Transcript Highlights:

• Bless the members of this House, our Senators, and our Governor.
• It is our greatest honor to rise today to recognize and celebrate the excellence, legacy, and power of
• The Governor has veto authority over that.
• If the Governor does not want one, two, or three of the projects, he can just take out those projects
• This allows rapists to exert power and control over their victims.

Bills: HJR 99 , HB 1399 , HB 1400 , HB 1094 , HB 365 , HB 1109 , HB 647 , HCR 35 , SB 14 , HB 12 , HB 1522 , HB 422 , HB 675 , HB 204 , HB 748 , HB 912 , HJR 99 , HB 1399 , HB 1400 , HB 1094 , HB 365 , HB 1109 , HB 647 , HCR 35 , HCR 123 , HCR 124 , HR 57 , HR 87 , HR 111 , HR 228 , HR 230 , HR 322 , HR 624 , HR 625 , HR 626 , HR 627 , HR 628 , HR 630 , HR 631 , HR 634 , HR 635 , HR 636 , HR 637 , HR 638 , HR 639 , HR 640 , HR 645 , HR 646 , HR 648 , HR 649 , HR 651 , HR 652 , HR 653 , HR 654 , HR 664 , HR 665 , HR 668 , HR 675 , HR 676 , HR 678 , HR 679 , HR 680 , HR 683 , HR 686 , HR 688 , HR 689 , HR 694 , HR 695 , HR 697 , HR 698 , HR 699 , HR 472 , HR 622 , HR 632 , HR 633 , HR 643 , HR 655 , HR 657 , HR 660 , HR 661 , HR 662 , HR 663 , HR 667 , HR 670 , HR 674 , HR 681 , HR 682 , HR 696

Keywords: animal feed, tax exemption, ad valorem taxation, retail, constitutional amendment, retail sale, tangible personal property, Texas tax code, groundwater, water conservation, financial assistance, Texas Water Development Board, innovation fund, local conservation districts, transportation protection agreement, funeral services, insurance exemption, regulation, deceased transportation, HB 365

Transcript Highlights:

• Last year, the Legislature and Governor Newsom came together to reauthorize Cap-and-Invest through 2045
• It shouldn't just be rewarded based on the power of the industry.
• SCAPA is a joint powers agency comprised of 12 publicly owned utilities, or POUs.
• And we provide about 25% of the power in the state. And we do it really well.
• And we provide about 25% of the power in the state. And we do it really well.

Committee: House Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies

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.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, what has continued to happen is that our intermittent power sources like wind and solar, because
• Yeah, well, so what has continued to, while our intermittent power sources like wind and solar, because
• and Lieutenant Governor.
• Chairman and Member Senate Bill 2075 relates to the establishment power Chairman. Mr.
• that is in the power market that we have available today.

Bills: SB383 , SB1012 , SB1181 , SB1705 , SB2075 , SB2221 , SB2586 , SB2864 , SB2994

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Keywords: SB 383, ERCOT, Texas Utilities Code, interconnection, wind power facility, offshore wind, coastal wind, nearshore wind, Gulf of America, Texas coast, three marine leagues, electric grid, transmission line, distribution facility, renewable energy, battery storage, energy storage, grid access, power grid, electric service

Summary: The committee took up a long list of pending bills before moving to several bills on the day’s posting. It reported favorably SB 438, SB 512, SB 647, SB 648, SB 715, SB 758, SB 1964, SB 2121, SB 2145, SB 2167, SB 2330, SB 2349, SB 2443, SB 2629, SB 2702, SB 1495, and SB 2268, with several of those adopted from committee substitutes. Some measures were sent to the local and uncontested calendar, while others were reported to the full Senate. Votes on the pending-business bills were generally strong, though SB 715 and SB 2330 drew recorded opposition; SB 647 and SB 648 had one member present not voting because of confusion over the deed-related bills. A major discussion centered on SB 715, which would establish a reliability standard and penalties/incentives for generation resources. Senator Sparks said the committee substitute would avoid unfairly penalizing existing dispatchable generation, allow wind and solar to qualify through storage or backup power, give the PUC flexibility to set standards and phase in the program, and exempt switchable units. Critics raised concerns that it could raise consumer costs and destabilize the market, while supporters argued it would improve reliability. The committee substitute was adopted and the bill was reported out 6-4. The committee also heard testimony on SB 2330, dealing with payroll deduction for association dues, where the author said the bill would end state involvement in dues collection except for first responders covered by meet-and-confer agreements. Members questioned why teachers and other employees were treated differently, and the bill was reported out 6-5. Other notable bills included SB 2864 on building-integrated photovoltaics, SB 1012 on sale of surplus state property, SB 2221 on fraudulent UCC filings, SB 1705 regulating cryptocurrency kiosks with licensing, transaction limits, fee caps, and a 72-hour hold, SB 1181 on combative sports licensing, SB 2586 on HOA transparency, SB 2075 as a TDLR cleanup bill, and SB 383 restricting offshore wind interconnection based on impacts to shipping, wildlife, and coastal interests. Several of these were left pending after testimony, with SB 1705 drawing both law enforcement support and industry concerns over the fee caps and limits.

Transcript Highlights:

• An amendment was added in the House, which presented a policy problem for the governor.
• As a result, the governor told us to pull the bill with a kind instruction to remove that provision,
• Through their state constitution, they have placed in the hands of the governor the power to call and
• Respectfully submitted, Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas. Members, that was some correction.
• It applies to the Executive Branch, statewide officeholders, from the governor on down. Right.

Bills: SB 2 , SB 3 , SB 10 , SB 16 , SB 5 , SB 9 , SB 7 , SB 17 , SB 4 , SB 19 , SB 54 , HB23 , HB17 , HB16 , SB19 , SB53 , SB54 , HB16 , HB17 , HB23 , HB27 , SB9 , SB7 , SB17 , SB4 , SB2 , SB3 , SB10 , SB16 , SB5

Keywords: flash flood, flood warning, outdoor warning siren, emergency alert, disaster preparedness, flood mitigation, Hill Country floods, Texas Water Development Board, municipalities, counties, local government mandate, public safety, grant program, backup power, weather siren, emergency management, flood-prone area, warning system, real property theft, real property fraud

Transcript Highlights:

• Messages from the Governor: there are none. Messages from the Senate: there are none.
• Messages from the Governor: there are none. Messages from the Senate: there are none.
• For a high schooler, this is the ultimate ticket to the middle class, providing the financial power to
• As California works towards Governor Newsom's goal of 500,000 active apprenticeships by 2029, the demand

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The following proclamation from the Governor. The Clerk will read the proclamation.
• I, Greg Abbott, Governor of the State of Texas, by the authority vested in me by Article 3, Sections
• Greg Abbott, Governor. The following bills are on first reading and referral to committee.
• election changes, record retention, youth diversion, court-ordered mental health services, and the powers

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We need solutions now, and passenger rail offers that powerful alternative.
• And the governor—we've seen him talk about how Texas is leading the way in so many areas, and he pushes
• Well, he's missing this part of it, and so what we need is the governor.
• And if the governor and his team are watching, I hope they know that this is something that they can

Keywords: House Bill 483, high-speed rail, transportation network, Texas, public testimony, rail connectivity, economic development

Summary: The meeting was a press event in support of House Bill 483 and its Senate companion, SB 424, which would repeal the current state ban on high-speed rail investment and direct TxDOT to partner with a private entity to develop a Dallas-Austin-San Antonio rail line along the I-35 corridor. Rep. John Bucy, County Judge Andy Brown, Rep. Rafael Anchia, Rep. Ray Lopez, and Sen. Sarah Eckhardt all argued that Texas’ population growth and highway congestion make passenger rail a necessary transportation alternative and a long-term economic development tool. They emphasized benefits such as reduced commute times, improved mobility, lower congestion and emissions, stronger workforce access, and better connections between major metro areas. Testimony focused on the Texas Triangle as a strong candidate for high-speed rail because of its population density, flat geography, and existing growth patterns. Speakers cited examples from other places, including Florida’s Brightline and rail systems in other countries, to argue that Texas is behind and could catch up through public-private partnerships. They also discussed transit-oriented development, last-mile connections through local systems like DART and Austin’s Project Connect, and the possibility of future expansion beyond the initial corridor. In response to questions, Bucy said the bill would allow TxDOT to seek bids and keep costs flexible, that the line would likely require dedicated high-speed track, and that express service could reduce Austin-San Antonio travel time to roughly 30 minutes and Austin-Dallas to under an hour and a half, though no launch date was set. No formal vote or committee action was taken in the transcript. The event ended with Bucy saying the bill was a positive step and could become a bipartisan effort to build a more connected Texas.

Transcript Highlights:

• unfortunately, is flourishing in this country and in Texas, and we've got to do everything in our power
• They wanted to get a group of people together because the governor wanted to understand if there was
• We've got a lieutenant governor that talks about this publicly.
• We've got a governor that talks about boys and young men being human trafficked.

Summary: Texas senators, representatives, trucking industry leaders, DPS, and Bob’s House of Hope held a press event to launch a new awareness campaign against human trafficking, with a particular focus on the trafficking of boys and young men. Speakers said Texas remains among the worst states for stopping trafficking and emphasized that the problem affects people of all ages and genders, not just women and girls. They described the trucking industry’s role in spotting suspicious activity, the importance of public education, and the need to tell people to “see something, say something.” The Texas Trucking Association and Titus Transport announced that trucks will carry decals/posters promoting Bob’s House of Hope and providing a QR code and phone number for help and information. Bob Williams said his organization operates the first safe house in the country specifically for boys and young men who have been sex trafficked, and he cited studies suggesting boys may make up a substantial share of trafficking victims. He also said many of the youth in their care have suffered severe abuse and some have also experienced labor trafficking. Legislators and DPS officials praised the partnership and said the state must give law enforcement every possible tool to combat trafficking. Senator Hinojosa added that the issue is especially visible in South Texas and along the border, and that private-sector involvement is needed to help eradicate the crime. The event ended with plans to photograph the first truck carrying the new decals.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the governor has implemented a hiring freeze.
• However, I have here the executive order from the governor.
• However, I have here the executive order from the governor.
• </c><02:18:26.359><c> is</c> executive order from the governor is executive order from the governor is
• </c><04:03:37.920><c> had</c> um it was and actually the governor had um it was and actually the governor

Committee: House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And the Attorney General will prepare a comprehensive annual report to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor
• The power and authority to serve and execute warrants for immigration violations for designated aliens
• It still has the authority to do what the warrant service officer program does, but it also has the power
• That would provide the power and authority to interrogate persons believed to be aliens regarding their
• concerns about this legislation is whether or not it's giving the federal government very different power

Bills: HB1320 , HB2012 , HB2293 , HB2655 , HB3174 , HB4108 , HB4661 , HB4799 , HB5534 , HB5580

Committee: House S/C on County & Regional Government

Keywords: transportation, infrastructure, funding, state budget, public safety, child welfare, county boards, membership, local governance, public welfare, government service, social services, Texas Family Code, regulation, vendors, solicitors, roadside sales, county authority, Sweeny Hospital District, board of directors

Transcript Highlights:

• message to be entered in the journal, and the Senate bills 1020 and 1247 are transmitted to the Governor
• He wholeheartedly served as part of the backbone of allied air power and international security.
• He served as part of the backbone of allied air power and international security.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the national anthem, then recorded attendance and approved the prior journal. Senators also welcomed radiologists in the gallery for Radiology Advocacy Day. The chamber adopted a motion to request House consent to adjourn after completing business on Thursday, April 2, 2026, and return Tuesday, April 7, 2026; the motion passed and the House was to be notified. The Senate also noted that House messages would not be read and that Senate bills 1020 and 1247 were transmitted to the Governor. The main substantive item was Senate Resolution 1002, a death resolution honoring Lieutenant Colonel Salvatore Capitano, an Italian Air Force officer who served at Luke Air Force Base as an F-35 instructor and evaluator pilot. The resolution and floor remarks emphasized his military service, leadership, support for allied cooperation, and his role in Arizona’s partner-country driver’s license reciprocity effort. Senators introduced several guests connected to the Italian military and consular community, and the resolution was unanimously adopted, followed by a moment of silence and transmission of the resolution to the Secretary of State. Before recess, a senator introduced a student guest in the gallery. Senate Democrats also entered a statement into the journal protesting the earlier floor handling of HB 2072, the bill repealing Cesar Chavez Day, saying amendments were not fully heard and criticizing the lack of dialogue and transparency. The Senate then recessed for caucus and later adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• message to be entered in the journal, and the Senate bills 1020 and 1247 are transmitted to the Governor
• He wholeheartedly served as part of the backbone of allied air power and international security.
• He served as part of the backbone of allied air power and international security.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Congress holds the powers of the purse.
• The Constitution grants Congress, not the President, the power of the purse.
• We saw recently seven of them speak truth to power.
• Congress, not the president, holds the power of the purse.
• That's what I did when I was governor. Nebraska.

Committee: Senate Senate Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• So it is the power of people working on something together to solve a problem that generates the kind
• A unit in state government where a majority of the employees are appointed by the Governor and confirmed
• Of the ten positions that we are requesting, six of them, as noted, are Governor appointees, which are
• The Governor Newsom issued in, I believe, September of ’23.”
• The historic investment made by Governor Newsom and the Legislature represents California's commitment

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So it is the power of people working on something together to solve a problem that generates the kind
• Of the ten positions that we are requesting, six of them, as noted, are Governor appointees, which are
• So I would hope the Governor, the Department of Finance, and the agency would contemplate that and also
• The Governor Newsom issued in, I believe, September of '23.
• The historic investment made by Governor Newsom and the Legislature represents California's commitment

Summary: The subcommittee heard presentations on several GovOps-related budget proposals, beginning with ongoing funding for the California Education Learning Lab. The Learning Lab described its intersegmental grants to UC, CSU, and community college faculty, including AI-related work and a math alignment project, and said the Governor’s proposal would move the program’s home agency to GovOps and restore $4 million annually. The Department of Finance supported the proposal as a way to improve coordination, while the LAO recommended rejecting it, arguing the projects are hard to scale, similar professional development already exists in the segments, and the state should consider saving General Fund dollars. Senators split on the value of the program, with some emphasizing innovation and intersegmental collaboration and others questioning its measurable long-term impact; the item was held open. The committee then reviewed the Office of Civil Rights proposal to implement AB 715 and SB 48 with $3.5 million in 2026-27 and $2.8 million ongoing. GovOps said the office had been set up administratively, positions were being recruited, and it would provide training, technical assistance, and complaint review related to anti-Semitism and other discrimination in TK-12 schools. The LAO had no concerns, but senators raised substantial questions about the office’s placement in GovOps, the lack of guidance while the laws are being implemented, the use of gubernatorial appointees, and whether the staffing structure matches the likely workload across different discrimination categories. GovOps said it would develop guidance, coordinate with CDE, and shift resources as needed once staff are hired, but several members said they were not prepared to support the item as presented; it was also held open. After public comment supporting the California Education Interagency Council, the subcommittee approved vote-only items 11 through 17 and 6 through 10. It then heard from the Office of Data and Innovation on a request for five positions and $1.25 million in reimbursement authority to expand digital service delivery work. ODI described projects such as reducing unauthorized EBT theft and forecasting community water system outages, and said it uses guardrails and contracts to protect sensitive data when working with vendor AI services. The LAO had no concerns, and members generally praised ODI’s small, high-impact role; the item was held open. Finally, the Department of Technology presented on the Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative, reporting that 423 miles are complete, more than 70% of the network has been permitted, and about 5,300 miles are expected to be completed by December 2026, with some work potentially slipping into 2027. CDT said Skyline Technology Solutions had been selected to operate the network and that the third-party administrator, Golden State Net, would continue to support development and later help oversee operations and sales. The LAO noted the project’s progress but raised concerns about the novel three-party structure, accountability, and long-term financial sustainability. Senators questioned the legal basis for the operator arrangement, the revenue outlook, reporting to the Legislature, and whether the network will be self-sustaining; CDT said it expects revenues to cover operations over time and will continue annual and quarterly reporting. The item was left open.

Transcript Highlights:

• At its core, this resolution is about one simple, powerful idea: accountability to the people.
• It puts power where it belongs: in the hands of the people.
• It puts power where it belongs in the hands of the people.
• The governor. The governor. Yeah.
• And so currently, under the political climates, I don't think that is an The governor.

Committee: House Crime and Public Safety

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and first went into executive session, where House Bills 3012, 2997, and 3058 were combined into a House committee substitute and then voted do pass by a 17-0 roll call. House Bill 2868 was set aside for further work on a substitute. The committee then moved into public hearings, beginning with House Bill 1740, “Melanie’s Law,” which would increase penalties for intoxicated driving cases involving injury or death and expand ignition interlock requirements, including for high-BAC offenders. The sponsor and family members of victims described the bill as a response to fatal crashes involving loved ones, while law enforcement, MoDOT, prosecutors, and MADD supported the measure as a prevention tool and cited data on recidivism and fatal crashes. Members asked about BAC thresholds, whether the bill would cover drug impairment, fiscal impacts, and the relationship to existing sentencing and parole rules. No vote was taken on HB 1740 during the hearing. The committee also heard House Bills 3049 and 368, described by the sponsors as technical cleanup bills to resolve conflicts in Missouri’s sex offender registry statutes after court rulings and to reorganize and clarify the law. A prosecutor testified in support, and members discussed registry tiers, age-of-consent issues, and how the changes might affect people whose offenses were tied to older laws or unusual fact patterns. The bills were presented as consistency and cleanup measures, and no opposition testimony was offered. Next, House Bill 2311 was heard, proposing to raise the age of consent to 18 and reduce the close-in-age exception from four years to three. The sponsor said the change was intended to align the law with recent marriage-age changes and avoid mixed signals. Members raised concerns about criminalizing high-school relationships and about consistency with existing law, but there was no testimony in opposition or a vote. Finally, House Bill 3105, a revised Second Amendment Preservation Act-style bill, was heard. The sponsor said it would remove unconstitutional language from the prior law, bar state and local officials from knowingly violating law-abiding citizens’ firearm rights, and preserve cooperation with federal law enforcement. Supporters, including sheriffs, argued it protects constitutional rights while allowing officers to act against dangerous criminals and people in crisis. Opponents, including gun-rights advocates, argued the bill still lacked a meaningful deterrent to federal overreach and raised concerns about vague language such as “danger to self or others,” which they said could function like a red-flag law and be misused. The hearing ended without a vote on HB 3105.

Transcript Highlights:

• Colleagues, it is breakfast with the governor tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. for the Latino caucus.
• </c><00:37:19.760><c> symbol</c> and forests, which are a powerful symbol and forests, which are a powerful
• [Applause] >> And the governor also made it in. He made it in, I think, threw it to his ankles.
• Um, uh, uh, uh, the lieutenant governor also made it in. >> The lieutenant governor who we used to do
• The lieutenant governor who we used to do it together.

Keywords: House streaming session for Monday, February 2, 2026, 957, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of the Central High School flag football team, I would like to thank Representative Blackshire, Governor
• The committee appointed to notify the governor that the legislature is in session moves adoption.
• The committee appointed to escort the governor to Joint Session of the legislature moves for adoption
• Lord, you're omniscient; you know... powerful.
• Lord, you're omniscient; you know everything and you have all power.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't want the grid power, I don't want the water, I don't want the sewer, that should be my choice
• It says that if the general appropriation bill is not signed into law by April 30th, then the governor
• Of us in the crosshairs of many different groups who wield a lot of that power.
• Therefore, we sent some charter amendments to the voters, increasing the powers... ...sent some charter
• But this puts the legislature, regardless of who's in power in the executive branch, and regardless of

Committee: House Government

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And thank you, Lieutenant Governor, for being here today.
• But I don't know, Governor, if you'd be willing to comment on this. Mr.
• You're the governor for the day. So you're actually, the governor is actually testifying.
• So I call him governor. And we'll save you about 100 bills up.
• And thank you, Lieutenant Governor and Secretary. So then, appreciate that.

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Keywords: 996, all