Transcript Highlights:

• So once again, I think there's agreement to work very closely with her and the industry.
• certainly merits looking at hearing, I think that she has been in a lot of conversation with the industry
• and is bringing... ...has been in a lot of conversation with the industry, is bringing a bill next week
• definitely would like to welcome you to the Capitol and see some of the conversation we are having around industry

Bills: HB199 , HB222 , HB223 , HB224 , HB235 , HB246 , HB405 , HB535 , HB554 , HB907 , SCR3 , SB43 , SB52 , SB54 , SB113 , SB168 , SB219 , SB222 , SB270 , SB311 , SB359

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Keywords: nursing facilities, moratorium, healthcare, patient care, data collection, Medicaid, dental coverage, healthcare access, medical necessity, Louisiana Department of Health, Department of Children and Family Services, sunset law, statutory entities, regulatory authority, re-creation, termination dates, child welfare, foster care, children's rights, legal guardianship

Bills: HB2936 , HB2967 , HB3627 , HB3721 , HB4132 , HB4303 , HB4478 , HB4322 , HB4227

Keywords: HB2936, children, child protection, adoption, Oklahoma Adoption Code, gestational carrier, gestational agreement, surrogacy, intended parent, preplacement home study, home study, prospective adoptive parent, foster placement, child abuse, child neglect, child sexual abuse, child sexual exploitation, lewd molestation, sex offender registry, Oklahoma Sex Offenders Registration Act

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 3882 creates the Lake Access and Industrial Access Revolving Fund.
• It is to be used by ODOT to provide grants through the lake access and industrial access program. ...
• lake access and industrial access revolving fund.
• It is to be used by ODOT to provide grants through the lake access and industrial access program.

Bills: HB3622 , HB3621 , HB3151 , HB3882 , HB3661 , HB4273 , HB3644 , HB3706 , HB3708 , HB2021 , HB3986 , HB3972

Committee: House Appropriations and Budget

Keywords: HB3622, 2030 Census, Decennial Census, U.S. Decennial Census Revolving Fund, Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Commerce Department, census preparation, federal census, state treasury fund, revolving fund, continuing fund, deemed appropriated, technology upgrades, census outreach, redistricting, population count, Title 74, OMES, State Treasurer, budgeting

Transcript Highlights:

• We will open up the public hearing for Senate Bill 6136, Industrial Insurance Rates.
• Tammy Fellin with the Department of Labor and Industries.
• Yes, I, you know, I'm aware that our state industrial funds are being many.
• Industrial insurance is often called the grand compromise.
• Industrial insurance is often called the grand compromise.

Bills: SB5847 , SB6067 , SB6136 , SB6014 , SB5972 , SB5869 , SB5874 , SB6058 , SB6039 , SB5944 , SB6188

Committee: Senate Labor & Commerce

Keywords: workers' compensation, industrial insurance, injured workers, medical provider network, occupational health, occupational medicine, medical care access, L&I, Department of Labor and Industries, self-insured employers, state fund claims, utilization review, provider credentialing, provider network, treatment guidelines, evidence-based medicine, claims management, claims managers, temporary total disability, permanent partial disability

Bills: HB4011 , HB2680 , HB4325 , HB4327 , HB4944 , HB1761 , HB4688 , HB3453 , HB40 , HB1707 , HB4749 , HB2322 , HB3647 , HB4139 , HB4081 , HB2203 , HB2100 , HB4170 , HB3104 , HB4623 , HB40

Committee: House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Keywords: partition, heirs' property, real estate, co-ownership, family property, non-heir cotenant, right of first refusal, pilot services, liability limitation, maritime commerce, Matagorda Bay, Lavaca Bay, transportation code, maritime industry, civil liability, barratry, penalties, legal actions, damages, wrongful death

Summary: The Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence met to hear House Bill 1761, a broad judicial package focused on increasing judicial compensation and adding accountability and efficiency measures. The chair explained that HB 1707 and HB 2100 were withdrawn from the agenda, and that HB 1761 would be taken up first because many judges and stakeholders were present. The committee substitute for HB 1761 proposed a 30% increase in base judicial pay to $182,000, changes to judicial retirement linkage, stronger judicial conduct provisions, and efficiency measures such as targeted reporting for judges not meeting benchmarks, appellate in-person meeting encouragement, and time limits on certain motions. The chair and several supporters said judicial pay had reached “emergency status,” citing Texas’s low national ranking and difficulty recruiting and retaining qualified judges. Witnesses in support included presiding and district judges, the State Bar’s judicial section, business and trial lawyer groups, and prosecutors. They emphasized that many judges work long hours off the bench, handle warrants at night and on weekends, manage heavy dockets, and face recruitment problems in both urban and rural counties. Supporters also said higher pay would help attract experienced lawyers, retain judges, and improve court efficiency. Several witnesses and members discussed judicial accountability, including public reporting of court performance and the role of the Texas Supreme Court and presiding judges in setting benchmarks. Some members raised concerns that raw statistics can be misleading because judges also do substantial off-the-bench work and often help cover other courts’ dockets. There was also testimony and discussion about the bill’s conduct and discipline provisions. A representative of the Texas Civil Rights Project opposed parts of the bill that would tie pay raises to changes affecting judicial independence, warning about subjective bail-related discipline standards and possible chilling effects. The executive director of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct cautioned against civil penalties for complainants, saying it could discourage good-faith complaints and create litigation risks. Other witnesses supported accountability reforms but urged caution about unintended consequences, especially for family and emergency cases and for judges handling warrants and other time-sensitive matters. After testimony, the committee withdrew the committee substitute and left HB 1761 pending, then recessed the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• And industry accepts that responsibility if we didn't maintain the truck.
• Chapter 33 that you cannot ignore by this legislative body for one industry.
• I want to talk to you about the insurance industry.
• We need to focus on the insurance industry itself.
• They're an industry leader when it comes to safety.

Bills: HB4011 , HB2680 , HB4325 , HB4327 , HB4944 , HB1761 , HB4688 , HB3453 , HB40 , HB1707 , HB4749 , HB2322 , HB3647 , HB4139 , HB4081 , HB2203 , HB2100 , HB4170 , HB3104 , HB4623 , HB40

Committee: House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Keywords: partition, heirs' property, real estate, co-ownership, family property, non-heir cotenant, right of first refusal, pilot services, liability limitation, maritime commerce, Matagorda Bay, Lavaca Bay, transportation code, maritime industry, civil liability, barratry, penalties, legal actions, damages, wrongful death

Bills: SB1636 , SB1584 , SB1730 , SB1255 , SB1627 , SB137 , SB2062 , SB1470 , SB1284 , SB1632 , SB1594 , SB2045 , SB1251 , SB1884 , SB1250 , SB1630 , SB1262 , SB1374 , SB1292 , SB1432 , SB1199 , SB1790 , SB1481 , SB1614 , SB1734 , SB1437 , SB1489 , SB1718 , SB1778 , SB1327 , SB1372 , SB1403 , SB1937 , SB277 , SB2131 , SB1749 , SB1348 , SB1469 , SB2018 , SB1931 , SB1530 , SB2155 , SB2030 , SB1926 , SB2170 , SB2151 , SB2166 , SB1213 , SB1381 , SB1824 , SB1876 , SB1728 , SB1582 , SB1286 , SB1386 , SB1708 , SB1618 , SB2106 , SB1471 , SB2139 , SB2154 , SB1619 , SCR15 , HB2786 , HB2787 , SB1525 , SB2011 , SB2159

Keywords: cold case, unsolved homicide, violent crime, case file review, law enforcement, police records, victim family, immediate family member, designated person, forensic testing, witness reinterview, investigative leads, cold case unit, unsolved murder, public safety, Title 21, Oklahoma statutes, sexual assault, evidence kits, DNA testing

Transcript Highlights:

• the following items: Agriculture and Natural Resources, back of the bill, and HB 5701E related to petroleum

Transcript Highlights:

• for water quality improvements, $170 million for the Resilient Florida program, $167 million for petroleum
• committee on the disagreeing votes of the two houses on House Bill 5701E, same being an act relating to petroleum
• implementation bill provisions by eliminating program deductibles, copayments, and monetary caps for the Petroleum
• Cleanup Participation Program and the Florida Petroleum Liability and Restoration Insurance Program

Summary: The Senate took up the conference report on House Bill 501E, the General Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2026-27, with Chair Hooper and the appropriations chairs walking through the $114.5 billion budget. Major highlights included pay increases for state law enforcement, firefighters, park rangers, and correctional officers; funding for teacher salary increases and K-12 enrollment stabilization; workforce and university funding in higher education; major Medicaid, nursing home, waiver, and opioid-related investments in health and human services; corrections and prison-capacity funding; transportation, housing, and emergency management spending; and large environmental appropriations for Florida Forever, Everglades restoration, and water quality projects. Members then asked detailed questions about specific items. Senators pressed on the Hamilton Center at UF, the difference between assistant state attorney and public defender pay, declining student enrollment funding, private school scholarship vouchers, mental health funding in schools, the lack of preeminence funding, APD’s iBudget waiver wait list and provider rates, ADAP premium assistance and the return of Biktarvy to the formulary, prison staffing and air conditioning, Florida Forever land-buying versus easements, SNAP and Sun Bucks funding, Hope Florida, election audit funding, and the IDD managed care program. Chairs generally explained the negotiated compromises, noted where funding was flat or omitted, and in several cases said items would be revisited next year or depended on agency implementation. Several senators used debate to praise the budget while also criticizing major policy choices. Leader Berman argued the state should have expanded Medicaid, invested more in public schools instead of vouchers, and accepted federal summer EBT funds. Other senators highlighted local wins such as Biscayne Bay restoration, Tri-Rail, housing assistance, ADAP funding, and declining enrollment support. The transcript ends with debate remarks thanking Chair Hooper for his work on the budget; no final vote is shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• The first one is for a liquefied petroleum gas board. It's $40,000.
• The first one is for a liquefoy petroleum gas board. It's $40,000.

Committee: All JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:06:42.240><c> can</c> as you've heard, private industry can as you've heard, private industry
• Ryan McConna with the Petroleum Association. I couldn't leave Jeremiah on his own.
• Ryan McConna with the Petroleum quick.
• </c><01:29:48.320><c> U</c> on on the the mineral industry. U on on the the mineral industry.
• </c> you for industry from your testimony. you for industry from your testimony.

Bills: SF0082

Committee: House Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions

Transcript Highlights:

• So there's biological, but there's also industrial chemical hazards.
• So the bottle program is comprised of a whole bunch of stakeholders that's not the cement industry.
• So if I can, one more, just to close on my question: so the glass industry, you know, we pay a fee on
• So, working in the industry for 30-some years, there are biosolids from digesters in sewage treatment
• plants and in refineries, in industry, and dairy.

Summary: The committee heard several natural resources bills focused on wildfire resilience, recycling, forest management, and organic waste diversion. AB 442 would remove a requirement that a harvest area be limited to a single watershed for working forest management plans; the author and supporters from the California Forestry Association and Pacific Forest Trust said it would reduce barriers to forest resiliency work, and there was no opposition. AB 623 would require state agencies to report on the use of CEQA and Coastal Act suspensions for wildfire and fuel-management projects after the governor’s emergency proclamation; the author said the bill would provide data on how well the suspensions are working, and it drew support with no opposition. AB 35 would exempt Proposition 4-funded programs from the Administrative Procedures Act to speed implementation of climate, water, wildfire, and environmental projects; the author and a large coalition of local governments, water agencies, conservation groups, and fire organizations argued the exemption would help get funds out faster, while no opposition was present. The committee also discussed AB 3333, which would create a market-development payment to support end users of non-container glass, such as ground glass pozzolan used in cement, in order to divert glass from landfills and reduce carbon emissions. Supporters said the bill would create a productive use for hard-to-recover glass, while opponents from the Glass Packaging Institute, Californians Against Waste, and waste management interests argued it would divert beverage container recycling funds away from the bottle-to-bottle system and could undermine existing recycling investments and recycled-content goals. Members raised questions about the fund’s revenue sources, the purpose of the beverage container recycling program, and whether the bill would amount to “downcycling”; despite those concerns, the bill advanced on a due-pass-as-amended recommendation, with members noting fiscal and policy issues for further work. AB 643 would allow certain diverted organic material used as a beneficial agricultural amendment, including CDFA-licensed fertilizer products made from biosolids, to count toward SB 1383 recovered organic waste procurement targets. Supporters from wastewater agencies and Clean Water SoCal said the change would expand options for meeting procurement requirements and help move biosolids out of landfills, while Californians Against Waste and other opponents argued the bill could expand procurement credit beyond SB 1383’s original intent and weaken investments in composting infrastructure. Committee members questioned what kinds of biosolids would qualify, how the procurement credit would work, and whether the bill could be narrowed to historically landfilled materials; the author said she would continue working with opponents and wait for CalRecycle technical assistance. The committee adopted the bills’ amendments and passed AB 35 with urgency, AB 3333, AB 442, AB 623, and AB 643 to Appropriations, and also approved consent-calendar AB 946. After roll calls, all of the measures were reported out of committee, and the hearing adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the case of total petroleum hydrocarbons middle distillate range, where jet fuel falls, the standard
• In the case of total petroleum hydrocarbons middle distillate range, where jet fuel falls, the standard
• And so the example that I provided with regards to total petroleum hydrocarbon in the middle distillate
• And so the example that I provided with regards to total petroleum hydrocarbon in the middle distillate
• </c> construction industry is strong support. construction industry is strong support.

Bills: SB2613 , SB2543 , SB2398 , SB2046 , SB2800 , SB2818 , SB2973 , SB2367 , SB2907 , SB3067 , SB3053 , SB2944 , SB2074 , SB2596

Committee: House Water & Land

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SB 2613, SD1, HD1, relating to public school land transfer. The Attorney General’s office and the Department of Education supported the bill’s technical cleanup of Act 307, but strongly opposed a new provision that would convey school parcels containing public and school library facilities to the Hawaii State Public Library System. They argued the added transfer language conflicted with Act 307’s purpose of consolidating school land for more efficient school operations, and said existing law already allows co-located library use through rights of entry, licenses, or other agreements. The library system supported the bill and said it was trying to resolve longstanding operational conflicts on shared school-campus libraries, especially where public access, construction, and campus safety issues arise. Members questioned whether the Board of Education should simply mediate the dispute, whether the bill was the right solution, and whether a formal memorandum of agreement might be a better approach than a land transfer. The library system described years of difficulty coordinating with DOE on projects and said it needed a clearer process to complete work and spend CIP funds. Discussion also touched on a Kauai parcel in the bill, identified as a tennis court, and whether resurfacing could be completed before any transfer. The Attorney General indicated that if the goal is to preserve library uses while keeping title with the state, DLNR or another documented arrangement may be more appropriate than transferring fee title to the library system. The committee then heard SB 2543 SD2 HD1, relating to state construction projects. DAGS supported the measure, and the Hawaii Ironworkers Stabilization Fund and Hawaii Building Construction Trade Council strongly supported it, saying the bill would help spot-check high-cost projects and reduce waste from overruns and delays. One testifier opposed the bill, arguing the proposed construction manager role was too limited and that DAGS needed more training, decentralized authority, and better internal decision-making rather than a new layer of oversight. Supporters said the bill was intended as a pilot program to address repeated cost overruns and improve accountability on state construction projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:10:00.760><c> with</c> to Launch a whole new industry with to Launch a whole new industry with
• <00:17:18.559><c> based</c><00:17:18.919><c> jet</c> petroleum based jet petroleum based jet fuels<00
• You know, we're so young in the industry.
• to the growers to our communities to the industries and to the global aviation industry, then the...
• <c> industry</c><00:43:09.720><c> then</c><00:43:10.160><c> the</c> The global aviation industry, then

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

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's really just a slap in the face to my district when we know other industries... ...to the table
• And it's really just a slap in the face to my district when we know other industries are going to be
• Kevin Froman to the Oklahoma Liquefied Petroleum Gas Board, Senator Bergstrom. Thank you, Mr.
• Jack Ward to the Alarm Locksmith and Fire Sprinkler Industry Committee, Senator Grellner. Mr.
• consent to the nomination of Jack Ward of Sand Springs to the Alarm Locksmith and Fire Sprinkler Industry

Bills: SJR50 , SJR51 , SJR52 , SJR53 , SJR54 , SJR39 , SB1290 , HB4028 , HB4029 , HB4073 , HB4074 , HB4075 , HB4076 , HB4077 , HB4078 , HB1250 , HB2951 , HB2961 , HB3151 , HB3581 , HB3705 , HB3970 , HB3972 , HB3980 , HB3981

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, prayer, pledges, and several floor recognitions, including the Doctor of the Day, Psychologist of the Day, and Nurse of the Day. Members also honored the OSBI Cold Case Team for its work on unsolved cases, recognized the 75th anniversary of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and welcomed guests for the Prague-Kolache Festival. The chamber then moved into floor action on multiple measures and conference motions. The most significant item was Senate Joint Resolution 39, a property tax constitutional amendment. After extensive debate over the impact on homeowners, seniors, farmers, schools, local governments, and future revenue, the Senate adopted House amendments by a 27-19 roll call and then passed the resolution 40-8. However, the motion to order a special election failed 26-20, so the measure did not advance to a special election call. Senators also rejected House amendments to Senate Bill 2 and Senate Bill 215 and requested conference on both. The Senate passed Senate Bill 1290 unanimously as an emergency measure, and advanced or passed several House bills dealing with ARPA and funding reallocations: HB 4028, HB 4029, HB 4073, HB 4074, HB 4075, HB 4076, HB 4077, and HB 4078. Other approved measures included HB 1250 creating a Public Safety Technology Revolving Fund for local law enforcement grants, HB 2951 renaming Red Rock Prison as the Chief James Smith Correctional Center, HB 2961 creating a Gold Star Survivor tuition benefit, HB 3151 extending the school year to 173 days, and HB 3581 increasing penalties for riot-related offenses. The Senate also took up HB 3705, which would raise the Parental Choice tax credit cap from $250 million to $275 million, but the transcript cuts off during questioning on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• I also have with us today Hannah Rice, the Director of the New Mexico Industry Stream Commission, and
• We see the imbalance of state policy favoring a polluted industry over public health in our communities
• This bill will protect people and rebalance the current imbalance that favors the oil industry.
• I'll be speaking to you today on behalf of Occidental Petroleum and Enduring Resources.

Committee: House House Agriculture, Acequias And Water Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• We know that they are producing some of New Mexico's best petroleum engineers, water scientists, the
• offered the Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, the Mineral Research and Testing Center, the Petroleum
• my time... ...is going to be hiring a lot of engineers, and I can tell you my time in the defense industry
• This partnership between the New Mexico energy industry and education is strong.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, Texas is centrally located for the importation and export of products across a variety of industries
• She found her through a haunting national news story on this body industry.
• This amendment includes other laboratories than just crime labs for the testing of petroleum products
• This amendment includes other laboratories than just crime labs for the testing of petroleum products

Bills: SB66 , SB243 , SB250 , SB317 , SB393 , SB397 , SB456 , SB628 , SB629 , SB636 , SB715 , SB731 , SB801 , SB865 , SB1012 , SB1013 , SB1015 , SB1032 , SB1141 , SB1181 , SB1224 , SB1241 , SB1242 , SB1250 , SB1266 , SB1285 , SB1376 , SB1442 , SB1449 , SB1502 , SB1524 , SB1528 , SB1551 , SB1585 , SB1640 , SB1708 , SB1844 , SB1854 , SB1863 , SB1959 , SB1965 , SB2035 , SB2082 , SB2119 , SB2138 , SB2199 , SB2200 , SB2201 , SB2245 , SB2269 , SB2284 , SB2310 , SB2357 , SB2419 , SB2422 , SB2480 , SB2514 , SB2523 , SB2529 , SB2533 , SB2541 , SB2550 , SB2568 , SB2595 , SB2605 , SB2608 , SB2615 , SB2717 , SB2721 , SB2753 , SB2778 , SB2841 , SB2846 , SB2891 , SB2925 , SB2929 , SB2933 , SB3016 , SB3029 , SB3039 , SB3044 , SJR3 , SJR18 , SB5 , SB326 , SB494 , SB530 , SB767 , SB769 , SB783 , SB914 , SB963 , SB1035 , SB1197 , SB1271 , SB1415 , SB1437 , SB1619 , SB1637 , SB1786 , SB1806 , SB2312 , SB29 , SB1238 , SB1967 , SB1 , SB260 , SB1637 , SJR36 , SJR50 , SJR63 , SJR59 , SCR12 , SCR39 , SCR48 , SCR19 , SB2023 , SB62 , SB666 , SB847 , SB284 , SB854 , SB1073 , SB810 , SB1505 , SB583 , SB1502 , SB507 , SB1434 , SB1376 , SB1585 , SB1772 , SB2016 , SB1163 , SB1122 , SB731 , SB397 , SB508 , SB1436 , SB287 , SB261 , SB1882 , SB393 , SB1791 , SB209 , SB2429 , SB1999 , SB511 , SB2309 , SB510 , SB1085 , SB1975 , SB2717 , SB1262 , SB1524 , SB636 , SB2056 , SB884 , SB517 , SB1200 , SB1845 , SB1863 , SB2681 , SB2200 , SB2199 , SB2458 , SB2201 , SB801 , SB2533 , SB3014 , SB3013 , SB758 , SB1013 , SB2797 , SB2119 , SB2076 , SB2876 , SB2284 , SB2929 , SB2595 , SB715 , SB1640 , SB2514 , SB2753 , SB1241 , SB2538 , SB1449 , SB2529 , SB2846 , SB986 , SB1181 , SB1359 , SB2550 , SB2245 , SB410 , SB1234 , SB456 , SB1012 , SB2926 , SB2138 , SB1242 , SB2615 , SB2310 , SB1224 , SB2972 , SB2841 , SB3016 , SB1856 , SB2035 , SB1528 , SB1141 , SB1266 , SB1373 , SB2269 , SB2480 , SB672 , SB2891 , SB2422 , SB1854 , SB317 , SB2539 , SB2532 , SB2925 , SB1250 , SB2082 , SB2203 , SB2357 , SB2721 , SB243 , SB1285 , SB2568 , SB1959 , SB1442 , SB1454 , SB2520 , SB2541 , SB1708 , SB1237 , SB1844 , SB1586 , SB1551 , SB3039 , SB2819 , SB66 , SB629 , SB1015 , SB2342 , SB2903 , SB2933 , SB1965 , SB2477 , SB3029 , SB2605 , SB2419 , SB1957 , SB375 , SB250 , SB777 , SB628 , SB2523 , SB2367 , SB2703 , SB2608 , SB2778 , SB3044 , SB2965 , SB2521 , SB865 , SB1032 , SB2165 , SB2501 , SB2675 , SB2452 , SB2835 , HB 1109 , HB1392 , HB22 , HB2525 , HB3093 , SB872 , SB1212 , SB1278 , SB1588 , SB1602 , SB1704 , SB1723 , SB1833 , SB1858 , SB1946 , SB2009 , SB2177 , SB2460 , SB2785 , SB2373 , SB1660 , SB614 , SB867 , SB1608 , SB1525 , SB905 , SB640 , SB2487 , SB1698 , SB383 , SB705 , SB748 , SB1113 , SB1117 , SB1802 , SB2340 , SB2586 , SB2680 , SB2690 , SB2994 , SB2747 , SB1950 , SB913 , SB1071 , SB1086 , SB1087 , SB1483 , SB1444 , SB1553 , SB1556 , SB1703 , SB2133 , SB2297 , SB2298 , SB2622 , SB2955 , SB3059 , SB2782 , SB2781 , SB2637 , SB2633 , SB2337 , SB2334 , SB1861 , SB2043 , SB1367 , SB946 , SB945 , SB2857 , SB128 , SB571 , SB1263 , SB3058 , SB612 , SB2221 , SB2587 , SB2044 , SB2363 , SB2713 , HB517 , HB912 , HB 1130 , HB142 , HB1689 , HB2018

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, received the House message that HB 35 had passed, and heard a gubernatorial message submitting Trinity River Authority board appointments for Senate confirmation. The chamber also adopted a slate of Senate resolutions by voice vote and later postponed reading and referral of bills and resolutions until the end of the calendar. Several members introduced bills with brief explanations before the Senate took them up under suspension of the regular order. The body then considered and passed a series of measures, often by wide margins, including SB 2846 on wildlife disease control and quarantine authority; CS SB 1224 requiring school superintendents or directors to report certain employee misconduct to local law enforcement; CS SB 2310 on transparency for degree and transfer requirements at public colleges; SB 1502 limiting school districts’ ability to exceed voter-approval tax rates after a failed TRE; CS SB 1141 on notice requirements before full adversary hearings in child-protection cases; CS SB 2568 exempting certain flood-control reservoirs from TCEQ permitting; SB 1524 on confidentiality of information about weapons in foster homes; CS SB 2925 creating a task force on modernizing manufacturing; CS SB 2269 on dispute resolution and enforcement for long-term care facilities; CS SB 1266 on Medicaid provider enrollment and disenrollment notices; SB 243 on migrant labor housing standards; SB 2200 on overweight vehicles transporting hazardous materials; CS SB 2480 on the Texas Physician Health Program; CS SB 1585 restricting government contracts with companies tied to foreign adversaries; CS SB 2357 establishing maternal health training; and SB 1551 requiring accessible AED placement in public schools. The Senate also debated more contested bills. CS SB 2019, which would extend vaccine exemption rules to medical and veterinary students, advanced only partway after a divided vote. CS SB 1442, directing a study on veterinary telemedicine relationships, and CS SB 1241, which would allow the Higher Education Coordinating Board to study alternative college entrance exams, prompted extended questioning about agency authority and whether changes should return to the legislature before taking effect. CS SB 2753, which would integrate early voting and election day voting into a single in-person voting period, was amended and passed to engrossment despite opposition. CS SB 2201, dealing with gang and foreign terrorist organization intelligence databases, and CS SB 2514, creating a DPS hostile foreign adversaries unit, drew detailed debate over civil liberties and national security. CS SB 2422, aimed at limiting Texas Medical Board discipline related to COVID-19 treatments and practices, also advanced after lengthy discussion and a close vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• We consume more petroleum than any other nation on Earth, other than the U.S., China, India, and the
• We consume more petroleum than any other nation on Earth, other than the U.S., China, India, and the
• We consume more petroleum than any other nation on Earth, other than the U.S., China, India, and the

Summary: The Senate first took up two budget-related transportation trailer bills. AB 107 was described as a budget junior bill making technical corrections, updating federal appropriations by about $15 million, and exempting certain Proposition 4 appropriations from the Administrative Procedures Act to speed spending; Senator Niello objected to the transparency implications, but the bill passed 28-10. AB 117 then authorized a $590 million state loan from the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to provide operating support to Bay Area transit agencies, with repayment secured by transit assistance revenues and interest; supporters called it an emergency bridge to prevent major service cuts at BART, Muni, AC Transit, and Caltrain, while critics questioned ridership recovery, governance, and accountability. The measure passed 28-9 after extensive debate, with several senators emphasizing both Bay Area urgency and the need for broader statewide transit funding and reform. The Senate then confirmed two California Air Resources Board appointees. Linda Hopkins, Sonoma County supervisor and air district chair, was confirmed after brief support from Senator Becker highlighting her rural North Bay perspective. Patricia Locke Dawson, Riverside mayor and South Bay air district representative, was also confirmed, with Senator Becker again praising her academic and practical background. Both confirmations passed on largely party-line votes with broad support from the majority and opposition from a small group of Republicans. The chamber next considered SCR 89, a resolution by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas condemning federal attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs under President Trump. Supporters from both parties and multiple caucuses framed DEI as essential to civil rights, education, workforce development, national defense, and inclusion for marginalized communities, while the author argued California must resist federal rollbacks. The resolution passed after a lengthy debate and roll call, with several senators also using the discussion to share personal experiences with educational access and discrimination. Finally, the Senate took up SCR 78, authored by Senator Cabaldon, commemorating the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and warning against repeating such abuses. Senators from across the chamber spoke in support, citing the injustice of Executive Order 9066, the resilience and military service of Japanese Americans, and the importance of museums and historic sites such as Manzanar and the Japanese American National Museum. The resolution was presented as both remembrance and a caution against fear-driven policies and erosion of due process.

Transcript Highlights:

• Gunda has served as the commission's vice chair since 2021 and is the lead commissioner on petroleum
• Gunda has served as the commission's vice chair since 2021 and is the lead commissioner on petroleum
• Gold Rush era onward, establishing charitable institutions, advancing labor rights, pioneering industries