Transcript Highlights:

• in New Castle County to adjust and reset their school tax rates for the coming school year.
• in Newcastle County to adjust and reset their school tax rates for the coming school year.
• How are the schools planning on making that up, particularly your school?
• district, and a school district does include charter schools.
• district, and school district does include charter schools.

Summary: The Senate received communications from the House on numerous measures, including several bills and resolutions passed with amendments, committee reports on bills such as large energy use facilities, campaign finance, voting rights, and appropriations, and a list of pre-file legislation. The chamber then moved through a long floor session with confirmations, bill readings, and roll-call votes, ultimately confirming the nomination of Morgan T. Zern to the Delaware Supreme Court by a 21-0 vote. Among the major policy items considered were property tax and school tax measures tied to the statewide reassessment. The Senate passed House Bill 460, clarifying monthly municipal permit-data reporting to New Castle County; House Bill 461, granting temporary authority for New Castle County school districts to reset school tax rates for one cycle; and House Bill 462, making the split school tax rate permanent with a lower nonresidential cap. Members discussed the fiscal effects at length, including testimony from a school district finance officer that HB 461 would allow revenue-neutral rate setting and offset the fiscal note on HB 462. The Senate also passed House Bill 365 creating a Delaware Indigenous Affairs Commission, House Bill 458 on backflow requirements for low-hazard buildings, Senate Bill 27 establishing the Office of New Americans with a sunset and interagency coordination, and Senate Bill 315 on the Delaware Technical Innovation Program. The chamber also approved Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 300, a firearms dealer regulation bill, after extensive debate over amendments, confidentiality, background checks, and the balance between public safety and burdens on lawful dealers. Several members raised constitutional and practical objections, while supporters argued the bill would reduce trafficking, straw purchases, and theft from dealers. In addition, the Senate passed House Bill 305 creating a diabetes wellness pilot program, with supporters emphasizing the state’s diabetes burden and the program’s federal funding, and House Concurrent Resolution 157, which asks the State Lottery Office to report on iLottery’s impact on small businesses. Senate Bill 325, a fire prevention/background-check bill, was laid on the table after concerns about a late House amendment and requests for more time to consult stakeholders.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is obviously on the purchase of the property where the REET would be exempted.
• So how would you know if at least 50% of the unit was used for affordable housing if you're just purchasing
• She works at Bellevue High School. And this one always, you know, affects me because I met her.
• They could purchase properties around each other over time to pull them together into larger projects
• It would prohibit another household from receiving $250,000 toward a purchase of a $280,000 condo.

Bills: SB6069 , SB6167 , SB6201 , SB6205 , SB6001 , SB6026 , SB6054 , SGA9278 , SGA9279

Committee: Senate Housing

Keywords: affordable housing, homelessness, homeless shelter, emergency shelter, emergency housing, supportive housing, permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, low-income housing, very low-income, extremely low-income, housing crisis, land use, zoning, local preemption, urban growth area, UGA, planning, development regulations, permitting

Transcript Highlights:

• So this bill creates a State-run prescription drug purchasing pool that would allow qualified public
• employers, private health plans, and individuals to combine their purchasing power to negotiate better
• It's important to note that under this bill, participating in the purchasing pool is voluntary and will
• not impact the federal 340B drug purchasing drug pricing program.
• These individuals are technically eligible to purchase a Medicare supplement or MediAP plan.

Committee: House Insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• Whether it is a viable local business, a valuable historic school, a church community with local quality
• Whether it is a viable local business, a valuable historic school, a church community with local quality
• I was born in Worcester, educated in public schools, and received my degree from Westfield State College
• There actually are a lot of resources available for employees to purchase a business, including several
• I've seen people with no more than a high school diploma found businesses for more than 20 years, still

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies held its first public hearing of the session, chaired by Rep. Carole Fiola with Sen. Barry Finegold. After housekeeping on livestreaming, virtual testimony, and written testimony deadlines, the committee heard testimony on several bills, with the main focus on S. 303/H. 503/S. 305 and H. 491, all related to worker ownership and business succession. Testimony generally supported expanding employee ownership, right of first refusal for workers, and incentives for owners to sell to employee groups. Speakers from worker co-ops, technical assistance organizations, lenders, and business owners said these measures could preserve local businesses, protect jobs, build worker wealth, and help communities retain valued services and storefronts. On S. 303, Vincent Lawrence Dixon described a proposal to create tools such as a special community trustee, right of first refusal, and community institution landmarks to help communities preserve important local properties and uses when owners cease operations. On H. 491 and the employee-ownership bills, witnesses including Matthew Page Lieberman, Caleb from Circus Cooperative Cafe, Sarah Acefa of Dorchester Food Co-op, Halsey Platt, Kevin O'Brien, John Abrams, Virginia Berman, Stacey Cordero, Adrian Roman, Alex Popali, Adam Trott, and Ethan Tupelo emphasized that worker-owned businesses can be more resilient, support democratic participation, and help with business transitions as owners retire or close. Committee members asked questions about the tax incentive threshold, the timing and mechanics of the right of first refusal, and whether the bills would affect sale prices or business succession. Rep. Kristen Kassner also testified on H. 490, which would create a special commission to inventory the Commonwealth’s built environment, infrastructure, permitting, and land-use barriers to help Massachusetts adapt vacant or underused spaces for the next economy. She said the commission would help identify opportunities for housing, climate and energy tech, advanced manufacturing, and other uses, and members discussed commission composition and data sources. At the end of the hearing, the chair read a series of additional bills into the record, noted an upcoming Economic Development Expo, and the committee adjourned after a motion and second.

Transcript Highlights:

• They purchased, through a land broker, a piece of land, and were... ...through a land broker, a piece
• As she stayed with the alien grandmother, she brought her children and she registered for school and
• Does any committee member here use ClassDojo with their children in school?
• If you have access to ClassDojo or previous access to ClassDojo, please contact your school and see the
• Please contact your school and see the contracts they have and who they sell that information to that

Committee: House House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections Committee of Reference

Summary: The Committee on Federal and Military Affairs and Elections met with all members present and began with an extended presentation on an investigative referral packet concerning alleged voter registration anomalies from March 2023 to the present. The presenter described multiple examples of registrations tied to out-of-state residents, deceased individuals, temporary residents, and registrations allegedly generated through Service Arizona, MVD, Access, county recorders, and third-party/NGO channels. The committee also discussed a Secretary of State email about party-preference changes, discrepancies between county and state counts, and a proposed criminal referral to the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice. Members asked questions about whether the issues were glitches or intentional, and several members said the examples reflected serious problems with voter-roll maintenance and automatic voter registration. A roll call was taken on whether members wished to sign onto the referral; some declined, while others agreed, and the committee said the referral would be transmitted after the meeting. The committee then considered Senate Bill 1259, which would allow certain protected individuals to use an alternate mailing address when filing candidate and financial disclosure paperwork. The sponsor said it closes a confidentiality loophole for people whose addresses are protected for safety reasons. Members raised concerns about how the bill interacts with in-district residency requirements, but the bill passed on a 6-1 vote. Senate Bill 1281, dealing with state land procedures for covered federal designations and notification of legislative leaders about land takings, drew opposition from the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter, which argued the bill was unnecessary, unfunded, and insufficiently protective of tribal consultation; it passed 4-3. Senate Bill 1037, concerning election equipment security and internet connectivity, prompted debate over whether the bill could be read to permit internet-connected election equipment and over a hostile strike-everything amendment that would have expanded voter-registration and election-administration programs, including ERIC participation and new funding. The amendment failed, and the underlying bill also failed on a 3-3-1 vote. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 1040, which would require county recorders to provide public online access to voter registration rolls and prohibit fees for downloading them. Staff explained that the bill would replace the current chairperson-request process with public access, while still excluding sensitive information such as Social Security numbers. Members debated how much information would be public and whether the bill adequately defined “voter registration rolls.” The bill passed on a 4-3 vote. The chair closed by asking members to look into school app data-sharing contracts and offered to show unredacted materials privately, then noted that dinner had been provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• They purchased, through a land broker, a piece of land, and were... ...through a land broker, a piece
• As she stayed with the alien grandmother, she brought her children and she registered for school and
• Does any committee member here use ClassDojo with their children in school?
• If you have access to ClassDojo or previous access to ClassDojo, please contact your school and see the
• If you have access to ClassDojo or previous access to ClassDojo, please contact your school and see the

Bills: SB1037 , SB1040 , SB1259 , SB1281

Committee: House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections

Keywords: elections, voting systems, vote tabulation, election security, internet connectivity, offline voting, chain of custody, polling place equipment, counting center, central counting center, election management system, EMS gateway, tabulation equipment, secretary of state, certification, decertification, HAVA, Help America Vote Act, ballot images, audit logs

Transcript Highlights:

• The developments for hospitals and schools are being affected.
• Dorchester purchased 660 acres between Dorchester and Charmond for a cement kiln and quarry.
• They were in Plano, now they're living back up there because they helped with construction on the schools
• The schools are growing because of this, the colleges. So it's brought them back closer to home.
• And just to address the question of someone purchasing the land, there have been local investors that

Bills: SB1757 , SB1758 , SB1898 , SB2050

Committee: House Environmental Regulation

Keywords: rock crushing, permits, air quality, environmental monitoring, aggregate production, seismicity, public meeting, land use, SB 1758, cement kiln, portland cement, aggregate production operation, aggregate quarry, semiconductor wafer manufacturing, chip fabrication, semiconductor plant, vibration, seismic disturbance, liability limitation, TCEQ

Transcript Highlights:

• So he served with honor and distinction, received his honorable discharge, was able to go on to school
• And one of her sons is in medical school, the other one's in law school, and they're definitely participating
• The medical school, the other one's in law school, and they're definitely participating in the American
• A Leola Meramount graduate and school bus driver, Evelyn's passions included politics, scary movies,
• A Leola Meramount graduate and school bus driver, Evelyn's passions included politics, scary movies,

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, approved the journal, and took up Senate Concurrent Resolution 106 by Senator Choi, which designates January 13, 2026 as Korean American Day in California. Senator Choi and many members spoke in support, highlighting the history of Korean immigration, the contributions of Korean Americans in business, public service, culture, education, health care, and civic life, and the significance of Korean American communities across the state. Several members also shared personal and district-specific examples, including Koreatown, the Korean Friendship Bell, Pachappa Camp in Riverside, and Korean American organizations and businesses affected by the recent wildfires. The resolution was adopted on a 38-0 roll call vote. After the vote, Senator Choi introduced Korean American guests visiting the chamber, including the Consul General of Korea in San Francisco and other community leaders. The Senate then returned to motions and committee announcements, including notices that the Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee and the Human Services Committee would meet after adjournment. Senator Smallwood-Cuevas also requested that SB 626 be removed from the inactive file and returned to the Assembly for amendments. The remainder of the session was devoted largely to adjournment memorials. Senator Umberg honored Monica Lynn Martinez-Hays, a longtime legislative staffer and artist. Senators Pérez and Allen jointly memorialized the 19 people who died in the January 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires, describing the devastation, the community’s recovery, and the names and lives of many victims. Senator Menjivar also asked for adjournment in memory of Marine Corps Sergeant Adrian Carrillo, who died in a December traffic collision. The Senate announced its next floor session for Friday, January 16 at 9 a.m. and then recessed.

Transcript Highlights:

• We took the island for honors for Island School, I think.
• </c><00:37:02.520><c> their</c> fundings to help people purchase their fundings to help people purchase
• Is there Draft 1 relating to schools.
• It's a tradition that we give Lunalilo Elementary School students those balls.
• </c> Elementary School students those balls. Elementary School students those balls.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Officials from the Camden Fairview School District and Forest City School District were present to answer
• The audit reports from the Conway School District, Magnolia School District, and Westside School District
• I would say that's kind of old-school architecture.
• School readiness assistance program. Is that correct?
• was not maintained for all applicable purchases as required by Arkansas Code.

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Louis College of Pharmacy, and she is from Dunklin County and went to school with my son.
• Today, I'm proud to have the superintendents from Warsaw High School and Climax Springs High School in
• Today, I'm proud to have the superintendents from Warsaw High School and Climax Springs High School in
• There between the School and Climax Springs High School in my area.
• I've purchased a home. I've not built one.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The House began with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, approval of the House Journal by roll call vote (112-2), and numerous introductions of special guests, including former Rep. Bill Kidd, students, educators, pharmacy students, labor representatives, and community groups. Members also made a few personal announcements, including a birthday recognition. The chamber then moved into floor business on bills for perfection and printing. The main debate centered on House Committee Substitute for House Bills 21, 22, and 1626, the Missouri Nuclear Clean Power Act. Supporters argued the bill would remove Missouri’s ban on construction work in progress for nuclear plants, lower long-term electricity costs, support baseload power, attract industry and data centers, and help Missouri keep pace with small modular reactor development in other states and countries. Opponents said the measure would shift construction risk and potential cost overruns to ratepayers, cited past nuclear cost overruns and safety/waste concerns, and argued Missouri voters had already rejected this approach. After extended debate and several inquiries, the House adopted the committee substitute and then perfected and printed the bill. The House also perfected and printed House Bill 1881, which would classify xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance. Supporters said the drug is being misused in fentanyl mixtures, causing severe harm and deaths, while preserving legitimate veterinary and agricultural uses. Members from veterinary and law enforcement backgrounds backed the bill, and no opposition was voiced before passage. Finally, the House took up House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2292, a cross-reporting bill for child, elder, and companion animal abuse. The sponsor said the measure would require agencies already involved in abuse reporting to cross-report related abuse and train accordingly, while exempting agricultural animals. Members discussed amendments to criminalize knowingly starving an animal and to allow POST-certified state investigators to assist in elder abuse cases; both amendments were adopted. Debate also focused on concerns about training sources and whether animal-rights groups could misuse the bill, but the sponsor said the measure would not expand access to farms or animal control authority. The committee substitute was advanced after discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Tax on business input, not final consumer purchases.
• My name is Kirsten Morcom, and I'm a teacher at the Bloomington Public Schools.
• Our students deserve fully funded mental health and physical teams, including school counselors, school
• nurses, school psychologists, and school social workers in every building.
• People purchase fewer things and more services.

Committee: Senate Taxes

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Is this a possibility for classrooms and education for high school students, or something?
• Wildlife habitat is paid annually by anybody who purchases any type of hunting license.
• Wildlife habitat is paid annually by anybody who purchases any type of hunting license.
• </c> that Pheasant account is to purchase that Pheasant account is to purchase those those those birds
• </c> terms of Maintenance and um purchasing terms of Maintenance and um purchasing of<05:06:39.080><c

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Division 2 Finance Committee heard an overview and budget presentation from New Hampshire Fish and Game, led by new Executive Director Stephanie Simi and Business Division Chief Kathy Leonti. The agency described its mission to conserve and manage fish, wildlife, and marine resources, and emphasized growing pressures from disease, climate impacts, habitat change, and increased public demand. Simi said the department is largely funded by hunting and fishing license revenue and federal grants, is reviewing staffing and internal processes, and faces critical needs including permanent funding for environmental review staff, infrastructure and IT modernization, and possible service reductions if additional support is not found. Members asked about specific program and policy issues, including chronic wasting disease in deer, hemorrhagic disease in rabbits and hares, moose population decline, and a proposed bait-disease bill. The department said it is actively monitoring diseases and did not see a need for the bait bill at this time. Legislators also discussed the Hike Safe program, which the department said has grown from an expected $100,000 annually to more than $300,000, and a possible boating version of that program, which the department said remains under consideration but would involve complex logistics and multiple agencies. Questions were also raised about rescue costs, out-of-state hikers, and whether boat registrations could be used as a revenue source; Fish and Game said boat registration is handled by the Department of Safety, though the department receives $5 per registered boat for the public boat access program. The budget discussion focused on revenue projections, use of unrestricted Fish and Game funds, and dependence on federal reimbursements. Leonti said the department met the governor’s general fund target but not the Fish and Game fund target without using surplus unrestricted funds, leaving only about $100,000 in the fund by the end of the biennium. She said the budget uses more than $18 million in Fish and Game funds annually against about $14 million in unrestricted revenue, and that five of 193 full-time positions remain unfunded. The department warned that if federal grants were halted, it could cost about $5 million over five months and force the Fish and Game fund to cover the gap. Committee members also requested that future presentations be sent electronically in advance, and the department agreed to do so.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's the old historic high school that's there.
• It's the old historic high school that's there.
• The city took over the old school square a couple of years.
• We don’t want to run Old School Square anymore.
• We don’t want to run Old School Square anymore.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Auditing Committee met to consider several audit requests and enforcement items involving local governments and special districts. The committee approved operational audits of the City of Miami Beach, the Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority, and the City of Daytona Beach. In each case, the requesting member described concerns about transparency, financial management, or internal controls, while local officials or representatives generally said they were willing to cooperate and, in Delray Beach’s case, noted that an internal audit had already been completed and that some issues were being corrected. The committee also received a presentation on the statewide review of neighborhood improvement districts. The reviewers reported that 15 of 21 districts were active and six inactive, with common findings including outdated or missing performance plans, weak web presence, inadequate meeting notices, and limited management mechanisms. They said staffing levels often correlated with the ability to meet statutory requirements, and they recommended updates to district governance and transparency practices. On enforcement, staff reviewed local governments and special districts that had failed to file required financial reports or had submitted audit reports missing required information. The committee approved staff recommendations to proceed under the statutory enforcement process for the noncompliant entities, with flexibility for the chair and vice chair to delay action if additional information is provided in good faith. The committee also voted to send a letter to the Union County Legislative Delegation encouraging a local bill to dissolve the Town of Rayford, based on staff’s view that the town lacked employees, services, debt, and a clear reason to continue existing as an incorporated municipality.

Transcript Highlights:

• We really appreciate all of the schools that participated this year.
• One hundred sixty-five high schools took part.
• Cloud high schools.
• </c><00:25:05.840><c> programming</c> responsible for purchasing programming responsible for purchasing
• </c> for a larger scale equipment purchase for a larger scale equipment purchase and<01:27:49.080><c>

Committee: Senate Elections

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And affordability and accessibility of insurance for school districts... ...and affordability and accessibility
• of insurance for school districts and adult family homes and child care centers and homeowners and business
• So we work directly with our members when they're purchasing their liquor liability insurance.
• insurance program so we work directly with our members when they're purchasing their liquor liability

Summary: The House Consumer Protection & Business Committee held a public hearing on a bill concerning indemnification of commercial liquor servers. Staff explained that under current law, both licensed retailers and individual servers can face administrative penalties and civil liability if they sell alcohol to someone apparently under the influence, and the bill would require the retailer to pay the server’s defense costs and any civil judgment, while preserving existing administrative penalties and causes of action against the retailer. Members asked about how the current penalty structure works, whether the bill would change administrative enforcement, and how liability would apply in situations involving a lone server or multiple establishments; staff said the bill did not specifically address those scenarios. The prime sponsor said the bill was intended to protect lower-paid servers from losing everything in civil lawsuits when they were not the ones who violated the law, while still holding accountable those who actually break the rules. She emphasized that the bill was meant to start a broader conversation and that the term “indemnification” was used as a placeholder for the policy concept. Members raised questions about whether the retailer’s insurance would cover judgments, how the proposal would interact with existing liability rules, and whether cannabis service would be included; the sponsor said cannabis was not currently covered but might be if treated like alcohol in the future. A representative of the Washington Hospitality Association testified that liquor liability insurance is increasingly expensive and difficult to obtain, with fewer insurers, higher premiums, and some businesses unable to get coverage. The association said the bill would not materially change current law because licensees already defend themselves and employees in civil suits, but it would not stop servers from being named in lawsuits, which can still harm workers’ backgrounds and future employment. The association argued the larger problem is lawsuit abuse and urged broader reforms to damages, demand rules, and joint-and-several liability. The hearing ended with the committee closing public testimony on the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:03:16.400><c> most</c><00:03:16.720><c> purchasing</c> individual market. most purchasing individual
• </c> from the University of Minnesota School from the University of Minnesota School of<00:35:18.079>
• </c> will lose their ability to purchase will lose their ability to purchase health<01:03:36.400><c>
• </c><01:04:00.400><c> And</c> purchasing their own insurance. And purchasing their own insurance.
• </c><01:08:31.120><c> their</c> for the individuals who purchase their for the individuals who purchase

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> for only for the purposes of a purchase for only for the purposes of a purchase of<00:23:43.760>
• As many school districts are required by state law to provide at least 10 days of sick leave to each
• Looking at how the school districts are doing currently under KY 177, local school districts and co-ops
• </c><00:34:42.560><c> districts</c> TRS found that most school districts TRS found that most school districts
• </c> days and looking at um how the school days and looking at um how the school district's<00:34:56.240

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:02 Attendance Roll Call: 00:49 Approval of Minutes: 01:55 CERS Retiree Health Subsidy Proposal: 02:14 SB 58: 24:05 TRS Sick/Annual Leave Proposal: 32:53 Adjournment: 48:00, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the prior month’s minutes after a roll call established a quorum. It then heard testimony on a draft proposal from Senator Robbie Mills to increase CERS retiree health subsidies for members retiring on or after July 1, 2003. The bill would raise the non-hazardous subsidy from $14.63 to $40 per month per year of service and the hazardous-duty subsidy from $21.94 to $50, with employee contribution rates adjusted based on the health trust’s funded status. Supporters from sheriffs, firefighters, police chiefs, and the Kentucky League of Cities said the change would improve recruitment and retention, better align the subsidy with the cost of a single health plan, and preserve the system’s financial footing through shared employer-employee costs and funding triggers. Committee members asked about the fiscal impact, the effect of funding levels above 150%, and how the subsidy would work for rehired retirees or employees who later take private-sector jobs. Mills and other witnesses said preliminary actuarial work was still forthcoming, that the bill was intended to be revenue-neutral or close to it, and that the subsidy would continue to be paid monthly; they also noted existing 2008 rules for rehired retirees and said the benefit would still be available even if a retiree later had other insurance. One member suggested looking at stable accounts as an additional option for special-needs planning in a later bill. The committee then heard Senate Bill 58 from Senator Robin Webb, which would allow state employees to designate a Special Needs Trust as a beneficiary for retirement benefits. Webb said the measure would help employees provide for disabled dependents without jeopardizing SSI or Medicaid eligibility, and that the bill follows federal special-needs trust rules. He said the proposal could be revenue neutral, but actuarial analysis was still pending and KPPA had asked for electronic rather than paper transfer provisions. Members questioned whether the authority already exists, how the trust would work, and whether stable accounts should also be considered; Webb said he would follow up with additional information.

Transcript Highlights:

• As we go through and purchase properties, sometimes we may just need a little bit of a property.
• some of that land from, and they want to purchase it, and we'll work with them towards that purchase
• /c> through and purchase properties, through and purchase properties, sometimes<00:54:14.160><c> we</
• </c> the Abata that we may have purchased the Abata that we may have purchased some<00:55:02.319><c>
• :55:08.000><c> purchase.

Committee: House Executive Departments and Administration

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• From there, they use technology to monitor when the card is purchased and activated or loaded with value
• teacher to purchase classroom supplies.
• The mother went to purchase diapers and formula for her newborn child.
• Uh one of the victims purchase.
• classroom</c> school teacher to purchase classroom school teacher to purchase classroom supplies.<00:

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Keywords: 1187, senate, all