Transcript Highlights:

• Texas State Board of Accountancy: Mr. Christopher G. Grant Coates, Fort Worth; Mr. James, Jamie D.
• Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners: Donna S. Guthrie, Belair.
• Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners: Donna S. Guthrie, Belair; Ms. Deborah J.
• Respectfully submitted, Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas.

Summary: The Senate received a message from Governor Greg Abbott asking for the Senate’s advice, consent, and confirmation on several appointments, including nominees to the Texas State Board of Accountancy and the Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners. The chamber also handled first reading and referral of Senate Bill 2 by Creighton and others, which would establish an education savings account program for K-16 education. The Senate adopted a motion by Senator Zaffirini to have all remarks made for the election of the President pro tempore reduced to writing and entered in the journal. No objection was heard to that motion. Finally, Senator Zaffirini moved that the Senate adjourn until 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 28. With no objection, the Senate adjourned as requested.

Transcript Highlights:

• ask the advice, consent, and confirmation of the Senate with respect to the following appointments: Texas
• State Board of Accountancy: Mr.
• Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners: Donna S. Guthrie, Belair.
• Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners: Donna S. Guthrie, Belair; Ms. Deborah J.
• Respectfully submitted, Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas.

Summary: The Senate received a message from the Governor submitting appointments for advice, consent, and confirmation, including nominees to the Texas State Board of Accountancy and the Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners. The Senate also read Senate Bill 2 by Creighton and others, which would establish an education savings account program for K-16 education, and referred it to committee. During the meeting, Senator Zaffirini offered a motion to have all remarks made for the election of the President pro tempore reduced to writing and entered into the journal. There was no objection, and the motion was adopted. The Senate then considered a motion to adjourn until 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 28. With no objection, the motion carried and the Senate adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, there's currently a state... ...there's currently a state...
• And I put Texas because Texas is always considered a benchmark state that people... considered a benchmark
• All the yellow are the surrounding states or the states I just mentioned, the benchmark states.
• If you look at every other state, Tennessee is next, followed by Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, and Texas
• Previously, if you operated in the state and out of state, the out-of-state company would pay less than

Bills: HB188 , HB52

Committee: House Ways and Means Education

Keywords: healthcare, insurance, patient rights, medical treatment, access, affordability, income tax, CHOOSE Act, education funding, ABLE account, tax credits, poverty threshold, legislative funding, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• back from all every country in the world and every state, United States of America, trying to make themselves
• throughout the state of Florida.
• throughout the state of Florida.
• As well, 115 landings in the state of Florida that we’ve intercepted in conjunction with FDLE, State
• I think you’ll see a distinct difference between some other states in the United States during that time

Committee: Senate Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security

Summary: The committee heard a series of domestic security and law enforcement presentations from the Florida Sheriffs Association, Florida Police Chiefs Association, Florida Highway Patrol, and FDLE. Sheriff Rob Hardwick outlined the sheriffs’ legislative priorities, focusing on adding xylazine to Florida’s trafficking statute and increasing penalties for luring or enticing a child under 12 from a misdemeanor to a felony. He also discussed domestic security coordination, fusion center intelligence sharing, and jail-based reentry efforts. Members asked about xylazine prevalence in Broward County and whether canine units can detect it; Hardwick said he would follow up with data and noted that dogs are not specifically trained for xylazine, though fentanyl-certified dogs may alert on mixtures. Chief Charlie Vasquez of the Florida Police Chiefs Association presented three priorities: stronger protections for law enforcement, judges, prosecutors, public defenders, and their families when threatened because of their jobs; faster and more consistent access to blood-borne pathogen testing results after exposure incidents; and mandatory life without release for anyone convicted of murdering a police or correctional officer, reviving a version of the Jason Raynor Act. Senators asked about delays in blood testing after exposure, and Vasquez said officers can be forced to take prophylactic medication while waiting for results and that the process should be streamlined. Florida Highway Patrol Director Dave Kerner described FHP’s domestic security role, including criminal interdiction, canine units, traffic homicide investigations, aviation, drones, border operations, and responses to threats such as human smuggling and the October 7-related security posture at synagogues and campuses. He said staffing remains constrained by vacancies and pay disparities, so he was not seeking more authorized troopers at this time. FDLE Deputy Commissioner David Binder then reviewed the state’s domestic security structure, fusion centers, critical infrastructure assessments, and grant funding, warning that federal homeland security dollars have declined sharply while threats remain high. He highlighted work on drone mitigation, radiological detection, vehicle barriers, and school security assessments, and emphasized the need for continued interagency coordination. The committee took no formal votes and adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• ask the advice, consent, and confirmation of the Senate with respect to the following appointments: Texas
• State Board of Accountancy: Mr.
• Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners: Donna S. Guthrie, Belair.”
• Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners: Donna S. Guthrie, Belair; Ms. Deborah J.
• Respectfully submitted, Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas. To nominations.

Bills: SB2

Summary: The Senate received a message from the Governor submitting appointments for advice, consent, and confirmation, including nominees to the Texas State Board of Accountancy and the Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners. The chamber also read Senate Bill 2 by Creighton and others, which would establish an education savings account program for K-16 education, and referred it to committee. A motion by Senator Zaffirini was adopted without objection to have all remarks made for the election of the President pro tempore reduced to writing and entered in the journal. The Senate then considered and adopted a motion to adjourn. No votes were recorded on the appointments or the bill in this transcript. The Senate adjourned until 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, January 28.

Transcript Highlights:

• State Representative Kate Donahue, present. Ernie Gates.
• And then since November '24, we've been going around the state.
• I know there's a mobile van in Boston and other parts of the state.
• This is a relatively new intervention in the United States.
• This is a relatively new intervention in the United States.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on xylazine held its first meeting, with House Chair Mindy Domb and Senate Co-Chair John Keenan outlining the commission’s charge and a proposed work plan. The commission is tasked with studying the public health and safety impacts of xylazine in the illicit drug supply, including whether it should be scheduled as a controlled substance, how to regulate its production and distribution, and how to improve outreach and treatment for people exposed to it. Members were told the report deadline had been extended to March 30, 2026, and staff proposed a series of public hearings and working groups leading to a final report. The meeting also included attendance, packet materials, and procedural planning. The first major testimony came from BSAS Director Deirdre Calvert, who described xylazine’s appearance in Massachusetts drug supply data, the state’s public health alerts, and DPH’s partnership with Brandeis, CDC, and harm reduction organizations. She emphasized four priorities: reducing stigma and discrimination in health care, expanding self-directed wound care support and coverage for supplies, expanding access to drug checking and test strips, and supporting low-barrier services such as mobile vans and drop-in centers. Commission members asked about first responder awareness, medical education, and whether harm reduction services might face federal restrictions; Calvert said misinformation remains a problem and noted ongoing training efforts, including collaboration with public safety agencies. Several other speakers reinforced the need for low-barrier care and drug checking. Dr. Raghini Jala, an infectious disease and addiction medicine physician, said xylazine has become a common component of the unregulated opioid supply and urged support for rapid-response education teams, community-based drug checking, and better hospital and detox protocols for xylazine withdrawal and wounds. Recovery coach Alan Young testified from lived experience, describing severe wounds, fear of inadequate withdrawal treatment in emergency settings, and the value of mobile care vans that can provide methadone, buprenorphine, and wound care in the community. Dr. Sarah Wakeman echoed the need for naloxone, rescue breathing, low-threshold treatment, and non-stigmatizing health care settings, while Sarah Macon of the Boston Public Health Commission described Boston’s harm reduction and drug checking work, including on-site testing, wound care, and a decline in opioid mortality. Tracy Green of the Massachusetts Drug Supply Data Stream explained that xylazine has declined in recent samples while metatomidine is rising, said drug checking is increasingly used but still not enough, and argued for more funding, staffing, and statewide access to real-time drug checking and harm reduction services.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're so thankful to live in a country and in a state where we can freely worship you, Lord.
• We pray for all citizens of Texas that are suffering from the loss of life and property.
• The United States and Texas flags. Good morning, members and folks in the gallery.
• And now, the greatest state. On the Texas flag, I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas.
• One state, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr.

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're so thankful to live in a country in a state Ron Joy: where we can freely worship you, Lord.
• We pray for all citizens of Texas that are suffering from the loss of life and property.
• and Texas flags.
• And now the great state. Honor the Texas Angela Orr: flag.
• I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible.

Transcript Highlights:

• major issue, and we'd be interested in working with you. because you've got 12 campuses across the state
• So the final special item is actually sponsored, if you will. you will, by the Texas Trucking Association
• CDLs include bus drivers for school districts, CDLs include the tank battery trucks in West Texas that
• We now educated Texas A&M 79,000 students.
• The Department of Defense, Department of Energy, so many federal agencies and state agencies. with the

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Article III

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> states affect us with geoengineering? states affect us with geoengineering?
• . state. state.
• of Texas.
• </c> western states that actively issue state western states that actively issue state permits<00:29:
• </c> government as well as the state. government as well as the state.

Keywords: Meeting start 00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:56 Approval of Minutes 02:26 Discussion of the Kentucky Communications Network Authority and Related Legislative 02:43 Presentation of Geoengineering and Related Legislation 07:42, 958, all

Summary: The meeting began with a quorum call and approval of the prior meeting’s minutes. Senator Williams then presented a discussion draft involving KCNA and COOT/Kentucky Wired governance changes. He said the proposal would make the COOT executive director the KCNA director, place the education CIO as chair of a new board of constitutional officers, terminate existing KCNA employees at inception, and return KCNA funds to the general fund. He described the measure as a temporary holding pattern focused on customer connectivity until an audit is completed next summer. Senator West asked whether the bill would change existing Kentucky Wired contracts, and Williams said the contracts would remain in place and COOT would simply handle the work without an extra layer of bureaucracy. No vote was taken; the item was for discussion only. The committee then heard a presentation on geoengineering and related legislation from Rep. John Hodgson, Sen. Rollins, and retired meteorologist Randy Baker. They described geoengineering as attempts to alter climate or weather, including solar radiation modification, stratospheric aerosol injection, marine cloud brightening, and cloud seeding. The presenters distinguished these activities from ordinary jet contrails, crop dusting, ground-level emissions, and airport fog control, and said the proposed Kentucky bill would exclude those ordinary activities. They argued Kentucky lacks a current prohibition on weather modification, said the bill would protect farmland, crops, animal agriculture, aquaculture, and human health, and cited public concern, federal uncertainty, and similar legislation in other states. They also said cloud seeding is used in some western states but remains scientifically unproven and potentially harmful. Members asked about enforcement, federal preemption, and whether other states’ actions could affect Kentucky. The presenters said high-altitude spraying would be difficult to hide, that satellite imagery could detect large releases, and that the bill was intended as an assertion of state sovereignty even if federal law later changed. They also said there were no known active geoengineering projects in Kentucky. The discussion remained informational, with no committee vote or final action taken on either topic.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Medicare limit for each state.
• And then it takes the state portion of that, right, that the state would have to make up for Medicaid
• , whether it's an expansion state or a non-expansion state, they still pay more in those states than
• Thank you. ...patient costs $10,000, then we're losing $1,200 every patient, and yet in Texas, Texas
• to our state?

Committee: All ALC-HOSPITAL, MEDICAID, & DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES STUDY SUBCOMMITTEE

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• into our state.
• Or if you wanted to move across the state line, it's the same price you would pay to the state of Texas
• of Texas charges just across the state line.
• with Texas, will there be a chance... that the state of New Mexico will be pumping groundwater into the
• Texas. generally, Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• The SMR is a special sales tax utilized by cities across Texas to repair streets and sidewalks.
• You're here on behalf of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. You're here for the bill. Yes, sir.
• Uh, my name is Judge Shepherd, and I'm a policy analyst with the Texas Public Policy Foundation here
• And, uh, SBU 2529 seeks to protect Texas taxpayers from excessive taxation by installing common-sense
• Chair calls Rick Thompson, uh, on behalf of the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas,

Committee: House Ways & Means

Transcript Highlights:

• So this has been a major trend in my area of consumer protection across many states, and blue states
• for use in the state of Texas, so states can kind of get in front of this.
• That same battery system is under investigation in the state of Texas, where there's a battery system
• The state of Texas is investigating that battery system for allowing remote access into the Texas grid
• Shaitanis from the State of the States in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

Bills: HB2121 , HB2134 , HB2451 , HB2700

Committee: House Science & Technology

Keywords: modification, electronic equipment, consumer rights, OEM restrictions, civil penalties, intellectual property, critical infrastructure, foreign adversaries, China, communications, security, Arizona Space Commission, strategic plan, aerospace, economic development, space industry, education, workforce training, assistive technology, disability services

Transcript Highlights:

• now with the state.
• A handful of states across the country have applied for this designation, wherein our state would be
• At the state level, the federal government requires that the state administer one test, a summative,
• And the state has determined, our state, every state determines their own test.
• But we don't want it to be the state. We like what the state is doing. Thank you. Your light.

Committee: House Education

Summary: The committee first considered RS 33019, a joint memorial sponsored by Representative Ben Furman urging Congress to fully fund special education under IDEA. Furman argued that Congress promised 40% funding in 1975 but Idaho currently receives only about 12%, leaving schools and property taxpayers with an unfunded mandate. Several members supported the memorial as a way to press Congress, while others said they wanted a fuller discussion of special education requirements and maintenance-of-effort issues. The committee then voted to introduce RS 33019, with the motion passing on voice vote. The committee next recognized Idaho’s 2026 Teacher of the Year, Laren Johnson of Rigby High School, introduced by Superintendent Debbie Critchfield. Johnson spoke at length about the importance of teacher-student relationships, crediting mentors and describing how he works to connect with students through classes, extracurriculars, and community involvement. He highlighted programs and colleagues at Rigby, his work with Holocaust education and Future Hispanic Leaders of America, and the role of Idaho scholarships and career pathways in helping students stay in the state. Members thanked him for his service and remarks. Critchfield then presented a proposal for Idaho to seek federal flexibility on education rules and testing, including an EdFlex-style waiver and changes to assessment requirements. She said the department had reviewed reporting burdens and wanted to reduce requirements not mandated by state or federal law. The main waiver requests would exempt third graders from duplicative reading tests and allow 11th graders to choose among approved assessments, such as the ISAT, SAT, ACT, ASVAB, or technical exams, to better match student goals. Members asked about district testing practices, the portability of the ISAT, and future AI-related policy work. Critchfield said the proposal was out for public comment and would go to the State Board of Education before federal submission.

Transcript Highlights:

• now with the state.
• A handful of states across the country have applied for this designation, wherein our state would be
• At the state level, the federal government requires that the state administer one test, a summative,
• And the state has determined, our state, every state determines their own test.
• But we don't want it to be the state. We like what the state is doing. Thank you. Your light.

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the United States in Congress assembled, the congressional delegation representing the State of Idaho
• , the Congress of the United States, the United States Trade Representative, Ambassador, and the Secretary
• and to the congressional delegation representing the State of Idaho and the Congress of the United States
• of the United States and the Vice President of the United States in his capacity.
• Historical Society, the Idaho Commission for Libraries, the Idaho State Lottery, the State Appellate

Summary: The Senate convened with 32 members present, heard prayer and the Pledge, approved the prior journal, and received communications including the designation of Steve Kaiser as a substitute senator for District 15. The chamber also made several committee report referrals and introductions before moving into floor action on memorials and bills. The Senate adopted Senate Joint Memorials 110, 111, and 113. SJM 110 urged federal action to restore sugar import safeguards to protect Idaho sugar beet growers and rural jobs. SJM 111 reaffirmed Idaho’s position that public lands should remain in public hands and opposed transfer or sale of federal lands, with debate focusing on stewardship, access, and the cost of state management. SJM 113 supported the concept of Treasury bonds redeemable in gold as a way to test dollar credibility and address inflation. The Senate also adopted Senate Resolution 116, described as a cleanup of rules related to sales and use taxes and lodging taxes. On legislation, House Bill 624 passed the Senate 32-0 and was returned to the House; supporters said it updates Idaho’s virtual learning and Idaho Home Learning Academy framework with added oversight, transparency, and contract controls, while preserving the program. Senate Bill 1305 passed on a voice/roll-call consent vote and would let water district users, by resolution, charge water-right transfer costs to the person transacting the property rather than spreading them across all users. Senate Bill 1271, as amended, passed 28-3; it declares invasive rats a public health and safety nuisance and directs the Department of Agriculture to assess the problem and coordinate a response, with legislative approval required for any funding. The Senate then handled first- and second-reading referrals, held a few announcements, and adjourned until the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Jordan, I think you make some good points, but I think also having a patchwork, state-by-state framework
• In insurance, that's the very premise of McCarran-Ferguson: to have a patchwork of state by state because
• each state is different.
• And so it is best left to the states to regulate insurance in the best interests of their state.
• Companies are writing across state lines.

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1567 prohibits the state of Arizona, a state agency, a municipality, county, or political subdivision
• If it's the state of Arizona, a state agency, a municipality, county, or a political subdivision of the
• It would move that classification to the state statute.
• adjuster license in another state.
• for veterans of the United States Armed Forces who were military police officers in this state for veterans

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee heard a long series of Senate bills, mostly on third-read consent, covering education, public safety, health, courts, labor, and water. Several bills were briefly explained and then pulled from consent for further discussion, including measures on public records review standards (SB 1078), sexually explicit materials in schools/libraries (SB 1435 and SB 1567), burial costs in death cases (SB 1135), military flags in HOAs/COAs (SB 1184), court-ordered treatment guardianship (SB 1243), standardized state hiring (SB 1665), released-time religious instruction (SB 1741), firearm safety instruction in schools (SB 1424), student participation in extracurriculars after certain convictions (SB 1475), Celebrate Freedom Week (SB 1572), federal scholarship-granting organizations/vouchers (SB 1142), immigration-related arrest notifications (SB 1055), defamation standards (SB 1099), peace officer certification for military police veterans (SB 1107), mandatory reporting of child abuse/neglect directly to DCS (SB 1127), attorney licensing and discipline issues (SB 1148 and SB 1039), concealed weapons on college campuses (SB 1068), and firearm muffling devices/silencers (SB 1069). Members also raised constitutional, policy, and school-safety concerns on several of these bills, while supporters emphasized alternative pathways for students, veterans, and workers, and tighter reporting or licensing rules. Other bills were described without extended debate, including claims against the state for unpaid contracted services (SB 1097), workers’ compensation death benefits for surviving spouses who remarry (SB 1136), burial expense increases (SB 1135), state agency web pages for internal guidance (SB 1586), court-ordered treatment procedures and service of process in mental health cases (SB 1113), medical examiner authorization (SB 1123), tribal MOUs with DCS (SB 1125), controlled-substance scheduling conformity with federal classifications (SB 1188), EMT personal information protections (SB 1193), mammography notice updates (SB 1318), assisted-living referral disclosures (SB 1477), accommodation school GED instruction for 11th graders and students over 16 (SB 1166), credit enhancement board continuation (SB 1422), school district and charter school obligations related to religious release time (SB 1741), school firearm safety instruction (SB 1424), and school civics/freedom-week instruction (SB 1572). The committee also heard bills on CPA certification pathways (SB 1181), insurance adjuster licensing (SB 1415), county voter-registration rules online (SB 1040), campaign address privacy (SB 1259), federal land acquisition notification (SB 1281), water supply/demand assessments (SB 1202), environmental compatibility for power plants and small modular reactors (SB 1418), and groundwater recovery rules (SB 1785). The meeting ended with announcements and a brief recognition of Rep. Stephanie Hamilton with an “Affordability Award.” No final votes are shown in the transcript excerpt; instead, many bills were either left on consent, pulled for later discussion, or flagged for closed caucus. The chair then asked guests to leave so members could hold a closed caucus.

Transcript Highlights:

• Wage rates have increased in our state by 30%.
• United States where they're going to work.
• I know, I bet you all are seeing this in your States.
• Agriculture is the fourth biggest industry in my state, and we are a so-called specialty crop state.
• I've sat with them from the Midwest to around my state.

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee

Keywords: agriculture, avian flu, bipartisan farm bill, economic challenges, poultry, dairy, specialty crops

Summary: The committee meeting focused on crucial discussions surrounding the challenges faced by the agriculture sector, particularly concerning avian flu and its impact on poultry and dairy producers. Members provided insights into the economic struggles within the industry, emphasizing the need for a new bipartisan farm bill that addresses the diverse needs of specialty crop and livestock producers. Witnesses from various agricultural sectors spoke about their experiences, illustrating the high costs, regulatory burdens, and emerging diseases that threaten their operations. The meeting underscored a commitment to exploring solutions that will help maintain market stability and ensure food security.