Video & Transcript : 'fairness in mitigation' :
Page 156 of 500
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- There's no difference in what revenue is being brought in. We're not raising taxes.
- in their district.
- And I think it creates greater ambiguity, doesn't mitigate litigation risks, and, in fact, increases
- put in there.
- A motion's in order.
Summary:
The Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee heard and advanced three bills. House Bill 734, sponsored by Rep. Furman, was described as a narrow fix to wind and geothermal revenue distribution so school districts without supplemental levies would use the county levy rate for calculations; the committee approved it unanimously with a due pass recommendation. House Bill 670, sponsored by Rep. Monks, would clarify last year’s urban renewal changes affecting fire protection and ambulance districts, including when they may withdraw from revenue allocation districts and defining “contractual obligation” as a written agreement signed by both parties. Testimony from the Association of Idaho Cities, the Redevelopment Association of Idaho, and others opposed the bill, citing pending litigation and concerns about ambiguity, while the sponsor argued it simply restated legislative intent. The committee sent the bill to the 14th Order for possible amendment, with Sen. Anthon agreeing to work on amendments.
House Bill 658, sponsored by Rep. Birch, would let county commissioners fill vacancies on cemetery maintenance district boards when a quorum is lost due to resignation, death, or similar causes, instead of relying on gubernatorial appointments, and would allow counties to handle temporary district functions until a board is reconstituted. The sponsor said the bill had support from county and city associations and framed it as a practical local-government fix. After a brief question about residency requirements, the committee passed HB 658 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee then adjourned.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- While farmers and ranchers in the, in the counties across our state spent significant time and money
- Back in 1983, the development and private property interests in in town feared, feared passing a landscape
- in a while.
- In other words, functioning aquifers in central Texas require mature ash juniper trees.
- We had an issue in Austin where, um, a change was passed in 2022.
Bills:
SB 434, SB 844, SB 898, SB 1177, SB 1214, SB 1454, SB 1920, SB 1927, SB 1935, SB 1965, SB 2010, SB 2046, SB 2068, SB 2073, SB 2183, SB 2260, SB 3034, SB 907
Keywords:
SB 434, Harris County Hospital District, hospital district police, peace officers, commissioned officers, law enforcement authority, Health and Safety Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, public safety, hospital security, county hospital district, local government, Texas criminal procedure, district police, armed security, SB 898, low income housing tax credits, LIHTC, affordable housing, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- That's what we have in the city of Westlake Hills, as in any community.
- We have two business Republicans, two corporate Democrats, and me, who stand in between every once in
- In fact, the opposite is true.
- In other words. functioning aquifers in Central Texas require mature ash juniper trees.
- We're in favor of Senate Bill 844.
Bills:
SB434, SB844, SB898, SB1177, SB1214, SB1454, SB1920, SB1927, SB1935, SB1965, SB2010, SB2046, SB2068, SB2073, SB2183, SB2260, SB3034, SB907
Keywords:
SB 434, Harris County Hospital District, hospital district police, peace officers, commissioned officers, law enforcement authority, Health and Safety Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, public safety, hospital security, county hospital district, local government, Texas criminal procedure, district police, armed security, SB 898, low income housing tax credits, LIHTC, affordable housing, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services (02/04/2025)
Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> fees so that's in the that's in that fees so that's in the that's in that section<00:56:02.440><
- to</c> states uh fall in in in comparison to states uh fall in in in comparison to New<01:57:38.360>
- So there is some evidence that in states where they have one fair wage, those kinds of restaurants are
- So there is some evidence that in states where they have one fair wage, those kinds of restaurants are
- We bring faith communities, we bring people that are interested in economic justice and also fairness
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- elder abuse in Texas, up from 60,000 cases reported in 2022.
- And I'm also, in addition to that, a licensed marriage and family therapist here in Texas, one of the
- I have supervision status in Texas.
- These factors play a role in that.
- It's just my work in papers.
Keywords:
statutory probate courts, probate court fees, judicial fund, county reimbursement, comptroller, Texas Government Code, Local Government Code, court fees, fee allocation, excess contributions, judicial education and support fund, presiding judge salary, county finance, court administration, Texas judiciary, revenue distribution, SB 2933, elder abuse, neglect, judicial training
Summary:
The Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence heard testimony on Senate Bill 1015, which would clarify that the comptroller is responsible for distributing excess judicial fund payments back to statutory probate courts. Judge Guy Herman testified in support, saying the bill would help ensure probate courts receive funding they are entitled to, while Ed Heimlich testified against the bill with broad criticism of probate courts and judicial practices. The committee then heard Senate Bill 2933, which would add elder abuse training to required judicial education for several categories of judges and judicial officers; Dr. Bruce Hargrave supported the bill, citing the prevalence and underreporting of elder abuse and the need for judges to recognize warning signs. No votes were taken on either of those bills, and SB 2933 was left pending.
The committee then reconsidered Senate Bill 38, an eviction-related bill, and Vice Chair Hayes described two agreed floor amendments: one limiting the summary disposition procedure to forcible entry and detainer cases involving squatters, and another requiring a notice to pay rent or vacate for tenants who had been timely payers but missed a payment. After discussion, the committee voted 6-4 to report SB 38 without amendments. The committee also adopted or advanced a series of other bills and resolutions, including SB 293, SB 1141, SB 1448, SB 1536, SB 1558, SB 1838, SB 1940, SB 2127, SB 53, SB 251, SB 311, SB 387, SB 441 (with a substitute), SB 1164, SB 1335, SB 1574 (with a substitute), SB 1719, SB 1760, SB 1839, SB 1923 (with a substitute), SB 2807, and SJR 27 (with a substitute).
Most measures were reported favorably on largely party-line or near-unanimous votes, with a few close votes on SB 942, SB 311, SB 2807, and SJR 27. SB 942, relating to retroactive child support beginning at conception, initially failed 5-5 but was reconsidered and then passed 6-5. The committee adjourned after completing its agenda.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- elder abuse in Texas, up from 60,000 cases reported in 2022.
- And I'm also, in addition to that, a licensed marriage and family therapist here in Texas, one of the
- I have supervision status in Texas.
- These factors play a role in that.
- It's just my work in papers.
Keywords:
statutory probate courts, probate court fees, judicial fund, county reimbursement, comptroller, Texas Government Code, Local Government Code, court fees, fee allocation, excess contributions, judicial education and support fund, presiding judge salary, county finance, court administration, Texas judiciary, revenue distribution, SB 2933, elder abuse, neglect, judicial training
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses
Transcript Highlights:
- in crisis.
- in crisis.
- So I have a foot in education and a foot in housing.
- Invest in collaboration, invest in communities.
- Invest in collaboration, invest in communities.
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business held its final hearing of the session on H. 5187 and S. 3022, the Enough Act, with Chair Andy Vargas and Senator Adam Gomez opening by thanking committee members and stakeholders for their work during the session. The bills were described as a grant-based, place-based anti-poverty initiative intended to support cradle-to-career services by funding local nonprofits, schools, community organizations, and backbone entities that can coordinate housing, education, health, workforce, and family supports in high-poverty neighborhoods.
Testimony was overwhelmingly in support of the bills. Speakers including Strategies for Children, Chelsea Public Schools, Bunker Hill Community College, Senator Sal DiDomenico, Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian, Rep. Antonio Cabral, the Harlem Children’s Zone’s Kwame Owusu Kesse and Jeffrey Canada, former Education Secretary Paul Reville, AFT Massachusetts, United Way, the Boston Foundation, Give Black Alliance, Eastern Bank Foundation, and others argued that poverty is a systems issue that schools alone cannot solve. They emphasized the need for local control, community voice, coordinated services, and long-term public-private investment, often citing examples from Chelsea, New Bedford, Springfield, Lowell, Boston, and other communities, as well as the Harlem Children’s Zone and Maryland’s similar model.
Committee members asked several questions about how the bill would function in practice, including what organizations would do on day one, how it would interact with existing efforts like community schools, McKinney-Vento, and the Student Opportunity Act, and how it would be sustained over time. Witnesses said the act would help create or strengthen backbone organizations, reduce duplication, align existing resources, and leverage philanthropy and future revenue sources for long-term sustainability. No vote was taken during the hearing, but multiple speakers urged the committee to report the bill favorably and quickly.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Legislative Health and Human Services Jun 26th, 2025
Legislative Health & Human Services Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- That everything that we see here in Santa Fe or in New Mexico is reflected nationally or in other states
- aesthetic impact on a community, whereas people staying in a tiny home mitigates that, if you will,
- You put people in a stabilized environment, it just mitigates a lot of those negative opportunities.
- So that note in the bottom, in 2024, the GAA had included $24 million in non-recurring special appropriations
- high school but I think in essence in a lot of ways we have people, unfortunately, that are in a bad
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Delivery of Government Efficiency Mar 19th, 2025
Delivery of Government Efficiency
Transcript Highlights:
- In 2021...
- It is recorded in the public records in the county.
- That has happened in the past in Medicaid.
- Is it fair to say it's in the $90 billion range somewhere in there?
- Um, clients in the SSLC, some of them even placed by courts in, in those.
Keywords:
cybersecurity, state command, information resources, data protection, incident response, information technology, classification officer, job descriptions, state positions, competency-based, information sharing, government efficiency, public sector, private sector, distributed ledger, title registry, real estate, property liens, pilot program, healthcare
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Formal House Session 13 Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am
Massachusetts House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- The bill authorizes HLC to allow an exemption in cases where a child in the family is a citizen in the
- On this matter, 26 in the affirmative, 125 in the negative.
- In this matter, 26 in the affirmative, 126 in the negative. The amendment is not adopted.
- We can't go by the whims of whatever administration is in charge or whatever party is in charge in Washington
- Twenty-six members have voted in the affirmative, 124 in the negative.
Summary:
The House considered House No. 57, a $425 million supplemental appropriations bill for fiscal year 2025 to fund the emergency shelter/emergency housing assistance system and related activities. The bill, as described by the chair of Ways and Means, included major policy changes requested by the Governor: immediate residency verification at intake, limits on eligibility, required criminal history disclosures and CORI checks, a reduced maximum shelter stay from nine months to six months with hardship waivers, temporary respite sites for 30 days, and a cap on system capacity. Supporters argued the changes were needed to preserve the right-to-shelter system amid fiscal strain and federal inaction; opponents said the bill still did not go far enough or, in some cases, went too far and risked harming families and children.
The House debated and voted on numerous amendments, mostly focused on tightening eligibility or changing shelter operations. Several Republican amendments to reduce funding, impose a one-year residency requirement, require broader background checks, limit eligibility to homelessness caused within Massachusetts, and require cooperation with ICE were rejected, often after roll call votes. A point of order was sustained on multiple amendments as beyond the scope of the bill, including proposals affecting court officers, law enforcement, and ICE-related provisions. The House also rejected amendments to cut the appropriation from $425 million to $200 million and to add other restrictions on eligibility and administration.
Some amendments were adopted. A redrafted Amendment 27, offered by Rep. Decker, was adopted 25-25 on a tie vote and expanded protections to children under age six and added related hardship/extension language. A subsequent amendment by Rep. Consalvo was adopted unanimously to add disability-related protections and extend benefits in certain cases. Another amendment by Rep. Finn was adopted to modify language about seeking federal reimbursement, and Amendment 9 was adopted to require competitive bidding for certain service funds. After debate and roll call, the bill was passed to be engrossed by a vote of 126-26. The House then observed a moment of tribute for Doug Selfick and adjourned to meet again Monday at 11 a.m.
LA
Louisiana 2026 Regular Session
Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force Feb 4th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Just a little background: CWD was first detected in Louisiana in 2022, and...
- Just a little background, CWD was first detected in Louisiana in 2022 in Tensas Parish.
- The area that's outlined in yellow and has the hash is the area referred to as the CWD enhanced mitigation
- the form of mitigation.
- So in Louisiana...
Summary:
The task force met to review chronic wasting disease (CWD) developments and related management actions. After adopting an amended agenda and approving prior minutes, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries presented an update on the new CWD control area expansion triggered by a positive deer sample from Richard K. Yancey Wildlife Management Area in Concordia Parish. Staff explained the emergency declaration, the enhanced mitigation zone and buffer zone rules, baiting and feeding restrictions, carcass transport limits, and the taxidermy waiver process. Members asked about where the deer may have been exposed, how sampling and surveillance are targeted, how the control area boundaries were drawn, and how the department tracks harvest and sample data. LDWF said the disease appears to be at low prevalence, that the emergency declaration lasts 180 days unless changed, and that a formal notice of intent will follow; the commission may act on the emergency and later rulemaking in time for the next hunting season.
The committee also heard from the National Deer Association, which stated that CWD is the most serious long-term threat to wild deer and deer hunting and urged hunters, landowners, scientists, and agencies to work together to slow its spread. The task force then discussed its legislatively assigned report under H.R. ACR 75, with staff outlining five required areas: testing and tracking practices, information sharing and public notification, monitoring captive and wild herds, containment protocols, and needed regulatory updates. Members clarified the timing for recommendations and noted the report is due before the 2027 session, though recommendations can be made earlier.
Later, LDWF staff provided retail sales figures showing significant declines in corn and rice bran sales in late 2025 compared with the prior year, attributing the drop to the baiting restrictions in CWD areas and noting impacts on small businesses and local economies. Members discussed the need to present harvest, sample, and DMAP data separately and in map form, while also cautioning that detailed property-level data could create legal or economic concerns; LDWF said it can stratify data by parish, public/private land, and DMAP status without identifying individual hunters or properties. The meeting ended with a public comment thanking Governor Landry for assistance after an ice storm, and the task force adjourned with the next meeting date to be announced.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Early Learning & Human Services Feb 18th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- This includes persons in dependency.
- who are in extended foster care.
- I noticed in the intent section that transparency is, quote, vital to developing strategies to mitigate
- So this merely aligns what is in statute in the OHI legislation with what we passed in 2023.
- And in preschools like Raised and Little Scholars, we see this play out in real time.
Summary:
The committee held public hearings on five Senate bills focused on child welfare, homelessness, and developmental disability services. SB 5911 would stop DCYF from using benefits or funds of youth in extended foster care as reimbursement for care, require help obtaining and managing SSI/Social Security benefits, and raise the threshold for depositing conserved funds into protected accounts. Supporters said the bill would help young adults build financial stability and transition to adulthood; questions focused on payees, financial literacy, and housing uses of the funds. SB 5977 would require DCYF to publish reports on near-fatality reviews within 180 days, with confidential information redacted, and make them available to the legislature and public. Supporters emphasized transparency and accountability, while some testimony urged broader reporting windows, retroactivity, and clearer inclusion of overdose-related cases.
The committee also heard SB 6024, which would streamline oversight of community residential service providers by limiting DSHS to one annual routine review in specified areas, combining review activities where possible, and reducing duplicate document requests. The sponsor and providers said the bill would reduce administrative burden and let caregivers focus more on direct care. SB 6184 would update Office of Homeless Youth statutes by aligning parental-notification rules for crisis residential centers, making the Housing Stability for Youth in Courts program permanent and statewide, expanding community support team eligibility, and revising Independent Youth Housing Program rules to allow transitional housing and direct flexible assistance. Testimony described the bill as a no-cost technical update that would improve access and clarify language.
Finally, SB 5957 would expand the Homeless Youth Advisory Committee by adding members over age 25 with lived experience and representatives of disproportionately homeless populations, and would allow youth members who turn 25 during a term to finish serving. Supporters said the changes would strengthen lived-experience input and continuity. At the end of the meeting, the chair announced Friday committee was canceled, the bills heard that day would be eligible for executive session the following week, and amendment requests for Tuesday’s bills were due by 10 a.m. Monday, with posting by 4 p.m. Monday.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Local Government Jan 16th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- The first three are Bryce Yaden in person. Then we have remote. Bryce Yaden in person.
- in the IBC.
- in helping us get through the permit in a timely manner.
- In fact, sometimes, as designers, the goal of reducing in cars...
- Commerce is leading implementation of Buy Clean and Buy Fair legislation that was signed into law in
Summary:
The committee heard public testimony on several housing, building code, and permitting bills. HB 2228 would direct the State Building Code Council to convene a technical advisory group to recommend code amendments allowing scissor stairs in buildings with more than two dwelling units. Supporters, including architects, builders, and housing advocates, said scissor stairs could improve safety, reduce corridor and stair footprint, lower costs, and allow more efficient and denser housing layouts. The bill was then closed to public hearing.
HB 2381 would create a performance-based code pathway for low-rise residential buildings and allow recognition of third-party certifications. The chair described it as a move from prescriptive to performance-based standards, with flexibility for builders and potential alignment with clean building goals. The Building Industry Association of Washington opposed the bill as written, saying the main need is a performance pathway in the energy code rather than the IBC, while FutureWise supported the concept but urged caution about the complexity and timeline of converting code to performance-based standards. The public hearing on HB 2381 was closed after testimony.
HB 2418 would change permit review processes, including vesting rules for residential project permits in urban growth areas, pausing review clocks in certain circumstances, extending timelines to other fee-charging reviewing entities, and requiring a single permit responsible official and point of contact by 2027. Builders, developers, and housing advocates generally supported the bill’s coordination and timeline provisions, saying they would reduce delays and costs, though several groups raised concerns about the vesting section and completeness definitions. FutureWise and county representatives warned the vesting changes could create litigation or records issues, while the sponsor said the vesting portion might be reconsidered. The committee also heard HB 2273, which would require embodied carbon reduction standards for larger building projects through reuse, product-based reductions, or whole-building life-cycle assessment. Support came from architects, Commerce, and environmental justice advocates, who said the bill would reduce climate impacts and encourage innovation; opponents from the concrete and aggregate industry and a taxpayer group raised concerns about costs, supply-chain issues, conflicts with other legislation, and exemptions such as for schools. No votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after closing the public hearings.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Finance Feb 4th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Agriculture generates more than $17 billion in were in place.
- to age in place in their homes.
- to age in place in their homes.
- Over the years, in the interest of fairness, a growing list of what can be deducted in determining the
- The state came in and said, yes, you are going to do this in exchange.
Summary:
House Finance held public hearings on several tax and property-related bills. HB 2584 would create a sales and use tax exemption for qualifying farm machinery and equipment purchased by eligible farmers, with supporters arguing it would ease financial pressure on farmers, encourage investment in more efficient and environmentally friendly equipment, and help rural economies. County officials opposed extending the exemption to local sales taxes, warning of cumulative revenue losses for local governments. HB 2376 would consolidate the state school property tax levy and expand property tax relief for seniors, people with disabilities, and veterans by raising income thresholds, increasing exemption amounts, and simplifying the income calculation; county assessors and local officials supported the bill as a way to help residents age in place, while opponents argued it would raise taxes for others and weaken the 1% cap. HB 2610 would broaden the nonprofit homeownership development property tax exemption to allow limited interim rental or community use without losing the exemption, and testimony from affordable housing groups supported the change as a practical way to keep projects moving and reduce costs. HB 2615 would codify the Department of Revenue’s voluntary disclosure program and create a temporary tax amnesty period for certain unpaid business taxes; supporters said it would bring businesses into compliance and generate revenue, while one sponsor noted technical issues still needed to be resolved.
In executive session, the committee advanced four bills. HB 2194, allowing a county and city within it to concurrently impose a cultural access program sales tax, passed 10-5. Substitute HB 2257, a broad tax code cleanup and technical changes bill, passed unanimously 15-0 after members said it clarified ambiguities from prior legislation. HB 2528, which would remove voter-approval requirements for certain cities to impose a local real estate excise tax, passed 11-4 despite objections that it reduced voter control over tax increases. HB 2175, exempting certain nonprofit providers of free durable medical equipment from sales tax on repair parts, also passed unanimously 15-0. The chair announced that HB 2584, HB 2610, and HB 2615 would be scheduled for executive action the following day, with no amendments allowed.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Transportation Jan 21st, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- In my own district, In my own district, both Microsoft and Amazon have robust commute trip reduction
- Here in downtown Seattle, there has been a 54% increase in jobs since 2010.
- Employers in the CTR program do say, once they're in the program, it often helps with recruitment and
- In 2022, at the age of 14, I was involved in an e-bike crash.
- Ebey Island, just in December, had to evacuate quickly in my district.
Summary:
The Transportation Committee held public hearings on three bills. HB 2307 would update the commute trip reduction program by removing the current 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. arrival-time requirement from key definitions, so more employers and shift workers could qualify for CTR benefits. The bill sponsor and several supporters, including Microsoft, transit and transportation nonprofits, local transportation management groups, and city representatives, said the change would modernize the program, improve equity, reduce congestion, and help workers with transportation costs. No one testified in opposition.
HB 2374 would distinguish electric-assisted bicycles from higher-powered electric motorcycles, clarify labeling and equipment rules, and direct DOL to convene a work group on enforcement and consumer protection. The sponsor and many supporters, including cities, trail and park organizations, Washington Bikes, and several students, said the bill would address unsafe high-powered vehicles being marketed as e-bikes, especially those used by younger riders, while preserving access to true e-bikes. Some testifiers asked for additional work group members and suggested civil enforcement options for underage riders. HB 2379 would require WSDOT to suspend tolling on facilities that serve as evacuation routes during emergencies such as wildfires or levee breaches. The sponsor said the bill was prompted by constituents facing evacuation while tolls were still being charged; staff noted the fiscal impact would be indeterminate and could reduce toll revenue during suspensions.
After the hearings, the committee took executive action on two bills. It adopted proposed substitute H-2771 for HB 1823, which cleans up Transportation Improvement Board provisions and removes obsolete language while retaining remaining bond authority. It also passed HB 2111, which directs interest earned from toll revenues for the Interstate Bridge project to be credited to that project. Both actions were approved by voice vote, 27-0, with two members excused.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee Jan 12th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- We ask all members to be present here in Room 1200 in the O Street building so we can establish a quorum
- In response to horrific fires in 2015 and '16, the Legislature rightfully increased In response to horrific
- fires in 2015 and '16, the Legislature rightfully increased the rigor of the wildfire mitigation planning
- and of in- and out-of-service transmission as part of— ...of this kind of mitigation and of in- and
- And so much of the growth in our rates recently has been from wildfire mitigation.
Summary:
The Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications heard two bills. SB 742 by Senator Perez, the Wildfire and Emergency Management Act, would require investor-owned utilities to inventory and remove permanently abandoned or decommissioned transmission lines, update CPUC General Order 95, and participate more directly in emergency operations centers. The bill was presented as a response to the Eaton Fire and concerns that an unused transmission line may have contributed to the ignition. Supporters, including TURN and a utility wildfire survivor coalition representative, argued that abandoned lines are a serious wildfire risk and that utilities should be required to create removal plans and timelines. Senators raised questions about implementation, CPUC oversight, and ratepayer impacts, but the author and supporters said the bill is designed to reduce future fire and litigation costs. The committee adopted amendments and voted 12-0 to pass SB 742 as amended to Senate Appropriations, holding the roll open briefly before closing it.
The committee also heard SB 327 by Senator McNerney, which would bar investor-owned utilities from using ratepayer funds to oppose municipal utility formation or expansion and would clarify the Public Advocates Office’s authority to inspect utility books and accounts. TURN and California Environmental Voters supported the bill, saying ratepayer money should not be used for political lobbying and that the Public Advocates Office needs clear statutory authority to investigate misuse of funds. PG&E and SDG&E/Southern California Gas opposed the bill unless amended, saying some of the cited lobbying costs were not recovered from ratepayers, that the bill could blur the roles of the CPUC and the Public Advocates Office, and that due process concerns remain. After discussion about clarity and amendments, the committee voted 10-3 to pass SB 327 as amended to Senate Appropriations, and the hearing adjourned.
LA
Louisiana 2026 Regular Session
Administration of Criminal Justice Apr 14th, 2026
Administration of Criminal Justice
Transcript Highlights:
- We'll go ahead and put his green card in support in the record.
- And members, the intent of this bill is to just reestablish a little bit of fairness in regard to the
- life sentence issue. ...reestablish a little bit of fairness in regard to the life sentence issue that
- Now, there is a fair way for this to be considered, and I've argued this in court before: the base penalty
- you in Lake Charles, our reserve deputies perform so many duties for festivals and fairs and nonprofit
Summary:
The Committee on Criminal Justice met on April 14, 2026, and first handled several voluntary deferrals, including HB 343, HB 491, HB 523, HB 426, HB 439, HB 378, and later HB 1025. HB 676 by Rep. Spell, which creates the crime of fraudulent patient referrals or “body brokering,” was amended and reported favorably. Testimony from Louisiana Blue, Odyssey House, and others described the practice as exploiting vulnerable addiction and mental health patients for profit, while supporters said the bill targets organized fraud and protects patients, families, and insurers.
The committee also reported HB 394 by Rep. Chenevert, which extends the conditional parole period from nine months to 24 months for offenders who must complete programming before release. Supporters, including the Louisiana Parole Project, said the change gives the parole board more flexibility and does not create new parole eligibility, while the bill was amended to remove some language tied to rehabilitation programming review. HB 622 by Rep. Coates, dealing with confidentiality and handling of criminal history records, was reported favorably after testimony that it is needed to align state law with federal FBI/CJIS requirements and tighten safeguards on background-check information.
HB 396 by Rep. McMakin, concerning admissibility of autopsy photographs, was amended to apply to criminal proceedings generally and then reported favorably. HB 772 by Rep. Martinez, which modernizes notice requirements for arrest warrants by allowing electronic notice and clarifying mailing procedures, was also reported favorably despite concerns from Orleans Parish prosecutors about costs and surety liability. HB 1038 by Rep. Boyer, addressing marshal authority to issue deputy commissions and related liability/insurance issues, drew substantial testimony from marshals, city officials, and local government groups; after amendments requiring insurance coverage and clarifying funding and applicability, it was reported favorably on an 8-2 vote. HB 1025, which would have created an exception allowing reconciliation after a protective-order violation, drew strong opposition from domestic violence advocates and prosecutors and was voluntarily deferred by the author.
AL
Alabama 2025 Regular Session
Alabama House HB340 Working Group Apr 15th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Today, so what we have in pass, and I'm going to let him explain what was incorporated in the changes
- If the child is in harm or they feel the child is in danger, this is the term that the legal.
- Even though they're not living in the house... ...in the house, they're in and out.
- So in that case, if a child is in daycare and the... ...case, if a child is in daycare and the allegations
- are that they've been abused in the daycare, in order to interview that child in Texas, they have to
MO
Missouri 2026 Regular Session
Crime and Public Safety Feb 3rd, 2026 at 03:00 pm
Crime and Public Safety
Transcript Highlights:
- This issue was brought to me by a police chief in one of my municipalities in my district in February
- Most of the mitigation, as you can see in the bill, is electronic, right?
- They can't just, out of nowhere, shoot down or mitigate in that area.
- Next in opposition. Next in favor. Good afternoon, Mr.
- Anybody else here in opposition? Anybody else here in favor?
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Radioactive and Hazardous Materials Dec 8th, 2025 at 09:45 am
Radioactive & Hazardous Materials Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- Anyways, I'm in District 22, which is in Bernalillo County.
- wells in La Cienega here in Santa Fe County.
- But that's the hole in the donut in America right now in our water system: these private well users.
- Can perform avoidance or mitigation in some other way that would be required under the New Mexico Mining
- In 2022, it was over 60; in 2023, just over 40; and in 2024, just under 40.