Transcript Highlights:

• or more appropriate prison sentences.
• or more appropriate prison sentences.
• or more appropriate prison sentences.
• I'm not sure when it kind of got split up like that.
• when it kind of got split up like that. when it kind of got split up like that.

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 13 January, 2026; 1:45 PM, 925, all

Summary: The subcommittee heard first from the Office of State Public Defender, which said its core budget request was essentially level funding, with attorney and investigator pay raises already included because of the DA pay raise linkage. The main discussion focused on two initiatives: a rural public defense pilot in four counties and a Hinds County/Jackson public defense expansion. The pilot, funded last year with capital expense money, has formed a nonprofit, hired a director and staff, opened an office in Kosciusko, and began taking cases on October 1; most of its 44 cases involved day-one jail visits. The office said the project is intended to improve early representation, reduce jail time, and generate data, while not displacing local public defenders. For Hinds County, the office said new data show about 31% of cases originate from state-agency arrests, and it is seeking roughly $525,000 more to fully fund positions, bringing the total request to about $952,972 for five lawyers, an investigator, a legal secretary, and office expenses. Senators asked about funding sources and workload standards; the office said the pilot request had been submitted as general funds rather than capital expense, and that it is using weighted workload measures rather than strict national caseload standards. The committee then heard from the Attorney General’s office, represented by Deputy Attorney General Doug Miracle, who presented the FY 2027 budget request. The office requested $45.48 million total, including $35.31 million in general funds, which is a reduction from the prior year’s appropriation, but also requested a $1.58 million increase in salary funding. Miracle said the office is losing attorneys to other state agencies and district attorney offices because of salary caps and pay disparities, noting the Attorney General’s statutory salary cap of $150,000 and that more than 18 attorneys left last year. He said HB 1509 created higher pay levels for district attorneys and assistant district attorneys, making retention harder for the Attorney General’s office, and asked for either the salary increase or authority to move funds between budget lines. Miracle also highlighted the office’s work on child welfare and human trafficking, noting that federal HHS officials were visiting Jackson to discuss foster children and that the office administers the state’s human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation fund. He said the office is working to reduce time children spend in state custody and support services for trafficking victims and foster youth. The committee discussed statewide youth court reform as well, with Miracle explaining that the office supports expert recommendations and a plan that could create 25 youth court positions in 20 chancery districts at an estimated $10 million, based on DHS and AOC data and a model using state-employed and contract lawyers. No votes were taken during the excerpted meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:16:51.320> to felony and may be sentenced to felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment
• <01:17:06.199> to felony and may be sentenced to felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment
• I like a wider range, a larger possibility for a sentence to be a bit more severe.
• I like a wider range, a larger possibility for a sentence to be a bit more severe.
• I like a wider range, a larger possibility for a sentence to be a bit more severe.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It allows for youth that receive an adult sentence to receive services from CYFD until age 21.
• However, SB 165 expands adult sentencing eligibility salient.
• Expanded automatic adult sentencing is not the policy solution we need.
• youth, whether they're sentenced as a serious youthful offender or whether they're sentenced as a youthful
• Again, this changes long-term and short-term sentencing or up to a longer period of time.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Your attention to the part of the sentence that you just, that you didn't read, but that same sentence
• same sentence, and use the same amount of total funds for two-year and four-year.
• Look at page 22, the Senate recommendation, and look at the last sentence.
• Direct your attention to the last sentence in bold, where it says, starts by saying any.
• It does split part of the property that State Fair Community College owns.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, the modification, the structure of the sentence is that of the county, I believe the historic interpretation
• Um, the modification, the structure of the sentence is that of the county, I believe the historic interpretation
• we were so by county; everything was by county lines, but now we're doing redistricting and we have split
• and<00:46:40.720> we<00:46:40.960> have<00:46:42.160> um<00:46:42.400> split
• redistricting and we have um split redistricting and we have um split districts<00:46:43.280>

Bills: HB0086

Keywords: county officials, election code, misconduct, removal, government accountability, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think if I recall we split it. There was some money that went to each. So yeah, I agree.
• >> I I I think if I recall we split it. >> I I I think if I recall we split it.
• Motion is inexpedient to legislate. sentence. So um number one and number sentence.
• And uh and we know sentence.
• to death based on some video sentenced to death based on some video evidence.<02:24:14.640> that<

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• c><00:12:46.120> the<00:12:46.399> the<00:12:46.560> first<00:12:46.920> sentence
• <00:12:47.920> just section the the the first sentence just section the the the first sentence
• And if the second sentence is being deleted, then that says that your highest three years of service
• This just gives it kind of the split here where there’s no financial allocation that’s tied to it at
• just this gives it kind of the split just this gives it kind of the split here<00:41:06.200>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee reviewed selected House Bill 2 provisions, focusing first on the group two pension reform language and whether it matched prior legislation and the fiscal note. Members discussed two main issues: the treatment of extra and special duty pay in the pension calculation for employees hired before 2011, and the annuity multiplier after 15 years of creditable service. Several members said the HB 2 language was intended to restore prior law and protect against pension “spiking,” while others worried the draft and fiscal note may not have fully reflected current law, potentially affecting the cost estimate. The discussion repeatedly emphasized the need to avoid underfunding or double counting and to make sure Finance had the correct actuarial assumptions. No vote was taken; the committee agreed to flag the issues for Finance and to clarify the fiscal note. Members also discussed the vested-rights language, which was described as an explicit definition of vesting and a restriction on future legislative changes to compensation calculations after three years of service. Some viewed it as a policy protection with no immediate fiscal impact, while others noted it had been included in prior legislation and should be clearly understood before the bill moved forward. The committee also briefly referenced prior pension legislation, including House Bill 436 and House Bill 727, and noted that HB 2 was being used to carry forward related pension repair provisions. The committee then turned to an OPLC-related section transferring building, plumbing, electrical, and fuel gas inspector positions from OPLC to the Department of Safety’s Fire Marshal’s office. Testimony explained that the nine inspector positions are funded from the licensing fund, and that the move was justified as a public-safety function better aligned with the Fire Marshal’s mission because the inspections are statewide code-enforcement work rather than facility-specific licensing work. The discussion ended with a note that the remaining HB 2 changes run through 2034 and a brief announcement about memorial arrangements for C.J. Gerard.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our housing work group met, and we had a scenario that basically split it up: $40 million to DFA, $40
• Again, there are two different programs going on there, so this splits that up.
• Again, there are two different programs going on there, so this splits that up.
• wage-to-career ladder, and this is, as always, big credit to Deputy Director Kelly Clunt, the last sentence
• wage-to-career ladder, and this is, as always, big credit to Deputy Director Kelly Clunt, the last sentence

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These maps split those communities in half and leave. ...them with less socio-economic power and significantly
• Redistricting has been long used as an attempt to— race-democratic representation, splitting diverse
• The felon has commuted the sentences of dozens of drug traffickers, including two high-profile cases,
• Maria Johnson serving a life sentence for cocaine trafficking, and Ross Ulbricht, founder of the Silk
• think it's important to note that this doesn't seem to be for us, but does seem to be designed to split

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• six it it looks a little complicated so in item a there or they have the funding, it's just shown split
• But what I mean is there are people who are serving 100-year sentences and then we're not going to mute
• burns, which requires a more in-depth approach. has actually increased, which is why they're asking to split
• instructors and item B is the material and support for the CTE curriculum item 7 the determinant sentence

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• President: the bill as introduced provides that the proceeds are split evenly between the researcher
• [clears throat] proceeds are split [clears throat] proceeds are split evenly<00:47:09.920> between
• This last sentence is really the most important one.
• This last sentence is really the most important one.
• is really the the most sentence is really the the most important<01:06:11.119> one.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So the sentence that was deleted was: 'in the period 30 days before a primary election and 60 days before
• So we want to rework that section to split them? Because we want to match existing law.
• And that's what that first sentence, starting on page 12, line 17 says, is that they're not required
• With the exception of—I'll point you to page 27, line 28—a sentence that was added that said, well, I
• So now you go to the last sentence, and we're saying, for the person that's doing that, their name goes

Bills: SB2156

Keywords: campaign finance, disclosure, political contributions, election transparency, North Dakota Century Code, 908, all

Summary: The subcommittee met to review HB 2156, which reorganizes North Dakota campaign finance disclosure law by repealing Chapter 16.1 and moving the provisions into a new Chapter 16.2 with mostly technical cross-reference updates. Legislative Council and the Secretary of State’s office walked through the bill section by section, explaining that most language is carried over from current law, with some cleanup to definitions, reporting requirements, public access rules, and filing procedures. The committee discussed how the new chapter would apply to candidates, candidate committees, political committees, political parties, ballot measure groups, and conduits. Several substantive issues were raised and adjusted during the discussion. Members questioned the open-records language for expenditures and contributions over $250, the use of “deposit” versus “receipt” as the reporting trigger, and whether the 48-hour supplemental reporting deadline should be changed to three calendar days; the group ultimately favored keeping 48 hours and using “deposit” consistently. They also clarified reporting dates, including changing one special-election deadline from 40 days to 39 days, and confirmed that balances of campaign funds would be reported but not made publicly available. The Secretary of State’s office also explained that the bill would make late fees public and that the chapter-wide penalty for willful violations remains a Class A misdemeanor. The main policy change debated at length was the late-filing fee schedule. Members expressed concern that the existing penalties were too low to deter intentional non-filers, and after discussion the committee agreed to increase the final late fee from $100 to $500 while keeping the new public posting of delinquent filers. The committee also reviewed an inflation-adjustment provision for reporting thresholds and the “ultimate true source of funds” language, which was described as existing law being carried into the new chapter. The meeting ended with the understanding that additional drafting changes would be made and that the bill would be ready for further committee action later in the week.

Transcript Highlights:

• management, I want to turn to page five where the lines, starting from line 114 to about 117, the sentence
• So that sentence basically says that the mutual agreement is developed by the State Board of Education
• management, I want to turn to page five where the lines, starting from line 114 to about 117, the sentence
• So that sentence basically says that the mutual agreement is developed by the State Board of Education
• you had a chance to reach out to the school board or superintendents to see how they feel about splitting

Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee heard and advanced three bills. CS/HB 1267, by Rep. Boussada, would require school districts to allow Schools of Hope to use vacant or surplus facilities or co-locate in schools with capacity, with non-instructional services handled through a pro rata agreement and a performance-based agreement requiring Schools of Hope to meet expectations within five years. Supporters argued it would better use underfilled public schools and help students in the bottom 10% of schools statewide; opponents raised concerns about local control, funding, and the effect on public schools. The bill passed 13-2. The committee also heard CS/HB 1115, by Rep. Valdes, which would require sharing certain discretionary sales surtax revenues with eligible charter schools based on enrollment, create a standardized charter school monitoring tool, and align Schools of Hope sponsoring-entity rules with charter school processes. Supporters said it would improve consistency and accountability; critics questioned fiscal impacts and district flexibility. That bill passed 13-2. The final bill, CS/HB 1213, by Rep. Alvarez, would create a K-12 School Route Optimization Pilot Program using five counties to test AI-assisted analysis of school bus routes and walking conditions, with the goal of improving child safety for students who currently walk long distances. Members discussed hazardous conditions, possible use of safe-school transportation funds, and the bill’s lack of fiscal impact. Public testimony included support from education and parent groups. The bill passed unanimously, 15-0. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that we should not allow any elected official that is not a member of this house to split this house
• >> Yes. >> So what did you get a split on the resolution?
• <01:00:11.920> on<01:00:12.079> the >> So what did you get a split on the >
• ;> So what did you get a split on the resolution?
• They split the public and private schools.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of Voters, in Orange County alone this special election to gerrymander congressional districts and split
• The proposed maps even managed to split fewer areas than we were able to split.
• There were some issues in that, and there were some communities that were split, but we're talking about
• of Voters, this special election for Orange County alone to gerrymander congressional districts and split
• of Voters, this special election for Orange County alone to gerrymander congressional districts and split

Summary: The Assembly Appropriations Committee met on August 20, 2025, and considered a large number of bills, with most of the discussion centered on election redistricting and several health, labor, environmental, and government-operations measures. The first major item was ACA 8, a constitutional amendment tied to a proposed November special election and temporary mid-decade congressional redistricting in response to partisan redistricting efforts in other states. Supporters, including Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, a 2020 redistricting commissioner, labor groups, and allies of the measure, argued it was necessary to defend democracy, protect representation, and respond to federal actions affecting California. Opponents, including Assemblymember Tom Lackey reading a statement for Assemblymember Gallagher and Assemblymember Dixon, argued the measure would undermine the independent redistricting commission, amount to a partisan power grab, and cost taxpayers roughly $230 million. Committee members also focused heavily on fiscal questions, including litigation costs and county election funding, and Department of Finance staff said counties would be made whole and funding would be advanced. The committee ultimately voted the measure out on a B roll call. The committee then heard SB 280, the implementing bill for the special election and related redistricting process. Supporters repeated the argument that California needed to respond to Texas and other states, while opponents again emphasized the cost, the strain on county budgets, and the state’s broader fiscal pressures. Department of Finance witnesses said the election funding would be provided in advance and that the state would work with counties and the Secretary of State. The bill was moved out on a roll call after extended debate. The committee also advanced several other bills, including SB 283 on battery storage safety standards, SB 470 extending remote participation and open-meeting flexibility for state boards and commissions, SB 697 modernizing stream adjudication procedures, SB 513 requiring more accessible employee training records, SB 30 restricting transfer of older diesel locomotives, SB 841 and SB 81 creating protections for vulnerable facilities and health care spaces from immigration enforcement, SB 358 revising traffic impact fee standards, and SB 630 streamlining state parks land acquisitions. Other measures discussed included SB 62 expanding health coverage benefits, SB 68 requiring restaurant allergen disclosures, and the committee heard both support and opposition on SB 68 from the California Restaurant Association and consumer advocates. Supporters of the health and immigrant-protection bills emphasized patient safety, reproductive health, immigrant rights, and access to care, while opponents on the restaurant bill warned of added mandates and litigation risk for small businesses. Across the hearing, committee members frequently returned to fiscal impacts, county implementation burdens, and whether the bills would save money, cost money, or shift costs to local governments. Several bills were reported out of committee, often on A or B roll calls, with some members not voting on particular measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• They say we need to add more years to the sentences and create more laws.
• It's not because we have an absence of laws or that we don't have enough sentences.
• The judge has got to be thinking that when it comes down to sentencing.
• Every executive comes in wanting more years, more sentences, and more punishment.
• So when we look at the data on what they need from us, it's that 50-50 split.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, members of the committee, Representative Schauer, I think those two sentences, and perhaps
• And on the other hand, in the sentence on page six, when it says the executive branch, including the
• And on the other hand, in the sentence on page six, when it says the executive branch, including the
• So the memo is split out...
• So the memo is split out into, I would say, a couple different areas: one regarding the authorization

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that any sentence for resisting arrest must be served consecutively with any other sentence.
• To me, a get-tough-on-crime bill is make them serve 95% of their sentence, splitting rocks, and then
• Now, those sentences are not short sentences. They're long sentences.
• Now, those sentences are not short sentences. They're long sentences.
• sentences for certain offenses.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a quorum present. Representative Hoverson offered remarks recognizing World Autism Day, and the House then handled conference committee motions on several bills, including House Bills 1460 and 1248 and Senate Bills 2262, 2070, 2294, and 2297, with the Speaker appointing members to each conference committee. The chamber also set aside Senate Bill 2200 for re-referral to Appropriations and moved to amendments on Senate Bill 2128, which was the main subject of the day. Senate Bill 2128, a major criminal justice and corrections bill, drew extensive debate over truth-in-sentencing, mandatory minimums, parole, transitional facilities, work release, electronic monitoring, and the fiscal impact of longer incarceration. Division A of the amendments removed mandatory minimums for resisting arrest and felony simple assault while keeping consecutive-sentence language; supporters said this preserved judicial discretion and reduced costs, while opponents argued it weakened public safety. Division A was adopted 70-23. Division B proposed broader changes to preserve transitional programming, add penalties for tampering with electronic monitoring and escape, limit some work-release restrictions, create a parole board study, and fund electronic monitoring with a $600,000 appropriation. Supporters framed it as a compromise that balanced rehabilitation and public safety; opponents said it undercut the bill’s intent and left dangerous offenders with too much access to transitional release. Division B failed on a 46-46 tie. The House then took up the bill itself, with the Judiciary Committee reporting a do-not-pass recommendation as amended, and debate continued over whether the amended bill should advance, with members split between concerns about victims and public safety versus rehabilitation, prison capacity, and recidivism.

Transcript Highlights:

• does not impede the ability of a prosecutor or a court to consider a prior sealed conviction for sentencing
• 1263 to lower the bar for individuals who have been convicted, completed all the terms of their sentence
• , and demonstrated reformation to move on. terms of their sentence and demonstrated reformation to move
• In 2022, five years after I was sentenced for the felony of distributing ecstasy, I petitioned the Grand
• These charges can still These charges can still be used to enhance future sentencing if a person reoffends

Bills: HB1455

Keywords: tribal consultation, Indian Affairs Commission, tribal governments, tribal sovereignty, state-tribal relations, Native American, tribal nations, consultation requirement, legislative process, jurisdiction, sovereignty, North Dakota tribes, government-to-government consultation, tribal chairpersons, 908, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee first heard House Bill 1455, which would require the North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission to review introduced legislation for tribal implications and conduct consultation with affected tribes. Rep. Collette Brown said the bill was intended to formalize and strengthen tribal consultation, and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe representative Ross Bell testified in support. Brad Hawk, executive director of the Indian Affairs Commission, testified neutrally, saying the office already does much of this work but that the bill would add structure; several senators raised concerns about duplication, possible future staffing costs, and whether the bill was necessary. The committee amended the bill to replace “each measure” with “all legislation,” then passed a do-not-pass recommendation on HB 1455 by recorded vote, with Sen. Luick designated as carrier. The committee then took up House Bill 1032, dealing with municipal courts, appeals, and judge qualifications. Legislative Council and court staff walked through proposed amendments, including making municipal courts courts of record on a delayed effective date, clarifying appeal procedures, and adding standards for municipal judges. Members discussed whether to use the term “ethical standards” or “judicial conduct”; after questions about definitions and enforcement, the committee settled on replacing the language with “judicial conduct” in the amended bill. The committee adopted the amendments and then passed HB 1032 as amended on a do-pass vote, with Sen. Cory to carry. Later, the committee heard House Bill 1263, which would make it easier for people with criminal records to seek sealing after a denial by allowing an appeal and reducing the waiting period for a new petition from three years to one year. Rep. Nels Christensen, Christopher Davis, Travis Fink, and Brad Peterson all supported the bill’s goal of giving people a better path to rehabilitation and employment. The main point of disagreement was whether to keep the statutory presumption that the benefit to the petitioner must outweigh the presumption of openness of criminal records; several witnesses urged removing that language, while others said it was part of the compromise that created the current law. The committee closed the hearing without taking final action and said it would review the House discussion before deciding later.

Transcript Highlights:

• I even know that there's a sentence that they used to do when I was a prosecutor.
• It would be a sentence for a one-year Commitment to YDDC with a 90-day review.
• And the community of Chaparral is also very split.
• Lastly, I think it would be helpful to enact sentencing enhancements for gangs.
• I will say it's Probably helpful to have more thought put into specific sentences.