Transcript Highlights:

• We had served on the Sentencing Guidelines Commission before, and I had run into her a couple of times
• We had served on the Sentencing Guidelines Commission before, and I had ran into her a couple of times
• It said that the money was supposed to be split between two separate organizations.
• It says that the money is to be split evenly between two organizations. It was the proviso.
• It says that the money is to be split evenly between two organizations. Okay.

Summary: The hearing resumed in the Legislative Ethics Board matter involving Tara Simmons after the board confirmed no ex parte communications had occurred overnight. Respondent’s counsel moved to dismiss two allegations at the close of the board staff’s case: that Simmons pressured the Administrative Office of the Courts to alter a contract in favor of her employer, and that she violated ethics rules by combining legislative support for AEJG with a personal donation to the organization. Board staff opposed the motion, arguing the evidence showed Simmons’s legislative and personal dealings were intertwined. After a recess for deliberation, the board denied the motion to dismiss, and the hearing moved into the defense case. The first defense witness was Sharon Navas, executive director of the Equity and Education Coalition (EEC). Navas testified that she met Simmons in 2018, later hired her, and took steps to separate Simmons’s legislative duties from her work for EEC. She said Simmons was never paid for lobbying or legislative acts, that her compensation came from unrestricted funds, and that the organization used written ethics-compliance language and a formal scope of work. Navas also described the proviso-funded dashboard project involving Anthony Powers and Chris Stanley, testifying that Simmons was not involved in the project’s day-to-day work, did not attend the meetings about the dispute, and was not part of the alleged contract disagreement. On cross-examination, staff focused on the contract documents, the dashboard work, and whether the scope of work matched the parties’ understanding. Tara Simmons then testified in her own defense. She described her background, legislative career, disability accommodations, and extensive efforts to seek ethics guidance from House counsel and board-related materials before taking outside employment or supporting provisos. She said she relied on prior ethics advice when separating her legislative role from outside work and when seeking provisos for AEJG and EEC. Simmons also addressed her relationship with Anthony Powers, describing it as a friendship rooted in criminal justice reform work and prior collaboration. The hearing was still in the middle of Simmons’s direct testimony when the transcript excerpt ended, with no final ruling on the merits or disposition of the allegations.

Transcript Highlights:

• And gentlemen, three minutes to be split however you would like. Oh, great. Thank you, Mr.
• And I gave you an extra minute and a half, but I will let you get one last sentence. All right.
• That was a great sentence to end on. Thank you. Thank you to both of you.
• That was a great sentence to end on. Thank you. Thank you to both of you.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit Committee met to hear new audit requests and receive a status update from the State Auditor. The auditor reported 10 JALAC audits in progress, noted that all 2025-approved audits are underway, said the first 2026 audit is focused on DMV license revocations, and described several statutory and high-risk audits already in progress. The committee also approved a consent calendar of four audit requests: UC library resources, law enforcement information sharing, EDD unemployment insurance claims, and Housing and Community Development housing development monitoring. The committee then considered Assembly Member DeMaio’s audit request on SANDAG road project management. DeMaio argued the audit was needed to examine whether transportation funds, including voter-approved and restricted revenues, were used for allowable purposes and whether past management failures warranted outside review. SANDAG’s CEO and CFO said the agency already undergoes extensive oversight and audits, that funds are tracked by multiple “colors of money,” and that internal controls have improved. Several members questioned whether the issues were already addressed in public records or existing audits, and the request failed on a roll call vote. Next, Senator Valadares presented an audit of the Board of State and Community Corrections’ Proposition 47 grant administration, arguing that more transparency is needed on outcomes, recidivism data, and oversight of grantees. The BSCC said it already has oversight mechanisms, that the State Controller conducts biennial audits, and that program data shows positive outcomes. The committee approved the audit unanimously. Senator Cortese then presented an audit of CalHR’s dental benefits procurement and Delta Dental contract, citing long-standing benefit caps, provider network concerns, and retiree out-of-pocket costs. CalHR said its network remains strong, that it recently completed an RFP adding MetLife as a second carrier starting in 2027, and that contracts include performance guarantees. Members from both parties expressed concern about access and competition, and the audit was approved unanimously. The committee then completed add-on votes on the consent calendar and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Or at least just the sentence that may be... Okay. Yes.
• If the youth is signing the lease because they are ... sentence in clause A sentence in clause A refers
• that sentence. that sentence.
• > read,<01:31:58.920> "This So, the sentence would read, "This So, the sentence would read
• I would suggest that we split them and take them separately.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So it was a split vote. It was. My computer. Ah, gotcha. So it was a split vote. Was it?
• to 9 grams the amount of fentanyl that must be involved in a sale to another person for specific sentencing

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee heard a long series of Senate bills, mostly on third-read consent, covering education, public safety, health, courts, labor, and water. Several bills were briefly explained and then pulled from consent for further discussion, including measures on public records review standards (SB 1078), sexually explicit materials in schools/libraries (SB 1435 and SB 1567), burial costs in death cases (SB 1135), military flags in HOAs/COAs (SB 1184), court-ordered treatment guardianship (SB 1243), standardized state hiring (SB 1665), released-time religious instruction (SB 1741), firearm safety instruction in schools (SB 1424), student participation in extracurriculars after certain convictions (SB 1475), Celebrate Freedom Week (SB 1572), federal scholarship-granting organizations/vouchers (SB 1142), immigration-related arrest notifications (SB 1055), defamation standards (SB 1099), peace officer certification for military police veterans (SB 1107), mandatory reporting of child abuse/neglect directly to DCS (SB 1127), attorney licensing and discipline issues (SB 1148 and SB 1039), concealed weapons on college campuses (SB 1068), and firearm muffling devices/silencers (SB 1069). Members also raised constitutional, policy, and school-safety concerns on several of these bills, while supporters emphasized alternative pathways for students, veterans, and workers, and tighter reporting or licensing rules. Other bills were described without extended debate, including claims against the state for unpaid contracted services (SB 1097), workers’ compensation death benefits for surviving spouses who remarry (SB 1136), burial expense increases (SB 1135), state agency web pages for internal guidance (SB 1586), court-ordered treatment procedures and service of process in mental health cases (SB 1113), medical examiner authorization (SB 1123), tribal MOUs with DCS (SB 1125), controlled-substance scheduling conformity with federal classifications (SB 1188), EMT personal information protections (SB 1193), mammography notice updates (SB 1318), assisted-living referral disclosures (SB 1477), accommodation school GED instruction for 11th graders and students over 16 (SB 1166), credit enhancement board continuation (SB 1422), school district and charter school obligations related to religious release time (SB 1741), school firearm safety instruction (SB 1424), and school civics/freedom-week instruction (SB 1572). The committee also heard bills on CPA certification pathways (SB 1181), insurance adjuster licensing (SB 1415), county voter-registration rules online (SB 1040), campaign address privacy (SB 1259), federal land acquisition notification (SB 1281), water supply/demand assessments (SB 1202), environmental compatibility for power plants and small modular reactors (SB 1418), and groundwater recovery rules (SB 1785). The meeting ended with announcements and a brief recognition of Rep. Stephanie Hamilton with an “Affordability Award.” No final votes are shown in the transcript excerpt; instead, many bills were either left on consent, pulled for later discussion, or flagged for closed caucus. The chair then asked guests to leave so members could hold a closed caucus.

Transcript Highlights:

• AND AUGUST INCIDENT WHERE WE SENT OUT THE INFORMATIONAL LETTERS AND REASONS MENTIONED BEFORE WE HAD SPLIT
• SOMETIMES YOU PASS SIMPLE SENTENCES INTO LAW AND THE RESULT IF THAT IS IT REQUIRES HUNDREDS OF PAGES
• OUR RC MC NUMBERS ARE ALL MEDICAID ELIGIBLE FOLKS ARE ENROLLED IN A DENTAL PROGRAM AND OUR FOLKS ARE SPLIT

Transcript Highlights:

• And also gives a 30% split of those excess tolls to the city to cover these expenses.
• So this would be approximately a $57 million split, and that's about half of what these expenses are
• I think the way that it's laid out in that last sentence of the filed version of the bill, and wherever

Bills: SB682, SB1013, SB1369, SB1422, SB2001, SB2080, SB2366, SB2705, SB2841

Keywords: memorial highway, Captain Kevin Williams, Firefighter Austin Cheek, Smith County, transportation, pedestrian right-of-way, sidewalk users, bicycle safety, micromobility, electric scooter, motor-assisted scooter, electric personal assistive mobility device, skateboard, roller skates, driveway crossing, alley crossing, traffic safety, yield law, Texas Transportation Code, vehicle-pedestrian collision

Transcript Highlights:

• > up they split it up they split it up >> among<00:32:05.039> the<00:32:05.200> participating
• And if you turned it down, then you go back and serve your full sentence.
• <01:10:38.960> No,<01:10:39.199> no<01:10:39.520> get sentence, your full sentence
• No, no get sentence, your full sentence.
• So those who were terminated sentence.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the September 24 minutes, and heard a briefing from representatives of three Kentucky drug task forces: Greater Hardin County, Bowling Green-Warren County, and Bluegrass Narcotics. The presenters described how multi-jurisdictional task forces operate, their partner agencies, and the kinds of drugs and trafficking patterns they are seeing, with fentanyl identified as the most dangerous and fastest-growing threat. They also described large seizures and investigations involving fentanyl pills, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, tractor-trailer shipments, postal shipments, and a case tied to a pill press and undercover work with the DEA. Bluegrass Narcotics said it was formed in response to overdose deaths and has since seen major reductions in complaints and overdose deaths in Harrison and Bourbon counties. A major theme of the presentation was funding. The task forces said Byrne JAG funding has declined from about $2.1 million statewide in 2023-2024 to $1.4 million this year, while their costs for vehicles, fuel, technology, overtime, office space, and training have risen sharply. They said local support and asset forfeiture help, but the revenue is uneven and unpredictable, and they asked the legislature to consider adding about $1 million per year in state support, with oversight from the Justice Cabinet or Office of Drug Control Policy. They also emphasized that if meth labs return, many agencies would need new training and equipment because those capabilities have largely expired or been scaled back. Members asked about possible statutory barriers, coordination across counties and states, the source of drugs, and how seized cash is handled. The task forces said coordination with federal, state, and other local agencies is generally strong, but money remains the main obstacle to broader operations. They explained that seized cash is held as evidence and, after court proceedings, may be awarded back to task forces or split under statute, with 15% going to the Commonwealth’s attorney and 85% to law enforcement. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes and receiving the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's the rough split of how those payers essentially pay on a unit basis.
• So<00:05:10.400> that's<00:05:10.639> the<00:05:10.800> rough<00:05:11.120> split
• c><00:05:11.440> of<00:05:11.600> how<00:05:11.840> those So that's the rough split
• Springer. >> Um, Madam Chairman, Representative Ottman, that or is important in that sentence.
• Uh so the received that sentence.

Bills: HB0004

Keywords: medical assistance, birthing centers, healthcare, Medicaid, Wyoming, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You can see the differences that were split on that. And with that, I'll pass it over to Mrs.
• I'll split second and we'll go review the tape, but moved by Ranking Member Chatfield.
• The 11th is split into two districts. I think you're looking at that division.
• It's about a 60-40 split in population. Those caseloads are very high. For many years, Mr.
• Chair, members of the committee, would typically be completed upon the sentencing.

Transcript Highlights:

• county, we have 50,000 voters in Laramie County and complicated ballots by precinct and sometimes split
• <00:52:56.319> Um and sometimes split ballots there.
• Um and sometimes split ballots there.
• And then if you look at line 15,<01:09:19.839> the<01:09:20.080> sentence<01:09:20.400>
• that starts there after 15, the sentence that starts there after the<01:09:21.440> word<01:09

Bills: SF0028, SF0030, SF0031, SF0032

Keywords: voting, elections, electronic voting systems, transparency, public testing, voter registration, qualified elector, residency requirements, voting rights, mortgage modification, priority, electronic signatures, real property, financial covenants, 911 services, emergency response, grant funding, next generation technology, government accountability, public safety

Transcript Highlights:

• That's split in two payments. We are like a mortgage broker if you think of us in simple terms.
• That's split in two payments. We a year. That's split in two payments.
• Split that, we pay that for them twice a year, in six-month increments.
• One of the major decisions is how the money is going to be split.
• <01:47:52.200> to that secondary post-secondary split to that secondary post-secondary split

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Budget Process 00:02:28 Allotment Process 00:10:30 School Facilities Construction Commission 00:29:10 Role of KDE in School Facilities Funding 00:47:00 Kentucky School Boards Association 01:13:25 Elementary and Secondary School Construction 01:20:40 Perkins V Funding 01:35:32, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And you're going to sell it by your appraiser, their appraiser, split the baby.
• I mean, it's the term "split the baby." I've never heard that when... ...the term "split the baby."
• And the other thing is, it's not split the baby.
• Would it be okay if I just restated the one sentence that I said, Thank you. Thank you.
• Would it be okay if I just restated the one sentence that I said, just to be clear?

Summary: The committee heard several bills, with most drawing support after amendments or ongoing stakeholder negotiations. SB 29, by Senator Laird, would extend a sunset on the law allowing pain-and-suffering claims to survive a plaintiff’s death; supporters, including a family member describing a medical negligence case, labor groups, consumer advocates, and disability and elder organizations, argued it prevents defendants from running out the clock, while hospitals, medical groups, and business organizations warned of higher costs and added liability. After extensive debate about data collection, settlement reporting, and the impact on health care access, the bill passed to Appropriations on a divided vote. SB 294, by Senator Reyes and presented by Senator Laird, would require employers to notify a worker’s emergency contact if the worker is arrested or detained and would create a template to inform employees of state and federal labor rights. Labor and worker advocates said the bill would help workers understand and enforce their rights amid weakened federal enforcement; there was no opposition on file, and the bill passed unanimously to Appropriations. SB 697 would modernize water-rights adjudication by allowing the State Water Board to use technology instead of requiring in-person field investigations; with no opposition, it also passed unanimously. The committee also advanced SB 37 on attorney advertising, SB 645 on peremptory challenges in civil cases, SB 303 on bias-mitigation trainings in public workplaces, and SB 464 on expanding pay-data reporting for specified state workers. SB 37 drew support from consumer and legal groups but concerns from Walker Advertising about joint advertising; members said negotiations were ongoing, and the bill passed. SB 645 would extend anti-bias jury-selection rules to certain civil rights cases; criminal-defense and defense groups said they were close to agreement, and the bill passed. SB 303 and SB 464 were both amended to narrow scope and moved forward after several opponents shifted to neutral or removed opposition. The committee also approved a consent calendar of additional bills, all sent to Appropriations.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it sort of splits the difference between last year's enrollment and this year's enrollment.
• So it splits the decrease to their budget in half, going from about $47 million to about $23 million.
• Splits the decrease to their budget in half, going from about $47 million to about $23 million.
• students transferring to said districts after accepting an offer from Stride K-12 Inc. to equally split
• The last sentence there, honor before November 26, the Legislative Education Study Committee shall submit

Bills: HB253, HB153, HB255, HB287, HB371, SB151, HB8, SB177

Keywords: distance learning, virtual instruction, public education, student enrollment, school funding, education standards, pandemic education response, low-carbon construction, construction materials, rebate, environmental product declaration, EPD, embodied carbon, carbon intensity, greenhouse gas emissions, decarbonization, industrial incentives, clean manufacturing, cement, concrete

Transcript Highlights:

• So we see kind of a split among the courts, and the thing that's coming up over and over again is this
• non-violent felons who are illegal to carry under federal law five years after they've completed their sentence
• Just a split-second, life-threatening moment that could have ended in tragedy.
• Individuals old enough to complete their sentences may own a gun today at home. That's the law.

Bills: HB259, HB 1128, HB1337, HB1506, HB1794, HB2215, HB2470, HB2771, HB2882, HB2993, HB3053, HB3428, HB3669, HB3789, HB3924, HB4201, HB4675, HB259

Keywords: healthcare, insurance, patient rights, medical expenses, access to care, affordability, legislation, firearms, penal code, regulation, short-barrel firearms, ammunition, gun control, public safety, Texas law, short-barrel, law enforcement, election judges, concealed handgun, polling places

Transcript Highlights:

• To put it in one sentence, you write that at this time we're not proposing the construction of the project
• We're going to do part of them on Tuesday at 8 o'clock and part of them on Thursday at 8, so we'll split

Bills: HB2007, HB2462, HB2621, HB2921, HB3187, HB3331, HB3332, HJR144, HB3514, HB3528, HB3539, HB3563, HB3720, HB3726, HB3751, HB3859, HB3947, HB4148, HB4164, HB4337, HB4346, HB4368, HB4706, HB4916, HB4950, HB4967, HB5177, HB5603

Keywords: commercial signs, county approval, transportation code, regulations, road signage, high occupancy vehicle lane, pregnant operators, transportation, parental rights, motor vehicle regulations, live video feed, state agency, transparency, public safety, confidentiality, personal information, local government, airport data, public records, regional transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• And then the next three lines, the business tax splits, tobacco splits, and R splits, the governor is
• And then the next three lines, the business tax splits, tobacco splits, and R splits, the governor is
• And then the next three lines, the business tax splits, tobacco splits, and R splits, the governor is
• And then the next three lines, the business tax splits, tobacco splits, and R splits, the governor is
• That's similar work for the tobacco split and the R split.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first met in a revenue estimate work session to approve an LSR codifying the committee’s revenue estimates. Members reviewed the process for turning the LSR into a House Resolution and discussed how the adopted estimates would be used to amend House Bill 1. After a brief question-and-answer about current revenue splits and the governor’s proposed video lottery and tax-split changes, the committee voted 19-0 to approve the revenue estimates. The committee then moved into executive session on HB 669, which would require all revenue from the statewide education property tax to be deposited into the education trust fund and set an equalized statewide tax rate. Supporters argued the bill would better direct education funding, while opponents said it was unnecessary or duplicative. The committee voted 12-7 to retain the bill (ITL), and a minority report was noted. Next, the committee considered HB 290, which would raise cigarette and electronic cigarette taxes and create a study committee on tobacco and nicotine taxes. Testimony focused on revenue needs, inflation, public health, and concerns that a higher tax could reduce sales or drive purchases across state lines. The committee voted 11-8 to ITL the bill, with a minority report. The committee also ITL’d HB 402, dealing with whether Education Freedom Account payments are taxable income, after debate over unintended consequences and whether the bill’s language was misleading; that vote was 11-8 with a minority report. Finally, the committee opened HB 483, and Representative Tierney moved ITL, arguing the bill’s requirement that the scholarship organization be incorporated in New Hampshire would likely violate the Commerce Clause; the transcript cuts off before the vote on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• The AOC is Agency 218, and we are split into four program budgets.
• But operationally, we're split into eight divisions.
• we're putting into growth funds, and I'm looking at all kinds of stuff up there that are not really split
• And it's a one sentence in there. The bill, as it's currently drafted, would remove it.
• The Sentencing Commission does provide that information.

Transcript Highlights:

• project selection and scoring activity and went with, in a more formal sense, a kind of soft 50-50 split
• kind<00:20:13.000> of<00:20:13.159> soft<00:20:13.559> 5050<00:20:14.360> split
• <00:20:15.039> on<00:20:15.440> the a kind of soft 5050 split on the a kind of soft
• 5050 split on the regional<00:20:15.960> allocation<00:20:16.600> question<00:20:17.440
• The second sentence there is that the council must only use direct appropriations in law or federal sources

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• bill was if construction is proposed, the cost for each year of construction, and to put it in one sentence
• week we're gonna do part of them on Tuesday at 8 o'clock and part of them on Thursday at 8 so we'll split

Bills: HB 2007, HB 2462, HB 2621, HB 2921, HB 3187, HB 3331, HB 3332, HJR 144, HB 3514, HB 3528, HB 3539, HB 3563, HB 3720, HB 3726, HB 3751, HB 3859, HB 3947, HB 4148, HB 4164, HB 4337, HB 4346, HB 4368, HB 4706, HB 4916, HB 4950, HB 4967, HB 5177, HB 5603

Keywords: commercial signs, county approval, transportation code, regulations, road signage, high occupancy vehicle lane, pregnant operators, transportation, parental rights, motor vehicle regulations, live video feed, state agency, transparency, public safety, confidentiality, personal information, local government, airport data, public records, regional transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• For release of parole by certain inmates serving sentences for trafficking offenses involving child victims
• You know, you can have central... ...heating and air, you can have swamp coolers, you can have mini splits
• We reserve the death penalty for the most heinous, yet we're sentencing people to death every summer
• that weren't sentenced to death.
• So I want to clarify... ...that this bill only applies to parolees who are serving a sentence for the

Bills: HB1826, HB2854, HB3006, HB4614, HB5261, HB5639

Keywords: mental health, women's health, county jail, depression screening, criminal justice, HB 2854, Pokuaa-Flowers Act, parole, mandatory supervision, electronic monitoring, releasee, parole officer, hospital visit approval, general hospital, law enforcement notification, DSHS, Department of State Health Services, corrections, public safety, liability immunity