Transcript Highlights:

• Texas isn’t perfect, but no place in this life ever will be.
• And under this Supreme Court, it is the law in Texas.
• But the State Bar of Texas is a public organization, and every lawyer in Texas is compelled to join.
• It's Chapter 161.001B10 of the Family Code. 161.001 of the Family Code, and it allows a parent's rights
• And surely He has been with us, as Texas has grown and prospered.

Summary: The House and Senate met in joint session under HCR 5 to hear an address from Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock, with Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick introducing him. The session included recognition of the justices, judges, law enforcement officers, and interpreters present, and it also marked the formal completion of the joint session once the address ended. Chief Justice Blacklock said the state of the judiciary is strong, while paying tribute to former Chief Justice Nathan Hecht and thanking Governor Abbott for his appointment. His remarks focused on judicial administration and public safety, including a call for a 30% increase in district judge salaries, which he argued is needed to attract and retain qualified judges. He also urged support for law enforcement, backed efforts to keep violent offenders in custody pending trial, and said the court is gathering data to identify underperforming judges and use constitutional remedies where necessary. Blacklock emphasized that Texas courts should interpret statutes and the constitution according to text and original meaning, rejecting the “living constitution” approach. He highlighted reforms to improve efficiency and reduce litigation costs, including changes to docketing practices, civil procedure, and the regulation of legal services, and he urged the State Bar to remain politically neutral. He also discussed family law and child welfare, arguing for stronger legal representation for parents and suggesting repeal of Family Code subsection O, which he said can unfairly lead to termination of parental rights. The joint session concluded after his remarks, and the House stood at ease as guests departed.

Transcript Highlights:

• with Louisiana's long tradition of local self-governance.
• So you're making the point about the importance of local government. Yes, sir.
• Why don't we turn everything over to local government?
• local parish government, we have directed those applicants to go out and educate that local government
• local parish government, we have directed those applicants to go out and educate that local government

Summary: The committee took up public comment on a package of similar local-option bills related to carbon capture and sequestration, including House Bills 5, 6, 497, 498, 501, and 504. The bills would let parishes, or in some cases specific parishes such as Rapides and Livingston, decide by local vote whether Class VI wells, CO2 sequestration, and related pipeline infrastructure could be permitted. The chair grouped the bills together for testimony, adopted a three-minute public comment rule, and noted that the bills were not yet under consideration for a vote during the public-comment portion. Supporters, including Speaker Pro Tem Mike Johnson, parish officials, local activists, and residents, argued that communities affected by carbon capture projects should have a direct voice through local option elections. They said the bills were about self-determination, local control, and allowing residents to decide whether the risks are worth the benefits. Several speakers said their parishes had passed resolutions opposing carbon capture or asking for local choice, while others emphasized concerns about eminent domain, aquifer protection, lack of public understanding, and the need for more information about project impacts and financial benefits. Some supporters also said a local vote would force industry to engage more directly with communities and could improve transparency. Opponents, including representatives of the Department of Conservation and Energy, the Louisiana Chemistry Association, the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, and the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, warned that the bills would create uncertainty, undermine Louisiana’s primacy over Class VI permitting, and invite litigation under federal preemption and the Supremacy Clause. They said the state already has a strict permitting process with public input and technical review, and that allowing parish-by-parish approval could delay or block billions of dollars in investment, jobs, and export-related projects. The department testified that if the state adopted a local-option referendum system, EPA could determine Louisiana was not implementing the program consistently and could move to remove primacy. No committee vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas Tech, Texas A&M, West Texas A&M—some pretty impressive programs that are working.
• Tech Texas A&M West Texas A&M some pretty impressive programs that are working and so I think this one's
• I mean Texas is Mexico.
• However, Section 8857.056 of the Special District Local Laws Code explicitly prohibits directors of the
• Since then, the TCEQ, in consultation with the Texas Water Development Board and the Texas Parks and

Summary: The committee met with limited attendance at first, then took up a series of water, agriculture, and rural affairs measures. HB 3898 would allow the Texas Water Development Board to provide financial assistance for brackish water desalination projects in certain border counties and related nonprofit suppliers even if the projects are not in the state water plan. Supporters said it is needed to address severe water shortages in places like Webb County and to support future planning; opponents, including the Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts, argued it bypasses the regional and state water planning process. The bill was left pending after testimony. The committee also heard HB 5339, which would create a higher-education grant program for regenerative agriculture research. A rancher testified that regenerative methods improved soil health, water retention, and farm viability, while a senator noted existing university research but said better coordination could help. Public testimony was closed and the bill was left pending. Members then heard HB 1523, a temporary prohibition on TCEQ issuing Austin a Class 5 injection well permit for an aquifer storage and recovery project in Bastrop and Lee counties until December 2027. Local officials from Bastrop supported the pause, citing unanswered questions about water treatment, recovery rates, and impacts on the aquifer, while Austin Water opposed the substitute, saying the project is central to its long-term water plan and that stakeholder talks were already underway. TCEQ explained its ASR permitting process and said public participation is possible but not always used in the current authorization process. The bill was left pending. HB 5659, concerning the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District and requiring majority city-council approval before certain water sales or interbasin transfers, drew testimony from district officials who said the change could interfere with existing contracts and district authority, but the chair emphasized the need for local buy-in and said the stakeholders had reached a workable compromise; testimony was closed and the bill was left pending. The committee also heard HB 1690, which would expand notice requirements for groundwater export permits so neighboring landowners and potentially affected aquifer areas are informed by certified mail and publication. The sponsor tied the bill to impacts from the Vista Ridge project, and no one testified against it; it was left pending. HB 3333 would prohibit TCEQ from issuing new wastewater discharge permits directly into the Devils River in Val Verde County. The sponsor and a conservation witness said the bill protects one of Texas’s most pristine rivers and reflects a local stakeholder agreement, while TCEQ said it can ensure water quality but acknowledged the river’s unique sensitivity; the bill was left pending. The committee also heard HCR 108 urging continuation of the U.S.-Mexico tomato suspension agreement, with supporters warning of major Texas job and consumer-price impacts if it ends, and HCR 76 urging federal action on imported shrimp, citing public health and industry concerns; both were left pending. Additional measures heard and left pending included HB 4158 on compensation for Texana Groundwater Conservation District directors, HB 654 creating a dismissal path for certain first-time deer hunting violations after self-reporting and hunter education, HB 4530 requiring Texas Water Development Board review of groundwater rights placed in the Texas Water Trust, HB 2128 directing a study of rural versus urban firefighting and rescue disparities, and HB 278 requiring groundwater districts and management areas to track progress toward desired future conditions over shorter intervals. On HB 278, witnesses split over whether the bill’s interim tracking would improve accountability or create new triggers that could be used against local districts, but no final vote was taken and the bill was left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• According to the Texas Bond Review Board, CEO debt outstanding among local governments increased by 93.3%
• For too long, local governments in El Paso.
• State and local government represents about half of the non-residential construction within Texas.
• governments to access Texas Water Development Board and other programs.
• government, um, never been in local government, followed it quite passionately, and, uh, my experience

Transcript Highlights:

• code section.
• government code.
• But if we took the language in her bill and dropped it under the government code section 508145D2, then
• code.
• If you dropped that under the government code 508.145 subsection D2.

Transcript Highlights:

• So Texas remains open for business.
• tax revenue for Texas communities, as well as multi-generational income for Texas landowners.
• Now, to date, we have not had a battery storage fire in Texas, and again, we have new codes, new standards
• County fire code. Yes.
• in Texas.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• codes.
• This bill creates a new offense under Section 16.021 of the Texas Penal Code, making it a second-degree
• crime networks, which this bill smartly addresses by amending section 71.02 of the Texas Penal Code
• Under current Texas Penal Code Section 2201, assault is generally classified as a Class A misdemeanor
• And so all we're doing is just elevating this, uh, we're adding government building into the code that

Bills: HB316

Keywords: Medicaid, healthcare, affordable care act, medical assistance, federal funding

Transcript Highlights:

• And right now, Texas is near the bottom of all 50 states when it comes to what we pay our judges in Texas
• Texas right now, I want to keep it.
• , Northeast Texas.
• That court was formed by the Republic of Texas in 1830. Northeast Texas.
• Government Code, specifically Section 33.02-115, that would enable the commission to impose administrative

Bills: HB40

Keywords: law enforcement, sheriffs, constables, contracts, county authority

Summary: The Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence met to hear House Bill 1761, a broad judicial package focused on increasing judicial compensation and adding accountability and efficiency measures. The chair explained that HB 1707 and HB 2100 were withdrawn from the agenda, and that HB 1761 would be taken up first because many judges and stakeholders were present. The committee substitute for HB 1761 proposed a 30% increase in base judicial pay to $182,000, changes to judicial retirement linkage, stronger judicial conduct provisions, and efficiency measures such as targeted reporting for judges not meeting benchmarks, appellate in-person meeting encouragement, and time limits on certain motions. The chair and several supporters said judicial pay had reached “emergency status,” citing Texas’s low national ranking and difficulty recruiting and retaining qualified judges. Witnesses in support included presiding and district judges, the State Bar’s judicial section, business and trial lawyer groups, and prosecutors. They emphasized that many judges work long hours off the bench, handle warrants at night and on weekends, manage heavy dockets, and face recruitment problems in both urban and rural counties. Supporters also said higher pay would help attract experienced lawyers, retain judges, and improve court efficiency. Several witnesses and members discussed judicial accountability, including public reporting of court performance and the role of the Texas Supreme Court and presiding judges in setting benchmarks. Some members raised concerns that raw statistics can be misleading because judges also do substantial off-the-bench work and often help cover other courts’ dockets. There was also testimony and discussion about the bill’s conduct and discipline provisions. A representative of the Texas Civil Rights Project opposed parts of the bill that would tie pay raises to changes affecting judicial independence, warning about subjective bail-related discipline standards and possible chilling effects. The executive director of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct cautioned against civil penalties for complainants, saying it could discourage good-faith complaints and create litigation risks. Other witnesses supported accountability reforms but urged caution about unintended consequences, especially for family and emergency cases and for judges handling warrants and other time-sensitive matters. After testimony, the committee withdrew the committee substitute and left HB 1761 pending, then recessed the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Texas Government Code, Chapter 2161, commonly referred to as the HUB program for historically underutilized
• Government Code Chapter 2161.
• Government Code Chapter 2161.
• Because the Texas Constitution creates distinct legislative and executive branches of government, the
• Rojas West, about the issue going on here in Texas. I spoke with even the local council, Mr.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• code.
• They are therefore considered employees under the Texas DPS rules, Texas Workforce Commission rules,
• Uh, the Texas, so speaking on behalf of the Texas Department of Public Safety, uh, we have 17 polygraph
• the state of Texas.
• We have to protect Texas ourselves.

Bills: SB 36

Keywords: transportation, regional authorities, mobility, infrastructure, sales tax

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas is doing it. not leadership. It's abandoning our principles.
• I'm the Government Affairs Director for Save the Redwoods League.
• There is a flexibility to ensure that restaurants do their menu with a QR code.
• governments and local and creating setbacks from sensitive receptors dependent on the size of the warehouse
• This bill does not include further appropriation of funds and is not a local program.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So for example, the Council on State Government Justice Center - this was a Texas study - and they looked
• We also work within the Texas Juvenile Justice Department and we work also with the Texas Department
• This is the most impacted by gangs and juvenile crime of any zip code in the state of Texas.
• Code.
• The Texas Juvenile Justice Code states among its purposes to provide treatment, training, and rehabilitation

Transcript Highlights:

• REMOVING OUR NAVAJO CODE TALK YOURS WHO HELPED US DEFEAT JAPAN.
• OF JANUARY 3, 2025, THE GENTLEWOMAN FROM TEXAS, MS.
• Oh, God, dear heaven, you're butchering government. 2.3%.
• OH, GOD, DEAR HEAVEN, YOU'RE BUTCHERING GOVERNMENT. 2.3%.
• We have five major databases in the federal government.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, March 31, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The local municipalities, who, in a sense, govern law enforcement there.
• The local municipalities, who, in a sense, govern law enforcement there.
• funding streams will be tied to states and local governments taking the lead.
• He said state and local governments were being asked to lead on this, and that the executive order also
• indicates certain emergency funding streams will begin to be tied to states and local governments taking

Summary: The House Committee on Commerce met on May 18, 2026, with a quorum present and the chair noting it was the committee’s last meeting of the session. The committee first considered Senate Bill 254, which would prohibit certain excess debit card surcharges and authorize enforcement by the Attorney General. After adopting technical amendments and a committee amendment requiring written notice before a private right of action, the bill was reported favorably as amended. The committee then took up Senate Bill 80 on broadband administration fees and GUMBO program closeout. Members questioned the proposed increase in administrative and contractor fees, the timing of project completion, and how withheld reimbursements would work for utility damage. After adopting several amendments, including cleanup language and a provision to restore the reimbursement process, the bill was reported favorably as amended, though the Louisiana Telecommunications Association voiced concerns about the withholding language and lack of a clearer fault-determination process. The committee next considered Senate Bill 469, updating the Louisiana Underground Utilities and Facilities Damage Prevention Law. Technical amendments were adopted, along with amendments clarifying that the bill’s 30-day notice to utility owner-operators is separate from existing GUMBO notice requirements and creating a rapid dispute-resolution process involving the Office of Broadband, the utility operator, and the local governing authority. Testimony from broadband and municipal stakeholders emphasized the need for quicker responses to excavation damage and better enforcement, while some witnesses raised concerns about the late amendment and the need for clearer recourse and standards. The bill was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 468, dealing with fuel rewards programs and fuel discount limits, was also amended to allow such discounts while capping them at $1 below the advertised price; it was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 131, concerning attorney’s fees and costs in professional licensing disciplinary proceedings, drew testimony from a cosmetology board representative and the Pelican Institute. Supporters argued the bill would curb incentives for boards to generate revenue through enforcement and give licensees a fairer opportunity to resolve cases; board testimony noted that some boards already have fee caps and that enforcement actions are relatively limited. After adopting an amendment clarifying when a licensee is the prevailing party, the bill was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 251 on critical infrastructure protection also received technical amendments and several substantive changes, including adding ports and airports to the definition of critical infrastructure, clarifying “significant access,” adding a knowledge requirement, and adjusting exemptions and enforcement timing; it was reported favorably as amended after testimony from State Armor representatives about foreign adversary threats. Finally, House Resolution 253 was introduced to create a task force to study how post-2005 building code additions and inspection requirements affect residential construction costs, with the sponsor explaining the goal was to gather industry input and return recommendations next session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Family Code 261.109 and Texas Penal Code 39.06, to hold those individuals accountable rather than implement
• And we started with kindergarten, which isn't mandatory in Texas.
• coordination with public agencies, local entities, the Texas Early Learning Council, nonprofits, and
• It's the same thing with Texas, sir, with Texas A&M, yes, sir. Senator West: I apologize.
• In 2023, approximately 781,000 Texas children and...

Bills: HB126, HB121

Keywords: election laws, attorney general, prosecution, criminal offenses, voting integrity, education, property values, school districts, comptroller, funding formula

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 met to hear testimony on a full agenda of education-related bills. Several measures were laid out and left pending, including HB 322 to allow JET Grant funds to be used for subscription-based and ongoing technology costs for career and technical education; HB 3062 to require fentanyl and drug-poisoning prevention instruction for entering college students; HB 121 to update school safety laws, including TEA peace officer commissions, annual renewal of certain safety exceptions, new reporting requirements, and special education behavior threat assessment changes; HB 3627 to let the State Board of Education chair employ staff; HB 5515 to curb inflated shipping and handling charges on instructional materials; HB 2674 to prohibit new state regulation of homeschool programs; HB 2310 to require a statewide strategic plan for early learning and inclusion for young children with disabilities; HB 367 to standardize documentation for excused absences due to serious illness; HB 1178 to speed certification for out-of-state educators and military spouses; and HB 1481 to expand cell phone restrictions to the full school day. Testimony was generally supportive on most bills, with some concerns raised on HB 121 about school district police departments investigating misconduct and on HB 2674 about how it would interact with the new ESA program in SB 2. HB 5515 drew support from instructional materials coordinators who described extreme shipping invoices and argued the bill would restore transparency and fiscal responsibility. HB 2310 was supported by disability advocates and early learning groups, who said a coordinated state plan would improve access and inclusion for children with disabilities. HB 367 was presented as a simple clarification to reduce confusion for medically vulnerable students and families, and HB 1178 was described by TEA as a modest pathway that would help bring experienced out-of-state teachers into Texas schools more quickly. HB 126, updating Texas’ NIL law to align with the pending House settlement and allow direct payments and pre-enrollment NIL agreements, received extensive testimony from university counsel and committee questioning about the settlement, recruiting, and future college athletics rules. HB 1481, expanding school cell phone restrictions from instructional time to the entire school day, drew strong support from parents, students, educators, and advocates who linked phones to distraction, cyberbullying, and mental health harms; one teacher asked for flexibility so phones could still be used for limited academic tasks. No bills were voted out; each measure heard was left pending subject to the call of the chair, and the committee then recessed to attend the floor session.

Transcript Highlights:

• with Louisiana's long tradition of local self-governance.
• Why don't we turn everything over to local government?
• local parish government, we have directed those applicants to go out and educate that local government
• local parish government, we have directed those applicants to go out and educate that local government
• HB 5 gives local jurisdictions three opportunities: the local governing body can decide by ordinance

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So it is not that there isn't money being made by those local governments that maybe have a municipal
• So it is not that there isn't money being made by those local governments that maybe have a municipal
• Local zoning.
• Ores has ignored the will of the people in their local governments.
• So it is a code that is used generally statewide, right, and is congruous with local fire rules and regulations

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several guest introductions, including students from Brooklyn and St. John’s University, followed by adoption of the resolution calendar with exceptions for two items. The chamber then took up a series of previously adopted resolutions recognizing Black Maternal Health Week, Workplace Violence Prevention Month, the one-year anniversary of the Jet Set nightclub tragedy in the Dominican Republic, New York Constitution Day, and the Month of the Military Child. Senators speaking on the maternal health resolution emphasized racial disparities in maternal mortality and the need for culturally competent care; the workplace violence resolution highlighted hospital safety programs; the Jet Set resolution was adopted in memory of the victims; and the Constitution Day speech reviewed New York’s delayed but eventual support for independence in 1776. The military child resolution stressed the sacrifices of military families and support for children of service members. All of these resolutions were adopted, and the resolutions were opened to co-sponsorship. The Senate then moved through the third reading calendar, passing several bills and laying others aside. Measures passed included bills on public health, environmental conservation, executive law, public authorities, and consumer protection. One notable debate involved a bill to require transparency from private arbitration organizations handling consumer cases; supporters argued it would provide basic public data and guard against conflicts of interest, while opponents said it would burden a useful dispute-resolution process and intrude on privacy. The bill passed after debate. Another debated bill would phase out number 4 heating oil statewide; supporters said cleaner alternatives exist and the fuel is harmful to public health, while opponents raised cost and transition concerns, especially for colder regions. That bill also passed. The chamber also considered a bill to create a rebate program for battery-powered landscaping equipment, funded through utility-related mechanisms administered by NYSERDA. Supporters said it would reduce air and noise pollution and help companies transition, while opponents argued ratepayers should not subsidize landscaping equipment. The bill passed after being restored to the non-controversial calendar. Finally, the Senate began discussion of a housing-related bill aimed at preserving manufactured home parks by enabling nonprofits or municipalities to acquire development rights and keep the land dedicated to that use, with the sponsor explaining that the goal is to protect affordable housing and help residents remain in their homes.

Transcript Highlights:

• as well as with local governments.
• Texas through OLS has done the work of the federal government, but at the expense of the Texas taxpayer
• From chapter 419 of the Texas government code, it also falls under the rules of Title 37, Part 13 of
• the Texas Administrative code.
• Uh, I've been in local government for almost 40 years in both, uh, city government and county government

Transcript Highlights:

• The federal government regulates within the state of Texas, so that was all fine with 0.3 delta-9 THC
• It's pretty simple: you require that all hemp flower sold in Texas be grown locally.
• As a company, we have been able to donate over... $100,000 back to our local community in North Texas
• My name is Jessica Dallas, and I'm here from Denton, Texas, speaking on behalf of myself and the local
• Our stores purchase a large portion of our inventory from local Texas suppliers and manufacturers and

Bills: HB5

Keywords: hemp, cannabinoids, regulation, occupational licenses, consumable products, marketing, criminal offenses, labeling requirements, health and safety, 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that local control.
• We're saying you cannot, if you, if you have a youth problem, you, the state is dictating to local government
• Because in the past, when we allow local law enforcement and local municipalities to do this, they ended
• And so whenever there are people like you who are available to help in an area where Texas government
• I'm in support of local control, determining which young people could benefit from local drug court programs