Video & Transcript : 'pension legislation' :

Page 207 of 500
ND
Transcript Highlights:
  • We wouldn't be good as legislators.
  • We wouldn't be good as legislators.
  • That's when I said it's now legislative.
  • So the legislative body... ...deferred maintenance built into the formula.
  • And I do reach the legislators, especially if this is going to be built forward.
Summary: The Higher Ed Funding Committee met to review how North Dakota might identify and address low-producing academic programs and to discuss draft funding formulas for the university system. Lisa Johnson of the NDUS explained that the State Board of Higher Education is already developing a system-wide policy, using models from other states such as Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, Kentucky, Ohio, and Connecticut. She described how low-producing programs are typically flagged by multi-year enrollment or completion thresholds, then reviewed for workforce demand, mission fit, cost, accreditation, and regional need before any action is taken. Committee members asked about what counts as a program, how costs are analyzed, whether certificates are included, how exemptions work for mission-critical or high-demand fields, and whether the board or legislature should set the rules. Johnson said the board is the appropriate body to lead the process, but legislators could use funding leverage if they wanted to encourage action; the chair asked the board to bring a detailed proposal to the June meeting. The committee then heard a Legislative Council presentation on a draft formula for UND and NDSU. The proposal uses fall census FTE enrollment, with a placeholder undergraduate rate of $7,000 per FTE and a graduate/professional rate of $10,500, plus incentives for completions in in-demand fields and research productivity. Alex from Legislative Council walked through the projected funding effects, noting that the model would increase funding for NDSU and reduce it for UND in the current biennium, with different results in the next biennium as enrollment changes are recognized. Members questioned the use of the placeholder rates, the definition of in-demand programs, the treatment of research funding, and the exclusion of state-appropriated dollars from the external grants calculation. The chair emphasized that the numbers were illustrative and that appropriators would set the actual dollar amounts later. A second draft formula for the other nine institutions was also reviewed. That model uses fall census FTE without a weighted economic factor, applies a higher undergraduate rate, and adds completion incentives for in-demand credentials and all other completions. Members noted that the formula would benefit some institutions, such as Bismarck State College, while reducing funding for others, such as Mayville State, and discussed whether the nine institutions should be treated more uniformly or split into smaller groups because of their different missions and sizes. Committee members and staff repeatedly stressed that the formulas are still being refined and that some institutions would likely need hold-harmless adjustments or other transition measures. The meeting ended with the chair directing the committee to continue the discussion later and to expect further work on both the low-producing program policy and the funding formulas.
NH

New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session

House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs (03/25/2026)

Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • Thank you. didn't have this legislation behind it? didn't have this legislation behind it?
  • I'm the legislative John Williams.
  • </c> quality council legislation. quality council legislation. &gt;&gt; Thank<04:03:08.960><c> you.
  • </c><04:41:28.638><c> as</c> legislation um and to the legislation as legislation um and to the legislation
  • </c> outlined. fines in the legislation. outlined. fines in the legislation.
WI

Wisconsin 2026 1st Special Session

Senate Special Committee on Oversight of the Department of Justice Mar 31st, 2026

Senate Special Committee on Oversight of the Department of Justice

Transcript Highlights:
  • to clarify boundaries and strengthen accountability and oversight; and new legislation to make sure
  • Oversight is one of the most important responsibilities that we have as legislators to make sure that
  • And really, I was wondering why during our legislative session in the Senate, we met so few times.
  • But now I see... ...legislative session in the Senate, we met so few times.
  • Both the legislation that is introduced and that effort, it seems to be exactly what it is.
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Committee on Election Laws Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm

Joint Committee on Election Laws

Transcript Highlights:
  • Restoring our right to vote is one of the most important pieces of legislation.
  • The MTCA applauds changes in state legislation that increase voter access.
  • Please report. legislative power have the ability to lawfully address.
  • So thank you for your time, and I hope this legislation passes. Thank you.
  • I'm the Political and Legislative Director at SEIU Local 509.
Summary: The Joint Committee on Election Laws held a hearing on a wide range of voting-access and election-administration bills. The largest portion of testimony focused on same-day voter registration (H. 834/S. 505), with support from Rep. Gentile, Boston and Chelsea officials, civic groups, and election administrators from Maine and Vermont. Supporters argued that same-day registration would help eligible voters who move frequently, miss deadlines, or face administrative errors, and would reduce rejected provisional ballots. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Vermont elections director Sean Sheehan testified that same-day registration has worked in their states without major administrative problems and has helped increase turnout. A Boston-based panel also described high rejection rates for provisional ballots and the burden of registration cutoffs on renters, students, immigrants, and low-income voters. A second major topic was restoration of voting rights for incarcerated people, including S. 524 and related House bills. The committee heard extensive virtual testimony from incarcerated individuals at MCI Norfolk and MCI Shirley, who said voting should be restored as part of rehabilitation, civic engagement, and reintegration. They described disenfranchisement as dehumanizing and argued that voting would help maintain family and community ties, reduce recidivism, and give incarcerated people a voice on laws affecting prisons and reentry. Rep. Erica Uyterhoeven also testified in support, saying the bill would restore municipal voting rights for incarcerated residents and align with broader efforts to expand political participation. The committee also heard testimony on bills affecting election administration and access, including a proposal to reduce or eliminate mandated early in-person voting in primaries and shorten the general-election early voting period, with supporters from the town clerks’ community arguing that low usage, staffing burdens, and costs justify the change. Opponents warned that reducing in-person early voting could hurt voters who do not use mail ballots and could disproportionately affect communities of color. Other bills discussed included decoupling the municipal census from voter registration, requiring periodic accessibility inspections of polling places, and a Somerville home-rule petition on non-citizen municipal voting and another on lowering the voting age in municipal elections. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the hearing.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate and House Tax Policies Discussion Group - 05/12/26

Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • </c> legislation there? legislation there?
  • </c> Members, uh Joanna Bears, legislative Members, uh Joanna Bears, legislative director<00:20:45.040
  • </c> legislator members. legislator members.
  • </c> include any legislators. include any legislators.
  • legislator legislator um um um uh<00:37:25.880><c> members.
AR

Arkansas 2026 Regular Session

JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE Mar 5th, 2026

JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

Transcript Highlights:
  • My name is Lila Walls of the Bureau of Legislative Research.
  • The Children's Trust Fund—that one, yeah, that was legislatively created.
  • And then this is just legislatively created and directed.
  • Katie Walden, Bureau of Legislative Research, Fiscal Division. As Mr.
  • It would require a legislative change for us to do that.
NM

New Mexico 2026 Regular Session

House - Chamber Meeting Part 2 Feb 12th, 2026

New Mexico House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • legislator compensation and to extend the length of legislative sessions.
  • 1998, and we never got anywhere with that legislation.
  • our great majority of women legislators.
  • I'm carrying this legislation on behalf of the NMFA's Legislative Oversight Committee, which voted unanimously
  • So why in this legislation did we only... AMI.
Bills: HB111 , HB108 , HB145 , HB164 , HB291 , HJR6 , HR1 , HB63 , HB64 , HB165 , HB184 , HB200 , HB4 , HB7 , HB20 , HB65 , HB66 , HB80 , HB88 , HB96 , HB166 , HB285 , HB295 , HB306 , SB29 , SB37 , HJM2 , HJM3 , HJM1 , HM7 , HM17 , HM4 , HM22 , HM23 , HM24 , HM26 , HM2 , HM16 , HM32 , HM13 , HM47 , HM20 , HM51 , HM1 , HM31 , HM35 , HM36 , HM46 , HM53 , HM54 , HM11 , HM14 , HM21 , HM34 , HM50
Summary: The House spent much of the meeting on recognitions and tributes, including remarks supporting New Mexico’s dairy industry, honoring Gadsden Independent School District educators and students, recognizing Broadband Day at the Capitol, and celebrating the retirement of Representative Susan Herrera. Members from both parties praised Herrera’s long public-service career, especially her work on water, acequias, land grants, rural communities, modernization, early childhood, and predatory lending reform. Herrera thanked colleagues and said she was leaving to spend more time with family, grandchildren, and personal pursuits. The chamber also received a Senate message on House amendments to Senate Bill 3, with the Senate concurring in most items and asking the House to recede from two provisions. Committee reports were then adopted on a series of bills and resolutions, including House Bills 99, 206, 213, 250, 267, 270, 322, and 323; Senate Bills 17, 48, 55, 104, and 193; House Joint Resolution 5; and House Memorial 39. Most reports were adopted without objection, while some bills were advanced with committee substitutes or referrals to other committees. On third reading, the House passed several measures. House Bill 63, funding New Mexico Finance Authority water projects, passed 66-0; House Bill 64, appropriating about $13.25 million for PPRF-related funds, passed 67-0; House Bill 285, refining the disabled veteran property tax exemption, passed 67-0; House Bill 165, expanding C-PACE economic development uses, passed 67-0; House Bill 184, consolidating legacy fund investment accounts, passed 67-0; and House Bill 200, appropriating $10 million for the New Homes for New Mexico starter-home program, was debated at length and then passed. House Bill 291, the tax cleanup bill, drew a failed floor amendment that was tabled 41-24 before the bill passed 59-8. The debate on HB 200 focused on whether the program would help smaller builders and rural communities, while the HB 291 amendment debate centered on adding broader tax provisions and concerns about fiscal impact and policy scope.
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm

Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government

Transcript Highlights:
  • Anyone testifying on multiple pieces of legislation should provide testimony for all of those bills at
  • This legislation does work in our real-world experience.
  • This legislation will keep the bad actors out of Massachusetts.
  • You on legislation that meaningfully promotes and protects responsible pet ownership.
  • This legislation is a product of a thoughtful multi-year effort initiated by a Mass in 2022.
Summary: The committee held a lengthy hybrid hearing of the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government, with testimony spanning local board training, animal welfare and enforcement, municipal charters, water district dissolution, and other home rule matters. Chairs Rausch and Lewis set strict time limits because of the large number of speakers and explained that written testimony would also be accepted. Members heard from local officials, advocates, municipal employees, and residents, with many bills receiving broad support from municipal and advocacy witnesses. Several speakers supported bills requiring or expanding training for local boards and commissions, including pre-service training for planning, zoning, and other land use boards. Supporters said training would help volunteers understand complex laws, improve consistency, reduce legal challenges, and speed up housing and development decisions. Related testimony also backed a bill to modernize historic district commissions and another to allow associate planning board members to serve more broadly when needed to maintain quorums. A major portion of the hearing focused on animal legislation. Witnesses supported bills to expand citations for cruel conditions beyond dogs, update dangerous dog procedures, improve animal health inspections and breeder oversight, strengthen tethering rules, and protect pet consumers. Animal control officers, humane organizations, and some victims of dog attacks described enforcement gaps and the need for clearer standards, while several dog trainers and the American Kennel Club opposed parts of the dangerous dog bill and tethering restrictions, arguing they would limit humane training tools and professional discretion. The committee also heard strong support for a bill to create a statewide pet shop and consumer protection framework. The committee also heard testimony on several local home rule petitions. Medford officials and residents strongly supported a new city charter that would replace the current at-large council with ward-based representation and periodic charter review. Wayland representatives supported a bill to preserve the library’s Millennium Fund as intended, Cambridge officials backed creation of an employment and job training trust, and Carver officials supported dissolving the North Carver Water District due to compliance and financial problems. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chair repeatedly invited written testimony and follow-up materials.
AR

Arkansas 2026 Regular Session

JBC-SPECIAL LANGUAGE Apr 22nd, 2026

JBC-SPECIAL LANGUAGE

Transcript Highlights:
  • So my comments aren't even specifically to this piece of legislation.
  • I would like to know if that was legislative or not.
  • But I think that's very unlikely as a practical matter unless we pass other legislation. Okay.
  • But I think that's very unlikely as a practical matter unless we pass other legislation. Okay.
  • Last question is, can the isolated school districts, can they detach without this legislation?"
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • And Assembly Member Corey included clear intent language in the legislative file.
  • You know, I dug through the legislative history of both the passage of ACA 51...
  • Legislators could define the scope, how much it covers, what the exceptions could be.
  • It's not a reason not to pass the regulations and pass the legislation.
  • You can pass legislation...
Summary: The Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee held an informational hearing on California privacy in the age of mass surveillance, with members framing the issue as urgent in light of AI, data brokers, workplace monitoring, and government access to commercially collected data. Opening remarks emphasized California’s long-standing privacy tradition and concern for impacts on Latino, immigrant, LGBTQ+, and other vulnerable communities. The committee heard from experts from UC Law San Francisco, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UC Davis, and a worker-organizer from Amazon, followed by a journalist from 404 Media. Nicole Ozer reviewed the history of California’s constitutional right to privacy, tracing it to the 1972 ballot measure and arguing that lawmakers should use that right more fully to operationalize stronger protections against surveillance. Deirdre Mulligan described how surveillance capitalism has expanded through physical-world instrumentation, biometrics, connected devices, and AI, and argued that notice-and-consent models are inadequate because people cannot meaningfully understand or control how data is collected, inferred, shared, and used. Ari Waldman focused on disparate harms to marginalized communities, including queer people, survivors of domestic violence, and people seeking reproductive care, and called for stronger regulation, limits on data collection and sharing, and greater accountability for companies and government access to data. Josh Black testified about Amazon’s workplace surveillance, including handheld devices, time-off-task monitoring, hidden cameras, and driver-facing AI cameras, saying the system pressures workers to skip breaks, rush safety training, and discourages organizing. He said the surveillance is used to increase productivity and suppress union activity. Committee members asked about data retention, injury reporting, cash as a privacy-protective payment option, and whether workers truly consent to surveillance as a condition of employment. Jason Kebler described how police departments adopt commercial surveillance tools through pilot programs and vendor relationships, often without public debate, citing license plate readers and networked camera systems that can spread data across jurisdictions. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational and ended with discussion of the need for clearer definitions, stronger enforcement, and continued legislative action.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies Feb 23rd, 2026

Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies

Transcript Highlights:
  • Welcome to the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policy hearing.
  • This balance is a primary goal of the legislation that extended the program.
  • How does any recent legislation like 237 help or stabilize?
  • That was a key piece of the legislation.
  • The legislation also kind of continued the prior approach...
Summary: The Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policy heard an overview from CARB on proposed amendments to California’s Cap-and-Invest program, which was reauthorized through 2045 by AB 1207 and SB 840. CARB said the draft rules are intended to preserve affordability, market certainty, and progress toward the state’s 2030 and 2045 climate targets. The agency described the program’s main features, including the declining emissions cap, utility and industrial allowance allocations, offset changes, the allowance price containment reserve, and new reporting and oversight requirements. CARB also said the rulemaking is on a public comment timeline, with board consideration planned for late May and an effective date targeted for September 1, 2026. Committee members focused heavily on electricity affordability, the planned shift of free allowances from natural gas utilities to electric utilities, and whether the proposal would raise rates for investor-owned and publicly owned utilities. CARB said the proposal is meant to protect ratepayers from compliance costs and that the utility allocation is based on updated data showing utilities are greener than before, but members and utility representatives argued the transition should happen faster and that the current draft could reduce expected revenues and disrupt long-term planning. Members also pressed CARB on carbon capture and sequestration, asking that the regulations clearly recognize it as a compliance pathway, and on whether the SB 905 rulemaking for carbon capture should move forward on schedule. A second major topic was industrial allocations, especially for refiners and other sectors at risk of leakage. CARB said it is keeping all industries at high leakage risk through 2030, maintaining the current cap-adjustment approach, and leaving room for additional comments and data on whether refiners need more allowances to avoid economic leakage and preserve in-state refining. Members also questioned how imported gasoline is treated, and CARB explained that transportation fuel is regulated at the rack and through the low-carbon fuel standard, while cap-and-invest covers in-state tailpipe and smokestack emissions rather than full life-cycle emissions. CARB said it is open to using additional data, including SB 253 reporting, to improve fuel carbon-intensity estimates. The panel of outside experts largely agreed that the program must balance affordability, ambition, and leakage concerns, but they differed on how much allowance value should go to utilities, industry, and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The Legislative Analyst’s Office emphasized that the Legislature should scrutinize CARB’s allocation choices now because they will be hard to change later. An IEMAC representative said the proposal appears to shift more allowance value to industry and utilities, which could reduce GGRF revenues, while EDF argued the cap could be tightened further in the near term without triggering price containment. SCAPA, representing publicly owned utilities, warned that the proposal would reduce utility allowances and could raise costs for ratepayers and undermine early decarbonization investments. No votes were taken at the hearing.
NM
Transcript Highlights:
  • And I don't consider myself to be a weak legislator.
  • And I don't consider myself to be a weak legislator.
  • And we've got some great legislators sitting here, and go forth and legislate and use the process that
  • Tax incentives are easy to legislate.
  • And frankly, I think without the knowledge of most legislators at the time.
Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from its fourth meeting, held October 27-28 in Santa Fe, with Representative Duncan moving approval and no opposition. The chair then introduced a panel on the cost of providing medical care in New Mexico, focusing on physician shortages, rising practice costs, and access problems, especially in southern New Mexico and Las Cruces. Panelists included family physicians, a pediatrician, a cardiologist/electrophysiologist, and a community health center medical director, who described their backgrounds and practices before turning to the policy discussion. The doctors argued that New Mexico is losing physicians because of three main pressures: medical malpractice exposure, gross receipts tax on medical services, and low Medicaid reimbursement. They said malpractice premiums are much higher than in neighboring states, punitive damages and venue shopping increase risk, and the patient compensation fund and attorney fee structure create additional costs. They also described administrative burdens from insurance billing and referrals, the high debt and long training period for physicians, and the effect of corporate medicine and private equity on practice decisions. One panelist emphasized the economic impact of each physician on jobs and local spending, while another noted that shortages force patients into emergency rooms and delay specialty care. The panel presented a list of proposed solutions: reform punitive damages, limit venue shopping and stacking, restore lifetime medical payments from the patient compensation fund, enact apology protections, cap attorney fees, continue Medicaid funding improvements, and eliminate gross receipts tax on medical and dental services. Committee members generally agreed the presentation was thorough and useful, but several noted that some proposals fall outside this committee’s jurisdiction and would likely need to move through other committees, especially judiciary and tax. Some members supported drafting legislation or working on separate bills, while others urged caution, requested more input from hospitals and economists, and raised concerns about local government revenue impacts from GRT changes. The chair concluded by encouraging members to continue discussions offline and noted that the tax-related issue would be taken up further in the next day’s work.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Common interest communities provisions modified 2/24/26

Minnesota House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • 55.199><c> have</c> The complaints that legislators have The complaints that legislators have received
  • </c> legislative process. legislative process.
  • </c><00:14:53.040><c> is</c> is something that the legislator is is something that the legislator is
  • </c><00:30:49.520><c> is</c><00:30:49.840><c> is</c> all the legislation is is all the legislation is
  • </c> question that prior legislators question that prior legislators legislate<00:54:22.079><c> legislaturures
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

Senate Ethics Committee Oct 1st, 2025

Transcript Highlights:
  • We are here pursuant to Legislative Council Policy 15, Section Q.
  • There was a hearing and a recommendation made by the Subcommittee of the Interim Legislative Ethics Committee
  • Cherry from Legislative Council Services is here to advise us about that recommendation.
  • by the hearing subcommittee of the Interim Legislative Ethics Committee.
  • I'm the Assistant Director for Legislative Affairs, and I work for the Legislative Council Service.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Legislative Evaluation and Development Committee REVISED: Meeting room changed to House rm 450 May 13th, 2026

Legislative Evaluation and Development Committee (LEAD)

Transcript Highlights:
  • Thank you for your flexibility working with us in our legislative calendar.
  • And so appreciate legislative, those who were instrumental in putting this together.
  • If we are given a legislative mandate, we have to do those things.
  • So I don't anticipate too many conflicts coming up with legislative or legislator priorities.
  • We do from a legislative perspective and a gubernatorial perspective.
Summary: The LEAD Committee met with the Department of Commerce to review a high-level strategic plan for Oklahoma economic development. Commerce Director Bud presented a plan centered on the state’s competitive advantages: central location and logistics, low cost of doing business, energy availability, labor force, tax environment, and partnerships with tribes, local communities, universities, and workforce organizations. He said the agency must focus on industries where Oklahoma has a “right to win,” identifying aerospace and defense, energy, agribusiness, manufacturing, and cybersecurity as priority sectors, with other sectors such as transportation logistics, automotive, finance/shared services, federal offices, bioscience, and broader IT treated as secondary or longer-term opportunities. Members asked about workforce, entrepreneurship, infrastructure, incentives, research and development, housing, and how Commerce should stay focused on its core mission. Commerce said CareerTech remains a major asset, but the state needs better coordination among agencies, universities, and workforce partners. Officials also said entrepreneurship should be encouraged within target industries, infrastructure readiness should be mapped and aligned to industry needs, and incentives should be evaluated against total cost of operations rather than compared only on percentage terms. They noted that the Incentive Evaluation Commission is comparing Oklahoma’s incentives with other states and that closing deals begins early, with the right people and partners involved from the start. The discussion also emphasized the need for stronger statewide marketing, better use of regional development staff, more robust research/data capabilities, and a stronger international strategy. Legislators raised concerns about Commerce being tasked with programs outside its core mission, and Commerce said it must administer those programs unless the Legislature changes the law, though it would like to streamline and reallocate resources where possible. The meeting ended with broad support for the strategic direction, appreciation for Commerce’s work on recent projects, and adjournment without any formal vote or action taken.
NM
Transcript Highlights:
  • They actually requested an extension to that deadline due to the legislative session, as their feedback
  • These pilots are great, but I think that we have done some Good legislation, I support.
  • legislative session.
  • Chair, that is a legislative... I feel like I'm going to be graded at the end. How many...
  • Yes, that's a legislative function, but we are... we? do welcome this partnership.
ID

Idaho 2026 Regular Session

Mar 24th, 2026

Agricultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • We'd urge your support of this good piece of legislation as a starting point.
  • So I guess what I want to talk about with this legislation is just to be clear that we're not banning
  • The sole purpose of this legislation is to keep consumers informed by some clear and honest labeling.
  • Of the 17 states that you mentioned that have passed or are working on similar legislation, are they
  • So is the hope that passage of this legislation encourages the USDA to make it nationwide?
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Floor Session Mar 16th, 2026

California House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • On behalf of the Legislative Women's Caucus, I rise today to present House Resolution 81, proclaiming
  • I rise today on behalf of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus in support of H.R. 81 celebrating
  • Thank you to my colleague from Winters and the Legislative Women's Caucus for bringing this important
  • On behalf of the Legislative Women's Caucus and everyone in the Assembly Chambers, we thank you.
  • Since 2015, Sullivan has advocated for climate change legislation as a citizen's climate lobbyist.
NM
Transcript Highlights:
  • That's essentially the legislation.
  • How many in the audience are in opposition of this legislation?
  • House Bill 20 is bipartisan legislation, brought to you by 28 legislators at the request of our constituents
  • Anybody in the audience in opposition to this legislation? Seeing none. All right.
  • We are in full support of the legislation before you.
Summary: The committee took up a series of bills in its final meeting, beginning with House Bill 200, which had previously been left on the table on a tie vote. The committee voted to bring it back and then approved it as amended on a 7-2 vote. House Bill 38, dealing with coverage for complex rehabilitation technology devices and allowing up to two devices in a three-year period, received testimony in support and was advanced on a 9-0 vote. Members then heard House Bill 270, which would require certain public works projects to contribute to apprenticeship and training programs or the state apprenticeship fund. Supporters argued it would create a level playing field and strengthen workforce development, while opponents said it would raise costs, burden contractors without accessible apprenticeship programs, and hurt small businesses. An amendment to delay the effective date failed 4-6, and the bill was then approved 6-4. House Bill 291, the Taxation and Revenue Department’s annual tax cleanup bill, was presented as a package of technical and policy updates, including rounding rules, fee changes, tax credit clarifications, and property tax collection adjustments; it passed 8-2. House Bill 108, a cleanup measure for watershed districts to address tax-levying authority after a change from elected to appointed boards, passed 10-0. House Bill 306, which limits facility fees for preventive care, vaccinations, and telehealth while exempting rural facilities, also passed 10-0 after brief discussion. House Bill 20, allowing Native American applicants to request a voluntary designation on driver’s licenses and ID cards with privacy protections, received supportive testimony from tribal and law enforcement representatives and passed 10-0. Finally, House Bill 309, expanding a special property tax valuation method to include electric power storage facilities, drew support from labor and energy representatives and passed 10-0. The chair closed by thanking staff and members and adjourned the meeting, noting it was likely the committee’s last of the session.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Senate Session (Part II) Sep 3rd, 2025

Texas Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • This proposed legislation will help discourage financial gain from... Excused absences.
  • And in essence, the legislators within each respective chamber to legislate.
  • legislation and the prerogative of the majority to conduct business.
  • Well, then they're subject to the penalties imposed under this legislation. Thank you.
  • I have been consistent with my position on this type of legislation.
Bills: SB 8 , SB 1 , SB 2 , SB 5 , SB 10 , HB27 , HB7 , HB17 , HB1 , SB 9 , SB 7 , SB 17 , SB 4 , HB20 , HB18 , HB7 , HB17 , HB1 , HB20 , HB18 , SB9 , SB7 , SB17 , SB4 , SB1 , SR85 , SR87 , SB8 , SB5 , SB2 , SB10 , HB27