Transcript Highlights:

• It waives governmental immunity, costing taxpayers even more in legal fees and draining local budgets

Bills: HB 229, HB 3990, HB 5082, HB 5510

Keywords: biological sex, government information, definitions, sex-based distinctions, public health, flags, display, state law, municipalities, government buildings, drug enforcement, local control, home rule, municipal charter, county policy, ordinance preemption, state preemption, attorney general enforcement, civil penalties, mandamus

Transcript Highlights:

• They've tied it up in courts, hoping that they'll drain the coffers of the Trinity while they're still

Bills: SB1169, SB1285, SB1583, SB1611, SB1898, SB1976, SB2160, SB2161, SB2658, SB2661, SB2662, SB2692, SB1055, SB1359, SB2660

Keywords: water service, sewer service, public utility, joint operation, infrastructure, municipality, compliance, SB 1285, bats, bat protection, wildlife protection, Texas Parks and Wildlife Code, Parks and Wildlife Code Section 63.101, hunting bats, bat possession, bat sales, bat trade, pest control, licensed pest control professional, animal control officer

Transcript Highlights:

• today they haven't paid a dime on any level because they've tied it up in courts hoping that they'll drain

Bills: SB 1169, SB 1285, SB 1583, SB 1611, SB 1898, SB 1976, SB 2160, SB 2161, SB 2658, SB 2661, SB 2662, SB 2692, SB 1055, SB 1359, SB 2660

Keywords: water service, sewer service, public utility, joint operation, infrastructure, municipality, compliance, SB 1285, bats, bat protection, wildlife protection, Texas Parks and Wildlife Code, Parks and Wildlife Code Section 63.101, hunting bats, bat possession, bat sales, bat trade, pest control, licensed pest control professional, animal control officer

Transcript Highlights:

• To process, and so that is a drain on whatever revenue source.

Bills: SB2122, SB2050, HB16

Keywords: oil and gas waste, application fees, permit amendments, environmental regulation, Texas natural resources, battery recycling, battery disposal, consumer batteries, energy storage modules, electrochemical devices, lithium-ion battery, household hazardous waste, solid waste, municipal recycling, waste management, battery stewardship, producer responsibility, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, recycling program

Transcript Highlights:

• ONE ISSUE WAS POORLY FUNCTIONING CANALS AND CULVERTS THAT WERE UNABLE TO DRAIN WATER AS INTENDED.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The problem with it is, it's such a drain on our resources.

Bills: HB287, HB280, HB57, HB252, HB286, SB36, HB287, HB280, HB57, HB252, HB286, SB36

Keywords: law enforcement, transparency, reporting, public safety, regulation, accountability, public nuisance, event liability, local government, community health, legal action, education, property acquisition, municipality, land use, annexation, competitive bidding, procurement, disclosure statements, state contracts

Transcript Highlights:

• Porn impacts the brain. Images cannot be unseen. What's red stays in the memory.
• Fiction builds creative connections in our brains that nonfiction does not, and this sparked curiosity
• We drained our retirement accounts. We emptied our savings.
• research, I spoke with judges, court administrators, court clerks, and county clerks, trying to wrap my brain

Bills: HB2242, HB2446, HB2799, HB4502, HB2920, HB2790, HB5620, HB5060, HB5076, HB5080, HB5081, HB5128, HB5130, HB3847, HB5116, HB2969, HB4546, HB4202, HB5624, HB3964, HB4803, HB872, HB4775, HB4777, HB4961, HB5570, HB2988, HB4260, HB1375, HB5009, HB5411, HB5134, HB4388, HB3095, HB1387

Keywords: constables, civil rights, local government, law enforcement, policy-making authority, affidavit, medical bills, civil actions, reasonable charges, healthcare services, judicial statistics, court performance, family law, civil cases, efficiency reporting, court security, emergency management, harassment penalties, judicial safety, court committee

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 4961, which would bar uninsured motorists from recovering non-economic damages after a collision. The author said the bill is intended to create incentives to maintain insurance and to address what he described as an unfair system for insured drivers. Texans for Lawsuit Reform and Texas Eagle Forum testified in support, while the Texas Trial Lawyers Association opposed it, warning the bill could also affect pedestrians, passengers, children, and others who did not choose whether a vehicle was insured. The bill author clarified that passengers would be included in the bill’s coverage. No vote was taken and the bill was left pending. House Bill 5570 would extend a legislative attorney CLE exemption to attorneys appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate to boards or commissions. The author said the measure is meant to ease time burdens and encourage service, and a witness supported it as a modest incentive for public service. A committee member noted a discrepancy in the number of affected attorneys, and the author agreed to verify the correct figure. The bill was left pending. The committee also heard House Bill 2969, which would restrict the State Bar from adopting rules or penalties that unreasonably burden attorneys’ religious exercise or free speech based on sincerely held beliefs. The author and several witnesses from Texas Values, Alliance Defending Freedom, and Cecilia Wood argued the bill protects lawyers of faith from an ABA model rule they described as a speech code. No one testified against the bill, and it was left pending. House Bill 4260, which would prohibit county judges and county commissioners from practicing law in courts over which they have jurisdiction, drew opposition from the County Judges and Commissioners Association, which argued existing ethics rules already address conflicts and that the bill would burden rural officials. The author said the bill was prompted by concerns about judges using their office to pressure others. The bill was left pending. House Bill 5134 would limit Rule 202 pre-suit depositions to people who have suffered or reasonably expect actual damages and would allow attorney’s fees against abusive petitioners. The author said the bill is aimed at preventing harassment and fishing expeditions, especially in family-law disputes. Questions focused on how the standard would work and how it differs from current law; the author said the main change is fee-shifting and a clearer legislative directive. The bill was left pending. House Bill 3095, a committee substitute version of a similar uninsured-motorist bill, would bar uninsured motorists from recovering non-economic damages and limit economic recovery, with several exceptions. Trial lawyers argued it was unconstitutional because it capped economic damages and could unfairly affect innocent drivers, pedestrians, and older people who no longer drive. The author acknowledged constitutional concerns and said the bill would need further work; the committee withdrew the substitute and left the bill pending. Finally, House Bill 4388 would require all judges, including county judges who perform administrative duties, to remain subject to the Code of Judicial Conduct. Supporters said some elected judges avoid accountability by relinquishing judicial functions, while opponents argued the bill is too rigid and unnecessary because existing remedies already exist. House Bill 3964 would limit public nuisance claims to their historical role and bar such claims against lawful conduct, conduct already covered by other remedies, and products. The author and supporters said the bill is meant to prevent courts from using public nuisance to make policy, while opponents argued it would eliminate useful remedies and could affect local actions against environmental or product-related harms. The author said the bill would not affect statutory nuisance claims, private nuisance claims, or other causes of action, and would be amended to clarify some provisions. The bill was left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• Navy was sued three times for inflicting brain hemming on citations. We know this is causing it.
• <00:59:04.839> Heming<00:59:05.359> on<00:59:06.079> citations for inflicting brain
• Heming on citations for inflicting brain Heming on citations we<00:59:07.240> know<00:59:07.559
• again, and not to mention when we have the nor'easter, nobody has yet to talk about the parasitic drain
• <01:59:59.000> these talk about the parasitic drain these talk about the parasitic drain these

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They have different mechanisms of action in the way that they work in the brain.
• ><00:38:48.079> And<00:38:48.320> so<00:38:48.720> switching they work in the brain
• And so switching they work in the brain.
• Selective laser trabeculoplasty, or SLT, treats glaucoma by going into the very delicate drain of the
• Selective laser trabeculoplasty, or SLT, treats glaucoma by going into the very delicate drain of the

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is a<00:09:50.800> senseless<00:09:51.279> drain<00:09:51.600> on<00:09:51.760
• > the<00:09:51.920> court's a senseless drain on the court's a senseless drain on the court's

Keywords: 00:00:06 - Call to Order/Roll Call 00:01:23 - Review of Referred Administrative Regulations 00:02:00 - Discussion of 26RS HB 485 01:00:40 - Roll Call Vote on 26RS HB 485 01:03:25 - Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Health Services met with a quorum and took up House Bill 485, a major mental health measure addressing both KRS 202C and KRS 202A. The committee first adopted a committee substitute and then approved a committee amendment correcting misspellings in the bill. Members and witnesses described the bill as the product of years of work with judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, mental health professionals, advocates, and the Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health. Testimony on the 202C portion focused on individuals charged with serious violent offenses who are found incompetent to stand trial. Witnesses, including a circuit judge and a family member whose mother was killed by her mentally ill brother, argued that current timelines require repeated evidentiary hearings and impose unnecessary trauma on victims’ families and strain on courts and KCPC. Supporters said the bill would lengthen review intervals, clarify the role and payment of guardians ad litem, and reduce repeated relitigation while preserving due process and public safety. They noted that 202C cases are few in number but consume a significant share of KCPC bed space. The committee then turned to the 202A portion, which covers civil mental health commitments for people who may not have committed a crime. Supporters said current law leaves courts with only two choices—hospitalization or release—and that the bill would create a third option by allowing court-ordered outpatient treatment and other guardrails such as medication compliance and follow-up care. Witnesses emphasized that the bill defines terms such as “benefit” and “serious mental illness,” expands the definition of danger, and aims to provide a least restrictive alternative to inpatient hospitalization. No final vote on the bill itself was taken during the portion of the meeting provided, but the substitute and amendment were adopted and testimony continued in support of the measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• The $70 million loan to the General Fund last year did not drain those reserves and is actually required
• The $70 million loan to the General Fund last year did not drain those reserves and is actually required
• I find it curious that DOF is concerned about draining the state citations account, given they recently

Summary: The joint Assembly Budget Subcommittee hearing focused first on long-term services and supports for older adults, especially the “forgotten/overlooked middle” who earn too much for Medi-Cal but cannot afford private long-term care. Administration witnesses from DHCS, the Department of Aging, and Social Services described Medicare’s limited long-term care coverage, Medi-Cal’s role, the elimination of the Medi-Cal asset test, and ongoing state studies and listening sessions on financing options. Testimony from advocates and researchers emphasized rising homelessness among older adults, the need for better navigation and coordination across health, aging, housing, and social service systems, and short-term policy steps such as share-of-cost reform, housing stability supports, and protecting home- and community-based services. Members highlighted the need for a coordinated, no-wrong-door approach and asked for the most impactful budget investments to address affordability and homelessness risk. The second major topic was the Community-Based Adult Services (CBAS) program. CDA reported that CBAS helps participants remain in the community, that 304 centers operate statewide serving about 42,000 people, and that demand is stable but access gaps remain in some regions. DHCS explained that a 2024 rate increase authorized by SB 159 became inoperative after Proposition 35, and that a separate 10% rate change on the fee schedule was the result of a DHCS system error; the department said it would not require recoupment, though managed care plans may act under their contracts. CBAS providers and advocates warned that reimbursement rates have not kept pace with costs, that several centers have closed, and that clawbacks could trigger more closures. They requested $74.8 million ongoing General Fund to close part of the rate gap and preserve the program, while members expressed concern about closures and the cost savings of keeping people out of more expensive institutional care. The hearing then moved to In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) and statewide collective bargaining. CDSS reviewed provider recruitment and retention efforts, including electronic timesheets, direct deposit, and the now-completed IHSS Career Pathways program, which trained more than 59,000 providers. CDSS also summarized its AB 102 workgroup report on statewide versus regional bargaining, saying the final report would be sent to the Legislature soon and that statewide bargaining appeared more viable than regional bargaining, though it would require clear statutory scope and major fiscal changes. The department estimated that each $1 per hour statewide wage increase would cost at least $1.3 billion to $1.5 billion annually. Labor advocates argued that IHSS wages, benefits, and training are too inconsistent across counties and called for statewide bargaining, consumer participation, and ongoing state funding. County representatives supported stronger wages but cautioned that counties need protection from new costs and administrative burdens, and consumer advocates warned that moving bargaining to the state could weaken local consumer control and the program’s consumer-driven structure.

Transcript Highlights:

• Any other funds that you looked at were drained dry.
• And with that, it's actually making a massive drain on those providers already.
• And with that, it's actually making a massive drain on those providers already.
• And with that, it's actually making a massive drain on those providers already.
• And with that, it's actually making a massive drain on those providers already.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a significant drain on resources for the credit union.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• must turn back the flood of illegal immigration that erases our borders, strains our cities, and drains

Bills: SB 2, SJR 36, SB 2, SR 19, SR 27, SR 30, SR 32, SCR 11

Keywords: Houston East End, Chamber of Commerce, East End Day, economic development, community involvement, scholarships, business events, McAllen, celebration, community pride, cultural events, economic growth, McAllen Day, community recognition, South Texas, local pride, Wise County Day, Texas Senate, Wise County, state recognition

Transcript Highlights:

• This just attempts to drain the LSR down more without giving us the investment income on the front end
• This just<00:21:36.159> attempts<00:21:36.480> to<00:21:36.640> drain<00:21:36.880
• <00:21:37.039> LSR<00:21:37.760> down<00:21:38.000> more just attempts to drain
• the LSR down more just attempts to drain the LSR down more without<00:21:38.720> giving<00:21

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, storm sewer additions for better draining our areas of the community that flood, and water system
• Uh, storm sewer additions<00:42:09.839> for<00:42:10.000> better<00:42:10.319> draining
• <00:42:10.640> our<00:42:10.800> areas additions for better draining our areas additions
• for better draining our areas of<00:42:11.119> the<00:42:11.359> community<00:42:11.520

Bills: HF2418, HF1666, HF232, HF344, HF402, HF431, HF468, HF547, HF583, HF1476, HF1711, HF2787, HF2788, HF3207

Keywords: capital investment, political subdivisions, state assistance, funding, project grants, child care, Slayton, state bonds, economic development, extended time revenue, school funding, state aid, career and technical education, CTE, STEM, secondary credit, after-school programs, summer school, learning year program, extended day

Transcript Highlights:

• economic benefits, this exemption overwhelmingly benefits a handful of massive tech companies while draining
• 33.000> while handful of massive tech companies while handful of massive tech companies while draining
• > resources<00:58:34.280> that<00:58:34.400> should<00:58:34.559> be draining
• resources that should be draining resources that should be invested<00:58:35.160> in<00:58:35.319

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• taken out, not just taking the roofs off, but flooding the inside of the school, plugging up roof drains
• So we probably had 8 inches of hail, which plugged the roof drains and then, of course, the water ran
• It can still flood the roof drains, and if there are holes, it can flood some things.
• It can still flood the roof drains them.
• It can still flood the roof drains and<03:08:17.040> if<03:08:17.160> there<03:08:17.280

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• here, where you've had superintendents come in and talk about, you know, it is a resource and time drain
• here, where you've had superintendents come in and talk about, you know, it is a resource and time drain
• to try I shouldn't say resource drain to try I shouldn't say drain<02:07:47.040> it<02:07:47.199
• it is a resource um and time drain it is a resource um and time inensive<02:07:50.079> to<02:
• Um, I'm trying to pick her brain. She knows more than me.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Storm drains are not just engineering. Tree cover is not just landscaping.
• Storm drains are not just engineering. Tree cover is not just landscaping.

Summary: The Senate reconvened, read committee reports, and assigned House Bill 89 with House Amendment 1 and House Bill 393 with House Amendment 1 to the Senate Finance Committee. It then adopted Consent Calendar 64, which included resolutions recognizing Take Our Children to Work Day, Juneteenth, National Farmers Day, Invisible Disabilities Week, Stonewall Uprising Remembrance Day, National Nonprofit Day, and two property-assessment working group resolutions. The calendar passed by a unanimous roll call, and the chamber heard remarks supporting Juneteenth, Delaware agriculture, invisible disabilities awareness, and the nonprofit sector. The Senate passed the fiscal year 2026 and 2027 revenue estimates in Senate Joint Resolution 16 and Senate Joint Resolution 17, and approved the fiscal year 2027 operating budget in Senate Bill 335 after extended debate on budget growth, recurring costs, health care, education, public safety, retiree obligations, and fiscal restraint. It also passed Senate Bill 336, the one-time supplemental appropriation bill, which includes one-time investments such as a $100 million transition toward a weighted education funding formula, election support, early childhood education, classroom projects, lead remediation, and campaign finance modernization. Several members praised the budget process and staff, while others cautioned against future spending growth. Among policy bills, the Senate passed House Bill 369 to codify the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety, House Bill 268 to increase penalties for assaulting postal workers, House Bill 374 to require workforce reporting on large public works projects, Senate Bill 253 with House Amendment 1 to standardize school bullying parental-notification procedures, Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 342 to modernize the Delaware Motion Picture and Television Development Commission, House Bill 402 to extend Clean Air Act Title V permit fees, and Senate Bill 346 with Senate Amendment 1 to streamline Environmental Appeals Board timelines. The Senate also began consideration of House Bill 293, which would add hate crimes to the Victims’ Compensation Assistance Program, but the transcript cuts off before its vote is shown.