Video & Transcript Research : 'constitutional amendment'

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AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

02/11/2026 - House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections

Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • The bill also directs the legislature and governor to ratify any approved constitutional amendment.
  • And so I propose that to be the method of ratification for any constitutional amendment.
  • And that is in the hope that they won't do that; they will not vote for a constitutional amendment other
  • If the convention adjourns immediately upon voting to approve a new constitution or a package of amendments
  • the amendment Let me ask that: can we amend the amendment?
Summary: The committee first heard HB 2908, which would impose criminal penalties on faithless Arizona Article V convention delegates, require delegates to take an oath, and direct the legislature and governor to ratify any approved amendment through the normal legislative process. The sponsor argued the bill adds guardrails to any future convention, while Common Cause Arizona opposed it as ineffective and insufficient to prevent a runaway convention. After debate about whether the bill could meaningfully constrain delegates, the committee voted 5-2 to return HB 2908 with a do pass recommendation. The committee then considered HB 2608, a veterans housing measure creating a military transitional housing grant program at the Arizona Department of Housing with a $7 million General Fund appropriation in FY 2027 and changes to the military transitional housing fund. Testimony focused on revisions to the bill, including limiting use of funds to new construction and requiring veteran-led or veteran-managed organizations. Several members said the bill was too similar to prior versions and had not gone through the Veterans Caucus process. On a motion to table, the committee voted to lay HB 2608 on the table. After a recess, the committee took up HB 2805, as amended, which creates a secure online portal for nomination petition signatures for local governing board candidates and related election administration changes. The sponsor said the bill was intended to give school board candidates and other local candidates equal access to the state’s electronic signature system, while members debated whether requiring candidates to declare party affiliation would undermine nonpartisan races. The Gillette amendment was adopted, and the committee then voted 5-2 to return HB 2805 as amended with a do pass recommendation. Finally, the committee heard HB 2775, which would bar the state and its subdivisions from using state assets or money to implement or enforce rules, taxes, or policies of international organizations, and would add restrictions on Arizona public universities’ dealings with certain foreign entities. Members discussed a proposed amendment to create oversight of foreign funding at Arizona State University and the Board of Regents, but raised concerns about rulemaking authority and constitutional issues. The committee ultimately voted to hold HB 2775 for further work, and then adjourned.
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

02/04/2026 - Senate Government

Government

Transcript Highlights:
  • All right, strike-everything amendment is adopted. Let's go and move it as amended.
  • While researching whether this amendment is beneficial, I came across the Constitution of the state of
  • All right, members, this is for the amendment only. You've heard the amendment.
  • Amendment is adopted. Let's move it as amended.
  • and move it as amended I move SB 1439 everything amendment is adopted let's go ahead and move it as amended
Summary: The committee first heard SB 1036, which would tighten unemployment insurance eligibility by requiring five weekly work-search actions, weekly reporting to DES, cross-checks against outside data sets before payment, and employer reporting when former employees refuse work or return-to-work offers. The sponsor and supporters said the bill is aimed at reducing fraud and overpayments and encouraging faster reemployment, while DES said it was neutral but warned of implementation costs, added workload, and possible impacts on apprenticeship programs and appeals. After a technical amendment was adopted, the bill received a do-pass as amended recommendation on a 4-3 vote. The committee then considered SB 1054, a strike-everything amendment dealing with city and town emergency measures. The bill would make local emergency ordinances and resolutions subject to referendum, with a 30-day filing window and a ballot vote determining whether the measure remains in effect. Mayors and council members from Payson testified in support, describing repeated use of emergency clauses to pass tax and bond measures and arguing the practice undermines the constitutional referendum right; the League of Arizona Cities and Towns opposed the bill, saying it would defeat the purpose of emergency powers and slow city responses to true crises. The committee adopted the amendment and gave the bill a do-pass as amended recommendation on a 4-2 vote. Next, SCR 1022 was heard, proposing to increase the House from 60 to 90 members, with three House districts nested within each Senate district, subject to voter approval and delayed applicability. The sponsor argued the change would improve representation by reducing the number of constituents per legislator and make Arizona more in line with other states; some members raised concerns about cost, logistics, and the need for more study, while one public witness strongly supported the measure. After adopting an amendment delaying implementation from 2033 to 2043, the resolution received a do-pass as amended recommendation on a 5-2 vote. The committee also approved SB 1271, which would bar municipalities from penalizing businesses based on the number of emergency-service calls or the value of stolen or damaged property, with exceptions for malicious, knowingly false, or frivolous calls. Supporters said the bill protects businesses from being discouraged from calling 911, and the Goldwater Institute said it would preserve access to emergency services while still allowing action on false alarms; the bill passed 6-1. SB 1437, requiring public records to be provided in the least expensive manner possible and electronically when requested, also passed unanimously after testimony from Goldwater about high fees and delays for electronic records. Finally, the committee began hearing SB 1439, a strike-everything amendment creating a Conservative Grassroots Network special license plate and fund, but the transcript cuts off before testimony or action on that item.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • Warrants, document delivery, juvenile boards, constitutional amendment, election challenges, record retention
  • The following amendment, the clerk will read the amendment. Amendment by Manuel.
  • The following amendment, the clerk will read the amendment. Amendment by Moody.
  • The following amendment: the clerk will read the amendment. Amendment by Leach.
  • There is an amendment. Clerk, following amendment. Clerk, read the amendment.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • HR number five by Leah Wilson amends the permanent rules of the House of Representatives relating to
  • HR number 17 by Money amends the permanent rules of the House of Representatives relating to quorum and
  • HR number 18 by Mick Laughlin amends the permanent rules of the House of Representatives relating to
  • HR number 58 by Leah Wilson amends the permanent rules.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Pensions, Investments & Financial Services Apr 14th, 2025

Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • This constitutional amendment recognizes the importance of freedom by codifying the ability to use any
  • This joint resolution, if passed, will alter our state's constitution.
  • Constitutions. This concludes my comments pending any questions.
  • Constitution and Bill of Rights is we have a thing called the Ninth Amendment.
  • This amendment would allow a city to decrease, maintain, or increase their COLA benefit.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Pensions, Investments & Financial Services Apr 14th, 2025

Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • Lastly, we heard comparisons between this bill and the Durbin amendment. Swipe cap or fee caps.
  • When the Durbin Amendment was enacted, how did banks react to that?
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • Specifically, I urge the committee to consider amending Senate Bill 1377 to include provisions that would
  • SJR 4 proposes a constitutional amendment to raise the ESF cap from 10 to 15 percent, a 50 percent increase
AL

Alabama 2026 1st Special Session

Alabama Senate Education Policy Committee Feb 25th, 2026

Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • >> Yes, a constitutional amendment. >> Okay.
  • so a constitutional amendment and uh so a constitutional amendment and uh so it's<00:17:57.840><
  • talking about a constitutional talking about a constitutional amendment. amendment. amendment.
  • As a constitution amendment, >> No.
  • statute rather than a constitutional a statute rather than a constitutional amendment?
Bills: HB329, SB5, HB329, SB5, HB43, HB75, HB396
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

02/11/2026 - House Judiciary

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • The bill is viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution.
  • I do not think that's constitutional.
  • I'm willing to look at amendments. I'm willing to look at amendments. They may or may not work.
  • Baker back there about getting together to fix an amendment.
  • that amendment, I vote aye today.
Summary: The committee heard several bills dealing with criminal penalties, probation, record sealing, fraud jurisdiction, reproductive coercion, and family court evidence. HB 2047 would elevate trespass after service of a writ of restitution from third-degree to first-degree criminal trespass; supporters, including the Arizona Constables Association, said the current misdemeanor classification leads law enforcement to deprioritize unsafe eviction-related situations. The bill passed with a do pass recommendation on a 6-2 vote. HB 2136 would create offenses for civil terrorism and subversion, expand racketeering predicates, and increase penalties for certain coordinated disorderly conduct and highway obstruction; supporters said it targets organized intimidation and violent disruption, while opponents from the ACLU and immigrant-rights groups argued it is vague, viewpoint-discriminatory, and would chill protest. After extensive debate over January 6th, ICE protests, and Arizona protest examples, it also received a do pass recommendation, 6-3. HB 2970 would clarify that Arizona can prosecute fraudulent schemes and artifice even if every act occurred outside a single county or subdivision, so long as there is an Arizona nexus. The sponsor said local law enforcement and the FBI often decline smaller mortgage-fraud cases because the bank is out of state; opponents said existing law already provides jurisdiction and warned of forum shopping. The bill passed 6-3. HB 2411 would make secretly administering abortion-inducing drugs to a pregnant woman without her knowledge or consent a class 2 felony; supporters framed it as a protection against coercion and abuse, while opponents said existing assault laws already cover the conduct and warned about unintended effects on access to miscarriage care. It also passed 6-3. HB 2198 would allow people convicted of petty offenses to petition to seal their records immediately after completing their sentence. Supporters described it as a cleanup measure to extend sealing relief to minor offenses like truancy or low-level misdemeanors, and the bill passed unanimously. HB 2966 would prohibit early termination of probation for people convicted of dangerous crimes against children; the sponsor argued that child victims should not have to repeatedly return to court, while opponents raised ex post facto concerns, juvenile-offender issues, and resource burdens. After testimony from victims, defense advocates, and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, it passed 5-4. Finally, HB 2662 would tighten expert-evidence standards in parenting-time cases involving alleged domestic violence or abuse by requiring qualified experts, empirically supported methods, and excluding polygraph-type evidence; the sponsor and a domestic violence advocate said it would reduce reliance on junk science in family court.
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

03/16/2026 - Senate Federalism and Family Law

Federalism and Family Law

Transcript Highlights:
  • So we get an amendment back from a constitutional convention. We don't know what it looks like.
  • Constitution would be dead.
  • If you would, now we're voting on the bill as amended. Please call the roll. No, as amended.
  • And the United States has, we have our Constitution in a way. And our Constitution...
  • This has First Amendment implications, major First Amendment implications, because organizations and
Summary: The committee approved the March 9, 2026 minutes and then heard House Bill 2908, which would require any approved U.S. constitutional amendment to be ratified by bill and gubernatorial action, create oath and reporting requirements for convention delegates, and impose penalties for “faithless” delegates. The sponsor and supporters argued the bill was a needed safeguard against a runaway Article 5 convention, while opponents said the proposed guardrails would be ineffective and could create a false sense of security. An amendment changing recall to disqualification was adopted, and HB 2908 as amended passed 4-3. The committee then considered HCR 2047, a memorial supporting the use of “Judea and Samaria” instead of “West Bank” in official state communications. Supporters framed it as a matter of historical and biblical accuracy and solidarity with Israel, while opponents argued it injected the legislature into an international conflict and raised First Amendment and civil-rights concerns. The memorial passed 4-3. The committee also passed HCM 2006, urging Congress to reform the Endangered Species Act and Migratory Bird Conservation Act in response to Mexican gray wolf impacts on ranchers, and HB 4042, which clarified the evidence needed to terminate a parent-child relationship by requiring a potential father to both file and serve a paternity action within 30 days. Later, HCM 2005 passed 4-3 after debate over restricting foreign ownership of real property by communist or authoritarian governments. The committee then took up HCM 2001 and HCM 2002, both focused on Muslim organizations: HCM 2001 urged the President and Congress to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization, and HCM 2002 urged a review of CAIR for possible terrorist designation. Witnesses and members opposing both measures argued that state lawmakers lacked authority or evidence for such designations and that the memorials would stigmatize Muslim communities and chill civic participation; supporters described them as appropriate statements of concern. Both memorials passed 4-3, and the committee adjourned after completing its calendar.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • The act takes effect on January 1st of 2026. but only if a constitutional amendment is created to provide
  • In Article 8, Section 1a of the Texas Constitution, it states regarding property taxes that taxation
  • , as long as those amendments still preserve those core principles that I just laid out.
  • For the bill with a couple of amendments on behalf of ZG Companies.
  • We're asking for a couple of minor amendments. Sounds like you got lots of help here on your bill.
AL

Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama Senate Education Policy Committee Apr 16th, 2025

Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • ensuring that districts can implement policies that best suit their needs while respecting the constitutional
  • this case, but hey, if you want to tighten it up, I'd be glad to work with you on any kind of full amendment
  • we need to work on. kind of full amendment we need to work with.
  • seems to be all kinds of... we're in, there seems to be all kinds of opportunities to violate the constitution
  • So those districts are actually locked in the 1901 constitution.
Bills: SB278, HB459, HB61