Transcript Highlights:

• The index evaluates all 50 states across 18 performance indicators: voter registration rates, post-election
• audits, security protocols, voter registration rates, post-election audits, security protocols, ballot
• areas and order county clerks to halt canvassing or attempt to seize election equipment and voter registration
• Or attempt to seize election equipment and voter registration lists, they would be subject to criminal
• that they need to stay online and to continue to serve their voters, you know, looking up voter registration

Bills: SB264 , SB261

Committee: Senate House Rules & Order Of Business

Summary: The committee heard two election-related bills. SB 264, sponsored by Sen. Duhigg and others and presented by the Secretary of State, would add definitions and new offenses to New Mexico election law to prohibit interference with elections, including the presence of troops or armed persons at polling places or ballot drop boxes, attempts to impose election rules contrary to state law, and intentional obstruction of access to polling places. It also would create civil enforcement options, strengthen existing election offenses by adding “under color of law” language, and include emergency voting procedures for voters displaced by natural disasters. Supporters, including Common Cause, the Center for Civic Policy, and the League of Women Voters, said the bill protects voters from intimidation and outside interference. Several county clerks and rural legislators raised concerns about late changes, lack of consultation, rural logistics, and possible litigation. The committee adopted the Rules Committee substitute and advanced SB 264 on a 5-3 roll call vote. SB 261, presented as a companion election measure, would remove the existing exception that allowed law enforcement to carry firearms at polling places, but the sponsor offered an amendment to allow armed law enforcement to respond when called by the presiding judge, county clerk, or Secretary of State. Supporters said firearms do not belong in or around polling places because they can intimidate voters and poll workers, while opponents argued the bill was unnecessary because existing law already covers law enforcement response and that the amendment created confusion. After a recess caused by members leaving the room, the committee returned, adopted the Rules Committee substitute including the amendment, and advanced SB 261 by unanimous voice vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• And at one point, I talked to the state police about getting license plate readers there, and I think
• since the administrative process for levying a registration fee already exists.
• Vehicle registration presently generates about 17% of state road funds in New Mexico.
• They have a flat registration fee, often capped at the amount of that registration fee, which means it
• Even registration fee-based taxes.

Transcript Highlights:

• To register or pre-register to vote, and assistance with tribal-led voter registration drives.
• To register or pre-register to vote, and assistance with tribal-led voter registration drives.
• The Department of Licensing, or DOL, may also issue confidential license plates and driver's licenses
• Records relating to these confidential license plates or driver's licenses are exempt under the PRA.
• This includes credentials and transmissions for purposes of voter registration and to WOTEC in DOL's

Bills: SB6084 , SB6137 , SCR8406 , SB5892 , SB5863

Committee: House State Government & Tribal Relations

Keywords: elections, double voting, voting twice, multiple voting, same-day election, primary election, general election, special election, cross-state voting, ballot fraud, election fraud, voter misconduct, RCW 29A.84.660, State v. Padilla, civil infraction, class C felony, Secretary of State, Washington elections, election law, voter eligibility

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Olson has a few different dealer and license plate provisions to make it easier, smarter
• , and safer to purchase vehicles and... when you purchase vehicles, the plates on them; he'll talk about
• Representative Joy helps the road system with the blackout plates that people are purchasing, putting
• Registrations are paid.
• And let me be specific on this $75 annual registration fee.

Transcript Highlights:

• secure online portal for verifying, recording, and processing the seizure or confiscation of license plates
• that a disabled veteran may retain the unique alphanumeric designation assigned to the DV license plate
• It authorizes tax collectors to issue disabled veterans' license plates immediately on demand to qualified
• It prohibits the manufacture, sale, or use of license plate covers, films, or overlays that obscure or
• alter license plates.

Summary: The Transportation Committee met with a quorum and first took up SB 1362 on advanced air mobility. Senator Harrell described the bill as creating a framework for vertiports and eVTOL operations, including DOT oversight, vertiport licensing, preemption of local design and operational regulation, and limited liability protections. An amendment was adopted that removed the bill’s sales tax exemptions and narrowed the sovereign immunity language so it would apply only to vertiports co-located at airports, aligning the bill more closely with the House companion. Supporters from eVTOL companies praised Florida’s leadership and the regulatory clarity, while the Florida Justice Association urged caution about extending immunity to unproven entities. The committee then reported the bill favorably. The committee next considered SB 260 on storage and cleanup of electric vehicles after crashes. An amendment narrowed the bill to EVs with visible battery or battery-compartment damage or saltwater submersion, clarified that the fee applies to storage rather than towing, and tied the proposal to existing fire marshal rules requiring damaged EVs to be stored away from structures. Insurance and rental-car industry representatives supported the narrowed approach but asked for more data reporting, clearer limits on cleanup language, and safeguards against overcharging or cost shifting. The bill was debated as a response to the space and safety burdens placed on tow operators, and it was reported favorably after amendment. The committee also approved SB 1352, which creates a secure online portal for license plate seizure/confiscation processing, allows disabled veterans to retain their DV plate alphanumeric designation, authorizes immediate issuance of DV plates by tax collectors, bans license plate covers/overlays that obscure plates, and routes online driver license/ID renewals to the customer’s county tax collector with service fees remitted accordingly. SB 1370 was reported favorably as well; it closes a loophole so drivers who never had a license can still be treated similarly to suspended-license offenders for habitual traffic offender purposes after repeated offenses. Finally, the committee considered SB 1220, FDOT’s transportation package, which included updates to trail prioritization, SunTrail materials and sponsorships, seaport and airport resilience planning, drone delivery and personnel delivery device provisions, LiDAR coordination, turnpike toll programming changes, and felony penalties for damaging autonomous vehicles. An amendment removed some provisions, including digital driver license authorization and the rapid rail transit compact, and added advanced air mobility corridor language and an FDOT study on alternative-fuel revenue impacts; after support from several stakeholders, the committee reported the bill favorably and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• FLORIDA WOULD BE A STATE WITH TWO LICENSE PLATES? FRONT AND BACK? IS THAT CORRECT? >> Sen.
• ONE OF THE WAYS IS, FOLLOW THE 29 OTHER STATES THAT HAS TWO-WAY LICENSE PLATES.
• THE CAMERAS CAN'T ALWAYS SEE THE BACK OF THE PLATE.
• WELL MY EYES YOU PAY THE REGISTRATION FEE AND YOU JUST PAY IT TWICE. TWO PLATE FEES.
• IT'S ONLY FOR WHEN PEOPLE RENEW THEIR PLATES AND THE PLATES LAST 10 YEARS.

Transcript Highlights:

• that nothing requires the Parkway's authority to... ...requires the Parkway's authority to read every plate
• heard from Parkway Authority that even though this amendment would not require them to look at every plate
• technology is not there yet, and it sounds as though they're still going to have to look at every plate
• So if this amendment were to pass, the option of switching up the license plate...
• Senator from the plate. Yeah, so just follow up on what Senator from Randolph just spoke of.

Committee: Senate Transportation and Infrastructure

Transcript Highlights:

• The modernized application is called Orion, which is an acronym for the Online Registration and Identity
• There's a way that you can renew your vehicle registration without having a portal login account.
• But how do we prevent an illegal from getting an ID and a voter's registration at the same time?
• There's the license plate side, which we call the International Registration Plan.
• What's a timeline that an operator could count on receiving that plate prior to the expiration date?

Summary: The subcommittee heard updates on several state technology modernization efforts, beginning with the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s Enterprise Business Solution (DEMS). FDEM said DEMS is about 50% complete, with some grants and finance functions already live, and is intended to replace manual disaster and grants processing with a cloud-based system. Officials described faster reimbursement timelines after recent storms, major return-on-investment claims, and a planned final phase focused on design, testing, communications, data governance, and additional functionality. Members asked about the total cost, the role of Florida Digital Service, deliverables-based contracting, and how much of the system is live; FDEM said the project is expected to cost about $16 million to $16.8 million and finish by June 2027, with some follow-up information to be provided. The Department of Legal Affairs presented its Office of Attorney General Modernization Program, a follow-up to an earlier effort that failed after spending about $26 million. Acting Attorney General John Gard said the department has now moved to an off-the-shelf case management product, LawBase, and is in development and testing, with the Office of Statewide Prosecution already live and full implementation expected by the end of the fiscal year. The request includes funding for staff augmentation, cloud storage, the LawBase license, redundancy through a backup site in Orlando, and OnBase support. Members questioned the prior failure, the use of Florida Digital Service standards, data location and cloud migration, and the redundancy plan; Gard said lessons learned included better scoping and that the current effort is on track. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles then updated the committee on Motorist Modernization, including the Orion system and the MyDMV portal. Officials said Phase 1 and Phase 2 have modernized driver license and motor vehicle services, with Phase 2 statewide rollout scheduled to begin in April 2025 and Phase 3 proposed at $16.5 million for dealer services, data warehouse improvements, and call center modernization. Members asked about payment options, organ donor questions, staffing, cybersecurity, cloud strategy, and the digital driver license program. The agency said the portal already allows some sanctions to be cleared online, an ACH option is being developed, the digital driver license vendor has changed with a fall go-live anticipated, and the department is using security testing and a managed security service provider. Officials also said the system is currently on an on-prem private cloud, with future workloads expected to move to public cloud where appropriate. Finally, Florida Commerce presented on the Reemployment Assistance modernization system, Reconnect, and the FLWINS workforce system. Commerce said Reconnect is hosted in the Azure Government Cloud, has reduced claim filing time, improved fraud detection, and increased appeals capacity, and now needs $4.9 million in recurring funding to cover ongoing operations, cloud hosting, licenses, and staff augmentation. Members asked about adjudication issues, wait times, fraud prevention, and whether the system stores caller identifiers; Commerce said the average wait to speak to a representative is about 18 minutes and claims are generally processed in four to six weeks. The committee then began hearing about FLWINS, which is intended to create a “no wrong door” workforce portal under the REACH Act, but the transcript cuts off before that presentation concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• agency has something to do with veterans from, you know, Rachel, I'm sure you know, veterans license plates
• They can't go get veterans license plates because they don't have the word honorable on their discharge
• They can't go get veterans license plates because they don't have the word honorable on their discharge
• benefits involved, Florida has, if you're 100% service-connected, disabled veteran, you don't pay for registration
• , you don't pay registration for your vehicle, your military professional licensure you don't pay for

Summary: The Employment Subcommittee of the Massachusetts Permanent Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities met on May 18 and approved the prior meeting minutes. The group heard first about the Massachusetts Disability Employment Tax Credit from MassAbility staff, who explained that the credit offers employers an incentive for hiring workers with disabilities, that the certification process is designed to be simple and largely self-attesting, and that outreach is being done through MassAbility’s website, business relations team, flyers, and a dedicated email address. Members asked about employer filing, available data, and whether credits can be carried forward; the presenter said the Department of Revenue handles implementation questions and that the program had recently resulted in its first company receiving the credit, though broader employer uptake remains limited. The subcommittee then heard from Scott Pitt of the Office of the Veteran Advocate, who described the new independent agency’s role in helping veterans access timely services, investigating problems, and improving coordination across state systems. He focused on veterans’ disability ratings, the fact that VA disability does not necessarily prevent work, and the importance of discharge status for access to benefits such as the GI Bill and state programs. He also highlighted vocational rehabilitation, housing and caregiver supports, and the office’s work on professional licensure barriers, especially in nursing, where Massachusetts is exploring whether military training can be recognized more directly. Members discussed other states’ approaches, the need for more data, and possible connections to workforce and nursing stakeholders. In the final portion of the meeting, members discussed a lengthy policy brief and the subcommittee’s future work. They identified two main areas of interest: the “benefit cliff” and youth/young adult pathways into employment, including apprenticeships. Members agreed the brief should be revisited at the August 31 meeting and that they may need a more structured format, such as a spreadsheet or landscape map, to organize the information. The chair emphasized that the commission can collect and share information and develop a white paper for appointing authorities, but cannot lobby or legislate, and invited members interested in the benefit cliff work to join follow-up discussions. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• that nothing requires the Parkway Authority to... ...requires the Parkway Authority to read every plate
• heard from Parkway Authority that even though this amendment would not require them to look at every plate
• technology is not there yet, and it sounds as though they're still going to have to look at every plate
• They claim that they've got the license plate readers in there.
• And they were reading their license plate number, and they were sending people bills.

Summary: The Senate Infrastructure Committee first returned to engrossed House Bill 4419, which would require the West Virginia Parkways Authority to hold public hearings and give notice before increasing tolls, rents, fees, or charges, and would allow legislative auditing of related revenues and sinking funds. The committee debated two amendments related to E-ZPass transponders: one from the Senator from Jefferson to clarify that the Parkway Authority would not be required to read every plate failed on a 4-4 tie, and one from the Senator from Wetzel to codify a restriction on transferring single-fee transponders between vehicles was rejected after discussion with counsel and the Parkways Authority about current policy, convenience for users, and possible effects on the bill. The committee then approved a motion to send HB 4419 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass, but first be referred to Finance, and a separate motion to send it to Finance passed. The committee also considered engrossed House Bill 4563, on which Senator Randolph moved for a second reference to Finance because of fiscal concerns. After discussion of the newly filed fiscal note and the bill’s potential revenue impact, that motion failed by a 4-5 division vote. The committee then voted to report HB 4563 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 4538, which increases fines and penalties for failing to obey traffic control instructions or speeding in construction and work zones, and also references penalties tied to distracted driving provisions. Counsel noted the bill’s possible overlap with existing vehicular homicide penalties and that it had no fiscal note. Jason Pizzitella of the Contractors Association testified in support, emphasizing work-zone safety and recent fatalities, while senators from Fayette, Randolph, and Jefferson also supported the bill and discussed the need to protect workers and drivers. The committee adopted a motion to report HB 4538 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> person has a an out estate license plate person has a an out estate license plate they've<00:30:
• </c><00:41:05.839><c> we</c> and cities to issue registrations we and cities to issue registrations we
• So, car registrations, which are, you know, again processed by the DMV at the end of the day.
• ation the example I used registration ation the example I used earlier<00:50:58.839><c> again</c><00
• which are you know so car registrations which are you know again<00:52:10.480><c> processed</c><00:52

Summary: The committee first took up HB 129, which would redefine “evidence-based” in public education. Department of Education testimony said the bill’s definition would conflict with the federal definition and be unusually restrictive, potentially affecting curriculum, educator training, and many existing state requirements. The department said it could force a broad overhaul of school programs and create a need for at least one new state position, with local districts likely facing significant unbudgeted costs. Members raised concerns about impacts on federal pass-through funding, curriculum materials, and whether the bill was workable at all. Several members said the proposal would be too costly and difficult to implement, especially during a tight budget cycle. Representative Papovich moved to retain HB 129, and the motion passed 7-0. Members who supported retention said they wanted to set the bill aside because of the scale of the concerns, while also stating they did not support the bill as written. The committee then opened HB 133, dealing with DMV follow-up on residency and licensing issues tied to voting and other interactions. Department of Safety/DMV officials said the bill would require a $40,000 technology update plus a full-time position to handle manual correspondence and review of possible matches, and that postage was not included in the fiscal note. They said the bill’s 60-day residency trigger is vague, that the DMV would be acting outside its normal role by investigating status after the fact, and that the measure could create privacy and operational problems. Members questioned whether the bill would effectively force people to buy a driver’s license to vote, whether non-driver and voter ID options would avoid that concern, and whether the Secretary of State rather than DMV would be the more appropriate agency to handle any follow-up.

Transcript Highlights:

• plates on line<01:14:37.600><c> 263.
• for a vehicle and pay the fees specified for those new plates.
• Section 20 is a provision from plates.
• Section 63 is the authorization for MnDOT to collect registration information and to collect a registration
• And then for aircraft registration.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• Then on the motor vehicle side, it's anything related to the registration of an automobile a boat or
• to access our services, whether they want to visit one of our 200+ locations, renew their car registration
• sure to do inventory checks to be sure that the number of driver's licenses or the number of license plates
• they have matches the number of license plates the system says they have.
• Another one I touch on is the biennial registration for car registrations, where you can now register

Bills: HCR54 , HCR79 , HCR87 , HCR94 , HCR104 , HB1209

Committee: Senate Natural Resources

Keywords: migratory waterfowl, hunting regulations, flooded crops, wildlife management, environmental impact, Senator Kennedy, wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, legislative support, environment, protective measures, boating safety, recreational boating, boat stops, vessel registration, boating fatalities, boating incidents, citations, LDWF, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Bills: HF4261 , HF4263 , HF4264 , HF4787

Committee: House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy

Keywords: natural resources, motorboat, boating safety, personal watercraft, PWC, watercraft operator permit, boater safety exam, off-road vehicle, ORV, ATV, snowmobile, state trail pass, cross-country ski pass, horse pass, state park permit, game and fish, hunting license, fishing license, wildlife permit, invasive species

Transcript Highlights:

• organizations, professional fundraisers, and professional solicitors follow the requirements in law for registration

Bills: SB1195 , SB1245 , SB1379 , SB1420 , SB1473 , SB1534 , SB1743 , SB1769 , SB1945

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: nuisance, racing facility, racetrack, qualified defense, local property rights, noise regulation, legal claims, felony offenses, criminal justice reform, drug offenses, DUI penalties, residential treatment, human trafficking, victims, prevention, support services, Attorney General, pilot program, grant funding, public comment

Bills: SB6005 , SB6225

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: transportation budget, transportation appropriations, capital budget, supplemental budget, Washington State Department of Transportation, WSDOT, Washington State Patrol, Department of Licensing, ferries, Puget Sound ferries, tolling, express toll lanes, highway safety, traffic safety, impaired driving, ignition interlock, speed cameras, transit funding, public transit, multimodal transportation

Bills: SSB3002 , SSB3033 , SSB3040 , SSB3038 , SSB3078 , SJR2007 , SF2022 , SSB3075

Committee: Joint State Government

Keywords: pari-mutuel wagering, dog racing, gaming commission, license fees, simulcast, administrative services, historical resources, Iowa City, regulatory change, state agency structure, Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, sports wagering, sports betting, advance deposit wagering, advance deposit sports wagering, illegal gambling, unlicensed gambling, cease and desist, injunctive relief, unlawful betting

Bills: HB2588 , HB2722 , HB2727

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: county ferry district, ferry district, passenger-only ferry, passenger ferry, Puget Sound, Vashon, Seattle, Southworth, county transportation, local taxing authority, property tax levy, general obligation bonds, municipal corporation, public transportation benefit area, WTSC, Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, ferry terminal, wharf, shuttle service, marine transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• ballot back, but the signature on the envelope doesn't appear to match the signature on their voter registration
• contributing to vehicles like ballot issue campaigns, get-out-the-vote, or GOTV operations, voter registration
• has been stated, mandate a fee for somebody who is placed on probation and under the level three registration

Bills: SB1285 , SB1289 , SB1326 , SB1328 , SB1329 , SB1330 , SB1392 , SB1402 , SB1425 , SCR1013 , SCR1014

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Elections

Keywords: sentencing, correctional facilities, multiple sentences, death penalty, aggravating circumstances, juvenile offenses, class 2 felony, foreign donations, election administration, certification, Arizona Revised Statutes, transparency, public disclosure, parents' rights, family law, shared parenting, best interest of the child, state interference, family court, custody