Transcript Highlights:

• Students involved in music, visual art, dance, and theater don't just become artists.
• They'll tell you they need a student in class who's well fed.
• And to be clear, making it work means holding classes in our cafeteria, PE without a gym, paying our
• It happens in art, dance, music, and theater programs on a daily basis.
• For many school districts, this underfunding will mean larger class sizes, cuts to essential programs

Bills: HB2

Keywords: disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace, medical examiner, county judge, sheriff, mayor, emergency coordinator, emergency manager license, volunteer management system, volunteer registration, criminal history check, background check, Texas Division of Emergency Management

Summary: The committee continued public testimony on House Bill 2, which would make major changes to public school funding, teacher pay, special education, early learning, school safety, and related programs. Many superintendents and education advocates supported the bill’s overall direction but urged changes, especially a larger basic allotment and more flexible funding for rural and small districts. Witnesses from Paint Creek, West Hardin, Cushing, Blooming Grove, Mildred, Buffalo, Plano, and rural school groups said the bill’s targeted raises and new requirements would not fully cover inflation, TRS/Medicare costs, transportation, insurance, or support staff salaries, and several asked the committee to restore the House version’s higher basic allotment and small-school allotment. Charter school representatives supported the facilities funding changes and said charter schools need state help because they cannot levy taxes, while also noting the funding gap with ISDs. Fine arts advocates asked the committee to restore the fine arts allotment, arguing arts improve engagement, attendance, and academic outcomes, especially in rural and at-risk communities. Early learning and special education witnesses supported parts of the bill but raised concerns about pre-K restrictions, disability-related pre-K access, and the need to preserve or clarify special education provisions and mental health oversight language. Several witnesses praised the teacher pay raise, teacher incentive allotment expansion, and teacher preparation investments, saying they would help recruit and retain educators and improve student outcomes. Others, including counselors and support staff advocates, argued the bill should also include raises for counselors, nurses, librarians, bus drivers, custodians, aides, and other non-teaching employees who keep schools running. One witness from the Texas Counseling Association opposed the substitute because it removed a counselor pay provision, warning of counselor shortages and inequities. A parent and special education advocate said the bill’s structure creates too many strings attached and asked for a larger basic allotment instead of more targeted funding. Another witness from Mental Health America urged keeping the collaborative task force on public school mental health services through 2031, and a disability rights advocate said the committee substitute appears to omit some special education items that were in the House version. The committee also briefly took up House Bill 6, a school discipline bill. After questions about automatic mandatory expulsion for vape possession and concerns about younger students, the committee adopted the substitute and voted to report HB 6 favorably to the full Senate by a 9-1 vote, with Senator Menendez voting no and Senators West and Menendez expressing reservations but supporting further discussion. After that vote, testimony on HB 2 resumed. Senators used the hearing to ask about the bill’s cost, the difference between the basic allotment and the bill’s targeted funding buckets, and whether the permanent teacher pay increase shifts pressure off districts. The bill’s supporters emphasized that it represents an historic, roughly $8 billion investment and that many of the new funding streams are intended to be permanent or to address specific district needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• I have provided information for classes I have provided information for you<00:14:50.079> all
• They gave us testimony about how the art and wellness classes has provided them a lot of serene time
• They gave us testimony about how the art and wellness classes has provided them a lot of serene time
• I also want to emphasize the importance of Class Notes for all schools.
• I also want to emphasize the importance of Class Notes for all schools.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's called a bite dance.
• Shen Yang, the dance team that's here in the United States.
• The Shin Yong Dance Troupe is a dance troupe that is affiliated with the Falun Gong or Falun Dafa religious
• Thank you. up-class research institutions in the state of Texas. In 2017, not.
• I can read her testimony or I can give it to the class.

Bills: HB17, HB34, HB41, HB 118, HB 119, HB 127, HB 128, HB 129, HB 130, HB132, HB133, HB17, HB41, HB118, HB119, HB127, HB128, HB129, HB130, HB132, HB133

Keywords: foreign ownership, real estate, national security, designated countries, Texas property law, lobbying, foreign adversaries, compensation prohibition, transparency, civil penalties, higher education, foreign adversary, research security, trade secrets, academic partnerships, HB 128, sister city, sister-city agreement, international exchange, municipal diplomacy

Transcript Highlights:

• it film, music, and dance, and so forth. it film, music, and dance, and so forth.
• we're going to put the music and dance. we're going to put the music and dance.
• is music and dance and through film?
• But we can dance with you.
• But you know, we can dance with you.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism heard several governor’s message nominations to the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s advisory board. The first nominee, Daniel O’Leary, received strong support from HTA leadership and Deputy Director James Kunane Tokioka, who praised his visitor-industry knowledge and work on brand marketing and tourism planning. O’Leary said he hoped to contribute his experience and strengthen the organization’s integrity. Joel Guy was also supported by HTA, Tokioka, and several community testifiers, who highlighted his long work in Hana, his film-industry background, and his role in community-focused tourism planning. During questioning, Guy said the advisory board should still have influence, especially on strategic planning and community concerns, even though its role is advisory rather than decision-making. The committee then considered Linda Wong’s nomination. HTA and Tokioka strongly supported her, citing her long community experience and familiarity with HTA work. Wong said the new advisory board was collaborative, had no conflicts so far, and was trying to balance resident concerns with attracting higher-value tourists. Senator Kim questioned her about the advisory structure, and Wong said she believed the Legislature had reduced HTA’s authority because of past conflicts but that the new board could help turn things around and possibly regain more authority in the future. The committee also heard testimony on Kimberly Algos and Terry Fisher. Algos was described by HTA and Tokioka as a strong leader and solid board member; Tokioka explained that she and another co-chair were selected because of their busy schedules and that the advisory board’s committees were created so members could contribute beyond the single statutory duty of selecting the chair, president, and CEO. Fisher was supported for his tour-operator experience and strategic planning work. In questioning, he endorsed performance-based contracting and accountability for contractors, while acknowledging that external events can affect results. He also said the convention center is critical infrastructure that should be repaired and used to help fill tourism lulls and attract major conferences. The hearing included supportive testimony from industry representatives, but no votes or final actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Did I tap dance around it? Any other questions? All right.
• I like to check to make sure I don't tap dance around it. Don't feel bad. Question or did I? Okay.
• I like to check to make sure I don't tap dance around it. Don't feel bad about challenging it.
• And we're surrounded, of course, in this region by world-class mineral resources.
• Class 2, type 2? I forgot which category it is.

Summary: The meeting opened with remarks about the value of public engagement and the quality of questions from the group, followed by a series of technical presentations from Idaho National Laboratory staff. Joe Renovitz described recent nuclear regulatory changes tied to presidential executive orders, including NRC Part 53 for advanced reactors, the forthcoming Part 57 for very small reactors, and DOE updates to reactor authorization standards. He emphasized efforts to align DOE and NRC processes, use risk-informed and performance-based licensing, support reactor deployment for AI/data centers and national security, and use AI to speed communications and crosswalks between DOE and NRC requirements. In response to questions, he said there was no plan to merge agencies, but rather to improve coordination and public outreach through groups like GAIN and NEI. David Tolman then discussed the nuclear fuel cycle, including uranium mining, conversion, enrichment, fuel fabrication, spent fuel storage, transportation, disposal, and reprocessing. He explained high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), why it is needed for advanced reactors, and DOE’s HALEU Availability Program and related investments in enrichment, transportation, deconversion, and supply chain development. He also covered spent fuel management, the possibility of centralized storage or a fuel-cycle campus, the Center for Used Fuel Research, and ongoing work on high-burnup cask testing and reprocessing technologies. Tolman described aqueous, pyrochemical, and fluoride-volatility reprocessing approaches, noting the advantages and waste characteristics of each, and said several companies are working with INL on these technologies. Ashley Shields presented INL’s AI and nuclear work, focusing on the Genesis initiative and the Prometheus effort to use AI to design, license, build, and operate reactors with far less human intervention. She described INL’s broad use of generative AI tools, the need to manage large volumes of legacy technical data, and applications in reactor design, materials discovery, autonomous laboratories, and digital twins. Shields said AI is being used to reduce the enormous documentation burden in nuclear licensing and to support autonomous or remotely operated reactor demonstrations, while stressing that humans remain in supervisory roles. In discussion, she addressed data security, model access, and the continued need for software engineers. The session then recessed briefly and resumed with Mitch Kerman beginning a presentation on critical minerals and materials.

Transcript Highlights:

• For as you know, with seriousness about his calling and work and with dancing in his feet and humor in
• Sylvester Turner was indeed in a class all by himself.
• that we were under attack, that they were passing laws to take away our rights and to make a second class

Transcript Highlights:

• the Colorado Senate are pleased to recognize and commend Liberty Common High School, the graduating class
• The class of 2026 earned a composite SAT score ranking third in the state of Colorado, underscoring the
• The achievements of Liberty Common's graduating class stand as a testament to the strength of its educational
• Therefore, the Colorado Senate here recognizes and congratulates the Liberty Common High School class
• c><02:46:26.120>the thank you president i toay over the thank you president i toay over the dance

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, approved the April 13, 2026 journal, and welcomed former Senator Bob Shafer as a special guest. Committee reports were read from Transportation and Energy, Education, and Judiciary, with several measures advanced to the Committee of the Whole or Appropriations and one item postponed. The chamber also recognized Liberty Common High School’s graduating class of 2026 with a personal privilege statement praising its academic and extracurricular achievements. On resolutions, SJR 24 (Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month), SR 7 (Second Chance Month), and SJR 23 were all laid over to later dates. On the consent calendar, House Bills 1228, 111, and 1213 were passed, with HB 1213 related to the biomass utilization grant program and its repeal under a sunset recommendation. The Senate then took up several third-reading bills: HB 1126 on firearm dealer requirements drew opposition over gun rights and dealer compliance concerns but passed 20-15; HB 1265 on law enforcement use of the federal eTrace system also drew criticism over data collection and local control but passed 23-12; HB 1302 passed 22-13; HB 1045 on housing protections for individuals with disabilities passed 23-12; and HB 135 on access to inpatient behavioral health services passed 35-0. The House transmitted a message noting concurrence on Senate amendments to multiple House bills and a House resolution. The Senate then agreed to adjourn over the balance of the day until Thursday, April 16, 2026, after correcting the date during the motion. Several announcements followed about upcoming meetings and events, including committee hearings and a Capitol “Seek Day,” and the Senate ultimately recessed until noon.

Transcript Highlights:

• So these are eighth graders, stars in their class. Stand up.
• Um, dance hands. Um, Senator Henrikson, you know, I really appreciate all the...
• And watching Nick dance to songs we grew up to in high school.
• That's another $3.3 million to this class of taxpayers. >> Seeing no further discussion, the motion is
• She's a great artist, and one day I want to take one of her classes.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So dance on. You are heard. You are seen. You are loved. Be fabulous. Be fierce. Be free.
• So dance on. You are heard. You are way. So dance on. You are heard.
• He had people come to his place who were dancing.
• In other words, they were dancing.
• , and protected classes include gender identity and sexual orientation.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• you're not in class. you're not in class.
• Students are pulled from class. Decisions happen quickly.
• Decisions happen pulled from class.
• >> And that A1C stuff can make you dance >> And that A1C stuff can make you dance really
• that I can finally dance, right? that I can finally dance, right? >> Yeah.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't have classes. We don't have a venue. We don't have animals. We are a service organization.
• It had music, it had spoken word, it had dance, it had art-making experiences for kids and families.
• It had music, it had spoken word, it had dance, it had art-making experiences for kids and families.
• It had music, it had spoken word, it had dance, it had art-making experiences for kids and families.
• It had music, it had spoken word, it had dance, it had art-making experiences for kids and families.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We can have a world-class health care system that develops life-saving drugs and treatments.
• We can have a world-class health care system that develops life-saving drugs and treatments.
• I thought we were going to start dancing. They were going to start dancing, Rep. But thank you.
• The issue of GLP-1s, as a class of drugs, is showing exponential growth in the data.
• To the students who came here today from the civics classes and those that shared their school with us

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard budget testimony from Department of Mental Health Commissioner Brooke Doyle, who said DMH serves about 29,000 people and is facing rising demand, higher operating costs, and uncertainty about federal funding. She explained that the FY26 budget prioritizes fully funding the state-operated inpatient system, which is at 100% occupancy and often serves people transferred from Bridgewater State Hospital, while making reductions in other areas to balance the budget. Those reductions include a 50% cut to case managers, a pause on closing the Pocasset unit pending a working group on Cape access, and changes to youth and contracted services such as right-sizing IRTP and CIRT, reducing Youth PACT from seven teams to three, scaling back flex and jail diversion grants as ARPA funds wind down, and preserving the behavioral health helpline and community-based crisis services. Members from Western Massachusetts and the Cape raised concerns about access, staffing, and the impact of cuts, and Doyle said the department would continue operating IRTP services, improve the referral process, and work with stakeholders on the Pocasset review and other access issues. The committee also discussed school-based mental health, 988, loan forgiveness for workforce recruitment, and the role of co-response programs for law enforcement. Secretary Robin Lipson then testified for the Executive Office of Aging and Independence, describing a proposed FY26 budget increase of about 21% to support councils on aging, home care, elder abuse investigations, caregiver support, care transitions, and nutrition programs. She said the agency is managing rising demand, especially from the growing 80-plus population, and noted uncertainty around federal Older Americans Act funding after the federal disbursement agency was disbanded. To control costs, the office will manage intake and caseload growth in a fully state-funded home care program, but current clients will not lose services. Lipson also highlighted a new $1 million line item for local mini-grants to support age-friendly initiatives. In questions, members focused on elder scams, and Lipson said scams are increasing and the agency is working with banks, district attorneys, and public awareness campaigns. The Health Policy Commission’s Executive Director David Seltz presented the agency’s FY26 request and said the biggest challenge is health care affordability, with family premiums near $29,000 annually and many residents delaying care because of cost. He emphasized that recent legislation significantly expands HPC’s role through a new Office of Pharmaceutical Policy and Analysis, which will examine the drug supply chain and pricing, and a new Office of Health Resource Planning, which will support statewide planning around closures and access gaps. The new law also creates task forces on maternal health access and primary care, and adds transparency and oversight for private equity in health care. Members asked about pharmaceutical costs, GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, 340B, and maternal health closures; Seltz said the data show rapid growth in GLP-1 spending and that the new offices will help the state better understand cost drivers and access problems. The Center for Health Information and Analysis then began its testimony, describing its role as the state’s data hub for health care spending, utilization, quality, and affordability analysis.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm thinking about a wide variety of nonprofits that provide educational programming from zoos to dance
• classes to all kinds of things like that.

Bills: HB1590, HB1242, HB3818, HB4305

Keywords: education funding, linked deposits, education infrastructure, charter schools, nonprofit organizations, Oklahoma Education Infrastructure Program, HB1242, cervidae, deer, elk, sales tax exemption, agricultural exemption, livestock, ranching, farm tax, agricultural sales tax, Oklahoma Tax Commission, agriculture, producer sales, private treaty

Transcript Highlights:

• last question is, if we're not targeting one of those businesses but if we're targeting them as a class
• It is a legal dance that we're going to have to look at. Further questions on the bill?

Bills: SB1673, SB1500, SB1447, SB1646, SB2007, SB1275, SB2074

Keywords: prosthetics, health insurance, medical necessity, patient rights, insurance liability, pharmacy benefits manager, healthcare providers, claims processing, reimbursement, insurance regulation, employees insurance, contract awarding, certifications, state procurement, insurance plan, mental health, substance use disorders, utilization review, benefit coverage, pharmacy

Transcript Highlights:

• McDonald's middle school class actually watching.
• <01:19:34.400> is<01:19:34.639> actually his middle school classes is actually his
• middle school classes is actually watching<01:19:35.920> okay<01:19:36.320> very<01:19:
• Minnesota has a theme here: a state bird, a state flower, a state tree, a state fish, a state dance,
• and even a state fish a state dance and even a state<01:20:37.840> beverage<01:20:38.840>

Bills: HF1234, HF1956, HF1025, HF1172, HF791

Keywords: payment transparency, public contracts, contractor rights, government accountability, construction payments, municipal finance, liquor store, audit requirements, state auditor, local government, historic flag, state flag, display standards, ceremonial, Minnesota Statutes, Ursa Minor, state symbol, Minnesota state laws, constellation, official state designation

Transcript Highlights:

• We are joined today by the fifth grade class from an elementary school.
• The classes covered by the college opportunity fund through school districts.
• So, that's you know, interpretive dance.
• Representative on the dance noted. Representative Rutinell, how do you vote? >> Yes.
• on the dance Representative on the dance >> noted.<03:46:52.319> Representative<03:46:52.880

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, approved the journal from April 16, 2026, and then moved to announcements and introductions. Representative Woodro welcomed fifth grade students from Denver Academy and recognized his son Ari on his 12th birthday, leading the chamber in singing happy birthday. The House then agreed to take up a memorial out of order. Senate Joint Memorial 1, honoring the late Senator Faith Winter, was read at length and supported with remarks describing her legislative work on transportation, climate, paid family and medical leave, environmental justice, women’s leadership, and bipartisan efforts. Representative Wilford and others spoke emotionally about her public service and personal impact. The memorial was adopted on a 50-10 vote, with 15 excused, and Representatives Rutinel and Lindsay were listed as co-sponsors. The chamber then considered committee reports and special orders. The Appropriations Committee reported several bills favorably, and the majority leader moved a slate of bills to special order. House Bill 1317, creating a unified system of post-secondary talent development and a transition plan for workforce development programs, was amended in committee to remove travel reimbursements, clarify adult learners’ inclusion, adjust advisory committee membership, and preserve type one status for affected departments; it passed the House. Senate Bill 85, concerning military protection orders in domestic violence cases, also passed after Judiciary Committee amendments clarifying law enforcement database checks. Senate Bill 95, supporting victim survivors of certain crimes, passed Judiciary but drew floor opposition from several members who argued the bill’s jury-related provisions conflicted with confrontation rights and due process; despite those concerns, the bill advanced after further debate continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• But when they're absent, they miss out on more than just class.
• <00:42:24.880> they miss out on more than just class they miss out on more than just class
• that if a kid is sitting in math class that if a kid is sitting in math class then<00:45:41.599>
• It was clear what he needed to do, and he was able to upload artifacts from classes he had taken.
• I had taken the artifact from classes I had taken the clarity<01:20:27.719> it<01:20:28.000><

Bills: HF1966, HF54, HF2043, HF1171, HF2741

Keywords: HF1966, Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs, STARS program, alternative education, alternative programs, education finance, general fund appropriation, student support services, career readiness, employment skills, academic skills, social skills, student conferences, training grants, Minnesota Department of Education, specialized education, at-risk students, nontraditional education, HF54, Silver Lake

Transcript Highlights:

• CDE, the California Film Commission actively supports schools with production tours, IATSE master class
• CDE, the California Film Commission actively supports schools with production tours, IATSE master class
• When I was on the board for Actors' Equity, we did look into having what they have in Europe: a dance
• And Doherty, we have the School of the Arts, which is... ...to do visual arts, they go into dance and
• every other creative class that they want to participate in.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on the Arts held an informational hearing on California’s first sector-specific creative economy strategic plan, “California’s Future: Creative Strategies for Cultural Resilience, Economic Growth, and Global Leadership.” Chair Allen opened by framing the creative economy as a major state asset and urged support for arts funding in the May Revision, including California Humanities, museums, public media, cultural districts, LA28 arts programming, and AB 2319, which would create a $100 million post-production incentive. He also emphasized the need for next-step funding to implement the strategic plan and noted concerns about federal headwinds and declining creative-sector jobs. California Arts Council Director Danielle Brazel, Institute for the Future’s Rachel Hatch, CDE’s Allison Frenzel, and Workforce Development Board representative Michael Weoff described how the plan was developed through AB 127 and related legislation, a 30-plus-member work group, and an interagency process. They outlined the plan’s phased approach and six priority areas, including preparing the workforce, stabilizing businesses, increasing revenue through cultural tourism, leveraging state incentives, defining and tracking ROI, and building state capacity. Testimony highlighted workforce pipelines, apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, digital badging, and cross-agency coordination, with speakers stressing that the sector is shaped by AI, climate change, affordability, capital access, and social cohesion. A second panel of artists and advocates described on-the-ground implementation and the need for better data and support. Ricarlo Handy discussed the Handy Foundation’s apprenticeship pipeline into film and TV jobs and the difficulty of capturing freelance and 1099 creative work in state data. Joanna Reynolds described Arts for LA’s Creative Jobs Collective, which aims to create 10,000 living-wage creative jobs in Los Angeles County by 2030. Alejandro Gutierrez Chavez urged the state to embed artists in health, aging, behavioral health, and climate resilience systems, and Roxanne Messina Kaptur spoke about the need to treat arts careers as viable professions and expand residency and school-based artist programs. Senator Rubio, who joined the hearing later, shared her own background in teaching and the arts, supported arts education and small theaters, and raised concerns about AI, asking how schools and educators can adapt. In the final panel, Rebecca Ratzkin reported on 26 town halls across eight regions, where more than 1,100 people attended and generally affirmed the plan while asking for better access to information, new financial models, clearer definitions and data, and stronger networks. Julie Baker of California for the Arts and California Arts Advocates argued the plan is an urgent blueprint for a sector that generates $288 billion and more than 820,000 jobs, but remains below pre-pandemic employment levels and is losing market share. She and others called for funding, statewide definitions, better data collection, and cross-agency implementation, while committee members and witnesses repeatedly emphasized that the plan will require political will and resources to move from strategy to action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our employees are the epitome of the middle class.
• Frankly, doing as much will save a 65-year New Mexico-owned business, and it's 300 middle-class men and
• Our state has a strong affordability advantage right now, one that helps us build a thriving middle class
• If you had visited one of our pueblos, we dance to pray, and our prayers are for everyone, and of course
• If you had visited one of our Pueblos, we dance to pray, and our prayers are for everyone, and of course

Bills: SB12, SB36, SB92, SB120, SB133, SB151, SB18, SB96

Keywords: tax credit, physician, healthcare, income tax, rural health, quantum technology, infrastructure, economic development, New Mexico, corporate tax, research and development, innovation, affordable housing, gross receipts tax, tax deduction, construction materials, multifamily housing, low income, journalism, local news

Transcript Highlights:

• [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] We also have Brierwood Christian School AP History Class students from
• Have you taken any training classes? That's not what this is about.
• I'm not looking for something special for a certain class of people if this person is qualified for that
• My lively discussion, because I just... all this tap dancing and these song and dances that's coming

Keywords: 1136, house, all