Transcript Highlights:

• Respondent will have Judge Happily: An opportunity to cross-examine any of the petitioner's witnesses
• They're going to get to cross-examine the witness where the husband's attorney is going to try to poke
• This new volume, cross-examination of a witness. Husband's Attorney: Thank you, Your Honor.
• Judge: Is there any cross-examination? Attorney: Just briefly, Your Honor. Mr.
• question the Guardian ad litem, cross examine the Guardian ad litem.

Transcript Highlights:

• several active railroad may cross several active railroad crosses,<00:17:37.360><c> including</c><00
• </c> occupying the crossing simultaneously. occupying the crossing simultaneously.
• </c><00:18:41.440><c> safety</c> scenario that grade crossing safety scenario that grade crossing safety
• Also, on the grade crossings, I'm a farm kid. I've been driving semis myself for 30 years or more.
• And if I had a trailing car or a truck behind me, I still wouldn't enter the grade crossing.

Bills: HF3553 , HF3513 , HF3576

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Keywords: vehicle platooning, transportation, public safety, pilot project, Wilkin County, Grant County, autonomous vehicles, transportation regulations, driverless cars, safety standards, first responder interaction, school bus, third-party testing, driver certification, transportation regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• The first is for highway railroad crossing warning devices.
• or not cross railroad tracks.
• We did receive funds for public ports in 2023 as well. it's time to Cross or not cross railroad it's
• time to Cross or not cross railroad tracks<00:10:26.800><c> uh</c><00:10:27.279><c> that</c><00:10:27.440
• does the railroad company have for these crossings, and what is our responsibility?

Committee: House Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• House Resolution 1040 is to recognize the Mountain Home Bombers as the 2025 5A boys cross-country state
• Can you just kind of tell me, in that cross-country meet, who did they beat?
• It has to go through this; every I has to be dotted and every T has to be crossed.
• I've got a motion. ...every I has to be dotted and every T has to be crossed.
• This resolution is for the Arkansas Tech University Golden Suns cross-country team.

Committee: All HOUSE MANAGEMENT

Summary: House Management took up a series of House resolutions, mostly honoring Arkansas schools, teams, and individuals. Resolutions passed recognizing April as Child Abuse Prevention Month and commending CASA programs, the Mountain Home Bombers’ 2025 boys and girls 5A cross-country championships, a corrected resolution for a girls’ championship team roster, Mount St. Mary Academy’s 6A girls golf title, Central Arkansas Christian High School Choir, a local candy shop for state and national awards, Joe T. Robinson’s 5A football championship and 1–4A swim and dive title, Arkansas Tech University Golden Suns coach Dave Wilbers and the Golden Suns cross-country team, and North Rock’s girls basketball championship. One resolution honoring the Passion Play was pulled from the agenda and moved to regular session. The main substantive discussion centered on House Resolution 1052, which urged support for Arkansas Girls’ State applicants who missed a school deadline because of counselor or administrative error. Sponsors and supporters said roughly 150 girls statewide were affected, that the deadline fell during spring break, and that the American Legion Auxiliary had previously extended deadlines but declined to do so this year. They argued the girls had met the requirements, that the issue was caused by adults, and that the program is a once-in-a-lifetime civic opportunity. They also said they had contacted the board, offered help with space, funding, and volunteers, and received no willingness to change course. Committee members asked about the impact on students, including families with both a son and daughter where only the boy was being allowed to participate, and about whether the message to girls was fair. Supporters said the situation teaches civic engagement, grace, and advocacy, but that it also sends a harmful message if girls are denied because of adult mistakes while boys are still being accepted. After discussion, the committee voted to pass the resolution, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• , it's not managed in Washington, not listed in Washington as Red Cross or Washington.
• And I send a charitable contribution to Red Cross in Louisiana.
• And I send a charitable contribution to Red Cross in Louisiana.
• One of the changes the House made was to, frankly, put their fingers behind their back and cross them
• We've banned an income tax in the state, but then, again, cross our fingers in here behind our back and

Bills: SCR8410

Summary: The Senate considered engrossed substitute Senate Bill 6346, a major tax package creating a new income tax on high earners, providing tax reductions and credits, and funding various spending priorities. A point of order was raised that House amendments exceeded the bill’s scope under Senate Rule 66, focusing on new provisions affecting sales and use taxes and business and occupation taxes. The President ruled the amendments were within scope, finding they were tax reductions similar to those already in the Senate-passed bill, and the Senate then took up the motion to concur in the House amendments. Members debated the House changes at length. Supporters said the amendments improved the bill by expanding the Working Families Tax Credit, adding exemptions for diapers and over-the-counter medicines, bringing forward some tax relief, preserving business loss carryforwards, and adding funding or intent language for items such as Fair Start for Kids, K-12 investments, local government replacement funding, and universal school meals. Opponents argued the bill remained unconstitutional or unfair, criticized the income tax structure and inflation indexing changes, objected to the gambling-loss deduction and limits on charitable deductions, and said the bill’s promises on public defense, education, and other priorities were not secured in the body of the measure. On a roll call vote, the Senate concurred in the House amendments by a vote of 27-21, with one excused. The Senate then passed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6346 as amended by the House by the same 27-21 vote, and the President signed the bill in open session. The chamber also received several messages from the House announcing signed bills, and then adjourned until the next scheduled meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, Representative Contreras, I think I can answer that in terms of present-day cross-referencing.
• I think I can answer that in terms of present-day cross-referencing of computer data points.
• Or how can that data point be then cross-referenced with some other entities?
• Or how can that data point be then cross-referenced with some other entity that might want to invade
• It's just the... ...bill as it crossed over from the Senate.

Committee: House House Judiciary Committee of Reference

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard and advanced five Senate bills. SB 1160 would make it a class one misdemeanor to fly a drone within one mile of a ticketed entertainment event, with exceptions for authorized personnel or written consent; NASCAR testified in support on public safety grounds, and the bill received a due pass recommendation by a 6-1 vote. SB 1093 would expand the definition of riot to include force or threats causing property damage and add riot as a predicate offense for conspiracy and racketeering; criminal defense attorneys opposed it as overly broad, while the sponsor argued it would target those who pay for organized riots, and it passed 5-2. SB 1049 would place a four-year limit on spousal maintenance and adjust related court guidelines; the sponsor said it was intended to end open-ended support, while members raised concerns about long marriages, businesses, and lifestyle disparities, and it passed 5-2. SB 1053 would change CCW permit fees so Arizona residents pay 10% of the nonresident fee; supporters said the bill would make resident permits cheaper while allowing DPS to keep the program revenue neutral, but some members worried it could reduce state revenue, and it passed 6-2. SB 1058 would bar firearm registries and the use of merchant category codes to identify firearm retailers or purchases, with enforcement by the Attorney General and county attorneys; supporters framed it as a privacy and Second Amendment measure, and it passed 6-2. SB 1211 would allow victims of felony aggravated harassment involving domestic violence to seek a lifetime injunction against the convicted defendant; domestic violence advocates supported it as closing a gap for ongoing harassment, a criminal justice group opposed a broader amendment but not the bill itself, and the committee ultimately approved the bill unanimously, 9-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we can just cross out probably all $35,000. Yes, yes, you can. Okay. All right.
• But as a variety is developed, you make the cross, and then there's the F2 generation.
• For instance, we had a cytoplasmic male sterility in a crossing program.
• It wouldn't have to necessarily go to the crossing, you know, this one and this one cross them and raise
• But so there's a, if it doesn't happen at that cellular research crossing level, and now we're using,

Committee: House Appropriations - Government Operations Division

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 2023 for the Racing Commission. Members confirmed the bill’s existing items, including the internships program and copier replacement, and then adopted an amendment based on the worksheet that moved those items to one-time funding. The committee then passed SB 2023 as amended, with the only noted differences from the Senate version being the one-time treatment of the $20,000 internship item and the copier replacement. Next, the committee considered House Bill 2011 for the Highway Patrol. Representative Pyle explained a series of verbal amendments that shifted several one-time and ongoing expenses from the general fund to the electronic permit fee fund, including body armor, preliminary breath test devices, handgun replacement, emergency vehicle operations course resurfacing, and related items, while also removing the shooting range ventilation project because it could be completed with existing funds. The committee also added a section allowing carryover authority for federal grant dollars tied to the in-car router system. After adopting the amendments, the committee passed HB 2011 as amended. The committee then discussed Senate Bill 2014 for the Industrial Commission, focusing on a proposed amendment by Representative Fisher that would direct additional percentages of North Dakota Mill net income to wheat breeding programs at NDSU’s main experiment station and branch research centers. Members asked about current funding, the size of the proposed transfers, and how the money would be used, with Fisher arguing the funds would support breeding, disease resistance, and related research. Several members said they wanted more information on existing funding and program costs before advancing the idea, so the committee held the amendment for further review and took no final action on the bill during this discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Cross? Here. Here. Do Lombardo? Here. G. Lombardo? Here. Gonzales Pittman. Rowe? Here. Lopez J.
• Representative Cross, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Rep. G.
• Representative Cross, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Rep.
• Cross? G. Lombardo? Gonzales Pittman? Grow? Yes. Lopez J. Lopez V. McFarland? Steele? Yes. Temple?
• Cross? G. Lombardo? Gonzales Pitman? Grow? Yes. Lopez J. Lopez V. McFarland? Steel? Yes. Temple?

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 1183, by Rep. G. Lombardo, as amended by a strike-all. The bill would provide liability protection for local governments and private-sector entities that substantially comply with certain cybersecurity practices, including multi-factor authentication, disaster recovery plans, and related policies and procedures. Rep. Lombardo said the measure is intended to create incentives for better cybersecurity and to limit class-action exposure after incidents, while still allowing suits where negligence can be shown. Supporters included TechNet, the Florida Justice Reform Institute, the Florida League of Cities, Associated Industries of Florida, the Florida Association of Counties, and Dr. Edward Long of the James Madison Institute; Vice Chair Steele, Rep. Blanco, and Rep. McFarland also spoke in favor. Ranking Member Bracy Davis opposed the bill, saying she was not comfortable granting liability protections to entities that may have contributed to breaches and questioning whether substantial compliance would be self-attested. The amendment was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably by a 14-2 vote. After the vote, the committee shifted into an extended discussion about Florida’s state IT governance structure, procurement, and project management. Members criticized the current federated model as fragmented and lacking clear accountability, with repeated references to long-running problems such as cost overruns, weak vendor oversight, workforce shortages, and the troubled I-Connect system. Several members argued that the state needs a single accountable leader or stronger enterprise authority over agency technology decisions. Ranking Member Bracy Davis raised concerns about the impact of broken systems on vulnerable populations and asked about the role of advisory councils. Rep. G. Lombardo, Vice Chair Steele, Rep. Miller, and Rep. Groh all emphasized the need for centralized leadership, better alignment of authority and budget, and more disciplined procurement and integration practices. A public witness, Victoria Zep of Team 180, testified in support of a more enterprise-wide approach and said the private sector also wants more organization and transparency. She criticized short procurement timelines, limited competition, and poorly written scopes, and urged the state to post procurements more openly and seek broader vendor input. She also discussed the need to respect agency-specific federal requirements while still improving statewide coordination. The chair closed by asking members to bring forward ideas for immediate and long-term reforms, including review of Senate Bill 7026, and the meeting adjourned without further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• Can we cross state lines?
• Can we cross state lines?
• Can we cross state lines?
• Can we cross state lines?
• Can we cross state lines?

Committee: Senate Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• Andrews is Ryan Cross from Our Lady of the Lake Health.
• Andrews is Ryan Cross from our lady to Lake Health.
• House Bill by Representative Phelps, railroad crossings in Caddo Parish; require owners of railroad crossings
• to remove and remediate blighted abandoned crossings within a year.
• crossings to remove or remediate blighted abandoned crossings within a year.

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, received and accepted multiple resignation notices from members representing Districts 37, 39, 60, 69, 97, and 100, and then recognized the election and qualification of the members-elect who filled those vacancies: Doyle Boudreau, Reese Broussard, Chasity Verrett-Martinez, and Edwin Murray. Each member-elect was sworn in, and the House also appointed committees to notify the Senate and the governor that it was ready to conduct business for the 2026 regular session. The chamber then handled a large number of procedural actions related to prefiled legislation. By motion and without objection, the House suspended rules to refer prefile bills to committee and introduced a broad slate of House bills and resolutions. Topics included the state budget and appropriations, retirement system changes, carbon capture and sequestration, criminal justice and bail, public safety, education, health care, local government matters, transportation, and several memorial or commemorative resolutions. Several resolutions and bills were noted as lying over, and some prefiled bills were withdrawn from the files. The House also received a Senate message that SCR 1 had been adopted, and the resolution was taken up without objection. The chamber then recessed for a joint session with the Senate to hear the governor’s address and a presentation honoring Technical Sergeant Adam W. Brister with the Distinguished Flying Cross. In his remarks, Governor Jeff Landry highlighted his administration’s priorities, including education, tax reform, workforce development, health and nutrition, insurance reform, transportation infrastructure, fiscal discipline, and criminal justice reform, while urging support for his agenda and several related bills and constitutional amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• The railroad grade crossing, that $3.5 million, MoDOT says that they don't intend that to be spent in
• operating, I put in for another kind of railroad safety pilot program that's different than the crossing
• , taking out crossings.
• operating, I put in for another kind of railroad safety pilot program that's different than the crossing
• , taking out crossings.

Committee: House Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• Next, at the bottom of page 126, section 150, you're going to see a cross-reference to IDAPA, clarifying
• establish a quarantine for production districts, allowing growing for canola and rapeseed, and prevent cross-contamination
• The industry practices such as isolation mapping already prevent cross-pollination, and growers routinely
• The industry practices such as isolation mapping, already preventing cross-pollination, and then growers
• routinely treating seed anyway, preventing cross-pollination and then growers routinely treating seed

Committee: House Agricultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Section 12 of the bill draft corrects an inaccurate cross-reference.
• Section 13 of the bill draft corrects an inaccurate cross-reference.
• Section 19 of the bill draft corrects an inaccurate cross-reference.
• If you cross into Minnesota, you drive better because you get a ticket.
• If you cross into Minnesota, you drive better because you get a ticket.

Summary: The Judiciary interim committee met with a full quorum and approved the June 17 minutes. The main discussion centered on a detailed Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation presentation about prison population, placement authority, classification, recidivism, and the role of transitional facilities. Director Colby Braun emphasized that DOCR’s job includes incarceration, supervision, victim services, and reentry, and said the department is operating over capacity, with people waiting in county jails and deferred placements. He described current and planned bed expansions, including added beds at MRCC, a proposed 600-bed minimum-custody men’s facility, and broader campus studies, while stressing that minimum, medium, and maximum custody are different security levels and that transitional facilities are tightly controlled placements, not releases. Committee members questioned the meaning of “release” versus “placement,” the use of terms like inmate and resident, and whether state law should be clarified to distinguish incarceration from supervision or placement in community-based settings. Braun said the parole board controls release authority, while DOCR controls placement, and explained that people who reoffend while in community placement are generally returned to prison after due process. He also reviewed data showing lower one-year recidivism in recent years, the impact of GPS monitoring, and statistics indicating that most people released never get a transitional-facility placement, while those who do generally have better outcomes. Members also discussed whether transitional facilities and work-release programs should be considered halfway houses and how much freedom and security they involve. The committee then heard a report from the Attorney General’s office on House Bill 1193 funding for law enforcement retention bonuses and tuition assistance. The office said all funds had been distributed, 73 of 101 recipients had reported back, 1,490 officers had received bonuses, and the average bonus amounts differed by agency size. Members generally viewed the program positively. Representative Steve Vetter also presented a pretrial services report, describing constitutional and statutory limits on pretrial detention, the use of risk assessment tools, court reminders, victim-notification practices, and North Dakota’s pilot pretrial programs. He suggested possible future legislation to expand detention authority for certain serious offenses and to require the Judiciary Committee to receive updated jail-population data before sessions. Finally, Megan Gordon from Legislative Council began her annual technical corrections bill presentation, outlining a series of non-substantive Century Code fixes such as cross-reference corrections, punctuation changes, and obsolete-reference removals.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, for crossing against a walk signal or jaywalking is a one-dollar fine.
• There's only two ways to cross the Mystic, really, and that's Route 28 and Route 99.
• I also have a comment about crossings for trail users.
• Right now it's not really clear if you're on a bicycle how you can cross on a trail.
• What should be done is micromobility devices should be allowed to cross at a trail.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Transportation

Summary: The Joint Committee on Transportation held a hearing on the governor’s Ride Safe Act (S 3077), a micromobility bill based on recommendations from last year’s Special Commission on Micromobility. Administration witnesses from MassDOT and the MBTA said the bill is needed because current laws are outdated and inconsistent, and they emphasized a new speed-based framework that would classify devices by maximum speed rather than by device name. They said the bill would set statewide rules, clarify enforcement, require safety equipment and age limits, restrict unsafe modifications, improve crash-data collection, and create a working group to address future issues such as registration, licensure, insurance, and emerging technologies. Committee members asked about crash reporting, battery safety, enforcement on shared-use paths, commuter rail access, and how the bill would apply to off-road vehicles. Several witnesses and legislators supported the bill’s general approach but raised concerns about whether the speed tiers should be tied more directly to actual operating speed on paths, whether higher-speed devices should be registered, and how police would distinguish between similar-looking devices. Representative and commission witnesses also urged more funding for Complete Streets and Shared Streets and Spaces, and some suggested adding default speed limits on shared-use paths and automated enforcement tools. Public testimony was mixed. Pediatric emergency physicians strongly supported the bill but urged amendments for a minimum age to operate powered devices and a universal helmet requirement, citing rising severe injuries and deaths among children. A police chief and other safety advocates backed clearer rules and better data collection, while some moped riders objected that the bill would treat low-speed gas mopeds too harshly and should better account for mopeds as vulnerable road users. UL Standards and AAA supported the bill’s safety and clarity goals, with UL recommending tighter language on battery certification and equivalent standards. No vote was taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill seeks to penalize people for using a smartphone, looking at their smartphone, while crossing
• The reason why is I have great concerns about people not paying attention while crossing busy streets
• However, if someone is distracted while crossing the road, even if they're not really at fault, they're
• Crossing the street.
• I've seen people not even look at the road and just cross the street.

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met on March 16 and first disposed of several local bills without controversy. House Bills 590, 679, and 873 were voluntarily deferred. HB 503, allowing certain utility terrain vehicles and golf carts in Golden Meadow, was amended and reported. HB 720, clarifying tacit dedication and public access to waterways and related access points, was reported favorably. HB 856, expanding indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracting authority for DOTD and the Office of Louisiana Highway Construction, was amended and reported. HB 487, increasing penalties for drivers who run red lights by using shoulders or turn lanes to pass stopped traffic, was amended and reported. HB 846, prohibiting obscured or covered license plates, was reported favorably. HB 733 and HB 875, both dealing with OMV reinstatement fees and lapses of insurance, were reported with amendments after discussion of audit findings and fee timing. HB 707, moving liquefied petroleum gas commission functions to Agriculture, was amended and reported. HB 693, creating legislator district signs, was amended and then voluntarily deferred. HB 777, requiring a driver's license renewal knowledge exam, was amended and voluntarily deferred for further work with the department. HB 746, concerning oversized trucking permits issued by local governments, was introduced but not advanced, with the author signaling a desire to work on the issue further rather than force a vote. Several bills drew extended debate over safety, enforcement, and government overreach. HB 309, which would have penalized pedestrians for looking at cell phones while crossing crosswalks, was amended from a criminal offense to a $25 civil fine but then voluntarily deferred after members raised concerns about enforceability, tourism, free will, and whether the bill targeted the right party. HB 695, requiring permits and QR-code documentation for consensual non-commercial towing of multiple connected vehicles, was heavily questioned over how it would work in practice, whether it applied to single or multiple vehicles, and how out-of-state travelers would know about the requirement; the committee asked the author to work with OMV and State Police and voluntarily returned the bill to the calendar. HB 868, removing the farm exemption from trailer safety-chain and attachment requirements after a fatal accident involving a trailer separation, was amended and reported despite concerns from members and the Agriculture Commissioner about impacts on older farm equipment and the need to preserve flexibility for agricultural operations. The committee also heard testimony from law enforcement, the auditor’s office, the Department of Transportation and Development, the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, and industry groups. Chiefs of police supported the red-light and license-plate bills as common-sense public safety measures, while the Legislative Auditor explained that the OMV fee bills were intended to align Louisiana’s reinstatement fees and grace periods more closely with other states and with audit recommendations. DOTD and the secretary supported the procurement bill as a tool to speed construction and maintenance work. Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain supported the propane commission bill and urged caution on the farm trailer safety bill so that older and specialized equipment would not be unintentionally burdened.

Transcript Highlights:

• Drew Cross, for the record.
• Drew Cross, for the record: "A small percentage, yes.
• Cross?" "Can I ask them a question?" "Yes, you can. Mr. Cross, would you come back to the table?
• Cross." "Of course. All right, whoops, Mr. Cross. I guess we were not finished cross-examining you.
• Cross, you better run quick. We'll do, thank you.

Bills: AB102 , AB108 , AB117 , AB213 , AB220 , AB221 , AB251 , AB259 , AB331 , AB336 , AB375 , AB379 , AB409 , AB475 , AB476 , AB550 , AB575 , AB594 , SB466

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Because in these low water crossings... ...that are in rural Texas?
• We're at 420 low water crossings.
• We know what the low-water crossings are.
• Do we need to continue to do that with low-water crossings or even...
• You gave us an estimate of approximately $30,000 per crossing.

Committee: House Disaster Preparedness & Flooding, Select

Transcript Highlights:

• , in support, with Center for Biological Diversity, Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, Wildlife Crossing
• The bill recognizes wildlife crossings, coal...
• The bill recognizes wildlife crossings, culverts, and fencing as essential transportation assets, not
• Crossings paired with fencing can reduce wildlife collisions by up to 90% while reconnecting habitat.
• These collisions are preventable with the right investment in crossing infrastructure.

Summary: The committee heard several wildlife and water-related bills. SB 872, by Senator McNerney, would create a Delta Levees and Canal Subsidence Fund and allow waiver of local cost-sharing for Delta levee repairs to protect the State Water Project and Delta infrastructure. Supporters from water agencies, environmental groups, counties, and agricultural interests said the bill is needed to address levee failure and canal subsidence; there was no opposition, and the bill was held open until a quorum was present, with broad support expressed. SB 1108, by Senator Caballero, would establish the Grasslands Ecological Area Conservancy in the Central Valley to coordinate conservation, habitat restoration, public access, and voluntary easements in a region described as the largest remaining wetland/grasslands complex west of the Mississippi. Support came from the Grasslands Water District, Audubon, conservation groups, and local stakeholders, who emphasized the area’s importance to migratory birds, wildlife corridors, and land-use transition under groundwater sustainability. There was no opposition, and the bill received favorable committee support. SB 1135, by Senator Blakespear, would reestablish and strengthen the statewide wildlife coexistence program to reduce human-wildlife conflict through nonlethal deterrence, education, and compensation for livestock losses. Supporters cited rising wildlife incidents, wolf depredation, and the need for proactive tools; opponents and some committee members raised concerns about rural impacts, funding, and the absence of law enforcement/public safety as a specifically named advisory role. After discussion and amendments that moved the cattlemen and Farm Bureau to neutral, the bill passed out of committee on a due-pass motion, though some members voted no or abstained. SB 1305, by Senator Richardson, would direct CDFW to study the feasibility of grizzly bear reintroduction and prepare a roadmap, with tribal consultation and stakeholder engagement, but would not itself authorize reintroduction. Tribal sponsors and conservation groups supported the bill as a planning and cultural restoration effort, while hunting, ranching, and county groups opposed it, arguing California already faces major wildlife-management and funding challenges and that the proposal would create new conflicts. Committee members debated costs, appropriations, and whether the study should include funding estimates; the bill was amended and passed on a due-pass motion. The committee also heard SB 1250, by Senator Cortese, which would require Caltrans to incorporate wildlife connectivity into transportation planning; supporters said it would reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve habitat connectivity, and the bill was presented in support as the hearing continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• I've been working closely with independent pharmacies, the association, Blue Cross, also my Vice Chair
• Mylon Ford with Blue Cross. You're waving. Mylon Ford with Blue Cross.
• So we at Blue Cross support this independent pharmacy bill.
• , in support; Rachel LeCroy with Ray's Pharmacy; Matthew Cross with LIPA; David Whitehurst with LIPA;
• It comes from both LIPA and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, standing together in support of House

Bills: HB591 , HB765 , HB826 , HB870 , HB938 , HB1151 , HB1162 , HB1176 , HB1196 , HB1236 , HB1241

Committee: Senate Insurance

Keywords: liability insurance, coverage defenses, direct action, judgment enforcement, legal procedures, insurance referrals, compensation, non-licensed agents, consumer protection, insurance products, HB 870, Act 907, Louisiana insurance, health insurance, prescription drugs, generic drugs, biosimilars, formulary placement, drug formulary, cost-sharing

Transcript Highlights:

• And this is a request that still limits those dollars to the I-69 crossing only.
• </c><00:24:15.200><c> Today,</c> Ohio River crossing in the west.
• Today, Ohio River crossing in the west.
• </c> limits those dollars to the I69 crossing limits those dollars to the I69 crossing only.<00:26:50.159
• The $150 million commitment of crossing.

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation met to hear the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s presentation on the governor’s 2026 capital projects budget and recommended highway plan. Secretary Gray and cabinet staff first thanked KYTC snow and ice crews, local road departments, first responders, utility workers, and others for their work during a major winter storm, then outlined the capital budget request. The cabinet said its facilities are aging, with about 35% at or beyond useful life, and that limited road fund revenues led it to focus mainly on maintenance, maintenance pools, aircraft maintenance, environmental compliance, AASHTOWare upgrades, state park road maintenance, truck parking, and reauthorization of several projects, including airport work and road projects. The cabinet said the governor’s budget includes about $22.8 million in state funds for the capital budget over the biennium, plus carry-forward language for maintenance pools and project reauthorizations to avoid losing federal funds. Members asked about repeated reauthorizations, cost increases, and whether projects should be restarted as new requests after carrying over for multiple budgets. The cabinet responded that budget office policy generally allows only one reauthorization before a project must be resubmitted, and said many delays are due to acquisition or other project issues. Members also questioned the basis for increased-cost line items and the $5 million request for commercial truck parking; cabinet staff said they could provide original project cost details and that many increases are inflationary, while the truck parking project is expected to use federal funds and is a cabinet priority. The committee also discussed the decline in road fund receipts, which the cabinet attributed largely to lower motor fuels tax revenue. The presentation then shifted to the 2026 recommended highway plan. Officials said the plan covers more than 1,300 projects over six years and anticipates about $9.5 billion in federal and state funding. They said the plan is intended to maintain existing assets, advance long-term priority projects, and honor prior commitments, including the Mountain Parkway, the Brent Spence Companion Bridge, and the I-69 Ohio River Crossing. About 40% of plan funds are dedicated to existing pavements, bridges, and guardrails, and officials cited a 61% rise in highway construction costs from 2020 to 2025 as a major challenge. To help offset those pressures, the cabinet is seeking $125 million from the budget reserve trust fund for the Brent Spence Bridge and release of a federal grant condition tied to the already appropriated $150 million for the I-69 crossing. No votes were taken at the meeting.