Transcript Highlights:

• I don't think we're addressing jurisdiction between state and federal land. I think we're.
• I think those are the two consequences. And Mr. Chair, I think you want.
• I think this bill does that.
• I do think that this is a very viable thing. I do think that it's not just fuel.
• I think that's very short.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think so often, as a parent, as somebody that's older, we often think we have all the answers, and
• And so I think one of the...
• I think these are wonderful things to think about.
• Yeah, I think that’s the role.
• So I think we've seen change.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Response: “So I do think we are, and I think that’s happening in two ways.
• One is that I think it will...”
• And I think that's the problem. I really do think that's the problem is...
• I think this is a reasonable— I think Senator Wood said this a couple of times, reasonable.
• Think about it.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think that that pair of...
• I don't think it will.
• I think are significant.
• I don't understand how we could even think that that's possible. I think it's...
• And I think that those two things can exist together. I think they can exist together.

Summary: The Judiciary Committee took up two bills. SB 98, by Senator Harrell, would let self-storage facilities advertise lien sales either in a newspaper or on a qualifying website, while keeping other notice requirements in place and updating contact information provisions. Supporters, including the Florida Press Association and several newspaper/storage owners, argued print and digital newspaper notices already provide broad public notice and that the bill could reduce notice effectiveness; the sponsor said the bill is an optional modernization and does not affect government notices. After debate, the committee voted 8-1 to report SB 98 favorably. The committee then heard SB 164, by Senator Grall, which expands Florida’s Wrongful Death Act to allow parents to recover civil damages for the death of an unborn child at any stage of development, with carve-outs for the mother and lawful medical care. The sponsor said the bill aligns civil law with Florida’s criminal protections for unborn children and gives families a remedy where current law may not. Opponents, including the ACLU of Florida, health care workers, and others, warned it could invite lawsuits against doctors, hospitals, friends, family members, and people involved in abortion access, and could worsen OB-GYN shortages and deter care. Supporters said it recognizes unborn life and should be treated consistently with existing wrongful death law. The committee approved SB 164 on a 4-3 vote and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And Ashlyn, I think you got a copy of it. Um, Ashlyn, I think you have, you got a copy of it.
• I think that would be helpful.
• I think that's a good question.
• I think that's a great question, and I think as we're unpacking some of these programs, I think there
• So I think that's a fair criticism, and I think it would be wise of this committee.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think we have the California Wildfire Fund. We have the continuation fund, I think.
• I think that it's helpful.
• So, I mean, I think that's the goal I think you're getting at.
• I think maybe it was you, Mr.
• I think that's the misunderstanding. I do not think so.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy held a hearing on the California Earthquake Authority’s SB 254 report and broader options for reforming California’s utility wildfire recovery system. The chair framed the discussion around the Palisades and Eaton fires, the scale of wildfire-related costs on utility bills, and the need to weigh trade-offs among survivors, ratepayers, utilities, insurers, and taxpayers. The first panel featured wildfire survivors William Abrams and Joy Chen, who described long delays in compensation, housing insecurity, and what they viewed as a system that protects utility shareholders more than victims. They urged greater transparency, clearer accountability for utility spending and safety performance, faster and fuller compensation for survivors, and reforms such as independent audits and better alignment of utility incentives with wildfire prevention and restitution. The second panel began with Tom Welsh of the California Earthquake Authority, who explained that the SB 254 report was intended as a broad inventory of policy pathways rather than recommendations. He described the report’s process, including stakeholder submissions, workstreams, and a convergence process, and outlined the current wildfire fund structure: utilities remain liable, the fund reimburses eligible claims after a covered wildfire, and the CPUC later determines prudency and possible reimbursement back to the fund. RAND’s Lloyd Dixon summarized compensation data, saying utilities paid about $38 billion between 2017 and 2024, with major shares going to injured parties, insurers, and public entities, while litigation costs and survivors’ own losses remain substantial. He noted that legal fees and delays reduce the amount survivors ultimately receive. Utility and public-interest witnesses offered differing views on the report’s pathways. PG&E’s Tyson Smith said the report shows inaction is the worst outcome and argued for community wildfire risk reduction, equitable allocation of catastrophe costs, and state-led resilience tools. LADWP’s Fernando Valero emphasized the vulnerability of municipal utilities and cities, and supported inverse condemnation reform, a state-sponsored liability insurance framework, damages and subrogation limits, and stronger insurance access. Consumer Attorneys of California’s John Fisk argued that IOU-caused fires are not natural disasters but the result of negligence and sometimes criminal conduct, and opposed reducing utility liability while supporting stronger oversight and audits. The Public Advocates Office’s Nathaniel Skinner focused on affordability, saying ratepayers already bear large and growing wildfire costs and warning against shifting more costs onto bills without measurable risk reduction and tighter accountability. Committee members then began questioning witnesses about what counts as measurable mitigation, how to define full and fair compensation, and how any fast-pay process should work.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think so.
• But if you think of one human's trajectory, think early on.
• But if you think of one human's trajectory, think early on.
• So I think I like treatment courts. I think they're effective.
• I think... I think it would be a tremendous opportunity.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• think, in most cases.
• automatic felony I think in most cases. automatic felony I think in most cases.
• When we think shoplifting, we think people just slipping things into pockets.
• When we think shoplifting, we think people just slipping things into pockets.
• When we think shoplifting, we think people just slipping things into pockets.

Bills: SF0007, SF0008

Keywords: theft, penalties, larceny, criminal offense, felony, Wyoming, absconding, law enforcement, criminal justice, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think we had the highest in the nation as a percentage and I think all of that matters and I think
• I think we had the highest in the nation as a percentage and I think all of that matters and I think
• I think we had the highest in the nation as a percentage and I think all of that matters and I think
• I think we had the highest in the nation as a percentage and I think all of that matters and I think
• I think we had the highest in the nation as a percentage and I think all of that matters and I think

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so it is, and I think, like I said, I haven't done the research, but I think there...
• I think this is a very, I think it's a great bill and one that actually asks more—what's the word?
• I think we can fund that. Who's we? I think the state can fund it.
• ..to, you know, we're talking about communications, and I think that's what I think Mr.
• We do, I think, have some public testimony. We do, I think, have some public testimony.

Bills: HB9, HB177, HB181, HB202, HB225, HB398, HB459, HB540, HB906, HB1052, HB1057, HB1245

Keywords: HB 9, HB9, Act 527, Shreveport, Stuffed Shrimp Capital, state symbol, Louisiana symbols, municipal designation, honorary title, cultural designation, tourism, local pride, seafood, shrimp, stuffed shrimp, cuisine, city branding, Louisiana Revised Statutes 49:170.26, court reporter, official court reporter

Transcript Highlights:

• I think we can always get better.
• I think we can always get better.
• I think we can always get better.
• I think changing the bidding process, but that would require, I think, a lot more work.
• I think, I think when we visit Japan, I think they did that.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first considered three gubernatorial nominations. GM510, Faith Tui Pulotu to the Molokai Irrigation System Water Users Advisory Board, received strong support from the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and the Hawaii Farm Bureau, though the nominee was not present online. GM614, Mark Gordon to the Environmental Advisory Council, also drew unanimous support from state and private testifiers; Gordon described his environmental health and safety background and said he could commit the time needed. GM696, James Falconer to the Advisory Board on Pesticides, was supported by the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity and the Hawaii Farm Bureau; Falconer discussed his long experience in coffee and sugar, including work responding to coffee leaf rust and the need for timely pesticide tools. All three nominations were recommended for advise and consent and were adopted by four-member votes. The committee then heard several agriculture bills. HB 1603 HD1 would allow the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to extend agricultural park leases without the current county-population restriction; supporters called it an equity measure and asked that it apply to all ag park leases, while the department gave standard testimony. HB 1707 HD1 would create a local agricultural transportation cost reimbursement program; supporters said transportation is a major production cost and suggested amendments to define “necessary supplies” and explicitly include honey. HB 2155 HD1 would establish an agricultural statistics program, with supporters emphasizing the need for better data to guide planning. HB 2594 HD1 would direct a study on insurance coverage for small producers, which supporters linked to recent storm damage and the lack of tailored insurance products. HB 2595 HD1 would create a regional agricultural feasibility and food systems production working group; supporters said it should consider markets as well as crop suitability and regional conditions. Members asked questions about lease competition, transportation reimbursement amounts and anti-double-dipping safeguards, the usefulness of agricultural data, and whether state or federal insurance models could be used as templates. Testifiers generally said the bills would help reduce costs, improve planning, and support small and neighbor-island producers, while noting that implementation details and funding levels would need further work. The committee then voted to pass all five bills with amendments, generally including a deferred effective date of July 1, 2050, and in the case of HB 1707, the committee adopted the suggested amendments to define necessary supplies and add honey to the covered commodities.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think, Mr.
• So I think it might be better.
• I do think California... I do think California should be able to do big things.
• I think that's wrong.
• And the MDI is, I think, a creative approach to thinking about—I don't know.

Summary: The hearing focused on the governor’s May Revision proposals for transportation, natural resources, climate, and related programs, with the Department of Finance and the LAO presenting competing views on the state’s fiscal condition. Finance said the budget remains balanced over two years, with major climate-bond, water, parks, transportation, DMV, and agriculture proposals, while the LAO argued the state still has a structural deficit and should reject or defer many new discretionary spending items, preserve reserves, and be cautious about ongoing commitments. The LAO specifically questioned the timing and scale of new spending for programs such as Clean California, Healthy Rivers and Landscapes, and the Golden Gate Fields acquisition, and urged more clarity on future obligations and revenue scenarios, including for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. A major portion of the hearing was devoted to the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes proposal for Bay-Delta water quality implementation. Secretary Wade Crowfoot and Finance described it as an enforceable, science-based alternative to a more traditional regulatory approach, with the state’s $25 million request intended to support early implementation, monitoring, habitat restoration, and environmental flows. The LAO countered that the Water Board has not yet adopted the updated Bay-Delta plan, that the proposal may be premature, and that the Legislature should wait for more information on the state’s total funding commitment and the program’s long-term costs. Several members expressed support for the program as a way to reduce conflict and protect water reliability, while others echoed concerns about timing and fiscal exposure. The committee also examined the proposed $125 million Proposition 4 contribution toward acquiring the Golden Gate Fields property for a shoreline park and habitat project. State officials said the acquisition is a time-sensitive, once-in-a-generation opportunity, with an appraised value of $175 million and additional philanthropic and local funding expected to close the gap. Members questioned whether the project had gone through the usual competitive process, whether the site is the best use of scarce park bond dollars, and how public access, habitat, and disadvantaged-community priorities would be protected. The discussion ended without a vote, and the committee moved on to transportation items including Clean California litter abatement, the Games Route Network, homeless encampment coordinators, and DMV modernization and field office proposals, with LAO recommending rejection or delay on several of those requests as well.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I think it's critical.
• I don't think anything is being... dismantled. I think we're in a 90-day period now.
• I don't think so, but I also think what I think so so what is that you don't think so so yes or no I
• I don't think it looks good.
• So I think theoretically, yes.

Transcript Highlights:

• this area of Statute that's um I think this area of Statute that's um I think really<00:19:37.760
• And I think that was an opinion, I think it was in 2000-whatever, but if you look, it'll give you the
• I don't think your bill gets us there. I think that there are just too many questions outstanding.
• I don't think your bill gets us there. I think that there are just too many questions outstanding.
• I don't think your bill gets us there. I think that there are just too many questions outstanding.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I think these are things that we all need to think about.
• I think these are things that we all need to think about.
• I think these are things that we all need to think about.
• I think these are things that we all need to think about.
• I think these are things that we all need to think about.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 173 from Senator David Givens, which would create a legislative review process for the state health plan and state plan amendments, modeled after the administrative regulations process. Givens argued the legislature should have a stronger policy role in reviewing the plan, saying the bill would allow lawmakers to find components deficient rather than approve them outright. He tied the proposal to Medicaid spending growth and projected enrollment changes, saying the state needs a new oversight tool. Committee members generally supported the concept, though Senator Berg expressed concern that the legislature lacks the executive branch’s healthcare expertise. The bill was reported favorably on a unanimous roll call vote. The committee then took up Senate Bill 137, sponsored by Chairman Meredith, which would create a pathway for certain internationally trained physicians to practice in Kentucky without repeating residency in the United States. Supporters said the bill is aimed at addressing Kentucky’s physician shortage, especially in rural areas, and cited projections of a statewide shortage of about 3,000 physicians by 2030 and a shortage of primary care doctors in particular. Testimony from Cicero Action and Baptist Health emphasized that many foreign-trained physicians are already fully trained, that residency slots are limited, and that the bill could help fill shortages in underserved counties while preserving quality through existing exams, ECFMG certification, English proficiency requirements, primary source verification, and mentoring/oversight. Several members raised questions and concerns. Senator Berg asked about verification, required exams, and oversight, and Senator Tishner raised concerns about fraudulent credentials in some countries and whether the bill could admit underqualified physicians. Witnesses responded that applicants would still have to pass the same exams, obtain ECFMG certification, and undergo primary-source credentialing and employer oversight. Supporters also argued the bill would not displace U.S.-trained physicians because it would use otherwise limited residency capacity more efficiently. After discussion, the committee adopted the bill and reported it favorably by unanimous vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, I think it does. I think it does...
• I mean, I think it does, you know, reflect, I think, that continued uncertainty, right?
• I think the locals, Dr.
• I think that could be valuable.
• I think I found the right website. I think I found the right website.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:27:21.679> I<01:27:21.840> think think that's probably true.
• I think think that's probably true.
• I think you added slot machines to it. I think you added slot machines to it.
• So, I think... um, my um, my I think<02:12:54.960> I think I think I think<02:12:58.159> it
• I think whatever...

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think it went out already. I think it went out in February.
• I think it went out already. I think it went out in February. I'll get you the exact date.
• I think it went out already. I think it went out in February last year.
• I think, um, early on, I don't think we were aware of some of the projects that were ongoing.
• I think that's why you're there.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 110, HD1, which would clarify local food purchase goals for the Department of Education. DOE said it supports the measure and will work toward the 30% local food mandate by 2030. The Department of Agriculture also supported the bill, and outside advocates from the Hawaii Public Health Institute and Hawaii Farm to School Network strongly backed it as consistent with prior farm-to-school laws and helpful for measuring progress toward the goal. The committee then took up House Bill 293, which would exempt certain DOE purchases of local edible produce and packaged food products from electronic procurement rules and allow written-quote purchasing thresholds, including a lower quote requirement for some rural schools. DOE, the Department of Agriculture, the State Procurement Office, and the Hawaii Farm Bureau all supported the measure, describing it as a tool to help the department test and add local products and meet the 30% goal. However, members pressed DOE on the bill’s purpose and mechanics, questioning why the department could not simply add products to vendor lists or use existing procurement flexibility. DOE explained it was trying to test new local products, including products not yet on the USDA-approved list, and said the bill would allow limited pilot purchases while it works through USDA approval and vendor-list updates. Members also raised concerns about whether the bill was being used to bypass procurement and whether small farmers or aggregators could realistically supply the needed volume. House Bill 1069, which would add two voting members representing DOE and the Board of Education to the School Facilities Authority, also drew support from DOE and the Board of Education. Supporters said the change would improve accountability, strategic input, and communication on school facilities matters. SFA testified that it has already increased coordination with DOE through regular meetings and that recent discussions have been more robust. Committee members questioned whether voting seats were necessary given that DOE and BOE could already attend meetings and receive updates, and they raised concerns about how a voting representative would report back and whether the measure would actually solve communication problems. No votes or final actions were taken on the measures during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, I think that's... I think that's super helpful.
• It's clarifying how I think a lot of us think that government ought to work.
• No, I don't think that's true. I think there's enough carve-outs in this bill.
• I think you're going to be... I think.
• I think I could... I think you could name any type of specific circumstance.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the House Journal for the previous day by a vote of 123-1, and then recognized a series of special guests, including a physician, several sheriffs, school groups, interns, and other visitors. The chamber then moved into third reading and perfection of bills, with some measures sent to the informal calendar before debate began on House Bill 1758, which would make daylight saving time permanent in Missouri. Supporters argued it would end the twice-yearly clock change and could improve productivity and convenience, while opponents raised concerns about dark winter commutes, safety, and health effects. The bill passed third reading by a vote of 107-31 with two present. The House next took up House Bill 3329, which repeals expired or unused tax credits to clean up the statutes and reduce Department of Revenue reporting work. Members from both parties generally supported the bill as a government-efficiency and accountability measure, though one member questioned whether removing credits from statute could make them harder to revive later. The bill was perfected and printed without opposition. The chamber then considered House Bill 3405, which clarifies that the state and local tax (SALT) pass-through entity provision is a deduction rather than a tax credit, with sponsors saying the change would streamline Department of Revenue processing and improve the accuracy of tax credit reporting. That bill was also perfected and printed after discussion about tax administration and fiscal note implications. Finally, the House debated House Bill 2426, a parental rights bill covering education, medical, privacy, and related decisions for children, and applying a strict-scrutiny standard to government actions affecting those rights. Debate focused heavily on whether the bill merely codified existing protections or expanded parental authority in ways that could affect school records, recordings, evaluations, truancy, medical consent, and district transparency requirements. The House adopted House Amendment 1 by a vote of 98-25 with six present, an amendment addressing IEP procedures and requiring parental consent for certain major changes unless due process requirements are met. Further debate continued on the underlying bill, with supporters emphasizing parental involvement and opponents warning about unintended consequences for schools, child welfare, and existing legal standards.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think that's good for that page.
• I think that's good for that page.
• I think that's good for that page.
• So I just think it's interesting.
• I think we're extraordinary I think I think we're right<01:10:01.679> around<01:10:02.000>

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee met for an agency overview from Minnesota Housing Commissioner Jennifer Ho. After member and staff introductions, Ho described Minnesota Housing’s mission, structure, and role as a mission-driven financial institution that issues bonds, uses earnings to support operations, and works across the housing continuum from homelessness prevention to homeownership and preservation. She emphasized that the agency is not a builder or regulator, but funds and partners with developers, local governments, nonprofits, and lenders. She also noted the agency’s four divisions, including a new local government housing programs division created after the 2023 legislative session expanded the agency’s responsibilities. Ho reviewed funding and program activity, saying Minnesota Housing spent $1.96 billion in fiscal year 2024 and helped more than 73,000 households. She highlighted that the agency’s work is heavily competitive and often oversubscribed, with many projects selected through RFPs and grants but more applications than available resources. She discussed 2023 and 2024 investments, including homeownership, rental, and manufactured housing projects, and said roughly half of competitive dollars have gone to Greater Minnesota over the last several years. She also explained the difference between funds committed and funds actually disbursed, noting that construction and rehabilitation projects can take many months to close and draw down funds. The commissioner also updated members on new programs created in 2023 and 2024, including first-generation down payment assistance, the Greater Minnesota Workforce Housing Development Program, public housing rehabilitation, state housing tax credits, and other local and regional initiatives. She said some programs are already closed out, while others remain in early implementation or are still accepting applications. Ho mentioned a forthcoming technical amendment to adjust a high-rise sprinkler program after eligibility issues limited participation. She closed with examples of projects preserved or funded, including a St. Louis Park preservation deal, public housing preservation in Greater Minnesota, a St. Cloud challenge project, and the first-generation down payment assistance program, which distributed $50 million to about 1,450 first-time buyers, most of whom were Black, Indigenous, or people of color. No votes or formal committee actions were taken.