of Arizona men’s basketball team later in the morning. The chamber then moved into Committee of the Whole to consider bills on multiple calendars. On Calendar 4, House Bill 2812, dealing with accumulated sick leave payments and compensation/insurance issues, received a do-pass recommendation after an amendment, but it later failed on third reading by a vote of 15-11. House Bill 2032, on school assessment accountability and testing, was amended with a floor change extending a timeline from four to six weeks and then passed 26-0 on third reading. House Bill 2033, also on school assessment accountability and written versus digital testing, drew debate over a Diaz floor amendment limiting written-test authority to grades 3-8; the amendment failed on a 15-10 division vote, and the bill then received a do-pass recommendation and passed the Senate. House Bill 293, relating to school curricula and mental health instruction requirements, prompted extended floor debate, with supporters arguing it preserved evidence-based mental health and social-emotional learning instruction for students; it passed 16-10. House Bill 4033, concerning education bond elections, also passed 16-10. In a second Committee of the Whole, members considered House Bill 2016 on tax administration and late filing penalties, House Bill 2140 on depository state money and financial institutions, House Bill 2308 on the State Board of Dental Examiners, House Bill 2320 on school district bonds and financial advisors, House Bill 2439 on public health and exempting certain submissions, and House Bill 2873 on competitive bidding. HB 2320 was retained on the calendar, while the others received do-pass recommendations, with HB 2439 and HB 2873 amended. HB 2873 generated the most debate: a Bullock floor amendment added an emergency clause, and supporters said the measure was needed to allow withdrawal of referendum petitions before ballot qualification, while opponents argued it would undercut the referendum process and voter rights, especially in the Marana data center dispute. The amended bill ultimately received a do-pass recommendation. The Senate then adopted the Committee of the Whole reports, including a failed attempt by Senator Diaz to add her HB 2033 amendment back into the report by roll call (10-16). After third readings, HB 2032 and HB 293 passed, while HB 2812 failed. The chamber then recessed to honor the University of Arizona men’s basketball team with a proclamation recognizing its 2026 Final Four appearance and Big 12 championships. The Senate later reconvened briefly, received committee announcements, and adjourned until Monday, April 13, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, I want to talk about the voter rolls, keeping the voter rolls clean.
• run the voter master.
• </c> these voter you know local control. these voter you know local control.
• </c> voter roles. voter roles.
• </c> voter registrations. voter registrations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank goodness all the voters across the state say.
• The supporter of this bill said, 'Let the voters decide.'
• The board is required to submit the measure to the voters and allow the voters to weigh in on the merits
• It is a vote to let the voters decide. That is true democracy.
• It is a vote to let the voters decide. That is true democracy.

Transcript Highlights:

• My understanding is, in the city of to ask the voters for this to ask the voters for this levying<00:
• Um voters in every of Cheyenne.
• </c> Restore the power of your vote voters Restore the power of your vote voters given<01:10:31.840><
• </c><01:13:04.560><c> It</c> in a way that the voters approve. It in a way that the voters approve.
• </c> voters in a balloted initiative. voters in a balloted initiative.

Bills: SF0099 , SF0116 , SJ0006

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• The voters spoke.
• The voters spoke.
• Voters returned... election. It increases voter confidence and speeds up the counting of votes.
• SCR 1023 favors urban voters to the detriment of rural voters.
• SCR 1023 favors urban voters to the detriment of rural voters.

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call, and a series of personal privilege introductions recognizing guests including the Doctor of the Day, realtors visiting for Realtor Day, and the family of former Senator Barbara Leff. The chamber also adopted House Concurrent Resolution 264 honoring Barbara Leff, followed by a moment of silence in her memory. The Senate then moved through a large number of bill introductions and first readings, as well as Committee of the Whole consideration of several measures. In Committee of the Whole, senators considered and advanced multiple bills, often with technical or negotiated floor amendments. Among those reported out as do pass or do pass as amended were SB 1494, SB 1497, SB 1503, SB 1535, SB 1544, SB 1580, SB 1582, SB 1584, SB 1585, SB 1602, SB 1632, SB 1723, and SB 1798. The amendments addressed topics such as technical corrections to mining and pension language, classical learning tests, sex trafficking record sealing, probation reporting, school safety funding, kinship foster care stipends, DES credentialing, domestic violence release conditions, and a school safety/threat identification pilot program that was revised into a FAFSA awareness recognition program. The Committee of the Whole report was adopted. The Senate then took up third-reading votes on several bills. HB 4115, SB 1012, SB 1213, SB 1416, SB 1474, SB 1511, SB 1549, SB 1573, SB 1634, SB 1647, SB 1649, SB 1664, and SB 1725 were considered, with most passing on party-line or near-party-line votes; SB 1416 and SB 1664 passed unanimously, while SB 1549 passed with broader support. Several members explained votes on immigration enforcement, concealed carry in establishments serving alcohol, commercial driver licensing, campaign finance, and a digital asset reserve fund. HB 2993, dealing with DPS legal representation funding, passed 16-13 after debate over constitutional concerns, funding sources, and the use of the Attorney General’s consumer fraud fund. The session ended with the Senate adopting the Committee of the Whole report and transmitting the passed bills to the House.

Transcript Highlights:

• The other required notice can now be a direct mailing to voters.
• The other required notice can now be a direct mailing to voters.
• So we hear voters all the time.
• I mean, at the end of the day, the voters have that ability.
• Voter participation helping with school staff.

Committees: House Elections , House Local Government, Elections and Pensions

Transcript Highlights:

• You are saying we're going to have to track voters or identify voters who presented an ID so I don't
• You are saying we're going to have to track voters or identify voters who presented an ID so I don't
• </c> the voter registration. the voter registration.
• </c> Granite sters utilize same day voter Granite sters utilize same day voter registration.<01:11:52.080
• Voters.

Committee: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• And this is the feature that we're most concerned about, is that voters were not apprised that they were
• So it doesn't tell voters that they're voting on a new tax.
• So it doesn't tell voters that they're voting on a new tax.
• So it doesn't tell voters that they're voting on a new tax.
• So it doesn't tell voters that they're voting on a new tax.

Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 1790 HD1, which would require law enforcement and oversight agencies to collect and report data on stops, use of force, and complaints to the Hawaii Crime Lab, which would publish incident-level information and annual reports. Supporters, including the Office of the Public Defender, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the ACLU of Hawaii, Hawaii Justice Rising, and the Policing Project, said the bill would improve transparency, help identify disparities, and support better policy and accountability. OHA requested amendments to ensure Hawaiians are identified as a distinct category in the data, and the University of Hawaii’s Ashley Rubin said the Crime Lab would work with agencies to make implementation as seamless as possible. The Department of Law Enforcement supported the bill’s intent but asked for a longer timeline and culturally appropriate methodology, while HPD opposed the bill as written, saying it would require too many new data points, create a significant administrative burden, and rely on subjective perceptions of race and ethnicity; HPD also noted it is piloting an e-citation system that could help with data collection. Committee members questioned HPD about current manual processes and technology options. The chair reported 18 testimonies total: 15 in support, one in opposition, and two with comments, and no vote was taken in the excerpt. The committee then heard HB 1611 HD1, which would phase down the general excise tax on groceries and nonprescription drugs until a full exemption takes effect in 2034. The Department of Taxation offered technical recommendations, including clearer definitions for groceries and nonprescription drugs and a technical change regarding the county surcharge exemption. Supporters, including the Hawaii Public Health Institute and the Hawaii Food Industry Association, argued the GET on groceries is regressive and worsens food insecurity, especially for low-income households, and said the bill would provide needed relief. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii offered technical concerns, including a possible wholesale-tax enforcement issue once the exemption is fully phased in. The excerpt ends during testimony on HB 1611, with no final committee action shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• , uh, overseas and military voters, uh, emergency response voters.
• , uh, overseas and military voters, uh, emergency response voters.
• </c> applications under current law the voter applications under current law the voter provides<00:15
• absentee voter list.
• Section 25 modifies the voter certificate that is signed by voters to attest to their eligibility to

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> supported by a super majority of Voters supported by a super majority of Voters we<00:14:10.720>
• </c><00:19:57.240><c> adoption</c> have some kind of voter adoption have some kind of voter adoption
• </c><00:20:23.000><c> have</c> statutes that um that the voters have statutes that um that the voters
• That's what the voters can do.
• or the first registered voter?

Committee: House Municipal and County Government

Transcript Highlights:

• By requiring candidates to disclose these holdings, we ensure that voters have a complete picture of
• </c> about um from the experience of Voters about um from the experience of Voters um<00:09:22.600><c
• My department is responsible for administering elections for about 40,000 registered voters.
• we know not every voter communication we know not every voter votes<00:16:28.600><c> in</c><00:16:28.720
• The way we see it is one voter who reads that posted sign is going to be one less voter who calls the

Committee: Senate Elections