Video & Transcript Research : 'judicial transparency'
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KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
House Legislative Session Day 20 (2-4-26)
Kentucky House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Jordan Turner, the Boone County Sheriff's Office, Commonwealth's Attorney Lewis Kelly of the 54th Judicial
- Jordan Turner, the Boone County Sheriff's Office, Commonwealth's Attorney Lewis Kelly of the 54th Judicial
- <00:13:09.839>
54th Attorney Lewis Kelly of the 54th Attorney Lewis Kelly of the 54th Judicial - 11.519>
and <00:13:11.680>the <00:13:11.920>many, <00:13:12.560>many Judicial - Circuit, and the many, many Judicial Circuit, and the many, many survivors<00:13:13.600>
who <
Keywords:
Convene 00:00
Senate Message 05:02
Calendar/2nd Readings 05:49
Report of Committees 06:49
Orders of the Day 08:20
HB 4 08:33
Motions, Petitions, and Communications 17:34
Introduction of New Bills and Resolutions 27:40
Recess for ConC/Rules Meeting 29:22
ConC/Rules Report 33:29
Floor Amendments 35:06
Adjournment 35:37, 958, all
Summary:
The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, established a quorum, excused absent members, and suspended rules to allow bill co-sponsorships and vote modifications. The chamber approved the journal and received notice that the Senate had passed Senate Bills 48 and 102 and requested concurrence. The clerk then reported second-reading bills including measures on school bus safety, special license plates, healthcare workforce credentials, housing, veteran PTSD treatment, postsecondary education, the Kentucky Fire Commission, and local purchasing, along with committee reports advancing a wide range of bills on cultured meat, eviction/removal of unlawful occupants, involuntary commitment, grand jury service, CPA licensure, physical therapy, engineering scholarships, rabies vaccinations, the Controlled Substance Prescribing Council, robotics, reading and language arts instruction, and the education assessment/accountability system.
The main floor action was House Bill 4, relating to grooming a minor. The sponsor described the bill as creating criminal penalties for grooming behavior, with enhanced penalties when the offender holds a position of authority. A floor amendment was adopted making technical wording changes and adding siblings and volunteers to the bill’s lawful-purpose exceptions. Members from both parties spoke in support, emphasizing child protection and the need for stronger legal tools, though one member said she wished the age threshold were higher. The House then passed House Bill 4 as amended by a vote of 98-0.
After HB 4, the House moved through announcements and legislative citations. Members recognized the Corbin Middle School football team and the Lion County High School boys basketball team, and honored M. Samantha Shaver, DMD. Committee meeting notices were announced for several panels, including Economic Development, State Government, Natural Resources and Energy, Families and Children, and Health Services. The clerk also reported newly introduced bills and resolutions covering school foods, family care leave, correctional services, protective orders, data privacy, school funding for districts with high tax-exempt property, Medicaid coverage for adult day health and in-home attendant care, alternative diplomas, Kentucky Nurses Day, a sister-city partnership with Israel’s Shamron Regional Council, and DUI. The House then recessed briefly for committee meetings, received committee referral and rules reports, introduced floor amendments to HB 257 and HB 305, and adjourned until 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 5, 2026.
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
- SB 1746, elections voting centers polling places judicial sharing.
- homeowners association's mediums quorum government as 1723 domestic violence or lease conditions judicial
- SV 1745 local exists rates rate limit government SB 1746 elections voting centers polling places judicial
Summary:
The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call, and approval of the prior journal. Members then recognized several guest groups in the gallery, including the Arizona Dental Hygienists Association, deaf and hard-of-hearing advocacy organizations, the Arizona Society of Anesthesiologists, the Doctor of the Day, and Native vote advocates. The chamber also observed a moment of silence for two DPS officers killed earlier that morning.
A long list of bills was introduced and read for first reading, with many measures covering education, elections, health, public safety, tribal affairs, housing, taxation, and government administration. The Senate also received committee referrals and standing committee reports. In Committee of the Whole, SB 1425, relating to elections and July primary cure provisions, was considered, amended, and recommended do pass. The Senate adopted the committee report and then substituted HB 2022 for SB 1425 because the bills were identical.
HB 2022 was then read on third reading and passed with the emergency clause by a vote of 27 ayes, 1 no, and 2 not voting. Supporters said the bill was a bipartisan effort to move the primary earlier, improve ballot return timing, and require observers in every county; one senator cited tribal voting challenges and provisional ballot rejection rates as reasons for supporting the measure, while another voted no over concerns about the emergency clause. The Senate also adopted proclamations recognizing Taekwondo Day in Arizona and American Heart Month 2026, then recessed and later reconvened to introduce additional bills, announce upcoming committee meetings, and adjourn until February 9, 2026.
NM
Transcript Highlights:
- And there's been a lot of reporting, actually, specifically out of the 2nd Judicial District, where they
- So I'm in the 5th Judicial District. And I know there's a lot of testing in the Albuquerque area.
- So all over the state, including your Judicial District your local law enforcement would need to transport
Keywords:
SB132, DOIT, Department of Information Technology, software replacement, equipment replacement, technology funding, revolving fund, capital equipment, enterprise services, state IT budgeting, software budgeting, amortization, depreciation, State Treasurer, Department of Finance and Administration, New Mexico, information technology, IT infrastructure, fund accounting, legislative appropriation
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Appropriations - S/C on Articles I, IV, & V Feb 27th, 2025
Appropriations - S/C on Articles I, IV, & V
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
Fiscal Committee (01/23/2026)
Transcript Highlights:
- This is the Judicial Council with a revised budget. This was the Bucky. Good afternoon.
- This<00:42:55.760>
is <00:42:56.000>the judicial<00:43:00.079>council with<00:43 - The financial reporting was consistent, transparent, and aligned with all U.S. generally accepted accounting
- The financial reporting was consistent, transparent, and aligned with all U.S. generally accepted accounting
Summary:
The Fiscal Committee met on January 23, 2026, approved the December 19, 2025 minutes, and adopted the remaining items on the consent calendar after noting several withdrawals. The committee then took up Department of Safety item FIS 26007, which involved Homeland Security/FEMA grant funding for equipment and UAS-related activities. Senators asked whether any of the funding would support federal civil immigration enforcement or shared operations with federal agencies, and about privacy protections for drone data. The department said the grant is governed by federal parameters, that the state uses the remaining 20 percent after federally directed uses, and that privacy law in this area is evolving. The item was adopted on an 8-2 vote.
The committee next considered Department of Environmental Services item 26003, which had been withdrawn by the Senate. A senator said concerns about using the funds for a different project had been resolved after speaking with the commissioner, and the item was adopted without further debate. The committee then moved to Department of Health and Human Services item 260005, a request for about $700,000 in remaining ARPA-related funds for the Hampstead children’s facility project. Commissioners explained that the project had been funded in stages because the original appropriation was based on estimates and bid assumptions, and that the remaining money would cover alternates and finish the project without using general funds. Senators raised concerns about repeated requests for additional money, the adequacy of security, site-selection costs, and why the project had not been fully funded at the outset. The department said the project had been intentionally structured to proceed in phases and that required security would be provided.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- This amendment. is about transparency.
- Members, this amendment changes the public education Funding Transparency Report Rider in Article 3,
- it requires, along with their normal transparency report that TEA go into detail on the reporting of
- Members, this amendment increases fiscal transparency for the joint admission. medical program which
- Texans deserve to know that the billions they contribute in taxes are used transparently to strengthen
Keywords:
appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, state budget, mental health funding, education funding, infrastructure improvements, public safety, groundwater, water conservation, financial assistance, Texas Water Development Board, innovation fund, local conservation districts, transportation protection agreement, funeral services, insurance exemption
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Children and Family Law (03/04/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- courts I wanted to assure our Judicial courts I wanted to assure our Judicial System<00:09:04.880
- profession but my offer to the judicial profession but my offer to the judicial leaders<00:09:40.040
- Representative Rung: I noticed that the fiscal note was awaiting a fiscal note from Judicial.
- Representative Rung: I noticed that the fiscal note was awaiting a fiscal note from Judicial.
- <02:00:51.000>
did awaiting a fiscal note from judicial did awaiting a fiscal note from judicial
Summary:
The Children and Family Law Committee opened its March 4 meeting with procedural announcements, including a deadline for any Minority Report, notice that the committee would not meet the following Tuesday because of town meeting day, and a preview of its March 18 agenda. The chair said that meeting would include hearings and executive sessions on HB 518, requiring DHHS to provide a detailed annual report of DCF costs, and HB 775, directing DHHS to seek proposals for supervised visitation centers; HB 553 was also slated for executive session. The committee also heard an update on Representative Grossman’s son, who remained in the PICU at Mass General.
The main hearing was on HB 493, which would require child abuse and neglect education for physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants as a condition of licensure. Representative Alicia Gregg presented the bill and an amendment reducing the required training from two hours to one hour, saying the goal was to improve recognition of abuse and prevent both missed cases and false accusations. Cassandra Sanchez, the state Child Advocate, strongly supported the bill, describing a 2020 review of nine cases of non-ambulatory infants with serious injuries and later system mapping that identified gaps in medical recognition; she said the training should be part of existing continuing education hours and that voluntary uptake had been limited. Dr. Michael Matos of Wolfeboro Pediatrics also testified in support.
Ben Bradley of the New Hampshire Hospital Association opposed legislating the requirement, saying hospitals already train staff and that the legislature should not single out one topic for statutory mandate when other reporting obligations are handled differently. In questioning, committee members asked whether the hour would be part of existing continuing education, whether hospitals already provide similar training, and whether the bill should be placed in the continuing medical education statute instead of child protection law. Bradley said hospital members already provide annual training and collaborate with proponents, but did not support putting the requirement in statute. Sanchez said the bill was intended to use one of the hours already required for training, though members noted that the bill text did not clearly say so. The committee also heard broader testimony about the Family Division of Circuit Court, including a proposal to create a subcommittee to study more difficult issues such as pre-trial counseling, evidentiary practices, and domestic violence-related cases, with the Speaker appointing members to that subcommittee.
AL
Transcript Highlights:
- And so helping make sure that those funds are being used judiciously and fiscally responsible, I think
- are<00:18:04.080>
um <00:18:04.400>being <00:18:04.720>used <00:18:05.360>judiciously - <00:18:06.080>
and <00:18:06.240>and are um being used judiciously and and are um being - used judiciously and and fiscally<00:18:07.360>
responsible <00:18:08.160>I <00:18:08.320
MD
Transcript Highlights:
- Uh, recognizing the vice chair of judicial proceedings here. >> Thank you, Mr. President.
- Uh recognizing the vice chair of judicial<00:04:56.320>
proceedings <00:04:56.639>here. - judicial proceedings here. judicial proceedings here.
Summary:
The Senate was called to order on February 2, 2026, with a quorum present. The session opened with an invocation by Rabbi Andrew Bush of Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, who reflected on Tu Bishvat, the 200th anniversary of Maryland’s 1826 legislation granting Jews the right to hold office, and broader lessons about language, imperfect solutions, persistence, and acting for others. His prayer was journalized without objection. The chamber also heard brief remarks recognizing his interfaith work and the significance of Tu Bishvat as an ecological holiday.
The Senate then honored Maryland History Day participants and awardees. Students from several schools were introduced and congratulated as finalists in the 2025 National History Day competition, and the chamber adopted a resolution recognizing them. The Senate also recognized Lindsay Matthews of Eastern Middle School as the 2025 Maryland History Day Middle School Teacher of the Year and Sam Mowski of Loyola Blakefield as the 2025 National History Day High School Teacher of the Year, with resolutions adopted for both. Additional introductions included the doctor of the day, several Senate pages, and a personal recognition of Jasmine Miller, a Baltimore Polytechnic student and the niece of a senator.
On the legislative calendar, the clerk read Senate Bill 444, Senator Kramer’s bill on certificate of need for intermediate healthcare facilities finance, and a bond initiative for Charles Mount Elementary School sponsored by Senator Sing. These items were ordered to the appropriate committees/subcommittee. No committee reports or substantive floor votes were taken beyond the ceremonial resolutions. The Senate also announced upcoming caucus meetings, reminded members to pay protocol dues, confirmed a quorum of 40 members, and adjourned until Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
State Committee Meeting - 2025-04-03
State Government Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- situation, the non-prevailing party could appeal that order in district court, so there is an option for judicial
- Because in the DE2 amendment, the Compensation Council would make recommendations regarding judicial
- Under this bill, any legal distinctions based on sex must satisfy the highest level of judicial scrutiny
- This level of judicial review will make it impossible to uphold many common-sense distinctions in the
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
Criminal Justice Oct 7th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Investigators must go through judicial process while part which protects privacy, but they can delay
- They must go through the judicial process which protects privacy, but it can slow down urgent investigations
- Privacy protections are deliver it judicial oversight preserves Missus, Bennett preserves admissibility
TX
Texas 89th Regular
89th Legislative Session - Second Called Session Aug 20th, 2025
Texas House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- You want transparency? See, here's the U.S. Supreme Court legal transparency.
- Supreme Court said that is not the judicial purpose, and political performance is a criterion.
- We need you to be transparent. ...We need you as a working partner, not as an adversary.
- That's not transparent. So, what I'm curious about is...
- Republicans want transparency. They want— Accountability, and they want justice.
Keywords:
district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, 997, house, all
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- can tell you that in my office we have been working on a lot of things that we think will bring transparency
- can tell you that in my office we have been working on a lot of things that we think will bring transparency
- uh and confidence to the transparency uh and confidence to the process<00:22:53.840>
and <00:22 - that 1569 is the subject matter of those, so I'm sure we'll see guidance at some point from the judicial
- ><02:01:53.000>
point <02:01:53.599>from <02:01:53.880>the <02:01:54.239>judicial
PA
Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Session (Jun 25 2026)
Pennsylvania Senate Floor Meeting
NE
Nebraska 2025-2026 Regular Session
Legislative Morning Session Apr 9th, 2026
Nebraska Unicameral Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- We have transparency, we have hearings, we have budget hearings, we encourage their input and feedback
- But the point is we have to be more judicious about just throwing out these suggestions.
Bills:
LB737, LB753, LB788, LB913, LB1055, LB1195, LB1216, LB1256, LB429, LB721, LB722, LB727, LB743, LB745, LB749, LB778, LB787, LB365A, LB823, LB900, LB903, LB940, LB954, LB1127, LB1127A, LB1205, LB1240, LR293, LR296, LR422, LR505, LR507
Keywords:
LB737, Olmstead, developmental disabilities, disability services, community-based services, integrated settings, DHHS, Department of Health and Human Services, stakeholder advisory committee, independent consultant, public hearing, legislative oversight, disability rights, community integration, housing, employment, education, transportation, community supports, self-advocacy
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections Dec 5th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- We are also trying to be as transparent as possible, and we have a dashboard on our public-facing website
- We are also working with the judicial branch, and we appreciate Chief Justice Stevens for saying, 'What
Summary:
The committee heard a work session on voting access on tribal lands, beginning with a presentation from Dr. Chelsea Jones of the Brennan Center. She described barriers affecting Native voters and voters on tribal lands, including long travel distances to polling places and drop boxes, nontraditional addresses, unreliable postal service, language access, and limited broadband. Citing research, she said turnout on tribal lands trails turnout off tribal lands by about 10 percentage points nationally and about 10% in Washington, with larger gaps in some convenience voting measures. Members asked about the meaning of “lost votes,” the role of tribal leadership and community trust, and whether outreach by election officials and candidates could help; Dr. Jones emphasized that the study measured missed voting opportunities, not missing ballots, and that partnerships with trusted community leaders are important.
The University of Washington Elections Database then presented data on voter registration, turnout, signature challenges, curing, and ballot rejection for voters whose addresses fall within tribal reservation boundaries. The presenters said registration on reservations increased from about 107,000 in 2010 to 137,000 in 2024, turnout on reservations remained about 8 to 9 percentage points lower than outside reservations in recent general elections, and signature-challenge and rejection rates were generally low but somewhat higher in off-year elections. They reported that about 60% to two-thirds of signature-challenged ballots are cured, with cure rates similar inside and outside reservations, and that late return is the most common reason for primary ballot rejection while signature mismatch is the leading cause in general elections. A question was raised about USPS postmarking issues and how those might affect future data; the presenters said they plan to track return method and cure timing more closely.
The committee also received an overview of the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs. Staff reviewed the office’s history, the Centennial Accord, the Millennium Agreement, and related state-tribal frameworks, and GOIA Director Tim Rainan described the office’s role as a bridge between the state and tribal governments, including consultation, policy coordination, training, and convening work groups. He said GOIA now has six positions, is part of the governor’s executive cabinet, and is working on a statewide tribal relations training module and consultation handbook. In response to a question, he said tribal voting is not a major topic at the Centennial Accord but is discussed more extensively through ATNI. The committee then shifted to contracting equity, hearing from WSDOT, DES, OMWBE, and the Office of Equity. WSDOT described its race-neutral small business and veteran goals, mentorship and support programs, and its response to the federal suspension of the DBE program; DES discussed statewide contracting spend, the EDGE pilot for small construction firms, and efforts to improve procurement access; OMWBE reported growth in certified firms and about $371 million in state spend with certified firms in the most recent year, while noting ongoing impacts from federal DBE changes; and the Office of Equity outlined its broader work on agency consultation, dashboards, and systems change. No votes were taken.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Legislative Health and Human Services Jun 26th, 2025
Legislative Health & Human Services Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- So, they also voted on those regions which will be done via judicial district, and so Los Alamos County
- Thank you for your partnership and transparency as it has related to this program evaluation.
ND
North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Floor Session Apr 9th, 2025 at 12:30 pm
North Dakota Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Our judicial system is spending a tremendous amount of their effort and time on these kinds of things
- tribes and the North Dakota Historical Society, ensuring that repatriation efforts are led with transparency
Summary:
The Senate opened with prayer, the pledge, and a quorum call, then took up House amendments to Senate Bills 2009, 2147, and 2113. On motion, the Senate refused to concur in the House amendments and appointed conference committees for each bill. The chamber then considered several House bills, adopting amendments and passing House Bill 1556, which creates a Children's Cabinet work group to study out-of-home placement and treatment for children with behavioral health issues, and House Bill 1363, which directs development of a customizable cardiac emergency response plan template for schools and athletic events. House Bill 1533, requiring students to complete a half-unit of financial literacy for graduation, also passed after amendment. House Bill 1226, dealing with masks in public places and protest-related identification concerns, passed after the Judiciary Committee removed language about complying with law enforcement requests to unmask.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Also, on the other hand, to make sure, provide the transparency, uh, to the taxpayers and to the public
- courthouse, the staff, I mean our statutory duty The biggest duty we have in counties is the jail and the judicial
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
March 4, 2025 - 01:30 PM
Transcript Highlights:
- I believe there are surveys as part of the reappointment process, and our JCCs go before the Judicial
- Update what people are, like to be transparent about what people are being paid, because we know that
Summary:
The subcommittee first heard a lengthy Auditor General presentation on the Department of Management Services’ fleet management operations. The audit found major problems with oversight, recordkeeping, policies, fee-setting, purchase and disposal approvals, public auction controls, and FleetWave system access and processing. Key findings included that 2,279 vehicles valued at more than $57 million could not be matched between FleetWave and FLAIR, disposal records were missing or incomplete, user access remained active long after employees separated, and the department had not documented a reasonable basis for its $1.75 per-vehicle monthly fee. Members expressed strong concern about the accuracy of the state’s fleet inventory and the risk of waste or misuse. DMS Secretary Allende said the department concurred with the findings, was working with the Auditor General, and planned corrective actions, including better training, clearer guidance, improved reconciliation, and possible centralization or pilot programs for fleet purchasing and management.
The committee then returned to vacancy discussions with several agencies. The Division of Administrative Hearings said its two long-vacant judges of compensation claims positions had been hard to fill because of low pay and short reappointment terms, but the chief judge said the division could operate without them and offered those positions up as part of a reduction exercise. The Public Service Commission reported 42 vacancies but said statutory deadlines were still being met, though staff workloads and depth of analysis were affected. The commission also said vacancies help it manage salaries within its trust-fund budget. Members questioned whether some of those positions were truly needed given the lack of delays.
The Florida Gaming Control Commission reported 29 vacancies, including a vacant chair that prevented appointment of an inspector general, and said the chair vacancy was a gubernatorial appointment issue. The acting executive director also said the commission’s compulsive gambling prevention program had lapsed after no responsive bids were received for a new contract, but an invitation to negotiate was nearly complete and a new provider was expected soon. The Public Employee Relations Commission reported that its caseload had more than doubled after Senate Bill 256, which increased union recertification work; it said it was meeting deadlines only with overtime and that the workload had not fallen despite decertifications. Members asked for follow-up data on union cases, vacancy needs, and whether some positions across agencies could be reallocated to better match workload.