Video & Transcript : 'female firefighters' :

Page 17 of 271
US

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

US House Floor Proceedings (Wednesday, June 10, 2026)

US Federal House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Exactly 20 years later, on November 18, 2022, Judge Moses became the first female chief judge of the
  • district judge for the first female district judge for the Western<00:53:03.920><c> District</c><00:
  • </c> Judge Moses became the first female Judge Moses became the first female chief<00:53:16.000><c> judge
  • I extend my deepest condolences to their families, friends, fellow firefighters, and all those whose
  • I extend my deepest condolences to their families, friends, fellow firefighters, and all those whose
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

House and Governmental Affairs Mar 24th, 2026

House and Governmental Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • But the AG has given opinions in the past that volunteer firefighters are not to be considered in an
  • So it’s not something that’s new, but just to clean up the law to make it clear that volunteer firefighters
  • So it’s not something that’s new, but just to clean up the law to make it clear that volunteer firefighters
  • I don’t have a problem with the firefighters because they’re not an elected body or anything like that
  • With the safety of judges, I have, in Rapides Parish, I have two judges, two female judges.
Bills: HB177 , HB210 , HB238 , HB258 , HB307 , HB359 , HB398 , HB661 , HB705 , HB752 , HB858
AL

Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama House Apr 8th, 2025

Alabama House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • carry on into my scouting is something I carry on into my scouting is something I carry on into my firefighting
  • And each of these firefighting career. And each of these firefighting career.
  • One of the few handfuls of females that One of the few handfuls of females that One of the few handfuls
  • of females that have have been able to successfully have have been able to successfully have have been
  • Upper female tip. Anyway, one of those bones female tip. Anyway, one of those bones female tip.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Judiciary A May 12th, 2026

Judiciary A

Transcript Highlights:
  • In this bill, it says that sex means an individual's biological sex, either male or female, as observed
  • It says that sex means an individual's biological sex, either male or female, as observed or clinically
  • Because when I look up, good old Google, the definition of gender, it says in the male or female sex,
  • So what we're doing is saying biologically, you're male or female. Correct.
  • You're male or female. Correct.
Committee: Senate Judiciary A
Keywords: 974, senate, all
PA

Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Session (Jun 22 2026)

Pennsylvania House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • On Monday, March 2, 2006, an adult female contacted Montgomery County police to report that her dentist
  • They're police officers, firefighters, These aren't wealthy families.
  • They're police officers, firefighters, union tradesmen, and many more hardworking families across this
Summary: The House convened, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved several journals, and welcomed a number of guests, including Irish dignitaries, scholarship winners, interns, student pages, and members of Omega Psi Phi. After confirming a quorum, the chamber received committee reports and referred new bills and resolutions, then recessed for caucuses and committee meetings before returning to floor action. In the afternoon session, the House considered several bills and amendments. It approved amendments to House Bills 426, 1127, 2551, and Senate Bill 146, while rejecting an amendment to HB 1127 that would have tightened background-check requirements for out-of-state dentists. The chamber also agreed to HB 2234, which creates a spent grain donation tax credit and updates the malt beverage tax credit, and HB 2551, which limits text-message notices by the Turnpike Commission and other agencies about unpaid fines, fees, or tolls. Senate Bill 146, creating the Veterans Trust Fund Board, was amended to add audit-related changes and then agreed to. The House then took final passage votes on several bills. HB 133, allowing a process to petition for reinstatement of parental rights, passed 191-11; HB 138, barring parental incarceration as the sole basis for termination of parental rights, passed 200-2; HB 2207, on capital development loans, passed 202-0; and HB 2224, dealing with utility rate and tax-related changes, passed 202-0 after extensive debate over affordability, consumer protections, and tax relief. HB 2473, repealing the Flood Insurance Education Information Act of 1996, also passed unanimously, and HB 2544, addressing school administrator rights and compensation disputes, passed 141-61. The most extensive debate centered on HB 2632, which reallocates educational tax credit caps and replaces the EITC and OSTC programs with a new options tax credit framework beginning in 2027-28. Supporters said it would improve transparency, accountability, and access for the poorest students, while opponents argued it would reduce scholarship opportunities, add burdens, and harm families and schools that rely on the current programs. After lengthy debate, the House passed HB 2632 by a vote of 105-97. The chamber then announced a Finance Committee voting meeting, recommitted several bills to Appropriations, and adjourned until June 23, 2026.
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm

Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • I was a firefighter in Winthrop for five years. I did serve eight years in the Coast Guard.
  • A firefighter in Winthrop for five years.
  • And yes, I happen to be the first female trained counterintelligence agent.
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs held its fourth public hearing of the 2025-26 session on recognitions, definitions, and designations related to veterans. Chairs John Velis and Joseph McGonagle opened the hybrid hearing with housekeeping rules and noted the committee’s reporting deadlines. The hearing focused on several bills honoring veterans and military-related service, including H. 3825 to include reserve components in flag half-staff recognition for service members killed in action, S. 2499 to place a State House marker honoring three Medal of Honor recipients from the war on terror, S. 2498 to add Merchant Marine recognition at veterans cemeteries and the State House and create a Massachusetts merchant mariner medal, and H. 2500/S. 2500 to have Massachusetts fly the Honor and Remember flag for Gold Star families and fallen service members. A major portion of the hearing centered on H. 3871 and S. 2467, which would update the Commonwealth’s definition of “veteran.” Testimony came from the Office of Veterans Services, veterans organizations, Public Health Service and NOAA representatives, National Guard and Reserve veterans, and Gold Star advocates. Witnesses argued the current state definition is inconsistent with federal law and excludes some service members who should be recognized, especially members of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps, reservists, and some National Guard members. Supporters said the bills would improve fairness, consistency, and access to benefits and services, while several speakers emphasized that service in uniform should be honored regardless of branch. Some testimony also urged a broader moral recognition of all who raised their right hand, while others focused on aligning state law with federal definitions and closing gaps in eligibility. Committee members asked questions about the practical and fiscal effects of broadening the definition, including how the proposed language would interact with existing federal standards and state benefit programs. Witnesses explained that the bills would remove the current 180-day and 90-day active-service calculations and instead recognize certain active service and six-year reserve or Guard commitments, though some members noted that this could create a broader state standard than the federal one. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing, and the committee concluded after hearing from the final witness and adjourning.
AL

Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama House Judiciary Committee Feb 19th, 2025

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • He was changing a flat tire on his car near his aunt's house when a female officer put him in handcuffs
  • Furthermore, the law defines that tactical medic as a firefighter-paramedic.
  • So why are we eliminating non-firefighter EMTs from that definition? There's just so many...
Bills: SB156 , SB134 , SB108 , SB47 , SB88 , SB89 , SB106 , SB18 , SB9 , HB38 , HB54
Committee: House Judiciary
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

89th Legislative Session May 24th, 2025

Texas House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Senate Bill 777 allows firefighters to restore and maintain their bargaining...
  • And members, Senate Bill 777 allows firefighters to restore and maintain their bargaining impasse tools
  • We don't have a lot of, for example, female aeronautical engineers, for example.
  • Well, I define gender identity as male or female.
  • So a person can identify as a male or a female? Let me continue with this.
Summary: The House convened, established a quorum, heard an invocation and pledges, and approved several routine motions, including excuses for absent members, permission for committees to meet while the House was in session, and postponements of some bills. The chamber also received a Senate message listing measures passed by the Senate and adopted a memorial resolution honoring the 21 victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, with remarks entered into the House Journal after a moment of silence. The House then took up a long third-reading calendar and passed a series of Senate bills on topics including criminal justice and corrections sunset provisions (SB 2405, 2406, 2407), election equipment testing (SB 2166), electric grid reliability and attack-preparedness exercises (SB 2148), firefighter collective bargaining (SB 777), DFPS and foster care procedures (SB 1141 and SB 1398), Medicare durable medical equipment billing (SB 1330), property tax administration (SB 1453), probate cleanup and record transfers (SB 1448 and SB 1839), mental health filing procedures (SB 53), school residency for children in safety placements (SB 226), diabetes-related amputation study (SB 1677), rapid DNA analysis (SB 1723), utility rate transparency and capacity cost recovery (SB 1664 and SB 1856), community supervision eligibility (SB 552 postponed), and other measures. Several bills passed with broad support, while others drew notable opposition and narrower margins, including SB 777, SB 2137, SB 2111, SB 1677, SB 1936, SB 1453, and SB 38. Two bills drew especially extensive debate. SB 2148, dealing with electricity supply chain reliability and tabletop exercises for critical facilities, was discussed as a grid-security measure aimed at coordinating utilities, law enforcement, ERCOT, and the PUC in the event of physical attacks; it passed unanimously. SB 1936, changing how LSD is measured for criminal prosecution from dosage-based to weight-based calculations, prompted extended discussion about lab consistency, carrier mediums, and fairness in charging, with supporters saying it would help crime labs and law enforcement and opponents warning it could distort penalties depending on the medium used; it passed 108-26. The House also passed SB 36, creating a Homeland Security Division within DPS, after questions about overlap with TDEM and the cost of adding personnel. Late in the day, the House debated SB 38 on eviction procedures, with supporters saying it targeted squatters and streamlined removal of unauthorized occupants, and opponents arguing it would make evictions too easy and worsen homelessness; it passed 85-44. The chamber also began debate on SB 37, a major higher-education governance bill that would expand governing-board oversight of curriculum, hiring, and faculty senates; members raised concerns about academic freedom, faculty governance, and the impact on humanities programs, and debate was still underway at the end of the transcript.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
  • I am the daughter of a retired firefighter and a nurse, and I'm also the proud sister to a law enforcement
  • And secondarily uwf has 60% female student body.
  • You females, president and a female student body president.
Keywords: 999, senate, all
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee Apr 8th, 2026

Labor, Public Employment and Retirement

Transcript Highlights:
  • Did firefighters, you know, do something in error and they now need to be disciplined for that?
  • I am here with several other small female minority-owned staffing company owners, none of whom would
  • to work with us to make sure that we don't stop startup businesses, especially by small minority females
Summary: The committee heard several labor-related bills focused on workplace technology, data centers, staffing agencies, and environmental health. SB 947, the “No Robo Bosses Act,” would require human review before automated systems can be used in discipline, termination, or deactivation decisions and would ban predictive behavior analysis; labor groups and worker advocates supported it, while business and industry groups opposed it as overbroad and litigation-prone. After extended discussion about due process, human oversight, and private rights of action, the bill passed 3-1 and was sent to the Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection Committee. SB 978, the Data Center Community Accountability Act, would require data centers to pay for new infrastructure costs, create a separate rate structure to protect other ratepayers, and impose skilled-and-trained labor standards for construction. Supporters said it would prevent cost shifts to households and ensure good jobs, while opponents argued the CPUC already has ongoing proceedings and that the bill unfairly singles out one industry. The committee discussed balancing economic growth with labor and ratepayer protections, and the bill passed 3-1 to Senate Appropriations. SB 951, the California Worker Technological Displacement Act, would expand WARN-style notice requirements for AI-related layoffs and require reporting on displaced jobs and first consideration for openings; supporters said it would improve transparency and help policymakers respond to AI-driven job loss, while opponents warned it was too broad and conflicted with existing WARN law. It passed 3-1 to Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection. The committee also considered SB 1032, which would create a licensing and registration framework for temporary staffing agencies. Supporters said it would curb fraud and protect workers from illicit staffing operators, while opponents—many from the staffing industry—said the bill was vague, burdensome, and could hinder small and minority-owned businesses. The bill passed 3-1 to Senate Judiciary. Finally, SB 1046, dealing with protections for lifeguards and park rangers exposed to transboundary pollution in the Tijuana River Valley, would direct Cal/OSHA to develop standards for exposure, PPE, training, and incident reporting. With support from park workers and community groups and no opposition, it passed unanimously 4-0 to Senate Appropriations. The committee also approved a consent calendar item and adjourned after completing the agenda.
ID

Idaho 2026 Regular Session

Agenda Mar 6th, 2026

State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • Female former student athletes outwork Female former student athletes outwork people in the workforce
  • Department of Transportation has some land somewhere in the state, and there's a fire nearby, and firefighters
Keywords: 989, all
NM

New Mexico 2026 Regular Session

Senate - Education Feb 4th, 2026 at 09:06 am

Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • They do have female firefighters.
  • We have an abandoned building on our campus, and we have put both female and male athletes in there.
Bills: SB194 , SB200 , SB203 , SB204 , SJR3
ND
Transcript Highlights:
  • Males tend to have more income as a single parent than females.
  • So single females tend to be the most at risk financially.
  • Males tend to have more income as a single parent than females.
  • So single females tend to be the most at risk financially.
  • that juvenile female into sexually explicit and placed that juvenile female into sexually explicit situations
Summary: The committee met to approve prior minutes and then heard a presentation from Dr. Ramona Danielson on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), focusing on the economic and public-system impacts in North Dakota. She explained that ACEs are a population-level measure, not a diagnostic tool for individuals, and said higher ACE exposure is consistently associated with more chronic illness, mental health challenges, child welfare involvement, justice-system contact, and reduced workforce participation. She emphasized that precise dollar estimates are difficult because of the many interacting factors across a person’s life course, but said the direction of the impact is clear and that evidence-based prevention and protective factors can reduce harm. Members asked about definitions of a “healthy family,” same-sex couples, divorce, substance abuse, historical trends in ACEs, and the role of positive childhood experiences and home visiting. The committee then heard from Allison Mahoney and Missy Barranco about evidence-based home visiting programs in North Dakota, including Healthy Families, Early Head Start, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Parents as Teachers. They described home visiting as voluntary, relationship-based, and tailored to family needs, with referrals coming from hospitals, WIC, human service zones, pregnancy navigators, self-referrals, and other community sources. A parent, Abby, shared that home visiting helped her family after premature births and NICU stays by providing support with postpartum mental health, breastfeeding, developmental screenings, referrals, and parenting guidance. The presenters said the programs are funded through a mix of federal MIECHV/Title IV-E dollars, Medicaid targeted case management, state and tribal funds, philanthropy, charitable gaming, and grants, and they noted that current funding is fragmented and insufficient to serve all eligible families statewide. Members discussed whether the state should expand or better fund these services and how to improve outreach and referrals. Later, the committee received a memorandum on artificial intelligence and sexual exploitation, followed by a presentation from a BCI special agent on how AI is already affecting child exploitation investigations in North Dakota. The memo and testimony described AI-generated child sexual abuse material, deepfakes, sextortion, and risks posed by chatbots, along with relevant federal and state law and recent executive orders. The agent said North Dakota saw 2,698 cyber tips in 2025, the highest on record, and that investigators are increasingly encountering AI-assisted exploitation that is harder to detect and verify. Members discussed the need for child-safety protections, the limits of executive orders, and broader concerns about AI undermining critical thinking and spreading misinformation. No votes were taken on the AI materials during the portion provided, and the committee recessed briefly after the report.
MD

Maryland 2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session, 3/11/2026 #1

Maryland House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • The professional firefighters are in favor of this legislation.
  • Seventy-one percent of all female U.S. senators are former Girl Scouts.
  • Half of all female astronauts were former Girl Scouts.
  • US senators are former of all female US senators are former Girl<03:09:24.000><c> Scouts.
  • </c><03:09:36.120><c> were</c> Half of all female astronauts were Half of all female astronauts were
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

Fiscal Policy Apr 22nd, 2025

Transcript Highlights:
  • Senators this bill updates, Florida firefighters, OSHA statute to help keep our firefighters safe, helping
  • Firefighter employers have very definitions of gear issue.
  • , but future generations of firefighters.
  • A more firefighters which will cost more or more over time, which will also cost more.
  • You know, we talk a lot about, you know, firefighter safety.
Keywords: 999, senate, all
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Committee on Ways and Means Jun 21st, 2026 at 10:00 am

Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:
  • I spoke to many of the female incarcerated individuals while I was out there.
  • And we have seen, with Colonel Noble's leadership, the promotion of two female majors now on his... .
  • Because the entire command staff now is... ...male and female, essentially, right?
  • I got called a month ago by a firefighter who retired. He was so embarrassed.
  • I got called a month ago by a firefighter who retired. He was so embarrassed.
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held its sixth public hearing on the Governor’s H-2 budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, focused on public safety and judiciary agencies, at the Foxborough Community Center. After opening remarks and local welcomes, the committee heard first from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, led by Secretary Gina Kwan, who outlined a $1.72 billion budget, up $69.8 million from FY26. She said the proposal emphasizes core operations, readiness, and partnerships with municipalities, and highlighted work on firearms-law implementation, State Police reform, DOC reentry efforts, hate-crimes prevention, emergency response, and planning for major events including the World Cup. Members also raised concerns about DNA backlog reporting, State Police academy boxing and training standards, ICE communication, disaster relief funding, crime lab staffing, EMS placement, and diversity in public safety leadership. Several exchanges focused on specific operational issues. Secretary Kwan and her team said the State Police are tracking the influx of forensic work from local sheriffs, that the boxing program remains suspended pending an IACP review and likely will not return in its prior form, and that EOPS has no direct communication with ICE but supports law-enforcement coordination where appropriate. On disaster preparedness, officials said the new disaster relief fund is being developed with MEMA and A&F, currently capitalized at $14 million with another $14 million expected, though members urged a more permanent funding source. On the crime lab, staff said the roughly $4.5 million increase is intended to cover core operations and a structural funding gap rather than expand services. The secretary also said EOPS is not ready to absorb OEMS from DPH at this time, though she would keep an open mind. The committee then heard from district attorneys, led by Suffolk County DA Kevin Hayden, who said the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association is seeking a 10% increase in operating budgets, including about $16.7 million for staffing salaries, to recruit and retain prosecutors, advocates, and support staff. He said the request reflects rising workload and the need to keep the criminal justice system functioning efficiently and fairly. The hearing was recessed briefly after the district attorneys’ opening remarks, with additional testimony expected to continue afterward.
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Committee on Ways and Means Mar 24th, 2026

Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:
  • I spoke to many of the female incarcerated individuals while I was there.
  • I spoke to many of the female incarcerated individuals while we were there, and they would like to see
  • And we have seen, with Under Colonel Noble's leadership, the promotion of two female majors now on his
  • I got called a month ago by a firefighter who retired. He was so embarrassed.
  • I got called a month ago by a firefighter who retired. He was so embarrassed.
Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held its sixth public hearing on the Governor’s FY27 H-2 budget proposal, focused on public safety and judiciary agencies, at the Foxborough Community Center. After opening remarks and local welcomes, the committee heard testimony from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS), led by Secretary Gina Kwan, who described the $1.72 billion budget as a 4% increase over FY26 and emphasized readiness, local partnerships, and support for core operations rather than expansion. She highlighted ongoing work on firearms-law implementation, State Police academy reforms, DOC’s new strategic plan, disaster response, hate-crime prevention, and planning for major 2026 events including the World Cup, Marathon, and America’s 250th anniversary. Members also raised concerns about State Police capacity, DNA backlog reporting, academy boxing/training reforms after a trooper’s death, ICE coordination, diversity in public safety leadership, the disaster relief fund, crime lab funding, reentry programming, and whether OEMS should move from DPH to EOPSS; Kwan said she would keep an open mind on some issues but was not ready to commit to an OEMS transfer. The committee then questioned EOPSS officials and the State Police colonel on several operational matters. The colonel said the academy boxing program remains suspended and likely will not return in its prior form, pending an IACP review, and that future training will likely emphasize jujitsu-style control techniques. He also said the State Police uses the civil service exam, with current advancement scores ranging from 83.72 to 98.78 for the most recent class, and acknowledged the need to improve recruitment, preparation, and diversity. On the DNA and sexual assault kit backlog, EOPSS said it supports extending the statute of limitations and is working with the courts and crime lab to identify and collect lawfully owed DNA. On disaster preparedness, officials said the new disaster relief fund is being developed with MEMA and A&F, is currently capitalized at $14 million with another $14 million expected, and should be designed to respond flexibly to different regional needs. They also said the crime lab increase is largely to cover core operations and a structural deficiency rather than expansion. Several members focused on public safety coordination and staffing. Questions from legislators from Bristol, Plymouth, Cape Cod, and elsewhere stressed the need for State Police to absorb additional forensic work if county resources shift, and to maintain strong communication with local chiefs and federal partners. Rep. Holmes pressed EOPSS on racial and gender diversity in the department and State Police; Kwan and Colonel Noble said diversity has improved but will take time to show up in senior leadership, and they pointed to internships and hiring practices as ways to broaden the pipeline. The hearing also included discussion of the World Cup security plan, with Kwan saying planning has been underway for about 18 months through 14 working groups and that current staffing and overtime resources appear sufficient for now. After EOPSS concluded, the committee recessed briefly and then began testimony from district attorneys, led by Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden, who said prosecutors are seeking a 10% budget increase to address staffing and salary pressures, especially the widening pay gap between assistant district attorneys and newly hired public defenders after recent CPCS funding increases.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Public Safety Committee Apr 14th, 2026

Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:
  • 1,000 incarcerated individuals were deployed as first responders, working alongside professional firefighters
  • Our professional firefighters put their lives on the line to contain those fires and to protect our communities
  • part of the character that makes them fully accepted if they ever do get to that position as a firefighter
  • , or full-time firefighter.
  • In my experience, a single female engaged in prostitution can make between $1,000 and $3,000 a night;
Keywords: 987, senate, all
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

House and Governmental Affairs Mar 24th, 2026

House and Governmental Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • The Attorney General has given opinions in the past that volunteer firefighters are not to be considered
  • So it's not something that's new, but just to clean up the law to make it clear that volunteer firefighters
  • So it's not something that's new, but just to clean up the law to make it clear that volunteer firefighters
  • I don't have a problem with the firefighters because they're not an elected body or anything like that
  • With the safety of judges, I have, in Rapides Parish, I have two judges, two female judges.
Summary: The committee took up several House bills dealing mainly with ethics, elections, and legislative procedure. HB 858 by Rep. Riser, creating a public records exception for GPS data on wildlife and aquatic life held by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, was reported favorably without objection. HB 661, which expands existing nepotism exceptions to allow school board members and superintendents to hire immediate family members as paraprofessionals and janitors, drew support from members concerned about staffing shortages in schools; the Ethics Administrator noted the board’s concern that repeated exceptions erode the nepotism rules, but the bill was still reported favorably without objection. HB 359, a cleanup bill on the death of a non-major-party primary candidate, was also reported favorably without objection. HB 258, which clarifies that volunteer firefighters are not subject to dual office-holding restrictions and allows retired judges to serve on certain boards while still being available for ad hoc judicial service, passed on an 8-4 roll call vote. Rep. Newell’s HB 705, which would strengthen contempt of the legislature penalties and add provisions addressing disorderly conduct and interference with legislative proceedings, generated the most debate. Members raised concerns about the proposed jump in fines from $1,000 to $50,000, due process, and the breadth of language that could be read to cover ordinary advocacy or passionate testimony. After discussion, the author agreed the bill needed more work, and it was voluntarily deferred in committee. The committee also heard HB 177, allowing retired court reporters to return on a contractual basis to address shortages, which was amended and then reported favorably without objection. HB 238, which would remove a waiting period and population-based restriction for former school board members or certified psychologists to return to work in school districts, prompted a lengthy debate about the judiciary and per diem rules because of related ethics concerns raised in the discussion; the author ultimately asked to voluntarily defer the bill, and the committee agreed. Finally, HB 398, which would cap lodging, meal, and incidental expense reimbursements for state officials and employees at GSA rates and limit emergency exceptions, drew sharp opposition from several members and a retired judge who argued the current judicial per diem is reasonable and tied to safety and travel needs. The author said he would work on amendments and voluntarily deferred HB 398. The committee then began discussion of HB 752, which would move the timing of regular legislative sessions into joint rule and change the session start/end dates, with the author explaining it was intended to give the Legislature more flexibility without needing constitutional amendments.
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

Senate Legislative Session Day 49 (3-18-26)

Kentucky Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • projects that have been a lot of work, particularly for the center from McCracken: $45 million for a female
  • $45<00:40:12.440><c> million</c><00:40:13.080><c> for</c><00:40:13.240><c> a</c><00:40:13.280><c> female
  • </c><00:40:13.680><c> detention</c> $45 million for a female detention $45 million for a female detention
  • We also do a 2% increase in incentive payments for qualified firefighters as well as a 2% increase for
Keywords: 958, all