Transcript Highlights:

• While we cannot control what happens, we saw people who have murdered FBI agents walk free.
• 46.199><c> happens</c><00:04:46.919><c> we</c><00:04:47.039><c> saw</c><00:04:47.280><c> people</c> control
• Fally what happens we saw people control Fally what happens we saw people who<00:04:47.639><c> have<
• The bill is a local control issue.
• issue U one bill is is a local control issue U one other<00:14:26.800><c> thing</c><00:14:27.000><c>

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and took up two bills. Senate Bill 126, sponsored by Senator McDaniel, proposed a constitutional amendment to limit the governor’s pardon power during the final 60 days before a gubernatorial election and through the transition period, with the stated goal of giving voters more time to learn about executive clemency decisions. McDaniel said the measure was intended to increase accountability and noted it would need approval by both chambers and then placement on the 2026 ballot. Senator Haron raised concerns about whether the proposal could chill pardons and asked about the timing; McDaniel responded that 60 days was chosen because of early voting and the need for public notice. The committee adopted a substitute and then passed the bill with a favorable expression; several members voted aye, Senator Haron passed, and Senator Adams later asked to be recorded as voting aye before adjournment. The committee then considered Senate Bill 37, sponsored by Senator Elkins, which would amend Kentucky law on indigent burials to allow cremation as an option instead of requiring burial, and would require consultation with the county coroner before a decision is made. Elkins described it as a local control measure and said he was working with Rabbi Litman on a possible accommodation for Jewish indigent decedents, since the Jewish community strongly prefers burial and has offered to assume costs in those cases. Questions focused on how long officials must make a bona fide effort to notify a spouse or next of kin and whether the bill would affect current practices; Elkins said it would not change existing policy on that point and suggested a possible floor amendment for additional issues. Rabbi Litman testified in support, explaining the religious importance of burial and the community’s concern about cremation. The committee substitute was adopted, and the bill passed with a favorable expression, though Senator Herron and Senator Tichenor expressed reservations and voted no or passed, citing constituent concerns and the possibility that family members may later seek a burial place to visit.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is an important bill because it does have the solvency for the Air Pollution Control Board in it
• This again keeps the air pollution control program running without penalizing those companies that are
• This is an important bill because it does have the solvency for the Air Pollution Control Board in it
• I do not see any reason or any desire in this body to expand the control of the EPA if we can handle
• I don't like the idea that we're taking our control through the budget process.

Transcript Highlights:

• But we never did get his volume control knob fixed, did we?
• Customer service is what mattered in my world, and cost control.
• I think those are going to be things at the county and that local control at that... ...point.
• I think those are going to be things at the county and that local control at that. to be things at the
• county and that local control at that point.

Bills: SB1475 , SB1447 , HB2288 , SB1521 , SB592 , SB1533 , HB1276 , SB201 , SB1477 , SB1232 , SB1255 , SB1327 , SB1525 , SB1721 , SB667 , SB1436 , SB1317 , SB604 , SB1325 , SB1496 , SB2007 , SB1567 , SB2112 , SB1980 , SB1735 , SB1558 , SB1491 , SB1287 , SB1378 , SB1369 , SB1441 , SB137 , SB483 , SB843 , SB1433 , SB1257 , SB1365 , SJR49 , HJR1090 , HJR1091 , HJR1092 , HJR1093 , HJR1095 , HJR1094

Summary: The House convened, called the roll, offered prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognized the Nurse of the Day and several student and athletic groups, including Career Tech students, charter school students, Meridian Tech students, and Carl Albert championship teams. A lengthy personal privilege/farewell-style speech was delivered by Representative Lepak, reflecting on his service, family, staff, and legislative colleagues, and offering general advice about public service and the legislative process. The chamber then took up several Senate bills. SB 1369, creating a 988 revolving fund to support Oklahoma’s mental health lifeline, passed 85-7. SB 1441, clarifying penalties for drones contacting critical infrastructure, passed 80-2. SB 137, adding DUI/GBI to electronic monitoring ineligibility and clarifying Department of Corrections language, passed 72-18 after questions about retroactivity and administrative authority. SB 843, raising the minimum ADA threshold from 400 to 550 for school districts to hire relatives of board members, passed 77-4, and its emergency clause also received the required two-thirds vote. The most extensive debate centered on SB 483, which would have authorized county commissioners to establish a relocation assistance program for people seeking to move to supportive housing or services. Members raised concerns about homelessness policy, county capacity, public-private partnerships, safeguards, and possible misuse or “bussing” of people between communities. The bill ultimately failed 35-52, and notice was given of a possible motion to reconsider. Later, SB 1433, requiring agencies to publicly post guidance documents and note they lack the force of law, passed unanimously; SB 1257, updating THC-related language in controlled substances law, passed 68-13; and SB 1365, updating promotional fund language for state retail outlets, lodges, gift shops, and golf courses, failed 43-42, with notice of reconsideration also given. The House then moved to recess until 1:15 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• She feels that, as a city, she's losing some control, and that's... I'll just leave it at that.
• I thought, wow, that's really taking some control from St. Louis County Executive and St.
• Let me finish the point: so it's taking some control from St. Louis County Executive and St.
• So I'm just saying, let's not just take local control away.
• me if I didn't say this, but we're taking control away from the local taxpayers that are paying for

Committees: House Transportation , House Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight

Transcript Highlights:

• Please don't pass a bill that weakens small businesses, hurts local economies, and centralizes control
• This hurts local economies and centralizes control in corporate hands.
• When manufacturers sell directly, pricing is controlled by a single entity, reducing consumer choice
• When manufacturers sell directly, pricing is controlled by a single entity, reducing consumer choice
• Manufacturer-owned models consolidate control and decision-making, reducing flexibility and long-term

Bills: SB22 , SB310

Committee: Senate Senate Conservation

Keywords: motor vehicle manufacturers, licensing, dealers, franchise agreements, consumer protection, water supply, sewage improvements, environment, funding, Mora County

Transcript Highlights:

• Please don't pass a bill that weakens small businesses, hurts local economies, and centralizes control
• When manufacturers sell directly, pricing is controlled by a single entity, reducing consumer choice
• When manufacturers sell directly, pricing is controlled by a single entity, reducing consumer choice
• Manufacturer-owned models consolidate control and decision-making, reducing flexibility and long-term
• It simply shifts control of sales away from the employers and corporate structures with less accountability

Bills: SB22 , SB310

Committee: Senate Senate Conservation

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 22, which would allow certain motor vehicle manufacturers, including electric vehicle companies, to be licensed as dealers in New Mexico and sell/service directly to consumers. Supporters, including the sponsor’s office, Taxation and Revenue, Rivian, and clean-energy advocates, argued the bill would expand consumer choice, lower prices, improve EV access and service in-state, and bring new investment and jobs without eliminating existing franchise dealers. Opponents, including auto dealer associations, chambers of commerce, and franchise owners, argued the measure would weaken the franchise system, harm local businesses and jobs, reduce community reinvestment, and could disadvantage rural and tribal communities. After questions about trade-ins, tribal land sales, tax effects, and economic impacts, the committee voted to table SB 22 by a vote of 7-2. The committee then took up Senate Bill 310, which appropriates $1.1 million to the New Mexico Environment Department for planning, design, and construction improvements to the Mora mutual domestic water system. Supporters described aging water and wastewater infrastructure, an AOC related to discharge into the Mora River, flood and fire impacts, and heavy-metal contamination concerns in private wells. They said the project is part of a larger effort to address inflow and infiltration, improve treatment capacity, and protect public health, with additional funding already sought through the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund and the Water Trust Board. Some senators questioned whether the request should instead go through existing water funding programs and raised concerns about piecemeal financing and the Environment Department’s role, but others supported the need for the project. The committee approved SB 310 on a 5-3 due-pass vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• The C-PACE program is controlled by the counties.
• We are now on House Bill 72, Controlled Substance Minor Distribution. Madam Chair Chandler: yes.
• We are now on House Bill 72, Controlled Substance Minor Distribution.
• I will state that they have to intentionally distribute these controlled substances to a person under
• HB 72 strengthens accountability for those who distribute the most dangerous controlled substances to

Bills: HB99 , HB38 , HB165 , HB127 , HB72 , HB151 , SB40 , SB104 , SB136 , SB164

Committee: House House Judiciary

Keywords: medical malpractice, malpractice reform, patient's compensation fund, PCF, health care liability, tort reform, damage caps, punitive damages, hospital liability, physician liability, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, outpatient facility, ambulatory surgical center, urgent care, free-standing emergency room, insurance surcharge, superintendent of insurance, New Mexico hospitals, medical review process

Transcript Highlights:

• I definitely want to entertain an amendment to control that.
• I definitely want to entertain an amendment to control that.
• And under the governor's control. And I think that's a good idea.
• So I see one of those sort of command-and-control sort of questions the same way.
• So I see one of those sort of command-and-control sort of questions the same way.

Bills: HB2357 , HB2365 , HB2446

Committee: House Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans

Keywords: civil air patrol, military, Washington, emergency services, public safety, digital opportunities, accessibility, technology, economic growth, education, quantum technology, economic development, workforce development, innovation, technology industry

Transcript Highlights:

• I definitely want to entertain an amendment to control that.
• So I see one of those sort of command-and-control questions the same way. I think... ...budget.
• So I see one of those sort of command-and-control questions the same way.
• An industry-led, industry-ratified framework gives businesses real control over whether to participate
• An industry-ratified framework gives businesses real control over whether to participate, how much to

Summary: The Technology, Economic Development and Veterans Committee held public hearings on three bills and then a work session on tourism. House Bill 2365, concerning digital equity programs, would shift more responsibility to the Broadband Office, rename the Digital Equity Opportunity Program as the Digital Opportunity Program, expand the forum’s role, and require more reporting and outreach on broadband adoption and affordability. The prime sponsor and several advocates from community organizations, PTA, and digital navigation groups supported the bill, emphasizing the need for digital skills, cybersecurity, affordability, and trusted community partners. Commerce testified that the bill has technical and fiscal concerns and would add costs, and the sponsor said amendments were likely to reduce the fiscal impact. The hearing on HB 2365 was then closed. House Bill 2446 would direct the Department of Commerce to develop a state quantum strategy by June 30, using non-state funding if possible, to identify growth areas, partnerships, and workforce and economic impacts for the quantum industry. The prime sponsor, industry representatives, and technology organizations supported the bill as a way to keep Washington competitive with other states and build a quantum ecosystem. Committee members raised questions about fiscal impact, private funding, regulatory capture, and cybersecurity risks, including concerns about quantum’s effect on passwords and AI-related harms. A Microsoft representative requested a technical amendment to broaden the definition from quantum computing to quantum technology and said the company would follow up on funding and AI-regulation questions. The hearing on HB 2446 was closed. House Bill 2357 would create a Washington Division of Civil Air Patrol within the Military Department, allowing the governor to activate it for cadet training, communications, disaster relief, cybersecurity, search and rescue, and related missions. The sponsor, the adjutant general, the Civil Air Patrol commander, and a veterans coalition representative all supported the bill, citing recent flood response work, emergency preparedness, and youth training benefits. Testimony emphasized that the proposal would clarify coordination, not change federal authorities, and would not create a fiscal impact. The hearing on HB 2357 was closed without any amendment requests. In the work session on tourism, State of Washington Tourism and industry partners presented recommendations from an advisory group calling for a more sustainable, industry-led funding model, likely through an assessment or visitor-fee structure. They argued Washington is underfunded compared with western peers and estimated that a competitive program could generate $14.6 billion in additional visitor spending over the next decade, along with significant tax revenue and lodging tax growth. Speakers from tourism, the wine commission, hospitality, and advisory group leadership stressed predictable funding, industry governance, and statewide benefits, while committee members discussed international tourism, regional access, and the need to avoid further decline in the sector. The meeting adjourned early after the work session.

Transcript Highlights:

• allow an increased density bonus for any residential development located on a property owned or controlled
• A residential development located on a property owned or controlled by a religious organization qualifies
• I can't control this, right? I do it. Okay. So this is a little bit about the policy lab.
• And what that resulted in, we did a randomized control trial so we could...
• did a randomized control trial so we could see exactly how much change that made.

Bills: HB1717 , HB1859

Committee: House Finance

Keywords: affordable housing, sales tax, housing programs, tax incentives, economic development, religious organizations, development, housing opportunities, land use

Transcript Highlights:

• That is why Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was given the charge to take control of the border at night
• . to gain operational control.
• And then the second one would be under the military department itself, where it would be controlled by
• We're actually recommending a separate agency, that entirely, to control and to coordinate all these
• Yes, so everybody understands the issue, from traffic control to wherever.

Bills: HB 1065 , HB2929 , HB2956 , HB3009 , HB3420 , HB3626 , HB3649 , HB4956 , HB4993 , HB5293 , HB5308 , HB5528 , HCR118 , SB36 , HB4023 , SB 36

Committee: House Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs

Keywords: employee classification, private security, misclassification, workforce regulations, Texas Workforce Commission, autism, peace officers, training program, law enforcement, intervention, communication, developmental disability, family violence, central database, criminal offense, registration, public safety, violent offenses, criminal database, Department of Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• However, those settlement agreements set up limits and thresholds to order controlled substances.
• Because this medication is a controlled substance, it's unfortunately been negatively impacted. by those
• at the end stating that pharmacists could be responsible for decisions that are outside of their control
• Our pharmacists do not control how much buprenorphine they get into our pharmacy.
• This puts a lot of their time onto unnecessary inventory controls. We think the...

Committee: House House Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Those surplus animals lead to increased costs for sheltering and increased costs when animal control
• And the public health and safety issues stemming from the lack of animal care and control services include
• My name is Crystal Tohill, and I am the Animal Control Director in Santa Rosa, New Mexico.
• in high-volume spays and neuters, and this is our best chance at getting our pet population under control
• We worked recently with Otero County; they just adopted a new animal control ordinance to help try to

Committee: House House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's getting more and more difficult to try and control these.
• And the egregiousness that's attached with it is more of what you're trying to control, and that's hard
• Artificial intelligence for something beyond my control, my natural-born voice since a child.
• They own or control more than 265 concert venues in North America, including more than 60 of the top
• It is not a bar on the It is fundamentally the constitutional right to control your data.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection heard several bills focused on privacy, AI, surveillance, and consumer protections. AB 302 would bar schools from excluding students from extracurricular activities because they do not use social media and would require schools to use at least one non-addictive means of contacting students and parents; it drew support from Common Sense Media and no opposition. AB 1705, the Reclaim Act, would require websites hosting non-consensual pornography to verify consent before upload; district attorneys and the Commission on the Status of Women supported it, while TechNet and CCIA opposed or raised concerns. AB 2007 would separate parental consent for a child’s image/likeness from general program enrollment forms in youth programs; educators supported it, while local government and parks groups raised implementation and penalty concerns. AB 2212 would update higher education sexual harassment definitions to include tech-facilitated harassment such as cyberbullying, doxing, and nudification-related abuse; students and advocacy groups strongly supported it, with no opposition. AB 1837 would extend transit agencies’ authority to use camera enforcement in bus-only lanes and at transit stops, with privacy retention limits and human review; transit agencies supported it, while some senators expressed concern about automated enforcement and surveillance, and the bill was placed on call after a split vote. AB 2392 would create an intersegmental higher education working group on generative AI training and procurement standards; it passed 5-0 after amendments removed prerequisites tying AI deployment to completion of the report. The consent calendar was also approved on call. Later, AB 1798 would prohibit life and disability insurers from using non-diagnostic genetic information in underwriting; supporters argued it protects privacy and encourages testing, while insurers opposed the bill as undermining risk-based underwriting, and it advanced on a 3-0 vote on call. Finally, AB 1883 would restrict workplace use of emotion-recognition and neural-data surveillance tools; labor and privacy advocates supported it, employers and local agencies raised safety and litigation concerns, and it passed 3-0 to Labor after narrowing amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're being blamed for things far outside of our control.
• So, those two concepts, local control and unfunded mandates.
• </c> we're told that we respect local control we're told that we respect local control and<00:52:36.400
• </c><01:36:44.719><c> We</c><01:36:45.040><c> as</c> power, control, and authority.
• We as power, control, and authority.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean all sorts of incident control I mean all sorts of incident control I mean all sorts of different
• last comment the lack of local control last comment the lack of local control because there I think
• we've already been local control we've already been local control we've already been referencing in
• cost and the lack of local control cost and the lack of local control because you know last year we
• the room you could talk can't control the room you could talk can't control the room you could talk

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> For narcotic schedule two controlled For narcotic schedule two controlled substances<00:15:12.600
• </c><00:15:30.720><c> substance</c> schedule two controlled substance schedule two controlled substance
• </c><00:20:54.000><c> prescribing</c> from restricting controlled prescribing from restricting controlled
• controlled controlled prescribing prescribing prescribing were<00:21:15.040><c> written</c><00:21:15.440
• >> For controlled prescribing, that is currently in our legislation for controlled three through five

Summary: The committee opened its sixth and final interim meeting with roll call, quorum confirmation, approval of the prior minutes, and a brief change in agenda order to preserve quorum and accommodate presenters’ schedules. Members then moved through several proposed health-related items with limited discussion, and the chair noted the committee would reconvene in January for further conversation. The first substantive item was a proposal relating to utilization controls for non-opioid analgesics in Medicaid. Senator Gerald Neal and Tara Hyde of People Advocating Recovery argued that pain parity is needed so patients can access non-opioid options without prior authorization or step therapy barriers, especially in acute pain situations and for people in recovery. Senator Berg supported the concept and suggested expanding the approach to other prescriptions by allowing physicians to explain why step therapy is inappropriate at the time of prescribing; another member cautioned against unintended cost increases if non-opioid drugs are used as add-ons to opioids. The committee then heard a proposal on physician assistants from Senator Scott and Andrew Rutherford of the Kentucky Academy of Physician Assistants. They described a shift from a supervisory to a collaborative practice model, with practice scope set at the practice level, limited Schedule II prescribing authority under guardrails, and permission for PAs to perform driver’s license vision testing. Supporters said the changes would improve rural access, reduce administrative burden, and align Kentucky with neighboring states; a question from Representative Bratcher focused on experience requirements and how the proposal compares with nurse practitioner rules. No vote was taken. Finally, Representative Nancy Tate, Adia Wuchner, and Representative Jason Nemes introduced a 2026 proposal aimed at “protecting vulnerable people.” They described a broad package focused on abortion pill trafficking, marketing to minors, commercial surrogacy, assisted suicide, and organ procurement safeguards, arguing that current law leaves gaps and that additional criminal and civil penalties are needed. The presentation was informational only, with no action taken before the meeting ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• In other words, we kind of have no control.
• In other words, we kind of have no control.
• I would say that we have some control.
• I would say that we have some control.
• ><c> over</c> estimates but we don't have control over estimates but we don't have control over the<01

Summary: The House Finance Division III held an informational hearing on Medicaid, Medicare, Choices for Independence, and related financing, while postponing nursing facility financing and the county cap discussion to a later date. DHHS officials Ann Landry, Jonathan Ballard, and Medicaid Director Henry Litman provided an overview of Medicaid’s role, noting it is a federal-state partnership with state-specific eligibility and benefits, and emphasizing that Medicaid is a major funding and programmatic support for other DHHS initiatives. They also distinguished Medicaid from Medicare and explained that Medicaid funding is not the same as grant funding, though some providers may also receive federal grants through other channels. The presentation focused on New Hampshire’s relatively small Medicaid program and why it differs from national averages. Officials said about 184,000 residents are covered, roughly one in seven Granite Staters compared with one in five nationally, and attributed the difference largely to the state’s higher per-capita income and older population. They highlighted that about 65% of Medicaid-enrolled adults in New Hampshire are working, that only 22% of births are covered by Medicaid versus 42% nationally, and that the state’s uninsured rate is lower than the national rate. Members asked about covered services, income limits, federal matching rates, and the names of optional eligibility groups; staff explained that New Hampshire offers the optional groups discussed, with matching rates varying by category, including 90% for Granite Advantage and certain other groups, and 65% for children above the required level. A substantial portion of the hearing covered eligibility rules and recent policy changes. Officials reviewed the history of Medicaid, including HCBS waivers, the CFI program, Katie Beckett, the Olmstead decision, the ACA, and the end of continuous enrollment after the public health emergency. They also discussed the 2023 legislative expansion of postpartum coverage from 60 days to 12 months and child eligibility changes. In response to questions, DHHS said it is tracking utilization and costs for the postpartum expansion and reported that many maternal deaths occur after the prior 60-day coverage period, often involving substance use disorder or suicide; they said the longer coverage is intended to improve access to treatment and prevention. The committee also walked through household-income examples, clarified that Medicaid eligibility is based on household income and categorical rules, and confirmed that Granite Advantage ends at 138% of the federal poverty level unless another categorical basis applies. No votes were taken, and the hearing remained informational.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Regional Water Quality Control Board. Regional Water Quality Control Board.
• Scott, will each control 20 minutes.
• </c> Hawaii, Miss Takuda, each will control Hawaii, Miss Takuda, each will control 20<03:08:02.479><c
• The chair will control 20 minutes.
• </c> is out of control. is out of control.

Transcript Highlights:

• both these bills the legislation is going to work to end the practices that help individuals regain control
• The House adds that before the word 'controls' and for the purposes of this definition, as opposed to
• 'defines controls.'
• Yeah, that's about... so 14 deals with controller issues.
• Or, yeah, I think it also is going to get, yeah, I think controller was removed from the definition,

Summary: The Joint Committee on Data Privacy convened its first conference committee meeting to reconcile differences between Senate 2619 and House 5479. Representative Michael Moran and Senator Cindy Creem opened by emphasizing the long-running work on privacy legislation, the need to protect Massachusetts residents’ personal data, and the goal of producing a strong consumer-focused bill. Members also noted extensive stakeholder outreach over the prior three years and expressed optimism that the chambers could resolve the remaining differences. The committee then worked through the bill’s definitions section item by item, identifying which provisions were already aligned and which would need further staff review or later negotiation. Several items were described as essentially the same or close enough for agreement, including affiliate, consumer rights, business associate citation language, collection, controller, covered entity, gender-affirming health care services, targeted advertising, and some profile/health information provisions. Other items were set aside because of substantive differences, especially around affirmative consent, biometric data, dark patterns and deceptive design, de-identification, consumer versus individual terminology, age/minor language, precise geolocation, publicly available information, reproductive or sexual health care, sale/transfer of personal data, sensitive data, and trade secret-related language. A recurring theme was whether the bill should use “consumer” or “individual” in various definitions and provisions, with the chairs directing staff to work offline on a consistent approach. The committee also discussed whether certain HIPAA and COPPA references should be embedded in definitions or cited throughout the bill. By the end of the meeting, the committee had resolved a number of mostly technical or stylistic items, tabled several substantive disputes for later discussion, and agreed to continue working toward a final conference report before adjourning.