Video & Transcript Research : 'state elections'

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AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

03/11/2026 - House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections

Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • There is no reason that an elected recorder should reach out to all the other recorders in the state
  • Many people I'm still finding don't know that the IRGC breached the Arizona Secretary of State election
  • The Strike Everything Amendment allows the Secretary of State, county headquarters, and county election
  • for IT programs in state and county elections and cites legislation as a voter's first act.
  • funding allow Secretary of States and counties to accept with funding and provide adequate election
Summary: The Committee on Federal and Military Affairs and Elections heard a lengthy presentation on an investigative referral concerning alleged voter registration anomalies in Arizona from March 2023 onward. The chair described examples involving out-of-state residents, deceased registrants, military voters, duplicate or mismatched registrations, and registrations tied to Service Arizona, ACCESS, third-party vendors, and NGOs. Members also discussed alleged mismatches between county recorder data and Secretary of State reports, possible issues with automatic voter registration, and concerns about public records compliance. At the end of the presentation, members were asked whether they wanted to sign onto a criminal referral to the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice; several declined, while others agreed, and the committee proceeded after correcting a signature-block issue. The committee then considered Senate Bill 1259, which would allow certain protected individuals to use an alternate mailing address and attest to their residential address on candidate and financial disclosure filings. After questions about residency verification and confidentiality, the bill received a do pass recommendation by a 6-1 vote. Senate Bill 1281, dealing with state land department procedures for covered federal designations and notification of land takings, was heard next; after opposition testimony from the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter, it passed 4-3. Senate Bill 1037, concerning election equipment security and internet connectivity, drew substantial debate. A Marquez strike-everything amendment that would have shifted the bill toward voting centers, ERIC participation, early voting changes, and election funding failed on a 4-3 vote. The underlying bill then failed to receive a do pass recommendation on a 3-3-1 vote. Finally, Senate Bill 1040, which would make voter registration rolls publicly accessible online and downloadable, passed 4-3 after questions about what information would remain redacted and concerns about public access to voter data.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

House and Governmental Affairs May 12th, 2026

House and Governmental Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • been a trade commission between Louisiana and Ireland that has brought a good bit of benefit to our state
  • They support it, and they have a new consul general that should be visiting our state capital within
  • They have a new consul general that should be visiting our state capital within the next week or so.
  • If a PAC fundraises or raises funds all year but doesn't decide to get involved in an election until
  • Senator Fessi attended a state dinner at a conference last summer, and the waiter spilled a glass of
Summary: The House and Governmental Affairs Committee met on May 12 with a quorum present and took up several measures. It first heard HCR 74, which would establish a Louisiana-United Kingdom Trade Commission modeled after the existing Louisiana-Ireland commission. The author said the commission would serve as an umbrella group to promote exchanges in trade, academics, financial services, economic development, and the arts, with no compensation for members. After brief questions and supportive testimony from a member familiar with the Ireland commission, the committee reported HCR 74 favorably. The committee then considered SCR 38, which repeals Joint Rule No. 7 related to the Atchafalaya Basin Program Oversight Committee. The author explained that the repeal was tied to a separate study commission on Atchafalaya Basin water quality, aimed at addressing sediment buildup, stagnant hypoxia, and harm to the fishing industry. Members discussed sediment management and water quality concerns, and the committee adopted a technical amendment to the title before reporting the resolution favorably, as amended. Finally, the committee began hearing Senate Bill 495 on campaign finance disclosures. The author described a series of changes, including raising the threshold for unitemized individual contributions to $200, adjusting when a PAC is considered to be participating in an election, extending the annual report deadline from February 28 to March 15, and allowing leadership PAC funds to cover replacement or repair of items damaged in connection with public office. The transcript cuts off during the bill presentation, so no final action on SB 495 is shown.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Elections and Ethics Apr 6th, 2026 at 03:00 pm

Elections and Ethics

Transcript Highlights:
  • It actually allows the Secretary of the State Board of Elections to use the existing stockpile of cards
  • Secretary of the State Election Board, you are recognized.
  • Chairman, and the committee on Paul Zirre, Secretary of the State Election Board.
  • Is this a request bill from the state board of elections?
  • Please, Rusty Clark, the Assistant Secretary of the State Election Board, Mr.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

House and Governmental Affairs May 6th, 2026

House and Governmental Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • It removes the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education from the list of party primary elections
  • So I think it's important for the integrity of the state, the integrity of our elected officials to have
  • the state.
  • for another election.
  • Thank you, Secretary of State. I want to close on your— Thank you, Secretary of State.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

State Affairs (Part II) Mar 31st, 2025

State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • I think you stated it right.
  • Of state of freight in this entire state.
  • other states.
  • I am an expert in state and federal courts, and by the State Office of Administrative Hearings.
  • It happens all over the state.
Summary: The Senate Committee on State Affairs convened to discuss several critical pieces of legislation including SB30 and SB38. Senator Betancourt introduced a committee substitute for SB38 which underwent a smooth adoption process, moving it favorably toward the Senate. The meeting featured a mix of invited testimonies where both proponents and opponents took the floor. One notable highlight included a testimony from Melissa Casey, who criticized the current legal state as prone to fraud and detrimental to both insurers and the public at large, contending that it inflated insurance costs across the board. The discussions delved deeply into the implications of the bills on judicial processes and potential insurance ramifications, with spirited debates surrounding issues of non-economic damages and jury rights. The atmosphere remained engaged as committee members heard varied perspectives on the bills, showcasing a robust democratic process. The meeting underscored the importance of public testimony in shaping legislation, ensuring that multiple voices were considered as the committee pressed on towards making decisions that affect the legal landscape of Texas.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • I'm an election judge.
  • officials, state or... local appointed or elected official of the governing body of a political subdivision
  • Where does a state draw?
  • Capable of doing well, the state courts are capable of deciding state cases, but giving a state court
  • You list every possible state actor: governor, lieutenant governor, statewide elected officials, school
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • The committee on state affairs will come to order.
  • This is like Texas is supposed to be a free state—a free speech state with access to information and
  • State your name, and you have two minutes to state your position on the bill. Hello, Senators.
  • Our state motto is friendship.
  • Texas Values Action is the largest state Christian law and policy organization in the state, standing
TX

Texas 89th Regular

State Affairs (Part II) May 15th, 2025

State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • state.
  • Our state motto is friendship. Our state claims to value freedom, individual liberties, yet...
  • Don't let us be known as the great state of hate, but as the greatest state.
  • I'm going to ask you to state your name.
  • I'm very excited that now that it is in Senate State Affairs, it will join 16 other states that have
Summary: The committee took up House Bill 186, which would require social media platforms to verify users are 18 or older before allowing account creation. Invited witnesses in support, including Mary Elizabeth Castle and David Dunmoyer, argued the bill would protect children from harmful algorithms, addictive design, bullying, sexual exploitation, and mental health harms, and emphasized parental rights and the idea that minors should not enter binding contracts with platforms. Committee members questioned them about how algorithms work, whether parents could realistically monitor content, and whether the bill would still allow educational use; the witnesses said the bill was narrowly aimed at harmful social media use and not educational content. Public testimony on HB 186 was largely in opposition, though several student witnesses said they supported the bill’s goals but wanted the age lowered to 16 or the bill amended to allow parental consent or joint accounts. Opponents argued the bill would be ineffective because teens could bypass age checks, would cut off access to educational tools, school communications, recruiting and NIL opportunities, and would burden free speech and privacy. Some witnesses also said social media helps teens with mental health, community, and creative or professional opportunities, while others warned the bill could disproportionately harm disabled and marginalized users. After public testimony closed, HB 186 was left pending. The committee then heard House Bill 5138, which Chairman Hughes said would respond to a court ruling limiting the Attorney General’s authority to prosecute election crimes unless invited by local prosecutors by changing the statute to require AG prosecution. Public testimony on HB 5138 was brief and opposed by at least one witness who argued it would further erode local control and expand state preemption. The bill was left pending after testimony. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 3225, a library bill aimed at keeping sexually explicit books and materials out of children’s sections in municipal libraries and requiring age verification for checkout, including digital access, with parental consent and other revisions added in the House. Supporters said the bill would protect children from explicit material and keep such content in adult sections, while opponents argued it would amount to censorship, be costly and difficult to implement, and could be used to target LGBTQ+ or other marginalized content. Library workers, parents, students, and advocates testified that existing library sections already separate age-appropriate materials and that the bill could reduce access to books, burden libraries, and infringe on parental choice and free expression.
AL

Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama House Constitution, Campaigns and Elections Committee Mar 5th, 2025

Constitution, Campaigns and Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • to the second Tuesday of... ...the second Tuesday of each election cycle.
  • to have an election a day after all of that.
  • So, the current law would place that election...
  • The current law would place that election the day after Memorial Day, but it didn't.
  • Everything's based on... ...so many days prior to the election.
Bills: HB258, HB308, HB258, HB308
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

03/18/2026 - House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections

Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • The bill further directs the Secretary of State to include in the Elections Procedures Manual procedures
  • I have 10 PCs underneath me and a whole squad of election helpers. I'm a state committeeman.
  • As we've seen, the Secretary of State has had his election systems hacked recently, ostensibly by the
  • State after state require voter ID. It's increasing in the United States.
  • The way that we do elections in our state, they are tired of being a national embarrassment where things
Summary: The committee first considered SB 1018, which would expand Arizona’s foreign law statute to expressly include Sharia law and certain foreign religious or cultural laws or customs that condone practices such as honor killings or other conduct violating criminal law. The sponsor said the bill was meant to strengthen enforcement against foreign, private, or religious adjudications that violate constitutional rights, while opponents, including the ACLU, argued it was unconstitutional, singled out Islam, and was part of a broader anti-Muslim effort. After extended debate, the committee approved SB 1018 on a 4-3 vote. The committee then heard SB 1568, requiring election systems and software clocks to be set to accurate time and verified during logic and accuracy, compatibility, and security testing. Supporters said accurate timekeeping is important for chain of custody and election integrity; county representatives opposed the bill as impractical because some equipment is not connected to the internet, batteries can drain, and different time zones in Arizona complicate compliance. The bill passed 4-3. Next, SB 1687 proposed moving primary elections to the Tuesday before Memorial Day, adjusting nomination paper filing windows, and changing the date used to calculate required petition signatures. A Marquez amendment dealing with Clean Elections timing and funding was offered but defeated. The sponsor said the bill would reduce extreme heat burdens and improve participation; county officials were neutral but noted timing changes would require broader cleanup. The committee then approved SB 1687 on a 4-3 vote. The committee also considered SB 1825, which changes how precinct committeeman vacancies are filled by giving legislative district chairs or county chairs authority depending on the situation and requiring action within 30 days. Supporters said it would streamline a slow, opaque process and improve local control; opponents warned it could concentrate power and be abused. An amendment limiting the bill to counties over 500,000 people was adopted, and the bill passed 4-1 with one present and one absent. Finally, the committee revisited SB 1037, which imposes security requirements on voting and tabulating equipment, including no internet connectivity, user logins, chain-of-custody controls, and continuous video recording at counting centers. An amendment broadened the bill to cover election management systems and tightened the no-connectivity and no-port provisions. The sponsor and amendment proponent argued the bill was needed to prevent indirect internet access and strengthen election security. The transcript cuts off before the final vote on SB 1037.
OK
Transcript Highlights:
  • And one of those times where our students Leave the state but then come back.
  • He is a track academic state champion.
  • She is the state vice president of [organization].
  • Sophie is a senior from Sayre, a state champion for choir solo, and wants to attend Northeast State University
  • These are four seniors from the state championship team.
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

03/25/2026 - House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections

Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • Chairman, members, Senate Bill 1003 requires a Secretary of State and a governing body holding an election
  • not the elected officials.
  • From all in-state individuals whose contributions do not exceed $200 rather than $100 for the given election
  • In the state of Arizona.
  • If we don't have secure elections, we don't have the state. So this is the committee.
Summary: The committee first heard a lengthy presentation and discussion focused on Arizona State University’s foreign research ties, especially collaborations and funding connected to China and Chinese military-affiliated institutions. The presenter argued that ASU and the Arizona Board of Regents had not been transparent about foreign gifts, contracts, and research partnerships, citing federal reporting forms, the Wolf Amendment, export-control concerns, and alleged links to dual-use technologies such as quantum systems, AI, robotics, microelectronics, and biosecurity. A witness from American Global Strategies testified in support, saying the bill would help protect U.S. research security and national security by imposing state-level guardrails on sensitive collaborations. After questions, the committee considered a strike-everything amendment to SB 1060 that would bar public universities from entering into or continuing certain loans, gifts, contracts, research partnerships, or sponsored projects involving the PRC, the CCP, and listed Chinese military-linked universities, require ABOR review and approval, and impose reporting and budget penalties. The amendment was withdrawn, and the committee instead took up SB 1327, which directs ABOR to require university research security policies and to report annually on those policies and on foreign contributions over $250,000; SB 1327 received a 4-2 do-pass recommendation, with Del Santos, Hernandez, and Márquez voting no and Kolodin, Powell, Keshel, and Gillette voting yes. The committee then heard SB 1803, a veterans bill regulating unrecognized persons who assist with VA disability claims. The sponsor and industry witnesses said the bill would protect veterans from bad actors by requiring disclosures, capping fees, banning certain practices, and filing service agreements with the Attorney General, while opponents argued it could restrict consumer choice, resemble a price ceiling, and still allow non-attorneys to engage in the unauthorized practice of law. After extensive debate over contingent fees, legal ethics, and whether the bill was too favorable to one company, the committee continued the hearing with additional testimony and questions.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • Kentucky is a great basketball state. Florida at its heart is a football state.
  • Uh, we have the power to do it in our states. Many states have stepped up.
  • They got to 32 states at that point by 1983. A number of those states dropped off.
  • the United States. the United States.
  • How many states does it take to state.
Summary: The joint meeting of the House Elections, Constitutional Amendments and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee and the House State Government Committee was called to consider House Concurrent Resolution 45, sponsored by Representative Jason Petri. The resolution would support calling for a federal balanced budget amendment through the Article V process. Petri argued that Kentucky’s own constitutional balanced-budget requirement shows the value of fiscal restraint, and he said decades of federal deficit spending and rising debt make a constitutional amendment necessary. Governor Ron DeSantis and Lauren Ends of the National Campaign for a Balanced Budget Amendment also testified in support, emphasizing the growth of federal debt, the risk of a future debt crisis, and the view that Congress is unlikely to solve the problem on its own. Members asked about the mechanics and risks of an Article V convention, including whether the convention’s “sole purpose” language would be enforceable and whether a convention could become a “runaway” process. DeSantis and Ends said states can impose guardrails on delegates, including criminal penalties and delegate-limitation laws, and noted that any proposed amendment would still require ratification by 38 states. They also said that if Congress chose to draft the amendment itself in response to state pressure, that would be acceptable. One witness said 18 states have passed faithful-delegate or delegate-limitation laws. Representative Callaway asked what would happen if the debt issue is not addressed. Witnesses responded that continued borrowing could lead to economic dislocation, higher interest costs, and a debt crisis that would crowd out other federal spending. They said the current debt burden is already more than $100,000 per U.S. citizen and roughly $300,000 per taxpayer, and that a balanced budget amendment would be a first step toward stopping the growth of debt before any long-term paydown could occur. The transcript provided does not show a final vote or other committee action on the resolution.
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

03/04/2026 - House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections

Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • The Secretary of State currently creates the election procedures manual, or EPM, every other year with
  • The Secretary of State currently creates the election procedures manual, or EPM, every other year with
  • There's a general rule in this state: the board of supervisors is responsible for Election Day operations
  • Election Day voting.
  • There's a general rule in this state: the board of supervisors is responsible for Election Day operations
Summary: The Committee on Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections met and took up several election- and campaign-related bills. SB 1006 would raise the threshold for itemizing in-state individual campaign contributions in committee reports from $100 to $200 and increase the aggregate reporting threshold accordingly; staff described it as a straightforward campaign finance update, and it passed 4-3. SB 1029 would treat a candidate committee as intending to terminate upon the candidate’s death and allow certain designated individuals to serve as treasurer; testimony from the Town of Queen Creek described practical problems encountered after the deaths of officeholders, and the bill passed unanimously 7-0. SB 1038 would require county election officials to transmit the cast vote record to the Secretary of State and prohibit alteration except as otherwise allowed; members debated whether CVRs are already public records and whether the bill was needed, and it passed 4-3. SB 1237 would add county recorders and the House and Senate election committee leaders to the list of officials consulted by the Secretary of State when prescribing the Elections Procedures Manual; county officials testified this would better reflect their role in early voting and other election functions, and it passed 4-3. The committee also heard SB 1057, which would require vendors providing ballot paper fraud countermeasures to meet specified ISO certifications and include at least three of ten listed security features. Staff explained the ISO standards, and members discussed whether the bill needed additional safeguards and whether it differed from a vetoed bill from the prior session. The bill passed 4-3, with some members noting they wanted amendments or had concerns about the standards and the bill’s structure. After discussing several additional measures, the chair indicated he was not comfortable moving the remaining bills without the sponsor present. Without objection, the committee held the remaining bills and adjourned.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Ways and Means Committee 4/28/25

Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:
  • Today the committee will consider what will be a merger of House File 2783, the House omnibus state government
  • budget bill, with House File 1943, omnibus elections budget bill.
  • We will take up Senate File 3045, the Senate omnibus state government and elections bill, delete the
Bills: SF3045, HF2783, HF1943
MS

Mississippi 2026 Regular Session

MS House Floor - 15 April, 2026; 1:00 PM

Mississippi House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands
  • The short title for House Bill 1653 states that Section 4 is ...
  • House Bill 1653 states that Section 4 is adopted to amend Section 28 of Chapter 549, Laws of 2023, as
  • But the good governor of the state of Mississippi vetoed these projects again—projects that had been
  • We have seen many grandmothers, grandfathers, veterans, income has dwindled down in this state.
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

01/14/2026 - Senate Judiciary and Elections

Judiciary and Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • State your name, please.
  • They're older than our state.
  • I didn't run the election.
  • through, who are on town councils in your case, are required by state law, by the Elections Procedures
  • Manual, and by state courts to certify elections.
Summary: The Judiciary and Elections Committee opened with roll call, member introductions, and a lengthy agenda item on alleged anomalies involving the State Bar of Arizona. The committee heard live testimony from a former attorney who described his disciplinary experience as retaliatory and unfair, and staff read excerpts from affidavits criticizing bar discipline procedures, notice, and due process. Members debated the State Bar’s authority, attorney discipline rules, and whether attorneys can practice while under investigation, with some arguing the bar is unaccountable and others emphasizing the Supreme Court’s oversight and existing disciplinary procedures. The committee then considered several election-related bills. SB 1037, requiring stricter security measures for vote-recording and tabulating equipment, passed 4-2-1 after members debated claims of election-system vulnerabilities and the cost of added safeguards. SB 1038, which would make cast vote records publicly available quickly after polls close, was amended to require transmission to the Secretary of State within 48 hours after canvass and then passed 4-2-1. SB 1040, expanding public online access to voter registration rolls in read-only form, also passed 4-2-1 after privacy concerns were raised and the sponsor argued for transparency. The committee next approved SB 1039, allowing attorneys who prevail in discipline matters to seek damages for reputational harm and lost earnings, despite objections that it raised separation-of-powers concerns and testimony about bar discipline procedures. SB 1053, capping Arizona resident concealed-carry permit fees at 10% of the nonresident fee, passed 4-2-1 after supporters framed it as a constitutional-rights and affordability measure and opponents raised public-safety and revenue concerns. SB 1057, requiring ballot paper fraud-countermeasure features, passed 4-2-1 after debate over cost and vendor capability. SB 1060, removing a voting exemption for U.S. citizens who have never resided in the United States, passed 3-2-2 amid concerns about unintended effects on military families. Finally, SB 1061, lowering the fentanyl threshold for enhanced sentencing from 200 grams to 9 grams, drew strong opposition from defense and civil-liberties witnesses who warned it would sweep in users and prescribed medications; the transcript ends during that testimony, before a final action is shown.
MN

Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session

House Elections Finance and Government Operations Committee 3/10/25

Elections Finance and Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:
  • for state office file with the State Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board.
  • security navigator team, which provides support to county election officials across the state; and to
  • <00:35:45.040> and election officials across the state and election officials across the state
  • go to modernize their uh election go to modernize their uh election election<00:49:19.240> security
  • election apparatus and election security election apparatus and so<00:49:22.119> thank<00:49:
Bills: HF1345, HF71, HF993, HF1943