Transcript Highlights:

• You're recognized to close it close.
• Representative Chaney, you're recognized to close. >> Thank you.
• So with that, I close, I ask for your favorable support. >> Representative Chaney having closed on NOLA
• And with that I close.
• You're recognized close wave close.

Transcript Highlights:

• We apologize if the closed captioning does not accurately transcribe the names.
• Eric A,<01:01:44.240><c> Hawaii</c><01:01:44.559><c> Primary</c><01:01:44.960><c> Care</c><01:01:45.200
• ><c> Association</c> A, Hawaii Primary Care Association A, Hawaii Primary Care Association support.<01

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Health, Human Services, and Higher Education hearing took up HB 441 HD2, a measure to increase cigarette taxes and dedicate the revenue to the University of Hawaii Cancer Center. The Department of Taxation said it had no substantive objection but requested an effective date of January 1, 2026 if tax rates change so it can order new stamps. The Department of Health, the Deputy Attorney General/tobacco enforcement, the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, the Hawaii Public Health Institute, the American Cancer Society, the Hawaii Medical Association, and several other health organizations and youth advocates supported the bill, arguing that higher cigarette prices reduce youth initiation, encourage cessation, and help fund cancer research and care. Several supporters asked for a larger increase, including at least $1 per pack, while opponents from retail, wholesale, and tobacco-related groups argued the tax would be regressive, burden low-income smokers, and drive sales to the illicit market. The Tax Foundation and other opponents also criticized reliance on sin taxes and said smoking rates are already at historic lows. After testimony and questions, members discussed how the revenue should be used and whether higher taxes change smoker behavior or push people toward vaping or other alternatives. The chairs announced they would pass HB 441 HD2 with amendments, replacing the contents with SB 528 SD1 except for changes reflecting the Department of Taxation’s request and a provision directing all proceeds from the tax increase to the Hawaii Cancer Center’s debt reduction, with an effective date of December 31, 2025. The House Health, Human Services, and Higher Education committees then voted to adopt the recommendation; the Health, Human Services committee vote was adopted with Chair and several members voting aye and one member voting no in the Higher Education committee vote. The hearing also briefly covered HB 1334 on meat donation, which drew support from the Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Farm Bureau, food industry, and community groups, though no action was taken in the excerpt. The committee then heard HB 1098 on crimes against protective services workers. The Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office and Honolulu Police Department supported the bill, saying assaults on protective services workers can have chilling effects and deserve stronger deterrence; a committee question raised whether the bill should instead be part of a broader, more proactive approach to assault statutes. The Department of Human Services also described safety steps such as panic buttons and phone apps for social workers. The excerpt ends before any final vote on HB 1098.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Duggan, you're recognized to close. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
• With that, I close. Representative Duggan, you're recognized for a motion. Mr.
• Representative McClure is recognized to close. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
• I intended to waive close, but I’d like to address some of the concerns of my colleagues.
• And with that, I close.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for former Senator Donnell C. Childers, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of Officer Antonio Richardson as law enforcement officer of the day. A quorum was announced, the journal was approved, and the Speaker said the chamber would take up 11 budget conference reports, with debate and final votes on each report. The first report considered was HB 7031E, the tax package, followed by HB 501E, the state budget appropriations bill. On HB 7031E, Chair Duggan explained that the conference report included a range of tax reductions and tax-related changes, including sales tax holidays, property tax and homestead-related provisions, reductions in certain taxes and fees, and new exemptions or administrative clarifications. He said the package also added items such as sales tax relief for certain university construction projects, a tennis admissions exemption, and changes to agricultural property tax treatment, and that the amendment reduced state and local tax revenues by $272.2 million. Members questioned the bill about the child care tax credit reduction from three years to one, the homestead exemption provision for certain diplomats and foreign service personnel, the absence of gas tax relief and combined reporting, and the inclusion of firearm accessories and tennis tickets in sales tax holidays. After structured debate, the House adopted the conference report and passed HB 7031E by a vote of 88-11. The House then began the conference report on HB 501E, the $114.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2026-2027, which was described as below the prior year’s spending level and leaving more than $14 billion in reserves. Subcommittee chairs outlined major allocations across education, higher education, IT, health care, transportation and economic development, justice, state administration, and agriculture/natural resources. Highlights included increased FEFP funding and veteran teacher raises, full funding for Bright Futures, major IT modernization projects, Medicaid and behavioral health funding, transportation and local infrastructure spending, correctional and law enforcement investments, fire station and emergency response funding, and large environmental and water-quality appropriations. Members asked detailed questions about school voucher fraud oversight, scholarship funding, teacher raises, preeminence funding, ADAP changes, SNAP data tools and error rates, Medicaid rate changes, prison wastewater monitoring, and other budget items, but the transcript ends during the budget questions before final action on HB 501E is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, that's pretty close to time for me, so I did good. All right, thank you.
• So we're actually a little ahead of the trend line, but holding very close to it.
• Representative Wenznowski, is that close? Close. We'll give you a B, all right? Thank you, Mr.
• Representative Wenznowski, is that close? Close. We'll give you a B, all right? Thank you, Mr.
• Any questions for him before we close? Okay, we're done. We'll see you tomorrow.

Summary: The committee was convened to review Idaho’s economic outlook and general fund revenue projections, with members instructed to complete and submit individual “homework” revenue projections for fiscal years 2026, 2027, and 2028 by noon the next day. Chairmen explained the binder materials, the committee’s constitutional charge, and the plan to compile member projections into an average and median for deliberation and a recommendation to JFAC. They also noted the meeting was being broadcast publicly and thanked staff and presenters. Keith Bybee of Legislative Services Office outlined the state’s general fund budget picture, emphasizing structural imbalance between revenues and expenditures, the impact of statutory spending growth, and the need to decide whether to address the gap through spending cuts, cash balances, or other policy changes. He highlighted major budget drivers such as Medicaid expansion, public defender costs, IT consolidation, public school funding changes, and water resources spending, and discussed available cash reserves, including the budget stabilization fund. Committee members asked about Medicaid’s net cost, the treatment of the $330 million school funding adjustment, the Millennium Fund, and whether rainy-day funds or interest earnings were being used in the governor’s budget. Aaron Phipps of the Division of Financial Management presented the executive revenue forecast and explained changes in reporting for sales tax and the tax relief fund, including how certain transfers would now be treated as accrued general fund revenue. She described a sharp but likely temporary drop in corporate income tax collections tied to federal tax changes and taxpayer behavior, especially the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the SALT workaround, and said the overall income tax forecast remained relatively steady. Robert Spindlove of Zions Bank described national conditions, including lower Fed rates, a re-steepening yield curve, higher tariffs, mixed inflation signals, slowing but not contracting labor markets, and continued consumer spending, and said 2026 looked like a rebuilding year. Sam Wilkenhauer of the Idaho Department of Labor reported that Idaho’s labor market remained strong, with low unemployment, steady job growth, balanced industry expansion, and wage growth moderating from the overheated post-pandemic period; he forecast continued but more sustainable growth over the next two years.

Transcript Highlights:

• working closely with industry-leading veterinarians<00:20:49.880><c> many</c><00:20:50.159><c> of</c
• So, in closing, our industry has certainly had some headwinds.
• I welcome any questions that you may have. swine herd so in closing our industry swine herd so in closing
• relationship of our with our food close relationship of our with our food services<01:41:06.239><c>
• </c><01:42:53.639><c> with</c><01:42:53.880><c> two</c> year we also work very closely with two year

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

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of the buildings are close to 100 years old. Most are at least 50.
• Let me say clearly, closing HCMC is not an option for Minnesota and cannot be an option.
• If Hennepin Healthcare closes due to a lack of funding, people will die.
• If HCMC closes, our state safety net is gone.
• We cannot treat the ED like a primary We cannot treat the ED like a primary care<01:45:36.720><c> clinic

Committee: Senate Taxes

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll request this data from providers as 2025 reporting gets closed out sometime this spring, and then
• out uh uh sometime this spring closed out uh uh sometime this spring and<00:49:43.599><c> then</c><00
• I think Representative Tabke wanted some closing comments. Representative Fogelman, please.
• Uh, uh, Representative closing comments. Uh, uh, Representative Foggelman,<01:29:37.280><c> please.
• Um, any closing comments, Mr. Carlson?

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• going to be able to vote, you're going to turn 18 by the election, you should be able to vote in the primary
• By the election, you should be able to vote in the primary if you are enrolled in a party.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee chair opened by emphasizing that the committee would consider bills from any member, regardless of party, so long as they would make the judiciary more streamlined, efficient, and accessible. The committee then took up Senate Print 410, which would change how judges review jury awards in employment discrimination cases. The sponsor argued the bill would curb consistently low awards and reduce pressure on plaintiffs to settle, while a member raised concerns about limiting judicial review. After discussion, the bill was moved and reported to the floor, with one member recorded without rights. The committee next advanced Senate Bill 548, authorizing the sale of a specific parcel of Forest Preserve land associated with Camp Gabriels Correctional Facility, and Senate Print 887A, a Surrogates’ Court filing bill, with a suggested amendment clarifying that initial filings may not yet have a file number. It also reported Senate Print 947, barring residential landlords from charging fees for rent payments made by ACH or online systems, and Senate Print 1142, extending the statute of limitations for employment discrimination actions. Other measures reported included the homeowner protection program bill (2627A), skier and snowboarder duties bill (3209), a constitutional amendment on voter qualifications allowing eligible 17-year-olds to vote in primaries if they will turn 18 by the general election (3231), and a bill increasing county court judges in certain jurisdictions (4836A), which was referred to Finance. Additional bills advanced were Senate Print 5089 creating a residential condominium owner bill of rights, Senate Print 5288 on the proper form of exhibits in civil practice, and Senate Print 9037 exempting senior citizens from jury service, with discussion noting the bill’s opt-in feature for seniors who wish to continue serving. Most measures were approved by voice vote with little or no opposition, and the meeting concluded after all listed bills were reported onward.

Transcript Highlights:

• Merriquin is a board certified family medicine specialist with decades of experience in offering primary
• year-old thought that she could run for the Texas House of Representatives and beat a Republican in a primary

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:31:32.840><c> federal</c> capital 6.8 Ines of snow closed federal capital 6.8 Ines of snow closed
• </c> reserves so I'm prepared to close reserves so I'm prepared to close the<03:24:17.199><c> G</c><03
• We'll see how close my math got to what their prediction is. Half of it's interest.
• </c><05:18:34.240><c> my</c> next day or so we'll see how close my next day or so we'll see how close
• I would have voted for primary research and development to do it better, faster, cheaper.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Number six, Department of Health with the Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, is to Stroudwater
• Number six, Department of Health with the Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, is to Stroudwater
• That's the two primary things we're looking for. Well, I mean, I appreciate that.

Committee: All ALC-REVIEW

Summary: The subcommittee first considered a used tire program contract for Arkansas District 4, an $88,000 one-year contract with LTR Intermediate Holdings. Senators raised concerns that the tire district’s revised business plan had not yet been approved and that the contract could leave the district unable to pay. Questions also focused on solicitation language that excluded bidders under corrective action plans. On motion, the committee held the contract until next month and encouraged the tire board to appear. Members then reviewed and, without objection, moved forward a series of methods of finance, alternative delivery projects, and discretionary grants. These included multiple university and college projects such as renovations, roof replacements, a new UCA multipurpose arena, and a revised financing package for UA Fayetteville’s Maple Hill residence hall. The committee also reviewed DHS and Department of Health grants for aging services, substance abuse prevention, mental health, nutrition outreach, hearing-loss follow-up, HIV services, maternal health, and rural hospital quality improvement. The committee next handled contract items, including a UAMS ratification for FMLA Source after an amendment was not submitted for review and payments continued past expiration; UAMS said it had retrained staff and would review for other missed contracts. Members also reviewed numerous construction, intergovernmental, out-of-state, and in-state contracts across state agencies and universities. Questions were raised about an out-of-state aeronautics study, a U of A Fayetteville parking guidance system, and a Veterans Affairs nursing contract. Most items were reviewed without objection, and the meeting adjourned after informational reports on contract amendments and minor contracts.

Transcript Highlights:

• relating to the exclusion of the value of any incorporated in an improvement made to the property of the primary
• health HB 1637 by whole relating to Prohibition of glyphosate herbicides in certain food additives of primary
• safety standards for private passenger van services that transport students to and from public's primary

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And it was closed, but yet I’d never heard of a state of emergency being declared.
• Highway 165 was closed. Access to Mount Rainier National Park cut off.
• When the bridge closed, access ended.
• With the bridge closed, With the bridge closed, obviously everything is time-sensitive in our job, so
• That will close the public hearing on our... Okay, thank you very much.

Bills: HB2550 , HB2645 , HB2109 , HB2134 , HB2323

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: transit, community colleges, student transportation, free rides, public transportation, HB 2645, HB2645, Fairfax Bridge, State Route 165, SR 165, Carbon River, Washington State Department of Transportation, WSDOT, emergency infrastructure replacement, bridge collapse, bridge closure, transportation emergency, public safety, infrastructure repair, bridge replacement

Transcript Highlights:

• Does this mean that the constable can close all the documents at his agency?
• Since you're on the end, you've got to get close to that microphone.
• Welcome, since you're on the end, you gotta get close to the microphone.
• So it's a very close group that's looking at that review. Fast forward.
• So get close to the microphone and yes, ma'am. You're up if you're ready.

Bills: SB7 , SB14 , SB 7 , SB 14

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Keywords: gender designation, civil penalties, private civil rights, multiple-occupancy spaces, Texas Women's Privacy Act, law enforcement, confidentiality, personnel files, employee records, misconduct, abortion, civil liability, abortion-inducing drugs, qui tam actions, Texas Citizens Participation Act, Religious Freedom Restoration Act, healthcare regulations, impact fees, water conservation, reuse projects

Transcript Highlights:

• challenges facing schools right now and how other states are responding to those trends, and we'll close
• with a PED proposal to promote more intentionality and how schools are using... and we'll close with
• So, to close, as schools continue to experience evolving challenges in serving students, you all have
• This funding is essential to close the immediate gap, retain staff, and maintain educational continuity
• I'm a primary care doctor practicing in New Mexico for the last 11 years, and as you likely know, our

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation on strategic resource management in public education. LESC staff and PED officials argued that New Mexico has increased school funding, but local budgeting and planning remain fragmented and overly compliance-driven. They described long-term pressures including declining enrollment, rising special education costs, falling cash balances, changes in federal funding, and leadership turnover, and said schools need more intentional multi-year planning tied to student outcomes. They also outlined the many disconnected planning requirements schools must complete, compared New Mexico’s current approach with Ohio’s three-year budget forecasting model, and recommended continuing multi-year appropriations, adding $2.5 million for state grants in the unified application, and directing LESC, LFC, and PED to develop a long-term financial planning proposal. PED said it is working to reduce administrative burden through school accreditation, a unified application for federal and state funds, and internal alignment of guidance and coaching, with pilot schools reporting time savings and better alignment. Members raised concerns about four-day school weeks, the burden on small districts, the need for outcomes and return on investment, and whether the state should move toward a two-year or three-year planning cycle; staff clarified that the proposal was to streamline or eliminate redundant requirements, not add another layer. The committee then received an update on the Educator Fellows program. PED described it as a Grow Your Own pipeline that employs candidates as supplemental educational assistants while they work toward licensure, providing salary, benefits, paid leave, mentoring, and coursework support. Officials said the program helps address teacher shortages, improves student-to-teacher ratios, increases workforce diversity, and supports the Martinez-Yazzie action plan. They reported 370 current fellows across 86 LEAs and about 180 schools, with many fellows being people of color, first-generation college students, or second-career educators; roughly 85 are expected to become certified this year. A local HR director from Belen testified that the program has been especially valuable in small communities, where fellows are already rooted in the community and several have moved into teaching roles. Members asked about high school recruitment, tuition, retirement and benefits, the relationship to the Higher Education Department’s Grow Your Own scholarship, and the role of university partners. PED said fellows choose among accredited higher education partners, the program is separate from the scholarship but complementary, and the state is also building an apprenticeship model and seeking to expand the program to more LEAs, though some districts are on a waiting list because of funding and local match requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• Clerk will close the roll. All members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll.
• And I wanted to close with this.
• Clerk will close the roll. Tally the vote: ayes 41. Clerk will close the roll.
• Clerk will close the roll.
• Clerk will close the roll. All members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll.

Summary: The Assembly convened, established a quorum, and opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance before moving through the daily file. Several measures were taken up and passed, including bills on county jail accountability (AB 2257), claims against public agencies (AB 2529), affordable housing management metrics (AB 2689), digital wellness instruction in schools (AB 2071), pedestrian and bicycle safety project streamlining (AB 1976), manufactured home transport permits (AB 2012), a Surplus Land Act amendment tied to an Inland Empire soccer project (AB 2139), a Monterey Bay stewardship authority (AB 1548), online electrician licensing (AB 1707), a Caltrans study of navigation apps’ traffic impacts (AB 2105), coastal resiliency permitting reforms (AB 2051), downtown housing streamlining and financing (AB 2074), Cal Fire compensation (AB 2129), emergency care authority for Del Puerto Health Care District (AB 2282), charter school facilities hardship relief (AB 2316), theft by a peace officer under color of authority as serious misconduct (AB 2337), an Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander-serving institution designation (AB 2374), energy and cannabis support bills (AB 2464, AB 2537), and a suicide prevention plan requirement for treatment facilities (AB 2562). Most of these measures passed with broad bipartisan margins, and several were described as support bills with no opposition. The floor also debated a major criminal justice measure, AB 2727, which would raise the threshold for elderly parole eligibility for people serving sentences for violent sex offenses and add screening safeguards. Supporters from both parties emphasized child protection, survivor trauma, and specific local cases involving offenders who had become eligible for release; the bill passed 66-0. Another significant debate centered on AB 1958, which would clarify procedures under the California Racial Justice Act by refining how disparity claims are established and rebutted; the author said he would take Senate amendments to address concerns from district attorneys. The Assembly also considered AB 2313, a gas-to-electric transition bill allowing customers with planned service line replacements to opt out of gas service and use funds to electrify their homes. Members raised concerns about cost shifts and equity, and the author responded that the bill includes no-cost-shift language, larger credits for disadvantaged communities, and would not proceed if the math does not work; it passed 41-21. The final major item was AB 1709, a high-profile social media safety bill creating a minimum age of 16 for accounts on platforms using addictive features and establishing an e-safety commission. The author and many supporters from both parties framed the bill as a response to youth mental health harms, addictive design, and the need for age-based safeguards, while some members raised concerns about impacts on LGBTQ youth and other isolated young people who rely on online spaces. Supporters said the bill targets addictive design rather than speech and is intended to preserve safe online connection while limiting harmful features. The measure drew extensive bipartisan support and was still under debate at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Jones, you're recognized to close on the bill. Wave close.
• Senator Pizzo, you recognize close on the amendment? I'll wait close.
• Senator Rodriguez, you are recognized to close. Weave close.
• Senator Graal, you are recognized to close. Waive close.
• Senator Graal, you are recognized to close. Waive close.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The Judiciary Committee considered a long agenda of claims bills, housing and business measures, and court-administration legislation. It reported favorably several claims bills, including SB 20 for J.N., a minor, SB 14 for the estate of Pennial Janvier, SB 10 for Sidney Holmes, SB 8 for Marcus Button, SB 22 for Eric and Jennifer Miles, and SB 26 for Kristen and Leah McIntosh. Members also approved SB 520 on curators of estates, SB 386 on self-storage lien-sale notices, SB 362 on reusable tenant screening reports, SB 316 creating series LLCs in Florida, and SB 1650 and SB 1652 on vexatious litigants and related public-records issues. SB 248, expanding eligibility for private school and homeschool students to participate in FHSAA sports at public schools, also passed after amendment. Most of the claims bills were described as settled cases with amounts above sovereign-immunity limits, and several senators spoke in support of compensating victims of catastrophic injury or wrongful conviction. SB 10 drew comments about the 34 years Sidney Holmes spent incarcerated after a wrongful conviction, and SB 8 prompted discussion about the long delay in resolving Marcus Button’s injuries from a 2006 school-bus crash. SB 26 was presented as an uncontested claim arising from a DACS employee’s fatal crash that severely injured two teenage girls, and the committee adopted an amendment placing funds for the minor claimant into trust. The policy bills drew more substantive debate. SB 386 would let self-storage operators use websites instead of newspaper ads for lien-sale notices, with newspaper representatives opposing the change and storage-industry witnesses supporting modernization and lower costs. SB 362 would let renters reuse tenant screening reports for 30 days, with the sponsor saying it would reduce repeated application fees. SB 316 would authorize series LLCs while adding record-keeping protections, and SB 1650/1652 would broaden Florida’s vexatious-litigant rules and create a public-records exemption for certain stricken filings. SB 248 passed over concerns from private-school and public-education witnesses about instructional time, funding, and fairness in athletic participation. All measures were reported favorably, with recorded votes ranging from 7-2 on SB 248 to unanimous or near-unanimous support on the other bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• Clerk will close the roll. All members vote who desire to vote. Clerk will close the roll.
• Berman, you may close. Yeah, thank you, Mr.
• And I wanted to close with this.
• The clerk will close the roll and tally the vote. Ayes 41. The clerk will close the roll.
• Today, as this legislative term draws too close to a close, we gather to say, Assemblyman, officer, leader

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have to monitor that closely.
• There's nothing close to El Paso.
• You're not in the insurance business, but that's close.
• This amount of funding would close that gap by half—would certainly not fix it, but it would close the
• So, I would like to look at it closely.

Bills: SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• At this private firm, her primary practice areas were as a defense attorney and a civil litigator.
• One of the primary issues surrounding Mr.
• One<00:33:08.000><c> of</c><00:33:08.080><c> the</c><00:33:08.159><c> primary</c><00:33:08.559><c> issues
• </c><00:33:09.760><c> uh</c><00:33:09.919><c> surrounding</c> One of the primary issues uh surrounding
• One of the primary issues uh surrounding Mr.<00:33:10.640><c> Dresser's</c><00:33:11.120><c> confirmation

Keywords: 927, senate, all