Transcript Highlights:

• without parole or a life plus 50 before you can go see the parole board.
• without parole or a life plus 50 before you can go see the parole board.
• and/or life without parole.
• And he went up, saw the parole board. And now he's paroled.
• And so they get out on parole, so now they're allowed to vote. They violate parole.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's 2% of people that have a life sentence with an opportunity for parole.
• Okay, so without making any judgment on when the parole board does say that they want to see that person
• It's just the reality of life. And then you can see the parole times below that.
• So the parole board can parole them any time.
• So if you read this section without the addition, it says... ...the board is, so the parole board can

Committee: Joint Judiciary Committee

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> biography of his life? You may. biography of his life? You may.
• </c> H. 559, an act relating to the parole H. 559, an act relating to the parole board. board. board.
• </c> H. 559, an act relating to the parole H. 559, an act relating to the parole board<01:34:28.760><
• </c> governance structure of the parole governance structure of the parole board. board. board.
• </c> the parole process. the parole process.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's the hardest thing I've done in my life.
• I am sitting in as the Executive Director of the New Mexico Parole Board.
• Staff manages more than 20,000 active inmate and parole files statewide.
• Because we only have parole board Ravis and Jeremy B.
• It could be parole violation pictures of, you know Screenshots that the probation parole officer took

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've had a couple of higher-ups in parole and Department of Corrections.
• I was in touch with the parole officers—not the pearl.
• So, without further ado, HB 2862... Sorry, Madam Chair, members.
• oversight, without safeguards, and without knowing who is truly receiving them.
• People of all faiths deserve the freedom to worship without obstruction.

Bills: HB2244 , HB2364 , HB2573 , HB2749 , HB2862 , HB2870 , HB4117 , HCR2004

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Elections

Keywords: evictions, judgment satisfaction, tenant rights, landlord obligations, court procedures, abortion-inducing drugs, medical abortion, pharmaceutical regulation, felonies, state law, DUI, ignition interlock, substance abuse treatment, driving privileges, alcohol education, felony conviction, misdemeanor designation, court judgment, criminal justice reform, rehabilitation

Transcript Highlights:

• a life without parole sentence.
• a life without parole sentence.
• without parole.
• or parole process.
• or parole process.

Committee: House Public Safety

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• know that I'm pretty conservative when it comes to parole for people.
• , there's... ...our day of pardons and parole hearings.
• He's still on parole. But anyway, he's done a remarkable job. He's still on parole.
• Preparing their parole plan because we want them to be successful.
• most stable part of their life.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Rules

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• She misses her family and is scared for her life.
• </c> and grant Andrea humanitarian parole and grant Andrea humanitarian parole immediately. immediately
• </c> blocking the life-saving care she needs. blocking the life-saving care she needs.
• Contact DHS and tell them to grant Andrea humanitarian parole now.
• Thank you. this young woman's life on the line and this young woman's life on the line and we<00:13:03.440

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The meeting focused on the detention of Andrea Pedro Francisco, a 23-year-old Burnsville resident and Minnesota constituent who was detained by ICE and transferred from Camp East Montana in El Paso to the El Paso Processing and Detention Center while awaiting surgery for a large ovarian cyst. Senator Lindsey Port, Congresswoman Angie Craig, and Senator Alese Matson argued that she has been denied adequate medical care, receiving only Tylenol and constipation medication despite an emergency room confirming she needs surgery. They said the delay could lead to severe pain, bleeding, loss of fertility, infection, or death, and repeatedly called for her immediate release on humanitarian parole. Pastor Ellery Deikman described visiting Andrea in detention with other clergy and her lawyer, saying she appeared thin, in pain, and deeply distressed, though she brightened when told people in Minnesota were praying for her. He and others framed her situation as a humanitarian and human rights issue, criticizing the detention system as punitive and for-profit. Senator Matson, who is also a physician, explained that the standard treatment for a cyst of this size would be surgery and that waiting is medically dangerous. Participants also said Andrea had been in detention for close to 80 days, had limited access to legal and medical records, and had been separated from family and faith community. The speakers tied Andrea’s case to broader concerns about immigration enforcement under the current administration, saying detentions and arrests have increased sharply and that many detainees have no criminal record. Vicki Schmidt of Abriendo Fronteras said detention numbers and costs have risen, conditions are often inhumane, and many people are being held in for-profit facilities. She and others urged support for HR 7335, the Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in ICE and CBP Custody Act, and called on DHS to grant Andrea parole immediately. In the question-and-answer portion, the physician-senator reiterated that surgery is the only treatment, that the condition could worsen at any time, and that prior practice generally allowed asylum seekers to remain in the community while their cases proceeded if they were not a danger.

Transcript Highlights:

• Without objection, it is so ordered.
• Without objection, it is so ordered.
• Without objection, the Senate will have been.
• Scott Smith to the Commission of Pardons and Paroles.
• Without objection, the Senate will advance to the 11th order of business.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• supervision right now with 67 parole offices around the state.
• Are we seeing less people being paroled, more people being paroled, what is barriers to being paroled
• Parole parole commissioners and board members come on there's a required process and all of them are
• And when you're tracking, granting a parole or Um, how do you track, like, is it easier to to be paroled
• in El Paso versus being paroled in Lubbock, Texas.

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Articles I, IV, & V

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those measures protect children without showing small business and without cutting off access for families
• Aggravated rape, it goes from 15 to life to now basically life. I mentioned this before.
• You know, if they see the parole board after the term that was pronounced, the parole board may say,
• There's a right to see the parole board, but the parole board doesn't have to let you out if you haven't
• You know, if they see the parole board after the term that was pronounced, the parole board may say,

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those measures protect children without shutting small business down and without cutting off access for
• Aggravated rape, it goes from 15 to life to now basically life. And I mentioned this before.
• You know, if they see the parole board after the term that was pronounced, the parole board may say,
• There's a right to see the parole board, but the parole board doesn't have to let you out if you haven't
• You know, if they see the parole board after the term that was pronounced, the parole board may say,

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the prior day’s journal by roll call vote, and established a quorum. Members then offered personal privilege remarks recognizing Dr. Penelope Martin Knox for Black History Month and introducing guests, including Adeline Overcast, who was made a page for the day, and visitors connected to a rural hospital in Rolla. Several bills were read for the first time, including measures on blind pension tax levies, penalties for impeding first responders, and flag display in the state capitol, and committee reports recommended passage of multiple deferred measures. The chamber then took up several bills on third reading. House Committee Substitute for HB 2596, concerning multiple employee self-insured health plans for small businesses, passed 145-0. HB 1644, dealing with franchise employment liability and joint-employer issues, passed 103-45 after debate over worker rights and franchisor liability. HB 2423, which would increase funding for the Division of Finance through higher licensing fees, passed 146-0 despite concerns about costs being passed on indirectly. House Committee Substitute for HB 2641, which aligns state law with federal restrictions on intoxicating hemp-derived products, drew extensive debate over hemp, beverages, and the impact on small businesses and consumers; it passed 109-34 with six present. Members also debated HB 2498 on juvenile justice reform, including changes to certification procedures and information sharing. Supporters argued it would improve accountability and public safety, while opponents warned it would politicize juvenile decisions, burden treatment facilities, and push more youth into the adult system. After a successful previous-question motion, the bill passed 100-44 with three present. House Committee Substitute for HB 2637 and 3155, described as a truth-in-sentencing measure that would make parole eligibility and time-served credit clearer, passed 102-45 with two present after debate over whether it effectively increased mandatory minimums. Finally, the House took up House Committee Substitute for HJR 154, a proposed constitutional amendment tied to Medicaid expansion and work requirements. Supporters framed it as encouraging work and reducing dependency, while opponents called it an attack on Medicaid expansion that would increase administrative costs and risk coverage losses for vulnerable residents. The transcript ends during the motion for the previous question on that resolution, before the final vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• In Texas, most civilians can legally purchase and wear body armor, such as bulletproof vests, without
• The offender shot the parolee, and he violated his parole conditions over 50 times.
• Okay, the parole up to life, and the bill does—how does it change that?
• If that person is convicted, it's 25 to life, no parole, and you serve every day of that.
• That doesn't mean it did not change my life.

Bills: HB75 , HB108

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Keywords: building standards, youth camps, floodplains, safety regulations, environmental policies, drainage utilities, flood management, land use regulation, county authority, drainage fees

Summary: The committee heard a series of criminal justice and public safety bills, with most measures focused on tougher penalties, victim protections, and procedural changes. Bills discussed included HB 75, requiring magistrates to make written findings when denying probable cause despite believing an arrestee committed an offense; HB 413, limiting pretrial detention so it cannot exceed the maximum jail term for the charged offense, with competency-related exceptions; HB 1422, expanding sexual assault survivor protections and increasing penalties for certain sexual offenses and voyeurism; HB 2073, increasing penalties for violating protective orders or bond conditions while armed; HB 2593, raising indecent assault penalties against elderly or disabled victims; HB 108, enhancing punishment when body armor is used during violent crimes; HB 3816, expanding cruelty-to-livestock offenses to include unlawful controlled-substance administration; HB 2854, requiring parole officers to notify hospitals or law enforcement when violent parolees visit hospital premises; HB 1871, increasing punishment for attempted capital murder of a peace officer and making such offenders ineligible for parole; HB 3463, clarifying notice methods in theft-of-service cases; HB 2348, allowing video-recorded depositions of elderly or disabled witnesses; HB 2594, expanding venue options for cybercrime and digital theft prosecutions; HB 2761, clarifying that children cannot be deemed to consent to prostitution-related offenses; HB 3185, authorizing administrative subpoenas in cybercrime investigations; HB 2017, increasing penalties for certain intoxication manslaughter cases involving undocumented immigrants with prior DWI convictions; HB 2306, making certain trafficking offenses ineligible for parole; HB 1607, allowing a rear-only license plate when a vehicle lacks a front bracket; HB 1828, creating a legislative leave pool for TDCJ correctional officers; and HB 3664, requiring prospective grand jurors to complete training and proposing additional changes to grand jury procedure in a future substitute. The committee also took up HB 3073, the Summer Willis Act, which would clarify consent in sexual assault law and address intoxication-related incapacity; the committee substitute narrowed the language to situations where the perpetrator knows the other person cannot consent because of intoxication or impairment, while removing withdrawal-of-consent and “reasonably should know” language from the House version. Several bills were laid out with committee substitutes adopted, including HB 3463, HB 2594, HB 3073, and HB 3073’s substitute, and most bills were left pending after no invited or public testimony or after hearing testimony. Public testimony was especially extensive on HB 3073, with survivors, advocates, and prosecutors supporting broader consent language, while some prosecutors said the substitute was an improvement but still favored the House version’s broader protections. HB 3664 drew significant opposition from district attorneys, who argued that mandatory transcription or recording of grand jury testimony would be costly, chill grand juror questioning, and complicate timely presentations; concerns were also raised about new-evidence requirements and grand jury shopping. No final votes were taken on the bills discussed in the transcript, and the committee recessed partway through to return to the floor before continuing its hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• increased access to sterile syringes significantly lowers rates of transmission. and saves lives without
• eligibility dates. with credits and were approved for release by the Parole Board.
• This is contrary to current legal processes and has created unnecessary, costly delays in parole.
• You can disagree with the decisions of the parole board.
• We're not telling the Parole Board what to do. We're not telling CDC. are what to do.

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This applies to those sentenced to life without the possibility of parole under the habitual offender
• They're still there because they're serving life without the possibility of parole.
• To be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, the only way that it is mandatory life without
• Life without the possibility of parole.
• I know the judge granted life without the possibility of parole.

Bills: SB210 , SB292 , HB360 , HB233 , HB66 , HB356 , HB164 , HB238 , HB209 , SB223 , HB307 , SB210 , SB292 , HB360 , HB233 , HB66 , HB356 , HB164 , HB238 , HB209 , SB223 , HB307

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: hospital liens, medical billing, government healthcare, insurance claims, patient rights, education oversight, subpoena authority, investigation, State Superintendent, school misconduct, drug courts, accountability, veterans, mental health, substance abuse, rehabilitation, criminal justice, court intervention, elder abuse, financial exploitation

Transcript Highlights:

• I would say all of them, because a Class A felony is 10 to life... ...a Class A felony is 10 to life.
• Folks serving a life sentence don't get... Folks serving a life sentence don't get good time.
• Then they're up to the parole board's discretion.
• I have sentenced plenty of people to life, realizing that in 10 years they would be eligible for parole
• In 10 years they would be eligible for parole.

Bills: HB43 , SB81 , SB178 , SB138 , SB89 , SB183 , HB27 , HB188 , HB199 , HB190 , SB117 , HB43 , HB27

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: criminal procedure, split sentencing, probation, Class A felony, Class B felony, minimum confinement, custodial sexual misconduct, sexual misconduct, inmate abuse, prisoner exploitation, correctional staff, jail staff, detention center, probation officer, parole officer, Department of Corrections, Department of Youth Services, sheriff, county jail, municipal jail

Transcript Highlights:

• it, without human interaction.
• I'm the Chair of the Parole Board.
• Chair of the Parole Board: I'm the chair of the parole board.
• And as such, they're entitled to abundant life. And as such, they're entitled to abundant life.
• And as such, they're entitled to abundant life. And as such, they're entitled to abundant life.

Bills: SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Summary: The committee heard a Legislative Budget Board presentation and then testimony from the Department of Public Safety on the Article 5 public safety budget. LBB said DPS’s 2026-27 recommendation totals $3.7 billion, down from the prior base, while FTEs rise by 856.7. Major items included increased funding for driver license services and customer support, new trooper funding and recruit schools, crime lab operations, border security, and reductions tied to one-time facility, vehicle, and aircraft spending. The committee also discussed new riders, including one to lapse unused trooper funds and require reporting after recruit schools. Members focused heavily on driver license operations, questioning why prior staffing increases and a prior efficiency study had not solved long wait times, high call abandonment, and appointment delays. DPS and LBB said the agency receives about 22,000 calls per day, answers only about 9 percent, and is seeking more staff plus technology upgrades such as automation, kiosks, and better online processing. Senators also raised concerns about rural access, REAL ID document requirements, and whether the department should rethink its processes rather than simply add employees. DPS leadership then described needs for the Williamson County training academy, additional troopers, Capitol and Alamo security, border operations, aircraft and vehicle replacement, and regional headquarters in El Paso and San Antonio. Members asked about Operation Lone Star costs, overtime, pursuit safety, border crime, oilfield theft, and sexual assault kit and toxicology backlogs. DPS said border deployments remain focused on criminal threats, that overtime is partly driven by deployments and staffing shortages, and that the sexual assault kit backlog is down to 118 cases with a goal of zero by April. The committee later recessed and began the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission budget presentation, where LBB outlined a $115.1 million recommendation and noted ongoing costs for the AIMS technology project.

Transcript Highlights:

• We love transparency, we love life, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
• We love life. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
• Under current law, someone sentenced to life becomes eligible for parole after 30 years.
• Under current law, someone sentenced to life becomes eligible for parole after 30 years.
• So before parole can be granted in life sentence cases, the parole board must hear from the victims,

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those measures protect children without shutting down small business and without cutting off access for
• Aggravated rape goes from 15 to life to now basically life. And I mentioned this before.
• You know, if they see the parole board after the term that was pronounced, the parole board may say,
• There's a right to see the parole board, but the parole board doesn't have to let you out if you haven't
• You know, if they see the parole board after the term that was pronounced, the parole board may say,

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the prior day’s journal by roll call, and recognized a Black History Month tribute to Dr. Penelope Martin Knox, superintendent of Raytown C-2 Schools. Members also introduced guests, including the day’s pledge leader Adeline Overcast and visitors from a rural hospital in Rolla. Several new bills were read for the first time, including measures on blind pensions, first responder harassment, and flag display at the state capitol, and committee reports were received recommending passage of several deferred measures. The chamber then took up multiple third-reading bills. House Bill 2596, concerning multiple employee self-insured health plans for small businesses, passed 145-0 after supporters said it would help small employers offer affordable coverage. House Bill 1644, addressing franchise employment liability and joint-employer issues, passed 103-45 after debate over whether it would unfairly limit workers’ rights to sue franchisors. House Bill 2423, dealing with Division of Finance licensing fees and oversight, passed 146-0 despite concerns about fee increases. House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2641, which aligns state law with federal restrictions on intoxicating hemp-derived products, passed 109-34 after extensive debate over whether the bill unfairly carves out beverages and harms hemp businesses. House Bill 2498, a juvenile justice reform measure shifting some certification-related responsibilities and expanding information sharing, passed 100-44 after supporters argued it would improve accountability and opponents warned it would politicize juvenile cases and burden treatment facilities. House Committee Substitute for House Bills 2637 and 3155, a sentencing bill increasing mandatory minimums and clarifying time-served and parole eligibility, passed 102-45 amid debate over whether it was truly a transparency measure or an increase in punishment. The House also debated House Committee Substitute for House Joint Resolution 154, a proposed constitutional amendment tied to Medicaid expansion/work requirements. Supporters said it would encourage work and reduce administrative costs, while opponents argued it would undermine Medicaid expansion and risk coverage for vulnerable residents. After a previous-question motion, the resolution passed 99-48. The session ended with announcements about upcoming committee meetings, a Black History Celebration, and other caucus and committee gatherings, followed by adjournment until Monday afternoon.

Transcript Highlights:

• Without objection. Morning, 06.
• from being tried without a jury.
• Without objection, so ordered.
• qualification for parole, 280.
• Without objection. Wednesday the 11th. Without objection. Mr.

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, received and accepted multiple resignation notices from members representing Districts 37, 39, 60, 69, 97, and 100, and then recognized the election and qualification of the members-elect who filled those vacancies: Doyle Boudreau, Reese Broussard, Chasity Verrett-Martinez, and Edwin Murray. Each member-elect was sworn in, and the House also appointed committees to notify the Senate and the governor that it was ready to conduct business for the 2026 regular session. The chamber then handled a large number of procedural actions related to prefiled legislation. By motion and without objection, the House suspended rules to refer prefile bills to committee and introduced a broad slate of House bills and resolutions. Topics included the state budget and appropriations, retirement system changes, carbon capture and sequestration, criminal justice and bail, public safety, education, health care, local government matters, transportation, and several memorial or commemorative resolutions. Several resolutions and bills were noted as lying over, and some prefiled bills were withdrawn from the files. The House also received a Senate message that SCR 1 had been adopted, and the resolution was taken up without objection. The chamber then recessed for a joint session with the Senate to hear the governor’s address and a presentation honoring Technical Sergeant Adam W. Brister with the Distinguished Flying Cross. In his remarks, Governor Jeff Landry highlighted his administration’s priorities, including education, tax reform, workforce development, health and nutrition, insurance reform, transportation infrastructure, fiscal discipline, and criminal justice reform, while urging support for his agenda and several related bills and constitutional amendments.