Video & Transcript Research : 'Japan relations'

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MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House State Government Finance and Policy Committee 2/27/25

State Government Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • This bill, House File 412, what I refer to as the boots on the ground, is related to our educators.
  • <00:32:10.039> to as the boots on the ground is related to as the boots on the ground is related
  • I've had another legislator that seemed more concerned about the pay related to this bill if that's a
  • I've had another legislator that seemed more concerned about the pay related to this bill if that's a
  • about the pay related to this bill<00:47:45.520> if<00:47:45.720> that's<00:47:45.839>
Bills: HF550, HF412, HF796, HF140
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

ECD Public Hearing - Fri Feb 13, 2026 @ 8:30 AM HST

Economic Development & Technology

Transcript Highlights:
  • This is related to hearing aids. This is related to hearing aids.
  • Next measure is HB 2474 relating to international relations.
  • > relations.
  • <01:13:52.320> Um, relating to international relations.
  • Um, relating to international relations.
Summary: The committee opened with HB 1813 on taxation and HB 2429 on tax expenditure evaluation, taking mostly written testimony and limited oral discussion. On HB 2429, the Tax Foundation and Department of Taxation raised privacy and federal-law concerns, warning that the bill could require taxpayers to file duplicative returns and could risk disclosure of federal tax information if released publicly. Members and witnesses discussed using anonymized or summary reporting instead of individual public release, with the department saying summarized data would be preferable and that the state can ask for the information as a policy matter, but individual public release could create problems. The committee then heard HB 2423 HD1 on biodiesel, where Pacific Biodiesel said it can supply all biodiesel needed for B5 in Hawaii without imports and asked to move the implementation date earlier to November 2027 to allow rollout planning. HB 1996 HB1 on hearing aids drew broad support; a disability access representative said earlier insurance-based efforts had run into administrative problems and that this bill would immediately lower costs for consumers. HB 1851 HD1, also related to hearing aids, received support from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, while the Tax Foundation argued the program would be better funded directly rather than through the tax system, citing overhead costs and blank provisions that should be filled in before passage. On HB 2546, the research activities tax credit, HCDC said the credit supports long-term R&D and should be converted from a first-come, first-served system to proration so more applicants receive some benefit; the agency described the credit as helping companies move from idea to commercialization and noted the state is leaving potential jobs and federal dollars on the table. HB 2028 HD1, relating to Labor Day for construction workers, drew support from labor representatives who said it recognizes construction workers and helps offset cost-of-living pressures, while the Tax Foundation opposed it as an industry-specific subsidy and flagged technical issues with undefined terms and blank credit amounts. The committee also heard HB 2583, HB 2490, HB 2545, HB 2114, and HB 1859 HD1. HB 2490, concerning coastal erosion at Mokuhiki Bay, received strong support from a temple representative who described severe shoreline loss, years of temporary emergency work, and the need for a long-term, nature-based solution in coordination with state agencies. HB 2545, involving HCDC and SBIR commercialization, was supported as a way to turn R&D into economic development; HCDC said it had more applications than it could fund and that the bill could help create high-wage jobs. HB 2114, the Hawaii Benefits Hub, received comments from ETS and DHS emphasizing support for the concept but cautioning that operational, policy, cybersecurity, and data-sharing standards must be carefully aligned. HB 1859 HD1 on workforce development drew strong support from workforce and philanthropic groups, who said Hawaii faces a long-term gap between projected living-wage jobs and the number of young people entering the workforce, and argued the bill would create durable infrastructure for coordination and long-term planning. No formal votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.
WY

Wyoming 2026 Regular Session

Senate Judiciary Committee, February 12, 2026

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • The next one relates to judicial stays.
  • Chairman, the next one uh is related Mr.
  • Specifically, issues related to due process and the 100-mile rule.
  • 06.720> due Specifically, issues related to due Specifically, issues related to due process<00
  • Issue number one was related to the language around off the permitted premises.
Bills: SF0045, SF0058, SF0067
HI
Transcript Highlights:
  • general public relating to wage theft. general public relating to wage theft.
  • This appropriates relating to grants.
  • Moving on to HB 2116 relating to grants.
  • Moving on to HB 2116 relating to grants.
  • <01:26:01.199> to to the previous amendment relating to to the previous amendment relating
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Border Security May 15th, 2025

Border Security

Transcript Highlights:
  • This is evident by Governor Abbott's previous agreements with the individual Mexican states in 2022 related
Bills: HCR98, HB180
Summary: The Senate Committee on Border Security met with a quorum present and first took up HCR 98, a resolution urging Congress to improve coordination among federal, state, and local authorities on counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) technology for border security. The author and sponsor described increasing drone activity along the border, saying unauthorized drones are used to track agents, identify weaknesses, and smuggle contraband, and argued for clearer procedures to detect, identify, and neutralize such aircraft. There was no public testimony, and the committee voted 4-0 to report HCR 98 favorably to the full Senate; the resolution was also ordered for local and uncontested calendar placement without objection. The committee then heard HB 180, sponsored by Chairman Birdwell, which would authorize the governor to coordinate directly with Mexican officials and individual Mexican states on border security agreements and appoint representatives to implement them. Birdwell said the bill would codify prior border-security cooperation efforts, improve responses to cross-border challenges such as drug and human trafficking, and include a finding that entrants from foreign countries must use a legal port of entry. No questions were asked, and there was no invited or public testimony. After the hearing, the committee left HB 180 pending. The meeting concluded with no further business and the committee standing in recess subject to the call of the chair.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Economic Development May 12th, 2025

Economic Development

Summary: The Senate Economic Development Committee met without a quorum, so no votes or formal actions were taken. The chair laid out several bills and resolutions for explanation and public testimony, with each item left pending subject to the call of the chair. Early items included House Bill 1240, a cleanup measure to create a single uniform definition of the Texas-Mexico border region across state law, and House Bill 2768, which would establish an IT apprenticeship credential through junior colleges and technical institutions to help fill state government technology jobs. The committee also heard House Concurrent Resolution 90, which would encourage establishing a Texas trade and investment office in Jerusalem. Testimony on the resolution was sharply divided: one witness opposed it on foreign policy and values grounds, while a Texas Association of Business representative strongly supported it, citing Israel’s innovation and trade potential. Another major item was House Bill 4187, a committee substitute for legislation affecting the Texas Historical Commission; the sponsor described changes expanding use of trust fund money for historic sites, allowing more affiliated nonprofits, clarifying retail operations, and creating a framework for training and consistent interpretation at historic sites. A Texas Historical Commission witness explained that the bill would shift responsibility for maintaining many state-owned historical markers and monuments, including markers on private land, to the commission. Additional measures included House Bill 2788, which would shield Texas Workforce Commission fraud-prevention methods from public information requests; House Bill 5032, directing state agencies to plan for public display of the Texas Declaration of Independence, Texas Constitution, and the Victory or Death letter at the Capitol Complex; House Bill 3146, which would eliminate outdated memoranda-of-understanding requirements for certain State Office of Administrative Hearings arrangements; and House Bill 4815, a cleanup bill modernizing economic development statutes, revising the Made in Texas standard to 51% Texas-origin content, repealing the Governor’s Broadband Development Council, and making other conforming changes. The committee ended by recessing, with members indicating they would likely vote on pending business later when a quorum was available.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

Senate Floor Session 04-21-2026 12:00pm

Hawaii Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Senate Bill 3022 House Draft<00:07:15.000> 1<00:07:15.200> relating<00:07:15.560> to
  • c><00:07:54.240> House<00:07:54.440> Draft<00:07:54.760> 2<00:07:54.880> relating
  • Senate Bill 3102 House Draft 2 relating Senate Bill 3102 House Draft 2 relating to<00:07:55.400>
  • c><00:08:44.400> House<00:08:44.640> Draft<00:08:44.960> 2<00:08:45.120> relating
  • Senate Bill 3144 House Draft 2 relating Senate Bill 3144 House Draft 2 relating to<00:08:45.600>
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

02/11/2026 - Senate Education

Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • My name is Lupe Castro and I serve as the Governmental Relations Associate at the Arizona School Board
Summary: The Senate Education Committee heard a presentation from Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne focused on school safety, academic improvement, career and technical education, ESA oversight, and teacher pay. Horne argued that students cannot learn without safe schools and urged more funding for school police officers, citing threats and violent incidents. He also highlighted Project Momentum, tutoring, attendance, classroom phone restrictions, the Student Industry Partnership, expanded ESA participation, and his call to use Proposition 123 land trust funds for direct teacher raises. In response to a question, he said the department is using AI tools, residency checks, and investigators to reduce ESA fraud and abuse. The committee then considered SB 1074, which would require written certification from a principal or administrator before a student removed for discipline could return to class. Horne and the sponsor said the bill would support teachers and hold administrators accountable, while opponents from the Arizona Education Association argued it was redundant, could undermine administrator judgment and FERPA-protected information, and would not address the root causes of classroom disruption. The bill passed 4-3. The committee also heard SB 1327, as amended by a strike-everything amendment requiring Arizona public universities to adopt and report on research security policies to protect against foreign adversary threats and preserve federal funding eligibility. Support came from the sponsor, State Armor, and the Arizona Board of Regents, and the amended bill passed 5-2. Members next approved SB 1475, which bars students convicted of, or admitting to, certain serious offenses from participating in school-sponsored interscholastic activities, with some discussion about rehabilitation, school discretion, and whether a readmittance process should exist. Supporters said the measure was needed for accountability and uniformity after a particularly egregious case; opponents warned it could remove an important rehabilitative outlet. The bill passed 4-3. The committee then advanced SB 1582 and SB 1583, both related to school safety interoperability funding and technical corrections; SB 1582 passed 4-2, and SB 1583, as amended, passed 4-2. Finally, SB 1598, which appropriates $500,000 for school and community gardens, passed unanimously 5-0 after testimony that gardens serve as hands-on learning spaces and supportive environments for students.
AL

Alabama 2026 1st Special Session

Alabama House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee Apr 1st, 2026

Public Safety and Homeland Security

Transcript Highlights:
  • Birmingham and other communities<00:54:18.319> as<00:54:18.559> it<00:54:18.800> relates
  • ><00:54:19.119> to<00:54:19.839> uh<00:54:20.079> salaries communities as it relates
  • to uh salaries communities as it relates to uh salaries and<00:54:20.720> benefits<00:54:21.119
  • So I certainly empathize with your mother, and it's something we want to work with you on as it relates
  • to what we can do you on as it relates to what we can do collaboratively.<00:55:19.359> Even<
HI
Transcript Highlights:
  • <00:44:16.600> to<00:44:16.720> invasive<00:44:17.080> species, uh relating
  • Starting off with SB 2941 relating to disposable body boards.
  • SB 2712 relating to hemp, establishing the Hawaii Hemp Fiber Special Fund, establishing a Hemp Paper
  • Uh SB 2576, Uh SB 2576, uh uh uh relating<01:05:54.240> to<01:05:54.360> trespass, relating
  • We are on Senate Bill 2320, relating to agriculture.
Bills: SB2706, SB2320
Summary: The committees first heard SB 2371, which would prioritize lease offers on agrivoltaics parcels for beginning farmers, require annual compliance reports to DAB, authorize penalties for noncompliance, and allow solar facilities on certain agricultural lands. DAB, the State Energy Office, PUC, and Hawaii Farm Bureau generally supported the intent, while OPPSD recommended amendments to preserve agricultural lease affordability and strengthen food-production language. Members questioned whether the bill would meaningfully encourage solar on ag lands, whether beginning farmers would have enough information to use such parcels, and how the bill would interact with Land Use Commission review. The Farm Bureau said agrivoltaics remains challenging and largely in pilot form, and noted the Mililani project as a promising example of dual use. The committees voted to pass SB 2371 with amendments, with one member expressing a preference that it be opened to all farmers rather than only beginning farmers. The next measure, SB 2800, appropriates funds to DAB, DLNR, and ADC for acquisition, repair, and maintenance of irrigation systems. All testifying agencies and the Farm Bureau supported the bill, and members pressed them for estimates of needed funding and the condition of existing systems. DAB cited major repair needs, including Waimea, Molokai, Kahuku, and Kawailoa, and said its backlog could total roughly $65 million; ADC estimated about $35 million for several systems; and DLNR said its current needs for three systems were about $35 million, with the largest cost tied to piping in Kekaha. The committees amended the bill to defer its effective date to July 1, 2050 and to blank out the appropriation amounts in the bill text, with the agencies’ requested amounts to be included in the committee report for consideration. SB 2800 then passed in AEN, Water and Land, and EIG. The final measure discussed was SB 2718, a food hub pilot program beginning in 2028 that would require state departments and UH to source 30% of certain food purchases from local agricultural products, create a nutrition- and ʻāina-based school program, and have DAT partner with a regional aggregator for Native Hawaiian staple crops. DAT, DOH, the Farm Bureau, Food Plus Policy Group, HAPA, and others supported the bill’s intent, while the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation opposed it, saying it is already struggling to meet the current local procurement percentage and faces procurement and quantity barriers, especially for staple items used daily. The testimony focused on whether agencies could realistically meet the higher local purchasing target and whether smaller farms could supply the needed volumes.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

CPC Public Hearing - Thu Feb 12, 2026 @ 2:00 PM HST

Consumer Protection & Commerce

Transcript Highlights:
  • HB 2614, relating to deceptive practices.
  • relating to tobacco products. relating to tobacco products.
  • HD1 related to health. HD1 related to health.
  • is entitled relating to cesspools. is entitled relating to cesspools.
  • 1573 HD1 relating to health. 1573 HD1 relating to health.
Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 2614, which would require merchants selling cosmetics to accept returns of newer unopened goods within specified time frames and expand signage requirements for return and refund policies. DCCA’s Office of Consumer Protection strongly supported the bill, citing updated figures of 180 cosmetic complaints from 2020 to 2025, 54 still under investigation, 148 referred to class action litigation, and more than $1.3 million in consumer losses. Members questioned whether the bill was needed given the pending lawsuit and whether bad actors would comply, while the office responded that clearer signage would improve consumer awareness and could reduce complaints without limiting other remedies. No vote was taken. The committee then heard HB 1660 HD1, which would allow counties to require contractors to disclose wage, benefit, hour, and employment-status information and to deny, revoke, or suspend permits for certain labor-law violations. DLIR, the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters, Operating Engineers Local 3, and Pacific Resource Partnership testified in support, arguing the measure would help deter cheating contractors, protect law-abiding employers, and keep bad actors from undercutting wages and taxes. One member raised concerns about possible delays to affordable housing projects and whether owners should be held responsible for contractors’ misconduct; supporters replied that compliance is a minimum standard, that county action would be discretionary rather than automatic, and that the bill would not bar counties from working with affordable housing developers. No action was reported. Finally, the committee took up HB 1704, adopting the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact to allow telepsychology and temporary in-person practice across state lines. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the State Health Planning and Development Agency, the Hawaii State Association of Counties, and the Hawaii Association of Health Plans supported the measure, saying it would help fill major staffing gaps, especially for forensic evaluations and services in rural and neighbor-island communities. The Board of Psychology raised concerns about the compact’s scope, the need for a study focused specifically on psychologists, background-check requirements, possible loss of regulatory authority and revenue, and the need to update older statutory provisions. Hawaii Association for Justice opposed the immunity language in the compact, and Shawn Scanlon opposed the bill, arguing it could weaken cultural responsiveness and local control and suggesting the state instead improve temporary licensing and other in-state pathways. The committee also questioned the Department of Corrections about its vacancies and whether telehealth could be filled by local providers; no vote was taken in the excerpt.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Ethics and Elections Jan 13th, 2026

Ethics and Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • Thank you for allowing me to present Senate Bill 414, use of campaign funds for campaign-related child
  • This bill will allow campaign funds to be used for campaign-related child care, which is already allowed
  • As it relates to politics.
  • And, you know, as it relates to certainly political violence, and I mentioned this in my opening remarks
  • And, you know, as it relates to certainly political violence, and I mentioned this in my opening remarks
Summary: The committee met with a quorum and considered several election- and ethics-related bills. Senate Bill 572 by Senator Harrell, which would update ethics statutes so the definition of “relative” includes foster parents and foster children, received supportive testimony from the Commission on Ethics and passed unanimously. Senate Bill 414 by Senator Bracy Davis, allowing campaign funds to be used for campaign-related child care expenses, was presented as a way to reduce barriers to public service but was temporarily postponed after the sponsor said it lacked the votes to advance. Senate Bill 500 by Senator Avila would require FDLE protective security details for major-party nominees for governor, lieutenant governor, and cabinet offices from nomination through assumption of office; members questioned the scope, definitions of major and minor parties, and whether taxpayers should bear the cost, and the bill was reported favorably on a divided vote. Senate Bill 620 by Senator Mayfield would require candidates for federal, state, county, district, judicial, and school board offices to disclose any non-U.S. citizenship or dual citizenship; testimony opposed the bill as stigmatizing dual citizens, but it was reported favorably. The committee also approved CS for SB 92 by Chair Gaetz, which creates whistleblower-style protections for public employees who file ethics complaints based on firsthand knowledge and face retaliation, with support from the Commission on Ethics. In addition, the committee unanimously approved a block of gubernatorial appointments and then passed Senate Bill 564 by Senator Yarborough, allowing registered or pre-registered high school students to volunteer at polling places for community service hours; members discussed whether the bill would create new volunteer opportunities and whether the term “community service hours” needed clarification. The meeting ended with adjournment.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Commerce May 18th, 2026

Commerce

Transcript Highlights:
  • reporting requirements, to provide for enforcement, to provide for civil penalties, and to provide for related
  • to provide for exemptions, to provide for terms and conditions and definitions, and to provide for related
  • Amendments 13 and 14 would change a prohibition relating to all software used in critical infrastructure
  • And related to that, there are changes about companies that have ties to Venezuela that operate here
  • The other thing the International Code Council has just done in relation to the energy code, because