Transcript Highlights:

• For those of you that haven't had GROW, it's a way for you to get inside the budget and do projects that
• It is to help state agencies that didn't get completely filled up in the budget.
• It was almost impossible to get something in the budget.
• This is your ability to play in the budget to figure out what you want and needs are and to help your
• And I hope we use the budget not as a ledger of limits but as a tool to uplift the people of New Mexico

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Requests continue to come in.
• Our request, because it's my request now, so I have to sign my name to it.
• We have a new exceptional item request, strictly for produced water.
• With all that in mind, the State Board's pending legislative appropriation request includes a request
• And that completes the agency's prepared remarks on its current activities and budget request.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Someone can make a public records request, and those records be produced in response to that request.
• Members, thank you also very much for accommodating this late request.
• So basically the process is an advertisement or a request is put forth.
• So basically the process is an advertisement or a request is put forth.
• And somebody requested those records.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and considered several bills, mostly dealing with open meetings, public records, election administration, and local government notice requirements. Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Jenkins would authorize electronic voting under the Open Meetings Law and apply retroactively to validate prior electronic votes; after brief discussion and support from the Louisiana Municipal Association, it was reported favorably. House Bill 1052 by Rep. Spell would exempt certain child advocacy center and multidisciplinary team work product, forensic interviews, and related sensitive records from public records disclosure to protect child abuse investigations; testimony from child advocacy organizations emphasized the need to prevent misuse of records and preserve court-controlled access, and the bill was reported favorably. Senate Bill 289 by Sen. Abraham, concerning confidentiality of certain university records and negotiations, was amended to clarify protections for proprietary research, donor confidentiality, and limited confidentiality for industry negotiations, then reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 218 by Sen. Talbot, allowing alternative certification programs for election officials if approved by the State Board of Election Supervisors, and Senate Bill 220, a technical correction regarding the official journal of the state, were both reported favorably. Senate Bill 161 by Sen. Seaball, repealing a requirement that certain high-salary unclassified state employees register vehicles in Louisiana, was also reported favorably after questions about its scope and purpose. The committee then took up House Bill 1193 by Rep. Sawyer, which authorizes the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to use indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity construction contracts for maintenance and emergency work. CPRA officials said the model would speed small repairs and pre-construction tasks, improve efficiency, and mirror a similar DOTD approach; an amendment narrowed the public-records language and excluded design-build contracting. Members raised concerns about public records transparency and inclusion of minority and small contractors, but the bill was reported favorably as amended. House Bill 249 by Rep. Green, a constitutional amendment creating an independent compensation commission for elected officials and tying adjustments to CPI, drew extensive debate over removing the legislature from setting salaries, the appointment structure, and whether the state could afford automatic increases. After opposition from several members and a roll-call vote, the bill failed to be reported, 6 yeas to 9 nays. Because HB 249 failed, the companion enabling bill, House Bill 248, was deferred. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 997 by Rep. Edmondson, which would let parishes, municipalities, and school boards use their own websites as an alternative to newspaper publication for public notices. Supporters from the Police Jury Association argued the bill would reduce duplicative costs, preserve all existing notice requirements, and simply add a third option alongside newspaper publication and newspaper-hosted digital publication. An amendment narrowed the bill to parishes, municipalities, and school boards, removing other political subdivisions. Members questioned transparency, enforcement, record retention, and whether the change would undermine newspapers; supporters said courts would still enforce notice requirements and that local governments already maintain the records. The bill remained under discussion at the end of the transcript, with no final action shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• essentially opening up the opportunity that if we, down the line from now, want to fund it through budget
• We are requesting a reasonable implementation period of July 1st, 2028.
• So, these requests do not change the safety standards of the bill.
• </c> We are requesting a reasonable We are requesting a reasonable implementation<00:26:06.520><c> period
• They will be responsible for their budget that they're allotted.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> to the budget bill. Oh, I'm sorry. Yes. to the budget bill. Oh, I'm sorry. Yes.
• bill because they do deal with budget items.
• bill because they do deal with budget items.
• bill because they do uh deal the budget bill because they do uh deal with<00:12:32.000><c> budget</c
• And so, uh, first and with budget items.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> request for reading a bill at length. request for reading a bill at length.
• </c> stakeholders and their requests. stakeholders and their requests.
• </c><01:38:32.120><c> last</c> through the budget last through the budget last last<01:38:34.600><c>
• ><c> approved</c><01:38:39.400><c> and</c> that budget was was approved and that budget was was approved
• that we passed 2 weeks cur in the budget that we passed 2 weeks ago?

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> &gt;&gt; You may request follow-ups. &gt;&gt; You may request follow-ups.
• Um my um request of this to hear.
• It actually appropriates it in budget.
• </c> York and we have to actually request York and we have to actually request things<03:57:52.399><c
• I'm happy for questions. board, you know, budgets are set more board, you know, budgets are set more

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:10:00.840><c> technical</c><00:10:01.360><c> changes</c> uh, budget technical changes uh, budget
• </c> the Department of Management and Budget. the Department of Management and Budget.
• </c><00:45:30.360><c> proposals</c> from uh governor's budget proposals from uh governor's budget proposals
• </c> forward through the budget process. forward through the budget process.
• We've always operated on really limited budgets.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I request the yeas and nays. The yeas and nays have been requested.
• </c> I request the yays and nays. I request the yays and nays.
• </c> The A's and A's have been requested. The A's and A's have been requested.
• We see that during the budgeting where they want to spend more than we can afford.
• </c> trillion half dollar defense budget trillion half dollar defense budget increase. increase. increase

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, May 21, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In fiscal year 2026, we have a state budget of about $9.6 billion.
• </c> committee on how to balance the budget committee on how to balance the budget along<00:06:24.160
• But there's also the budget horizon that sort of limits our scope of looking.
• But there's also the budget horizon that sort of limits our scope of looking.
• But there's also the budget horizon that sort of limits our scope of looking.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to thank Assembly Member Alvarez for requesting this audit and for raising a fundamental and timely
• And thank you so much to Senator Alvarez for requesting this audit.
• But right now I'm going to turn it over to Assembly Member Alvarez, who actually requested this audit
• The hearing today centers on the audit of the community college transfer that I requested three years
• Thank you to Senator Alvarez, who also chairs the sub-budget committee over education.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's my request. Thank you, Senator Lee. Good requests. We will reach out.
• So it becomes a big budget issue all the way around.
• I think I'm glad Senator Lee brought up the budget, Senator Lee brought up the budget because that's
• And maybe, budget.
• Never mind getting all the way to the budget, but let's, if we might respectfully request that of the

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then heard a detailed annual presentation from Dr. Thomas Arnold, chair of the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, on maternal mortality trends and review findings. He explained the committee’s structure, the de-identified review process, and the distinction between pregnancy-associated and pregnancy-related deaths. He said national maternal mortality has declined from its 2021 peak, but mental health conditions, substance use, overdose, suicide, cardiovascular disease, hemorrhage, infection, and embolism remain major causes. He emphasized that many deaths are preventable, with especially high rates among non-Hispanic Black women and in the American Indian/Alaska Native population, and noted that a large share of deaths occur after 42 days postpartum. Committee members asked about suicide, domestic abuse, pregnancy testing in unexplained deaths, and the role of home births and midwife training. Dr. Arnold said the committee is adding a caseworker, exploring post-mortem pregnancy testing in suspicious cases, and working with coroners and forensic officials; he also said home births and untrained midwifery pose safety concerns and that better public education and facility-based care are important. The committee then heard from State Fire Marshal Dr. Matt Clark on cigarette ignition propensity standards and fire prevention. He recommended updating North Dakota’s cigarette ignition legislation to the current national standard and also considering legislation requiring fast-breakaway oxygen tubing, citing fatal fires involving smoking around home oxygen. He explained that his office verifies manufacturer testing and maintains certification for cigarettes sold in the state, but does not itself conduct the testing. Members asked about implementation, cost, and whether the standards apply in tribal communities; Clark said he would follow up with cost information and additional details, and that he had not seen evidence of a major issue on tribal lands but would look further. Christine Greff of the Department of Health and Human Services presented the North Dakota Stroke System of Care report. She described the statewide network of two comprehensive stroke centers, four primary stroke centers, and 30 acute stroke-ready hospitals, along with the stroke registry and quality-improvement efforts. She reported that most strokes are ischemic, that the median stroke patient age is 71.5, and that common risk factors include hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, and diabetes. She highlighted improvements in door-to-CT, thrombolytic treatment times, dysphagia screening, EMS pre-notification, and interfacility transfer performance, and said new priorities include hemorrhagic stroke quality measures and standardized EMS stroke screening tools. Members asked about the VA hospital’s participation, and Greff said she would pursue outreach. After a break, the committee heard testimony from Taha Khan of Vertex Pharmaceuticals as part of the prior authorization study, focused on non-opioid pain treatment. He argued that prior authorization can delay access to acute pain treatment and may push patients toward opioids, especially in the critical 24- to 72-hour post-discharge window. He cited data showing that even short opioid exposure can increase the risk of long-term use and said prior authorization is often a barrier for physicians and patients. Khan recommended open access with a quantity limit rather than prior authorization, suggesting a 14-day limit supported by the product’s data and an episode-of-care approach. Members asked about dental use, payer discussions, and cost; he said the product’s wholesale acquisition cost is about $16.10 per tablet, with patient assistance available, and that he would follow up on payer and comparison-cost questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• and was left out of our budget.
• As you may or may not know, ...and was left out of our budget.
• The cost for Running Start in the biennial budget is $14 million.
• And we're talking $6 million in an $80 billion budget.
• than a drop in a bucket in the grand scheme of our entire budget.

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and courts as well, that they're... ...get by with their budgets and courts as well, that then you have
• So as you, I'm sure, recall, we made some changes on legislative public records requests that come out
• And so this was, and you can extend a current public records request.
• And so this was, and you can extend a current public records request. you can get an extension.
• This was, and you can extend a current public records request. You can get an extension on that.

Summary: The committee first approved three sets of minutes from February 4, 5, and 6, 2026. It then heard RS 329-65-C-1 from Representative Mitchell, a firearms-related proposal that would prevent counties and cities from restricting lawful carry in county buildings that contain courthouses, while still preserving restrictions in courtrooms, jails, and holding areas. Supporters said the measure would let people conduct ordinary county business without disarming, while opponents raised concerns about security costs and the burden on older courthouse facilities. The committee voted to introduce the RS and send it to the second reading calendar. The committee next considered House Bill 573 from Representative Shepard, which would expand who may teach the concealed carry training course by adding experienced NRA-certified instructors to the list of eligible instructors. Testimony from the NRA and Representative Hawkins said the bill would increase access, lower training costs, and not change constitutional carry or existing permit laws. The committee voted to send HB 573 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 510 and related RS 33245 from Representative Manwaring. The bill would protect public employees who communicate in good faith with the Legislature from retaliation and prevent agencies from imposing internal gag rules, while preserving official agency messaging and confidentiality protections. After discussion about the 15-working-day response period, the committee held HB 510 in committee and then amended the RS to change the deadline from 15 to 10 working days before introducing it and sending it to the second reading calendar. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is at the request of the county clerks association.
• And uh the next thing is that at the request of the county clerks association deletes section five in
• of the county This is at the request of the county clerks<00:04:10.959><c> association.
• Again, this was at the request of the County Clerks Association. Mr.
• </c><00:20:27.040><c> is</c> we're not really sure and our budget is we're not really sure and our budget

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Elections, Constitutional Amendments, and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee met to consider House Bill 534, an elections bill sponsored by Representative D.J. Johnson. The committee first adopted a committee substitute, and Johnson explained that the substitute removed the emergency clause, deleted provisions on craft member appointments and cast vote records, changed language on memoranda of understanding with the Department of Justice from mandatory to permissive, and removed a section on election-day procedures for voters flagged as non-citizens. He said the changes were made in response to concerns from county clerks and to improve the bill before floor consideration. Members asked about the bill’s purpose, cost, and effects. Johnson said the measure was not aimed at a widespread fraud problem but was intended to improve election security, accuracy, and fairness, and he said he had not been told it would create a significant cost increase. Questions also focused on a provision allowing certain federal officeholders to run for president or vice president while retaining their current office; Johnson said the language was meant to apply only to federal offices decided by the Electoral College and to avoid penalizing voters who elected those officials. Representative Roberts supported that provision, while Representative Gooch objected to it and said he would vote no if it remained. The committee also discussed voter-roll maintenance and whether the bill would improperly remove people whose voting rights had been restored by pardon or other legal means. Johnson said the administrative process should account for restored rights through coordination with the governor’s office and the Administrative Office of the Courts. Several members praised the Secretary of State’s work but raised concerns about the clerks’ opposition, the bill’s cost, and whether it solved a real problem. After debate, the committee voted 12-4 to pass the bill as amended by the committee substitute, then adopted a title amendment, and reported House Bill 534 favorably to the House floor.

Transcript Highlights:

• and denied one agency's request.
• The hold came with a request for the Department of State.
• The hold came with a request for the department to revise and resubmit the request for the acquisition
• The department was unable to resubmit a revised request.
• Okay, we had a request for the department. Are they here to take questions?

Summary: The Arkansas Legislative Council meeting began with approval of the December 2025 minutes and a presentation from the Bureau of Legislative Research on the December revenue report. Dr. Carlos Silva said gross collections were about $4.02 billion, up slightly from the prior year, and net available for distribution was also above last year but down modestly from the previous month because of higher-than-expected corporate income tax refunds. Members asked about corporate tax trends, tariffs, and inflation, and Silva said it was too early to call the corporate decline a trend and that tariff effects would likely show up mainly in sales tax collections. The council then adopted several subcommittee reports, including the Executive Committee Subcommittee, Administrative Rules, Hospital/Medicaid/Developmental Disabilities, Occupational Licensing Review, PEER, Review, State Insurance Program Oversight, and Personnel. The PEER report drew the most debate because of a Department of Agriculture grant tied to Perry County and Central Arkansas Water; members discussed whether removing the Perry County portion would affect the grant’s competitiveness, and the report was ultimately adopted with the item included. The Review Subcommittee also heard questions about a BDO contract for the rural health transformation program, with DFA explaining that the contractor would manage the program while state agencies would make funding decisions consistent with the state’s application. A major portion of the meeting focused on the Education Freedom Account appropriation tied to LEARNS. Senators and representatives debated whether the program helps families or diverts money from public schools, with supporters arguing it funds students and choice and opponents arguing it is costly, vulnerable to fraud, and harms public school funding. Department of Education officials said roughly 28,000 private school students and 17,500 homeschool students were participating, that EFA students must submit standardized tests annually, and that the requested $32 million was to cover existing participants. After multiple substitute motions and extended debate, the body rejected a motion to strip out the $32 million and then adopted the report and related motions. The meeting ended after routine approvals of additional agency items and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Overtime not included. >> Can we get a copy of that request to Miss Hashimoto? >> Sure. >> Okay.
• of that request to Miss<00:51:37.200><c> Hashimoto?
• You said something like, what was the request that was not funded last year? 23 million?
• You said something like, what was the request that was not funded last year? 23 million?
• </c><01:14:07.440><c> and</c> on the things that were requested and on the things that were requested

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There are pay raises in our budget that we have to pay for. We got to hire Troopers.
• There are pay raises in our budget that we have to pay for. We got to hire Troopers.
• There are pay raises in our budget that we have to pay for. We got to hire Troopers.
• </c> normal process process of requesting normal process process of requesting information<01:44:55.719
• </c><01:50:31.320><c> here</c> new service set being requested here new service set being requested here

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They actually requested an extension to that deadline due to the legislative session, as their feedback
• And they specifically, this is in the third paragraph under plaintiff's reply, they request that the
• And they actually, in that list of requests to the court to include PED, LESC staff, institutions of
• And I think that was my comment or question or request. I don't know.
• Is it from what I remember, the initial requests we have more than done that?

Transcript Highlights:

• And I brought copies of our requested amendments.
• I asked for medical help, but my request was ignored.
• Very serious impact, and potentially very serious impact to our budget, our state budget that's already
• And potentially very serious impact to our budget, our state budget that's already kind of influx.
• I'm here today to request your support of SB 934.

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on domestic violence protections, pay equity enforcement, Jewish demographic data collection, court transparency, auto glass insurance practices, pet policy disclosure for renters, and civil rights accountability for federal officers. SB 99 would require courts and law enforcement to better recognize military protective orders in domestic violence cases; supporters from the Department of Defense and military organizations said it would close jurisdictional gaps for military families, and the bill passed to Public Safety. SB 1237 would increase penalties for repeat noncompliance with California pay data reporting laws; supporters said stronger enforcement is needed to address persistent wage gaps, and the bill passed to Appropriations. SB 1387 would allow Jewish identity to be reported as an ethnic category in state demographic data; supporters said better data would improve policy and anti-discrimination efforts, while opponents argued the bill was unnecessary or divisive, and it passed to Privacy. SB 932 would require assignees filing civil actions to identify the original party in the case caption; supporters framed it as a transparency measure, and it passed to Judiciary/Appropriations on call. The committee also took up SB 98, which would regulate auto glass insurance claims by restricting assignment of benefits, requiring clearer estimates and invoices, and limiting inducements to consumers. The sponsor and NICB said the bill would curb fraud and unsafe repairs, while independent glass shops and industry groups argued it could reduce consumer choice and favor insurer-aligned networks; the bill passed to Appropriations. SB 1296 would require landlords to disclose pet policies before collecting application fees and provide refunds if nondisclosure materially affected an applicant’s decision; supporters said it would save renters time and money, while rental housing representatives objected to a provision limiting eviction based solely on failure to sign a pet addendum. The bill passed to Appropriations. Finally, SB 747, the No Kings Act, would create a California cause of action allowing people to sue federal officers for constitutional violations using standards similar to Section 1983. Senator Wiener and a witness who said he was unlawfully detained by Border Patrol argued the bill is needed because federal officers currently lack comparable accountability after the Supreme Court narrowed Bivens remedies. Law enforcement groups opposed the bill, warning that the qualified immunity language is unclear, could create a separate California standard, and might expose officers and governments to retroactive litigation; members discussed possible amendments on qualified immunity and retroactivity, and the bill was moved forward with an urgency amendment while negotiations continued.