Transcript Highlights:

• honored to present HB 277, which is seeking to help the burgeoning oyster farming industry in Mobile County
• and Baldwin County.
• We want to give other people reasons to tour Mobile and Baldwin counties.
• We want to give other people reasons to tour Mobile and Baldwin counties.
• My colleague from the Mobile County Legislative Delegation, Representative Bill, why do we need legislation

Bills: HB277 , SB89 , HB135 , HB277 , SB89 , HB135

Committee: House Ports, Waterways & Intermodal Transit

Keywords: HB277, 2A Sales Tax Holiday, firearms tax exemption, ammunition, hunting supplies, sales tax holiday, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Second Amendment, gun tax holiday, gun rights, outdoor gear, hunting equipment, state sales tax, use tax, local option tax exemption, county opt-in, municipal opt-in, Department of Revenue, Alabama

Transcript Highlights:

• She is a leader in that effort in Bexar County, so when it's appropriate, I'm happy to have Bexar County
• There's a lot of county court laws and some even county judges that hear probate cases.
• County, Galveston County, Bexar County, El Paso, and Hidalgo. ...in Cameron County.
• The excess funds come in, and they've been allocated back to the county, which gives the county the impetus
• This is really county-wide.

Bills: SB629 , SB1015 , SB2501 , SB2933

Committee: Senate Jurisprudence

Keywords: child support, interest accrual, family law, delinquency, financial judgment, statutory probate courts, probate court fees, judicial fund, county reimbursement, comptroller, Texas Government Code, Local Government Code, court fees, fee allocation, excess contributions, judicial education and support fund, presiding judge salary, county finance, court administration, Texas judiciary

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• of County Election Officials.
• One of our finest counties.
• Each county, like up in North Texas, probably has about one or two per election, per county.
• that county. ...county to help get you registered.
• Judges in this county, I'm not going to say which county, were instructed how to do that.

Bills: HB1968 , HB2279 , HB2739 , HB2803 , HB3909 , HB3918 , HB4253 , HB4475 , HB5115 , HB5430

Committee: House Elections

Keywords: election services, contracting, political subdivisions, county elections, election code, voter registration, citizenship status, election law, cancellation, disqualification, Texas Election Code, voter identification, registration, election integrity, identification documents, election, watcher, polling place, removal, Texas Elections Code

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• </c> we are going to start with the County we are going to start with the County City<00:03:57.800><c
• </c><00:19:32.600><c> priority</c> and guidelines for the county priority and guidelines for the county
• </c> lot of the counties got two projects. lot of the counties got two projects.
• </c><00:25:10.120><c> City</c> see it, but it's called the County City see it, but it's called the County
• </c><00:30:43.800><c> and</c> Um in HJR 46, there were 89 counties and Um in HJR 46, there were 89 counties

Keywords: 00:05 Call to Order and Roll Call 01:55 Bridge Improvement Program 18:56 County Priority Projects Program 38:10 Transportation Alternative Program 51:47 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The committee met for the first interim meeting of the 2025 Budget Review Committee on Transportation and heard from Bobby Jo Lewis, commissioner of Rural and Municipal Aid at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. She reviewed the new County City Bridge Improvement Program, created in the 2024 regular session, reporting that phases one and two are complete, 45 bridges have been funded so far, and about $18.45 million has been authorized. She said roughly $6.549 million remains for phase three in the current fiscal year, with about $26.445 million in bridge applications still pending. For fiscal year 2026, the program will again have $25 million and will use four application phases. She also described a training resource, Local Bridges 101, and said a new executive advisor, Greg Meredith, has been brought in to help with the bridge program. Members asked how rollover applications would be handled, whether they would be re-evaluated with new applications, how the program would account for bridge longevity and load posting, and how isolated communities would be prioritized. Lewis said applicants not funded in FY25 would be contacted and could choose to roll their applications into FY26, and all applications would be evaluated together at the end of each phase. She said preservation projects are assessed for how much they extend a bridge’s life, and isolated community access bridges or closed bridges with no detour access receive priority. She also said the department aims for equitable distribution across regions and plans to produce a map showing where funds have been awarded. Lewis then turned to the County Priority Projects Program and the Local Assistance Road Program established in House Bill 546 and related resolutions. She said the application cycle opened June 1 and closes October 1, with 106 memoranda of agreement being prepared for awards in House Joint Resolution 46. She described updated application and reporting forms, a scoring matrix, and a County City Pavement Evaluation Manual used to rate projects based on preservation of assets, average daily traffic, recent improvements, safety, cost, and district priority. She said projects must be rehabilitation projects designed to restore the original condition of the road, cannot exceed $500,000, and must use local match percentages tied to the economic development grant program formula. She also reported on funding status for prior road projects, including completed, partially completed, pending, and underrun amounts that may be reauthorized. Committee members asked about photo documentation, online access to project materials, how to measure whether projects truly restore roads to original condition, and what happens when project costs exceed estimates. Lewis said the department is still working on how best to store and share the large volume of photos, and that projects are certified through district offices and local sign-off after completion. She said overages are the responsibility of the applicant because the state does not have additional money beyond the awarded amount. No formal votes were taken during the discussion.

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• With me today is the right guy from Wright County, our county administrator, Greg Kryser.
• With me today is the right guy from Wright County, our county administrator, Greg Kryser.
• Counties can choose to act. Counties that don't are under no obligation to adopt it.
• </c> that inconsistency by giving counties that inconsistency by giving counties the<00:31:23.760><c>
• </c> counties to adopt regulation ordinances. counties to adopt regulation ordinances.

Bills: HF4319 , HF3295 , HF3589 , HF3587 , HF3588 , HF4295 , HF3571 , HF3895

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Keywords: public utilities commission, Lake City, port authority, Red Wing, terms of appointment, local government, elections, open meeting law, transparency, public engagement, social media, government accountability, voter access, polling place, ballot, unexpected needs, election judge, public information, political parties, HF4295

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• Louis County.
• Louis County. And if you could from St. Louis County.
• Louis County.
• </c><00:15:26.959><c> Our</c> the county can't do this alone. Our the county can't do this alone.
• You know, counties will multiplies.

Bills: HF3403 , HF3410 , HF3424

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy

Keywords: HF3403, emergency rental assistance, rental aid, homelessness prevention, housing crisis, imminent risk of homelessness, eviction prevention, county aid, Tribal governments, local government aids, general fund appropriation, Minnesota revenue commissioner, poverty level, low-income housing, housing stability, family homeless prevention and assistance, emergency housing assistance, eviction, rent, redemption

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• by county legislative authorities.
• One fun note about Ferry County: I grew up there, and I always thought Ferry County was called Ferry
• County because there were two ferries.
• So you might have your counties not quite right? You said Isaac Ferry?
• I'm the Pend Oreille County Auditor.

Bills: HB1823 , HB2092 , HB2111 , HB2114

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: transportation improvement board, TIB, transportation improvement account, motor vehicle fund, arterial streets, local match, private match, grant funding, transportation grants, county roads, city streets, transportation benefit district, urban county, small city program, active transportation, pedestrian, bicycle, bike routes, transit, public transit

Bills: SB414 , SB621 , SB2395

Committee: House Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Keywords: bond election, ballot proposition, debt obligation, municipal bonds, local government finance, property tax, ad valorem tax, school district bonds, county bonds, special taxing district, voter information document, public debt, municipal finance, tax-supported debt, election ballot language, bond transparency, homestead tax impact, capital improvements, general obligation bonds, public bank

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• Senators, this day program in Senators, this day program in Sinclair County is a collaborative effort

Bills: SB248 , SB242 , HB44 , SB266 , HB44

Committee: Senate State Governmental Affairs

Keywords: Alabama Administrative Procedure Act, APA, administrative law, judicial review, agency deference, Chevron deference, de novo review, contested case, state agency, regulatory power, individual liberty, statutory interpretation, rule interpretation, license revocation, license suspension, tax assessment, tax refund, administrative appeal, circuit court, Montgomery County

Transcript Highlights:

• Counties are very different across the country.
• So your proposal here, is it mandating anything on any counties, or is it simply an option that a county
• This is not a mandate in any county; it simply gives counties an option to change their form of government
• This is just an option for a county to exercise if that county chose to do so and gave them more authority
• Can you tell me which counties are trying to do, as you're saying, some county assessors are trying to

Bills: HJR1024 , SB1316 , SB1491 , SB1552 , SB1679 , SB1877 , SB2040 , SB2133 , SB2153 , SB2174 , SB2180 , SB227 , SJR39 , SJR47 , SJR48

Committee: Senate Rules

Keywords: Judicial Nominating Commission, congressional districts, terms of office, Oklahoma Constitution, legal qualifications, political party restrictions, family ties, administrative rules, sunset provision, state agencies, regulatory review, legislative oversight, presidential electors, vacancies, oath of office, political party, elections, county home rule charter, home rule, county government

Transcript Highlights:

• Of counties.
• So your proposal here, is it mandating anything on any counties, or is it simply an option that a county
• This is not a mandate on any county.
• This is just an option for a county to exercise if that county chose to Enough.
• This is just an option for a county to exercise if that county chose to do so and gave them more authority

Bills: HJR1024 , SB1316 , SB1491 , SB1552 , SB1679 , SB1877 , SB2040 , SB2133 , SB2153 , SB2174 , SB2180 , SB227 , SJR39 , SJR47 , SJR48

Committee: Senate Rules

Keywords: Judicial Nominating Commission, congressional districts, terms of office, Oklahoma Constitution, legal qualifications, political party restrictions, family ties, administrative rules, sunset provision, state agencies, regulatory review, legislative oversight, presidential electors, vacancies, oath of office, political party, elections, county home rule charter, home rule, county government

Summary: The Senate Rules Committee met and first laid over Senate Bill 2133 and skipped several bills because the Pro Tem and Senator Hall were not present. The committee then took up Senate Bill 1552, which would expand an option for very large counties to adopt local charters; an amendment was adopted to raise the population thresholds so the bill would apply only to future growth. After discussion that the measure was optional and not a mandate, the bill passed 12-7. The committee also passed SJR 39, a proposed constitutional amendment to lower the cap on annual increases in property tax assessed value from 3% to 1% for homestead and agricultural property and from 5% to 3% for other property, despite opposition that it would worsen funding pressures and create inequities between long-term owners and new buyers. SJR 47, moving voter ID requirements into the Constitution, and SJR 48, changing how the state handles ad valorem reimbursement for tax-incentive projects, both passed 16-2. The committee next passed Senate Bill 1491, which requires replacement presidential electors to take the same oath as the original slate, and Senate Bill 2174, which changes the membership mix of the State Fire Marshal Commission to include more business-oriented voices; both measures drew little opposition and passed overwhelmingly. Senate Bill 1877 also passed unanimously; it creates a centralized reporting system for 510 reports, with members noting it should have no fiscal impact because an existing state filing system would be used. House Joint Resolution 1024, which revises the Judicial Nominating Commission by removing certain lawyer/non-lawyer and party-balance restrictions and capping service at 12 consecutive years, passed after significant debate over judicial independence and political influence. The committee then approved Senate Bill 2040, which updates the Tulsa Reconciliation Education Scholarship Program by simplifying eligibility rules, changing the income cap to $128,000 and indexing it to inflation, and clarifying that unused funds may still be used for room, board, and books; supporters said it preserves a long-standing scholarship with no fiscal impact. Senate Bill 1316 passed 17-1 and would require agencies to periodically sunset a percentage of administrative rules, though the author said he may lengthen the cycle after reviewing other states’ models. Senate Bill 1679, the Preserving Oklahoma Values Act, passed 16-2 after debate over its references to foreign law and Judeo-Christian Western values; supporters said it protects due process and equal protection, while opponents warned it could marginalize other faith traditions and create legal uncertainty. Finally, the committee passed Senate Bill 227, clarifying which oil and gas facilities are exempt from ad valorem tax and ensuring flow lines, gathering lines, and injection wells are treated consistently; Senate Bill 2153, directing state agencies to use the terms Judea and Samaria instead of West Bank in official documents; and Senate Bill 2180, a transparency measure on foreign lobbying that was amended before passing 17-0. The meeting then adjourned.

Bills: HB342 , HB342 , HB168 , HB220 , SB187 , SB270 , SB265 , SB220 , SB242 , SB277

Committee: House Fiscal Responsibility

Keywords: religious instruction, elective credit, released time, public education, school policy, tax credit, scholarship, education funding, financial aid, federal participation, HB168, Alabama, emergency management, local emergency management organization, mutual aid, mutual aid agreement, disaster response, public safety, public health, state emergency management plan

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• That was in part of the eastern part of the county.
• County Judge Walker.
• Not if you live in Hood County.
• We get Travis County Fire Department and Travis County EMS.
• We were told to call the Travis County Sheriff.

Bills: SB1079 , SB1243 , SB1504 , SB1579 , SB1708 , SB1844 , SB1851 , SB1879 , SB1921 , SB1951 , SB2237 , SB2238 , SB2406 , SB2407

Committee: Senate Local Government

Keywords: SB 1079, Texas, county government, commissioners court, Local Government Code, Chapter 263, surplus property, salvage property, data storage device, hard drive, electronic media, digital records, confidential information, protected information, privacy, records retention, information security, data destruction, device disposal, sensitive data

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, so everybody will know that it costs in Harris County if they have 90,000 of these and it's $7
• The authority's original jurisdiction spans 3 counties. It covers nearly 3000 square miles.
• Um, I'm interested in these kind of bills because for 24 years I was the Travis County Auditor and for
• Cities and counties are creating mobility initiatives, uh, that can, uh, dramatically restrict modes
• Uh, so, uh, what Senate Bill 2238 prohibits cities and counties from implementing mobility initiatives

Bills: SB 1079 , SB 1243 , SB 1504 , SB 1579 , SB 1708 , SB 1844 , SB 1851 , SB 1879 , SB 1921 , SB 1951 , SB 2237 , SB 2238 , SB 2406 , SB 2407

Committee: Senate Local Government

Keywords: SB 1079, Texas, county government, commissioners court, Local Government Code, Chapter 263, surplus property, salvage property, data storage device, hard drive, electronic media, digital records, confidential information, protected information, privacy, records retention, information security, data destruction, device disposal, sensitive data

Transcript Highlights:

• All right, first up, our county assessor, Maricopa County Assessor, that is, Mr. Cook.
• county assessors.
• The county assessors' office processes documents received from the county recorder's office called the
• Deputy Assessor Rasmussen from Mojave County, and I'm happy to take any questions.
• I'm the Maricopa County Assessor.

Bills: SB1042 , SB1043 , SB1044 , SB1135 , SB1136 , SB1142 , SB1180 , SB1221 , SB1252 , SB1254 , SCR1003

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: public funds, virtual currency, bitcoin, investment, Arizona Strategic Digital Asset Reserve Act, state treasurer, retirement system, state payments, cryptocurrency, Arizona law, payment methods, government transactions, property tax, tax exemption, Arizona Revised Statutes, digital currency, workers' compensation, death benefits, burial costs, spousal compensation

Bills: HB 842 , HB 1907 , HB 2844 , HB 2892 , HB 3439 , HB 4211 , HB 4536 , HB 5111 , HB 5138 , HB 5182 , HB 5247 , HB 5269 , HB 5323 , HB 5435 , HJR 201 , SB 871 , HB 3896 , SJR 40

Committee: House State Affairs

Keywords: power lines, Gulf Coast, weather-related outages, Public Utility Commission, infrastructure, government contracts, Chinese companies, information technology, cybersecurity, state regulations, food safety, mobile vendors, licensing, permitting exemptions, health inspections, nonprofit organizations, personal information, government disclosure, privacy, criminal penalties

Transcript Highlights:

• Lawbreakers find safe harbor in counties where prosecutors might look the other way.
• It preserves local control... ...by giving county prosecutors six months to act.
• This is already the specific duty of county and district attorneys.
• I respect and appreciate the notion of knowing who the treasurers are and what they do.
• I just don't want us to get overly aggressive on the treasurers when we could do it differently.

Bills: HB842 , HB1907 , HB2844 , HB2892 , HB3439 , HB4211 , HB4536 , HB5111 , HB5138 , HB5182 , HB5247 , HB5269 , HB5323 , HB5435 , HJR201 , SB871 , HB3896 , SJR40

Committee: House State Affairs

Keywords: power lines, Gulf Coast, weather-related outages, Public Utility Commission, infrastructure, government contracts, Chinese companies, information technology, cybersecurity, state regulations, food safety, mobile vendors, licensing, permitting exemptions, health inspections, nonprofit organizations, personal information, government disclosure, privacy, criminal penalties

Transcript Highlights:

• in this state. state or 101 affected counties, or at least two-thirds of the counties in three or more
• In the event of two-fifths of counties, we would raise it to three-fifths.
• A declaration or flood or fire that didn't involve a more substantial number of counties.
• My intention is not to preempt municipal or county regulations of that.
• In 2004, in Bexar County, he was supposed to be sentenced.

Bills: HB842 , HB1907 , HB2844 , HB2892 , HB3439 , HB4211 , HB4536 , HB5111 , HB5138 , HB5182 , HB5247 , HB5269 , HB5323 , HB5435 , HJR201 , SB871 , HB3896 , SJR40

Committee: House State Affairs

Keywords: power lines, Gulf Coast, weather-related outages, Public Utility Commission, infrastructure, government contracts, Chinese companies, information technology, cybersecurity, state regulations, food safety, mobile vendors, licensing, permitting exemptions, health inspections, nonprofit organizations, personal information, government disclosure, privacy, criminal penalties

Bills: SB 39 , SB 2129 , SB 2141 , SB 2246 , SB 2323 , SB 2439 , SB 2722

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: railroad, train, collision, information disclosure, safety, driver's license, reporting, off-highway vehicles, public land, safety certificate, transportation, Parks and Wildlife Code, tolls, county revenue, civil penalty, ad valorem tax, transportation funding

Transcript Highlights:

• Is that also in Green County? Yes, the new palace.
• Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe every other county, at least every other county, has the ability
• And it would also prevent any further counties from having that.
• and one in Shelby County.
• 12 in Jefferson County. One from our group in Shelby... County.

Bills: SB90 , SB255 , SB268

Committee: House Tourism

Keywords: Green County, racing, pari-mutuel wagering, gaming regulations, commission appointments, historical horse racing, local tax, mixed spirit beverages, alcohol regulation, licensing, excise tax, distribution agreements, retail sales, wholesalers, 1136, house, all