Transcript Highlights:

• areas of the country do not have local access to all the aggregate, cement, and cement and asphalt binder
• It's hard to imagine, but 20 to 30% of aggregate oil asphalt binder, cement binder for concrete comes
• And a lot of those asphalt . . . asphalt plants use binder from Canada.
• Some even use binder from South Korea.

Keywords: Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act, IIJA, bipartisan infrastructure, funding flexibility, NEPA, environmental reviews, bureaucratic delays, federal funding, infrastructure investment

Summary: The committee meeting focused on the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act, discussing the ongoing implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Chairman Capito highlighted the bipartisan nature of the legislation and the necessity of refining existing provisions to ensure effective delivery of transportation projects. Notable emphasis was placed on the need for flexibility in funding to address inflation impacts and delays caused by bureaucratic hurdles, especially relating to environmental reviews under NEPA. Witnesses from state transportation agencies provided valuable insights into real-world challenges faced in project execution, ultimately underscoring the importance of continuous federal support for infrastructure development. The discussion also touched on the broader implications of federal funding freezes by the previous administration, which have reportedly hindered several ongoing and planned projects. This issue raised significant concern among committee members, who urged the need for reliable funding and the removal of unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles that could cause delays in project implementation. The meeting concluded with a commitment from the members to work collaboratively to overcome these challenges and ensure a smooth path forward for critical infrastructure investments.

Transcript Highlights:

• But in essence what this roadmap does is it reminds us that while your binders may be very thick, we
• So I say that in part to hopefully make that giant binder in front of you feel like it actually has a
• But in essence what this roadmap does is it reminds us that while your binders may be very thick, we
• So I say that in part to hopefully make that giant binder in front of you feel like it actually has a
• <00:59:50.799> in hopefully uh make that giant binder in hopefully uh make that giant binder

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• uh<00:25:38.640> you<00:25:39.440> get<00:25:39.600> a<00:25:39.760> binder
• <00:25:40.440> and<00:25:40.600> then companies uh you get a binder and then companies
• uh you get a binder and then within<00:25:41.120> a<00:25:41.240> week<00:25:41.480>
• /c><00:25:50.240> in<00:25:50.760> and<00:25:50.880> you you have to bring a binder
• in and you you have to bring a binder in and you may<00:25:51.080> not<00:25:51.279> get

Bills: HF2601, HF2607, HF2027, HF2608

Keywords: financial institutions, insurance regulation, insurance holding company, group capital calculation, liquidity stress test, NAIC, National Association of Insurance Commissioners, insurer solvency, affiliate transactions, groupwide supervision, internationally active insurance group, lead state commissioner, policyholder protection, hazardous financial condition, deposit or bond, contract for deed, conventional loan, cooperative apartment loan, mortgage interest rate cap, average prime offer rate

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, these are all behind Tab 1 of your binders.
• This is a list of all the guiding documents and where to find them in your binder, and we will be going
• Again, these are all behind tab one of your binders. the guiding documents.
• Again, these are all behind tab one of your binders.
• This is a list of all the guiding documents and where to find them in your binder, and we will be going

Summary: The meeting began with approval of the prior minutes and then shifted to an update from Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva and Deputy Commissioner Stacey Smith on early childhood education, especially the state-funded Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) program. They said Arkansas had received a federal Preschool Development Grant and described ABC as a large state program with about 23,800 funded slots and roughly $114 million in annual appropriations. Department officials said they are reviewing slot allocations because about 1,000 seats are funded but unfilled, while more than 2,000 families are on waiting lists, and they plan to reduce or reallocate slots from providers that have not filled them over several years. They also said they are examining whether income thresholds, curriculum expectations, daily rates, and summer programming should be updated, and members raised concerns about access, local control, transportation, and whether the program should better align with K-12 choice and school readiness goals. The committee agreed to form an early childhood subcommittee and asked the Bureau of Legislative Research to help gather historical data and other information for future discussion. The committee then received a legal presentation from BLR attorney Taylor Lloyd on the constitutional and statutory framework for education adequacy in Arkansas. She reviewed the Dupree and Lake View cases, explaining that the state must maintain a general, suitable, and efficient system of free public schools, and that adequacy and equity are distinct but related concepts. She emphasized that the General Assembly is responsible for defining adequacy, studying whether the system meets that standard, and reacting to the evidence, while the courts ultimately decide constitutional compliance. Lloyd also explained the current adequacy definition, the role of the matrix as a funding tool rather than a spending mandate, and the distinction between unrestricted foundation funding and restricted categorical funding. BLR’s Elizabeth Bynum followed with a historical overview of how Arkansas responded to the court cases and developed the current adequacy process. She traced major legislative actions from the 1980s through the Lake View litigation, including the creation of funding formulas, categorical aid, isolated funding, declining enrollment funding, and the 2003-2004 adequacy study that led to the Continuing Adequacy Evaluation Act and the matrix used to set foundation funding. She also described later changes to the adequacy statute, the financial reporting requirements for districts, and the ongoing use of surveys, stakeholder testimony, and consultant studies in the biennial adequacy process. Members asked questions about whether private or homeschool programs could use public funds for expenses like utilities, whether stakeholders should include those groups, the difference between average daily membership and attendance, and whether school board members are surveyed; staff said those issues would need further research or were outside the scope of the presenters’ role.

Transcript Highlights:

• Do you guys have something in Europe like a three-ring binder that says when you get to this level of
• You're out like a three-ring binder that says when you get to this level of employment, you're going
• And yes, it's all written in binders. Everybody gets training when they reach those levels.

Summary: The committee first approved the prior meeting minutes and then heard audit reports from Mr. Bullington. Four reports without findings were filed without objection. The Department of Human Services FY24 report contained three findings: suspected fraud involving disaster food assistance and Medicaid benefits by employees, a delayed notification of a forged and cashed state warrant for nearly $610,000, and several fixed-asset and sales-tax errors. DHS officials said they had referred the benefit fraud cases to prosecutors, recovered some restitution, and would change internal procedures so accounts payable staff report such incidents directly to the chief fiscal officer. Committee members questioned the missing assets, the warrant delay, and the tax issue, and the report was deferred to the next meeting so DHS could return with written policy changes. The Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism FY24 report had two findings: the loss of nearly $3,500 in museum receipts, believed to be theft at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, and issues with change funds at Daisy State Park and War Memorial Stadium. Agency officials said they had implemented new controls, including a point-of-sale and reservation system for museum rentals and more frequent reconciliation of change funds. Members asked about the criminal case, the statute of limitations, bond board reimbursement, and whether the employee’s final paycheck could be withheld. Mr. Bullington later reported that the prosecutor’s office said the Parks and Tourism investigation remained open and that additional information had been requested from the agency. The committee then deferred that report as well, and adjourned after setting the next meeting for February 12, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Before we proceed, we've realized here that in our binders, we were passed out the Senate Finance Committee
• I realized there was something in the amendment that didn't match a date I saw in my binder, and Representative
• So in our binder, the Senate Finance Committee substitute for the Senate Tax Business and Transportation
• In our binder, we have 233921-4. Is that accurate? what was available online.
• Chair, we need to stop and get a printed version for our binders of the 0-5 version because the amendments

Bills: SB240

Keywords: capital outlay, capital projects, severance tax bonds, general fund appropriations, supplemental severance tax bonds, UNM School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, infrastructure, state buildings, courts, schools, higher education, road improvements, water and wastewater, tribal infrastructure, tribal projects, public safety, housing, emergency services, bonding

Transcript Highlights:

• The binder is this... ...denying service animal users access to places of public accommodation does not
• The binder is this...
• The binder is just thick, about six inches, guys, for those who can't see it, of case law and responses
• The binder is just thick.
• Aside from the six-inch binder of case law you received from Uber, did you ever receive an apology or

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing opened with the co-chairs introducing House and Senate members and explaining the hybrid format, three-minute testimony guidance, and the deadline for written testimony. The committee then heard extensive testimony on S. 2665, which would require employers to post notice to employees when an I-9 audit or similar federal immigration inspection is underway. Supporters, including immigration attorneys, a pediatrician, a labor leader, and an affected family member, argued the bill would protect privacy, give workers time to gather documents and consult counsel, and reduce fear and wrongful arrests. One witness from Illinois described a similar law there and said it had not caused the problems employers feared, while others said recent ICE enforcement has made notice especially important. The committee also heard testimony on S. 1360, a bill affecting collective bargaining rights for State Police, with the State Police Association arguing that a statutory gap lets departmental rules override their contract and that the bill would restore intended bargaining protections. A separate labor bill, S. 1305, was also briefly supported by the AFL-CIO as part of broader worker-classification protections for app-based delivery drivers. A large portion of the hearing focused on H. 2066, which would impose fines on transportation network drivers who refuse rides to people with disabilities using service animals. Testimony from blind and disabled riders, service dog users, advocates, and the Disability Law Center described repeated ride cancellations, drivers pulling away after seeing a service animal, and the difficulty of enforcing existing anti-discrimination laws through MCAD or other agencies. Witnesses said the current system leaves riders without practical recourse because drivers are hard to identify and complaints can take years, and they argued that fines on individual drivers would create a real deterrent. Several witnesses also described the impact on employment, medical appointments, and daily independence. Committee members asked about service-animal verification, whether refusals are ever appropriate, and whether penalties should target drivers or companies; witnesses said legitimate refusals are limited to misbehaving or unsafe animals and that companies already have policies and some training, but enforcement remains weak. The committee also heard from a witness supporting a related bill on rideshare accessibility and from advocates describing broader transportation discrimination issues. One witness discussed a separate proposal to study service-animal denial, and others noted that Uber’s self-identification feature and company policies have not solved the problem. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the meeting ended after the final witnesses on the service-animal bill and a brief organizational discussion about related legislation and committee business.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> The baby binder. >> She calls it the baby binder. >> Chair Jordan, I should have asked if you needed
• Prior apologies. >> It used to be three binders. >> [laughter] >> Glad you're able to whittle it down
• >> The<00:26:30.960> baby<00:26:31.013> [laughter]<00:26:31.320> binder.
• >> The baby [laughter] binder. >> The baby [laughter] binder.
• >> It used to be three binders. >> It used to be three binders.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• There's different binders. There's different ways those medicines are made and regulated.
• There's<00:12:04.399> different<00:12:04.640> binders.
• <00:12:05.279> There's There's different binders. There's There's different binders.
• >> The binders that are in the inactive ingredients are going to be your biggest, right?
• The binder in an animal or horse medicine may be completely different.

Bills: HB161, HB146, HB289, HB290, HB31, HB146, HB289, HB290, HB31

Keywords: consumer protection, app store, age verification, parental consent, data protection, minors, HB146, ivermectin, pharmacist, standing order, prescription drug, non-patient-specific order, dispensing, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, licensed health care provider, pharmacy board, medical licensure, disciplinary action, drug access

Transcript Highlights:

• And you got your tabbed binder. So, um, I don't have one.
• <00:48:30.000> I'm have these big thick binders here.
• I'm have these big thick binders here.
• So, the first page what's in the binder.
• is going to be this inside the binder is going to be this blue<00:48:37.119> sheet.

Bills: SF0069, SF0070, SF0016, HB0078, HJ0002, HB0085, HB0086

Keywords: wastewater, stormwater, infrastructure, environmental quality, public data, data collection, funding, study, water development, irrigation, public works, agricultural supply, municipal water, grazing lands, subleasing, non-owned livestock, state lands, rental fees, agricultural policy, land management

Transcript Highlights:

• just for members, uh, we do have a reception at 5:30 at the Antigua Cosina Mexicana, uh, for in your binders
• , in the binder.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's in Tab A of your binders and looks like this.
• Does everybody have Tab A in their binders? We've got one that does it, so we'll need one extra.

Transcript Highlights:

• We further request that the Texas Ethics Commission adopt the proposed final order included in the binder
• What we did is we had Exhibit D in your binders, and it's the first one in the public packet, along with
• So with that, I would recommend the passage of what's in Exhibit E in your binder.
• You can find the original affidavit at page 496. ...of your binder or the appeal at page 477.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I had the prettiest binders, most organized binders this year.
• And I had the prettiest binders, most organized binders this year.
• prettiest binders, most organized prettiest binders, most organized binders<06:10:03.200> this
• Um, and that's binders this year.
• <06:10:57.840> and And you think you have great binders and And you think you have great binders

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For your information, in your binder there are two legislative study committee reports.
• For your information, in your binder there are two legislative study committee reports.
• For your information, in your binder there are two legislative study committee reports.
• For your information, in your binder there are two legislative study committee reports.
• back of the binder so the guide of back of the binder so the guide of report<01:36:28.960> is<

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:04:35.520> protocol<00:04:36.000> in<00:04:36.240> your<00:04:36.479> binders
• procedure and protocol in your binders procedure and protocol in your binders which<00:04:37.440
• Members should also have the text in front of them in their binders.
• <00:26:33.360> uh<00:26:33.600> committee<00:26:34.000> advisers, their binders
• . uh committee advisers, their binders. uh committee advisers, can<00:26:34.720> you<00:26:34.799

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, I made it into a binder and it filled up a whole binder.
• :28.960> it<01:02:29.119> into<01:02:29.359> a made it into a made it into a binder
• filled<01:02:31.680> up<01:02:31.839> a<01:02:32.000> whole<01:02:32.200> binder
• binder and it filled up a whole binder. binder and it filled up a whole binder.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Family Court Subcommittee of the Children and Family Law Committee convened under Chairman Mark Pearson to continue work begun by the prior special committee on the family division of circuit court. Pearson emphasized a collaborative, consensus-based approach with the judiciary and said the subcommittee would build on earlier “low-hanging fruit” reforms while tracking how prior changes are actually working. He also explained that the subcommittee would likely form smaller working groups, with informal meetings allowed so long as they stayed within open-meeting limits. The main policy focus was House Bill 652, which was retained by the committee, along with broader questions about what additional changes family court should make. Members divided the work into two broad areas: pre-trial and trial issues. Pre-trial topics included alternative dispute resolution, mediation training and supervision, counseling/therapy for litigants with issues such as PTSD, and improving materials for pro se litigants, including New Hampshire Bar forms and instructions. The committee also discussed whether to use input from prior testimony, former litigants, other states, and legislative researchers, and whether some of the work should be assigned to two-person subgroups to allow flexible research and outreach. For trial-related issues, members identified additional training for family court judges, whether judges should be dedicated solely to family court, and how to handle the overlap between civil and criminal matters, especially domestic violence and divorce cases. Representative Raymond raised concerns about courtroom recordings and whether judges’ behavior and record preservation were adequate; Aaron Kan of the court system responded that circuit court recording practices and staffing had not changed, that circuit court lacks the court monitors used in superior court, and that resource limits prevent similar staffing. Raymond also raised the cost of obtaining trial transcripts for pro se litigants; Kan explained that transcripts are produced by private vendors because the court system no longer employs court reporters, and that the fees reflect that outsourced service rather than a court-imposed markup. No votes were taken, and the meeting ended with plans to continue gathering information and assigning subtopics for further study.

Transcript Highlights:

• We further ask that the TEC adopt the proposed final order included in the binder as item F and assess
• We had exhibit D in your binders and it's the first one in the public packet in exhibit E and they do
• Um, with that, I would, uh, recommend passage of what's term, which is exhibit E in your binder.
• Uh, you can find the original affidavit at page 496 or 479 of your binder or the appeal at 477. OK.

Transcript Highlights:

• My bill binder seems to be missing something here. I'm sorry. Something here. I'm sorry.
• And this one is in the binder. authorizing the administrator of the telecommunications access system
• And this one is in the binder. Please explain amendment barcode 317-048.
• And this one is in the binder.

Summary: The committee considered and reported favorably several bills, most of them sponsored by Senator Rodriguez. CS/SB 164 on vessel accountability was presented as a measure to help law enforcement identify vessel owners, create a free long-term anchoring permit program, increase penalties for derelict vessel violations, and authorize grants for local governments in FWC’s prevention program; it passed without amendment. SB 388, dealing with FWC trust funds, was also reported favorably after Senator Berman asked whether non-game wildlife funds would support immigration enforcement; Senator Rodriguez said they would not. CS/SB 1320 was amended to recreate the Resilient Florida Trust Fund and then passed favorably. CS/CS/SB 344 modernizing the Telecommunications Access System was amended to define new terms and reduce the maximum surcharge from 25 cents to 15 cents, then reported favorably. CS/SB 86 on peer support for first responders expanded eligibility to support personnel and passed with broad support from law enforcement and related groups. The committee also took up CS/CS/SB 92, a hit-and-run accountability bill by Senator Gruters. The adopted amendment added a front license plate requirement, lowered the damage threshold from $5,000 to $2,500, and retained reporting requirements for repair shops. NFIB testified in opposition to parts of the bill, citing concerns about the lower threshold, short reporting deadlines, and potential license revocation, while supporters argued the bill would improve accountability and help solve hit-and-run cases. The bill was reported favorably after debate. The final and most contentious measure was CS/SB 56 by Senator Garcia, which would prohibit geoengineering and weather modification activities in Florida, repeal older weather-modification statutes, create a public reporting system at DEP, and impose penalties for violations. Supporters, including individuals identifying with weather-watch and anti-geoengineering concerns, argued that the bill would address public fears and environmental risks. A cloud-seeding company representative testified that cloud seeding is distinct from solar radiation management and said permitting should exist for responsible weather modification, while warning the bill could hinder beneficial precipitation enhancement. Despite skepticism from some members about the bill’s premise and scope, the committee reported it favorably. The meeting then concluded after members recorded missed votes and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• You've seen the bill in your binder. I would call it a binder...
• In your binder, you should have received an email with a copy of the bill, as well as a chart.

Bills: SB174, SB180, HB196, HB25, SB193, HB25

Keywords: business taxes, annual reports, Alabama Tax Tribunal, tax appeals, local government, media monitoring, government contracts, state agencies, local agencies, media regulations, transparency, juvenile detention, county management, legal procedures, juvenile justice, county commission, supervision, administration, emergency services, 911