Transcript Highlights:

• It's still not enough to fully fund the program.
• Oh, sorry. of the Arizona Competes Fund.
• And so public funds... ...accounts that were used to fund 529 accounts.
• in FY27 to the Livestock Compensation Fund.
• the Federal Highway Trust Fund and the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund.

Summary: The committee worked through a long Minority Caucus calendar covering a wide range of bills, with many items on consent and several pulled for discussion. Early items included resolutions on Judea and Samaria, bullion depository bills, a produce incentive appropriation, a biennial budget proposal, and a veterans services appropriation. Members also heard transportation-related bills on driver permits, citations, boat insurance, English proficiency for commercial drivers and motor carriers, photo enforcement, and a measure restricting incarceration for unpaid fines and fees. Several members raised concerns about constitutional issues, public safety, or whether bills were duplicative or targeted at specific groups. A large portion of the meeting focused on education and school governance bills. These included proposals on school district bond advisors, restrictions on school property leases and purchases, public meeting requirements, term limits and training for school board members, patriotic youth group access to students, computer science proficiency, and a bill requiring fingerprint clearance cards for traffic school instructors. Members repeatedly criticized what they described as inconsistent treatment of public schools versus ESA/private school programs, and several education bills were pulled from consent for further discussion. Other bills addressed child safety and family law, including DCS credit freezes, recorded child interviews, parents’ rights notices, mandatory reporting of threats by minors, sex offender residency and GPS monitoring, and a bill on guardianship rights during DCS investigations. The committee also considered a number of social services, health, and labor/consumer bills. These included SNAP work requirement and verification measures, a SNAP error-rate audit, dementia care telemonitoring funding, a Braille transcription appropriation, court fee limits, a physician assistant compact, pediatric licensure compact, and a kratom regulation bill. Members debated an earned wage access licensing bill at length, with opponents calling it predatory and akin to payday lending, while supporters argued it provided a regulated consumer option. Other measures covered cash acceptance by businesses, 529-to-Roth IRA rollovers, AI rules for state agencies, and a bill on public nuisance actions by the Attorney General. Several of these drew warnings about constitutional problems, preemption, or burdens on vulnerable populations. Energy, water, and tax policy also featured prominently. The committee heard bills on fuel formulations, gas tax relief, data centers and small modular nuclear reactors, utility reporting, and a Commerce Authority mandate to reduce fuel prices. Members criticized some proposals as favoring industry, preempting local control, or lacking a clear funding plan. The meeting ended after additional items on veterans, sample ballot mailing dates, and other miscellaneous measures, with multiple bills noted as pulled from consent or subject to later votes; no final roll-call results were detailed in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, starting off with the first item, which is in my area, the mobile driver's license identity
• for the Columbia River Crossing, the Columbia River dredging project, is funded out of.
• explanation, it says, if a bond issuance exceeds 40 years, Sound Transit is ineligible for regional mobility
• So you can see the first item, new mobile driver's license identity card fee, the revenue raised from
• So we now know fairies haven't had permanent funding and a Jeremy worth of time, and today is March 4th

Summary: The Transportation Committee met in executive session on Gross Substitute House Bill 2711, a transportation resources measure, after a staff walkthrough of the Senate striking amendment S-5820.4. Staff explained that the striker largely replaced the bill with provisions from Senate Bill 6352 and related transportation revenue and policy changes, including updates to mobile driver’s licenses, account interest provisions, recreational vessel and luxury vehicle tax clarifications, peer-to-peer tax administration changes, fuel tax timing changes, aircraft fuel tax and account changes, bicycle education grants, ferry payment-card fee authority, traffic safety camera revenue and rebuttable presumption rules, online driver education regulation, transit annexation tax/liability clarification, Sound Transit 75-year bond authority limits, stolen copper protections for light rail and DOT communications infrastructure, and a highway contracting threshold change. Staff also reviewed fiscal impacts, including revenue gains from trade-in value clarifications and aircraft fuel changes, and losses from the diesel tax delay, motorhome exemption, and repeal of the luxury aircraft tax. Members asked several clarifying questions, including the luxury RV tax threshold, how trade-in value is treated under the luxury vehicle tax, whether ferry debit-card fees are authorized, and the legality of passing card-processing fees to customers. Staff and counsel said the luxury vehicle tax applies to value over $100,000, trade-in value is added back for the luxury tax calculation, and the ferry provision is intended to clarify that both credit and debit card surcharges may be passed through. On the traffic safety camera section, staff described a revised approach that would require stronger proof from registered owners to rebut presumed responsibility, and on Sound Transit bonds, staff clarified that bonds over 40 years would be limited to federal transportation loan purposes and would affect eligibility for certain state grants. After caucus, the committee returned to executive session, waived the amendment posting deadline under Senate Rule 45, adopted the striking amendment, and then voted to advance ESHB 2711 as amended with a do pass recommendation to the Rules Committee. The motion carried, and the chair thanked staff before adjourning the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• For what purpose does the gentleman from Texas seek recognition? Mr.
• The gentleman from Texas, the lead sponsor, is recognized.
• The gentleman from Texas, the lead sponsor, is recognized.
• from Texas Mr Jackson gentleman<01:08:05.000><c> from</c><01:08:05.160><c> Texas</c><01:08:05.480><c
• We borrow the Social Security trust fund.

Bills: HR23 , HR22 , HR21

Keywords: proxy voting, remote voting, parental leave, House of Representatives, committee meetings, committee appointments, representation, legislative committees, elections, HR21, legislative process, government structure

Transcript Highlights:

• from his general fund.
• from his general fund.
• from his general fund.
• </c><00:10:36.560><c> to</c> state provide a one-time funding to state provide a one-time funding to
• And it was here 7 years later Texas.

Summary: The committee met for its sixth meeting, established a quorum, and approved the minutes from the October 21 meeting. The main agenda item was a presentation from Kentucky Association of Counties (KACo) leaders and county officials on jail funding and jail-system reform. Speakers said county jail costs have reached crisis levels, citing large and rising general-fund subsidies in counties such as Hardin, McCracken, and Warren, and noting that county general-fund contributions to jail funds have increased by 76% since 2019. KACo outlined a three-part legislative approach for the upcoming session: incentivizing regional jails, clarifying responsibility for pre-trial felony detainees, and redefining the model for housing state inmates in county jails. On regional jails, they proposed one-time state construction funding, statutory changes to allow former county jails to serve as 96-hour holdover facilities, broader participation of jailers on regional jail authority boards, an increased supplement for closed county jails, and a one-time payment for counties that close local jails and join regional facilities. Union County Judge Adam Onan described his county’s savings from contracting with Webster County and said regionalization can reduce costs where feasible. Harlan County Judge Executive Dan Mosley focused on pre-trial felony detainees, saying counties bear the full cost of housing people awaiting trial for long periods, sometimes years, and that pre-trial time is later credited toward state sentences. He argued the state benefits from that credit and referenced prior bills that would have reimbursed counties for time-served credit. Shelley Hampton then proposed replacing the current per diem model for state inmates with contracts requiring the Department of Corrections to pay actual housing costs and to support programming such as substance abuse treatment, cognitive behavioral programming, re-entry services, workforce training, and academics. No votes were taken on the jail proposals, and the meeting ended with the presentation and discussion of the county recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, just next door in Texas, and I want to say their names.
• My first question is, how will this study be funded?
• They're self-funded. So I don't know that it's going to help in the way that they think.
• They don't need to have funds. This is a task force that is unfunded.
• They don't need to have funds.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• and what it does not do for those that are not in the patient compensation fund?
• If you'll let me, you mentioned the robust credentialing process that Texas undergoes.
• I trained in Texas, so I know all about that. I trained in Texas, so I know all about that.
• And getting a license in Texas is a multifaceted experience.
• Texas.

Bills: HB99 , HB49 , HB164 , SB30 , SB43 , SB50 , SB136

Committee: House House Judiciary

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 99, which would make changes to the Medical Malpractice Act, especially around punitive damages. The chair and sponsor said the bill would not be voted on that day and that public comment would wait until Monday, when a fuller presentation and any recommended substitute would be considered. Dr. Brooke Baker, a physician-lawyer, gave a long presentation on physician wellness, malpractice stress, and the effect of litigation on staffing and burnout, while also discussing hospital ownership structures, private equity, and rural hospital vulnerability. She argued that punitive damages are often pled too broadly in New Mexico, that the amendment language was unclear about which entities would be capped, and that better oversight and internal quality systems—not punitive damages—are the better tools for addressing bad actors and unsafe care. Committee members from both sides asked extensive questions about the patient compensation fund, indemnification, corporate structures, the effect of caps on insurance and recruitment, and whether the bill would protect physicians’ personal assets. No vote was taken on HB 99, and the committee recessed before moving to the next bill. The committee then returned to House Bill 49, a public safety measure increasing penalties for felons who possess firearms. The sponsors and law enforcement witnesses said the bill is aimed narrowly at serious violent felons who are already prohibited from having guns, and that it would align state sentencing with federal law and give police and prosecutors a stronger tool against repeat violent offenders. An amendment was offered to narrow the bill further, add destructive devices, and make the offense a second-degree felony rather than escalating to first degree on repeat offenses. The amendment was adopted without opposition. Public testimony on HB 49 was largely opposed. The Law Office of the Public Defender argued the bill criminalizes possession without a new act of violence, that current law already punishes felon-in-possession conduct, and that New Mexico has repeatedly increased penalties without evidence of reduced gun crime. The ACLU of New Mexico also opposed the bill, saying increased penalties are not a proven deterrent. The transcript cuts off as additional online opposition testimony was beginning.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> with the future of federal funding with the future of federal funding becoming<00:40:56.960><c>
• </c> the committee to prioritize Funding the committee to prioritize Funding Solutions<00:57:12.119><
• </c> classrooms open without proper funding classrooms open without proper funding it<00:57:46.799><c
• </c> the child care system needs real funding the child care system needs real funding and<00:58:26.599
• taxes in Texas there's regressive taxes in Texas there's<01:24:17.040><c> no</c><01:24:17.480><c> income

Bills: HF1277 , HF1006

Committee: House Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• Early Childhood Trust Fund, which we funded in a different way, right?
• new ambulances, that's funding schools, those sorts of things.
• Those funds can indeed be managed and invested properly, which is why it's going to that fund, Madam
• We've also shared a basin with Texas.
• in this state a more severe tax and regulatory policy than Texas.

Committee: House House Energy, Environment & Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• These aren't mobile homes.
• These aren't mobile homes. down payment. These aren't mobile homes.
• to access funding resources to really diversify funding.
• $2 million in that fund.
• $2 million in that fund.

Committee: Senate Housing and Homelessness Prevention

Transcript Highlights:

• These funds were vital to ensuring Main Street business across the country was protected.
• held these criminals accountable, but that must change, so I look forward how you will recoup these funds
• for the Independent Bankers Association of Texas.
• Independent Bankers Association of Texas, Texas Venture Alliance, Economic and Community Development
• I would say for places like Ohio and Arizona and Texas, it has absolutely brought manufacturing back.

Committee: Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee

Keywords: SBA, small business, nominations, Bill Briggs, Casey Mulligan, regulations, capital access, public support

Summary: The Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship convened to consider the nominations of Bill Briggs for Deputy Administrator of the SBA and Dr. Casey Mulligan for Chief Counsel for Advocacy. The discussions highlighted the critical role of the SBA in promoting small businesses, with emphasis on overcoming challenges posed by excessive regulations and the need for improved access to capital. Several committee members expressed their concerns over recent layoffs within the SBA and the closure of district offices, which they believe undermine support for small businesses across the nation. The committee meeting saw extensive dialogue about the implications of regulations on small business operations and how the nominees plan to address these issues if confirmed. Public support for the nominees was acknowledged through letters from various stakeholders who advocate for small business interests.

Transcript Highlights:

• The gentleman from Texas is recognized to explain his motion. Mr.
• , over higher education funding?”
• “Over foundation formula, over transportation funding, over higher education funding, because that’s
• That's the grant from foreign influence fund.
• The gentleman from Texas. Thank you. Just a second.

Transcript Highlights:

• And third, it strengthens the Kentucky Enterprise Fund by expanding its purpose to better recruit and
• You'll also see that we have excluded mobile devices and voice assistant devices.
• You'll also see that we have excluded mobile devices and voice assistant devices.
• You'll also see that we have excluded mobile devices and voice assistant devices.
• So, you removed the mobile devices. Was there any particular reason?

Committee: Senate Economic Development, Tourism, & Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• And I hadn't the gift fund piece of what you'd said.
• And I hadn't the gift fund piece of what you'd said.
• This will be two different funds, but if one fund doesn't use the money of the other fund, then they
• food banks, then there's going to be two different funds.
• So if either fund doesn't exhaust the funds for that year, then they can hit from one side or the other

Committee: House Ways and Means

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 994, which would extend taxpayer protection from penalties and interest when a taxpayer claims a tax credit that has reached its cap and then receives a Department of Revenue notice for underpayment. Senator Henderson said the bill mirrors existing language for the Champion for Children tax credit, would require payment within 60 days to avoid penalties and interest, and includes technical fixes for the beginning farmer tax credit and school-district reporting. The bill drew support from Missouri Soybean, Feeding Missouri, Missouri Farm Bureau, and Missouri Corn Growers, while the State Public Advocate initially objected to tax credits generally but said he would support the bill once he understood it did not create a new credit. No vote was taken. The committee then heard House Bill 1743, which would bar courts from depriving individuals of property for failure to pay property taxes, with the sponsor arguing that tax sales disproportionately harm low-income and elderly homeowners. Members raised concerns about weakening tax collection and the impact on local taxing districts, while the sponsor said liens and wage garnishment would still be available and that the bill was aimed at protecting homeownership. The Missouri County Collector’s Association opposed the bill, saying tax sales are rare, payment plans are common, and redemption periods already provide protection. The bill was left at hearing with no action. House Bill 2461, presented with nearly identical companion language from another member, would extend and expand Missouri’s donated food tax credit through 2032, raise the cap for food pantries, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters, and create a separate bucket for food banks. Sponsors and Feeding Missouri said the credit is expiring, demand for food assistance is high, and food banks need access to the program to leverage corporate donations; they also discussed a possible amendment to preserve eligibility if the individual income tax is eliminated. The State Public Advocate opposed the bill as another tax credit cost, but the Department of Revenue said the bill would streamline administration and had no fiscal impact. The committee also heard House Bill 3405, which would reclassify the SALT parity pass-through entity provision as a deduction rather than a tax credit for reporting purposes; the sponsor and Department of Revenue said this would improve clarity and reduce administrative burden without changing revenue, and business groups supported it. No votes were taken on any of the bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• The department does not currently have a funding source identified for a consultant that would cover
• and mobility aids.
• </c><04:11:17.680><c> and</c><04:11:18.000><c> mobility</c><04:11:18.399><c> aids.
• </c><04:11:19.120><c> Uh</c> like mobility and mobility aids. Uh like mobility and mobility aids.
• That one provides funding, and the other one provides requirements in education.

Committee: House Science, Technology and Energy

Transcript Highlights:

• So Aaliyah won't lose that funding. It's just this is an AI that funding.
• Thank you for the the funding. I agree. Thank you for the the funding. I agree.
• Mobile Represent Clark.
• went into that fund.
• Chair recognizes a gentleman from Mobile Pro Timing. Mobile Pro Timing. Mobile Pro Timing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Second, it appropriates $15 million from the general fund to the ad fund for the 2025-27 biennium.
• The ad fund has been successful.
• The ad fund has been successful in its mission, with numerous projects having received funding.
• It makes more of those researchers dependent upon outside sources rather than general fund funding to
• And there will always be we should continue to do more unbiased, I guess, totally general fund funded

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.

Transcript Highlights:

• Many of these projects are eligible for funding through the Wildlife Conservation Board, federal funds
• , and private funds.
• Many of these projects are eligible for funding through the Wildlife Conservation Board, federal funds
• , and private funds.
• There's enough funding for that project, and but it cannot address or include funding for wildlife connectivity—can

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee heard several bills focused on local transportation funding, roadway safety, e-bike regulation, veterans’ parking access, high-speed rail reporting, autonomous vehicle oversight, and wildlife-vehicle collision planning. SB 1408 would authorize Contra Costa County to place a countywide transportation sales tax measure on the ballot; supporters said it would continue funding highways, transit, bike/pedestrian projects, and paratransit, while CalTax opposed it over affordability and tax burden concerns. SB 990 would allow targeted Caltrans business-logo signage for Ridgecrest along Highway 395; supporters framed it as a rural safety and economic access measure, and there was no opposition. SB 1167 would tighten consumer protections by clarifying what qualifies as a legal e-bike and requiring clearer labeling and disclosures; supporters included bicycle advocates, medical groups, local governments, and auto clubs, while no opposition testified. SB 1034 would make it easier for disabled veterans rated permanent and total by the VA to obtain disabled parking placards, with strong support from veterans’ organizations and no opposition. SB 1177 would require the High-Speed Rail Project Update report to continue including additional information on revenue options, timelines, and international comparisons; the City of Burbank opposed, while the sponsor argued the bill preserves a historical record and transparency. SB 1246 would impose new remote-operations, response-time, and manual override requirements on autonomous vehicles; first responders and labor groups supported it, industry and business groups opposed it as duplicative of recently enacted law and DMV rules, and the committee discussed possible amendments and coordination issues. The committee also considered SB 1279, which would extend Long Beach’s speed camera pilot to Pacific Coast Highway; supporters cited fatal crash data and pedestrian safety, while the CHP association moved from opposition to neutral after discussions. The committee then took up SB 1250, a planning bill to integrate wildlife-vehicle collision mitigation into transportation planning, with the author emphasizing targeted crossings and fencing at known hotspots. Several consent items were approved on a 10-0 vote, and SB 1246 was reported out 7-2, while other bills were held on call pending quorum or later action.

Transcript Highlights:

• create this new fund.
• create a $100 million fund, and that balance in that fund of $100 million has and still does represent
• But let’s even put the federal funds aside.
• If you funded all of those just using a median amount in today's funding, it would be about $28 million
• it's going to be funded and what the details are of that funding.

Committee: House House Education Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee began with member and staff introductions, then acted as the Education Committee of Reference for three required reviews. The first was the Credit Enhancement Eligibility Board sunset review. A governor’s office representative explained the board was created in 2016 to help qualifying schools, mostly charter schools, obtain lower-cost financing by guaranteeing debt with a $100 million fund. He said the board has approved 15 projects, has not met recently because it is at its statutory leverage limit, and has no dedicated staff or budget. Members supported continuation, and the committee voted by voice vote to recommend the board be continued for 10 years, until July 1, 2036. The committee then heard the sunset review of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). WICHE leadership described its regional higher education compact and its student exchange and cost-savings programs, including WUE, WRGP, and PSEP. They said the programs save Arizona students money, bring students into Arizona institutions, and help address workforce shortages, especially in health care. A WICHE commissioner and the Arizona Board of Regents executive director also testified in support, emphasizing benefits for Arizona students, universities, and workforce pipelines. The committee voted by voice vote to recommend WICHE be continued for 10 years, until July 1, 2036. The final item was the Auditor General’s performance audit of the Arizona Department of Education school safety program. The audit found the program had grown to more than $128 million and funded over 1,000 school safety positions, but ADE did not ensure many sampled schools complied with requirements such as operational plans, safety teams, annual training, activity logs, and reimbursement documentation. The Auditor General said the department relied too heavily on written attestations and lacked sufficient monitoring and guidance, and recommended stronger oversight, written procedures, and better review of reimbursements. ADE’s school safety director responded that the department had expanded training and documentation systems, was implementing the audit recommendations, and had begun risk-based monitoring; he also said the department would add staff and invited the Auditor General to meet with ADE and ASU’s evaluator. After the audit discussion, the committee began considering House Bill 2142, which would create a school safety center at ADE and allow up to 10% of school safety program funds for administration, with members raising questions about monitoring emergency operations plans, disability-related evacuation planning, and coordination with other state agencies.

Transcript Highlights:

• The chair recognizes a gentleman from Mobile.
• Right now, ALDOT has $170 million in a transit fund.
• There are several different... ...the transit fund.
• What we had in Mobile was a divorce hearing.
• [Applause] The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mobile, Pro Tem Pringle. Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill is exactly the same as it was two years ago, except I added Texas as a possible location for
• There's a very good storage facility in Salt Lake City, or they can go all the way out to Texas.
• The Texas bullion depository is actually run by the state of Texas, and it's available for state investments
• I think the University of Texas has quite a bit of gold bullion stored there, and any citizen in Texas
• Senator Hart, you just mentioned Texas and the possible area to store this.

Committee: Senate State Affairs