Transcript Highlights:

• They have tried to brand it in a way that is attractive in spite of the fact that it is bill.
• This is the wrong way to go. It's anti-voter. It's anti-democracy. This is the wrong way to go.
• We have a similar bill to pass out of Ways and Means. I think it's 6319.
• Representative Goodman has stood in the way each year.
• Hopefully, he'll finally see a way forward for this.

Summary: House and Senate Republican leaders held a press event to preview the final weeks of the legislative session and criticize several Democratic proposals. Their main focus was a proposed income tax on high earners, which they said is really an income tax that could later be expanded, and which drew what they described as record opposition in public sign-ins and testimony. They also objected to other fiscal bills they said would raise costs for food, agriculture, health care, energy, labor, and consumer goods, and they argued these measures would worsen affordability and encourage people and businesses to leave Washington. The caucus also highlighted bills they opposed on policy grounds, including measures affecting local authority over camping bans and housing permitting, an anti-initiative bill they called anti-voter, and a bill on sheriff background checks. They said they supported or were pleased to see movement on some Republican-backed measures, including tax exemptions for diapers, prepared foods, and certain licensing and continuing-education costs, as well as a repeal of last year’s services tax. They also said the Senate’s move to roll back the estate tax was a partial step in the right direction, though not enough to offset the proposed income tax. A major portion of the event centered on child welfare and the Keeping Families Together Act. Republicans criticized a House bill they said only partially addresses the “imminent harm” standard and does not adequately protect children in drug-affected homes, citing recent fatalities and critical incidents. They said they will keep pushing for changes and also mentioned support for adding fentanyl to the child endangerment statute. In closing, they said they would continue floor fights over the next week, and House Republicans announced they will issue their own media credentials to promote press access in Olympia.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the fee is meant as a way to try and compensate some of those that are most low income.
• And I fundamentally believe that there's a way we can accomplish this and still meet housing goals.
• I move that the bill receive a due pass recommendation and be sent to the Ways and Means Committee.
• Bill receive a due pass recommendation and be sent to the Ways and Means Committee.
• Be sent to the Ways and Means Committee. Is there any discussion? Good bill, vote yes.

Summary: The Senate Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee took executive action on 11 bills. It advanced SB 624 on an Appliance Affordability Index study with an amendment excluding consumer electronics, and SB 6284 on artificial intelligence systems with a proposed substitute adding definitions, developer requirements, exemptions for some entities, and clarifying enforcement. The committee also moved forward SB 5609 on cultural resource protection under SEPA after rejecting an amendment to the proposed substitute, and SB 6172 on coal plant treatment under cap-and-invest after adopting an amendment related to emergency federal orders. Several energy and climate bills were also approved, including SB 6246 on emissions-intensive trade-exposed facilities, SB 5932 on alternative jet fuel production, SB 6269 on the definition of motor fuel, and SB 6223 on community-scaled weatherization projects. On SB 5975 concerning lead in cookware, the committee rejected one proposed substitute and adopted another that bans intentionally added lead in cookware beginning in 2027 and directs future regulation through the Safer Products program. The committee then considered SB 5466 on electric transmission reliability and capacity, taking up multiple amendments to a proposed second substitute. Amendments addressing wildfire risk, corridor identification, landowner consultation, eminent domain, and wildfire liability were all rejected, and the bill was advanced on a due pass recommendation. In each case, the committee’s final action was to pass the bills or substitutes subject to signatures, with several measures referred onward to Ways and Means or Rules as noted.

Transcript Highlights:

• with the only tied legislature for the second time in history, and the way we were able to navigate
• Uh, that's the official way that explain.
• </c> Democrats and Republicans can find a way Democrats and Republicans can find a way to<00:05:17.520
• If there are ways to make it easier for the public, I'm all about exploring those options.
• If there are ways to make it something.

Transcript Highlights:

• with the way they raise money for their campaigns, and that's the nature of the bill.
• with the way they raise money for their campaigns, and that's the nature of the bill.
• with the way they raise money for their campaigns, and that's the nature of the bill.
• with the way they raise money for their campaigns, and that's the nature of the bill.
• with the way they raise money for their campaigns, and that's the nature of the bill.

Committee: Senate Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:45:06.559><c> or</c> blank and you don't speak one way or blank and you don't speak one way or
• </c><03:26:27.080><c> this</c> ought to be doing by the way this ought to be doing by the way this number
• </c><03:29:56.319><c> of</c> binding way of binding way of raising<03:29:59.199><c> money</c><03:30:00.279
• </c><03:31:04.920><c> that</c> maybe we could return to the way that maybe we could return to the way
• There was no Ways and Means Committee.

Summary: The committee opened a public hearing on HB 402, a bill dealing with whether Education Freedom Account (EFA) payments should be described in state law as not constituting taxable income. The bill sponsor argued that the current statute is misleading because New Hampshire should not imply a federal tax result, and said the bill would remove that language and could also be amended to clarify that families should consult tax advisors. He emphasized that the measure was not intended to impose a state tax on EFAs, but to avoid giving inaccurate advice about possible federal tax liability. Testimony was divided. A retired representative and a tax preparer both opposed the bill, saying EFA payments are already treated consistently with IRS rules and that the bill would create confusion, administrative burden, and possible tax consequences for low- and moderate-income families. They argued the bill is a solution in search of a problem and warned that requiring 1099s could add costs for the scholarship organization and recipients. A tax attorney supported the bill’s repeal of the state language, saying New Hampshire should not put tax advice into statute and that the current wording is inaccurate because federal law, not state law, controls taxability. He cited IRS Section 117 and Publication 970, explaining that only some scholarship-like payments are tax-free and that many EFA-eligible expenses may not qualify for federal exemption. Members asked questions about what would be misleading, whether the bill was trying to tax EFAs, and the cost of issuing 1099s. The sponsor and witnesses repeatedly said the bill was not a state tax on voucher payments, but a clarification about federal tax treatment. No vote or final committee action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Two different ways.
• Two different ways.
• Two different ways.
• Two different ways.
• , in a safer way.

Committee: House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• So I think this is the way forward.
• I do know what shell access is, by the way.
• I do know what shell access is, by the way.
• marketed it that way.
• That is, they're sold that way.

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on artificial intelligence, child safety, mental health, and privacy. SB 574 by Senator Umberg would require transparency and human oversight when attorneys, judges, and court neutrals use AI; it drew support from privacy advocates and committee members, with no opposition. SB 1276, the End Child Exploitation Act, would update child sexual exploitation laws to cover live-streamed and AI-generated abuse material and clarify that viewing such content can be criminally punishable; prosecutors, child advocacy groups, and others supported it, while no one appeared in opposition despite opposition on file. SB 813 would create a California AI standards and safety commission and a voluntary two-tier certification framework for AI safety standards; supporters said it would create scalable, independent oversight, while TechNet and CalChamber opposed it as duplicative, under-defined, and likely to create a de facto mandate. The committee discussed market pressure, federal preemption concerns, and the role of voluntary standards, but no final vote was taken in the excerpt. Senator Padilla also presented SB 300, which would strengthen protections for minors from sexually explicit chatbot content by moving from a reasonableness standard to an affirmative duty to prevent such exposure and to prohibit facilitation. Supporters said new evidence showed greater risks and that companies can and should build stronger safeguards; opponents, including TechNet and CCIA, argued the bill was premature because SB 243 had only recently taken effect and warned it could create strict-liability-like exposure. Padilla then presented SB 903, which would bar AI chatbots from being advertised as therapists, require licensed clinician oversight and informed consent for AI use in psychotherapy, and protect patient confidentiality; it received broad support from mental health professionals and labor groups, while industry and health associations were opposed unless amended over triage and crisis-detection language. The committee members emphasized the need for human judgment in mental health care and noted ongoing negotiations on amendments. The committee also heard SB 1119, a companion to AB 2020, which would require annual risk assessments, crisis-response protocols, default child settings, parental controls, limits on data use, public incident reporting, and third-party audits for chatbots used by children. Supporters argued the bill would address documented harms and improve transparency, while industry groups objected to ambiguous standards, liability exposure, and the private right of action. A roll call vote was taken on SB 1119 after quorum was established; the motion to pass to Appropriations succeeded on a 5-1 vote, with one no vote and the measure left on call for absent members. Finally, SB 354, a privacy bill for insurance consumers, would modernize outdated insurance privacy rules, bar sale of personal information, and expand consumer rights to know, correct, and delete data. Supporters said it would implement Proposition 24’s privacy mandate, while a large coalition of insurers, agents, brokers, and related businesses opposed unless amended, mainly seeking a small-business exemption and narrower treatment of publicly available information; members and the author said negotiations were ongoing and the bill had already been substantially revised.

Transcript Highlights:

• But the way things are being done right now, and But the way things are being done right now and the
• I mean, in the classroom situation, we teach all one way, the teacher's way, according to curriculum
• way?
• Hey, when you are teaching certain A type of race, teach this way, B type of race teach that way.
• That's the way it is.

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, we would deal with it some way and they would deal with it some way, but I would sure rather be on
• Um, we would deal with it some way and they would deal with it some way, but I would sure rather be on
• Um, we would deal with it some way and they would deal with it some way, but I would sure rather be on
• That's one way to propose it.
• There's no way. So, probably overnight. There's no way.

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

Transcript Highlights:

• I hear that either way they're going to pay.
• We do not touch that or override that in any way.
• We do not touch that or override that in any way.
• We do not touch that or override that in any way.
• , a portion of the way there.

Committee: House Local Government

Summary: The committee began with housekeeping and then took up SB 753 by Senator Cortese, a bill to update California’s shopping cart recovery law. The author and supporters from San Jose, the League of California Cities, counties, and water districts argued the bill would let local governments retrieve abandoned carts immediately, return them directly to retailers, and recover documented costs, rather than storing carts for 30 days. Retail groups and grocers opposed the measure, saying carts are stolen property, that the bill could create a new revenue stream for cities, and that retailers should retain a first right of retrieval without added fees. Members debated notice periods, cost caps, and local control, and the author agreed to continue working on amendments. The committee adopted the bill as amended and passed it 6-0. The committee then heard SB 445 by Senator Wiener, which would speed up third-party permits and approvals for high-speed rail projects. The author said the bill was narrowed from an earlier broader transit proposal and now focuses on requiring early engagement, clear rules, and binding arbitration to prevent utilities, cities, and other entities from delaying a state-approved project. Supporters said permitting delays add major costs and can hold projects hostage; opponents from utilities, cities, counties, telecoms, and special districts said they were concerned about impacts on safety, reliability, affordability, and local authority, though many said they were willing to keep working on amendments. The committee sent SB 445 to the Utilities and Energy Committee on an 8-1 vote. Finally, the committee heard SB 9 by Senator Wiener, a narrower housing bill dealing with accessory dwelling units. The bill would require local ADU ordinances to be submitted to HCD for review and would make state standards apply if a local agency fails to submit a compliant ordinance or respond to HCD findings within the required time. Supporters from housing and YIMBY groups said the measure would improve enforcement of state ADU law and prevent local barriers from slowing housing production. There was no opposition testimony, and the committee passed the bill 6-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> one through the way the amendment is. one through the way the amendment is.
• </c> along the way. Thank you. along the way. Thank you. Further<01:17:22.560><c> discussion.
• </c> on the way the economy is going to go. on the way the economy is going to go.
• I'm fine just the way it is. It's good the way it is. Hey. All right. Is there any more?
• </c> thank you for drafting it this way. thank you for drafting it this way.

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, Minnesota has 87 counties, 89 different ways things get done because St.
• So it can come to me from various different ways.
• It broke me open to be violated this way.
• </c><00:32:11.240><c> to</c> be I don't know maybe there's a way to be I don't know maybe there's a way
• </c> and um that makes sense with the way and um that makes sense with the way that<01:25:35.320><c>

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> and disruptive to everybody's what way and disruptive to everybody's what way of<00:28:47.000><c
• </c> to to Ways and Means Committee. to to Ways and Means Committee.
• </c><01:15:40.360><c> these</c> I think that in any of any way these I think that in any of any way these
• </c> does it make sense if this is the way does it make sense if this is the way that<01:15:50.960><c
• Is there a way like is the on this?

Bills: HF3919 , HF1335 , HF3864 , HF3916 , HF3728

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• The way this bill is structured, it's truing the higher valued vehicles up in such a way that they are
• We'll just put it that way.
• And this is one way we can do it.
• And this is one way we can do it.
• is the right way.

Bills: HB2720 , HB2073 , HB2681 , SB5467 , SB5820 , SB5863 , SB5892 , SCR8406 , HB2487 , HB2711 , SB5816 , SB5919 , SB5995 , SB6278

Keywords: behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access, mental health funding, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, cannabis, license fees, regulatory framework, revenue generation, legalization, SB 5467, water-sewer district, water sewer district, surplus property, public property sale, local government

Transcript Highlights:

• Way more than three, to be fair.
• Um, you know, one way or the other.
• Um, you know, one way or the other.
• You know, one way or the other.
• What's more interesting to us is the way this was worded in specific ways.

Summary: The hearing focused on House Bill 610, which would fold the Office of the Consumer Advocate into the Department of Energy rather than fully eliminate consumer advocacy functions. The prime sponsor argued the current office is small, funded by a special assessment on ratepayers, and duplicative of DOE work. He said moving the function to DOE would streamline energy policy review, reduce bureaucracy, and better focus the larger agency on lowering residential energy costs. He also disputed claims that the Consumer Advocate is independent, saying the office is appointed through a political process similar to DOE leadership. Committee members and the sponsor discussed whether the bill would actually relocate existing positions or replace them, and whether the Department of Energy would absorb the cost of the transferred staff. The sponsor said the fiscal note shows roughly a million-dollar reduction in both revenue assessment and spending, and that the bill would effectively reduce the office from five positions to three. He also defended his cost estimates for energy-code-related housing impacts and said the Consumer Advocate has sometimes supported policies he считает increase costs, such as energy-efficiency measures and building code changes. He argued the office should focus more on energy supply and generation, including natural gas and nuclear, rather than efficiency alone. Representative Wendy Thomas testified in opposition, saying the Consumer Advocate is an important, fair, and impartial voice for ratepayers and warning that the bill was fiscally irresponsible because the incumbent could still be owed salary and benefits if the office were repealed. She also said the bill’s drafting was confusing and that the Consumer Advocate’s role is to push back on utilities on behalf of consumers. Other members raised questions about whether the DOE would simply inherit the same political appointment structure and whether the bill would meaningfully lower bills. No vote was taken in the excerpt; the chair indicated additional testimony would follow, and the Department of Energy was present to answer questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we've talked about DECAP and the good old days way back when.
• </c> way back when. way back when. &gt;&gt; Way<00:22:09.360><c> back</c><00:22:09.600><c> when.
• </c> &gt;&gt; Way back when. &gt;&gt; Way back when.
• </c><00:27:02.000><c> And</c> the way we address healthcare here.
• And the way we address healthcare here.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Summary: The Committee on Health and Human Services heard testimony on a series of gubernatorial nominations to health, disability, aging, and advisory boards. Early nominees included Pria Tay for the Kauaʻi Service Area Board on Mental Health and Substance Abuse, who emphasized her 25 years in the mental health field and commitment to community access to training and resources, and Ashley Mishihara for the Fuel Tank Advisory Committee, who described her involvement in the Red Hill response and ongoing concern about protecting the sole-source aquifer and ensuring remediation. Christopher Luthie, nominated to the State LGBTQ+ Commission, said he wanted to advocate for LGBTQ+ residents statewide and help improve programs so people are not overlooked, and he received support from commission member Michael Galuyo Jr., who said the commission had lacked a Hawaii County representative since December. The committee also heard from nominees to the Radiologic Technology Board, including David Wodsworth and Reena Shimata. Wodsworth said the board should modernize rules and regulations, while the Department of Health supported him and clarified that the board focuses on policy and procedures rather than direct licensing decisions. Shimata said she wanted to help protect patients, technologists, and the public from radiation exposure, and the Department of Health and several medical professionals supported her, with one witness noting that modern technology reduces dose but competent technologists remain essential to avoid unnecessary exposure. The committee deferred GM712, a nomination not present at the hearing, until Monday, March 9. Additional nominations included Judy Pike for the disability communications/access board, who cited her prior DECAP staff experience and long involvement in disability access work, with strong support from a current board member; Rick Taber for the Policy Advisory Board for Elderly Affairs, who sought a second term and highlighted his committee leadership and long mental health career; Amy Healey Austin for the Statewide Health Coordinating Council, who said she wanted to represent rural health needs and described her leadership roles in West Hawaiʻi health care; and Ed Chevy for DECAB, who stressed the importance of interpreter access and communication access, with support from Christine Pagano. The committee took no final votes in the portion of the hearing provided, and several nominees were told their decisions would be taken up later in the meeting or at the end of the calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a symbol of community, the same way that a peace sign might be, the same way that our American flag
• It's a symbol of community, the same way that a peace sign might be, the same way that our American flag
• So I read it... ...the way the pay scheme has been set up. So I read it the way you read it.
• That's the way I see it. Okay, fair enough.
• This bill is being represented in ways it is not.

Committee: House State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Calling the Ways and Means Committee to order on Thursday, January 29, 2026.
• I think I kind of rambled my way through that one. Okay. Senator Trudeau.
• or put together in this way.
• I think that we're probably a long way from a decision.
• Once that coal's in the atmosphere, there's no way to take it out.

Bills: SB5439 , SB6109 , SB6304

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: investment, thermal coal, divestment, state investment board, fossil fuels, environmental impact, renewable energy, detention facilities, state funds, privatization, criminal justice reform, Washington State Investment Board, responsible investment, sustainability, corporate governance

Transcript Highlights:

• They make sure that they brought it back to Albuquerque the way it belongs.
• Certainly, but it's special for us and it should be treated that way.
• I don't think it's an appropriate way as a state agency to carry itself.
• the moral courage to do it in a nonviolent way.
• The thing that New Mexico has to come to Everybody else has decided to do it quite that way, by the way

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• The way that we know that a car is registered this way is that they have a different type of license
• Either way, I think it would... And that is a good question.
• That's the way I understand that, right?
• They've shown success in every way. We wanted to finish with that.
• It's just how it reads so that way they are required by law to pay, It's just how it reads so that way

Committee: Joint Transportation Interim Committee