Transcript Highlights:

• So it's really picking on local elected officials.
• But elected officials also... ...to sit in the back of the bus.
• But elected officials also joined the chorus of voices that objected to those laws.
• But elected officials also join the chorus of voices that objected to those laws.
• And we expect our elected officials to help bring us back to, you know, to sanity.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the Senate Committee on Ethics and Elections, and the committee will now come to order.
• The Senate Committee on Ethics and Elections has jurisdictional oversight over the Division of Elections
• The Senate Committee on Ethics and Elections has jurisdictional oversight over the Division of Elections
• 106 of Florida's election code.
• 106 of Florida's election code. agency charged with enforcing chapters 104 and 106 of Florida's election

Committee: Senate Ethics and Elections

Summary: The Senate Committee on Ethics and Elections convened, established a quorum, and members introduced themselves and the committee staff. Chair Gaetz outlined the committee’s jurisdiction over election law, ethics law, executive appointments, and related confirmations, and described the committee’s process for handling gubernatorial nominations and member concerns about nominees. The committee then received a briefing from the Florida Commission on Ethics on its 2025 legislative priorities and on implementation of Senate Bill 7014 from the prior year. The commission recommended three changes: expanding the definition of “relative” in the gift law to include current and former foster parents and foster children; authorizing salary withholding to help collect civil penalties and restitution; and adding whistleblower-like protections for people who file ethics complaints. Commission staff also explained how SB 7014 changed complaint processing by requiring allegations to be based on personal knowledge or non-hearsay information and by imposing new deadlines for legal sufficiency review, investigations, and advocates’ recommendations. They said the commission has adapted its intake and review process and is currently meeting the new timelines, though the tighter deadlines may create staffing and scheduling challenges. Commission counsel also provided an update on two active lawsuits. One challenges the constitutional in-office lobbying ban, and the other challenges the requirement that elected municipal officers and mayors file Form 6 financial disclosure forms. The committee discussed the impact of the new complaint standards, the possibility of litigation if deadlines are missed, and whether local ethics boards are implementing SB 7014 similarly. Members expressed support for the commission’s work and asked for written legislative recommendations and proposed statutory language. No votes were taken, and the meeting ended with a motion to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:36:07.079><c> official</c> so then the county uh election official so then the county uh election
• c><00:37:09.319><c> something</c><00:37:10.000><c> to</c> election official has to do something to election
• </c> enhanced reminders to County election enhanced reminders to County election official<00:54:26.640
• </c><00:54:56.680><c> officials</c> was that County election officials was that County election officials
• election officials to follow when they're doing their...

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, I guess finally, if you write it, then that's not the local elected official.
• So the people in this community elected these local officials.
• There's an elected official.
• They do vote on them, but it's hardly some elected officials' rights being taken away from them.
• But those are not binding on election officials. Those are advisory opinions.

Bills: HB376 , HB817 , HB 1297 , HB1478 , HB1661 , HB1783

Committee: House Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> that we've seen changes in in elections that we've seen changes in in elections we've<00:03:34.799
• :36.439><c> in</c> we've seen election in changes in we've seen election in changes in campaigns<00:03
• As a public official, I've certainly had issues, and other people that I've known to be public officials
• As a public official, I've certainly had issues, and other people that I've known to be public officials
• </c> establishes the office of election establishes the office of election investigations<00:10:42.279

Summary: The committee met with opening prayer, pledge, and procedural reminders, then took up two election-related bills. House Bill 373, sponsored by Rep. Wade Williams, would modernize campaign finance law to allow campaign funds to pay for reasonable security measures for state candidates, officeholders, their families, and campaign or office staff. Williams said the bill uses campaign funds only, not state dollars, and is modeled on recently changed federal language. Members discussed whether the coverage included all state officeholders and close family members, and supporters cited increasing threats and harassment toward public officials; one member opposed the bill, warning about possible misuse and fraud. The bill passed with favorable expression. The committee then heard House Bill 455, sponsored by Rep. Patrick Flannery, which creates an Office of Election Investigations and Security within the Attorney General’s office. Flannery said the bill would codify existing practices, establish a complaint and allegation review process, create a voter fraud hotline, and provide for investigations, referrals, and legislative oversight. Members asked about cost and whether the office duplicated existing functions such as the Public Integrity Office; Flannery responded that the bill creates a statutorily defined office and is intended to make the process less dependent on who holds the office. Supporters said the measure could improve transparency and voter trust, while opponents argued it duplicates existing agencies, could increase government size and cost, and might expose people to harassment or retaliation. The bill also passed with favorable expression, and the committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• training that other election officials go through.
• trainee to be appointed as an election official.
• training that other election officials go through.
• the elected officials.
• There's no mention of the treasurer for the elected official.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• After communications with other elected officials, the commissioners, and other loyal constituents of
• Believe it or not, those of us as state elected officials fall under the same category.
• officials.
• official.
• officials.

Bills: HB3091 , HB3314 , HB3435 , HB3748 , HB3913 , HB3919 , HB4132 , HB4203 , HB4303

Committee: House County and Municipal Government

Summary: The committee considered a series of county, municipal, housing, and public-safety bills. House Bill 3748 would allow county governments to partner with four-year institutions and was reported out after a brief explanation and no questions. House Bill 4203, with a PCS adopted, would let the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission explore guidelines for small-unit multifamily housing of eight units or fewer and four stories or fewer; it passed 5-1. House Bill 3919, also with a PCS, would let county commissioners reduce county fair boards from nine members to five to help achieve quorum; it passed 6-0. House Bill 3091, with a PCS changing the residency requirement from 80% to 70%, would require county elected officials to maintain a principal residence in the county and occupy it at least 70% of the time. Members discussed whether the bill should use “may” or “shall” and how it would apply in hardship or medical situations; the author said he was open to further language changes. The bill passed 6-0. House Bill 3314, creating a county-option retail sale public safety impact fee on marijuana, also passed 6-0. House Bill 3435, requiring a single-subject rule for municipal bonds so voters can consider bond issues separately, passed 6-0. House Bill 3913, which would allow municipalities to authorize single-stair apartment buildings up to six stories if they meet modern fire-safety standards, failed on a 2-4 vote after no questions or debate. House Bill 4132 would provide liability protection for local governments that follow recognized cybersecurity frameworks and passed 6-0. House Bill 4303, a collaborative measure extending the deadline for municipalities to publish ordinances from 15 days to 30 days, also passed 6-0. The committee adjourned after completing the posted agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• Look to your elected officials. Look to those building officials.
• We do not represent the individual elected officials that make up the elected legislative body of a city
• And in a representative democracy like we have here, all elected officials—city, state, federal—all elected
• As elected leaders yourselves, we hope you can understand why the League's elected officials generally
• As elected leaders yourselves, we hope you can understand why the League's elected officials generally

Summary: The Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee held its first meeting of the 2025 session and focused on an overview of county and municipal home rule powers and state preemption. After roll call and member introductions, Chair Alex Rizzo and Vice Chair Griff Griffiths explained the constitutional and statutory basis for local self-government, the distinction between charter and non-charter counties, and how express and implied preemption limit local authority. Griffiths emphasized that home rule gives local governments broad power to address community needs, but the Legislature can override that authority through clear preemption, with courts ultimately deciding disputes. Representatives Holcomb and LaMarca added that local issues should generally be addressed locally first, but statewide standards can be appropriate when uniformity is needed or local action is ineffective. The committee then heard from a panel representing counties, cities, business, and construction interests: Ginger Delegal of the Florida Association of Counties, Carolyn Johnson of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Rebecca O'Hara of the Florida League of Cities, and Carol Bowen of Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida. Delegal and O'Hara argued that home rule is rooted in local autonomy, policy experimentation, and accountability to voters, and warned against broad or “vacuum” preemptions that remove local authority without replacing it with state regulation. Johnson and Bowen supported preemption when local rules create a patchwork that hurts statewide competitiveness, raises costs, or complicates business operations, citing examples such as labor rules, heat safety, permitting, and procurement preferences. The panel also discussed the 2023 local ordinances law, which requires business impact estimates and provides attorney’s fees in certain challenges, as a mechanism to resolve disputes locally before resorting to preemption. Members questioned the panel about the 2024 heat-safety preemption and how to protect workers in the absence of local ordinances. Business representatives said existing OSHA duties and industry best practices already require employers to provide safe conditions, while local governments and the state should avoid inconsistent standards across jurisdictions. Another discussion centered on construction permitting, licensing, and local boards that may slow projects and increase costs; Bowen suggested eliminating redundant local fees and barriers while preserving statewide licensing and enforcement against bad actors. No votes were taken, and the meeting remained informational, with the chair inviting continued discussion on when preemption is appropriate versus when local governments should retain authority.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is a professional development training that government officials, elected officials, attend as part
• that government officials, elected officials, attend as a part of their professional development, and
• No one wants to take that risk if they're an elected official.
• And if there's, ...if they're an elected official.
• our obligation as elected officials to carry out the very duties we were elected to perform.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions and moments of silence, including tributes to fallen service members. The chamber then moved through a special order calendar focused on a series of bills, with most measures receiving unanimous or near-unanimous support after brief explanations and floor debate. Several bills were temporarily postponed, but the body took up and passed multiple others, often substituting identical House companions before final passage. The first major measure, SB 1062 on speech and debate education, drew extensive supportive debate from senators who described debate as a civic skill that builds confidence, critical thinking, and conflict resolution, especially for students in public schools and underserved communities. An amendment creating a Speech and Debate Hall of Fame, expanding access through public-private partnerships, and establishing coach training was adopted, and the bill ultimately passed 37-0. The Senate also passed SB 1072 creating an Anti-Semitism Task Force, with a late-filed amendment clarifying that the bill does not restrict criticism of Israel and is not intended to infringe First Amendment rights; that bill also passed 37-0. Other measures passed included a PFAS bill phasing out firefighting foam containing forever chemicals and setting testing, reporting, and enforcement requirements; an expansion of the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program; student health and safety legislation expanding seizure-response training in schools; updates to funeral and cemetery regulation; protected cell captive insurance company legislation aimed at increasing insurance market capacity; nonprofit corporation updates; child welfare reforms streamlining foster-care medication approvals and related procedures; salvage title/e-signature changes; and forensic client services changes allowing certain APD clients to be housed with other secure forensic residents. Most of these bills were passed after substituting House companions and received unanimous votes. The most contentious debate came on SB 1134 regarding official actions of local governments and DEI-related activities. Senator Yarborough argued the bill would stop counties and cities from funding or promoting DEI practices he described as discriminatory or ideological, while several amendments sought to narrow the bill to spending only, add an intent requirement for penalties, and preserve local proclamations and observances such as LGBTQ Pride Month. Those amendments were rejected, and debate continued on the bill’s scope and exemptions, but the transcript ends before final disposition of SB 1134 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• uh</c><00:23:46.040><c> under</c> election official and signing uh under election official and signing
• </c> you know, if you've got two election you know, if you've got two election officials<00:31:45.920
• The total number of absentee ballots used as official election ballots.
• The total number of absentee ballots used as official election ballots.
• The total number of absentee ballots used as official election ballots.

Summary: The committee of conference first resolved House Bill 158, which concerns public inspection of absentee ballot lists. The Senate explained a revised approach that removed the broader bill language and instead directed the Secretary of State to review absentee ballot data after each general election for patterns such as common addresses and to report findings to the committees of jurisdiction. The House agreed to the Senate position, and the conference committee voted unanimously to concur. The committee then took up House Bill 281, dealing with a sortable electronic voter checklist. Members debated the Senate’s removal of language that would have included the absentee ballot mailing address when different from the voter’s registration address. Concerns were raised that releasing mailing addresses could expose where voters are not home and could affect overseas and military voters. The committee also discussed a related form for election officials who personally know a voter, including how long the form would be retained and whether it would be subject to public records law. After further discussion, the House agreed to the Senate changes with an additional requirement that the form be signed, and the committee voted to proceed with the amended Senate position. House Bill 317, concerning verification of a person’s identity by a supervisor of the checklist without identification, was also discussed at length. The Senate’s version preserved the ability for election officials to identify people they know, but required a signed form under penalty of perjury and added a nursing home-related provision. Members described the measure as balancing community-based identification with tighter documentation, and a House witness described local problems with inconsistent ID checks and concerns about voting in nursing homes. The House sought one additional change requiring the nursing home verification form to be signed, and the Senate accepted that addition; the committee then voted to move the bill forward on the consent calendar. The conference committee next considered House Bill 340 on electioneering by public employees. The chair presented a replace-all amendment that tied the definition of electioneering to existing law, added a prohibition on expressly or primarily political surveys, and created a civil penalty of up to $1,000 alongside the misdemeanor penalty. Members discussed clarifying when the misdemeanor versus civil penalty would apply and which categories of public employees were covered. After caucus, the Senate agreed to the House’s replace-all approach with the clarifying changes, and the bill was closed. The committee also resolved House Bill 1062 by agreeing to strike a sunset clause from the Senate version authorizing random audits of citizenship qualifications, and it began discussion of House Bill 1187 on the filing window for special-election candidates, where the House proposed requiring local election officials to arrange a filing time on the same day or next business day after being contacted.

Transcript Highlights:

• So when the Secretary of State's office, um, suggested they, the elections officials start redacting
• of the election.
• administrator still may be appointed to an office or position by an elected official.
• our elected officials are, and, and, and how to just be more transparent to the voters to be more prepared
• elected official, um, you know, if there were no law against it, I wouldn't mind, you know, a younger

Bills: HB429 , HB496 , HB640 , HB657 , HB665 , HB677 , HB952

Committee: House Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• In elections.
• Local governments and local elected officials, such as those who...
• But in addition to those concerns, restricting the activity of local officials, many of whom are elected
• state representative, county judge, or commissioners, or their local election officials, they're trusting
• Are you here as an elected official or are you here as a candidate?

Bills: HB304 , HB401 , HB556 , HB1475 , HB1489 , HB2259 , HB2424 , HB2773 , HB2811 , HB3323 , HB304

Committee: House Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• We are the only M.O. that is not made up of a majority of elected officials.
• </c> made up of of a majority of elected made up of of a majority of elected officials.<00:20:35.919>
• </c> made up of a majority of elected made up of a majority of elected officials<00:21:21.600><c> from
• ><00:21:25.600><c> officials</c> or members that uh uh elected officials or members that uh uh elected
• The fact that this agency even exists with an appointment as opposed to elected officials because of

Transcript Highlights:

• He can election. I Um so that's fine. He can election.
• </c><00:15:40.160><c> We</c> to election. Our current law is okay. We to election.
• Happy to take any questions. election. So it's important for us to election.
• I hate lines on election day. I will always hate lines on election day.
• I hate lines on election day. I will always hate lines on election day.

Committee: House Election Law

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, not a fair situation for any elected official.
• And these are elected officials. We're just going to remove them.
• Districts and they are elected officials.
• are elected officials, and we think about who oversees elected officials, I'm wondering, do we have
• It's about individual elected officials. Is that correct, Mr. Chair? Mr.

Bills: SB23 , SB73 , SB210 , SB234 , SB243 , SB244 , SM16

Committee: House House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• The other thing, too, in here, it gives one elected official the authority to tell another elected official
• We give legislative authority to one elected official to govern another elected official, not a government
• an elected official, and he's an elected official, meaning the administrator of the mayor or police
• What they have done is been elected officials, and they've been elected officials and been stewards of
• What they have done is been elected officials, and they've been elected officials and been stewards of

Committee: Senate Judiciary B

Transcript Highlights:

• The amendment modifies when a vacancy is created in the office of an elected law enforcement official
• by providing that such a vacancy is created when the elected law enforcement official has been decertified
• The amendment modifies when a vacancy is created in the office of an elected law enforcement official
• the elected law enforcement official is decertified, or if the eligibility requirements are determined
• or anything that we don't see in regards to any other state elected officials or county elected officials

Committee: House Community Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 505 will allow election workers, candidates, party officials, proponents, and opponents of
• a measure. to ask election officials questions regarding the election after two attempts the requesters
• In fact, Kansas' top election official or Republican who supported the bill as a state legislator now
• Officials and the election administrator for just under 10 years in Haiti.
• or as the representative of the Texas Association of County Election Officials? Both.

Bills: SB16 , SB76 , SB310 , SB311 , SB396 , SB505 , SB827 , SB964 , SB1209 , SB1210 , SB1386 , SB1470 , SB2035 , SJR37 , SB 16

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• It also has the secondary benefit of reducing the angst of our elected officials and staff as we try
• That would be a nice homework assignment if some elected official desires to take that on.
• The notice is posted for elections until a presidential election or redistricting occurs.
• on a very busy election day.
• So in our election, we made some changes around lobbying.

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:

• Interestingly, members, no city, county, or school board elected official has asked me to support...
• Members, if we tie the hands of local elected officials as Senate Bill 12 would, who will educate us
• And maybe it will encourage more of our elected officials... ...and school board members and people like
• I don't know about you, but if I get a call from an elected official, I listen to what they have to say
• If elected officials are wasting money on lobbyists, that is a matter for them to face and explain to

Bills: SB5 , SB11 , SB12 , SB5 , SB11 , SB12