Bills: SCR12, HB221, HB509, HCR58, HB75, HB1222, SB121, SB312, SB348, SB485, SCR9, SCR58, SB65, SB215, SB249, SB269, SB282, SB296, SB323, SB363, SB369, SB474, SB490, SB492, SB500, SB514, HCR54, HCR79, HCR87, HCR94, HCR104, HCR32, HB944, HB17, HB41, HB73, HB223, HB244, HB410, HB750, HB759, HB906, HB966, HB1006, HB1009, HB1086, HB1107, HB1112, HB1215, HB1242, SB208, SB217, SB283, SB387, SB389, SB401, SB408, SB469, HB74, HB119, HB368, HB414, HB552, HB732, HB776, HB848, HB870, HB953, HB956, HB1236, SB29, SB42, SB43, SB78, SB149, SB274, SB300, SB341, SB382, SB441, SB449, HB134, HB210, HB258, HB359, HB468, HB784, HB1117

Keywords: logging, recognition, John Keith, environment, safety, Mississippi River bridge, Trump Expressway, transportation, federal funding, Louisiana highways, injection wells, public hearing, geologic sequestration, environmental impact, public comment, Ascension Parish, state capitol, economic development, community partnership, celebration day

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, received a prayer and pledge, adopted the journal, and heard messages from the House reporting final passage of several Senate bills and concurrence in SCR 86 and 87. The chamber also observed personal privileges honoring the lives of Edith K. Kirkpatrick and Susan Ann Traylor Bidick, with family members present and a moment of silence held for Bidick. The House later refused concurrence on Senate amendments to HB 42 and HB 159. The Senate then took up a series of resolutions, most of which were adopted without objection. These included studies on energy infrastructure and modernization (SR 174, amended to add an alternative energy industry representative and a consumer advocate), breast pump Medicaid reimbursement (SR 175), digital student IDs (SR 176), lethality assessment protocols in domestic violence cases (SR 177), problem gambling prevention (SR 178), community water system grading (SR 179), condolences for Sharon Courtney (SR 180), and expansion of the Louisiana Tumor Registry (SR 181). The chamber also adopted SCR 85 honoring the Sam Houston High School Broncos baseball team after a recorded vote of 36 yeas and 8 nays. On bills returned from the House, HB 1222 on grocery initiative grants failed on final passage by a vote of 18 yeas and 19 nays. SB 312 had House amendments rejected, SB 348 and SB 485 had House amendments concurred in, and SB 121 on congressional redistricting was the subject of extensive debate over racial gerrymandering, district configuration, and expected litigation before the Senate concurred in the House amendments by 28 yeas and 10 nays. The Senate also concurred in several House concurrent resolutions, including studies or reports on flooded corn and migratory waterfowl, deer hunting with dogs in Kisatchie National Forest, support for a Senator Kennedy letter to the Fish and Wildlife Service, boating safety reporting, and subsurface data review. Finally, HB 944 creating a Women’s Health Consortium within the Department of Health was amended to address funding concerns and convert it into a more task-force-like structure, then passed 37-0 with nine coauthors. The Senate then recessed until 1:30 p.m. to continue work, including conference committee reports.

Transcript Highlights:

• would not have to pay that $70 million that has been allocated just in case the federal government penalizes

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Human Services and Labor budget hearing opened with Senate and Assembly co-chairs introducing members and naming secretaries for the record. The agencies covered included Human Services, Labor, Temporary and Disability Assistance, Children and Family Services, Veterans Services, Human Rights, Workers’ Compensation, the Welfare Inspector General, and the Public Employment Relations Board. Members then gave brief statements on their priorities for the upcoming budget negotiations. A major theme was affordability, with repeated discussion of child care, SNAP, housing, and worker supports. Senators and Assembly members highlighted the Senate and Assembly one-house proposals for a $500 million child care worker retention grant program, additional child care slots and subsidies, cost-of-living adjustments for human services workers, and expanded support for supportive housing, youth employment, HEAP, and energy affordability. Several members also emphasized food insecurity and SNAP-related issues, including funding to address payment errors, prevent penalties, expand SNAP education, and respond to expected federal changes. Labor-related issues included workers’ compensation fraud, wage theft enforcement, workplace violence, temporary disability insurance reform, and the creation of dedicated enforcement funding for the Department of Labor. Some members supported using workers’ compensation assessments or insurance-company-related funding to pay for anti-fraud efforts, while others preferred grants to district attorneys or broader DOL enforcement. There was also discussion of occupational health clinics, labor standards in any SEQRA changes, and expanding access to doctors in the workers’ compensation system. Veterans, child care, and public assistance fraud prevention were also discussed, including funding for veterans legal defense and mental health services, microchip/secure EBT cards to reduce skimming, and restoring or protecting various programs. No formal votes were taken; the hearing concluded with the chairs stating that the Senate, Assembly, and Executive would continue negotiations toward a final budget.

Transcript Highlights:

• creates disparity and disincentivizes future participation in regional JPAs, and it effectively penalizes

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement heard several retirement and school employment measures. SB 301 by Sen. Grayson would prevent CERL-covered cities and districts from amending retirement contracts to exclude certain employee groups, closing a loophole similar to one previously addressed for CalPERS. The bill was supported by California Professional Firefighters and received no opposition. SB 443 by Sen. Rubio would clarify that employees transferring into a joint powers authority can retain CalPERS classic status even when the JPA expands later; the city of La Verne, a flood management agency, and AFSCME supported the bill, and it also drew no opposition. Both bills were moved out of committee on unanimous votes and sent to Appropriations, with the consent calendar items SB 521, SB 581, and SB 853 also approved. The committee then heard SB 494 by Sen. Cortese, which would give classified school employees the right to have disciplinary appeals heard by an administrative law judge rather than by the school board. Supporters, including CSEA, AFSCME, and CFT, argued the bill would create parity with teachers and community college faculty and provide a fairer appeal process. Opponents, including the California School Boards Association, county superintendents, school business officials, and community college groups, argued it would remove local control, impose a one-size-fits-all process, and shift costs to districts. The bill was passed out of committee and referred to the Committee on Higher Education. The committee also considered SJR 2 by Sen. Cortese, a resolution urging Congress and the President to enact federal protections for classified school employees, including better wages, benefits, safety, and workplace rights. Support came from CFT, CSEA, and other labor groups, with no opposition. The resolution was adopted and moved forward. At the end of the hearing, the committee reopened the roll to add votes, and all listed measures ultimately passed unanimously or near-unanimously before the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The amendment does not need to penalize a community.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 648 prevents heavy truck manufacturers from being penalized loopholes that loopholes that
• heavy truck manufacturers<00:55:34.480> from<00:55:34.600> being<00:55:34.840> penalized
• Manufacturers from being penalized for exercising good faith in replacing apparently defective parts

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It penalizes a lot of the people that drive the economy, and we don't need that.
• It penalizes a lot of the people that drive the economy, and we don't need that.
• It penalizes a lot of the people that drive the economy, and we don't need that.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House File 5 was heard in the Transportation Committee and moved by the author, Representative Jim Joy, to be referred to the Tax Committee. Joy described the bill as a package to make Minnesota more affordable by fully eliminating the Social Security tax subtraction, ending the motor fuels tax indexing, repealing the retail delivery fee, and studying vehicle registration/license taxes compared with neighboring states. Committee fiscal staff explained the bill’s fiscal effects across the general fund, highway user tax distribution fund, transportation advancement account, and metro county sales tax allocations, including that the delivery fee repeal would reduce Transportation Advancement Account revenue and that the bill would shift some revenue sources to offset losses. Several stakeholders testified. The Minnesota Grocers Association strongly supported repealing the retail delivery fee, arguing it is costly and complex for retailers to administer, especially small businesses, and that the costs are ultimately passed on to consumers. The Minnesota Propane Association also supported repeal, saying the fee is burdensome for propane businesses, that only a small share of deliveries are actually subject to it, and that compliance costs can exceed the fee revenue collected. Fiscal staff noted that delivery fee revenue forecasts have fallen below earlier projections, and explained that the fee is imposed on sellers with several exemptions, including a $100 transaction threshold and exemptions for some sales such as bars, restaurants, nonprofits, and certain small businesses. Opposition came from local government groups. The League of Minnesota Cities said it supported the Transportation Advancement Account and its 2023 funding sources, including the delivery fee and motor vehicle parts sales tax, and warned that the bill would prematurely alter a funding structure that cities rely on for predictable transportation revenue. The Minnesota Association of Small Cities said small cities had long lacked dedicated transportation funding and wanted a stable, ongoing revenue stream, but were neutral on the exact source as long as it was reliable. Metro Cities echoed support for stable, predictable transportation funding for metro-area cities. The committee took testimony and discussion only; no final vote was recorded in the excerpt beyond the motion to refer the bill to the Tax Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is Senate Bill 300 by Senator Mizell, providing relative to the Louisiana Procurement Code.
• We had started, I would say, refining the procurement code last year.
• We had started, I would say, refining the procurement code last year.
• And then it proposes various changes to legal and contractual remedies in the procurement code to make
• And then there's various changes to the procurement IT code, and they're all technical.

Bills: HB513, HB581, HB596, HB660, HB719, HB766, HB802, HB940, HB950, HB1028, HB1183, HB1201, SB233, SB300, SB303, SB315, SB324, SB411

Keywords: name image likeness, NIL, student-athlete, college athletics, high school athletics, intercollegiate athletics, interscholastic athletics, athlete compensation, athlete endorsements, sports marketing, athlete agent, marketing representative, sports attorney, publicity rights, right of publicity, Louisiana high school sports, NCAA, school policy, athletic association, athletic conference

Summary: The committee first handled House Bill 513 by Rep. Young, which would regulate name, image, and likeness issues for intercollegiate and interscholastic athletes, especially high school athletes. Young said the bill reflects recommendations from a statewide NIL task force and sets parental-consent and prohibited-category guardrails while preserving flexibility for colleges. The committee adopted a technical amendment and reported the bill favorably as amended. Members then advanced several procurement and administrative measures. Senate Bill 233 by Sen. Mizell would create a statewide data exchange compact for state agencies; testimony from the Department of Health said it would improve eligibility and program administration by allowing agencies to share data more efficiently, and the bill was reported favorably. Senate Bill 300, also by Mizell, would make various changes to the Procurement Code, including auction techniques in negotiated procurement, sole sourcing for consulting services in limited cases, and other technical and legal remedy revisions; it was reported favorably. Senate Bill 303 by Sen. Cloud would let executive branch agencies directly contract with other states for information technology systems and use the federal GSA schedule, and it was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 411 by Sen. DePlessis, removing a 20-year lease cap for certain state property in Orleans Parish, was also reported favorably. The committee then took up several bills affecting criminal justice funding. House Bill 660 by Rep. Egan would raise the state warrant amount used to fund assistant district attorney salaries from $50,000 to $60,000; Egan and district attorneys argued the increase is needed to recruit and retain prosecutors, while an opponent said the state should fund prosecutors and public defenders more equitably. The committee adopted an amendment making the bill effective only upon appropriation and reported it favorably as amended. House Bill 719, also by Egan, would increase the number of assistant district attorney warrants statewide, with most of the new warrants directed to Baton Rouge, St. Tammany, and Caddo; supporters cited workload studies and local needs, while an opponent raised concerns about New Orleans court consolidation and broader funding balance. It too was amended to be subject to appropriation and reported favorably as amended. Other measures included House Bill 76 by Rep. Freeman, which addresses coverage for orally administered anti-cancer medications and was reported favorably as amended after changes to cost-sharing and high-deductible plan language; House Bill 802 by Rep. Sawyer, which redirects existing revenue to watershed and flood-control restoration in the Amite River Basin, was reported favorably as amended; House Bill 940 by Rep. Barrow, creating a law-enforcement task force and rules framework for counter-drone operations, was reported favorably as amended; and House Bill 950 by Rep. Boyd, aimed at consumer protection education for seniors, was reported favorably. House Bill 596 by Rep. McCormick, which would have created an inactive-well fee assessment credit tied to plugging wells, drew concerns that it would reduce funds for orphan-well restoration, and the bill was voluntarily deferred after discussion. House Bill 581 and House Bill 1183 were also voluntarily deferred.

Bills: HR1041, SB137, SB1255, SB1226, SB1238, SB1258, SB1325, SB1460, SB1543, SB1730, SB1921, SB1733, SB1216, SB1256, SB1061, SB1534, SB1873, SB1653, SB540, SB1948

Keywords: electronic monitoring, Department of Corrections, criminal justice, rehabilitation, public safety, medical parole, compassionate release, incarcerated, medical conditions, Oklahoma Department of Corrections, motor vehicle, accident, notification, liability, civil action, gender neutral, domestic abuse, domestic violence, assault and battery, strangulation

Bills: HR1041, SB137, SB1255, SB1226, SB1238, SB1258, SB1325, SB1460, SB1543, SB1730, SB1921, SB1733, SB1216, SB1256, SB1061, SB1534, SB1873, SB1653, SB540, SB1948

Keywords: electronic monitoring, Department of Corrections, criminal justice, rehabilitation, public safety, medical parole, compassionate release, incarcerated, medical conditions, Oklahoma Department of Corrections, motor vehicle, accident, notification, liability, civil action, gender neutral, domestic abuse, domestic violence, assault and battery, strangulation

Bills: SB143, SB144, SB145, SB152, SB153, SB154, SB162, SB226, SB146, SB143, SB144, SB145, SB152, SB153, SB154, SB162, SB226, SB146

Keywords: SB143, solid waste, garbage collection, trash fees, refuse collection, municipal fees, county fees, fee exemption, veterans benefits, veteran household, disabled veteran, VA benefits, Social Security exemption, low-income households, poverty level, county commission, municipal governing body, Alabama solid waste law, certificate of exception, public health

Bills: HB4139, HB4143, HB4144, HB3974, HB3303, HB3790, HB3697, HB3262, HB4226, HB2936, HB3322, HB4296, HB3278, HB4202, HB3648, HB3500, HB3037, HB3428, HB3257, HB3432, HB3043, HB3044, HB3078, HB3940

Keywords: home warranty, service contracts, transparency, insurance regulation, consumer protection, motor vehicles, traffic collisions, car accident, auto accident, crash report, collision report, property damage threshold, Department of Public Safety, DPS, law enforcement reports, insurance claims, financial responsibility, uninsured motorist, private property accidents, public roadway

Bills: SB 2, SB 5, SB 9, SB 7, SB 17, SB 4, HB4, HB1, HB3, HB20, HB22, SB9, SB7, SB17, SB4, HB4, SB2, SB5

Keywords: disaster relief, flood preparedness, emergency funding, local government support, meteorological forecasting, school assessment, public education, accountability, transparency, education standards, STAAR, Texas Education Agency, TEA, public school accountability, school ratings, A-F ratings, assessment reform, student testing, benchmark tests, interim assessments

Transcript Highlights:

• This Section 2 does not recognize coalition districts.
• So my general understanding of Peddaway is that the Fifth Circuit held that Section 2 doesn't apply to
• Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. I'm sorry, could you repeat that please?
• decision. there was made only talked about coalition districts could not file a claim of dilution under Section

Bills: SB 2, SB 5, SB 9, SB 7, SB 17, SB 4, HB4, HB1, HB3, HB20, HB22, SB9, SB7, SB17, SB4, HB4, SB2, SB5

Keywords: disaster relief, flood preparedness, emergency funding, local government support, meteorological forecasting, school assessment, public education, accountability, transparency, education standards, STAAR, Texas Education Agency, TEA, public school accountability, school ratings, A-F ratings, assessment reform, student testing, benchmark tests, interim assessments

Bills: SB 2, SB 5, SB 9, SB 7, SB 17, SB 4, HB4, HB1, HB3, HB20, HB22, SB9, SB7, SB17, SB4, HB4, SB2, SB5

Keywords: disaster relief, flood preparedness, emergency funding, local government support, meteorological forecasting, school assessment, public education, accountability, transparency, education standards, STAAR, Texas Education Agency, TEA, public school accountability, school ratings, A-F ratings, assessment reform, student testing, benchmark tests, interim assessments

Transcript Highlights:

• Milligan that Alabama's congressional map violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act because it denied
• This decision reaffirms Section 2 as a powerful legal tool to evaluate the effects, not merely the intent
• It fails the test of Section 2, and it fails the people of Texas.
• The 2021 congressional map was subject to numerous violations of Section Two of the Voting Rights Act
• Representation matters; it really does, which is why I called out those zip codes and parked...

Bills: SB 2, SB 5, SB 9, SB 7, SB 17, SB 4, HB4, HB1, HB3, HB20, HB22, SB9, SB7, SB17, SB4, HB4, SB2, SB5

Keywords: disaster relief, flood preparedness, emergency funding, local government support, meteorological forecasting, school assessment, public education, accountability, transparency, education standards, STAAR, Texas Education Agency, TEA, public school accountability, school ratings, A-F ratings, assessment reform, student testing, benchmark tests, interim assessments

Bills: HB3772, HB1656, HB4504, HB1896, HB4420, HB4421, HB4076, HB3708, HB2806, HB3540, HB1586, HB5459, HB4553, HB4535, HB3811, HB3749, HB4255, HB4051, HB5098, HB3554, HB4539, HB5274

Keywords: e-cigarettes, health and safety, regulations, directory, penalties, regulation, certification, compliance, manufacturers, FDA, nicotine, mental health, emergency detention, paramedic authority, mental illness, healthcare facility, public health, covenants not to compete, health care practitioners, physicians

Transcript Highlights:

• If you see line 27 on page one, it's the section code 40-18 that...
• It's the section code 40-18 that has a comma after 18, which is supposed to be a dash.
• It's a technical revision that just takes some code sections that are cross-referenced in the wrong place

Bills: SB96, SB97, SB130, HB230, SB154, SB93, SB99, SB96, SB97, SB130, HB230, SB154, SB93, SB99

Keywords: salvage title, salvage certificate of title, rebuilt title, flood vehicle, junk vehicle, total loss, motor vehicle title, vehicle branding, insurance claim, insurance company, Department of Revenue, vehicle inspection, rebuilder, automotive dismantler, parts recycler, secondary metals recycler, junkyard, vehicle identification number, VIN, stolen vehicle

Transcript Highlights:

• fewer tutors and smaller class sizes than what's allocated, they have the fungibility under that section
• fewer tutors and smaller class sizes than what's allocated, they have the fungibility under that section
• Under that section, these local revenues are deemed state revenues.
• If we're going to be fiscally prudent with tax dollars, why should we get penalized for it?
• why should we get penalized for it? why should we get penalized for it?

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I just wanted to also point out that we've recommended a slight amendment to section two of the measure
• two<00:10:44.640> of<00:10:44.800> the<00:10:44.959> measure amendment to section
• two of the measure amendment to section two of the measure to<00:10:46.000> just<00:10:46.240
• Oh, so that section is actually specifying how much tips are allocated, I believe, but there's no law
• naming rights under the new section naming rights under the new section added<01:03:18.400> to

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, the Senate is a deliberate body, and we want to make sure that people are not penalized in Oklahoma

Keywords: 914, all