Video & Transcript : 'Democrat' :
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US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
Hearings to examine the Arctic and Greenland's geostrategic importance to U.S. interests. Feb 12th, 2025 at 09:00 am
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- It strikes me that to my colleagues on the Democrat side and.
- The problem is, as the panelists know, when Democrats get in power. Biden was the latest example.
Keywords:
Greenland, acquisition, national security, Arctic, geopolitical, China, Russia, icebreakers, trade routes
Summary:
The meeting convened by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation focused on the potential acquisition of Greenland by the United States. This issue, first raised by President Trump in 2019, has gained renewed significance amidst shifting global dynamics and the strategic importance of Greenland in relation to transatlantic trade routes and national security. The members discussed the geopolitical implications of Greenland's position, especially given the increasing influence of China and Russia in the Arctic region. Notably, the urgency to address military presence and icebreaker capabilities in the Arctic was a major point of contention, with a call for a new fleet to counter foreign dominance in the area.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Public Works and Highways (02/11/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- a brief 5-minute recess so that the Republicans can caucus in the back office, and I believe the Democrats
- a brief 5-minute recess so that the Republicans can caucus in the back office, and I believe the Democrats
Summary:
The committee met in executive session on several House bills and first took up HB 181, which would have made the state responsible for maintaining Opticon systems for fire and emergency on state roads. Members noted that a system already exists and that towns are generally responsible for maintenance once they choose a system, so the committee voted ITL/OTL-style recommendation by a unanimous 18-0 roll call and discussed placing it on the consent calendar.
The committee then considered HB 7113, concerning mile markers along Route 112/Kancamagus Highway. Supporters argued the markers would improve safety and help locate stranded motorists in a rural area with poor cell service, while another member noted the bill’s language should be clarified to refer specifically to the Kancamagus and to DOT’s usual 0.2-mile spacing. The committee voted 18-0 to recommend OTP with a fiscal note, and because it was a money bill it would not go on the consent calendar. HB 300, directing DOT to seek proposals on the Conway Branch rail line and creating a rail study committee, was recommended ITL after members said the issue had already been studied and the corridor had already been designated for rail trail; that vote was unanimous and the bill was placed on the consent calendar.
HB 375, allowing municipalities to designate sections of state and local highways for all-terrain vehicles, was also recommended ITL. Members said there is already a process for towns to authorize such use and expressed concern about a blanket approach and possible local conflicts; the motion passed unanimously and was sent to the consent calendar. HB 578, relating to a sound barrier along the F.E. Everett Turnpike, drew more discussion: some members said the project should go through the 10-year plan and environmental review process, while others cited local impacts and the need for some barrier or privacy protection. The committee ultimately voted 16-2 to recommend ITL, and it was not placed on the consent calendar.
Finally, the committee took up HB 561, concerning transfer of state-owned real property to municipalities. Members voted to retain the bill, with supporters saying they wanted more information, including a site visit to Merrimack’s Continental Boulevard and further discussion of how state roads are handled in other towns. The retain motion passed unanimously 18-0, and members noted that retained bills do not go on a calendar. The chair then announced the committee’s next full meeting would be on February 24 at 10:30 a.m., with a briefing on the capital budget process and a meeting with the Secretary of the Treasury.
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Senate Standing Committee on Banking & Insurance (2-11-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- The Democrats must not have got the memo; is having a meeting this morning. Nobody got that joke.
- The Democrats must not have got the memo; is having a meeting this morning. Nobody got that joke.
Keywords:
Meeting Start: 00:00
Roll Call: 00:06
SB24 Discussion: 01:08
SB24 Vote: 13:22
SB18 Discussion: 14:40
SB18 Vote: 21:54, 958, all
Summary:
The committee met with a quorum and first took up Senate Bill 24, a measure aimed at combating property and casualty insurance fraud. Senator Girdler and witnesses from the Insurance Institute of Kentucky and the National Insurance Crime Bureau said the bill would expand the definition of a fraudulent insurance act to cover statements that misrepresent the scope of property damage or repair costs, with the goal of addressing inflated storm-damage claims and out-of-state bad actors. Members discussed whether existing prosecutors were already handling these cases, the role of Commonwealth’s attorneys versus the Attorney General, and the need to keep the bill narrowly tailored to criminal intent rather than negligence or ordinary disputes over value. The committee substitute was adopted, the bill received favorable expression, and a title amendment was also adopted.
The committee then heard Senate Bill 18, which would address a shortage of insurance options for automobile dealers by allowing nonadmitted carriers to provide garage liability coverage in Kentucky. Testimony from an insurance agent and a legislative agent for Big I Kentucky described a shrinking market in which some small dealers cannot find coverage at all, risking closure. Members asked about the meaning of garage liability, consumer protections, solvency concerns, and whether more competition could lower prices; witnesses said surplus lines carriers already operate in Kentucky, agents play an important vetting role, and errors-and-omissions coverage would apply to the agent. The bill was supported as a way to preserve dealer businesses and expand coverage options, and it passed the committee with favorable expression after roll call.
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
February 4, 2025 - 09:00 AM
Transcript Highlights:
- Ranking Democratic Member Cross, here. Abbott, here. Booth, here. Casello, here. Cassell, here.
- We're going to turn over to our Democratic ranking member, Rep. Cross. You are recognized.
Summary:
The committee received an overview from Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson on the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, including staffing, licensing, forestry, law enforcement, and consumer services. He emphasized agriculture as a major economic driver and a national security issue, arguing that Florida should protect farmland, aquifer recharge areas, and the wildlife corridor through the Rural and Family Lands program. He said the program is cost-effective because the state buys development rights rather than land outright, keeps land on local tax rolls, and helps preserve farmland in perpetuity. He also highlighted the Fresh From Florida marketing program, increased social media reach, and the department’s efforts to reduce vacancies and improve pay and efficiency.
Members asked about nutrient management, citrus disease, housing, disaster recovery, wildfire prevention, interdiction stations, and concealed carry permitting. Simpson said SB 1000 and updated best management practice manuals, informed by University of Florida research, are helping agriculture use less water and fertilizer, and he described citrus greening as having devastated the industry while noting research, replanting programs, and CUPS as possible paths to recovery. On housing, he argued that allowing H-2A farmworker housing on farms would ease pressure on the broader housing market, and on disasters he described a zero-interest loan program for farmers affected by hurricanes and other events. He also detailed wildfire preparedness improvements, including upgraded helicopters, dozers, drones, and prescribed burns.
The commissioner said ag interdiction stations are catching stolen semis, drugs, human trafficking, and other illegal activity, and that the department wants more technology, including X-ray scanning, to inspect more trucks. He also discussed concealed carry administration, saying the department cleared a large backlog and that constitutional carry reduced but did not eliminate permit demand because permits still provide reciprocity and other benefits. Members generally praised the department’s work, expressed support for rural land protection, Fresh From Florida, water-quality improvements, and foreign-interference concerns, and the meeting ended with no formal votes or other committee action beyond adjournment.
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
January 15, 2025 - 01:00 PM
Transcript Highlights:
- Democratic Banking member, Antone. Representatives Benaroach? Here. Usada. Eskimani? Here. Gentry.
- Chair, Vice Chair, and a Democratic Ranking Member.
Summary:
The Industries and Professional Activities Subcommittee met to hear a panel on the prosecution and enforcement of illegal gaming in Florida. The chair opened with a video showing seized machines at a Florida Gaming Control Commission warehouse and described the scale of illegal operations. Panelists included the commission’s executive director, local sheriffs and police officials, and state attorneys from several counties, who described widespread illegal slot-machine locations, often in strip malls or convenience-store-type settings, and said the machines are typically used in organized criminal activity rather than legitimate amusement gaming.
Witnesses repeatedly said the current penalty structure is ineffective because possession and operation of illegal slot machines are generally second-degree misdemeanors, which they described as too minor to deter operators who can quickly reopen after paying fines or completing diversion. They said enforcement is resource-intensive, requiring undercover work, search warrants, machine seizure, storage, forensic review, and long prosecutions, often while the same operators reopen elsewhere. Several panelists cited associated crimes such as robberies, firearms offenses, prostitution, drug activity, human trafficking, and at least some homicides tied to illegal gaming locations. Members also asked about the difference between legal amusement devices and illegal slot machines, online gambling, illegal horse racing, local licensing and ordinances, and whether manufacturers or distributors could be pursued.
The commission and prosecutors said legal slot machines are limited to specific regulated locations and that lawful amusement machines lack a material element of chance. They said many illegal machines are imported or reworked versions of gaming devices and that upstream accountability is difficult under current law. Panelists also discussed cooperation with licensed casinos, tribal gaming entities, and local governments, noting that some local ordinances have tried to permit or limit these businesses. The main policy takeaway from the panel was a call to increase penalties, likely to felony-level offenses, and to consider stronger forfeiture and enforcement tools. No vote or formal action was taken at the meeting, and the chair adjourned after thanking the panelists.
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
House Commerce and Consumer Affairs (04/08/2026)
Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- and in the best interest democratically and in the best interest of<04:11:13.920><c> members.
- many examples, but one example that comes to my mind is we want everybody to participate in this democratic
- </c><04:24:43.439><c> So</c><04:24:44.239><c> if</c> this uh democratic organization.
- So if this uh democratic organization.
- :25:25.279><c> the</c><04:25:25.439><c> the</c> The plan is put forward, but ultimately it is a democratic
Committee:
House Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Summary:
The subcommittee focused primarily on a bill concerning long-term care insurance rate increases and consumer notice. Members and staff discussed replacing or supplementing a proposed public hearing requirement with annual reporting, website updates, and consumer-facing disclosures about approved rate increases, carriers writing the products, and how the products work. Several participants emphasized that long-term care policies are long-term products, that rate increases can be spread over many years for actuarial reasons, and that consumers need better information about trends and the impact of increases.
A major point of disagreement was whether the bill should try to cap premium increases. One member argued the real problem is unexpected increases of 15% to 20% and urged a statutory cap to protect consumers. Insurance department representatives and others responded that hard caps had been struck down in prior case law, that the department’s core responsibility is solvency, and that carriers need sufficient premium to pay future claims. They also said the market is struggling because many carriers stopped selling the product, leaving in-force policies to bear the cost, and that overly restrictive caps could cause insurers to withdraw from the state.
The discussion then shifted toward a compromise requiring carriers to notify policyholders before a rate increase is approved and allowing a 60-day comment period. Participants debated whether the notice should come from the carrier, how confidentiality rules would apply before approval, and what the department should do with public comments. The department said it already reviews filings carefully and that submitted rates are often adjusted before approval; lawmakers noted that prior commissioners had pushed back on increases in some cases, including a seven-year moratorium. No final vote was taken in the excerpt, and the chair repeatedly tried to move the subcommittee along to other bills.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Floor Session 5/11/26 - Part 3
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- majority Thursday, where we had the vast majority of<00:47:06.560><c> House</c><00:47:06.880><c> Democrats
- ><c> voted</c><00:47:08.720><c> to</c><00:47:09.040><c> be</c><00:47:09.359><c> out</c> of House Democrats
- who voted to be out of House Democrats who voted to be out of<00:47:09.839><c> compliance</c><00:47:
- Schultz: I find it hilarious, actually, that we are here on this House floor listening to House Democrats
- <01:20:34.880><c> saying</c><01:20:35.280><c> whistleblowers,</c> Democrats saying whistleblowers, Democrats
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
Senate Energy and Natural Resources (03/24/2026)
Energy and Natural Resources
Transcript Highlights:
- that is we had two different bills on this subject introduced last year, one by a member of the Democratic
- ><00:45:15.680><c> member</c><00:45:16.000><c> of</c><00:45:16.080><c> the</c><00:45:16.200><c> Democratic
- </c><00:45:16.760><c> Caucus</c> One by a member of the Democratic Caucus One by a member of the Democratic
- ><01:02:39.320><c> the</c> of universal agreement between the of universal agreement between the Democrats
- and the Republicans on the Democrats and the Republicans on the committee.<01:02:41.880><c> And,</c>
Committee:
Senate Energy and Natural Resources
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
FL House Floor Session - 2026-03-04 (10:00AM Session)
Florida House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Giving credit where it is due, our past Democratic school superintendent canceled a contract the school
- Giving credit where it is due, our past Democratic school superintendent canceled a contract the school
- Giving credit where it is due, our past Democratic school superintendent canceled a contract the school
- system had with the our past Democratic school superintendent canceled a contract the school system
- And listen, the people on the Miami Beach Commission are, they're not all Democrats.
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
House Criminal Justice and Public Safety (01/23/2026)
Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Transcript Highlights:
- I'm not going to employ you because you're a Republican or you're a Democrat." I get that.
- </c><04:20:25.120><c> I</c><04:20:25.359><c> get</c> Republican or you're a Democrat."
- I get Republican or you're a Democrat."
- think we need to have better language that draws the line between the white supremacist and the Democrat
- And I don't Democrat or the Republican.
Committee:
House Criminal Justice and Public Safety
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Local Government Committee May 18th, 2026
Local Government
Transcript Highlights:
- They're Democrats, they're Republicans, they're people in the middle.
Committee:
Senate Local Government
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Higher Education Committee Apr 28th, 2026
Higher Education
Transcript Highlights:
- At a time when our federal government is actively targeting our democratic structures, we cannot afford
Committee:
House Higher Education
VT
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- to make these decisions, whatever party it is...” “...whether it’s the Republican Party or the Democratic
Committee:
House Local Government
NY
New York 2025-2026 Regular Session
2026 Joint Budget Subcommittee on Education - 03/18/2026
Transcript Highlights:
- It's not only Democrats, Republicans, minority, majority, who know this is an important part of what
Summary:
The Education Budget Conference Joint Committee met on March 18 to begin negotiations on the state education budget. Co-chairs Senator Shelley Mayer and Assembly Member Benedetto outlined their chambers’ priorities, with the Senate emphasizing Foundation Aid changes to better support students experiencing homelessness or foster care, English language learners, a minimum 2% increase for all districts, expanded universal pre-K, and continued support for special education programs and nonpublic schools. The Assembly highlighted its one-house proposal, including a $1.4 billion increase in Foundation Aid, a higher ELL and pupil needs weighting, a new weight for students in foster care or housing instability, removal of the pupil needs cap, $600 million for New York City class size reduction, additional community schools funding, and restorations or increases for libraries, teacher resource centers, 4201 schools, My Brother’s Keeper, and educational television and radio.
Members from both chambers offered opening remarks stressing education as a top budget priority and expressing confidence that a compromise could be reached. Senator Tedisco focused on school safety and bullying, arguing that parents should be notified when their children are bullied and citing the need to protect students’ ability to learn. Assembly Member Vanel emphasized education as a tool for economic mobility and called for stronger financial literacy instruction. Assembly Member Carroll supported funding for libraries and evidence-based reading programs, while Assembly Member Smith said the Foundation Aid formula remains outdated and urged more support for English language learners, special education, and community schools. Assembly Member Chludzinski stressed local control, criticized the electric school bus mandate, and called for greater support for libraries and fiscal restraint.
No votes were taken. The meeting was an opening conference session, with both sides stating their intent to continue negotiations and work toward an on-time budget that reflects shared priorities for students, schools, and libraries across New York State.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism Committee Mar 17th, 2026
Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism
Transcript Highlights:
- About 65% of this group is Democrats, and over 75% are lesbian or bisexual.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Floor Session Mar 9th, 2026 at 09:30 am
Washington Senate Floor Meeting
WA
Transcript Highlights:
- It seems like Republicans have transitioned a lot better than Democrats.
Bills:
HB2347
Committee:
House Transportation
Keywords:
luxury aircraft tax, tax reduction, economic impact, business aviation, state revenue, 904, all
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Transportation Mar 9th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- It seems like Republicans have transitioned a lot better than Democrats.
Summary:
The committee briefly reviewed four transportation-related bills before taking executive action. House Bill 2347 would repeal the 10% sales and use tax on luxury aircraft; members discussed the bill’s economic importance and its role in supporting business, wildfire suppression, agriculture, and health care, and it passed unanimously with a due pass recommendation. Substitute Senate Bill 6170 would raise monetary limits for state highway repair, emergency work, and WSDOT contracting, including higher thresholds for self-performance and small-business participation; it also passed unanimously.
Substitute Senate Bill 6225, which authorizes transportation bonds, drew the most discussion. As amended by striking amendment H-3808.1, the bill reduced general highway bond authorization from $1.1 billion to $800 million while retaining $500 million for SR 520 corridor projects and other transportation funding changes. Members described the amendment as a compromise to constrain future spending, and the bill passed 16-10 with several members voting no or no recommendation.
Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6354 would advance transportation electrification by allowing certain new manufacturers to sell directly under dealer licensing rules and by increasing the dealer documentary service fee, with part of the revenue supporting EV rebates for vulnerable populations. An amendment reduced the fee increase from $50 to $25, lowering the total fee to $225 through 2036 before reverting to $200. After debate about dealer impacts and direct sales policy, the amended bill passed 21-4. The chair then thanked staff and members and adjourned, noting it was likely the committee’s last meeting of the session.
CA