Video & Transcript Research : 'tax code'
Page 180 of 500
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Commerce and Consumer Affairs (05/20/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- Taxes through the tax as well as their individual things. That's correct.
- Taxes through the tax as well Correct.
- I'll turn over to Gan on the tax-exempt question. We did not lose our tax-exempt status.
- us to continue that tax exempt status. us to continue that tax exempt status.
- Happy to do that. requirement for filing tax returns. Tax requirement for filing tax returns.
Summary:
The subcommittee took up the pooled risk management program bill and reviewed a new amendment drafted with input from the Insurance Department and Legislative Services. Department witnesses explained that the proposal would move oversight of pooled risk management programs from the Secretary of State’s office to the Insurance Department, add a licensure requirement, preserve the programs’ non-insurer status, and exempt them from third-party administrator licensure. They also described a series of solvency tools in the draft, including financial reporting, risk-based capital standards, minimum capitalization, investment limits, commissioner examination and enforcement authority, rulemaking authority, merger and affiliate-transaction review, confidentiality protections, and a separability clause.
A major theme of the discussion was that pooled risk management programs differ from commercial insurers because the risk remains with the member local governments rather than being backed by a state guarantee fund. Witnesses said the bill is designed to emphasize solvency over return of premium and to give the Insurance Department a regulatory “toolbox” to prevent insolvency, including a proposed $5 million excess or stop-loss coverage benchmark, optional accessible policies, and a requirement that boards vote on dividends or premium returns when capital exceeds 600% of risk-based capital. Members questioned how this approach differed from the original Secretary of State bill and whether assessments on towns would still be possible; the department responded that the new framework would allow more flexible oversight and alternatives to immediate court action.
The committee also discussed why the statute should continue to say the programs are not insurers, with the department explaining that this preserves their autonomy and avoids applying unrelated insurance laws and premium taxes. Members asked about the department’s workload and were told the department believed it could absorb the new duties without additional funding. No vote or final committee action was taken in the portion provided.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee 3/26/25
Commerce Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- Taxes usually don't go up and down, and neither do insurance premiums.
- Taxes usually don't go up and down, and neither do insurance premiums.
- Taxes usually don't go up and down, and neither do insurance premiums.
- Taxes usually don't go up and down, and neither do insurance premiums.
- She says... including zip codes and credit scores in including zip codes and credit scores in fact<01
Keywords:
homeowners insurance, property insurance, commercial property insurance, insurance affordability, insurance market stabilization, reinsurance, catastrophic reinsurance fund, self-insured pool, premium costs, coverage notice, liability reform, climate risk, climate change, housing affordability, multifamily housing, rental housing, common interest communities, cooperatives, small business insurance, Minnesota Commerce Department
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
Banking and Insurance Mar 31st, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- You are recognized to explain Amendment bar code 4, 9, 6, 4, 0, 8, >> Thank you.
- Without objection, we are going to show Amendment bar code 4, 3, 1, 5, 1, 4, adopted.
- You are recognized to introduce Amendment bar code 1, 6, 3, 0, 4, 4, >> Thank you, Mr.
- to the Amendment bar code 3, 5, 4, 1, 5, 2, >> Thank you, Mr.
- There was a late filed amendment bar code 4, 7, 8, 7, 6, 2, Without objection.
ND
North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Tax Reform and Relief Advisory Committee Jun 23rd, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- with whether it's someone calling about individual income tax, sales tax, property tax questions, a lot
- tax.
- tax credit.
- For North Dakota, 16.3% is property tax, 21% is general sales tax, 6.4% is individual income tax, and
- 4.2% is corporate income tax. 52.2% is other taxes or severance taxes.
Summary:
The Tax Reform and Relief Advisory Committee met with a quorum, approved the March 17, 2026 minutes, and heard a lengthy update from Tax Commissioner Brian Croshys on property tax relief programs. He reviewed the Homestead Property Tax Credit, Disabled Veteran Credit, and Primary Residence Credit, noting increased relief after House Bill 1158 and House Bill 1176, but also discussing how some households “income adjust out” of eligibility over time. Members asked about indexing income thresholds, expanding eligibility by age alone, simplifying administration, county-level notices, and whether the county and state systems could be streamlined. Croshys said the programs are heavily used, largely administered at the county level, and that the department is still refining compliance and reporting; he also said there were no material findings or overarching concerns in the latest review. The committee agreed more detailed PRC information would likely come back in a September meeting, and the chair announced an afternoon recess for lunch before later reconvening.
Shelly Myers then presented the statewide property tax increase report, the zero-growth report, and a statistical report on property values and tax levies by class. She explained how county auditors report levy and valuation data, how increases and decreases are counted, and identified counties and cities with the largest percentage changes in growth or decline. She also summarized recent trends: agricultural values remain relatively flat, while residential, commercial, and centrally assessed values have risen over the last five years; in 2025, residential property accounted for the largest share of statewide property tax levies, followed by commercial, agriculture, and centrally assessed property. Committee members asked about unusual zero-growth figures, the effect of annexation and land-use changes, and whether the 3% levy cap was forcing political subdivisions to use reserves or defer spending. Myers said many counties complied by using reserves, delaying capital projects, or limiting increases, and that some counties had not used their full cap.
The committee then moved to the stripper oil extraction tax exemption. Commissioner Croshys reviewed the state’s oil tax structure and estimated the revenue impact of keeping stripper wells exempt from extraction tax while still paying production tax. He said the exemption saves operators hundreds of millions of dollars over a biennium, while the state still collects production tax on those wells. He also discussed projected impacts if the exemption were changed for future wells and noted that future outcomes depend on oil prices, production declines, and technology such as CO2 enhanced oil recovery. Nathan Anderson of the Department of Mineral Resources briefly explained the historical difference between the 35-barrel and 30-barrel thresholds for certain wells, citing differences in completion costs and lateral lengths. The committee then heard from EERC CEO Charles Gorecki, who presented an analysis of oil well life cycles and said most oil is produced before wells reach stripper status, but that refracturing or other reinvestment can significantly extend production and keep wells above the threshold for years.
TX
Texas 89th 2nd C.S.
Criminal Jurisprudence S/C New Offenses & Changed Penalties Apr 15th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- I was going through the different code provisions that, that it captures, right?
- That way we still have access to our penal code chapter 12 enhancements, and I'm happy to answer any
- But that bill was vetoed by the governor due to, uh, disagreements on property tax reform.
- Pursuant to Texas Penal Code Section 6.03, a person is criminally negligent when he ought to be aware
- And there is a problem in the code.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- taxes, oil production tax, franchise tax, and insurance tax.
- There's $3 billion in new property tax relief provided pursuant to requirements in the Education Code
- tax, our responsibility towards school tax taxes for... the budget would be in fiscal year 28 yeah super
- You've got two hands: you've got tax being collected and tax being spent, and we tax to feed the hand
- You've got tax being collected and tax being spent, and we tax to feed the hand that's being spent.
Bills:
SB 1
Keywords:
campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards
Summary:
The Senate Finance Committee convened for its first hearing of the 89th regular session, confirmed a quorum, adopted committee rules by a 15-0 vote, and began review of Senate Bill 1, the state budget for fiscal years 2026-27. Chair Huffman outlined the committee’s organization, introduced staff, and described the budget as conservative and focused on one-time investments. She highlighted major SB 1 priorities including property tax relief, full funding for public education formulas, teacher pay, school safety, border security, Medicaid growth, dementia research, energy and water infrastructure, transportation, wildfire suppression, and other capital and public safety needs.
Comptroller Glenn Hager presented the biennial revenue estimate, saying the state has $194.6 billion available for general-purpose spending in 2026-27, with a projected $23.8 billion ending balance from the current biennium. He cautioned that revenue growth is returning to more normal levels and that lawmakers should avoid committing short-term surpluses to ongoing expenses. He also explained that the Economic Stabilization Fund is projected to hit its constitutional cap, meaning an estimated $5.6 billion in severance tax and related revenue would remain in general revenue in the upcoming biennium rather than flow into the fund. Senators discussed whether to raise or rename the fund and the implications of keeping more severance-tax revenue in general revenue.
The Legislative Budget Board then gave an overview of SB 1 and the budget’s major funding changes. LBB staff explained that the bill is essentially flat at $332.9 billion in all funds, but includes large method-of-finance shifts and major property tax relief. They detailed how prior property tax relief enacted in the 88th Legislature grew from an estimated $18 billion to $22.7 billion because of higher property values and hold-harmless provisions, and said SB 1 continues that relief with a total of $51 billion in ongoing and new property tax support. Members asked extensive questions about the automatic growth in school tax compression, the constitutional homestead exemption, COVID-era federal funding, Medicaid assumptions, and the sunset of the non-homestead circuit breaker. No additional votes or final budget actions were taken beyond adoption of the committee rules.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- is the penal code is the penal code.
- They've got QR codes.
- So intelligent regulation would include an excise tax to alleviate property taxes, raising the cost of
- So intelligent regulation would include an excise tax to alleviate property taxes, raising the cost of
- So that's our tax money going. Okay.
Summary:
The House Committee on Public Health heard House Bill 5, a proposal to ban THC products outside the Texas Compassionate Use Program while allowing non-intoxicating CBD and CBG products under tighter regulation. Chair Van Deaver gave a lengthy background on the 2018 federal Farm Bill and Texas’s 2019 hemp law, arguing that the lack of guardrails allowed a large, unregulated THC market to develop. HB 5 would impose licensing fees, product registration, testing and inspection requirements, and restrictions intended to keep products away from children.
Invited witnesses from law enforcement strongly supported the bill. Steve Dye of the Texas Police Chiefs Association and Brian Hawthorne of the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas argued that THC consumables are widely mislabeled, often far more potent than advertised, and linked to youth access, impaired driving, and organized crime. Both said regulation would be ineffective and would amount to legalization, while a ban would be easier for officers to enforce. They also emphasized support for the Texas Compassionate Use Program and said medical THC should remain available.
Dr. Peter Stout of the Texas Association of Crime Lab Directors and Alice Amelot of Texas DPS testified as resource witnesses about forensic testing. They said current lab resources are already stretched thin, that quantitative testing for THC and related cannabinoids is expensive and time-consuming, and that a ban would simplify enforcement because labs could focus on presence/absence testing rather than concentration. Amelot said DPS labs are neutral on the bill but explained that mislabeled products and inaccurate certificates of analysis are common. Committee members asked about traffic safety, impairment, youth use, and the costs of enforcement and lab testing; witnesses repeatedly said the bill would reduce complexity for law enforcement but that any approach would still require more resources for labs.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- , 237-40 for G-237D-9, for T-2387 for use tax, 243-14 or fuel tax, 247D-6.5 for conveyance tax, 21-8
- I think where I’d like to see us move to is to use the tax code primarily to bring money in and move
- <01:04:48.279>
code <01:04:48.760>primarily <01:04:49.440>to um um use the tax - code primarily to um um use the tax code primarily to bring<01:04:50.160>
money bring money bring - tax credit in addition you know this tax tax credit in addition you know this tax credit<01:10:29.360
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- taxes, oil production tax, franchise tax, and insurance tax.
- Code.
- There's $3 billion in new property tax relief provided pursuant to requirements in the Education Code
- There's $3 billion in new property tax relief provided pursuant to requirements in the Education Code
- You've got tax being collected and tax being spent, and we tax to feed the hand that's being spent.
Bills:
SB 1
Keywords:
campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards
Summary:
The Senate Finance Committee held its first hearing of the 89th regular session, adopted nearly identical committee rules from the previous legislature by a 15-0 vote, and began review of Senate Bill 1, the state budget for fiscal years 2026-27. Chair Huffman outlined the budget framework, emphasizing conservative spending, a $332.9 billion all-funds budget, and major priorities including property tax relief, public education, border security, health and human services, transportation, energy, and water infrastructure. She also introduced committee and leadership staff and described the hearing schedule and public testimony procedures.
Comptroller Glenn Hager presented the biennial revenue estimate, saying the state has $194.6 billion available for general-purpose spending, including a $23.8 billion ending balance, but warned that revenue growth is returning to more normal levels and that lawmakers should avoid using temporary spikes for ongoing commitments. Senators questioned him extensively about the Economic Stabilization Fund cap, sales tax trends, inflation, and whether the state should consider raising the cap or using severance-tax revenues differently. Hager said the Rainy Day Fund is expected to hit its cap, which would leave more severance-tax revenue in general revenue, and he stressed that infrastructure needs remain significant.
The Legislative Budget Board then gave a detailed overview of SB 1 and the budget’s major components. LBB staff explained that the bill includes continued funding for the Foundation School Program, $850 million for the Texas State Technical College endowment, $1.3 billion for the Texas University Fund, $6.5 billion for border security, salary increases for correctional officers and state troopers, $3 billion for dementia research, higher community attendant wages, expanded community-based care, $5 billion for the Texas Energy Fund, and funding to clear volunteer fire department grant backlogs. They also outlined supplemental priorities such as water infrastructure, retirement legacy payments, rail grade separations, wildfire aircraft, and emergency facilities, and said the current controlling budget limit is the tax spending limit.
A major portion of the hearing focused on property tax relief. LBB explained that prior-session relief grew from an expected $18 billion to $22.7 billion because of higher-than-anticipated property values and interactions among hold-harmless provisions, and that SB 1 continues and expands relief with $51 billion in total property tax relief, including $3 billion more for compression, $3 billion to raise the homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000, and a $500 million placeholder for business tax relief. Senators discussed the automatic nature of some of these costs, the effect of the non-homestead circuit breaker, the role of federal COVID funds, and the need to maintain school finance commitments if the state continues to compress school tax rates.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Floor Session 3/17/25 - Part 2
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Minnesota law you have no ta no income Minnesota law you have no ta no income tax tax tax liability<01
- <02:04:19.920>
tax or property direct property tax or property direct property tax liability - but still pay taxes through sales taxes, through property taxes, which are embedded into their rent.
- liab ability but still tax no income tax liab ability but still pay<02:08:23.960>
taxes <02:08 - pay taxes through sales taxes through pay taxes through sales taxes through property<02:08:26.559
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Water and Natural Resources Nov 18th, 2025
Water & Natural Resources Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- We've hired some tax consultants and we've created LLCs to make sure we can take advantage of any tax
- we're allowed in the tax code, this would only cost us a million dollars for 30 members for 30 years
- Whatever we're allowed in the tax code, this would only cost us a million dollars for 30 members for
- the tax code.
- I think if we're taxing an industry for.
AR
Arkansas 2026 1st Special Session
LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING Jun 5th, 2026
LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING
Transcript Highlights:
- There’s the ABC program that is taxed out of the public school fund that is state revenues.
- There's the ABC program that is tax debt. that is. There's two different programs.
- There's the ABC program that is taxed out of public school fund that is state revenues.
- Did she code something wrong? Did she miss a number? Did she, you know, what happened with that?
- Did she code something wrong? Did she miss a number? Did she, you know, what happened with that?
Summary:
The committee met to adopt prior minutes and reports from its executive and standing committees, including counties and municipalities, educational institutions, and state agencies. Those reports covered routine audit activity, delinquent private water and sewer audits, municipal accounting compliance issues, education audit findings, and several state agency audit items. The committee also reviewed and adopted the State of Arkansas annual comprehensive financial report for fiscal year 2025 and the related single audit report, both presented by Legislative Audit staff.
The state financial report showed unmodified opinions on the state’s financial statements and described total assets of about $41.9 billion and liabilities of about $11.1 billion, along with retirement system assets of $39.9 billion and a net pension liability of $9 billion. Two material weaknesses were identified: insufficient internal controls at the Office of State Technology to monitor threats and unauthorized access, and a Division of Workforce Services methodology change for unemployment-related estimates that was not properly documented or approved. The single audit covered $12.4 billion in federal awards across 469 programs, with 16 major programs reviewed; it resulted in 33 findings, 14 with questioned costs totaling $16.6 million, and qualified opinions for the Summer EBT program, the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund, and the Child Care Development Fund cluster.
Members questioned agency officials in detail about the Summer EBT questioned costs, DHS unresolved findings, broadband grant documentation, cyber security controls, workers’ compensation liabilities, and child care funding and reporting. DHS explained that the Summer EBT issue involved drawing federal funds in advance rather than as benefits were redeemed, and said the process has been corrected. Broadband officials said the questioned $6.6 million reflected documentation-detail disagreements across many invoices rather than missing payments. OST officials described new logging, endpoint detection, and phishing-training efforts, and DFA and Education officials addressed specific audit findings and corrective actions. The committee ultimately moved to hold the two large statewide reports over until the August meeting for further review, with discussion continuing on whether to release some agency staff in the meantime.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- Next, we have the Tax Foundation of Hawaii with comments on Zoom. Not present.
- Next, we have the Tax Foundation of Hawaii with comments on Zoom. Not present.
- 25:01.120>
revenue consequence for the internal revenue consequence for the internal revenue code - 00:25:04.080>
of <00:25:04.320>which <00:25:04.640>is <00:25:04.880>to code - uh the significance of which is to code uh the significance of which is to ensure<00:25:06.000>
the
Keywords:
reimbursement, public employees, travel costs, government travel policy, finance management, job title, administrative assistant, executive assistant, state personnel, civil service, modernization, employment standards, DAGS, Department of Accounting and General Services, comptroller, civil service exemption, collective bargaining exemption, public works special project branch, specialized public works, information technology modernization
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- But if you look at all of this and you factor in tax credits, federal tax credits.
- The battery project has to be compliant with the county fire code.
- Do they follow the county fire code? They will follow the state law.
- , and federal tax credits.
- They weren't even paying property taxes.
Summary:
The Senate Committee on Business and Commerce convened to discuss critical infrastructure and supply chain integrity, particularly focusing on Texas's power grid and associated vulnerabilities. The meeting highlighted Texas's recent ranking as 10th in electricity affordability, emphasizing the state's commitment to maintaining a reliable and resilient electric grid. New committee members introduced themselves, and the agenda included testimony from ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission regarding the implementation of the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act, which aims to mitigate risks posed by foreign entities to the power grid.
Chad Sealy from ERCOT presented updates on the attestation process for market participants, revealing that over 1,500 entities had submitted attestations regarding their corporate structures and affiliations with designated foreign countries. Concerns were raised about the adequacy of the current vetting process, particularly regarding indirect relationships with foreign adversaries. Testimonies from the PUC and the Attorney General's office underscored the challenges of enforcing compliance and the need for improved legislative measures to enhance oversight and security.
The committee also heard from experts, including Dr. Emma Stewart from Idaho National Laboratory, who discussed the evolving threats to the grid from foreign adversaries and the importance of securing communication systems. Recommendations included prioritizing inspections of critical components and enhancing collaboration with national laboratories to address vulnerabilities. The discussion concluded with an acknowledgment of the balance needed between ensuring grid security and maintaining affordability for consumers.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Ways and Means (01/13/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- I am going to go tax by tax, and Mr.
- Next tax is tobacco tax.
- the BPT conforms to the Internal tax the BPT conforms to the Internal Revenue<01:36:33.600>
code< - tax and private railroad car excise tax, timber tax, and the statewide education property tax—these
- gets has income taxes and sales taxes gets has income taxes and sales taxes gets more<02:11:38.920
Summary:
The committee meeting began with an overview from the Legislative Budget Assistant Office on how Ways and Means will work with agencies and leadership during the budget and revenue-estimating process. Staff explained that the governor’s budget is still being developed, agencies are cautious about going on record early, and the committee will use worksheets and updated fiscal reports to track estimates. The presentation emphasized that the fiscal year 2025 budget status is a point-in-time snapshot and remains fluid because the annual comprehensive financial report has been delayed, which could change the beginning balances for both the general fund and education trust fund.
The budget update highlighted that the general fund is currently stronger than originally assumed, while the education trust fund is weaker. The speaker said the general fund began FY25 with a much larger balance than expected, while the education trust fund came in lower due to higher-than-budgeted adequacy spending and weaker business tax performance. Revenue trends showed the general fund slightly ahead year to date, but the education trust fund down significantly. The committee also discussed unbudgeted appropriations, including attorney general litigation, legal settlements, abandoned property claims, adequacy true-ups, and education freedom accounts, as well as the role of lapses and off-budget items in the final balance.
Members asked about the delayed liquor commission audit and whether it could affect revenue forecasts. Staff said the delay was mainly caused by the commission’s switch in point-of-sale systems and staffing losses, but did not expect major ongoing reporting issues. They also noted that liquor fund variances are more likely tied to Medicaid expansion costs than to commission operations. The governor’s office was said to be working on possible budget reductions, but no January request to the fiscal committee was expected.
Commissioner Lindsay Stepp of the Department of Revenue Administration then presented an overview of state revenue sources, focusing first on the meals and rentals tax. She explained that DRA administers 14 taxes that account for most state revenue, and that meals and rentals tax growth has slowed after strong post-pandemic gains. She described factors affecting the tax, including employment, inflation, fuel and food prices, wages, and weather, and noted that online platforms like Airbnb have improved compliance by collecting and remitting tax on behalf of hosts. Members asked about short-term rental compliance and how DRA identifies unlicensed rentals; Stepp said referrals, anonymous tips, and platform data help enforcement.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
US House Floor Proceedings (Thursday, March 27, 2025)
US Federal House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- We made, uh, we provided tax rebates and savings for appliances and on your electric bills.
- of the tax code.
- <02:37:45.080>
code. - <02:37:46.080>
This knowledge of the tax code. This knowledge of the tax code. - to finance massive tax breaks to the<02:42:08.160>
super <02:42:08.479>rich.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee May 27th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- I think a powerful example of this is the case of the IRS tax audits.
- Then we sort of color-code the boxes. It's pretty dumb.
- Then we sort of color code the boxes. It's pretty dumb.
- copying its weights and its code in place of the new version.
- Like in the examples I give, the AI can code and can do things on the computer.
Summary:
The committee held an informational hearing on AI risks and mitigation, beginning with automated decision systems and then moving to frontier models. The chair emphasized that California has already passed some targeted AI bills, but broader regulation has stalled, and argued that a federal 10-year moratorium on state AI regulation would be reckless. The hearing was framed as a way to distinguish between narrow predictive systems used in areas like hiring, health care, and criminal justice, and more powerful frontier models with broader capabilities and potentially catastrophic risks.
On the first panel, Professor Arvind Narayanan described automated decision systems as often relying on historical data that reflects past bias, producing only limited predictive accuracy and sometimes arbitrary or harmful outcomes. He cited examples including welfare fraud, criminal risk tools, hospital discharge estimates, and job-candidate scoring, and said policymakers should require effectiveness standards, explanation, contestability, impact assessments, and public inventories of government systems. Alondra Nelson focused on algorithmic discrimination as a spectrum of harms, including allocative discrimination, surveillance and privacy harms, targeting and profiling, and cultural misrepresentation. She gave examples involving IRS audits, data sold through apps and brokers, facial recognition misidentification, and biased employment and health-care systems, arguing that harms often compound across multiple systems. Cathy O’Neill described her auditing work as building a “cockpit” for AI—identifying who could be harmed, measuring disparities, and setting thresholds for action—and said audits, consent decrees, and public accountability can push companies toward better practices without banning innovation.
Members of the committee asked about international competition, especially China, whether AI is more biased than humans, the cost of compliance for businesses, and whether California should move ahead despite federal uncertainty. The panelists said regulation should focus on high-stakes uses rather than all AI, that transparency and third-party auditing can be low-cost or cost-effective, and that good actors are already using impact assessments. They also noted that state-level action in places like Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, New Jersey, and others is helping set standards. The chair and members stressed that the goal is not to stop innovation but to build trust and reduce discrimination in consequential decisions.
The second panel turned to frontier models. Joshua Bengio warned that model capabilities are improving rapidly, especially in reasoning and planning, while alignment and safety are not keeping pace. He cited recent research suggesting models can behave deceptively, including attempts to avoid shutdown, fake compliance during training, and even blackmail in simulated scenarios, and said companies must measure and disclose these risks before deployment. The discussion underscored the committee’s broader concern that California should continue leading on AI safety and accountability while preserving beneficial uses of the technology.
MO
Transcript Highlights:
- So I know the tax credits have the three years and carried forward for 10 years.
- It was just in the department rec coded the wrong area, and so in our Gov Rec, we coded the correct area
- Coded the wrong area. And so in our Gov Rec, we coded the correct area.
- This is just cost of collections for the park sales tax as the sales tax goes up.
- Page 43 is the same thing for the soil and water sales tax.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- and cost savings by allowing the option for public notices that are required to be posted by clerks, tax
- collectors, and municipalities to be on their own website. to be posted by clerks, tax collectors, and
- expands the approved locations where special governmental agencies may post legal notices to clerks, tax
- governmental agency to include additional local government entities such as the clerk of court and the tax
- It allows governmental entities such as the clerk of court and the tax collector.
Summary:
The Senate Judiciary Committee met with a quorum present and considered three bills. Senate Bill 292, by Senator Ruson, created a public records exemption for the personal information of appellate court clerks and their families. Senator Gaetz opposed the measure, arguing against public records exemptions and favoring prosecution of threats instead, while the State Court System appeared in support. The bill passed 8-1 and was reported favorably.
The committee then heard CS for Senate Bill 62, by Senator Arrington, presented by Leader Berman. The bill would create an enforceable requirement related to candidate party affiliation qualifications and allow a qualified candidate or political party in the same race to challenge noncompliance. There was no opposition or debate, and the committee approved the bill unanimously, 10-0.
Finally, the committee considered Senate Bill 380, by Senator Trumbull, which would expand options for posting legal notices online by clerks, tax collectors, municipalities, and certain constitutional officers, and the committee adopted an amendment clarifying special governmental agencies and setting a two-week online posting standard. The Florida Press Association, local newspaper representatives, and others opposed the bill, warning it would fragment public notice and reduce transparency, while Senator Trumbull and Senator Gaetz emphasized cost savings and the ability of constitutional officers to use their own websites. The amended bill passed 10-0 and was reported favorably. The committee then adjourned.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- taxes, oil production tax, franchise tax, and insurance tax.
- , rental taxes, oil production tax, franchise tax, and insurance tax.
- Total tax.
- The first amount is $5.3 billion. to pass property tax relief, legislated through the Education Code.
- : There's $3 billion in new property tax relief provided pursuant to requirements in the education code
Bills:
SB 1