Transcript Highlights:

• the Air Force, the military, and I definitely expect more community engagement to be proactive, utilizing
• <00:14:54.160><c> to</c><00:14:54.279><c> be</c><00:14:54.519><c> proactive</c><00:14:55.000><c> utilizing
• </c><00:14:55.399><c> the</c> engagement to be proactive utilizing the engagement to be proactive utilizing
• Public Utilities Commission approv Public Utilities Commission approv labels<00:28:06.640><c> on</c><
• Next is the Public Utilities Commission. Aubrey Austin with the Public Utilities Commission.

Committee: Senate Agriculture and Environment

Summary: The joint AEN-PSM hearing on February 7, 2025 focused primarily on three agriculture-related measures and one animal welfare bill, with additional discussion of pesticide drift monitoring, coffee labeling, and a gas-pump labeling bill. SB 762 would create an Agricultural Crimes Council and authorize agricultural crime investigators; testimony from the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Law Enforcement, the Attorney General’s office, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Hawaii Farmers Union, and several members of the public was generally supportive, with repeated calls for stronger enforcement, community involvement, and in some cases allowing investigators to be armed. Some testifiers also urged changes to the appointment process for council members, preferring neighborhood boards or local officials over gubernatorial appointments. The committee discussed combining related agricultural crime bills and noted concerns about investigator safety in remote areas. SB 763 would establish an agriculture enforcement program within the Department of Law Enforcement and a special fund. Testimony was strongly supportive from state agencies and farm groups, with speakers emphasizing the need for more effective response to agricultural theft, poaching, and related crimes. Several public testifiers linked the bill to broader community safety and asked for clearer funding, training, coordination, performance metrics, and technology use. The committee also heard SB 1022, which would prohibit leaving pets in dangerous conditions in vehicles and allow officers, firefighters, animal control, and in some cases private citizens to rescue animals; the Attorney General said existing cruelty statutes may already cover the conduct and suggested amendments, while HPD opposed the bill. Members asked about liability for rescuers and whether the proposal might affect property-crime enforcement. The committee also heard SB 1304 on pesticide drift monitoring funding, with the Department of Agriculture supporting the measure and explaining it was needed to complete a required project under an EPA-related agreement. A Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action representative raised concerns about the methodology of prior studies, and a public testifier described a recent odor incident near a roadway and school. SB 1015, requiring labels on gas dispensing equipment warning about fossil fuel impacts, drew support from the Department of Agriculture and the Public Utilities Commission but opposition from the Hawaii Energy Marketers Association. SB 500 on coffee labeling and regional origin was also heard, with the Department of Agriculture in support. In decision-making, the committees adopted recommendations to pass SB 762 with amendments, SB 763 with amendments, SB 1022 with technical amendments, SB 1304 with technical amendments, and SB 1015 as is; SB 500 was not acted on in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• court-ordered involuntary outpatient behavioral health treatment for those who have a history of high utilization
• So the process for how to utilize Joel's Law: immediate families, guardians, conservators, or a tribe
• How has local cooperation been, and how have the departments reacted to this?
• We've been cooperative with them. It has worked out.
• Yeah, I think that's a real important part of this program is gaining that kind of cooperative tone.

Committee: Senate Law & Justice

Summary: The committee heard a series of updates on behavioral health, criminal justice, and public defense issues. Tisha Kirshbaum of the Health Care Authority reported that assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) has expanded from two counties to eight, with a ninth coming soon, and described AOT as a court-ordered, least-restrictive outpatient treatment model that depends on coordination among courts, counties, and treatment providers. She also reviewed Joel’s Law, which allows family members, guardians, conservators, or tribes to petition for involuntary detention when they disagree with a crisis responder’s decision, and judges from Snohomish and Chelan counties said petitions have increased significantly, though follow-through beyond initial detention is limited and the process remains fragmented. Committee members raised concerns about inconsistent standards, bed shortages, and the difficulty of aligning courts, law enforcement, and treatment systems. The Attorney General’s office then updated the committee on the hate crimes and bias incidents hotline created by SB 5427. Minna El-Gamel said the hotline began a pilot in King, Clark, and Spokane counties in July 2025, with a statewide launch planned for 2027, and that an advisory committee helped design referral processes, intake questions, outreach materials, and the hotline’s branding. In the first five months, the hotline received 301 reports, with about 42% requesting follow-up and only about a quarter of those seeking law enforcement referral; most callers instead wanted services such as counseling, housing, or other support. She said common challenges include public confusion about hate crimes versus bias incidents, limited law enforcement bias-response capacity, and gaps in pro bono legal services. Roger Rogoff of the Office of Independent Investigations reported that the agency has grown to 66 employees, including 31 investigators, and has completed six fatal police use-of-force investigations while maintaining family, community, and tribal liaisons. He said the office is now handling only fatality cases, has opened one region of the state, and plans to announce another regional opening and a statewide roadmap, but will need additional investigators to expand further, especially east of the Cascades. He also said the office has reviewed 29 requests to reinvestigate prior cases, but those reviews are time-intensive and require new evidence. The final major topic was public defense caseload standards and the related Blake resentencing work. OPD’s Grace O’Connor said resentencings under State v. Blake are nearly complete, but thousands of vacates remain, and funding reductions in the next biennium would force OPD to scale back direct representation. Tara Nevitt of the Washington State Bar Association and Jason Schwartz of the Snohomish County Office of Public Defense said the new caseload standards reflect modern practice but will require more attorneys, support staff, and technology, while Cindy Aaron Zelsbury of the Washington Defender Association reported that most counties cite lack of funding as the main barrier and that attorney attrition remains high. County and city representatives argued the standards amount to an unfunded mandate that could force dismissals or releases when counsel is unavailable, and they urged substantial state funding to avoid what they described as a public safety crisis.

Transcript Highlights:

• providing passports, for example, would be required to provide additional information such as a lease, a utility
• Currently, customers can provide out-of-state driver's licenses and foreign passports, which could be utilized
• infrastructure around the spaceport territories, things such as public-works-related infrastructure, such as utilities
• the tune of about $6.25 million monthly to the Transportation Trust Fund to offset the impacts of electric
• The growth in the use of electric vehicles has not been nearly as rapid as what I think a lot of speculators

Committee: Senate Transportation

Summary: The Transportation Committee took up several bills and agency priorities. SB 44, as amended, increased penalties for operating a vehicle with unauthorized red or blue lights and for obscuring a license plate, including new penalties for using, possessing, manufacturing, or selling license-plate obscuring devices. The sponsor and supporting law enforcement witnesses said the bill addresses widespread plate obstruction and enforcement problems; the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. The committee also passed SB 654, designating a railroad overpass in Starke as the Heroes Memorial Overpass, and SB 620, creating a Miami-Dade College specialty license plate with proceeds supporting scholarships and limited administrative/marketing costs. The committee then considered SB 594, which would allow Florida deep-water ports to seek Fish and Wildlife Commission approval for no-anchoring/no-mooring buffer zones adjacent to port channels and turning basins. An amendment clarified the application process, review timeline, rulemaking, and enforcement. Port representatives supported the bill as a way to protect channels and commerce, while several boating and cruising advocates opposed it, arguing the 5,000-foot buffer was excessive, could create safety issues, and would displace anchored vessels without adequate alternative dockage. Despite the opposition, the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. The committee also heard a presentation from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles on its 2025 legislative priorities, including stricter proof-of-address and identification requirements for vehicle registration, changes to tank vehicle and IFTA rules, a higher crash-report damage threshold, and electronic notice options. Secretary Perdue then outlined FDOT priorities focused on workforce development, research, rural road funding, small business participation, consistent traffic-control standards, modal infrastructure, transit accountability, spaceport support, advanced air mobility, and shifting some power-consumption revenues to the Transportation Trust Fund to offset electric vehicle impacts. No votes were taken on the agency priorities, and the meeting adjourned after members recorded additional affirmative votes on SB 44 and SB 654.

Transcript Highlights:

• 03:48.480><c> Highway</c><00:03:48.959><c> 63,</c><00:03:49.519><c> striking</c><00:03:50.000><c> utility
• </c> 16 onto US Highway 63, striking utility 16 onto US Highway 63, striking utility pole<00:03:50.799
• And what it does is it appropriates or it increases the surcharge for electric vehicles for registration
• </c> continues to have any utility. continues to have any utility.
• You probably know this, the public might not, but we're not even through the... ...the electric vehicle

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill also does not detail who is going to pay for the electric that's being transferred, whether
• </c> choice to invest in providing electric choice to invest in providing electric vehicle<03:30:07.920
• </c> that's been identified for an electric that's been identified for an electric vehicle.<03:31:00.000
• </c> installing and maintaining electric installing and maintaining electric charging<03:31:20.880><c
• </c> electric that's being transferred. electric that's being transferred.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, working together in a cooperative fashion on border security and national security, we're all for
• There's a reason that electricity prices—the average electricity bill in America under President Biden—went
• Utilize the resources that nature has given us and uniquely given us as Americans.
• Human flourishing depends for its existence on our ability to utilize those sources of energy.

Committee: Senate Senate Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• of the cost of living increases that a lot of those small businesses are seeing right now: higher utility
• Now, higher utility bills, higher prices, uh, upwards pressure on wages that they've been seeing over
• Now, we won't forget the fact that Arkansas has subsidized electricity; story for another day.
• I think that is intended to be utilized first.
• </c> think that is intended to be utilized think that is intended to be utilized first. first. first.

Committee: Senate Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• , providers, and local governments conduct utility operations.
• , providers, local governments conduct the utility operations.
• , utilities, broadband providers, local and municipal underground utility systems, local government contractors
• I don't... ...a utility bill, a bank statement, or a paycheck stub.
• We're assuming that everyone has their own utility bills in their own name.

Bills: HR320 , HR321 , SCR55 , SCR69 , SCR75 , SCR77 , SCR78 , SCR79 , SB259 , SB295 , SB312 , SB348 , SB444 , SB485 , HR73 , HR118 , HR144 , HR196 , HR237 , HR249 , HR260 , HR267 , HR272 , HR278 , HCR85 , HCR100 , HCR105 , HCR107 , HCR114 , HR245 , SCR5 , SCR29 , SCR33 , SCR37 , SCR63 , SCR30 , SCR40 , HB62 , HB193 , HB210 , HB220 , HB246 , HB364 , HB420 , HB475 , HB584 , HB622 , HB772 , HB784 , HB949 , HB953 , HB1043 , HB1070 , HB1092 , HB1134 , HB1162 , HB1176 , HB1196 , HB1214 , HB119 , HB129 , HB233 , HB283 , HB538 , HB789 , HB850 , HB870 , HB1236 , HB1241 , HB54 , HB137 , HB321 , HB368 , HB386 , HB414 , HB431 , HB552 , HB555 , HB578 , HB590 , HB593 , HB618 , HB638 , HB670 , HB692 , HB707 , HB708 , HB715 , HB718 , HB732 , HB741 , HB748 , HB776 , HB796 , HB807 , HB822 , HB848 , HB856 , HB887 , HB888 , HB917 , HB921 , HB1082 , HB1243 , HB1246 , HB378 , HB509 , HB1090 , HB1259 , SB80 , SB131 , SB143 , SB251 , SB254 , SB279 , SB367 , SB384 , SB388 , SB389 , SB398 , SB408 , SB431 , SB468 , SB469 , SB496 , SB4 , SB52 , SB57 , SB83 , SB145 , SB152 , SB194 , SB276 , SB319 , SB333 , SB448 , SB450 , SB465 , SB484 , SB501 , SB509 , SB149 , HR168 , HB463 , HB998 , SB123 , SB353 , SB479 , SB495 , SB82 , SB97 , SB283 , SB326 , SB518 , SB197 , SB268 , HB901 , HR20 , HR74 , HCR65 , HCR71 , HCR98 , HB284 , HB306 , HB341 , HB366 , HB393 , HB458 , HB577 , HB603 , HB605 , HB614 , HB625 , HB646 , HB733 , HB752 , HB773 , HB798 , HB911 , HB955 , HB996 , HB1035 , HB1069 , HB1113 , HB1140 , HB1180 , HB1191 , HB1240 , HB1255 , SB89 , HB74 , HB134 , HB258 , HB359 , HB468 , HB956 , HB1117 , SB29 , SB42 , SB43 , SB78 , SB208 , SB217 , SB274 , SB300 , SB341 , SB379 , SB382 , SB387 , SB401 , SB441 , SB449 , SB487

Keywords: Arsenal, Arsenal F.C., Premier League, English football, soccer, football club, Mikel Arteta, Emirates Stadium, North London, Tottenham Hotspur, Gunners, sports resolution, commendation, celebration, championship, silverware, Louisiana House Resolution, ceremonial resolution, domestic violence, forensic medical examinations

Transcript Highlights:

• We have our county cooperative program, $886 million.
• Page 13 continues our local government with our school bus route, our school district cooperative agreements
• Luna County has county cooperative for that road.
• For the laws of, again, 2024, item 2, the special appropriations, again, utilized for our litter pickup
• Chair, Representative Lundstrom, we have a price agreement, and so we're able to utilize that price agreement

Summary: The committee first heard HB 299, a bill to support the Highway 180 project between Deming and Silver City. The sponsors described it as a three-phase road expansion that is already partly complete, but they emphasized rising construction costs, frequent accidents, heavy mining traffic, and the importance of the route to the local economy, tourism, and access to Silver City. A DOT engineer confirmed the project’s phases and cost increases, and the bill drew support from a former DOT official and others. The committee voted do pass, 6-0. The committee then heard HB 325, which would create a railroad crossing safety fund to help improve crossings statewide with lights, gates, overpasses, and other safety measures. Sponsors said the fund would be seeded with a modest amount and could leverage local, federal, and possibly public-private funding, with DOT setting rules and priorities. Railroad lobbyists from Union Pacific and BNSF supported the bill, saying it would help address a major public safety issue, especially for smaller communities. The committee voted do pass. Next, SB 73 was presented to require driver education schools to include at least three hours of instruction on vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. Supporters said the bill would improve awareness and safety at low cost, and public testimony included a bicyclist and a parent who lost a daughter in a crash involving a vulnerable road user. Some members asked how the requirement would apply to first-time or older drivers, and sponsors said it would be part of driver education curriculum developed by MVD and DOT. The committee voted do pass, with one member explaining a vote to note the bill should be read as applying to any first-time driver, not just young drivers. The committee also heard SB 111, which would align the Motor Vehicle Division’s confidentiality rules with last session’s SB 36 by protecting personal information such as sex, gender identity, immigration status, and national origin from public disclosure. The Taxation and Revenue Department said the change was meant to close a gap in the law and prevent release of sensitive data in response to public records requests, while still allowing disclosure for law enforcement and other legally required purposes. The bill passed on a 6-1 vote, with one member voting no and saying he was frustrated by last-minute efforts to fix problems he did not see as existing. The meeting concluded with lengthy DOT district presentations from District 1 and District 6, covering budgets, completed and ongoing projects, local road and bridge work, equipment needs, and unfunded priorities. Members asked about specific projects, freight routes, cattle guards, dust and weather issues, striping contractors, and how projects are prioritized under the state’s asset management scoring system. DOT officials said many projects were complete or underway, that some major projects would be funded through Senate Bill 2 or other appropriations, and that equipment and recurring maintenance funding remain major concerns. The committee adjourned after thanking DOT staff and members for their work.

Transcript Highlights:

• Also, I noticed you had put utilizing non-profit organizations. that's also very smart because, you know
• They've had to be utilized for illegal immigrants.
• be looking at that too, is how much more the state funded these various grant programs that were utilized
• here in the legislature, in the House, in the Senate, I've really never seen a conflict or lack of cooperation
• the state agencies even though they may have their own elected officials and I think anybody who cooperated

Bills: SB825

Committee: Senate Border Security

Transcript Highlights:

• that is mechanical, electrical, plumbing, building, all in one.
• So we utilize that as far as a meeting room for that.
• But if we're utilizing it, we're the ones that are, you know, utilizing it at the main use.
• We have other property that is also utilized by the city.
• Utility service billings, town records did not demonstrate that the utility fees were correctly or consistently

Summary: The Joint Legislative Auditing Committee first heard a long-running audit finding involving Daytona Beach’s unexpended building permit funds, which have exceeded the statutory limit for several years and were reported at $10.8 million in the most recent audit. Mayor Derek Henry and city staff said the city has analyzed the fund, adopted a corrective action plan, waived more than $5.5 million in permit and inspection fees over several periods, and used some excess funds for a training facility rehabilitation and a proposed City Hall expansion. Committee members repeatedly questioned whether the city was simply trying to spend down the money, raised concerns about the legality and necessity of proposed expenditures, and asked about interest earnings, truck purchases, and the lack of detailed tracking for training-facility use. The city said an Attorney General opinion allows construction of a new building for building-code functions but not purchase of an existing building, and that if the city cannot comply through permissible construction it would have to return the funds. No vote was taken, but members expressed strong frustration and urged the city to resolve the issue quickly and lawfully. The committee then received the Auditor General’s presentation on the Town of Greenville, which found 31 findings and described pervasive control failures, possible fraud, waste, and abuse. The findings covered elections and quorum issues, conflicts of interest, late or missing financial disclosure forms, related-party transactions, poor meeting notices and minutes, council involvement in day-to-day operations, missing ethics training, budget and accounting deficiencies, weak bank reconciliations, improper utility billing and rates, grant compliance problems tied to a grocery store project, personnel and compensation issues involving the town manager, late vendor payments, weak procurement and P-card controls, vehicle-use and property-control problems, public records issues, and IT/fraud-policy weaknesses. The auditor said the review focused mainly on October 2022 through February 2024 but went back further for some grant-related matters. Greenville’s mayor and staff said the audit reflected actions of a previous administration and that the current council and staff have already adopted seven new policies to improve procurement, financial controls, inventory management, grant oversight, and ethics. They said the town has a new manager and clerk, that the former manager was terminated, and that the town referred matters to FDLE, which is investigating. Committee members asked about the manager’s salary increase, severance, P-card use, and whether the town should consider consolidation or dissolution. The mayor said the town is on a better path, that most of the prior leadership has been voted out, and that the town is working with auditors and an outside accounting firm to correct the problems.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's the area that we're focusing on that we could open up and utilize those.
• But this is to get this open because there are plenty of beds up there not being utilized.
• We take care of these people, but the other concern I have is the amendment that the patients utilizing
• But something I know from taking some electrical engineering classes in college is that if you're working
• on an electrical circuit without taking proper safety precautions, that's not any less dangerous because

Bills: HB2408 , HB2434 , HB2725 , HB2728 , HB2729 , HB2730 , HB2731 , HB2732 , HB2733 , SB1192 , SB1398 , SB1399 , SB1494 , SB1557 , SB1813 , SB1821

Committees: Senate Health and Human Services , Senate Senate Health and Human Services COR

Keywords: controlled substances, prescription monitoring, opioid crisis, healthcare regulations, patient safety, prescription drugs, opioids, healthcare, pain management, utilization controls, AHCCCS, Department of Economic Security, social services, welfare programs, vocational rehabilitation, employment services, developmental disabilities, Arizona Revised Statutes, occupational therapy, board regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• The programs provide housing affordability and stability, lowering costs for residents by reducing utility
• Then for the electric base load measures, Next slide. The U.S.
• The utilities, what Investment to keep New Mexicans in their home. And thank you for this project.
• we do not begin to we don't want to have families forced out because of their inability to afford utility
• So, in addition to the emergency shelter assistance that will pay for rental arrears, utility payments

Committee: House Mortgage Finance Authority Act Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• The district will finance and/or maintain major infrastructure projects, including transportation, utilities
• , will finance and/or maintain major infrastructure projects, including transportation, utilities, and
• But again, it simply makes it available to all to be utilized for transactions. Follow-up.
• My company utilizes a lot of these depositories as well as developing their own.
• Taxes on non-residential electricity will be reduced from 4.35% to 3.6%.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met on April 2, 2025, with a quorum present and took up four bills. The committee first heard HB 4041, which would create the Corkscrew Grove Stewardship District in Collier County to finance and maintain infrastructure such as transportation, utilities, and stormwater systems without changing county regulatory authority. The bill drew no opposition, was reported favorably, and passed 14-0. The committee then considered HB 1485, which repeals Florida’s aviation fuel tax provisions. The sponsor argued the change would simplify the tax code, attract airline investment, and support lower fares and more routes. Members raised concerns about the estimated recurring $22.8 million impact on the State Transportation Trust Fund and $2 million on general revenue, and airport representatives warned of reduced grant and development funding, especially for general aviation and municipal airports. Supporters said the change would increase competition and fuel sales in Florida. The bill was reported favorably on a 12-5 vote. Next, the committee heard HB 999, which would recognize gold and silver as legal tender, allow electronic debit access to bullion accounts, and remove tax burdens on transactions involving precious metals. The sponsor and supporters described the bill as a way to protect purchasing power and provide an alternative parallel to the dollar, while opponents and some members raised concerns about consumer protections, predatory practices, privacy, and the role of the Office of Financial Regulation in rulemaking. After extensive testimony, the bill was reported favorably 19-0. Finally, the committee considered PCB WMC 25-01, which would reduce the state sales tax rate from 6% to 5.25% and also lower several related taxes, including the business rent tax, nonresidential electricity tax, mobile home sales tax, and coin-operated amusement machine tax. The proposal was estimated to reduce revenue by about $5.5 billion annually. Members discussed impacts on the budget, education funding, and whether savings would reach consumers, while supporters emphasized relief for Floridians and business competitiveness. The bill passed unanimously 19-0 and was reported favorably. The chair then noted a prior procedural apology on the record, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• <02:55:04.359><c> New</c><02:55:04.520><c> York</c> electricity New York electricity New York Post<02
• The cooperation of all members is requested.
• 17.439><c> the</c> will not be permitted on the floor the will not be permitted on the floor the cooperation
• <c> all</c><04:34:18.279><c> members</c><04:34:18.719><c> is</c><04:34:18.959><c> requested</c> cooperation
• of all members is requested cooperation of all members is requested the<04:34:20.039><c> practice</c

Bills: HR919 , HR579 , HR177

Keywords: HIV, AIDS, public health, World AIDS Day, bipartisan support, uterine fibroids, fibroids, leiomyoma, women's health, reproductive health, pelvic pain, abnormal uterine bleeding, infertility, miscarriage, hysterectomy, Black women, Hispanic women, health disparities, awareness month, screening

Transcript Highlights:

• as a moneymaker, or the processing company that they utilize does it as a moneymaker.
• I think the utilization of that from the municipalities will be about the same. Thank you.
• That $4.6 is kind of a worst-case scenario if it's completely utilized without guardrails.
• I mean, it's a worst-case scenario estimate on full utilization.
• I mean, it's a worst-case scenario estimate on full utilization.

Committee: All JBC-SPECIAL LANGUAGE

Transcript Highlights:

• utilities to attempt to add to their rate base, increasing what customers must pay.
• </c> to deliver electricity to its customers. to deliver electricity to its customers. that<00:04:48.080
• </c><00:05:36.720><c> have</c> uh in an arena where most utilities have uh in an arena where most utilities
• He said there are indications that electric rates and utility rates are lower in those states with elected
• , providing that public utility commissioners are elected.

Committee: House Election Law

Summary: The committee first held a public hearing on CACR 30, a constitutional amendment that would make Public Utilities Commission members elected rather than appointed. Representative Thomas Opel testified in support, arguing that rising energy costs and the utility rate-setting structure make the PUC too insulated from ratepayers, and that elected commissioners would be more accountable. He also said the proposal should ideally include a ban on contributions from regulated utilities to PUC campaigns, and acknowledged the draft had errors and needed work. Representative Lane questioned whether a contribution ban would be constitutional, and Opel said there may be ways to structure one to survive legal challenge. The hearing closed with five online supporters and two opponents reported, and no one else testified. The committee then went into executive session on House Bill 1062, authorizing the Secretary of State to conduct random audits of voters’ citizenship qualifications. Representative Newsome offered an amendment to clarify how voters with no evidence either way would be treated and to require a public report on audit results, including referrals, costs, and databases used. Representative Aqua opposed the amendment, saying the bill should pass as written. The amendment failed 9-7, and after further debate over privacy and the purpose of audits, the committee voted 9-7 to recommend ought to pass on HB 1062. Representative Barry was assigned the majority report and Representative Newsome the minority report. The committee next considered House Bill 1388, which would clarify the form of ballots for constitutional amendments. Representative Weary said the bill simply provides clarity for voters and imposes no hardship on the Secretary of State’s office. The committee unanimously voted 17-0 to recommend ought to pass and placed the bill on the consent calendar. Finally, the committee opened a public hearing on House Bill 1125, enabling school districts to adopt partisan school district elections. Representative Weary said partisan labels would help voters understand candidate positions and address low turnout in local elections. He emphasized the bill is enabling, not mandatory. Members questioned why the change was needed if few municipalities have used existing authority, and whether it would increase divisiveness. Weary said many voters are unaware of the option and that partisan labels would give them more information. The hearing closed with five online supporters and 184 opponents. The committee then began executive session on House Bill 1187, concerning the filing deadline for special-election candidates for state representative, but discussion was still ongoing in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Sometimes there’s a reason to make some plans for utility hookups.
• c><00:03:48.319><c> some</c><00:03:48.439><c> plans</c><00:03:48.680><c> for</c><00:03:48.879><c> utility
• </c> reason to make some plans for utility reason to make some plans for utility hookups<00:03:49.799
• </c><01:15:33.600><c> planned</c> 515b to certain cooperatives planned 515b to certain cooperatives planned
• and also removes those same cooperatives and also removes those same housing<01:20:05.280><c> cooperatives

Committee: Senate Housing and Homelessness Prevention

Transcript Highlights:

• Marvin Pineda, with California advocacy, on behalf of the Cooperative Campesina of California.
• The Cooperative Campesina are the federally designated farm worker agencies in California.
• This amendment ensures that California tribes may seek the exemption utilizing the best form of entity
• This amendment ensures that California tribes may seek the exemption utilizing the best form of entity
• The tribal forms of entities that tribes do utilize today are recognized as eligible for the welfare

Committee: House Revenue and Taxation

Transcript Highlights:

• Are we going to be paying for claims made against local law enforcement cooperating with ICE?
• They are cooperating with law enforcement. ...have their U visa to have the case prosecuted.
• We want people who witness crimes and who are victims of crimes to cooperate with the police.
• Or cooperate in any way; as of right now, that's just a promise.
• There's a lot of gray area with these cooperative agreements.

Committee: House Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee