Transcript Highlights:

• So, first of all, just thank you.
• That type of treatment toward California's first people was something that the first legislature of the
• With the First Amendment.
• First and foremost, I do want to say that the bill that I introduced, you know, was in my first year.
• First and foremost, I do want to say that the bill that I introduced, you know, was in my first year.

Summary: The committee heard several bills, with testimony largely in support and some opposition on a few measures. AB 458 would direct the Department of General Services, in consultation with the Department of Justice, to develop model procurement guidelines for state purchases of firearms, ammunition, and accessories so agencies avoid vendors that violate gun laws; law enforcement and San Francisco representatives supported it, and members discussed adding oversight and vetting. AB 1729 would update state telework policy by requiring written telework plans for return-to-office decisions and restoring public reporting on telework savings; supporters cited cost savings, productivity, climate benefits, and worker flexibility, while the author clarified it would not alter collective bargaining under the Dills Act. AB 1754 would require post-completion reporting on bond-funded programs’ goals and outcomes; supporters framed it as a transparency and accountability measure, while counties and water agencies opposed it unless amended, warning of added bureaucracy, delays, and litigation risk. AB 1841 would create a paid state holiday recognizing California Native American Day, and AB 2115 would issue a formal legislative apology to California’s first peoples and install a commemorative plaque at the Capitol; both drew strong tribal and labor support and broad committee praise, with members emphasizing education, historical acknowledgment, and healing. AB 2211 would allow craft distillers to operate a satellite room and use certain alcohol modifiers on premises, and AB 1991 would authorize wineries, breweries, and craft distilleries to conduct sensory tastings for research with guardrails; both had industry support, with AB 1991 drawing one opposition voice from Alcohol Justice. AB 1578 would require elected officials to take anti-hate speech training as part of existing sexual harassment training; it drew sharp First Amendment objections from opponents and mixed committee views, but the motion to send it to Appropriations passed on a recorded vote. The committee also heard AB 1807, which would bar state-owned property from being used for federal immigration enforcement operations; the author and supporters argued it would protect communities and prevent state complicity in federal actions.

Transcript Highlights:

• So first of all, just thank you.
• That type of treatment toward California's first people was something the first legislature of the state
• In 1851, California's first governor, Peter Burnett, In 1851, California's first governor, Peter Burnett
• With the First Amendment.
• First and foremost, I do want to say that the bill that I introduced, you know, was in my first year.

Committee: Senate Governmental Organization

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I hate going first.
• So on the first slide, it is.
• So that's your first point.
• But that's your first point.
• We had a great first day. And ladies. And thank you. We had a great first day. And ladies.

Committee: House Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs

Summary: The House Committee on Commerce met on March 11, 2026, opened with roll call and adoption of prior minutes, interim amendments, and the committee rules for the new session. Members then took up several bills, with technical amendments adopted on multiple measures before final committee action. The committee also deferred House Bill 267 because the author was absent. House Bill 853 by Representative McMakin, dealing with misleading solicitations by non-government entities, drew the most discussion. The committee adopted technical amendments and a concept amendment tying enforcement to the Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, with members and Secretary of State Nancy Landry discussing the meaning of “may” versus “shall,” the scope of “foreign” entities, and whether the bill covered mail, email, and other digital solicitations. The Secretary of State’s office supported the bill as a consumer-protection measure against deceptive government-like mailings, and the committee reported the bill favorably with amendments. House Bill 618, also by Representative McMakin, would adjust Louisiana Economic Development fees and related cost provisions. Secretary of LED gave a detailed presentation on the department’s recent restructuring, investment totals, job creation, small-business support, and the Source Louisiana platform, while members questioned fee impacts, hardship waivers, competitive effects, and how LED tracks incentives and job data. After adopting technical amendments and an amendment removing biannual inflationary adjustments, the committee reported the bill favorably with amendments. House Bill 207 by Representative Henry, revising the Louisiana Auctioneer’s Licensing Board’s membership, domicile, and related provisions, was amended to keep consumer members and clarify venue in East Baton Rouge Parish before being reported favorably. House Bill 300 by Representative Riser, raising the appraisal threshold for certain state bank residential loans from $250,000 to $400,000, was reported favorably after discussion of federal alignment and appraisal safeguards. House Bill 464 by Representative Riser, requiring more centralized reporting of damaged utilities through 811 and related notifications, received support from utility and 811 representatives and was also reported favorably. The committee adjourned after adopting a motion to do so.

Transcript Highlights:

• Trumbull: THE FIRST 23 IS THE FIRST TRENCH OF LIVE LOCAL.
• BUT THE BOTTOM NUMBER, THE FIRST MORTGAGE AMOUNT WE WERE ABLE TO LEVERAGE OVER $6.5 BILLION IN FIRST
• ALL OF THE FIRST MORTGAGE LOANS WE MAKE ARE FULLY UNDERWRITTEN.
• WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF HOMEOWNERSHIP OR WITHIN THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF HOMEOWNERSHIP?
• THAT'S WHEN WE ISSUE BONDS TO HELP FINANCE FIRST MORTGAGES.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> and they should be allowed the first and they should be allowed the first opportunity<00:07:30.400
• </c><00:07:38.960><c> referred</c> Senate that the bill is first referred Senate that the bill is first
• </c> Committee first. Committee first.
• </c> would take the bill to Commerce first would take the bill to Commerce first and<00:08:14.600><c>
• This institution gave me less rights than I had at my first job with my first baby.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The Rules and Administration Committee met on March 19, 2026, to consider the referral path for Senate File 4139, the sports betting bill, rather than the substance of the proposal. Senator Franzen, the bill’s chief author, asked that the bill be referred first to the Commerce Committee, saying he had discussed the matter with the relevant committee chairs and that Commerce was the best place to address the bill’s consumer protection provisions. He emphasized that any final path to passage would still require the bill to go through State and Local Government as well. Senator Rasmusson objected and argued the bill should go first to State and Local Government, citing Senate jurisdiction rules, which he said assign gambling bills to that committee. He noted that prior sports betting bills had been referred there first and said a predictable referral process is important. Senator Maye Quade, Senator Dibble, Senator Bar, and Senator Jasinski also supported sending the bill to State and Local Government first, arguing that the committee has primary jurisdiction over gambling and that the bill’s consumer protection language does not change that basic referral. Senator Champion and Senator Miller supported the Commerce referral, saying authors may request an initial committee and that the bill’s consumer protection sections fit Commerce jurisdiction. Senator Marty moved to re-refer Senate File 4139 to the Committee on State and Local Government. Before the vote, members continued debating whether the bill’s structure and prior referral history justified Commerce or whether committee jurisdiction rules required State and Local Government first. The transcript ends with the motion pending and no final vote or disposition shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• First reading of the bill. Bill be advanced.
• First reading of the bill. Bill be advanced.
• First reading of the bill. Bill be advanced.
• First reading of the bill. Bill be advanced.
• First reading of the bill. The bill will be advanced.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate first suspended Rule 54 to allow guests on the floor, then took up and adopted Senate Resolution 65. The resolution recognized West Virginia as a global hub for critical mineral processing and encouraged lawful private-sector dialogue and commercial engagement between West Virginia businesses and rare earth/critical mineral institutions abroad, beginning with institutions in Somalia. The sponsor emphasized that the measure was nonbinding and intended to open conversation about minerals, processing, and advanced materials, and the resolution was adopted by voice vote. The chamber then recessed briefly to receive and introduce a visiting delegation from Somalia, including the deputy prime minister, ministers of petroleum/mineral resources and commerce/industry, parliamentary leadership, and diplomatic representatives, along with other guests involved in the visit. After the recess, the Senate received several Finance Committee reports and advanced multiple House bills on first reading: HB 4004 creating the Recharge West Virginia program; HB 4006 creating the West Virginia Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing Growth Act; HB 2009 creating the Portable Benefit Account Act; HB 5412, the Future Ready Education Act; HB 5453 modifying the school aid funding formula; and HB 5510 removing the acreage/location requirement for private wedding venues. Each bill was reported as amended by Finance and taken up immediately without objection. During remarks, a senator from Randolph spoke about the death of Riley Wingfield in a side-by-side accident and praised students and administrators at Buckhannon-Upshur High School and Tucker County High School for wearing orange and black in solidarity with grieving Elkins High School students. The remarks were ordered placed in the Journal appendix. The Senate then announced adjournment until the next day at 10 a.m., with the Rules Committee scheduled to meet at 9:45 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> and Local Government Committee first. and Local Government Committee first.
• Well, there are first 10 pages.
• Well, there are first 10 pages.
• </c> bill referral on the first reading. bill referral on the first reading.
• </c><00:26:49.360><c> the</c><00:26:49.760><c> first</c> it's referred to the first the first it's referred

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But we already have our first panel here.
• So the first recommendation in the report really...
• And this was one of my first babies. So it's a really important one.
• So you had your first, but even before you were.
• That draft outline only covered the first 100 days of HDFC.

Committee: House Housing and Community Development

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And the first order of business, we'll call the roll.
• I know the first Wednesday, Thursday of the session that first week it's kind of there isn't a whole
• I know the first Wednesday, Thursday of the session that first week it's kind of there isn't a whole
• And because it's the first one, you know, it's been very challenging.
• And because it's the first one, you know, it's been very challenging.

Committee: Joint Legislative Procedure and Arrangements Committee

Summary: The committee met to organize upcoming legislative session arrangements and staffing, and to review several rule and security-related items. It first approved a Joint Rule 211 change, recommended by the Employee Benefits Committee, that clarifies the deadline and statutory references for introducing health insurance mandate bills so required cost-benefit materials can be completed in time. Members noted the change would streamline the process, though it would not solve all timing and mandate-determination issues. The committee then discussed a draft bill on confidentiality protections for certain public officials and candidates, but members raised concerns about the statute’s complexity, the practical difficulty of administering it, and whether it would meaningfully improve safety; no action was taken and the topic was set aside for further discussion. The committee received an update on the new NCSL Legislator Security Fund. Staff explained that North Dakota is in process to apply for grant funding that could reimburse up to about $200 per legislator for personal security-related expenses such as home cameras, locks, lighting, or monitoring services, with reimbursement handled through Legislative Council and subject to Emergency Commission approval. Members asked about eligible expenses, timing, and whether new legislators would be included, and staff said the program would likely cover current legislators only for this round. The committee also approved the 2027 joint session schedule for the State of the State, tribal-state message, and State of the Judiciary on January 5, with the tribal and judiciary addresses in the morning and the governor’s address later in the day. The committee next approved the statutory reporting schedule for the Commerce Commissioner and agricultural commodity groups, setting the Commerce report for January 13, 2027, and the agriculture reports and pesticide container disposal update for January 14, 2027. Members questioned the usefulness of some of these recurring reports, but agreed to follow the existing statutory requirements. The largest discussion centered on Legislative Council staffing for the 2027 session: the committee approved reducing session staff to 36 Senate and 41 House employees, eliminating procedural clerk positions in standing committees in favor of permanent policy analysts, while retaining quality assurance clerks and adding a House parking lot attendant. It also approved a 3% salary increase for those staff positions, matching the increase given to state employees. Finally, the committee reviewed a revised organizational session and new legislator training agenda. Staff proposed moving some orientation content into a separate pre-session training day for new legislators on November 30, including laptop setup, mock committee and floor sessions, parliamentary procedure, and HR/benefits training, while adding more security and budgeting instruction. Members strongly supported earlier and more practical training, including follow-up reinforcement during the first week of session, and suggested using experienced or term-limited former legislators as mentors. Staff also described efforts to expand training materials into podcasts, flowcharts, and other formats, and Legislative Council leadership outlined the office’s remaining vacancies and a proposed expansion of policy analysts, program evaluators, legal staff, and training support to better serve the legislature and improve oversight of state programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• week of the session or the first two weeks.
• So then those two first weeks are pretty light.
• January 28th would be the first...
• January 28th would be the first resolution deadline.
• It doesn't have to go to that joint committee again first.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee first discussed security and member contact procedures, with several members emphasizing the need for formal security training at the start of each session and clearer procedures for knowing where legislators are staying during session for welfare checks and emergency contact. Members also raised concerns about the disclosure of home addresses in other public records and forms, and Legislative Council was asked to prepare a background memo on possible training, best practices, and related legislative or rule changes. The committee then took up a bill draft to reduce the number of paper copies of state publications sent to the State Library from eight to two. Legislative Council explained the cost savings and the move toward digital distribution, but the State Librarian testified that the library still needs paper copies for circulation, archives, and depository libraries, and requested a minimum of three copies. After discussion, the committee amended the draft to require three copies instead of two and passed the motion. The committee also approved a related House and Senate Rules amendment reducing the number of bound journals distributed, and a separate rule change removing the requirement that legislators’ home addresses be printed in the rule book and allowing a lower print run based on request and need. The committee next reviewed data on bill pre-filing and legislative workload. After hearing testimony that agency bills tend to arrive in a late-year rush and that staff workload is especially heavy around organizational session and the holidays, the committee voted to move the agency pre-filing deadline to the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. It also amended the deadline for constitutional amendments and study resolutions, moving them earlier so they would occur before crossover, and adjusted the reporting deadline accordingly. Members discussed whether these changes should be handled in special session or organizational session, and staff explained that the agency deadline change could be made effective for the next regular session through a permanent rules change. Finally, the committee reviewed proposed special session rules. Staff explained that the special session would use joint appropriations and joint policy committees, with expedited bill processing, limited bill introduction routes, and remote participation allowed for members and public testimony with approval. The committee also resolved a House appropriations membership issue by keeping the House side at 23 members and giving the House majority leader authority to appoint a replacement for the vacant seat, while increasing the Senate dollar threshold to match the House. Members then discussed the upcoming rural health special session process, including how the interim rural health group would differ from the actual special session committees, the timing of committee work and the governor’s address, and whether remote participation would be permitted in the special session.

Transcript Highlights:

• First, we must strive for transparency.
• But first let me note that insurance payments are the first source of compensation after wildfires.
• So we wanted to include in the first part of the first pathway... ...include in the first pathway a focus
• Now, that's sort of the first part of accountability, but it's only the first part.
• The report includes under the first pathway and under strategy 1,000. report includes under the first

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy held a hearing on the California Earthquake Authority’s SB 254 report and broader options for reforming California’s utility wildfire recovery system. The chair framed the discussion around the Palisades and Eaton fires, the scale of wildfire-related costs on utility bills, and the need to weigh trade-offs among survivors, ratepayers, utilities, insurers, and taxpayers. The first panel featured wildfire survivors William Abrams and Joy Chen, who described long delays in compensation, housing insecurity, and what they viewed as a system that protects utility shareholders more than victims. They urged greater transparency, clearer accountability for utility spending and safety performance, faster and fuller compensation for survivors, and reforms such as independent audits and better alignment of utility incentives with wildfire prevention and restitution. The second panel began with Tom Welsh of the California Earthquake Authority, who explained that the SB 254 report was intended as a broad inventory of policy pathways rather than recommendations. He described the report’s process, including stakeholder submissions, workstreams, and a convergence process, and outlined the current wildfire fund structure: utilities remain liable, the fund reimburses eligible claims after a covered wildfire, and the CPUC later determines prudency and possible reimbursement back to the fund. RAND’s Lloyd Dixon summarized compensation data, saying utilities paid about $38 billion between 2017 and 2024, with major shares going to injured parties, insurers, and public entities, while litigation costs and survivors’ own losses remain substantial. He noted that legal fees and delays reduce the amount survivors ultimately receive. Utility and public-interest witnesses offered differing views on the report’s pathways. PG&E’s Tyson Smith said the report shows inaction is the worst outcome and argued for community wildfire risk reduction, equitable allocation of catastrophe costs, and state-led resilience tools. LADWP’s Fernando Valero emphasized the vulnerability of municipal utilities and cities, and supported inverse condemnation reform, a state-sponsored liability insurance framework, damages and subrogation limits, and stronger insurance access. Consumer Attorneys of California’s John Fisk argued that IOU-caused fires are not natural disasters but the result of negligence and sometimes criminal conduct, and opposed reducing utility liability while supporting stronger oversight and audits. The Public Advocates Office’s Nathaniel Skinner focused on affordability, saying ratepayers already bear large and growing wildfire costs and warning against shifting more costs onto bills without measurable risk reduction and tighter accountability. Committee members then began questioning witnesses about what counts as measurable mitigation, how to define full and fair compensation, and how any fast-pay process should work.

Transcript Highlights:

• First, public comment is welcome in person.
• First, we must strive for transparency.
• But first, let me note that insurance payments are the first source of compensation after wildfires.
• So we wanted to include in the first part of the first pathway... ...include in the first pathway a focus
• Now, that’s sort of the first part of accountability, but it’s only the first part.

Committee: House Utilities and Energy

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Who is first? I appreciate that. Okay. Who was first to speak? First to speak, Mr.
• First, the demand is real and growing.
• So bifurcation is contrary to the First Amendment.
• First Amendment stands for.
• He exercised his First Amendment rights.

Committee: House Government

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:02:32.480><c> Our</c> first loan being deployed in 2021.
• And we've had two defaults since deploying our first loan in 2021.
• Is it your first time requesting dollars from our general fund? >> Mr.
• The first time we received 300,000 and that money has been deployed.
• Is it your first time requesting dollars from our general fund? >> Mr.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Representative Pendigraph first time. Representative Pendigraph first time.
• </c> others for their first time? others for their first time?
• </c> Harshman for your first time. Harshman for your first time.
• their first time?
• </c> &gt;&gt; First reading of the bill. &gt;&gt; First reading of the bill.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Since then, we've opened our first facility, a build center in Los Lunas, and have hired our first 14
• Our first project will create...
• Our first project will create...
• The first of which is dual credit.
• So we were working from the first day they enter our classroom to the first day they enter their job.

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This was first adopted in Washington in 2004, but the first primary with this system was not until 2008
• So I will be the first testifier. So I will be the first testifier.
• Let voters come first, let the country come first, let a functioning democracy come first, not the fantasy
• Sorry, I didn't hear the first half of that.
• All right, I'm just—we try and get everybody's first round first, and I want to follow up on a couple

Bills: H5001

Committee: Joint Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions

Keywords: election day registration, voter registration, proof of residency, provisional ballot, party affiliation

Summary: The Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions held a public hearing on Initiative Petition 25-12, H.503, an act to implement all-party state primaries. Committee leaders explained the Article 48 process and said the hearing was part of the Legislature’s review before any measure could advance toward the 2026 ballot. The hearing format included subject-matter experts, proponents, opponents, and public testimony, though this excerpt mainly covers the expert and proponent panels. The first expert, Northeastern University political scientist Costas Panagopoulos, described top-two primaries used in states such as California, Washington, Alaska, Louisiana, and Nebraska, and said the research shows only modest or mixed effects. He argued that top-two systems do not reliably reduce polarization, can weaken party gatekeeping, may increase campaign spending and incumbent advantages, and can lead to undervoting when voters do not see a preferred candidate on the ballot. In response to questions, he said turnout effects are mixed and not substantially higher overall. Katie King of the National Conference of State Legislatures then outlined different primary systems, including closed, open, top-two/top-four, nonpartisan, all-comers, and blanket primaries, and reviewed Supreme Court cases holding blanket primaries unconstitutional while upholding Washington’s top-two system. She also noted that changing primary systems would require significant voter education and administrative preparation. The proponent panel, led by Danielle Allen of the Coalition for Healthy Democracy, argued that Massachusetts has too many uncontested elections, low primary participation, and too little accountability, and that all-party primaries would give every voter a meaningful choice in a higher-turnout general election. Supporters said the proposal is tailored to Massachusetts, would keep party endorsements visible on the ballot, and could broaden competition, improve representation, and help independent and minor-party candidates. Jim Henderson, coalition counsel, said the bill is narrowly focused on state-level primaries and was drafted to fit Article 48 requirements. Other proponents, including Kevin Johnson, Kate Kavanaugh, and Spencer Reynolds, echoed that the current system overrepresents a small partisan electorate and that the reform would shift power to voters. Committee members pressed the proponents on turnout evidence, party endorsements, ballot access, the role of fusion-style cross-endorsements, the effect on polarization, and whether the change would actually improve representation or simply move party influence to an earlier stage. No votes or final committee action were taken in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's 23.4 million in the first year and 43 million in the second year.
• It's 23.4 million in the first year and 43 million in the second year.
• The first year is just half-year salary.
• </c><00:14:29.120><c> first</c><00:14:29.360><c> year</c><00:14:29.759><c> and</c> 500,000 in the first
• first year and 500,000 in the first first year and 524,000<00:14:31.120><c> in</c><00:14:31.480><c>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I hate going first.
• So on the first slide, It is.
• So that's your first point.
• It's the first day, my first day on the job. Green card from Mandy Mitchell, LED, in favor.
• We had a great first day. And ladies. and thank you. We had a great first day. And ladies.

Bills: HB207 , HB267 , HB300 , HB464 , HB618 , HB853

Committee: House Commerce

Keywords: Louisiana Auctioneers Licensing Board, auctioneer licensing, professional licensing board, board membership, gubernatorial appointments, consumer members, public at large, Public Service Commission district, East Baton Rouge Parish, venue, domicile, licensure requirements, licensed auctioneer, occupational licensing, state board governance, Act 138, home inspectors, licensing, term limits, Louisiana State Board

Transcript Highlights:

• I'll do two things first.
• </c> fund Greater Minnesota first fund Greater Minnesota first commissioner<00:41:13.800><c> ho</c><00
• I'm the CEO of First District.
• I'm the CEO of First District.
• </c> why I'm here before you today is first why I'm here before you today is first we<01:14:44.679><c

Bills: HF919 , HF1192 , HF212 , HF214

Committee: House Capital Investment

Keywords: wastewater, infrastructure, funding, Litchfield, economic development, environmental compliance, Hastings, water treatment, PFAS, nitrates, bonds, capital investment, public health, HF212, Round Lake-Brewster, Independent School District No. 2907, school construction, school building, sales tax exemption, use tax exemption