Transcript Highlights:

• What's happening in Minnesota is a test case for federal overreach that threatens every single state
• What's happening in Minnesota is a test case for federal overreach that threatens every single state
• ground and we is being used as a testing ground and we are<00:21:24.000><c> saying</c><00:21:24.640>
• </c><00:31:21.039><c> This</c><00:31:21.279><c> is</c><00:31:21.600><c> a</c><00:31:21.840><c> test</
• This is a test of our represented here.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The meeting was a multi-state press event and hearing focused on alleged federal immigration enforcement abuses in Minnesota and other states. Minnesota lawmakers and invited legislators from Montana, Illinois, North Dakota, Tennessee, and elsewhere described ICE and Border Patrol activity as warrantless, masked, and violent, citing detentions of residents and U.S. citizens, school lockdowns, hospital disruptions, chemical munitions, and the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Brady. Speakers said the actions were terrorizing immigrant communities, communities of color, Native Americans, and families, and argued that the federal government was using Minnesota as a testing ground for broader authoritarian overreach. Several lawmakers tied the situation to constitutional and civil-rights concerns, saying the conduct violated protections related to due process, free speech, and equal treatment. They urged state and federal officials to resist cooperation with ICE, protect schools, hospitals, churches, and courthouses as safe spaces, and support sanctuary policies. One speaker said Minnesota had never before needed a select committee on federal impacts, but that the current situation justified it; another said a coalition of 27 states was coordinating 85 bills to require coordination with local law enforcement, increase transparency, protect against warrantless arrests and racial profiling, and impose consequences for federal misconduct. During the press question period, lawmakers from North Dakota and Tennessee said similar enforcement activity was spreading beyond Minnesota, including reported abductions in Fargo and a large federal presence in Memphis that had led to deportations and business closures. Illinois lawmakers said their state had already passed sanctuary laws and would continue pushing back. The event ended with calls for continued organizing, state-level legislation, and collective resistance to federal immigration enforcement practices described by speakers as unlawful and abusive.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are problem sets and performance tests. The Next Gen Bar is a shorter exam.
• There are problem sets and performance tests.
• So the test in general, they give you a measurement, right?
• But it was test-taking strategy You know, we had incredible professors.
• Or what type of tests are they taking to become members of that class.

Bills: SB1 , SB3

Committee: House House Judiciary

Keywords: interstate medical licensure compact, physician licensure, medical license reciprocity, expedited licensure, medical practice act, New Mexico medical board, compact commission, physician mobility, telemedicine, license portability, background check, disciplinary action, joint investigation, reproductive health care, gender-affirming care, scope of practice, medical board transparency, multistate compact, licensure renewal, health care workforce

Transcript Highlights:

• Our labs ran. thousands of tests, ruling out all the usual diseases.
• We test samples for them. I think we've had some of their folks over for... Together, yes.
• We have the only FAA drone test site in Texas, and only one of seven in the nation.
• I understand you're one of seven test site operators in the nation who can test aircraft systems.
• We kind of shut down downtown Corpus Christi for those tests.

Bills: SB1 , SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So you're going to commit to looking at infusing that here, the soils, the testing facility?
• </c> challenges I've had with uh was testing challenges I've had with uh was testing yeah<00:20:18.280
• </c> proposing to restart the soil testing proposing to restart the soil testing lab<00:20:35.600><c>
• And then my understanding is that the test is a 10-question test online, so you don't know how much they
• </c> that the test is a 10 question test that the test is a 10 question test online<01:04:51.640><c>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Committee on Higher Education and Agriculture heard Senate Bill 1158, which would authorize general obligation bonds and appropriations for a controlled environment agriculture research and demonstration facility at the Magoon Research and Teaching Site in Manoa. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive from the University of Hawaiʻi, Department of Agriculture, Farm Bureau, Maui County, MetroGrow Hawaiʻi, and other agricultural groups, who said the project would strengthen food resilience, support year-round production, create clean jobs, and provide a demonstration site for urban vertical farming. University representatives said the project would include demolition of an existing condemned building, a research and lab component, and a multistory vertical farm, with an estimated cost of $6 million and a projected two-year build time. Members questioned whether Manoa was the best location, whether the project fit the university’s broader strategy, and whether the request would displace other priorities. The University said the site is tied to SEAR activities, close to students and faculty, and intended to support hands-on training and commercial-scale production. In response to concerns about soil testing and stakeholder needs, the University said it would restart the soil testing lab using internal funds, though not as part of this bill, and would request additional staff for efficiency. The committee then recessed and later reconvened in decision-making, where the chairs recommended and the committee adopted amendments to SB 1158, including a name correction and deferral to July 31, 2050, and the bill passed with amendments. The committee then took up Senate Bill 663, relating to the University of Hawaiʻi College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and SEAR research and experiment stations. The University testified that the stations are important for locally relevant agricultural research but are short staffed, with 34 positions down since 2005, and that the bill requests eight new positions, including agricultural technicians and four county community coordinator positions, to improve station operations, community engagement, and workforce development. The Farm Bureau supported the measure, saying the positions are needed to revamp extension services and that Manoa is an appropriate urban location for the vertical farming component. Members questioned why vacant or existing positions could not be used instead of new ones, and the University explained that some listed vacancies reflected old federally funded positions or inaccurate counts, promised a written update, and said it was working to fill current openings. No final vote on SB 663 was reached in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1067 does not add high-stakes testing. SB 1067 does not add high-stakes testing.
• And it's sad that in 2026, our test scores are, as mentioned by Dr. Weber, quite frankly appalling.
• And it's sad that in 2026, in 2026, our test scores are as men.
• In 2026, our test scores are as mentioned by Dr. Weber, who is quite frankly appalling. Absolutely.
• So if you kind of think about it, in the medical world, you have various types of screening tests.

Committee: Senate Education

Summary: The committee heard SB 1067, which would require annual math screening for kindergarten through second grade students beginning in 2028-29 to identify early numeracy difficulties and connect students to evidence-based supports. Senator Weber and supporters, including EdVoice, UC Davis researcher Charles Wilkes, and several education and community advocates, argued that California’s math performance is too low and that early screening would help close gaps before they widen. Opponents, including the California Mathematics Council, county superintendents, and the CTA, said the bill could narrow instruction, overemphasize deficit-based measures, and should instead be paired with stronger investments in teacher training and implementation of the California Mathematics Framework. Committee members generally expressed support for the bill’s goals while discussing how the screener would work and what kinds of follow-up supports would be needed. The committee also heard SB 1110 on child care subsidy administration, which would restructure funding for alternative payment programs and core contracts as the state moves to enrollment-based funding. Supporters said the bill would stabilize child care providers, improve payment timelines, and better reflect the administrative work of enrolling families and managing services; there was no opposition testimony. SB 1374, supported by the CSU and UC systems, would allow public higher education institutions to seek temporary restraining orders when credible threats are directed at a campus rather than a specific person. Supporters described recent campus threats that created safety concerns but did not fit current restraining-order law; there was no opposition. Senator Nilo presented SB 1321, which would direct the State Auditor to review remedial course use and student preparedness at selected UC and CSU campuses after a UC San Diego report showed a sharp decline in incoming students’ math readiness. Supporters argued the audit would help identify gaps in college readiness and the effects of K-12 changes, while some members raised concerns about bypassing the usual legislative audit process; the bill was held on call. The committee then took up SB 1086 on microschools, which would define microschools and direct model ordinances for local land-use regulation. Supporters said it would create a clearer path for small, individualized learning communities, but several members questioned whether the concept was sufficiently defined and whether the state had enough information to draft model ordinances; the bill was also placed on call after a quorum was established. Finally, SB 1181 was presented as a limited pilot program in Central Valley counties to connect schools with regional threat assessment centers when credible safety concerns arise. The author and supporters, including the mother of a student killed in a shooting and several students, said it would improve early intervention and communication; committee members raised privacy and federal-sharing concerns but indicated support, and the bill was moved forward on a vote once quorum was present.

Transcript Highlights:

• And they go through rigorous testing. These are GOP certified.
• And these independent tests are done in these independent laboratories.
• If there is new information, they can go and require independent testing for that part as well.
• are done or these independent tests are done or these tests<00:37:19.080><c> are</c><00:37:19.160><c
• </c> go and and require independent testing go and and require independent testing for<00:37:46.560><

Committee: House Agriculture

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00 Attendance Roll Call: 00:15 HB 195 Discussion: 05:22 HB 195 Roll Call Vote: 16:33 SB 199 Discussion: 18:34 SB 199 Roll Call Vote: 41:25 SB 5 Discussion: 43:50 SB 5 Roll Call Vote: 46:35 HB 687 Discussion: 48:10 HB 687 Roll Call Vote: 50:15, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Diaz, does the genetic testing, is that required in your amendment?
• Yeah, is it required for the mother to do genetic testing while she's pregnant?
• Thank you. ...for the mother to do genetic testing while she's pregnant? No, only when necessary.
• during pregnancy. ...any mother to undergo genetic testing during pregnancy.
• Like I said, this is something that has been tested.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• test or from other test situations where maybe they have to be tested, you know, post-accident or anything
• If that test is positive, excuse me, if that test is negative, the first is deemed as a false positive
• /c> invasive follow-up test.
• If that test is invasive follow-up test.
• 01:23.600><c> that</c><00:01:23.759><c> test</c><00:01:23.920><c> is</c> pos, excuse me, if that test

Committee: Joint Judiciary, Division B

Keywords: Judiciary, Division B - Room 409, 3 February, 2026; 9:00 A.M., 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Every three months, we are in a clinic for ultrasounds, chest x-rays, urine cultures, and blood work

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have come treading a path through the blood of the slaughter.

Summary: The Senate convened with an opening prayer, pledge, and several introductions recognizing visitors, students, local officials, and professional groups in the gallery. The chamber then took up a report from the Ethics and Elections Committee confirming 42 executive appointments; the report was adopted by a vote of 36-0. The Senate also adopted a resolution honoring the Ripple Project for childhood cancer awareness and funding. The bulk of the meeting was spent on special-order bills, many of them open-government sunset review measures and policy bills. The Senate passed bills preserving or updating public records exemptions for aquaculture records, trade secrets, and cybersecurity information; a child-abuse reporting statute of limitations bill; a commercial driving schools bill; a human trafficking training requirement for nursing graduates; a new injunction for protection against serious violence by a known person and its companion public-records bill; a nature-based coastal resiliency bill with an amendment restricting dredge-and-fill in Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve; a chiropractic patient-funds bill; specialty license plate legislation; a one-time waiver for late financial disclosure fines; public school personnel compensation changes; the Florida Farm Bill with amendments protecting Everglades lands and technical corrections; homestead exemption clarification for long-term leaseholders; disability presumption clarifications for firefighters and law enforcement; reinsurance intermediary manager conformity changes; patriotic displays in public schools; ADS-B aviation fee restrictions; autism-related law enforcement training and a blue envelope program; public post-secondary safety policy requirements; and a bill allowing licensed agents to market health care sharing ministries. Several bills were temporarily postponed, including local vessel restrictions, temporary certificates for practice, and domestic animals. Members debated a number of measures, especially the health care sharing ministries bill, where opponents raised consumer-protection and commission concerns and supporters argued for free speech, religious liberty, and expanded consumer choice; it passed 32-5. Other debated bills included the autism law enforcement bill, the school athletics bill addressing coach support for student-athletes, and the Farm Bill, where senators discussed surplus land safeguards and biosolids timing. Most bills passed overwhelmingly, often 37-0 or 38-0, with a few closer votes such as the patriotic displays bill (36-2) and the health care sharing ministries bill (32-5).

Transcript Highlights:

• We have come treading a path through the blood of the slaughter.

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• as organ, eye, tissue, With their families about their decision to register as organ, eye, tissue, blood

Bills: HB145 , HB164 , HJR6 , HR1 , HB20 , HB65 , HB66 , HB80 , HB166 , HB295 , HB306 , SB29 , SB37 , HB99 , HB206 , HB213 , HB270 , HJR5 , SB104 , SB193 , HJM2 , HJM3 , HJM1 , HM7 , HM17 , HM4 , HM22 , HM23 , HM24 , HM26 , HM2 , HM16 , HM32 , HM13 , HM47 , HM20 , HM51 , HM1 , HM31 , HM35 , HM36 , HM46 , HM53 , HM54 , HM39 , HM11 , HM14 , HM21 , HM34 , HM50

Keywords: high-wage jobs, tax credit, job creation, New Mexico, economic development, lobbying, transparency, public records, government oversight, accountability, constitutional amendment, legislative sessions, veto override, New Mexico legislature, session length, House Resolution 1, HR1, House investigatory subcommittee, special committee, legislative investigation

Transcript Highlights:

• Let's get them tested while kids are. Let's get them tested while they're<01:28:46.360><c> there.
• </c> students are getting tested earlier. students are getting tested earlier.
• </c><01:35:20.240><c> in</c> the bill is to get children tested in the bill is to get children tested
• </c> eye vision test." It It matter. eye vision test." It It matter.
• ><c> with</c> Perfect Union tested this with Perfect Union tested this with ride-share<02:15:01.800><

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> remove the need for genetic testing remove the need for genetic testing persons<01:52:57.040><c>
• </c> say today that it is impossible to test say today that it is impossible to test for<02:13:31.360
• </c> suddenly going to need genetic testing. suddenly going to need genetic testing.
• </c> Undescended testes.
• These are expensive genetic microarray tests. They're not simple karyotype XX and XY tests.

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But there are so many kids who are so much more than a test score.
• But there are so many kids who are so much more than a test score.
• He will stay and speak on the MI2 metals career pathway. >> Let's just test the microphone.
• </c><00:13:48.000><c> Go</c><00:13:48.079><c> ahead</c> &gt;&gt; Let's just test the microphone.
• Go ahead &gt;&gt; Let's just test the microphone.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education and Workforce Development met without a quorum and heard presentations on several workforce and school-safety funding requests. The first item was a proposal for a school mapping data program, presented by Rep. Steve Bratcher with law enforcement and mapping partners. They said the plan would move money to the 911 system so school maps could be embedded there and kept current for all schools, public and private, to improve response times and officer, student, and teacher safety. The request was described as a $10 million one-time appropriation, with an estimate that the work could be completed in about a year. The committee then heard testimony on the Be Proud Initiative, a mobile workshop program aimed at exposing students age 13 and up to skilled trades and related education and career opportunities. Speakers from the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers, MI2, the Kentucky Treasury, and the Associated General Contractors said the program would improve perceptions of manufacturing, construction, and metals careers, connect students to training and employers, and help build the workforce pipeline. They said private industry would contribute $1 million in FY 2026-2027 before state funds are released, and requested $3 million in state funding in FY 2027-2028 contingent on that match. A Treasury official said handling the funds through the Treasury would have minimal impact on the office. Committee members responded favorably, including a comment from Rep. Bojanowski about the value of hands-on learning for students who struggle with test-focused instruction. Speakers also explained that the program includes classroom materials before and after the truck visit and ongoing outreach for students and parents. The final presentation was on an MI2 metals career pathway proposal, which cited economic impact data for Kentucky’s metals industry and asked for a $3 million one-time investment for FY 2027-2028 to pilot a middle- and high-school pathway in Carroll and Logan counties. The proposal would be matched by industry funds and used for curriculum, equipment, dual-credit and apprenticeship connections, student stipends, and parent outreach. The chair closed by noting it was the final scheduled meeting of the session and moved toward adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Constitution, where it says religious test and teaching in schools prohibited.
• So it specifically says that no religious test or qualifications shall ever be required of any person
• Constitution, where it says religious test and teaching in schools prohibited.
• I did not, I was not aware of the Idaho oath test where members of the LDS faith were not allowed.
• I think that, you know, you look at the Idaho oath test that disenfranchised our LDS citizens.

Committee: House State Affairs

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So less than 1% basically is when you test it on, is what you...
• “Not delegated, I don’t guess, but set to the amount of test you receive versus the amount of tests you
• the costs for the diagnostic test, not for our time, not for our supplies.”
• Diagnostic test. Not for our time, not for our supplies. For none of that.
• So in Louisiana, while you may voluntarily submit a sample for testing, it never has come at a cost to

Summary: The task force met to review chronic wasting disease (CWD) developments and related management actions. After adopting an amended agenda and approving prior minutes, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries presented an update on the new CWD control area expansion triggered by a positive deer sample from Richard K. Yancey Wildlife Management Area in Concordia Parish. Staff explained the emergency declaration, the enhanced mitigation zone and buffer zone rules, baiting and feeding restrictions, carcass transport limits, and the taxidermy waiver process. Members asked about where the deer may have been exposed, how sampling and surveillance are targeted, how the control area boundaries were drawn, and how the department tracks harvest and sample data. LDWF said the disease appears to be at low prevalence, that the emergency declaration lasts 180 days unless changed, and that a formal notice of intent will follow; the commission may act on the emergency and later rulemaking in time for the next hunting season. The committee also heard from the National Deer Association, which stated that CWD is the most serious long-term threat to wild deer and deer hunting and urged hunters, landowners, scientists, and agencies to work together to slow its spread. The task force then discussed its legislatively assigned report under H.R. ACR 75, with staff outlining five required areas: testing and tracking practices, information sharing and public notification, monitoring captive and wild herds, containment protocols, and needed regulatory updates. Members clarified the timing for recommendations and noted the report is due before the 2027 session, though recommendations can be made earlier. Later, LDWF staff provided retail sales figures showing significant declines in corn and rice bran sales in late 2025 compared with the prior year, attributing the drop to the baiting restrictions in CWD areas and noting impacts on small businesses and local economies. Members discussed the need to present harvest, sample, and DMAP data separately and in map form, while also cautioning that detailed property-level data could create legal or economic concerns; LDWF said it can stratify data by parish, public/private land, and DMAP status without identifying individual hunters or properties. The meeting ended with a public comment thanking Governor Landry for assistance after an ice storm, and the task force adjourned with the next meeting date to be announced.

Transcript Highlights:

• So what we learn and practice and are taught and tested on in second grade will be much different than
• TAUGHT AND TESTED ON IN SECOND GRADE WILL BE MUCH&nbsp; DIFFERENT THEN THE PROFICIENCY LEVEL OF THAT
• IF THEY WOULD BE RETAINED AND NOT MOVE TO THE NEXT&nbsp; LEVEL, NO, THAT IS NOT PART OF FLORIDA'S TESTING
• whether they would be retained and not move to the next level, no, that is not part of Florida's testing
• HAPPEN BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT 808 AND IT'S COMING BACK AND WE WILL&nbsp; HAVE TO BE ABLE TO WRITE TESTS

Committee: House Education & Employment Committee

Summary: The Education and Employment Committee met with a quorum and considered four measures. HB 409, which would require K-12 schools to observe Veterans Day, was presented briefly with no public testimony or debate and passed 18-0. The committee then took up HJR 583, a proposed constitutional amendment to codify religious liberty and expression in schools. Supporters argued it would strengthen existing protections and give voters the final say, while opponents from parent, atheist, interfaith, and church groups warned it could privilege dominant faiths, create coercion or confusion in schools, and reduce flexibility for districts. After extended debate, the resolution passed 18-1, with Rep. Harris voting no. The committee next heard CS/HB 453, which would allow students to substitute participation in Special Olympics for a PE credit and marching band for PE and arts credit under certain conditions. The sponsor and supporters said the bill recognizes the physical demands of these activities and would benefit students with disabilities and band students; school district and PTA representatives waived in support. The bill passed unanimously, 19-0. Finally, HB 127, requiring cursive writing instruction in grades 2 through 5, was presented as a literacy and heritage measure. Supporters said it would help students read historical documents and strengthen handwriting skills, while questions focused on grading, retention, and applicability to charter schools. It passed 17-0. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm saying adding the universities that are here in Baton Rouge, using that as the testing ground and
• I'm saying adding the universities that are here in Baton Rouge using that as the testing ground and
• Is that, have y'all tested that?
• And then also, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has moved more toward online tests.
• So what the students learn can be applied through an online test, and again, depending on the age where

Bills: HCR97 , HR168 , SCR33 , SB112 , SB346 , SB347 , SB353 , SB488 , SB504 , SB507 , SB518

Committee: House Education

Keywords: hunting education, firearm safety, outdoor recreation, curriculum, youth education, conservation, collegiate athletics, funding, name image likeness, revenue sharing, NCAA compliance, student-athlete support, financial sustainability, work-based learning, task force, internships, apprenticeships, job shadowing, cooperative education, co-op

Transcript Highlights:

• The GED is a test-based credential, and success requires a 9th through 12th grade reading level.
• Again, adults unable to pass the GED are those for whom a test-centered model is not effective.
• Again, adults unable to pass the GED are for those that a test-centered model is not effective.
• A test alone cannot make up for years of interrupted learning.
• But they don't read at a grade-point level that allows them to pass that test.

Summary: The House and Senate Education Committee first approved minutes from February 2 and 3, then took up an interim study proposal on adult education and the Excel Center model. Representatives from Goodwill Industries of Arkansas, the Excel Center network, and the University of Notre Dame’s Lab for Economic Opportunities testified that roughly 300,000 Arkansans over age 19 lack a high school diploma or GED, and argued that the Excel Center provides a supported diploma pathway for adults who struggle with GED testing. Witnesses highlighted wraparound services such as free child care, transportation assistance, tutoring, life coaching, and career services, and cited outcomes including high retention, growing enrollment, and research showing higher employment and earnings and lower criminal justice involvement for graduates. Committee members raised questions about the state’s role, existing adult education programs, and how the study would be structured; the motion to adopt the ISP passed, though there was some procedural disagreement about when questions should have been taken. The committee then heard a detailed adequacy funding overview from BLR staff Katie Walden and Adrian Beck on Arkansas K-12 education finance. They reviewed national funding principles and explained Arkansas’s system, including state and local revenue sources, the Public School Fund, the Educational Excellence Trust Fund, the Educational Adequacy Fund, and the Facilities Partnership Program. Staff said K-12 state and local revenues totaled $6.6 billion in 2025, with foundation funding making up the largest share of district and charter funding, followed by additional, categorical, and supplemental funds. They also explained the matrix-based foundation formula, the role of the uniform rate of tax, and how categorical and supplemental funds support areas such as alternative learning, English learners, special education high-cost cases, teacher salary equalization, declining enrollment, and student growth. Members asked several follow-up questions about how specific funding categories are defined and used, including student support staff, instructional aides, special education high-cost occurrences, ALE funding, teacher salary equalization, and the inclusion of Excel Center amounts in state-local funding totals. Staff said some of those details would be addressed in a later presentation and offered to provide additional records, including district lists and historical information. The meeting ended after the funding overview, with no additional votes or actions beyond the ISP adoption and adjournment.