Transcript Highlights:

• I would imagine saying very sexual prohibited things, Does this get rid of that?
• Say, you know, I would imagine saying very sexual prohibited things to a child might not, you know, I

Committee: House Judiciary, Rules and Administration

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There could be many opportunities that we’re not imagining as we statute.
• I mean, there could be many opportunities that we're not imagining as we statutorily make it more expensive

Summary: The Environment and Energy committee met for executive session on four bills. Staff briefed House Bill 2416, which would replace Climate Commitment Act no-cost allowances for the Spokane waste-to-energy facility with a separate regulatory scheme requiring emissions reductions, reporting to Ecology and Commerce, and enforcement provisions; members discussed whether emissions accounting included biogenic emissions and confirmed the reduction measures would need to occur on-site. House Bill 2537 would direct Ecology to recommend a future allowance schedule for emissions-intensive, trade-exposed facilities and require biennial reporting and periodic plans, while House Bill 2575 would reduce several Energy Independence Act and state energy strategy reporting requirements for utilities and Commerce. House Bill 2322, as amended in a proposed substitute, would delay alternative jet fuel tax incentives until July 1, 2031, remove capacity thresholds, tie eligibility to life-cycle rather than direct emissions, and drop a Clean Fuels Program carbon-intensity change. During executive action, the committee debated the policy impacts of the waste-to-energy bill, with supporters saying the Spokane facility is unique and needs a separate framework, and opponents arguing it would create costly disincentives and raise ratepayer costs. The EITE bill drew support from members who said it would help identify facility-specific decarbonization options, while opponents warned about competitiveness, job losses, and industry leaving the state. The reporting-reduction bill was described as a streamlining measure that would save utilities money and remove duplicative or outdated reports. The alternative jet fuel substitute was presented as a clarification and simplification of the incentive structure, and members praised the changes. All four measures were reported out of committee with due pass recommendations. House Bill 2416 and House Bill 2537 each passed on 12-9 votes, House Bill 2575 passed unanimously by voice vote, and the proposed substitute for House Bill 2322 also passed unanimously by voice vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we can always imagine that only a portion Estimates between 130,000 and 149,000 veterans.
• And we can always imagine that only a portion of those veterans stay in service long enough to earn the

Summary: The House Labor, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee heard House Bill 29, which would appropriate $8 million to the military base impact fund. The sponsor and supporters said the money would help local communities around New Mexico’s military installations compete for federal grants and fund mission-readiness infrastructure such as utilities, roads, water treatment, and other defense-critical projects. Support came from the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, the New Mexico Veterans and Military Families Caucus, the Kirtland Partnership, and others, who argued the investment would strengthen military readiness, protect jobs, and bring federal dollars into the state. Committee members asked about the types of projects eligible, whether data centers or clean-energy projects could be involved, how water and local regulations would apply, and how the grant process would work. The bill was reported out with a due pass recommendation and no opposition. The committee then heard House Bill 221, which would remove the $30,000 cap on the New Mexico income tax deduction for military retirement pay. The sponsor said the change would cost about $6 million annually but would help attract and retain military retirees, many of whom retire relatively young and may start businesses or remain active in the state economy. The Department of Veterans Services and the New Mexico Veterans and Military Families Caucus testified in support. Committee questions focused on how many retirees would be affected, the fiscal impact, and longer-term projections; department staff said the veteran population in New Mexico is gradually declining over time based on VA modeling. HB 221 also received a due pass recommendation with no opposition. After both bills were approved, the chair announced the committee was nearing its dinner hour and adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• You can imagine the time that takes. You can imagine the time that takes.

Summary: The committee held public hearings on three transportation-related bills on February 2nd. House Bill 2305 would exempt travel vans from the motor vehicle excise tax by distinguishing them from motor homes; staff said the Department of Revenue saw no fiscal impact, while the Department of Licensing estimated a $129,000 one-time system update cost and an indeterminate revenue impact. Representative Keaton sponsored the bill, and the lone testifier, Dennis Rhodes, argued that travel vans should not be taxed like motor homes and said the current tax unfairly applies to accessories and interior build-outs. House Bill 2601 would create a new motorcycle weight-fee category with a $15 fee instead of the current $35 fee. Staff estimated about 190,000 annual transactions and roughly $3.8 million per year in lost revenue to multimodal transportation accounts, plus about $20,000 in Department of Licensing programming costs. Representative Richards described the bill as a fairness issue for riders, and the only testifier, Larry Walker of ABATE of Washington, supported the measure as more equitable because motorcycles do not weigh anywhere near 4,000 pounds and the implementation date would give the state time to adjust. House Bill 2604 would remove notarization requirements for certain vehicle title-transfer documents used when an insurer totals a vehicle, allowing electronic or printed signatures for those limited transactions. Staff reported no fiscal impact from the Office of the Insurance Commissioner or the Department of Licensing. Representative Richards said the bill would reduce burdens on people in rural areas and others without easy access to notaries or transit, and testimony from Copart representatives and Robert Foley supported the bill as a consumer-friendly way to speed title processing and payment after total-loss claims. After closing public testimony on the last bill, the committee adjourned and moved to caucuses.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think it's wise to address these issues, especially, I would imagine, being a judge, some of the things
• I can't imagine them going, doing time, not knowing that, I mean, knowing up front that they are not

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I cannot imagine.
• I told Chairman, I told your chief of staff this afternoon was I cannot imagine an ADU in a high density

Committee: House Land & Resource Management

Transcript Highlights:

• I cannot imagine, I told Chairman Gates, I told your chief of staff this afternoon, that I cannot imagine

Bills: HB407 , HB871 , HB882 , HB2011 , HB3572 , HB3578 , HB4038 , HB4866 , HB4897 , HB4978 , HB5380 , HB5555 , HB5668 , HB5670 , HB5674 , HB5676 , HB5679 , HB5688 , SB673

Committee: House Land & Resource Management

Keywords: solar energy, residential construction, building code, municipal regulations, energy compliance, building codes, interconnection, education, funding, teacher support, student resources, school infrastructure, municipal requirements, environmental sustainability, municipalities, construction, agricultural operation, International Code Council, county regulations, construction fees

Transcript Highlights:

• But as far as the general fund, I just can't imagine we would spend all $14 million... ...federal, but
• as far as the general fund, I just can't imagine we would spend all $14 million next biennium.

Bills: SB2015

Committee: Senate Appropriations - Human Resources Division

Keywords: corrections, rehabilitation, prison budget, department of corrections, adult services, youth services, correctional facilities, Heart River correctional center, Missouri River correctional center, James River correctional center, minimum security facility, county jails, regional jails, deferred maintenance, capital construction, strategic investment and improvements fund, Bank of North Dakota, line of credit, tasers, body cameras

Summary: The Senate Appropriations Human Resources Division met to finalize changes to the human services budget bill and related amendments. Members discussed several items, including a proposed $5 million appropriation for the Altru Hospital project to address inflationary costs, with the rest of the funding question left for conference committee. They also agreed to keep the 10-year operating requirement language for the project and remove a matching-funds provision that was no longer needed. The committee spent considerable time on the OASIS child welfare IT system. Donna Auckland explained that the project is still in the RFP stage, with vendor selection and contract negotiation likely taking months, and that the system will require 50-50 federal matching authority. Based on that testimony, the committee agreed to reduce the general fund amount from $14 million to $6 million and use a line of credit for the remaining authority, while preserving the federal match authority so the contract can be signed and the project can proceed. Members also approved a technical fix to add governor’s designee language for the Children’s Cabinet, which had been missed in another bill already on the governor’s desk. Keith reviewed updated long sheets showing additional budget adjustments, including provider inflation changes, a $50,000 Family Voices grant, reductions to CARES Act COVID funds, and moving the $5-per-day basic care rate increase from ongoing to one-time funding. No formal votes were recorded in the transcript, and the committee adjourned with plans to reconvene Monday if the final bill version was ready.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yep, and, and I would imagine, um, you know, utilization and the cost of those, uh, benefits drive premium
• As you can imagine, when you have all these forms, the possibility of errors goes up exponentially.

Bills: HB138

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: voter registration, application rejection, transparency, election integrity, state law

Transcript Highlights:

• Now just think about that for a while, folks, and imagine it was your family member, your loved one,
• Imagine, I've been a victim advocate for over 30 years.

Bills: SJR2 , SB4 , SJR36 , SJR2 , SB4 , SR42 , SR74 , SR76 , HCR5 , SB710 , SB710

Keywords: SJR 2, Senate Joint Resolution 2, constitutional amendment, homestead exemption, property tax relief, school property tax, ad valorem tax, residence homestead, school district taxes, Texas Constitution Article VIII, public school finance, homeowner exemption, elderly exemption, senior tax relief, disabled exemption, tax year 2025, voter approval, November 2025 ballot, local government, Ways & Means

Transcript Highlights:

• I could imagine no better author to carry and champion this initiative.
• If you imagine, I was listening to someone yesterday talk about this bill, or talk about a version of
• I can only imagine smaller ones.
• I couldn’t imagine what just happened.
• Yes, certainly this is probably one of the worst-case scenarios that I could imagine.

Summary: The committee first adopted a seven-bill consent calendar, then heard several public safety measures. AB 1127 by Assembly Member Gabriel would restrict sale of certain semi-automatic handguns that can be easily converted to automatic weapons with “switches”; supporters, including Everytown and Moms Demand Action, said it targets a specific Glock-style design flaw linked to mass shootings, while the NRA and gun-rights groups argued the bill duplicates existing federal law and effectively bans popular handguns. The bill was moved on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Judiciary and remained on call. AB 468, also by Gabriel, would increase penalties and clarify offenses involving looting and impersonating emergency personnel in evacuation zones and during disasters; firefighters, district attorneys, and law enforcement supported it as a deterrent, while public defenders and justice advocates warned it was overbroad and could worsen racial profiling. The committee approved the bill on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Appropriations, also held on call. The committee then heard AB 1187 by Assembly Member Celeste Rodriguez, which would require eight hours of firearm safety training, including live-fire instruction, before obtaining a firearm safety certificate and would add a requirement for new residents who import firearms. Supporters said California should require training comparable to other safety-sensitive activities and that the measure would reduce gun deaths; opponents argued the bill misunderstands the existing FSC process, would be hard to implement because of range and instructor limits, and would burden a constitutional right. The bill passed on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Appropriations and was held on call. The committee also heard AB 1424 by Rodriguez, which would require CDCR climate resiliency and heat-safety measures in prisons, including temperature monitoring, shade, showers, fans, and emergency planning. Prisoner-rights and labor groups strongly supported the bill, citing extreme heat, wildfire, and flooding risks, while one opponent said the monitoring mandate could be too costly; the bill was moved on a due-pass motion to Labor and Employment and held on call. Finally, the committee began hearing AB 1258 by Assembly Member Kalra, which would extend the sunset of the Young Adult Deferred Entry Program through 2029 for selected counties. Kalra and Santa Clara County Judge Erica You described the program’s success in reducing recidivism and providing wraparound services for young adults with felony charges, including housing, counseling, and parenting support. The transcript cuts off before the committee completed action on AB 1258.

Transcript Highlights:

• Imagine the impact of this scenario playing out in the paid leave context, where the payroll tax rates
• Imagine the impact of this scenario playing out in the paid leave context, where the payroll tax rates
• 00:08:01.120><c> 5%</c><00:08:01.919><c> assessment</c><00:08:02.919><c> just</c><00:08:03.120><c> imagine
• </c> additional 5% assessment just imagine additional 5% assessment just imagine the<00:08:03.680><c>
• </c><00:50:53.559><c> building</c> respect where we can imagine building respect where we can imagine

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• They're fairly large; just their fuel tank, imagine it's a 10x1 bedroom, so you can imagine the gravity
• </c><00:30:03.960><c> it's</c><00:30:04.120><c> a</c><00:30:04.399><c> 10x1</c> their fuel tank imagine
• it's a 10x1 their fuel tank imagine it's a 10x1 bedroom<00:30:06.559><c> so</c><00:30:06.760><c> you
• </c><00:30:06.919><c> can</c><00:30:07.200><c> imagine</c><00:30:08.039><c> the</c><00:30:08.279><c>
• gravity</c> bedroom so you can imagine the gravity bedroom so you can imagine the gravity of<00:30:09.080

Committee: House Energy Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• He noted there is no appropriation here and said he would imagine Education, Health, and a lot of the
• It goes back as far as you can imagine in U.S.
• um in US Supreme Court you can imagine um in US Supreme Court history<00:50:32.280><c> but</c><00:50
• He asked listeners to imagine being a parent who has done the best they can do, saying his priority is
• if you're a rights now can you imagine if you're a parent<00:59:05.799><c> and</c><00:59:05.920><c>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and I would say, for imagining that most of you having enough familiarity with the housing market
• Um, and I would say, for imagining that most of you having enough familiarity with the housing market
• Um, and I would say, for imagining that most of you having enough familiarity with the housing market
• Um, and I would say, for imagining that most of you having enough familiarity with the housing market
• But I can't imagine that up in the North Country it doesn't. I don't know for a fact.

Committee: House Housing

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is one of the most heinous crimes imaginable.
• Imagine, Mr.
• </c><01:01:54.559><c> Mr</c> this country for 20 years imagine Mr this country for 20 years imagine Mr
• how much money a sweeping imagine how much money a sweeping mandatory<01:02:15.079><c> detention</c>
• You can't imagine how her family feels. People say, 'I know how you feel.' No, I don't know.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I guess I'm imagining lots of states have the same issue.
• I mean, I would imagine that would be one thing that we might want to look at and filter that via the
• I would imagine that the Workforce Commission and the investment that we have made with that, and concentrating

Committee: House Legislative Evaluation and Development Committee (LEAD)

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.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is not a fiction of somebody's imagination. This is not a fiction of somebody's imagination.
• I can't imagine there's one person in this chamber that would ever be against protecting these vulnerable

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate considered and passed a series of House bills and one constitutional resolution, with several measures receiving title amendments and some taking effect immediately or on a specified date. Early action included moving House Bill 5438, concerning the foundation allowance for instructional programs, to the foot of third-reading bills. House Bill 5441, reforming the state personnel system, was amended with a Judiciary strike-and-insert technical fix, then passed 28-6 and was set to take effect July 1, 2026. House Bill 5462 on mine subsidence insurance passed unanimously, with a title amendment adopted. House Bill 5484, creating felony offenses related to denying medical treatment to sexual offense victims, also passed unanimously with a title amendment. House Bill 5515 modernizing workers’ compensation statutes passed unanimously with a title amendment, and House Bill 5527 establishing licensure and regulation for wellness reimbursement programs passed unanimously. House Bill 5528, protecting personal residential information of certain public officials, passed unanimously with a title amendment. The most extended debate centered on House Bill 5537, an education-related bill that was amended to add a child-protection provision later referred to as “Rayleigh’s law.” The amendment would bar approval of home instruction requests in certain child abuse or neglect cases until the Department of Human Services confirms the investigation is unfounded, closed, or not substantiated, or until 10 days pass without a response. Senators argued the measure was intended to protect children and not target homeschooling. After a point of order, the chair initially ruled the amended language not germane; that ruling was challenged and ultimately overruled by a 24-7 vote, allowing the amendment to remain. The bill then passed 24-7, and a title amendment was adopted. Other measures passed with little or no opposition. House Bill 5582 removed the sunset on the TANF applicant drug-screening program and passed 28-3 after a technical committee amendment. House Bill 5687 reduced the metallurgical coal severance tax over time and adjusted oil and gas tax allocations, passing 31-3. Several supplemental appropriations also passed and were made effective from passage, including funds for Homeland Security/corrections, the Adjutant General, Health, the State Road Fund, and Tourism/Culture and History. The Senate also adopted House Joint Resolution 42, which would place on the ballot a constitutional amendment increasing the homestead exemption from $20,000 to $40,000 and allowing future changes by general law. In second reading, the Senate advanced bills on workforce training reimbursements, aerospace and advanced manufacturing incentives, portable benefit accounts, literacy and science-of-reading training, school aid formula changes, and wedding venue regulation, with amendments adopted on several of them before advancement to third reading.

Transcript Highlights:

• Imagine a Louisiana where permits arrive in weeks, not months or years; where unnecessary training mandates
• So you can imagine when you take it from the bill itself that becomes law, transfer it to the executive
• And you can imagine, with the Mississippi River and barges, that's an important part of our economy.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The Special Committee on Regulatory Reform met as a study hearing with a quorum present but no plans to take votes. Chair Mark Wright opened by noting a draft resolution on regulatory reform and introducing Patrick McLaughlin of the Hoover Institution and Pacific Legal Foundation, who was invited to discuss his research on state regulatory accumulation and reform. McLaughlin described his method of measuring regulation through counts of binding terms like “shall” and “must,” and said Louisiana ranks among the most regulated states, with about 183,000 restrictions and faster-than-average growth in its regulatory stock. He argued that regulatory accumulation slows GDP growth, raises consumer prices, and disproportionately burdens small businesses and low-income households. McLaughlin pointed to reform models in British Columbia, Idaho, and Virginia, saying those states reduced regulations through centralized oversight, periodic review, simplified benefit-cost analysis, transparency tools, and AI-assisted comparison of rules across states. He said Virginia’s regulatory management office helped cut requirements and guidance, reduce licensing delays, and lower homebuilding costs, while similar reforms in Louisiana could produce significant economic gains. Committee members asked about the reliability of the research, the distinction between necessary and duplicative rules, the role of federal mandates, and how AI could help identify outdated or “gold-plated” regulations. McLaughlin said AI should assist human reviewers, not replace them, and emphasized that agencies need a process for reviewing old rules, not just issuing new ones. Members also discussed Louisiana’s own reform efforts, including LaDOGE, permit streamlining, and prior legislation creating public hearings and committee review of regulations. Chair Wright said he had filed a broader bill this session and was working with the administration on next steps. Representative Walters requested supporting data and examples from other states, and other members asked for practical comparisons, including how regulations affect housing, occupational licensing, and small businesses. The hearing ended without any votes or formal action.

Transcript Highlights:

• As you might imagine, being in my... This at this current time. Well, thank you.
• As you might imagine, being in my position, of course, you reference Citizens United, which I think certainly
• I would imagine. Thank you, sir. Further questions from the committee?

Committee: House Elections

Keywords: 959, house, all