Video & Transcript Research : 'state database'

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MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety - 03/16/26

Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:
  • letter opposing a Hindu temple stated letter opposing a Hindu temple stated that<00:30:18.480>
  • They state that it is too broad of a definition to allow access to their database.
  • believe dangerous loophole in the state believe dangerous loophole in the state law<01:46:33.600
  • So do we have a state, I guess, any form of a database of who is an FFL that could do this work and who
  • And under the United States Supreme Court hearing decision in New York State Rifle Pistol Association
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
NH
Transcript Highlights:
  • <00:17:02.639> given may have money from other states given may have money from other states
  • Um I guess I was director for the state.
  • state it's it's<00:26:10.080> eligibility.
  • And that know, the state or federal law.
  • state foster care or guardianship. state foster care or guardianship.
Keywords: 928, house, all
Summary: The committee met on December 19, 2025, approved the draft minutes from the November 21 regular meeting, and received a DHS commissioners update. Patricia Tilly reported on the state’s rural health transformation application, saying CMS had provided only one question and positive feedback, that the final federal award amount was still pending, and that DHS was preparing an accept-and-expend item for fiscal review using an up-to amount. She also said the new Hampstead YDC facility remains on track, with substantive construction expected by late summer 2026 and move-in likely in early January 2027. In response to questions, she confirmed the playground/outdoor activity area had been in the original design and was added when funding became available. Henry Litman, Medicaid director, discussed the Senate Bill 248 study committee report on palliative and hospice care. He explained the distinction between palliative care, which can be provided while a patient still seeks curative treatment, and hospice care, which involves electing not to pursue curative services. He said the committee’s work pointed to a need for better education for providers and the public, and described ongoing conversations with the Foundation for Healthy Communities and Home Health and Hospice about developing materials and possibly addressing how palliative services are bundled. He also said the study committee itself did not generate future legislation, though members could pursue it separately. Litman then answered questions about Medicaid eligibility and long-term services and supports, including delays in processing, the backlog from pandemic-era redeterminations, and efforts to speed reviews. He said the department is using temporary staffing funded in part by last session’s legislation, working with the New Hampshire Healthcare Association, counties, and UNH Law to streamline policy and training, and relying more on electronic asset verification while still guarding against improper asset transfers. He emphasized the goal of balancing faster access to benefits with compliance and fraud prevention. Robert Rodler followed with the annual tuition waiver update for children in foster care or guardianship. He reported 82 applicants and 65 waivers granted, including 35 for USNH schools and 30 for the community college system, and noted a correction would be issued for inaccurate continuing/new student figures in the report. Senator Gray said he intends to pursue a separate budget appropriation for these tuition waiver costs in the future so the funding would be clearly identified and easier to track. No additional votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

89th Legislative Session May 24th, 2025

Texas House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • State your inquiry.
  • state capitol today.
  • Spoken languages in the state.
  • The separation of church and state doesn't just protect the state. It also protects the church.
  • and the United States.
Bills: SB37, SJR84, SJR87, SJR27, SB8, SB10, SB227, SB261, SB15, SB12, SB25, SB57, SB127, SB293, SB441, SB3059, SB512, SB241, SB1718, SB140, SB2055, SB2075, SB2018, SB1534, SB1567, SB785, SB1233, SB1580, SB1663, SB413, SB447, SB519, SB467, SB1579, SB1191, SB1021, SB1838, SB2807, SB2835, SB546, SB2121, SB2167, SB2035, SB2024, SB1032, SB1049, SB1266, SB1400, SB1302, SB401, SB1596, SB1281, SB1242, SB1343, SB310, SB1346, SB2753, SB2703, SB2221, SB1719, SB2177, SB800, SB790, SB748, SB571, SB1957, SB1923, SB1896, SB1760, SB1335, SB2368, SB2477, SB2587, SB2972, SB2986, SB2965, SB1563, SB1467, SB1164, SB1137, SB614, SB705, SB961, SB918, SB955, SB869, SB850, SB863, SB1610, SB1055, SB2206, SB457, SB2337, SB1362, SCR9, SB2405, SB2406, SB2407, SB2166, SB2148, SB535, SB777, SB827, SB1141, SB1330, SB1352, SB1664, SB1862, SB1936, SB1453, SB1448, SB1398, SB2137, SB2111, SB53, SB226, SB1677, SB1723, SB1839, SB36, SB38, SB815, SB1856, SB552, SB646, SB37, SJR84, SJR87, SJR27, SB8, SB10, SB227, SB261, SB15, SB12, SB25, SB57, SB127, SB293, SB441, SB3059, SB512, SB241, SB1718, SB140, SB2055, SB2075, SB2018, SB1534, SB1567, SB785, SB1233, SB1580, SB1663, SB413, SB447, SB519, SB467, SB1579, SB1191, SB1021, SB1838, SB2807, SB2835, SB546, SB2121, SB2167, SB2035, SB2024, SB1032, SB1049, SB1266, SB1400, SB1302, SB401, SB1596, SB1281, SB1242, SB1343, SB310, SB1346, SB2753, SB2703, SB2221, SB1719, SB2177, SB800, SB790, SB748, SB571, SB1957, SB1923, SB1896, SB1760, SB1335, SB2368, SB2477, SB2587, SB2972, SB2986, SB2965, SB1563, SB1467, SB1164, SB1137, SB614, SB705, SB961, SB918, SB955, SB869, SB850, SB863, SB1610, SB1055, SB2206, SB457, SB2337, SB1362, SCR9, HB5560, HB762, HB 107, HB 114, HB300, HB138, HB4386, HB2495, HB581, HB3348, HB5323
VT

Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Session - 2026-04-29 - 1:10PM

Vermont House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • <00:09:45.360> offices, and then involves other state offices, and then involves other state
  • welcome him back to the State House. welcome him back to the State House.
  • So, Madam Speaker, the State House.
  • American State Network. American State Network.
  • Vermont State House. Vermont State House.
Keywords: 926, house, all
Summary: The House opened with a devotional by former member Jason Lorber, who spoke humorously about the difference between asking questions and making statements, urging members to be direct and add value in deliberation. The chamber then took up several resolutions: JRH 11, urging Congress to enact the National Infrastructure Bank Act of 2025, was read and referred to the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development; JRS 51, setting weekend adjournment for May 1, 2026, was adopted in concurrence; and H.C.R. 261 was read, recognizing May 2026 as Older Americans Month and designating May 6, 2026 as Age Strong Vermont Day. Members also used announcements to welcome guests and highlight events, including the Age Strong Vermont initiative, a former member’s return, visitors connected to psychedelic medicine advocacy, an art social, fisheries and trout-in-the-classroom guests, a legislative intern, and a reminder about the May 16 NAMI walk. The House then took up Senate Bill 230, an omnibus labor measure relating to fair employment practices. The committee explanation described technical clarifications to parental and family leave for full-time teachers, expansion of protections for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, removal of outdated statutory language on mandatory retirement for tenured faculty, and clarification that elected and appointed municipal officers are not employees for minimum wage and overtime purposes. The main new policy in section 3B would prohibit non-compete agreements for non-exempt employees, with an exception for collective bargaining agreements, and would restrict certain non-compete and related clauses in health care provider contracts while preserving continuity of care and excluding non-clinical business support services. The committee reported extensive testimony and voted 11-0-0 to recommend the bill favorably with amendment; the House agreed to propose the amendment to the Senate and ordered third reading. The House also began consideration of Senate Bill 179, updating Vermont’s Uniform Disclaimer of Property Interests Act. The committee presentation explained that the bill would eliminate the current 9-month deadline for disclaimers, reflecting changes in federal tax law and the much larger modern estate and gift tax exclusion, and would modernize the statute in several ways. Proposed changes include clearer rules for jointly held property, allowing pre-death disclaimers, authorizing trustees and parents in limited circumstances to disclaim on behalf of trusts or minor children, permitting disclaimers by proxy for infirm persons, clarifying partial disclaimers and entity disclaimers, improving delivery rules for non-real-estate property, and specifying that a disclaimer is not a transfer for transfer-tax purposes. The bill was described as a response to outdated law in light of an impending large intergenerational wealth transfer, and the House proceeded with second reading discussion.
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

Interim Joint Committee on Economic Development & Workforce Investment. (6-18-26)

Economic Development & Workforce Investment

Transcript Highlights:
  • States and the Commonwealth. States and the Commonwealth.
  • I do a lot of state are air-gapped.
  • IT workers based in the United States. IT workers based in the United States.
  • <00:12:59.360> are they're here in the United States are they're here in the United States
  • But people have infiltrated either state governments or state agencies in various ways.
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Criminal Jurisprudence May 19th, 2026

Criminal Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:
  • We are a state that is now 84% urban.
  • Have you seen anything like this at all here in the state or in the United States?
  • So, as the FCIC stated, three states have banned this.
  • So, as the FCIC stated, three states have banned this.
  • Other states have put transaction limits, stating that you can only put $2,000 in this a day.
Keywords: 1184, house, all
ND
Transcript Highlights:
  • I'm with the North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner, and I get to serve as the state supervisor
  • At the state board of equalization, I have seen the state board of equalization allow a jurisdiction,
  • have to specialize in a state.
  • This is another state that we work in. This is another state that we work in.
  • through the state court system.
Summary: The subcommittee of the Tax Reform and Relief Advisory Committee met to begin its study of whether the content of the real estate tax statement should be revised to improve transparency. Legislative Council staff reviewed the study directive from HB 1176 and the statutory requirements for tax statements, including required line items such as true and full value, mill levy, legislative tax relief, primary residence credit, legacy fund share, discounts for early payment, and special assessments. The Tax Department then explained how the current uniform statewide statement is prescribed and approved, and noted that changes are typically driven by statute and implemented collaboratively with counties and vendors. County officials from NDACO, including auditors from McKenzie and Richland counties, described the full annual property tax timeline from budgeting through mailing final statements. They explained how counties gather budgets, calculate levies, verify taxable values, handle centrally assessed property, and prepare required notices and statements. They also said public attendance at budget hearings is generally very low, though the notices and statements generate some calls, mostly about whether attendance is required or why taxes are changing. Several members questioned the usefulness of the legislative tax relief line and the complexity of the 5% discount calculation, and county officials said the current process can be confusing and depends on manual data entry and coordination among counties, vendors, and taxing districts. The committee also discussed assessment frequency, valuation equalization, the 3% cap, and whether more frequent reassessment would reduce large jumps in taxable value. County officials said they try to use rotating reassessments and sales-ratio reviews to keep values within statutory tolerance, but staffing, training, and local market changes make the work difficult. NDACO staff estimated, based on a small county survey, that tax statement preparation and mailing costs average about 74 cents per statement, with outsourcing generally cheaper than in-house printing, and said HB 1176 added some mailing and administrative costs even if the tax statement itself did not change dramatically. Software vendors from CPT and Tyler then began presentations showing how their systems handle budgeting, valuation notices, tax statement generation, primary residence credit processing, and levy worksheets, emphasizing that many of the required calculations and reports are still manually entered or verified by county staff.
VT

Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Session - 2026-03-12 - 1:00PM

Vermont Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • <00:09:27.360> I up to 15 million and for the state I up to 15 million and for the state I
  • transfer under state law. transfer under state law.
  • tax or revenue implication to the state. tax or revenue implication to the state.
  • holding the state in limbo? holding the state in limbo?
  • One of the strengths of the state was their ability to provide a statewide database of permits that was
Keywords: 927, senate, all
FL
Transcript Highlights:
  • state priorities.
  • So we're a value in state and we're a value out of state.
  • their home state.
  • So we're a value in state and we're a value out of state.
  • their home state.
Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education met to examine how Florida’s state universities are funded and to begin discussing a possible university funding model. The panel included the State University System chancellor and CFOs from FSU, UF, FAMU, FAU, UNF, and UCF. Members first reviewed major cost drivers, which the universities said are broadly similar across institutions: wages and benefits, equipment and supplies, financial aid, professional services, utilities, IT, and maintenance. Several institutions noted unique pressures from geography, growth, research intensity, and mission, such as UCF’s size and engineering focus, UF’s land-grant and research enterprise, FAMU’s need to recruit top talent while serving a high-Pell student population, and FSU’s large facilities and research obligations. The chancellor also summarized systemwide cost growth since 2012-13, including higher health insurance, retirement, and salary costs, while noting tuition had been held flat. The committee then discussed other revenue sources, including auxiliaries, restricted funds, capital projects, and component units such as foundations and health systems. University leaders explained that many of these funds are restricted to specific purposes, and some, like UF Health, account for a large share of operating expenses. Members also discussed the current performance-based funding process. University representatives generally praised it for transparency, accountability, and its focus on student success, but said the heavy use of one-time funds, nonrecurring appropriations, and unfunded mandates makes long-term planning difficult. FSU and others argued that rising employee costs, waivers, and facilities expenses are not fully covered, while FAMU said performance funding has improved outcomes but can disadvantage institutions serving more low-income students. In response to questions about improvements, the universities suggested more recurring and predictable funding, better coverage of mandated costs, more flexibility in fees, and continued investment in research and strategic priorities. The chancellor said the Board of Governors is considering a version 3.0 of performance funding that would benchmark institutions against peers and Carnegie classifications. The committee also explored whether universities should have more flexibility to set out-of-state tuition and professional school tuition. Most university leaders favored giving boards of trustees more authority, while the chancellor cautioned that increasing out-of-state enrollment or tuition too much could affect legislative support. No votes were taken; the meeting ended with the chair thanking the panel and adjourning the committee.
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • How about require state?
  • And so if there's any changes in state statute to implement the changes that would be seen as a state
  • The business integrator will work alongside the fiscal system and state leadership throughout the state
  • deliver through the state.
  • From telework to fair pay, we're fighting for a state that works better for everyone, including state
Keywords: 988, house, all
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

November 18, 2025 - 10:30 AM

Transcript Highlights:
  • It's important to note that while state purchasing monitors contractor accountability, state agencies
  • So we do in state purchasing.
  • So state term contracts are considered mandatory for state agencies.
  • of State Purchasing.
  • The FX project was a contract that project to the state were started out with just a database for claims
NM
Transcript Highlights:
  • aviation throughout the state.
  • In 2023, the state of New Mexico provided $6.6 million in state funding for transit operating expenses
  • There are also opportunities to provide connections in the eastern part of the state. state.
  • Because state employees are still free, or is it all government employees or just state employees?
  • on state-owned roads.
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

House - Chamber Meeting Mar 3rd, 2025

Transcript Highlights:
  • Western United States.
  • It's been stated...
  • from out-of-state.
  • Bring money into our state. Good highways are what make people do business with our state.
  • What do we have in our state, and then what are we shipping out of the state?
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
  • Madam Chair, members, House Bill 2303, State Treasurer Conflicts of Interest, requires the state treasurer
  • called the United States Constitution.
  • called the United States Constitution.
  • it is infrastructure that is owned or operated by the state, political subdivision in the state, or
  • it is infrastructure that is owned or operated by the state, political subdivision in the state, or
Keywords: 1182, all
Summary: The caucus reviewed a long list of bills and resolutions, with members frequently asking to pull measures from consent and noting party-line or unanimous votes. Topics included medical and vaccination restrictions (HB 2248, HB 2086), state investment and conflict-of-interest rules for the treasurer (HB 2303), budget and reporting requirements (HB 2688, HB 2015), procurement limits involving China-linked companies (HB 2170, HB 2134), homelessness administration (HB 2533), traffic and transportation measures (HB 2109, HB 2574, HB 2210), school testing and education policy (HB 2032, HB 2033, HB 2075, HB 2266, HB 2395, HCR 2003), and several health-care bills involving lactation services, gender-transition care for minors, abortion-related restrictions, and hospital immigration-status reporting (HB 2072, HB 2085, HB 2364, HB 2689, HB 2796). Members also discussed water policy, including desalination, groundwater transport, and water-use limits (HB 2052, HB 2056, HB 2098, HB 2758, HB 2328), as well as food and agriculture measures such as SNAP restrictions, cultivated-cell food labeling and bans, and the Beef Council extension (HB 2396, HB 2762, HB 2791, HB 2155). Several members criticized bills as unconstitutional, costly, or harmful to affordability, while sponsors described them as clarifications, consumer protections, or administrative fixes. The caucus also considered a number of bills affecting labor, property, and consumer issues, including unemployment eligibility changes, mobile home park submetering fees, appraisal management company rules, digital goods seller requirements, property tax clarifications, and protections for minors in online content creation (HB 2690, HB 2459, HB 2501, HB 2010, HB 2120, HB 2192, HB 2261, HB 2279). Other measures addressed sexual extortion penalties, name-change procedures for sex offenders, and restrictions on abortion-inducing drugs and gender-transition procedures for minors (HB 2666, HB 2223, HB 2364, HB 2085). Members repeatedly raised concerns about federal preemption, constitutional issues, implementation costs, and unintended consequences, and several sponsors or members indicated they were working on amendments or stakeholder discussions. At the end of the meeting, the caucus also heard memorials and resolutions, including a proposal to limit voting centers and precinct voting, and memorials urging withdrawal from the United Nations and defunding the IMF (HCR 2016, HM 2001, HM 2004). The meeting concluded with caucus announcements, including an affordability-themed award recognizing Rep. Betty Villegas, a Black History Month sign-up request, and reminders about upcoming affordability and Latino Caucus events. No final floor votes were taken in the transcript, but multiple bills were pulled from consent or noted for opposition.
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

March 5, 2025 - 10:15 AM

Transcript Highlights:
  • And so when we look at aligning with organizations like states and supporting states, we look at trying
  • and the state organizations.
  • We are not a database or a search engine.
  • requests that come in from state agencies.
  • And when we take out a whole-of-state AI initiative, we look at it in the context of: is the state aligned
Summary: The subcommittee met to hear a panel discussion on artificial intelligence and automation in Florida government. Panelists from Worldwide Technology, OpenAI, the James Madison Institute, and the Florida Digital Service described AI as a tool to improve efficiency, constituent services, fraud detection, translation, HR workflows, public safety, and regulatory review, while emphasizing that AI should supplement rather than replace workers. They also stressed the importance of data readiness, workforce training, governance, and having existing technology systems and policies in place before broader deployment. Members asked about public records concerns, vendor vetting, model integrity, and how to balance innovation with privacy and security. Chief Schoonover said agencies are already using or exploring AI in areas such as Medicaid analysis, environmental data, emergency management, tax forms, and child support, and noted that the Digital Service publishes prohibited vendor and application lists. OpenAI discussed its red teaming, safety evaluations, privacy controls, and government products such as ChatGPT Gov, and said it does not train on personal data or target users with ads. The committee also discussed concrete examples of efficiency gains, including reduced call times, faster translation turnaround, and streamlined HR classification work, as well as concerns about job disruption and constituent access. In closing, members raised data center infrastructure and energy needs, with panelists noting that AI depends on substantial compute, power, cooling, and utility capacity. The chair concluded by encouraging continued dialogue and noting that future AI legislation should be targeted to specific problems rather than overly broad.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Commerce panel votes down bill to regulate digital book contracts for libraries 4/7/26

Minnesota House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • ,<00:07:49.919> media procurement, software, databases, media procurement, software, databases
  • And so that's why that one state.
  • have<00:25:57.679> to we as a state and other states have to we as a state and other states
  • One or two state compacts may states.
  • across the state. Thank you. across the state. Thank you.
Keywords: 1183, house
NH
Transcript Highlights:
  • The benefit of account for the state.
  • So, that would be covered by the state So, that would be covered by the state contract.
  • the state.
  • in the United States.
  • in the state perspective of licensure in our state is certainly not the same licensure in our state
Keywords: 928, house, all
Summary: The Education Freedom Account Oversight Committee met on March 27 and approved the agenda, adding a request for clarification on how the Children’s Scholarship Fund separates applications for the EFA program and the education tax credit program. The committee also approved minutes from December 30, 2025, and March 27, 2026, with a request that the March minutes include a link to the live stream. Members discussed the status of pending Legislative Budget Assistant audit reports on EFA and special education, noting the reports were still not released and would likely come later in the summer after review by the Department of Education and the Children’s Scholarship Fund. A major topic was the EFA program’s administrative fee, which statute allows up to 10% of deposits. Children’s Scholarship Fund representatives said current administrative costs were under 8%, that staffing had been reduced through the ScholarVia platform, and that any unused amount is reconciled and returned to students at year’s end. Members asked for historical administrative-cost data and a written explanation of how the withholding and reconciliation process works. The committee also reviewed the distinction between the EFA and education tax credit funding streams and was told the two programs use separate applications and separate funds, though both use the same platform. The committee spent substantial time on assessment and accountability. Department of Education staff explained that EFA students may satisfy annual assessment requirements through a portfolio, a norm-referenced test, or the statewide assessment; only about 10 EFA students took the statewide assessment, while most used portfolios or standardized tests such as the California Achievement Test and NWEA. Staff described how statewide assessment data are kept separate by student identifier and can be aggregated for EFA reporting, and members asked for breakdowns by grade, test type, and school district. The department also discussed linking assessments through Lexiles and Quantiles and said it could provide a list of commonly used formative assessments in New Hampshire districts. The committee additionally discussed a possible PSAT addition to the state contract and the costs of the statewide assessment program. Another major issue was special education eligibility and services within the EFA program. Members questioned the rule allowing a medical certification of disability from a licensed professional anywhere in the United States as an alternative to an IEP-based determination. Department staff said the current system allows either pathway, that about 1,000 EFA students are identified as special education students, and that the program does not track growth or service alignment on an individual basis. Members expressed concern that the medical-certification route may be too broad and asked for data on the disability categories used. The committee also discussed career and technical education access for EFA students, noting that Senate Bill 491 would provide guidance and that House Bill 1817 would address access and funding issues, but that current law still allows EFA funds to be used to pay CTE costs. The meeting ended with a request for future agenda items and a decision to leave the next meeting date open until fall, pending further information from the LBA audit process.
MO

Missouri 2026 Regular Session

Joint Committee on Administrative Rules Jun 12th, 2026 at 10:00 am

Joint Committee on Administrative Rules

Transcript Highlights:
  • We did some research on other states and found that, yeah, other states do allow this at the delegate
  • So, from SAMHSA, we are required before prescribing—this is across the United States—to the extent state
  • law allows Missouri, from state by state, to check PDMP.
  • To the extent that state law allows, the state prescription drug monitoring program must be consulted
  • And I have also checked other states' PDMPs; not every state, but there are states that do not have counselors
Keywords: 959, house, all
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

December 9, 2025 - 03:00 PM

Transcript Highlights:
  • This emergent are merging technology into state functions for us.
  • We've had the first associate degree in the state of Florida.
  • These are only state funds.
  • They've been raking states in higher education since 2017.
  • She which is the state Higher Education.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

House and Governmental Affairs Apr 23rd, 2026

House and Governmental Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • So this doesn't deal with the state? This is only the... ...deal with the state?
  • No, before you go, in other states, and I don't know if you follow other states...
  • Go look the database. I'll take your word. Go look at the database. It escapes my name.
  • It's not going to cost the state to buy state cell phones. It's just some number.
  • It's not going to cost the state to buy us state cell phones. It's just some number.
Summary: The House and Governmental Affairs Committee met on April 23 and advanced several bills dealing with judicial vacancies, travel reimbursement, election administration, public records, and board transparency. Senate Bill 397 by Chairman Reese was reported favorably without objection; it allows the Supreme Court to reappoint a retiring judge on an ad hoc basis to finish cases or provide urgent coverage, while not changing other laws that prevent a judge from returning to the same seat after retiring or resigning. House Bill 398 by Representative Zerang was reported as amended after the committee adopted a new amendment removing lodging from the bill, leaving only meal reimbursement limits tied to the federal GSA rate. House Bill 1201 by Representative Ilk was also reported favorably; it would create per diem pay for legislators doing legislative business outside session and raise statewide elected officials’ salaries using a formula tied to university president pay. The committee deferred Senate Bill 41, which would have extended the deadline for public bodies to publish open-meeting minutes from 20 to 45 days, after the author said he wanted more time to work with opponents. Senate Bill 289 by Senator Abraham, which would have created public-records exceptions for certain university searches, research, and donor information, drew substantial questioning and testimony from the press and members; after amendments narrowed the scope, the committee ultimately held the bill for further work rather than voting it out. Senate Bill 47 by Senator Mizell, as amended, was reported favorably; it requires public boards and commissions to provide contact information, including at least two contacts, a mailing address, email addresses, a website if available, and a phone number, without requiring public funds for member phones. On election-related bills, Senate Bill 248 by Chairman Miller was reported favorably as amended. It allows precincts with fewer than 20 eligible voters to be consolidated with another precinct at the same polling place when both use the same ballot, with Secretary of State Landry saying it would preserve voter privacy, reduce costs, and be seamless for voters. Senate Bill 210 by Senator Klein-Peter was also reported favorably; it increases the number of election commissioners allowed in closed party primaries to match staffing needs created by the new system. Senate Bill 106 by Senator Klein-Peter, which makes certain crime-scene photos, audio/video recordings, and digital images nonpublic except by court order or clerk access, was reported favorably after a roll-call vote of 8 yeas and 2 nays. House Bill 906 by Representative Billings was reported favorably as amended; the amendments let party state central committees decide whether unaffiliated voters may participate in party primaries, require notice to the Department of State, and make participation rules consistent across the party’s related races, with an effective date of January 1, 2027. The committee also deferred Senate Bills 218 and 220 to the following week before adjourning.