Transcript Highlights:

• </c> proposal to include advanced nuclear proposal to include advanced nuclear technologies<01:48:04.560
• </c><01:53:27.360><c> plant</c> contracts with Milstone nuclear plant contracts with Milstone nuclear
• </c><01:53:54.719><c> was</c> nuclear power purchase agreement was nuclear power purchase agreement was
• I'm also very concerned too that Massachusetts, which has now included nuclear energy in its renewable
• I'm also very concerned too that Massachusetts, which has now included nuclear energy in its renewable

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> &gt;&gt; Do they know how can this be a deterrent &gt;&gt; Do they know how can this be a deterrent
• I do believe that it is a deterrent and a good tool for everybody.
• So, as it stands today, is it not a deterrent?
• &gt;&gt; is it not a deterrent? Is it not &gt;&gt; is it not a deterrent?
• But I think be a significant deterrent.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• Lastly, item four, the Texas Advanced Nuclear Reactor, Texas Nuclear Energy Fund.
• Energy Supply Chain Fund, the Texas Advanced Nuclear a report for the upcoming legislative session as

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Articles VI, VII, & VIII

Transcript Highlights:

• The funding that's requested is for livestock deterrence, compensation for livestock owners, and investments
• animal husbandry, electric fencing, livestock guardian animals, attractant management, and other deterrents
• The biggest thing that we need in the state of California is funding for non-lethal deterrence of wolves
• The non-lethal deterrence is a critical part because, of course, you would prefer to have the calf continue
• I mean, where we've gotten non-lethal deterrence out in the field effectively and early enough, we can

Summary: The subcommittee heard an overview of the May Revision from the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office, focused on resources, environmental protection, energy, and related budget issues. Finance said the May Revision keeps the budget balanced in 2026-27 and 2027-28, narrows the structural deficit, and proposes major investments in natural resources, including Proposition 4 bond funding for the Golden Gate Fields acquisition, wildlife refuge and wetland projects, Fort Ord Dunes campground operations, Healthy Rivers and Landscapes, wildfire-human coexistence, and beverage container recycling. The LAO praised stronger-than-expected revenues but argued the state still has a structural deficit and is relying too heavily on reserves, recommending more reserve deposits and fewer new discretionary expenditures. Members questioned several proposals, especially the Golden Gate Fields purchase and the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program. Agency officials said the Golden Gate Fields site is a time-limited opportunity, would be remediated by the current owner, transferred to East Bay Regional Park District after closing, and restricted to park/open-space uses rather than commercial development. On Healthy Rivers and Landscapes, Finance and the Natural Resources Agency said the $25 million request would help launch year one of the program, support scientific monitoring, and maintain commitments to environmental flows and habitat restoration; the LAO said the request was premature because the Bay-Delta plan has not yet been formally adopted and the state’s total funding commitment remains unclear. Officials also discussed water storage, subsidence, and the need for ongoing investments in aquifer recharge, aqueduct repairs, and recycling. The committee also reviewed a proposed $1 million shift for the Coexisting with Wildlife Initiative. Fish and Wildlife and the Cattlemen’s Association said the money would support limited-term staffing, deterrence tools, and livestock-loss compensation, while acknowledging the amount is modest compared with the need. Members emphasized the growing human-wildlife conflict problem and the importance of nonlethal deterrence and public education. The discussion then turned to greenhouse gas reduction fund revenues and transit; members warned that lower auction revenues and possible CARB rule changes could leave little or nothing for Tier 3 programs such as transit, clean water, and air-quality programs. Finance and the LAO said the Legislature should plan for multiple revenue scenarios and consider whether the existing cap-and-invest spending framework still matches current revenue expectations and priorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• But the higher classification in and of itself often fails to serve a deterrent effect.
• Corporate... ...fails to serve a deterrent effect. But you know who does know the law?
• This goes after the customers as a deterrent, increasing the penalties for the customers who purchase
• I believe this bill has a tremendous deterrent effect that will really help us in the enforcement of
• To answer your question, Senator, I believe the deterrent effect, you know, of those 120 people that

Summary: The Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee approved the minutes from its March 18, 2026 meeting and then took up a long agenda of bills and a clemency nomination. HB 2825, as amended, was heard first. The bill would replace criminal enforcement tools for nonpayment of fines, fees, restitution, and surcharges with a civil collection process, including a required summons and civil default procedures. Supporters said it would streamline restitution collection and reduce costs, while opponents argued it would weaken victims’ rights and remove effective enforcement leverage. The committee adopted the Rogers amendment and passed the bill 5-2. The committee also confirmed Neil McDowell to the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency by a 6-0 vote after hearing his background in corrections and his plans to help the board function efficiently. The committee then passed HB 4070, as amended, 5-2. That bill bars incorporation of corporations whose officers, directors, or trustees have been convicted of sex trafficking or human trafficking, and expands civil liability to those who facilitate trafficking. Supporters framed it as a corporate accountability tool to deter trafficking, while the ACLU opposed it as overbroad and potentially sweeping in people not intended to be covered. HB 2720, which increases penalties for paying or agreeing to pay for sexual conduct and adds a fee to support anti-trafficking services, also passed, 4-3. Supporters, including survivors and law enforcement, said it targets demand and helps victims; opponents warned it could criminalize victims and lacked sufficient safeguards. The committee heard several additional bills. HB 2047 would raise trespass penalties after eviction-related writs of restitution from third-degree to first-degree trespass; the sponsor and constables said it would improve scene safety and encourage law enforcement response. HB 2136 would create new crimes for “civil terrorism” and “subversion” and increase penalties for certain highway obstruction; the ACLU argued it would punish protest and speech critical of government. HB 2406 would make images and recordings of abused children and deceased minors confidential, limit dissemination, and impose civil and criminal penalties for misuse; supporters said it would prevent re-victimization and reduce trauma, while defense and media concerns were raised about access. HB 2415, dealing with kratom and 7-OH products, drew sharply divided testimony over whether the bill is a needed safety regulation or an overbroad ban that could push users to illicit drugs; the transcript ends before a final vote on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, to have deterrence, you've got to have some consequence, and that's what this bill simply does
• has the opportunity to choose to add that protection, which alerts her and serves as an immediate deterrent
• inmate deliberately targets an employee in this way, there are real consequences that serve as a deterrent
• And right now, there's really no deterrent to this kind of behavior.
• , and the biggest deterrent, if you really want this to work and to protect our correctional workers,

Committee: House Administration of Criminal Justice

Summary: The committee first handled housekeeping items, voluntarily deferring HB 63 and HB 622 at the authors’ requests. It then heard HB 131 on post-conviction relief, which would remove the word “inexcusably” from the PCR statute and delay bail eligibility after relief until the state’s appeals are exhausted through the Louisiana Supreme Court. The bill drew support from the Attorney General’s office and district attorneys, with opposition cards from the Southern Poverty Law Center, and it was reported favorably. HB 789, concerning seizure of off-road vehicles used unlawfully on roadways, was amended to direct forfeiture proceeds to the Attorney General when acting as district attorney ad hoc; it was then reported as amended with support from law enforcement and no opposition testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• For me, I can tell you, there was no deterrence for me when I was living my double life.
• For me, I can tell you, there was no deterrence for me when I was living my double life.
• And again, speaking from my own personal experience, deterrence is going to make a difference.
• It is an effective deterrent. Missouri would be joining Texas and Oklahoma.
• But it will be a deterrent, or it can be a deterrent, I should say.

Committee: House Children and Families

Transcript Highlights:

• I think what you have to understand is the 1970s: we had a great deterrent for mainland buyers.
• It was a deterrent.
• </c><00:32:29.799><c> had</c><00:32:29.919><c> a</c><00:32:30.120><c> great</c><00:32:30.399><c> deterrent
• </c><00:32:31.279><c> for</c> 1970s we had a great deterrent for 1970s we had a great deterrent for Mainland
• so you can't compare 70 to deterrent so you can't compare 70 to today<00:33:08.080><c> and</c><00:33

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several housing-related measures, with most witnesses supporting bills aimed at expanding affordable housing tools and financing. SB 1169, creating a Community Land Trust Equity pilot program, drew support from HHFDC and Nahal UI, which said revolving funds would help community land trusts build permanently affordable housing more efficiently. SB 1200, establishing a workforce housing regulatory sandbox within HHFDC, also received support from HHFDC and others, though HHFDC noted concerns about whether the measure could be read to preempt county permitting and zoning powers. SB 511, which would require county legislative bodies rather than HHFDC to approve certain housing project exemptions, prompted HHFDC to suggest revised language and a possible processing deadline for applications; the discussion focused on avoiding indefinite delays and clarifying county and state roles. SB 1283, creating an emergency home loan assistance revolving fund, was introduced with comments from the Department of Budget and Finance and HHFDC. SB 612, on rent-to-build equity agreements for exempt housing projects, drew support and questions about how many affected projects are rentals versus for-sale units. SB 944, extending and expanding low-income housing tax credit provisions, received support from Sugar Creek Capital, Hawaii Housing, and the Chamber of Commerce, while the Tax Foundation raised a technical concern about inconsistent use of the term “taxpayer.” HPHA-supported bills SB 1413 and SB 1412 were also heard, along with SB 1632, which would direct DBEDT to develop a comprehensive action plan for a local housing market; testimony on that measure was strongly supportive but included calls to examine constitutional and legal issues and broader market-structure concerns. The committee also began discussion of SB 1033 and noted it was closely related to SB 1131, with the chair indicating an inclination to move only one of the two similar tax proposals forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• This ratification is for the nuclear planning and response program, which was moved in July 2025 to the
• During the transition, the department continued to perform nuclear testing, but it should have been under
• This is a new contract for radiation testing and analysis at Nuclear One.
• I've seen an analysis at Nuclear One.

Committee: All JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

Transcript Highlights:

• And I would just say, you know, my background coming from the nuclear industry, that's really how we
• Coming from the nuclear industry, that's really how we function there.
• The better you performed as a facility, a nuclear power plant, the less oversight and direction you had
• You had to go up and bring up the nuclear scientist part, right?

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• I also think we’re still looking at a big nuclear facility too in the state, another Palo Verde-type
• Um, I also think, you know, we're still looking at a big nuclear facility too's in the state, another
• ’s appropriate to single out one or two specific uses in this bill—data centers and small modular nuclear
• else who has an interest in land use, and people seeking to construct data centers or small modular nuclear

Committee: House House Artificial Intelligence & Innovation Committee of Reference

Summary: The House Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Committee heard a presentation from Steven Garrison of the Cicero Institute on how Arizona state government could use AI to improve service delivery, reduce costs, and streamline procurement. He argued AI should be treated as software, with agencies proactively identifying use cases, tracking outcomes, and avoiding unnecessary agency-level regulation or new bureaucratic structures. Members questioned him about workforce impacts, privacy, agency involvement, and the balance between innovation and guardrails; he said AI would likely augment workers in the short term and create new jobs over time, while legislative oversight should focus on specific harms and gaps in law rather than broad agency rules. The committee then considered HB 2592, which directs the Arizona Department of Administration to require budget units to identify AI opportunities, reduce administrative duties, streamline procurement, and establish AI governance, while also sending emergency or temporary AI rules to the legislature for approval. An amendment added reporting requirements to the governor, legislative leaders, and Secretary of State on efficiency measures and barriers encountered. After limited testimony, including support from Jeannie Magdua of Conservative Ladies of America, the committee adopted the amendment and passed the bill as amended on a 4-2 vote, with one member absent. The final bill, HB 2452, would add data centers and small modular reactors to county comprehensive planning considerations and adjust county planning requirements for land use and energy-related development. Supporters, including Russell Smolden of the Arizona Municipal Power Users Association and Dave Morris of Americans for Prosperity Arizona, said the bill would improve long-term planning for data centers, energy infrastructure, and emerging technologies. The County Supervisors Association opposed it, arguing it improperly singled out specific uses, blurred comprehensive planning with zoning, and reduced local control. The committee passed HB 2452 on a 4-3 vote and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• get some really good information from the EPIC Commission that helps us plan where we're going with nuclear
• get some really good information from the EPIC Commission that helps us plan where we're going with nuclear
• get some really good information from the EPIC Commission that helps us plan where we're going with nuclear
• get some really good information from the EPIC Commission that helps us plan where we're going with nuclear
• With nuclear, where we're going with fossil fuels in the state of Kentucky, and I think that person that's

Committee: House Natural Resources & Energy

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, this is meant to be a deterrent.
• So, it's a layer of deterrence for those who have bad intentions to do business in our state.
• This is meant to be a deterrent.
• Yes, this is meant to be a deterrent.
• </c><04:02:14.960><c> The</c> this is meant to be a deterrent. The this is meant to be a deterrent.

Summary: The committee first took up SB 297 and a new amendment, 2462, which combined the original Senate bill with the Carson amendment and added a proposed alternative regulatory system, RSA 420R. The chair and members discussed that the amendment was intended to give the Senate what it had asked for while also creating a dual system for public entity risk pools. Members asked whether the new structure would affect ownership or governance of health trusts, and the chair explained that 420R would be a separate regulatory statute while existing 420J-style arrangements could remain in place. The committee also noted that a paragraph had been accidentally deleted from the amendment and that another amendment would be prepared to correct it, with the subcommittee recessed while that was done. Public testimony focused on School Care, represented by Executive Director Lisa Ducette, who opposed the shift to Department of Insurance oversight under 420R. She argued that public entity risk pools are not insurance companies, that they are accountable to member entities and taxpayers, and that the proposed dual regulation would add unnecessary costs through examinations, higher reserves, and additional accounting requirements. She said the change could threaten tax-exempt status and create an uneven playing field, and she urged the committee to support SB 297 with the Carson amendment instead of moving to 420R. Committee members questioned whether the amendment would actually affect pools that stayed under the Secretary of State model, and one member cited support from the New Hampshire Municipal Association for the dual system. The discussion then shifted to amendment 245 on ambulance reimbursement and contracting timelines. Members reviewed a provision giving insurers 45 days and ambulance providers 60 days in the contracting process, and one member suggested making both periods 60 days. The chair and others said the current language was intentional and part of a broader compromise aimed at ending balance billing and forcing insurers to establish reimbursement rates. Members noted that the measure was unusual and that its effects would be reviewed over the next two years, with one member saying the bill would likely be difficult to roll back later. No final vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, we need deterrence.
• :07:36.880><c> a</c><00:07:37.120><c> drug</c><00:07:37.360><c> dealer,</c> deterrence.
• So if you're a drug dealer, deterrence.
• </c> minimums do not provide a deterrence. minimums do not provide a deterrence.
• Um, so hasn't served as that deterrent.

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> mess for them uh there is no deterrent mess for them uh there is no deterrent for<00:10:33.440><
• So as far as the deterrence, I think they're very important.
• So as far as the deterrence, I think they're very important.
• So as far as the deterrence, I think they're very important.
• So as far as the deterrence, I think they're very important.

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Transcript Highlights:

• grant program, also known bird deterrent grant program, also known as<00:59:51.200><c> you</c><00:59
• </c> Producers implement real-world deterrent strategies that reduce risk at the farm level.
• Again, the bird deterrent example is one that she wanted me to convey to you.
• Again, the bird deterrent systems.
• </c><01:04:21.200><c> funding</c> support of the bird deterrent funding support of the bird deterrent

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development

Transcript Highlights:

• all-hands-on-deck approach to our energy needs in California, whether it is hydrogen, whether it is nuclear
• For repeat offenders, that's not a deterrent. That's just the cost of doing business.

Summary: The committee heard several energy, environmental, recycling, and land-use bills, beginning with SB 925 by Senator McNerney, which would direct the California Energy Commission to develop a statewide roadmap for fusion energy. Supporters said the bill would help California retain leadership in fusion research and commercialization, attract investment, and create jobs, while some members emphasized the need to avoid overregulation and keep the state competitive. No opposition testified, and the bill was later approved on a 4-0 vote and held on call. The committee also heard SB 1350, another McNerney bill, to expand the use of green hydrogen in the power sector by allowing renewable portfolio standard credit for turbines using renewable hydrogen. Supporters framed it as a way to support clean energy reliability, preserve tax credits, and create jobs, while opponents including TURN and Earthjustice warned about greenwashing, resource shuffling, and increased NOx emissions. The author and chair described committee amendments as adding guardrails, and the bill passed 4-0 and was held on call. Senator Grayson presented SB 1145, which would streamline CEQA and related review for qualifying projects in the Concord Reuse Project Area, part of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station. The bill is intended to speed a long-planned transit-oriented development with housing, commercial space, parks, and open space; supporters included local officials, labor groups, and business organizations, while a housing group raised concerns about affordable housing guarantees but still supported the CEQA exemption. The committee described the bill as balancing streamlining with retained environmental review and approved it 4-0, held on call. Senator Cabaldon’s SB 1341, dealing with CalRecycle processing fees for bag-in-a-box wine and spirits containers, also drew support from the wine industry and some environmental groups that wanted a workable recycling market, while glass packaging and other opponents objected to giving CalRecycle too much discretion; it too passed 4-0 and was held on call. The committee then heard SJR 13 by Senator Padilla, urging the U.S. to seek enforceable commitments to eliminate transboundary sewage pollution at the 2026 USMCA review. Supporters described severe public health and environmental harms from sewage and runoff in the Tijuana River and New River watersheds, especially for border and farmworker communities, and the resolution passed 4-0. Padilla’s SB 1033, requiring protein product manufacturers to test for and disclose heavy metals, drew support from consumer and public health groups citing Consumer Reports findings, while industry groups argued for narrower scope, QR-code options, and thresholds tied to health standards; the bill passed 3-0 and was held on call. Senator Ashby’s SB 1010, creating a manufacturer-funded system for refrigerant recovery from discarded appliances, was supported as a climate and enforcement measure but opposed by appliance manufacturers and recyclers who said existing law already regulates refrigerants and that the bill could raise costs and reduce recycling; it passed 4-0 and was held on call. Finally, Senator Caballero presented SB 1183, requiring a state study of the environmental, land-use, and economic impacts of industrial solar in the Central Valley. Supporters said the bill would help ensure solar development benefits local communities and farmland, while solar industry groups argued it duplicated existing work and should better reflect solar’s benefits; the bill was heard but no vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It makes my son, who's 27 and going into the Navy in a few days as a nuclear propulsion officer, the
• disturbed and even intends to die in the act, it is doubtful that the death penalty will have any deterrent
• state of mind to calculate such things, the loss of freedom for the rest of their lives is already a deterrent

Summary: The committee met and first reported favorably CS for SB 1782, which creates a new offense for dangerous excessive speeding, with support noted from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida PBA. It also reported favorably CS for SB 306, which addresses Medicaid managed care provider network access by requiring after-hours and holiday appointment availability and a minimum level of primary care participation. CS for SB 716, imposing mandatory minimum sentences for certain sexual offenses committed by registered sex offenders or predators, and CS for SB 1084, expanding protections against non-consensual dissemination of intimate images and digitally forged intimate images, were also approved. The committee then approved CS for CS for SB 1604, a corrections package that would require prepayment of court costs for certain inmate lawsuits, shorten the limitations period for confinement-condition claims, allow consecutive sentencing in some cases, and revise mental health treatment procedures in correctional settings. Members discussed constitutional concerns and access-to-courts issues, but the bill was reported favorably. CS for CS for SB 1804, which creates a capital offense for trafficking a child 12 or younger or a mentally incapacitated person for sexual exploitation, drew extensive debate and opposition from the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and Floridaans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty; despite objections about constitutionality and ethics, it was reported favorably. The committee also approved CS for SB 1838, expanding protections for court officials against tampering, harassment, and retaliation, and CS for CS for SB 890, the Emily Adkins Family Protection Act, which creates a statewide VTE registry and requires blood clot screening and training in hospitals and care facilities. Members and public witnesses spoke in strong support of the blood clot bill, including family members and survivors. Finally, the committee reported favorably CS for SB 1252, directing FDLE to study a statewide pawn data database, CS for SB 468, increasing penalties for fleeing or eluding law enforcement and allowing vehicle impoundment, CS for SB 490, expanding off-duty concealed carry eligibility for correctional officers and correctional probation officers, and CS for SB 572, the Pam Rock Act on dangerous dogs, which was amended to refine enclosure, confiscation, euthanasia, and insurance requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• THERE IS NO EFFECTIVE DETERRENT IN THE CURRENT STATUTORY FRAMEWORK TO STOP THE CRIMINALS FROM CONTINUING
• THE ONLY EFFECTIVE DETERRENT I HAVE SEEN WORKING AT THE GAMING CONTROL COMMISSION IS THE HARD WORK FRANKLY
• GOVERNOR'S BUDGET WE WOULD GET THIS IN ORDER AND INCREASING PENALTIES I THINK WOULD SERVE AS A BETTER DETERRENT

Transcript Highlights:

• Party does... does things like cancelling the Keystone pipeline, like stopping the development of nuclear
• Finally, this act strengthens our nuclear deterrence, prioritizes the Golden Dome, and grows... ...prioritizes

Bills: HR1399 , HCR108 , HR1398

Keywords: HCR108, H. Con. Res. 108, War Powers Resolution, Lebanon, Lebanese Armed Forces, U.S. Armed Forces, hostilities, military withdrawal, troop removal, concurrent resolution, Congressional war powers, executive war powers, foreign policy, Middle East, diplomatic facilities, security cooperation, cease hostilities, military engagement, war authorization, non-authorization of force