Transcript Highlights:

• Also, there is another, not a page of mine. So I don't believe is Leah your page. Oh, will you go?
• we're clarifying some things in the amendment. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> Um, Representative Smith, I guess mine
• Representative Smith, >> Um Representative Smith, >> I<00:12:21.920> guess<00:12:22.160> mine
• /c><00:12:23.279> of<00:12:23.360> a<00:12:23.600> logistics >> I guess mine
• is a kind of a logistics >> I guess mine is a kind of a logistics question.<00:12:25.760> Is

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm sure you do when you pair it in yours or mine. Thank you.
• T 2 is store health, all the sheils mine and not to bring confusion. Thank you. Thank you.
• Many districts have not set out options which mine does. Media centers have been decimated.
• not the same folks that we might have do when I grew up, one of the things that is a big concern of mine
• I know because it changed mine with a full want to believe it or not, Sydney, you're not smoking.

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas, are having to deal with: tax appraisal review boards that are raising taxes in communities like mine
• Texas, are having to deal with: tax appraisal review boards that are raising taxes in communities like mine
• Texas are having to deal with tax appraisal review boards that are raising taxes and communities like mine
• talk, and there is numerous legislation going through the process about large loads, about crypto mining
• talk, and there is numerous legislation going through the process about large loads, about crypto mining

Summary: The Senate Committee on Nominations held its final nomination hearing of the session and considered three nominees: J.B. Goodwin for the Texas Real Estate Commission, Courtney Yaltman for the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and Thomas Gleason as PUC chairman. Goodwin described his long career in real estate and charitable work, and senators questioned him extensively about the Real Estate Commission’s self-directed, semi-independent status, housing affordability, institutional homebuyers, property insurance costs, disclosure issues, and the Burnett v. National Association of Realtors case. Yaltman and Gleason were questioned about PUC oversight of ERCOT, post-Winter Storm Uri reforms, utility resilience and vegetation management after Hurricane Beryl, water and telecommunications oversight, staffing and transparency, and rising infrastructure and utility costs. Much of the discussion focused on housing and utility affordability, with several senators urging the nominees to keep consumer protection and public trust at the forefront. Goodwin said housing affordability and large-scale investment purchases were not within the Real Estate Commission’s direct purview, though he supported further study. Yaltman and Gleason said the PUC had increased oversight of ERCOT, improved communication and accountability with utilities, and was working on resiliency plans, rate-setting issues, and infrastructure planning while trying to avoid overburdening ratepayers. The committee first voted to favorably report nominees left pending from the May 5 agenda by a 6-0 roll call vote. After public testimony was opened and closed, the committee then voted on the nominees heard that day and favorably recommended all three to the full Senate for confirmation by a 7-0 vote. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• councils help local governments meet state requirements, and that's important to a small city like mine
• Many rural communities like mine work with the regional council to provide professional planning and
• And our regional council gives small cities like mine a seat at the table where we have a voice to talk
• But I know what your goal is, because it's the same as mine: economic development and prosperity for
• But I know what your goal is, because it's the same as mine: economic development and prosperity for

Summary: The Commerce and Tourism Committee heard and favorably reported several bills. SB 1672 removed duplicative state provisions related to labor pools; CS/SB 940 prohibited third-party sale of restaurant reservations without the restaurant’s consent; and CS/SB 1820 made changes to motor vehicle manufacturer and dealer franchise law, including disclosure of performance measures, anti-retaliation protections, and limits on franchise termination or nonrenewal. The committee also approved CS/SB 324, creating a revolving loan program to help small businesses affected by prolonged public works construction, and SB 936, which creates a recurring three-year study of the effects of AI, robotics, and automation on Florida’s workforce and economy. SB 1322, the Florida Rural Jobs Act, was amended and reported favorably to encourage private investment in rural small businesses through a state tax credit program. The committee also reported favorably on CS/SB 910, which regulates for-profit veterans’ benefit assistance services, and CS/SB 656, which extends protections from extraordinary collection actions to all bill-of-care payment actions by hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers. The committee spent substantial time on CS/SB 1264, a broad Department of Commerce agency bill. The strike-all amendment added or revised provisions on Secure Florida, the RISE venture capital tax credit program, data center tax exemptions, business development classifications, military land transfers, and other economic development matters, while also repealing regional planning councils from statute. That repeal drew extensive opposition from local officials and regional council representatives, who argued the councils are important for emergency management, grant writing, planning, and support for small and rural communities. Supporters of the amendment said the councils could continue locally without state statutory involvement. After debate, the amendment was adopted and the bill was reported favorably, though Senators Davis and Smith voted no. The committee also considered CS/SB 1238, which would tighten reemployment assistance rules by disqualifying claimants who fail to meet job-search requirements or refuse work, and by adding verification and reporting requirements. Supporters framed it as adding guardrails and preventing fraud, while opponents argued Florida’s unemployment system is already difficult to access and that the bill would add unnecessary barriers and costs. Despite opposition from labor and advocacy groups, the bill was reported favorably, with Senators Smith and Arrington voting no. Finally, the committee unanimously recommended confirmation of Alexis Yarborough and John Gilbert to the Board of Supervisors of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

Transcript Highlights:

• This first bill that I get to present is not even mine.
• PFIA restrictions, including energy, petrochemical, financial, construction, manufacturing, textile, mining
• Sorry, I didn't realize which microphone is mine. I have a few questions.
• Sorry I didn't realize which microphone is mine. Have a few questions.
• Not mine, not yours. The government is a place for everybody. That doesn't mean a restaurant.

Summary: The Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability met with a quorum present and took up two bills and one presentation. Senate Bill 108, on administrative procedures, was presented by Senator Burgess on behalf of Senator Grall. The bill would require agencies to systematically review rules over five years old, submit annual regulatory plans and reports, and take action on reviewed rules; it also would speed publication of proposed rules after new rulemaking authority and expand transparency for incorporated materials and rule histories. Americans for Prosperity appeared in support, there was no debate, and the bill was reported favorably on a roll call vote. The committee then heard a presentation from State Board of Administration Executive Director Chris Spencer on implementation of statutory investment restrictions affecting state funds. He reviewed the SBA’s structure and fiduciary duties, said the agency must maximize financial return using only pecuniary factors, and described the Protecting Florida’s Investments Act restrictions involving Northern Ireland, Cuba, Venezuela, Israel, Sudan, Iran, and China. He noted recent changes, including expanded Iran restrictions after the October 7 attacks, the addition of China-related divestment requirements, and the SBA’s move to eliminate China and Hong Kong from its global equity benchmarks; he said the agency is ahead of schedule on required divestment and in compliance with the law. Senate Bill 100, on display of flags by governmental entities, was then presented by Chair Fine. The bill would prohibit political flags on government buildings and allow active-duty service members and veterans to use reasonable force to stop flag desecration. The committee heard extensive public testimony, with supporters arguing government buildings should not display political messages and opponents raising First Amendment, vagueness, and enforcement concerns, especially regarding LGBTQ-related flags and school settings. Senators also questioned the bill’s definitions and the reasonable-force provision. After debate, the committee voted to report SB 100 favorably, with Senators Arrington and Polsky voting no and Senators Brodeur, McClain, Rodriguez, Fine, and Chair DeSiglie voting yes. At the end of the meeting, Senator Rodriguez was recorded as voting yes on SB 108, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• mentioned and I really can't avoid this, and that is because directly affected friends and family of mine
• , and that is the shuttering of the coal power plant and the coal mine in San Juan County.
• Between the mine and the power plant and then the direct daily subcontractors.
• crippled the Central Consolidated School District that, along with the other power plant and coal mine
• For families like mine, the current cost would just be prohibitive for us, so we strongly support this

Transcript Highlights:

• And this would go to their abandoned mine lands contractual services line.
• allow for the acceptance of these federal funds that would come from the Federal Office of Surface Mining
• Reclamation and Enforcement, and the funds would be used to reclaim abandoned mine lands in North Dakota
• allow for the acceptance of these federal funds that would come from the Federal Office of Surface Mining
• But I was just curious, have you done any in-depth or data-mined any on those issues, valuations?

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Michael Sadd, I want to mention that New Bedford, a good friend of mine. We lost them.
• Freddie Klis, mayor of New Bedford, was a good friend of mine. The Norwood Hospital is unique.
• Michael Sadd, I want to mention that New Bedford, good friend of mine.
• We lost them, Freddie KLIS, mayor of New Bedford, was a good friend of mine.
• Mayor of New Bedford, was a good friend of mine. The Knowwood Hospital is unique.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee first heard testimony on H. 3599, a bill concerning access to historic Indian lands and easements for landlocked tribal parcels in Massachusetts. Witnesses, including members of the Mashpee Wampanoag and Herring Pond communities, said the bill would restore access to family lands that have long been treated as landlocked and had been denied easements by necessity in prior court rulings. They described heavy tax burdens, prior litigation, and support from the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, with conditional support from the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe pending language changes. Committee members asked about the tax assessments and the status of tribal support, and the chair said the committee would follow up on possible amendments. The committee then took up S. 2922, which would authorize an underground easement at Magazine Beach in Cambridge for the Greater Cambridge Energy Project. Eversource representatives said the easement is needed for a transmission line connecting the Brighton and Kendall Square substations, supporting grid reliability and the Commonwealth’s clean energy transition. They said DCR would receive fair market value and replacement land in Wendell to satisfy Article 97 requirements. No objections were raised, and the panel’s testimony concluded without a vote recorded in the transcript. Most of the hearing focused on H. 5047, which would authorize the Commonwealth to take the Norwood Hospital site by eminent domain so the hospital can be restored. Sponsors, local officials, hospital task force members, EMS and fire representatives, a chamber of commerce leader, and a former hospital administrator all argued that the 2020 flood and Steward’s bankruptcy left the region without adequate care, causing longer ambulance transports, emergency room boarding, staffing strain, and economic losses. They said the site remains a partially completed shell, that the state should be able to acquire it and bring in a nonprofit operator, and that the taking would not require state funding because an operator would pay the acquisition costs. Committee members from both chambers expressed support and asked about costs, timing, infrastructure, and whether a nonprofit operator is being pursued. The chair took the bill under advisement after extensive testimony; no vote was taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• He's a constituent of mine from St. Marys. Denver is a veteran who served in the U.S.
• The Committee on Energy, Industry, and Mining moved to amend the bill.
• for the Senate is the adoption of the amendment offered by the Committee on Energy, Industry, and Mining
• The Committee on Energy, Industry and Mining moved to amend the title of the bill.
• President, in your gallery is a very good friend of mine and the senator from Lincoln County.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, journal approval, and a long series of guest introductions, including honorary pages, veterans, child care advocates, and other visitors. The chamber then took up Senate Resolution 63 designating March 13, 2026, as Veterans Visibility Day. Senators spoke at length about honoring everyday veterans, those who served and returned home, and families of those who did not. The resolution was adopted 33-0, with one absent vote, and the remarks of the sponsor were ordered printed in the journal appendix. The Senate also adopted Senate Resolution 64 opposing China’s misuse of U.N. Resolution 2758 and reaffirming support for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations. Members described it as an annual expression of support for Taiwan and urged the congressional delegation to stand with Taiwan. The resolution was adopted by voice vote. The chamber then passed House Bill 4007 on industrial access roads, increasing annual funding and project limits for the program, and House Bill 4010 creating an airport hangar grant pilot program funded with $75 million; both bills passed 33-0 and were made effective by the Senate. A major debate centered on House Bill 4012, which would reduce regulatory burdens on utilities and add conditions for transmission projects and PSC approvals. Supporters argued it would protect West Virginia landowners and ratepayers from subsidizing out-of-state projects, while opponents warned about federal preemption and said the bill could hinder beneficial transmission development. After amendment, the bill passed 29-5 and was made effective from passage. The Senate also passed House Bill 4025, moving certain health-related employees into the classified exempt system; House Bill 487 creating a West Virginia-Ireland Education Alliance; House Bill 4106 allowing constitutional carry for 18- to 20-year-olds; House Bill 4176 allowing youth and handicapped hunters to harvest buck deer or doe during special hunts; House Bill 4191 expanding child care support and changing reimbursement rules; House Bill 4345 requiring digitization and transfer of missing persons records to the Fusion Center; and House Bill 4418 creating a Tax Efficiency Act for voluntary electronic B&O tax filing. Most of these measures passed with strong margins, though House Bill 4106 and House Bill 4191 drew notable debate and narrower votes. The most extended and divided discussion came on House Bill 4425, which repealed the one-time high school transfer athletic eligibility protection. Supporters said the current rule had led to recruiting, competitive imbalance, and harm to smaller schools, while opponents argued it punished children and restricted parental choice, especially in academic or safety-related transfers. After extensive debate, the bill passed 31-3. The Senate then moved on to House Bill 4198 and House Bill 4245 by unanimous consent actions, and the transcript ended amid continued debate on school transfer policy and related concerns about fairness, parental authority, and student welfare.

Transcript Highlights:

• Mine turned out really well because, you know, it could have been very bad, but I do understand that
• Um mine turned out really well moments.
• Um mine turned out really well because<01:03:38.320> um because um because um um um um it<01:03
• Her uncle works with some friends of mine, and, you know, I guess, to the Senator from Marion's point
• Her uncle works with some friends of mine, and, you know, I guess, to the Senator from Marion's point

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of Deming residents and a lot of Luna County residents drive to the mines every day for work.
• order that said that the federal government would help with any impacted communities to help start mining
• They're not the big dump trucks that mines have. These are just end dump trucks.
• The mine is pretty impressive for taxes and employment, and it will bring those jobs that they're going
• Mine was not designed in phases.

Transcript Highlights:

• This has been a concern of mine for a long time. I was very happy to see this bill.
• This has been a concern of mine for a long time.
• Take me mine. As a matter of pending business, the chair lays out HB 3424.
• concerned that this bill does not safeguard Texans, especially in extremely fast-growth areas such as mine
• , by ensuring quality developments for our residents and follow through on promises made. ...as mine

Bills: SB2784, HB23, HB247, HB1533, HB2011, HB2013, HB2273, HB2421, HB2464, HB3120, HB3424, HB3575, HB3788, HB4370, HB4809, HB5057, HB5084, HB5534, HB5668, HJR34

Keywords: Somervell County, hospital district, board of directors, elections, local governance, staggered terms, third-party review, property development, local government, permits, construction inspection, regulatory authority, land development, liability, occupancy certificate, border security, tax exemption, ad valorem, real property, infrastructure

Summary: The committee heard and left pending several local government, property tax, development, and public safety measures before later voting some of them out. Senator Birdwell explained SB 2784 for the Somerville County Hospital District, which would move the board to staggered four-year terms after a transition and was requested to be held pending until the House companion could be acted on; no public testimony was offered. HB 5084 would allow local approval for fireworks sales tied to Lunar New Year celebrations, with testimony from Hutchinson County Judge Cindy Irwin emphasizing local fire risk and the need for county discretion. HB 5534 would let county commissioners post agendas electronically instead of on a physical bulletin board. HB 4370 would expand permissible projects for certain special districts to include geothermal water conveyance systems, and HB 312 would require residential child detention facilities to enter local MOUs, report health and safety information, and conduct background checks for state-funded facilities; both drew supportive testimony and were left pending. HB 5057 would give displaced solid waste providers time to wind down after a city grants an exclusive franchise, and HB 2421 would extend the life of the Save Historic Muni District to continue work on preserving Lions Municipal Golf Course; both were left pending after supportive testimony. HB 2011 would let former owners repurchase property taken by eminent domain if the acquiring entity fails to pay property taxes for two years, and the committee substitute to SB 3065 was also laid out and left pending after a technical correction to eminent-domain language. The committee then took up additional bills on development, appraisal, and local regulation, including HB 3575, HB 4809, HB 2273, HB 247/HJR 34, HB 2464, HB 3424, HB 2013, HB 5668, HB 3788, HB 1533, and HB 23, with testimony ranging from support to opposition on issues such as appraisal procedures, historic property valuation, Galveston emergency governance, border-security tax treatment, home-based businesses, chicken covenants in HOAs, municipal utility district authority, hospital authorities’ use of assets, and third-party building review. HB 23 drew the most extensive testimony, with builders, engineers, counties, and cities split over third-party plan review and inspection authority, liability, licensing, and local code enforcement; many witnesses said the House amendments created problems and the bill was left pending. In the end, the committee voted SB 2784, SB 3065, HB 5686, HB 247, HJR 34, and HB 2011 out of committee, with the first several receiving local and uncontested calendar recommendations where applicable.

Transcript Highlights:

• Or you could go to mine, which is what already does that. Yep. Okay.
• c><00:40:37.040> which<00:40:37.280> is<00:40:37.440> what Or you could go to mine
• , which is what Or you could go to mine, which is what already<00:40:38.079> does<00:40:38.240
• There may be one extra line in mine.
• There may be one extra line in mine.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee work session focused on SB 148 and competing amendments dealing with forfeiture and civil recovery in murder cases. Members compared the “Lynn” and “Burge” amendments and narrowed the remaining disputes to two issues: whether the bill should apply only to first-degree murder or also to second-degree murder and related federal offenses, and whether any civil action could be brought before criminal charges or conviction. The group concluded that the pre-conviction approach created serious practical and constitutional problems, including Fifth Amendment concerns and uncertainty over how a civil case would proceed while a criminal investigation was pending. The discussion then shifted toward limiting the bill to post-conviction remedies. Members agreed that the Department of Justice pre-charge stay language should be removed, that the bill should not try to define “victim” in a way that included the person convicted of the murder, and that the definition should be revised to mean the estate of the victim or the victim’s immediate family, excluding the convicted person. They also agreed to delete language about “after right to appeal has been exhausted,” to correct a typo on page one, and to remove a section dealing with pre-conviction probate-style procedures and third-party notice issues. The committee also discussed how to handle third parties such as insurers, publishers, and innocent purchasers. Members concluded that third parties acting in good faith should not be liable if they make payments or transfer property without notice, but if they receive notice they should not disburse funds. They noted that existing post-conviction civil recovery language already allows victims to sue within three years, making the earlier pre-conviction mechanism unnecessary. The meeting ended with the members saying they had reached a deal on the revised language and would bring the updated amendment forward for further processing.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, a very close relative of mine is on Zoom with people in Ireland and Germany and India, so going
• You know, a very close relative of mine is on Zoom with people in Ireland and Germany and India, so going
• You know, a very close relative of mine is on Zoom with people in Ireland and Germany and India, so going
• on<00:24:00.000> Zoom<00:24:00.360> with<00:24:00.600> people relative of mine
• is on Zoom with people relative of mine is on Zoom with people in<00:24:01.240> Ireland<00:24

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• A coworker and a friend of mine created a whole day dedicated to him on June 19, 2014.
• I knew the hard answer in this new existence of mine: by being worn by another little girl who needed
• I knew the hard answer in this new existence of mine: by being worn by another little girl who needed
• the hard answer in this new<00:26:47.480> existence<00:26:47.880> of<00:26:48.080> Mine
• <00:26:49.159> being<00:26:49.360> worn<00:26:49.760> by new existence of Mine

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Talon has proposed to mine in Tamarack, Minnesota, a nickel mine, but it's also proposed to build a processing
• the bill had met with me and had said, oh, there's no way that this is going to help speed along mining
• But yet today when I heard testimony today, it felt like it could help speed mining along on large projects
• the bill had met with me and had said, oh, there's no way that this is going to help speed along mining
• But yet today when I heard testimony today, it felt like it could help speed mining along on large projects

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee heard extended discussion on House File 8, a bill aimed at changing Minnesota’s permitting and environmental review process. Supporters said the bill is intended to help small and medium-sized businesses and projects that face long delays, and argued that the proposal does not lower environmental standards. They described the bill as modeled in part on provisions used in other states, including a staggered permitting process and an expedited option, and said the goal is to improve transparency, reporting, and real-time public access to permit information. Members raised concerns about whether the bill could also benefit large corporations and major industrial projects, including mining and other large facilities, rather than just smaller businesses. Several lawmakers questioned the use of county-based public input, the lack of tribal consultation, and how the bill would interact with treaty rights and communities outside the affected county. Others argued that the bill could create risks by speeding permits for bad actors or by allowing larger entities to pay for expedited treatment. Testimony also referenced examples from the Minnesota Chamber’s report, with a witness disputing the claim that permitting alone drove companies out of Minnesota and saying those cases involved more complex facts. The committee first considered a motion to lay the bill on the table, but that motion failed on a 5-7 roll call. The committee then voted on a motion to re-refer House File 8, as amended, to the Labor and Workforce Development Committee. That motion passed 7-5, and the bill was sent on to that committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• a dairy guy in Wisconsin, did mine, he's a dairy guy in Wisconsin, did a<00:03:38.799> paper<
• Iowa's canary in the coal mine here.
• Iowa's canary in the coal mine here.
• Iowa's canary in the coal mine here.
• I I most of mine it actually goes beef.

Bills: HF3718

Keywords: veterinary medicine, veterinary technology, animal care, licensing, client consent, continuing education, emergency services, teletriage, 1183, house

Summary: The Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee met with quorum present, approved the March 2 minutes, and then heard a presentation on economic consolidation in agriculture from Austin Ferk, who said he was not taking additional public testimony. Ferk argued that consolidation in meat, dairy, and grain markets has squeezed farmers on both input and output prices, raised consumer prices, and reduced product quality. He used charts and examples to claim that concentrated markets lead to price gouging, that farmers now receive a historically low share of each food dollar, and that industrial production has contributed to environmental problems, especially in Iowa. Ferk focused on several large agribusiness firms, especially JBS and Cargill. He described JBS as a dominant meatpacker with a history of bribery allegations and market power across beef, pork, poultry, and leather, and said its ownership of brands can obscure who is actually selling the product. He also criticized Cargill as an opaque, privately held company with enormous influence over grain and food markets, and said the farm bill and crop insurance system have been shaped to favor overproduction of corn and soy rather than diversified farming. He argued that these policies, along with ethanol demand and export-oriented livestock production, have harmed rural communities, increased manure and nitrate pollution, and contributed to health problems. In the latter part of the presentation, Ferk discussed antitrust and policy responses, including concentration studies, a proposed packer ban that would prevent meatpackers from owning the animals they slaughter, and restrictions on slotting fees and other pay-to-play practices in grocery retail. He also referenced the failed Kroger-Albertsons merger as an example of consolidation harming local communities. No committee vote or formal action was taken on the presentation beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• They had to essentially gut rural communities like mine.
• 11:55.199> rural<01:11:55.600> communities<01:11:56.080> like<01:11:56.320> mine
• <01:11:57.199> Um, gut rural communities like mine. Um, gut rural communities like mine.
• They had to cut SNAP benefits, the biggest proportion of which comes from rural communities like mine
• Thank you, Madam Chair. ...communities like mine to urban, metro, and coastal elite cities across our

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Mine has a slightly different tweak to it, but basically, except for the little tweak, it is basically
• A business like mine can't come into these agencies as an outsider and request something like this.
• Many of the businesses like mine are too small to even be seen, but right now we’re being categorized
• Businesses like mine need room to do what we do best, and we need room to grow. sympathy things they
• are too small to even be seen but mine are too small to even be seen but right<01:08:40.839> now<

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Village of Milan, and the coal mines are at less than half capacity as of now.
• Uranium mines went away.
• But again, I don't want to touch too much on jobs; jobs are a concern of mine.
• But again, I don't want to touch too much on jobs; jobs are a concern of mine.
• But on the other question of, I don't know. ...or a concern of mine, I know we've talked a lot about

Bills: SB100

Keywords: burglary, aggravated burglary, dwelling, criminal law, property rights, 996, all