Transcript Highlights:

• Be accessible only to individuals with appropriate security clearances.
• The idea of a Grid Security Commission, I think, supports this initiative.
• On this grid security, it would be a comprehensive and dedicated role.
• So this Grid Security Commission would come up with all these...
• This is my sixth time to do so in favor of securing the grid.

Bills: SB75, SB715, SB776, SB1299, SB1405, SB1968, SB2021, SB2077, SB2148, SB2321, SB2330, SB2411

Keywords: electric generation, reliability, ERCOT, Public Utility Commission, penalties, performance requirements, energy policy, construction contracts, compensatory damages, government delays, contractor, legislation, nonprofit donor privacy, membership lists, supporter confidentiality, volunteer privacy, association rights, public records exemption, Texas Public Information Act, government transparency

Transcript Highlights:

• And we secured historic investments to grow our state's economy.
• When it comes to the Arizona promise, security also means economic stability.
• They deserve economic security, and they deserve a hopeful future.
• They deserve solutions and security, not another decade of inaction and uncertainty.
• Together, we can ensure Arizona is blessed with security, opportunity, and freedom.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The transcript is the opening joint session of the Arizona Legislature’s 57th Second Regular Session, featuring remarks from House and Senate leaders and Governor Katie Hobbs. House and Senate leaders emphasized a conservative governing agenda focused on affordability, public safety, parental rights, accountability, school choice, election integrity, and water policy, while also highlighting plans for tax cuts and cooperation across chambers. Governor Hobbs centered her address on the “Arizona promise,” stressing affordability, security, and freedom. She highlighted prior actions on job growth, medical debt relief, housing, public safety, border security, water management, and economic development, and announced new proposals including a middle-class tax cut package, a capacity and efficiency initiative to save state funds, a new active management area for La Paz County, a Colorado River Protection Fund, elimination of the data center tax exemption, a housing acceleration fund, and an Arizona Affordability Fund funded in part by a short-term rental fee. She also called for more accountability in the ESA program and for renewing Prop. 123 to support public schools. The governor and legislative leaders also addressed political violence, honoring retiring Senator Lela Alston and recognizing public safety and firefighting personnel. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken in the session; it concluded with the joint session being dissolved after the governor’s remarks.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a $10 fee. There is not an option to not pay for that.
• So motor vehicle registration fees, driver's licenses, title fees, and then the big one is road toll
• , driver's licenses, title fees, and the big one, road toll too, so the gas tax.
• <03:26:17.840> or general funds or increasing fees or general funds or increasing fees or
• <03:31:20.080> um keep those phones private and secure um keep those phones private and secure

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up HB 129, which would redefine “evidence-based” in public education. The Department of Education testified that the bill’s definition would conflict with federal definitions and be very restrictive, potentially affecting a wide range of instructional methods, curriculum materials, teacher training, civics requirements, suicide prevention training, and other programs. The department said the bill could force a broad overhaul of school practices, create local implementation burdens, and require at least one new state position, with a fiscal note estimating roughly $118,000 in FY 2026 rising in later years. Members also raised concerns about possible impacts on federal pass-through funding and whether the bill was workable. Representative Papovich moved to retain HB 129, and the motion passed 7-0. The committee then heard HB 133, a Department of Safety/DMV bill involving follow-up when a person votes using an out-of-state license or non-driver ID and then does not obtain a New Hampshire credential within the statutory timeframe. DMV officials said the bill would require a $40,000 technology upgrade plus a new full-time position, and that the fiscal note did not include postage or fully account for the manual work needed to match records, send notices, and review responses. They said the proposal also raised broader tracking issues because it would apply not only to voters but to anyone who had not obtained a New Hampshire license within 60 days, and they questioned whether DMV was the proper agency to make those inquiries. Committee members pressed the department on how the 60-day clock would be determined, whether the bill could amount to a kind of poll tax or raise privacy concerns, and whether voter ID cards or other exceptions would avoid that problem. The department explained that New Hampshire offers a free voter identification card through town clerks for people without a license or state ID, but said the bill did not exempt those cards and that the DMV would still be asked to investigate status after voting. Officials also said the bill would be difficult to enforce, that some cases would be ambiguous, and that any response from the DMV would likely amount to a request for information rather than an enforceable consequence. No vote on HB 133 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• The more secure we are in our food, the more secure we are as a nation.
• Food security is national security.
• <02:52:58.960> Uh security is a part of this. Uh security is a part of this.
• And um I security is national security.
• for fee. for fee. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 16:10.880> keep<00:16:11.680> uh ...retrieving data, and helping to keep our system secure
• We're going to be using the site providers' service fees to pay for these.
• We're going to be using the site providers' service fees to pay for these.
• uh be using uh the site providers uh be using uh the site providers uh service<00:29:38.960> fees
• <00:29:40.480> So service fees to to pay for these. So service fees to to pay for these.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: Senate Republican leaders held a press event to roll out a package of anti-fraud proposals focused on state welfare and human services programs. Mark Johnson opened by citing recent fraud scandals, including a shuttered housing program and reports of vulnerable adults being left without care while providers billed for full services, and said Republicans want top-down reform, stronger accountability, new technology, and tighter oversight of taxpayer dollars. Michael Kreun said Republicans support an independent Office of Inspector General and argued the Senate-passed bill should not be weakened in the House; he also said the Senate should restore its role in confirming agency commissioners, especially at DHS, which he described as central to the fraud problem. Jordan Rasmusson outlined a plan to stop “blank checks” for DHS and DCYF services by requiring legislative audit review when a program exceeds budget by 5 percent and legislative approval for additional spending at 10 percent over budget. He also said DHS should adopt basic integrity tools such as electronic visit verification and client sign-off. Steve Drazkowski described two bills: a statewide “do-not-pay” list to block payments to ineligible people or entities, and an “I’m Not a Robot” proposal for Medicaid managed care that would require enrollee verification forms, with a 2 percent payment withhold used to encourage compliance and potentially fund county system upgrades. Mark Krueger said the state should improve technology and data use for eligibility determinations, citing other states’ rapid fraud-fighting systems, and proposed penalties for false reporting to the Legislative Auditor after a DHS audit found falsified site-visit records. Steve Gruenhagen said his bill would require DHS and DCYF to resume annual fraud-prevention and oversight reports to the legislature, which he said had stopped after 2017 despite rising fraud cases. Michael Holmstrom proposed unannounced site visits for all DHS and DCYF providers before enrollment, reenrollment, and revalidation, funded through provider service fees, and cited a recent case involving a woman with autism who was billed for far more care than she received. In the Q&A, Kreun said House Democrats’ delete-everything amendment to the inspector general bill removed the law enforcement division and stripped the bill of its “teeth,” and he suggested the governor’s office may have been involved in efforts to replace the bill with a weaker coordination council model. No votes were taken in the press conference.

Transcript Highlights:

• increases in the low-income weight and additional assistance, $44,800,000 to the Department of Economic Security
• There is no doubt about that because the continuation of the Department of Economic Security is tied
• We're talking about adult protective services at the Department of Economic Security and Department of
• the Navigable Stream Adjudication Commission from the water banking fund to be used to pay for legal fees
• So, because I was looking through the other line items, when it says legal fees in FY 2027, is that in

Summary: House Republican caucus met on April 29 to review the FY 2027 budget package and several related “budget implementation” bills, with Chairman Livingston noting that HB 2415 was being held. Staff and members walked through HB 4138, the General Appropriations Act (“feed bill”), which appropriates about $17.96 billion from the general fund and includes one-time fund transfers, 5% lump-sum reductions for most agencies, funding for the state health insurance plan, school facilities, child care, correctional officer stipends, public safety, and other prior-year items. Members emphasized that the budget reflected House and Senate negotiations after the governor left budget talks, and Republican leaders framed it as a package that lowers taxes, shrinks government, and funds priorities such as K-12, child care, foster care, and public safety. The caucus then reviewed a series of mostly standard budget bills: HB 4139 on gaming/racing assessments; HB 4140 on federal monies, the budget stabilization fund, and ACE initiative savings reporting; HB 4141 on capital outlay, highway construction, airport funding, and rural transportation match funds; HB 4142 on commerce and lottery distributions; HB 4143 on corrections reporting; HB 4144 on environmental provisions and water-related fund uses; HB 4145 on state employee health insurance premiums and DES reforms; HB 4146 on higher education funding provisions; HB 4147 on SNAP administration and error-rate reduction; HB 4148 on K-12 inflation adjustments, school facilities, and ASDB property-sale oversight; HB 4150 on county expenditure flexibility and state office rent rates; HB 4151 on the Department of Revenue’s integrated tax system funding and related charges; HB 4152 on tax conformity, deductions, and repeal of several renewable-energy tax preferences and the Rio Nuevo diversion; and HB 4153 on transportation reporting. Discussion repeatedly centered on health plan solvency, SNAP/ACCESS eligibility and fraud controls, school funding, rural transportation, and tax conformity and relief. The caucus also took up several blue-sheet bills: HB 2035 on extended-family placement notifications in child welfare cases; HB 2170 restricting certain PRC-controlled companies from state IT contracts; HB 2249 expanding Parents’ Bill of Rights provisions; HB 2573 on DUI interlock/restricted-license rules and psychotherapy definitions; and HB 2873, which was amended to allow withdrawal of referendum petitions before ballot qualification. HB 2415 was held. The Speaker closed by praising the caucus for its budget work, saying the package delivers tax relief, protects vulnerable populations and public safety, and reflects months of Republican negotiations, and the meeting adjourned to the floor.

Transcript Highlights:

• want to enter an open-ended receivership that's going to cost state taxpayers just for the receiver's fee
• I believe the Air Force, you call them security forces.
• could check with the bill sponsor to see if he'd be open to a floor amendment so that Air Force security
• A fee structure that already exists in statute would now be an unfunded mandate disguised as discretion
• including in this role for the people of Arizona who have elected us to help make sure the border is secure

Bills: SB1032, SB1055, SB1107

Keywords: corrections oversight, funding, state budget, criminal justice, reform, immigration enforcement, law enforcement, illegal aliens, state legislation, civil penalties, peace officer certification, police certification, law enforcement licensing, Arizona POST, peace officer standards and training, military police, veterans, honorably discharged, veteran hiring, abbreviated academy

Transcript Highlights:

• national security threats. national security threats.
• . fees. fees.
• If we wanted to designate this as a green fee project, we could do so.
• Just want to note that the green fee is basically taxing people.
• <05:29:30.040> So, fee project, uh we could do so. So, fee project, uh we could do so.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:29:07.280> housing homeless households to secure housing homeless households to secure
• security at schools and school security security at schools and school security enhancements<01:
• Instead, it secures longevity and capability.
• Invasive species threaten our environment, food security, and way of life.
• , food security, and way of<05:48:02.840> life.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Sergeant-at-Arms will please secure the chamber doors. Members, please take your seats.
• <00:29:28.080> staffing technology and cyber security staffing technology and cyber security
• scales for IT and cyber security scales for IT and cyber security professionals<00:29:38.320>
• Favorable with two amendments. frame and a corresponding fee to process frame and a corresponding fee
• alcoholic beverage fees. alcoholic beverage fees.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Monday, April 13, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened on the final day of session, heard an invocation, recognized guests and pages, and outlined a tentative plan for multiple sessions and breaks through the day. The chamber then took up several messages between the Senate and House, including a refusal to concur in House amendments to Senate Bill 311 on the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and the appointment of conferees, as well as a House message on House Bill 9007 establishing a conference committee on third-degree assault. The Senate also considered a series of second-reader bills. House Bill 6, requiring MHEC to collect data on pregnant and parenting students, was amended to exempt Maryland Global Campus and limit certain provisions to public senior higher education institutions and community colleges before being ordered to third reading. House Bill 182, concerning replacement of faithless electors, was amended to conform with Senate Bill 237 and then passed. House Bill 575, creating excused absences for student civic engagement, drew the most discussion; senators asked about the definition of civic engagement, county discretion, and whether students could use the bill for repeated protests. The floor leader explained that county boards would retain discretion and that the bill would not require weekly absences. The bill’s two amendments were adopted and it was sent to third reading. Additional measures passed with little or no opposition. House Bill 640 revised boards, commissions, and reporting requirements; House Bill 1335 required an independent study of IT and cybersecurity staffing and pay; House Bill 587 created a work group to review transportation procurement procedures; House Bill 854 established a nonpublic special education school renovation program; and House Bill 898 adjusted economic development provisions, including VLT proceeds and film tax credit language, after questions about the general fund impact. The Senate also advanced House Bill 1247 on Prince George’s County tax increment financing for an immersive entertainment venue, with amendments making it an emergency bill and addressing zoning and outdoor advertising issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• Army War College, where I actually created a class called Energy International Security.
• Army War College, where I actually created a class called Energy International Security.
• Army War College, where I actually created a class called Energy International Security.
• Army War College, where I actually created a class called Energy International Security.
• <00:03:30.599> we<00:03:30.760> worked Energy interntional security we worked Energy

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Committee on Energy Finance and Policy met for an informational session and quorum was present, but the chair stated no action would be taken. Members and staff introduced themselves, and Chair Chris Swedzinski outlined the committee’s broad goals of improving Minnesota’s energy system for families and businesses, with an emphasis on affordability, reliability, and development. Several members echoed those priorities, especially concerns about electric reliability, base-load generation, and the needs of rural communities, co-ops, munis, farms, and small businesses. House fiscal analyst Ashley presented a budget overview for the committee’s jurisdiction. She reviewed spending and base amounts for the Energy Resources Division, the Renewable Development Fund, the Petroleum Tank Release Cleanup Fund, and the Public Utilities Commission, and explained that the committee also oversees special revenue and other accounts. She noted that the Renewable Development Fund is supported by utility payments for spent nuclear fuel storage, the cleanup fund by a petroleum distribution fee, and that the Commerce Department receives significant federal LIHEAP and weatherization funds. Members asked about the large increase in the Climate and Economic Development Fund and the status of recent appropriations; staff explained that the 2023 session set a larger target, that about $79 million had been spent from the relevant budget, and that some funds may carry forward. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on community solar gardens. Representative Dave Baker asked for an update on the program, and staff explained that Minnesota has about 1,600 megawatts of solar, with more than 900 megawatts in community solar. Staff said 2023 legislative changes capped annual additions and created new incentives for low- and middle-income participation. Members also discussed concerns about program cost, local siting opposition, and a large interconnection queue; staff said there is a backlog of projects, including a reported 56 gigawatts in the MISO queue, and that utilities need distribution upgrades to handle new capacity. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 280 is requiring food delivery services to secure agreements with restaurants.
• Senate Bill 280 is requiring food delivery services to secure agreements with restaurants.
• And I've heard stories of the fee structure being a bit egregious at times, and it can be.
• That's all they're going to do because they don't want to pay the fees or whatever it might be.
• Are there any fees for licenses that are going to be assessed? Thank you, very good question.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• payment of a statewide hospitality fee payment of a statewide hospitality fee that<00:09:42.399>
• Thank you. center facility fee thing. Um and so center facility fee thing.
• I the be charging all these fees.
• um requirements for stating the fees. um requirements for stating the fees.
• And this has to do with the fees. two. And this has to do with the fees.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They're building the new security. This is for 30-year buildings.
• Security is... Thank you very much, Mr. Dorcas. Security is always a concern.
• You see, pre-K children's fees subsidize our cost to care for infants and toddlers.
• Additionally, private schools often charge additional fees.
• My opposition, I would ask the chair to actually strike line 24, tuition and fees.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 convened with a quorum, adopted its committee rules, and heard opening remarks from members introducing staff and outlining priorities for the session. Several senators emphasized support for public education, teacher pay and safety, parental choice, and the combined K-16 jurisdiction of the committee. The chair also reviewed hearing procedures, including public testimony registration and time limits. The main item was Senate Bill 2, the Texas Education Freedom Act, laid out by Chairman Creighton. He described the bill as an education savings account program intended to expand school choice, with a $200 million universal eligibility pool and an additional $800 million targeted to students with disabilities and lower-income families. He said the bill includes anti-fraud safeguards, criminal background checks for vendors, reporting requirements, data protections, and annual testing for participating students, while not imposing STAAR on private schools or homeschoolers. He also said the bill removes a prior hold-harmless provision for public schools and is separate from public school funding and teacher pay legislation. Members questioned the bill’s income threshold, lottery and priority structure, treatment of homeschoolers, microschools, charter schools, religious freedom protections, citizenship/lawful presence language, cybersecurity, open records, and disability-related issues, including whether 504 students and foster children should be included. Creighton said the bill is designed to prioritize former public school students with disabilities or lower incomes, while also allowing universal eligibility within the program’s first funding tier, and that the Comptroller would oversee vendor screening and cybersecurity rules. He said the bill does not direct curriculum or interfere with religious beliefs and that amendments may be offered later on citizenship and other issues. After member questions, the committee began invited testimony, starting with EdChoice representative Robert Inlow, who testified in support of SB 2 and cited national growth in school choice programs and studies he said show positive effects for students and public schools.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:05:15.800> three<00:05:16.400> to and to assess appropriate fees three to and to
• assess appropriate fees three to provide<00:05:17.039> sufficient<00:05:17.600> capacity
• Just one question: you folks collect admin fees and you collect penalties and fees.
• Do you use some of that for some of the work that you need to have done for fees?
• Okay, and hiring a security firm wouldn’t help.”

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Reed, are you looking at fees as well in other states and how they assess fees?
• And there's a place for fees, especially if you're limited staff.
• And there's a place for fees, especially if you're limited staff.
• Reed mentioned fees, and there was a lot of work done on Senator Roem's bill.
• It's not really what the fees are about.

Keywords: Freedom of Information Advisory Council, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, it sounds like we're increasing registration or these fees.
• Now we're adding an extra fee for just electric and plug-in vehicles on top of those fees, right?
• That is the fee for the gas tax based upon the mile. I'll let the secretary explain the mileage.
• The 25% increase on registration fees will materialize entirely to the state road fund.
• We don't think that this is a fair fee.

Transcript Highlights:

• These two fees apply to employers. Alabama.
• fees to Alabama employers, insurers, and consumers.
• These new fees will go... consumers.
• These dispensing fees will be passed down immediately by PBMs.
• These bills impose a $10.64 fee on every prescription filled. $10.64 fee on every prescription filled

Keywords: 923, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The tipping fee is the fee that you pay per ton when your trash goes to the landfill, right, or waste-to-energy
• have the The Tipping fee is the fee<03:10:56.359> that<03:10:56.520> you<03:10:56.760>
• You want to raise the fee? Oh, I see. Right.
• , then I'm going to have to pay a fee to go to the court, and then I'm going to have to pay a fee at
• to have to pay a fee at the court.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House Bill 2 provisions affecting the New Hampshire Retirement System, focusing on Group 2/Tier B retirement changes in pages 25 through 39 of the bill. NHRS Executive Director Jan Goodwin and deputy chief counsel Mark Kavanaugh explained that the 2025 bill is largely similar to prior versions and to HB 727, with the main difference being that the 2025 version does not include the earlier increase in the maximum benefit. They also said the fiscal note for HB 2 is based on earlier actuarial work and that an updated valuation was expected later in the week. A major topic was whether the bill accidentally removed an anti-spiking or special-duty compensation limit. NHRS said the omission appears to be a scrivener’s error caused by moving language between Group 1 and Group 2 definitions, and they planned to flag it in the fiscal note. Members also reviewed the bill’s intent to restore Tier B members to pre-2011 benefit rules, including changes to earnable compensation, average final compensation, and the comp-over-base rule. Some members questioned whether restoring those older rules was appropriate, arguing the 2011 changes were meant to curb pension spiking and that undoing them could be problematic. The committee also discussed the bill’s cost and funding assumptions. NHRS said the 2025 bill would reduce unfunded actuarial liability by about $98.2 million and would have a more favorable effect than the 2023 version, while employer contribution impacts would remain relatively small. Members noted the bill assumes annual appropriations of $27.5 million for 10 years, but House Bill 1 currently provides only $5 million in the first year, and NHRS had not yet analyzed the effect of that shortfall. No votes were taken in the portion provided; the discussion was informational and focused on clarifying the bill’s language, intent, and fiscal impact.

Transcript Highlights:

• This also sets up fees. The DEQ will be collecting the fees from now on. They estimated the fees.
• The payment and collection of the fees will be reasonable.
• Also recently, in 2023, the New York Attorney General secured a multi-million-dollar settlement from
• Also recently, in 2023, the New York Attorney General secured a multi-million-dollar settlement from
• Also recently, in 2023, the New York Attorney General secured a multi-million-dollar settlement from

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer, roll call, and a quorum present, then took up several procedural motions, including suspending House rules for three legislative days and replacing conference committee members on Senate Bill 2282 and SCR 4007. The chamber also recognized visiting student groups from Grafton/Pleasant Valley and Shiloh School. Later, the House agreed to several conference committee reports and moved a number of measures through final passage or final disposition. House Bill 1428, which would have created a sales tax exemption for clothing sold by thrift stores or nonprofit corporations, drew extensive debate over tax policy, revenue loss, and possible conflicts with streamlined sales tax rules. Supporters argued it would help lower-income shoppers and nonprofit thrift stores, while opponents said it created an unfair advantage and could reduce state and local revenue. The conference report was adopted, but the bill ultimately failed on final vote, 37-54. House Bill 1440, relating to cigar lounges, was amended in conference and then passed 75-17. House Bill 1460, concerning adult foster care for private-pay adults, electronic monitoring, and a legislative study, was also adopted and passed overwhelmingly, 91-1. The House then passed Senate Bill 2224, which revises gaming commission structure and gaming stamp requirements, adds Attorney General enforcement provisions, and includes a $25,000 general fund appropriation, by a vote of 88-0. Senate Bill 2327, which expands uses of the agriculture diversification and development fund and appropriates $15 million to it, passed 74-17 after a member was excused from voting due to a personal interest. Senate Bill 2267, creating a regulatory framework for on-site wastewater treatment systems and shifting licensing authority to the Department of Environmental Quality, passed 82-10, and Senate Bill 2276, addressing joint water resource boards for cross-county projects, passed 90-1. The most contentious debate centered on Senate Bill 2160, which would move the state employee health plan from grandfathered status to a non-grandfathered ACA-compliant plan and appropriate about $6.6 million for the transition. Supporters said it would give the PERS board more flexibility, expand preventive and other benefits, and potentially slow premium growth without charging employees premiums. Opponents warned it could raise out-of-pocket costs, add mandated benefits, and shift costs to employees, while also arguing the bill had not been adequately studied. After extended debate, the House passed SB 2160 by a vote of 55-37. The chamber also concurred in Senate amendments to House Bill 1318, a pesticide labeling bill, and placed it on final passage, but the transcript ends before the final vote on that measure.