Transcript Highlights:

• That allows the claimant to repair the vehicle, cover medical bills, or move forward without waiting
• and it was created by the industry to help expedite this concern of how do you deal with the time value
• That normally, if your insurance company has paid your property damage, whether it's for a totaled vehicle

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you'll move with me now to page 7 under the Department of Motor Vehicles, we're good.
• Item one, cost, cost adjustment associated with the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority is adopted
• add a new rider to require reporting on Medicaid long-term care provider financial and fair market value

Bills: SB 1

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

Transcript Highlights:

• And property funds vehicle lease payment and property funds vehicle lease payment 75,811,241 47,1354
• And property funds vehicle lease payment and property funds vehicle lease payment 75,811,241 47,1354
• And property funds vehicle lease payment and property funds vehicle lease payment 75,811,241 47,1354
• And property funds vehicle lease payment and property funds vehicle lease payment 75,811,241 47,1354
• </c><05:02:55.360><c> direct</c> purpose of highway vehicle direct purpose of highway vehicle direct

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, they value that. A lot of districts have incentives in place.
• He was not sure whether the earlier response about the property being used for vehicle maintenance or
• He was not sure whether the earlier response about the property being used for vehicle maintenance or
• Do you have a value of that property, the state value of that property?
• I don't right now, the value of it.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the trails by their houses, but it came back with a finding that it actually raised their property values
• :24:33.840><c> about</c><01:24:34.239><c> riding</c><01:24:34.639><c> these</c><01:24:35.040><c> vehicles
• </c><01:24:35.520><c> on</c> that um about riding these vehicles on that um about riding these vehicles
• I wanted to say that there's a handful of, I think, camps that became homes that would increase in value
• I wanted to say that there's a handful of, I think, camps that became homes that would increase in value

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee began with introductions and a description of the day’s process: a full committee work session on four bills, with no public testimony, followed by caucus and then executive action. The first bill discussed was HB 113, concerning OHRV operation on certain highways in Windsor. Representative Nab presented an amendment that would require a public hearing and Department of Transportation approval, modeled on procedures used in Coös and Grafton counties. Members discussed whether Windsor had already held a local vote or hearing, whether minutes from a town meeting existed, and whether the amendment truly preserved local control. A Windsor resident testified informally that the town had not taken a final vote and that the matter had been left to the state. Committee members also raised concerns about noise, dust, public safety, and the fact that the road in question would connect OHRVs on a state road rather than a trail system. The chair closed the work session on HB 113 and said the committee would return after caucus to vote on the bill and amendment. The committee then took up HB 595FN, relative to coastal resilience zones. Representative Nat said the bill addressed flooding concerns in both coastal and inland New Hampshire, but that the sponsor viewed it as too complex and had recommended breaking the issue into separate parts in future legislation. On that basis, Nat said it was appropriate to ITL the bill, and noted that the sponsor supported that course. No further discussion followed, and the work session was closed. Next was HB 629FN, funding the operation, maintenance, and repair of state dams. Representative Darby explained that the original bill had proposed both a waterfront frontage tax and a $5 charge tied to boat registration, but that the amendment would replace the bill by removing the frontage tax, moving the $5 dam-maintenance fee to the boat decal section of statute, and changing the effective date to January 1, 2027. Darby said the larger fee had raised concerns about impacts on current-use property and enforcement, while the revised $5 fee would raise roughly $500,000 to $600,000 annually. Representative Dunn thanked Darby and said the Marine Trades Association supported the revised approach. A question was raised about whether the original prime sponsors supported the amendment; the chair said they were on board, and Darby added that the proposal reflected recommendations from a prior study committee. The committee then closed HB 629FN and opened SB 27FN, relative to dwellings over water. On SB 27FN, Representative Derby said he opposed the bill because it would take away public access rights and amounted to a one-off legislative solution for a private concern. Representative Donnelly asked how many similar structures might be affected and whether the Department of Environmental Services knew of other cases; DES responded that there was one other related case under settlement compliance and no other active cases with the same issue. In follow-up discussion, DES clarified that the proposal was not a shoreland 50-foot setback issue, but rather involved structures extending over public water. The discussion remained focused on the scope of the bill and its potential precedent-setting effect, with no vote taken in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think we all value having private conversations with our physicians about our healthcare.
• different direction if I may page 13 line 14 and kind of following talk about reductions in fair market value
• effectively it rewards their inaction and because now they can go and say hey I have a reduction in the value
• metropolitans in an awkward position where you're telling them they can be Effectively sued for the value
• So respectfully, I get where you're going, but this is not the right vehicle.

Bills: HB3057, HB3130, HB3310, HB3314, HB3985, HB4113, HB4486

Keywords: government reporting, information technology, child welfare, environmental policy, state agency compliance, gender transition, minors, health services, punitive damages, parental rights, health care providers, purchasing, compliance, state employees, longevity pay, contract management, marijuana tax, public service impact tax, county funding, voter approval

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> House Bill 253, Vehicle Laws—Heavy Weight Port Corridor Permits Regulations. >> House Bill 253 is
• And so as a result the value and the cost of mass transit as opposed to roads ... this bill reflects,
• </c><01:21:30.880><c> and</c><01:21:31.000><c> the</c> And so as a result the value and the And so as
• Allegany County is people and vehicles.
• The Subcommittee on Motor Vehicles and Transportation of Environment and Transportation will meet as

Keywords: House streaming session for Thursday, March 12, 2026, 957, house, all

Summary: The House met in Annapolis on February 27, 2026, with 128 members present. After a prayer, the chamber adopted the previous day’s journal and recognized a resolution honoring Brunswick High School’s first Tech Challenge team, Minerva’s Mechanics, for winning the FTC Regional Championships and qualifying for the World Championship in Houston. The resolution was read and adopted with applause. The main legislative item was House Bill 355, concerning the Education, Sexual Abuse and Assault Awareness and Prevention Program and human and sex trafficking; the House adopted the favorable committee report and ordered the bill printed for third reading. The next bill, House Bill 534 on nonpublic school transcripts and prohibiting punitive measures related to student debt, also received a favorable report. Debate then centered on an amendment offered to HB 534 that would have tied school funding to student choice for students in repeatedly one-star-rated schools and allowed parents of habitually violent or disruptive students to consider military boarding school options. The sponsor argued Maryland’s public schools, especially in Baltimore City, were failing students despite heavy spending, citing low literacy, violence, and the book Failure Factory; several members echoed concerns about school performance, bureaucracy, and the need for educational freedom. Opponents and procedural speakers said the amendment was not germane to HB 534, which they described as a narrow bill about transcript access for students leaving nonpublic schools with unpaid fees, often students with disabilities. The floor leader urged the body to resist the amendment and stick to the bill’s actual subject. Despite multiple members explaining their votes in support of school choice and criticizing the Blueprint and school outcomes, the House ultimately took a roll call on the amendment after a voice vote was challenged. The transcript cuts off during the roll call and does not show the final recorded result on the amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:20:11.040><c> dealers</c> House bill 1166, motor vehicles dealers House bill 1166, motor vehicles
• </c><01:36:37.960><c> One,</c> vehicles have to pay their own way.
• One, vehicles have to pay their own way.
• </c> specific to zero emission vehicles specific to zero emission vehicles beyond<01:36:42.480><c> our
• </c> lots of ways that zero emission vehicles lots of ways that zero emission vehicles are<01:37:01.640

Keywords: House streaming session for Monday, March 23, 2026, 957, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• can demonstrate this pathway as it was demonstrated in the 1950s, this will create a private sector vehicle
• But they are vehicles to move that fly in long distances in a short period of time.
• You know, we talked about, you know, we talked about... holds a value and so it can get to the larva.
• Land values. And guess what we got? Unfunded mandates.
• Land values. And guess what we got? Unfunded mandates.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• buyers in order to accelerate consumer adoption of new zero-emission vehicles and keep us on track to
• We did see a significant uptick in purchases of zero-emission vehicles.
• With respect to CARB's approach on zero-emission vehicles, we have been at the forefront.
• We're using it for general funds, you know, Department of Motor Vehicles and those kinds of things.
• We just heard earlier we're moving forward with, you know, more and more electric vehicles.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy, and Transportation heard an informational hearing with Secretary Garcia and CalEPA-related departments on the administration’s budget proposals and related environmental programs. Secretary Garcia highlighted CalEPA’s work on methane reduction, community air protection, water infrastructure, Exide cleanup, safer pesticide alternatives, Prop 4 implementation, and Bay-Delta water quality, while emphasizing the impact of federal rollbacks and the need for flexible state response. Members raised broader policy concerns about the polluter-pays principle, special fund vacancies, and whether the state is maintaining sufficient staffing and enforcement capacity, especially after recent fee increases. A major portion of the hearing focused on landfill support, response, and enforcement, particularly subsurface elevated temperature events at Chiquita Canyon and El Sobrante. CalEPA requested $5.1 million and 12 positions to improve monitoring, technical response, coordination, and enforcement across CalRecycle, CARB, DTSC, the Water Board, and OEHHA. Assembly Member Schiavo described severe community impacts from Chiquita Canyon and pressed for stronger state action, more transparency, and accountability from landfill operators; Assembly Member Rogers emphasized that accountability must mean forcing operators to take preventive measures and bear the costs. Agency staff said the proposal would help augment current response efforts, support local enforcement agencies, and improve early detection, while acknowledging that the causes of set events are not fully understood and may involve factors such as lithium-ion batteries, oxygen intrusion, and gas extraction practices. The committee then heard an update on the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water program and the effects of the new cap-and-invest structure. State Water Board Chair Joaquin Esquivel reported that the program has reduced the number of Californians without safe drinking water from 1.6 million to about 600,000 since 2019, while also bringing 320 systems back into compliance and distributing $1.8 billion in drinking water grants. The Legislative Analyst’s Office explained that under SB 840, SAFER is now in a lower funding tier, which could reduce annual proceeds from the prior $130 million level to a projected $92 million in 2026-27 and delay funding until later in the year. Members expressed concern that this deprioritizes rural drinking water needs, while the board said it would continue using SAFER’s flexible funds for emergency water, technical assistance, and construction, and would keep pushing consolidations and other long-term solutions for the remaining failing systems.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, there are emergency vehicles that are private charters that bring in from out of state families
• We've also seen how our roots and our values and indigenous knowledge has played a key role in ocean
• With thoughtful, locally driven policy and renewed commitment to long-term value creation, Hawaii can
• </c> actually have higher than market value actually have higher than market value lease<00:56:35.359
• </c><01:15:37.760><c> for</c> the get and there's a few vehicles for the get and there's a few vehicles

Bills: SB2709, SB3154

Keywords: biosecurity, Department of Agriculture, quarantine, Akamai Arrival Program, importation regulations, pests control, plant health, animal health, compliance mechanisms, environmental review, transportation projects, NEPA, state sovereignty, federal compliance, streamlining, Hawaii Department of Transportation, 912, senate, all

Summary: The hearing began with SB 2709, which would require the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to establish rules to enforce the Okami arrival program and strengthen quarantine enforcement for plants, non-domestic animals, and microorganisms. The Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Hawaii Invasive Species Council supported the bill, as did DAB, saying it would improve biosecurity and make some provisions mandatory rather than optional. Alaska/Hawaiian Airlines supported the goal but raised concerns about language changing inspections from “may” to “shall” for aircraft, warning of possible federal preemption and operational conflicts unless the bill is clarified to align with federal aviation safety, security, and operational requirements. Committee members questioned DAB about inspection timing, scope, and compliance; DAB said the measure is intended to increase enforcement, improve form completion rates toward a 90% goal, and expand beyond airlines to other entry modes, while also noting plans to restore detector dog use and improve software/AI tools for processing forms. Decision-making on SB 2709 was deferred to February 17 at 3:02 p.m. in Room CR229. The committees then took up SB 3154, an administration measure authorizing the Department of Transportation to assume certain National Environmental Policy Act responsibilities for highway, rail, public transportation, and multimodal projects, with the aim of streamlining environmental review. DOT supported the bill and explained that it would allow the department to work directly with federal resource agencies such as U.S. Fish and Wildlife and SHPO rather than routing everything through federal highways. After brief discussion, the Committee on Transportation voted to pass SB 3154 with technical amendments, and the AEN committee followed with the same recommendation; the measure was adopted with five votes in favor. A later portion of the transcript shifted to SB 2374 on the blue economy. DBED said it supported the concept but noted that it already sits on many working groups and would need resources if a new working group is created. DBED suggested the committee could instead request research through a letter or memo, and said agencies including ADC, HTDC, and Agriculture had already begun internal discussions. Testimony in support came from IMUA Alliance, Hawaii Food Policy, and others, emphasizing the potential for blue economy ventures to support survivors, align with climate and cultural goals, and create economic opportunity. No final vote on SB 2374 appears in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• to the Idaho Transportation Department amending Section 40-511 Idaho Code to provide that certain vehicles
• I value this annual opportunity.
• High-value cases before the district courts involving topics such as business disputes, debt collection

Summary: The House convened with roll call, prayer, and the Pledge of Allegiance, then approved the journal from the previous legislative day. In committee reports, several measures were printed and referred: House Joint Memorial 9, House Resolution 19, House Concurrent Resolution 22, and House Bills 499 through 506 were assigned to the appropriate standing committees or calendars. Later, House Bills 507 through 510 were also introduced and referred for printing, including a transportation bill on vehicle inspections, a government transparency and ethics bill, and other technical or policy measures. The House also took up House Resolution 20, a State Affairs Committee resolution condemning political violence, honoring victims, and urging Idahoans to reject political violence. During announcements, members noted the Chief Justice’s scheduled address, a birthday recognition for the Sergeant at Arms, a gallery introduction, and an invitation to a legislative reception hosted by the Idaho Association of Building Officials. Committee meeting schedules for the week were also read into the record. Chief Justice G. Richard Bevan addressed the House on the state of Idaho’s judiciary, emphasizing fiscal restraint, rising caseloads, treatment courts, mediation, access to justice, courthouse modernization, security concerns, cybersecurity threats, and civic education efforts. He highlighted the judiciary’s use of existing resources, the importance of peer support in mental health courts, and ongoing collaboration with counties and the legislature. The House responded appreciatively, and then adjourned until 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, your other, oh, emergency vehicles is an interesting, uh, the short answer is no.
• Um, your other, oh, emergency vehicles is an interesting, uh, the short answer is no.
• I think, in fact, municipalities, to their credit, are going to come down as long as the vehicle can
• Very specific safety concerns for emergency vehicles, fire vehicles, things of that nature that might
• incompatible with open space values incompatible with open space usage.<03:27:07.520><c> And</c><03:

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You say it's my opinion, but we know through a scientific, robust... ...values of Arizonans.
• Division wait times and vehicle registration renewal-by-mail turnaround times.
• division wait times and vehicle registration renewal by mail turnaround times.
• That point was made several times through this process that it's an American-made vehicle.
• That point was made several times through this process that it's an American-made vehicle.

Summary: The joint appropriations committee met on April 28 to review the FY 2027 budget package, including the general appropriations feed bills (HB 4138 and SB 1831) and related budget reconciliation measures. Staff described the budget as including about $17.96 billion in general fund appropriations, a one-time transfer of state monies to increase revenues, a 5% lump-sum reduction to most agencies’ discretionary general fund budgets, and several one-time restorations or continuations for items such as school facilities, child care, child safety, corrections stipends, and public safety operating costs. Members spent much of the meeting debating how the across-the-board cuts would be implemented, which programs might be affected, and how fund sweeps from prior-year appropriations and special funds would work, including questions about universities, public safety, rural hospitals, transportation grants, the Corporation Commission, and health insurance costs for state employees and troopers. A major point of discussion was the impact on universities and higher education. Arizona Board of Regents representatives said the proposed reductions and fund sweeps would affect already obligated dollars, research, staffing, and student aid programs, and could force difficult decisions about programs such as the Promise Program, Teachers Academy, and other pass-through funds. Committee members also raised concerns about whether the cuts could lead to tuition increases or reductions in services, while majority members emphasized that agencies and the executive branch should decide how to absorb the reductions. Another major topic was health care and the state employee health plan: staff explained that the budget includes a $228 million general fund infusion to stabilize the plan, while a separate reconciliation bill would raise employee premiums over three years. Members also discussed whether the budget’s changes to AHCCCS/Access and hospital eligibility rules could increase costs for hospitals and reduce coverage. Public testimony largely opposed the budget. Speakers from Opportunity Arizona, the Arizona Board of Regents, and local governments argued that the proposal would shift costs onto working families, reduce support for education, housing, SNAP, health care, and rural infrastructure, and protect tax benefits for data centers and higher-income taxpayers. A mayor from Globe asked for state help after severe flooding damaged roads, water lines, and homes, while a motorcycle safety advocate asked the committee to review a DPS motorcycle safety fund appropriation. Committee members and staff repeatedly clarified that some items discussed were one-time appropriations not continued into FY 2027, that some fund sweeps were from unspent or unencumbered balances, and that the committee planned to take a mass roll-call vote on the budget bills at the end of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• And when we can work with a distribution company that has those values, when we are able to meet that
• production, we hope to work with someone with those values.
• And when we can work with a distribution company that has those values, when we are able to meet that
• production, we hope to work with someone with those values.
• Once we've proven our beer's value, we can partner with distributors on stronger, fairer terms.

Summary: The State Administration Budget Subcommittee met with a quorum and took up one bill, House Bill 499, which would allow malt beverage manufacturers producing less than 31,000 gallons annually to sell and deliver directly to vendors. The sponsor and several craft brewery owners and industry advocates testified in support, arguing the measure would help small breweries reach local restaurants, improve quality control, create jobs, and serve as a bridge into the three-tier system for businesses too small to attract distributors. Opponents, including the Florida Beer Wholesalers Association, argued the bill would undermine the three-tier system, weaken accountability and tax collection, and create risks for consumer protection and market fairness. During debate, several members said they supported the bill as a small-business measure while noting they remained protective of the three-tier system. Some members raised concerns about tax tracking and long-term distributor contracts, but others said the bill appeared limited enough to preserve the existing system while giving small breweries a chance to grow. The committee then voted on the bill and it passed, with one recorded no vote. After the bill vote, the subcommittee revisited prior questions about Department of Lottery Secretary Davis’s travel reimbursements. Members reviewed updated documents showing more than $50,000 in travel reimbursements from January 2021 through November 2024, including about $27,840 tied to Orlando destinations, and expressed concern that some reimbursements may have covered commuting between Tallahassee and Orlando. The chair said the information would be sent to Secretary Davis for an explanation, and the meeting adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• So why and not get any value for that.
• Because I've just motor vehicles. >> Just motor vehicles.
• </c> because I've just motor vehicles. because I've just motor vehicles.
• I've seen &gt;&gt; Just motor vehicles.
• It it &gt;&gt; this is just motor vehicles.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• for value, uh, valuation thresholds,<00:45:07.920><c> um,</c><00:45:08.160><c> the</c><00:45:08.400>
• We have other additions in the health bill, which include some late additions due to vehicle issues.
• Uh the Norris bill on vehicle issues.
• The bill that passed the House floor really talked about our values, and those values is work ethics.
• is</c> about our values and those values is about our values and those values is work<00:58:22.160><

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's not a good combination. and then the time value of money.
• You might have to do other kinds of value engineering to shave off costs. We've already done that.
• You might have to do other kinds of value engineering to shave off costs. We've already done that.
• But we do put forward in our business plan that value proposition of what we can get if we do expand
• We have to do it in a way going forward that adds value to the residents of California.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My work fixing vehicles affects the important work of police officers.
• My work fixing vehicles affects the important work of police officers.
• This value of a life, the cop versus the lineman.
• And so I'm really disappointed in how we are valuing life here.
• And so I'm really disappointed in how we are valuing life here.

Bills: S0042, S0688, S0762, S1168, S1296, S1298, S1300, S1318, S1332, S1376, S1548, S1570, S1574, S1632, S1634, S1750

Keywords: child protection, medical records, investigation, abuse, neglect, healthcare, Child Protection Team, diagnosis, criminal defense, legal representation, death penalty, indigent defense, regional counsel, conflict of interest, background screening, athletic coaches, youth sports, criminal history, expungement, Florida statutes

Summary: The committee first took up CS for SB 42 on specific medical diagnosis and child protective investigations. A late-file strike-all amendment was adopted that made only stylistic changes to align with the House version. Supporters said the bill would help DCF and child protective teams better identify rare medical conditions and give parents a chance to defend against mistaken abuse findings. The bill was then reported favorably. The committee also approved SB 1570, which restores a prior program to help locate missing persons with special needs through voluntary tracking devices and coordination with sheriff’s offices and CARD centers, with nonrecurring funding included. Members then advanced several education, disability, and public services measures. CS for CSSB 182 created a teacher training and mentoring program for high-performing current and retired teachers to mentor teachers in D- and F-rated schools, and CS for CSSB 794 required background screening for employees in residential and day training programs for people with developmental disabilities while directing APD to study support coordination quality, workforce issues, and service gaps. Testimony on SB 794 strongly supported better training, lower caseloads, and more consistent support coordination. The committee also favorably reported CS for CS SB 1168 on background screenings, CS for CS SB 214 to allow rural special districts to pay verified invoices directly, CS for SB 1376 to create grants for genetic counseling education, and SB 1574 (Maddie’s Law) to add newborn screening for biliary atresia; the latter drew emotional support and testimony that early screening could save lives and reduce transplant costs. The committee heard and passed a number of other policy bills, including CS for CS for SB 1510, the DEP agency package, after environmental groups warned that one provision could delay basin management protections and allow more septic systems in impaired watersheds; the bill still passed favorably. Members also approved CS for CS for SB 598 on funeral and cemetery regulation, SB 688 to license naturopathic doctors, SB 1318 on scholarship account reversion rules, CS for CS for SB 682 on domestic violence injunctions and penalties, SB 130 on workforce training for current and former inmates, and SB 1548, the latest Live Local affordable housing update. Several bills were briefly postponed or taken up later in the meeting. In the latter portion of the meeting, the committee approved CS for C.S. for SB 536 on criminal gang membership criteria, CS for C.S. SB 762 on assigning conflict capital cases across regional counsel offices, SB 1332 on career offender registration requirements, CS for CS for SB 1742 creating a new offense for indecent exposure of sexual organs to a child, and CS for SB 1750 increasing penalties for serious sex offenses and child sexual abuse material crimes. The committee also debated CS for SB 1226 on Public Employee Relations Commission procedures and union certification rules, including a late-file amendment setting a 60% threshold and 25% quorum for recertification; the discussion focused heavily on constitutional concerns, union rights, and differences between first responders and other public employees. The transcript ends while that bill’s debate is still underway, with the committee having already taken numerous favorable votes throughout the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• That means similar identities, similar values, and people who will listen to their constituents no matter
• I know you're in your vehicle, it looks like, but if you just unmute, we should be able to hear you.
• Ma'am, I know you're in your vehicle.
• I know you're in your vehicle, and I want to make sure we hear everything you have to say.
• Let this process reflect not just legal requirements, but democratic values.

Summary: The Senate Special Committee on Congressional Redistricting met virtually for its West Texas regional hearing, established a quorum, and explained that the hearing was part of a series of statewide information-gathering sessions before any map was filed. The chair outlined the Zoom procedures, the two-minute testimony limit, and the availability of written comments through the committee’s public portal. Senators also discussed the logistics and transparency of the process, including the expectation that any proposed map or amendment would be made public once filed and that additional hearings would follow. Senator Blanco, whose district includes West Texas and the border region, said the area’s communities of interest should be kept together and warned against repeating the loss of representation that followed the last redistricting cycle. Senators Alvarado, Hinojosa, Miles, and others debated the value of virtual hearings versus in-person hearings, the number of people who had testified, and whether the committee could subpoena witnesses after the regional hearings ended. The chair said he was awaiting legal guidance and would consider a subpoena motion at a formal meeting the next day. A lengthy exchange also occurred over the tone of public testimony and the chair’s view that some comments directed at Republicans and the president had been offensive or historically inaccurate. Invited witnesses and public commenters largely opposed mid-decade redistricting and argued that any new map should reflect population growth, especially among Latino and other minority communities, and comply with the Voting Rights Act. Nina Perales of MALDEF said the hearings were not meaningful without a draft map and testified that Texas has a long history of discriminatory redistricting; senators questioned her about litigation, DOJ’s July 7 letter, and the 2021 congressional map. Tania Chavez Camacho, Luis Figueroa, and several El Paso residents emphasized that maps should preserve communities of interest, avoid cracking and packing, and be transparent and participatory. A smaller number of witnesses supported redistricting, including one El Paso resident who said the current districting leaves the area underrepresented and another who argued that some communities want to return to a map closer to the earlier District 16 configuration. Several witnesses also criticized the DOJ letter as inconsistent with the state’s position that the 2021 maps were drawn race-blind, while others said the current process was too rushed and lacked sufficient public input.