Transcript Highlights:

• As we prepare for the May 16th election under the new closed party primary system, this is what it looks
• You know, you'd have to go parish by parish election by election.
• But, you know, you'd have to go parish by parish election by election.
• elections.
• elections and St.

Bills: HB12 , HB42 , HB205 , HB222 , HB324 , HB325 , HB350 , HB416 , HB482 , HB610 , HB749 , HB797 , HB807 , HB821 , HB979 , HB992 , HB1193

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• go into a primary election and a general election.
• Chairman, and Representative Daggerd, depends on who you elect.
• Chairman, and Representative Dagger, depends on who you elect.
• Moving to a countywide election, excuse me, moving to a countywide election while maintaining obligations
• It's very special.

Committee: House State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's something that can be done kind of in any primary care office, other than the obviously more
• of the services discussed today are elective, the way we regulate PAs affects all areas of care.
• With the expertise of my primary care doctor, Dr.
• training is elective and not widespread beyond its own specialty.
• And advanced or specialized training is elective and not widespread beyond its own specialty.

Bills: H5013 , H5087 , H5115 , S2928

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Health

Transcript Highlights:

• We're going to—we have two more people; they're virtual, and then there are some elected officials.
• We have two more people, and then we have some elected officials. I have Kelsey Forrest, who's...
• I'm testifying in support of a resolve for a foster care liability insurance special commission.
• Those six words were pivotal in me maintaining primary physical custody and valid.
• I specialize in trust and estate planning.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on the Judiciary

Summary: The Joint Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing on a wide range of state, probate, and family bills, with chairs Edwards and Day outlining strict testimony limits and accepting written testimony. Early testimony focused on H. 1911/S. 1138, which would clarify that a durable power of attorney may create a trust if that authority is expressly granted; sponsors and elder law advocates said the bill would resolve uncertainty created by the Barbetti decision and align Massachusetts with other states. A major portion of the hearing centered on S. 1102, a proposal to establish medical panels in Probate and Family Court. Supporters, including attorneys, parents, physicians, and advocates, said neutral three-doctor panels would help judges resolve disputed medical issues in guardianship and custody cases involving children, elders, and people with disabilities. Testifiers described cases where medical treatment was blocked or contested by one parent or guardian, arguing the panels would provide impartial expertise and protect vulnerable people. The committee also heard support for bills addressing disability discrimination in family court, military parents’ custody rights, and a shared parenting bill, H. 1710, which drew strong opposition from domestic violence advocates and others who said a 50-50 presumption could harm survivors and children. The committee also took testimony on several probate and court-administration measures. Senator Lovely supported a bill on nominee trust partition, and Senator Comerford and probate officials backed legislation to codify additional registry staff positions and modernize registry operations. Other bills discussed included foster care liability insurance, with providers warning that rising premiums and loss of coverage could force program closures; health care proxy storage and activation; access to decedents’ email accounts; uniform trust decanting; the Uniform Voidable Transactions Act; heirs’ property partition protections; a constitutional right to health care; alimony-related reforms; child-centered family law; and a right of disposition for funeral arrangements. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the committee repeatedly invited written testimony and follow-up questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c> State primary versus a general election, and clean that up.
• Um, so I changed it to be ballots cast for that party in the state primary election instead of ballots
• cast on the state primary election ballot, which didn't make really much sense.
• ballots</c><03:30:01.760><c> cast</c> primary election instead of ballots cast primary election instead
• 03:30:04.319><c> election</c><03:30:04.640><c> ballot</c> on the state primary election ballot on the

Committee: House Election Law

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:27:39.320><c> Assistant</c> Deputy David day my Special Assistant Deputy David day my Special
• It's also for those that may be funded by special funds or YUU fund?
• </c> those that may be funded by special those that may be funded by special funds<00:38:21.520><c> or
• </c> be funded exclusively from the special be funded exclusively from the special fund<00:43:06.400>
• </c><00:43:56.559><c> fund</c> a 25 special fund a 25 special fund Federal<00:43:59.000><c> um</c><00

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> disrupted impacting our special disrupted impacting our special education.<03:16:12.720><c> Would
• This bill expands access to primary This bill expands access to primary health<03:45:23.120><c> care<
• The amendment general election.
• </c> instead of being tied to the primary instead of being tied to the primary date,<04:51:42.798><c>
• </c> we're talking about a June primary. we're talking about a June primary.

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll now move on to the primary witnesses in opposition.
• officials can administer the election effectively and to recognize the... ...can administer the election
• In last November's statewide special election, many of these voters had logistical issues either receiving
• election, had not received their mail ballot.
• systems and public faith in the results of our elections.

Committee: House Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• I came in in a special election.
• I came in in a special election.
• Like who was the special—was it you? With the special election? Who first got special?
• special special election who Who first special special election who Who first got<00:12:36.760><c> special
• > in</c> a special and uh when I got elected in a special and uh when I got elected in the<00:12:43.240

Summary: The Public Works and Highways Committee held an orientation meeting focused on introducing members, outlining committee norms, and hearing an overview from the Department of Transportation. Chair David Mills emphasized the committee’s long-standing bipartisan working style, asked members to share contact information for short-notice scheduling, and noted that the committee would need to complete as much work as possible before the building is vacated later in the year. Members introduced themselves and described backgrounds in engineering, construction, planning, local government, military service, education, and business. Several members highlighted prior service on planning boards, school boards, zoning boards, or in transportation-related fields as relevant to the committee’s work. Members repeatedly described the committee as collegial and nonpartisan, with most bills going to the consent calendar. The chair also noted that the committee’s work centers on state infrastructure, including roads, bridges, highways, and buildings. Representative Cluder, the ranking member, and others echoed that the committee is effective because it talks issues through and resolves disagreements collaboratively. One member mentioned a recent trip that reinforced the importance of infrastructure resilience after storms and rebuilding efforts in other states. Department of Transportation officials, led by Assistant Commissioner and Chief Engineer David Rodrig, gave a detailed organizational and operational overview. They described DOT’s structure, mission of “transportation excellence,” and major responsibilities across highways, bridges, rail, transit, aeronautics, maintenance, and administration. Rodrig reported 1,651 permanent positions and 404 vacancies, 2,160 state bridges with 115 on the Red List, 4,600 centerline miles of roadway, 25 public airports, 11 transit systems, and 194 active state-owned rail lines. He also outlined FY 2024 spending, project development activity, highway maintenance operations, fleet and fuel systems, and the distinction between the highway fund and DOT’s budget, including the role of federal funds and the turnpike enterprise fund. No votes were taken and no bills were acted on during this orientation meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• elections, to provide for procedures for local government bond and tax elections, eligible dates, and
• elections shall be held only on regularly scheduled fall election dates.
• elections, to provide for local government bond and tax elections that may be held only during regularly
• scheduled primary elections.
• House Bill 534 by Representative Boyer, dates of bond and tax elections to be held during primary elections

Bills: HR46 , HR47 , HR48 , HR49 , HR50 , HR51 , HR52 , HR53 , HR54 , HR55 , HR56 , HR57 , HCR31 , HB20 , HB21 , HB166 , HB494 , HB710 , HB795 , HB985 , HB986 , HB987 , HB988 , HB989 , HB990 , HB991 , HB992 , HB993 , HB994 , HB995 , HB996 , HB997 , HB998 , HR42 , HR43 , HR44 , HR45 , HCR22 , HCR23 , HCR24 , HCR25 , HCR26 , HCR27 , HCR28 , HCR29 , HCR30 , SCR13 , HB894 , HB983 , HB984 , SB19 , SB23 , SB26 , SB30 , SB39 , SB45 , SB46 , SB50 , SB51 , SB55 , SB69 , SB71 , SB73 , SB84 , SB85 , SB89 , SB96 , SB98 , SB101 , SB110 , SB148 , SB150 , SB160 , SB164 , SB303 , SB340 , HB28 , HB36 , HB50 , HB52 , HB56 , HB62 , HB68 , HB92 , HB110 , HB117 , HB119 , HB124 , HB140 , HB147 , HB160 , HB171 , HB174 , HB182 , HB193 , HB196 , HB198 , HB203 , HB228 , HB234 , HB237 , HB260 , HB268 , HB271 , HB285 , HB289 , HB316 , HB351 , HB393 , HB400 , HB413 , HB446 , HB469 , HB486 , HB534 , HB551 , HB552 , HB574 , HB576 , HB634 , HB649 , HB677 , HB735 , HB739 , HB779 , HB784 , HB796 , HB807 , HB842 , HB850 , HB919 , HB474 , HB487 , HB503 , HB606 , HB633 , HB707 , HB720 , HB728 , HB733 , HB846 , HB852 , HB856 , HB868 , HB875 , HB129 , HB130 , HB287 , HB489 , HB545 , HB553 , HB555 , HB570 , HB854 , HB952 , HB221 , HB148 , HB331 , HB149 , HB901

Transcript Highlights:

• This includes dependent special districts, independent special districts, MSTUs, etc.
• project or special assessment in the future, for... ...and pledge it, basically, under a special project
• And this is why we have elected officials to make those decisions that we elected them for.
• our local elected officials.
• And I'm just so sick of the way we treat... ...and what our elected officials do, our local elected officials

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Summary: The Committee on Appropriations took up SJR 2-F, the proposed constitutional amendment on property tax relief, which would reduce assessment growth on non-homestead property, expand homestead exemptions, create a new exemption for new homesteaders, and direct counties, cities, and school districts to use property tax revenues for specified core services. Senator Avila presented the measure as the governor’s plan to provide historic relief and argued that local governments should tighten budgets and prioritize core functions. Senators raised concerns about the lack of fiscal scoring, the breadth and ambiguity of the permitted uses, the effect on special districts and local services, and whether the proposal would shift costs to fees or other taxes. The committee adopted several amendments, including Avila’s amendment clarifying that ad valorem revenues could be used for county and municipal operations and administration and other expenditures not prohibited by law, and Trumbull’s amendment removing school board ad valorem taxes from the proposal. Other amendments failed, including proposals to allow user fees and non-ad valorem assessments, add a sunset, redirect tourism development taxes, narrow the small-business provision, and change the ballot title to reference local service reductions. Grall’s amendment removing the constitutional trust fund requirement was adopted, while the committee also rejected Berman’s title-change amendment and Smith’s sunset and tourism-tax amendments. The committee then returned to the bill as amended for questions, including extended debate over whether the proposal would affect noncitizen residents, the impact on local government finances, and whether local governments would respond with higher fees or special assessments. The meeting ended with the bill still under discussion after the final round of questions, with Avila saying he would continue working with the governor’s office on the language before the next vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:03:29.280><c> election</c><00:03:30.159><c> that</c><00:03:30.560><c> 24</c> in the 2024 primary
• election that 24 in the 2024 primary election that 24 hours<00:03:31.360><c> notice</c><00:03:31.840
• </c> moments before an election. moments before an election.
• ><c> say</c><01:08:46.239><c> election</c><01:08:46.560><c> at</c> election, some statutes say election
• the</c> primary election cycle after the primary election cycle after the registration<01:09:29.679>

Bills: SF0028 , SF0030 , SF0031 , SF0032

Committee: Senate Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair of Election Laws.
• an election.
• state elections.
• Um, my special election was December or two, March. Thank you.
• My special election was December to March, and I found it easier to contact people because they were

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Election Laws

Summary: The House and Senate Election Laws committees held a hearing focused on campaign finance and several local election-related bills. Office of Campaign and Political Finance Director William Campbell testified in support of H. 848 and S. 515, saying the campaign finance law needs modernization and highlighting proposals for stronger Super PAC disclosure, more timely reporting, improved security for campaign participants, and other reforms. He said the bills would help update a 50-year-old system to reflect legal, economic, and cultural changes. A major portion of the hearing concerned H. 868/S. 507, which would require earlier and more frequent reporting by ballot question committees. Witnesses from Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, and others argued that ballot campaigns now involve tens of millions of dollars, much of it raised during periods with no real-time disclosure, and that moving these committees into the depository system would improve transparency without burdening grassroots signature-gathering. The committee also heard support for H. 811 and H. 812, which would allow municipalities to create citizen-funded election programs and require identifying information on political text messages, as well as S. 525/H. 875, which would bar political spending by foreign-influenced corporations. The committee also heard testimony on S. 2605, a Canton home rule petition to move town elections from April to November. Canton residents, a select board member, and a poll worker said the change would increase turnout, better align local elections with the November voting cycle, and give newly elected officials more time to prepare for town meeting. Senator Rausch also testified in support of S. 530, requiring presidential primary candidates to disclose recent tax returns. The hearing ended with no votes taken and the committee adjourning, with a note that the next hearing was tentatively scheduled for January 13.

Transcript Highlights:

• Public hearing of this Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions will come to order.
• The Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions is charged with providing a report to the legislature
• It is referred to a committee, in this case the Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions, where
• Good afternoon to Chair Friedman and Chair Paich and all the members of the Special Joint Committee.
• That is the primary reason. However, the lack of the constitutional defects...

Summary: The hearing opened with committee chairs explaining the Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions’ role under Article 48 and outlining the process for initiative petition 25-14, H5-004, an act to improve access to public records. The first panel consisted of subject-matter experts. William Clark of the National Conference of State Legislatures gave an overview of public records laws across states, noting that all states have some form of open-records law but that exemptions for legislatures vary widely. He discussed common legislative exemptions, legislative privilege, and court cases showing that outcomes often turn on specific constitutional and statutory language. Rebecca Murray, General Counsel for the Secretary of the Commonwealth, described Massachusetts public records trends, saying state agency requests and appeals have risen sharply since the 2017 law update, with 2025 setting a record for appeals. She said the initiative would extend the public records law to the General Court and the Governor’s Office and add exemptions specific to those offices, while also noting resource concerns from the growing volume of requests and appeals.

Transcript Highlights:

• special districts, which includes the water management districts, mainly because all the dependent special
• So this slide is the statewide overview of 1,125 independent special districts or other special reporting
• So you can see for the independent special districts, charges for services For the independent special
• My question relates to special districts.
• And just this year, we actually created those through elections.

Summary: The Select Committee on Property Taxes met for a listening session focused on a presentation by Amy Baker of the Joint Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research on local government revenues and expenditures. Baker reviewed statewide financial data for counties, municipalities, and independent special districts, using 2018-19 as a baseline year because it was stable and pre-COVID. She explained that counties rely heavily on taxes, with ad valorem taxes making up about 73% of county tax revenue and about 24% of total county revenues statewide, while municipalities rely more on charges for services and have a lower statewide ad valorem share of about 14.7%. She also noted wide variation across local governments, with some counties and cities highly dependent on property taxes and others using them minimally or not at all. Special districts were shown to be very different from counties and cities, with hospital-related revenues and expenditures dominating many of them, while water management districts were more reliant on ad valorem taxes and focused expenditures on the physical environment. Baker also summarized expenditure patterns: counties spent the largest share on public safety, while municipalities spent the largest share on general government services, followed by physical environment and public safety. She emphasized that local government structures vary widely and that the committee should study what characteristics are associated with greater property tax reliance. She said the next research steps would be to extend the analysis through later years, including the COVID and inflation period, and to examine institutional and legal factors that shape local fiscal structures. Members asked about unfunded mandates, fuel taxes, reserves, school taxes, millage rates, and how property taxes relate to specific services such as police and fire. Baker said the current analysis did not yet account for mandates or school taxes and that further work could examine links between revenues and expenditures, commercial versus residential tax burdens, and other factors. After the presentation, members reported back on local meetings with counties and municipalities. Several described large differences in millage rates, revenue mixes, and the impact of any property tax changes on fiscally constrained counties versus larger, wealthier ones. Concerns were raised about how local governments would replace lost revenue, especially for public safety and emergency response, and members discussed the need to consider both revenue replacement and ways to rein in spending. The co-chairs said the committee would continue gathering information, send members follow-up homework and requests for panel suggestions, and invite additional input from constituents, stakeholders, and local governments. The meeting ended with no votes or formal actions beyond adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Investigations out of the OA the special Investigations out of the OA but<00:35:19.720><c> special</
• </c> but special invest or or yeah Special but special invest or or yeah Special not<00:35:22.200><c>
• </c> from OA which would include special from OA which would include special reviews<00:35:51.400><c>
• </c> delineation that one it is a all special delineation that one it is a all special investigations
• </c> this Lally I think their primary this Lally I think their primary function<00:36:03.000><c> um</

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• This includes dependent special districts, independent special districts, MSTUs, etc.
• And this is why we have elected officials to make those decisions that we elected them for.
• And this is why we have elected officials to make those decisions that we elected them for.
• our local elected officials.
• our local elected officials.

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• Any primary witnesses in opposition to the bill?
• Any primary witnesses in opposition? Seeing none.
• Any primary witnesses in opposition of the bill?
• I'm a Special Assistant Attorney General.
• Any primary witnesses in opposition to the bill?

Committee: House Business and Professions

Transcript Highlights:

• Voters who do not receive and cannot return a runoff ballot in time in special elections can be disenfranchised
• initial election and a primary runoff election.
• I've served eight years with a primary focus on elections, so this meeting felt very familiar to me.
• But I also got elected in a special election runoff, where the turnout in the second round was equal
• During the Harris County 2022 March primary election, the ballot was so long that it required two 8 1

Bills: HB376 , HB817 , HB 1297 , HB1478 , HB1661 , HB1783

Committee: House Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• Very special to Idaho, very special to the legislature, and very special to the contributions that he
• And it's a special thing.
• And as mayor of Boise, I'll continue to do what I've always done, what I've been elected to do, elected
• What I've been elected to do, elected twice now, to stand up for all Boiseans, proudly proclaiming and
• I've been elected twice.

Committee: Senate State Affairs