Video & Transcript : 'lawmakers' :
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WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Pro Forma Floor Session Jan 19th, 2026 at 12:30 pm
Washington Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- ask now, Grace's Father, that you would extend your grace to our state, our senators, and those in lawmaking
CO
Colorado 2026 Regular Session
Colorado Senate 2026 Legislative Day 112 May 6th, 2026
Colorado Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- 07.840><c> century</c> concern of of that early 20th century concern of of that early 20th century lawmaking
- . lawmaking. lawmaking.
- Question.<02:12:50.960><c> Lawmakers</c><02:12:51.520><c> in</c><02:12:51.679><c> Colorado</c><02:12:
- Lawmakers in Colorado are Question.
- Lawmakers in Colorado are proposing<02:12:52.639><c> a</c><02:12:52.800><c> policy</c><02:12:53.119><
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
JHA Info Briefing - Wed Jan 29, 2025 @ 2:00 PM HST
Hawaii House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- You know, I hear this thing about people don't like lawmakers, but at the same time lawmakers make the
- c> but</c><01:22:39.159><c> at</c><01:22:39.320><c> the</c><01:22:39.440><c> same</c> don't like lawmakers
- but at the same don't like lawmakers but at the same time<01:22:40.159><c> lawmakers</c><01:22:40.719
- ><c> the</c><01:22:41.040><c> laws</c><01:22:41.360><c> so</c><01:22:41.600><c> there's</c> time lawmakers
- make the laws so there's time lawmakers make the laws so there's definitely<01:22:42.159><c> a</c><01
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety - 03/16/26
Judiciary and Public Safety
Transcript Highlights:
- Institutional recognition of Hindu phobia and support from you as Minnesota lawmakers are critical to
- Minnesota</c> phobia and support from you as Minnesota phobia and support from you as Minnesota lawmakers
- And I think it's a difficult area to do because, as lawmakers, you set boundaries in many categories
- And that's a difficult question, and I think it's something that lawmakers have tackled for centuries
- ,</c><02:22:49.600><c> you</c> area to do because as as lawmakers, you area to do because as as lawmakers
Committee:
Senate Judiciary and Public Safety
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- We do appreciate that here as lawmakers. It wasn't easy. Well, we appreciate that.
Committee:
House State Affairs
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Democrats Budget Rollout Feb 23rd, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Do you think that lawmakers could be back here next year having another conversation about different
Summary:
Senate budget writers, led by Chair June Robinson with Senators Noel Frame and Derek Stanford, rolled out the Senate operating budget and described it as a difficult supplemental budget shaped by flat revenue growth, rising maintenance costs, and uncertainty from federal actions, including H.R. 1 and tariffs. They said the proposal aims to preserve core services such as K-12 education, health care, food assistance, housing stability, and long-term care while making targeted reductions and avoiding broad-based tax increases like sales, property, or B&O tax hikes.
A major focus of the discussion was how to pay for the Working Families Tax Credit and how to handle cuts in the Working Connections child care program. Robinson said the Senate budget uses policy changes, especially an attendance-based payment adjustment, rather than the governor’s proposed enrollment cap and waitlist, because lawmakers wanted to avoid destabilizing the child care workforce and reduce harm to families. She also said the Senate is open to negotiating with the House on the Climate Commitment Act use of funds for the tax credit, noting that the statute allows it, though some advocates oppose that approach.
The senators defended using $750 million from the rainy day fund, saying it was preferable to deeper cuts and still leaves reserves above $1 billion in the near term. They also argued that Washington’s revenue system is too dependent on property and sales taxes and that a future “millionaires tax” could help stabilize funding, especially for education and other core services. In response to criticism from educators and Republicans, they said the state has made progress on school funding and that rising program costs reflect increased need and utilization rather than waste. No votes were taken in the transcript, and the event was a budget rollout and press Q&A rather than a formal committee action.
AZ
Arizona 2026 Regular Session
02/16/2026 - House Rules
Transcript Highlights:
- legal principle of legislative entrenchment, which says that one legislature cannot restrict the lawmaking
Summary:
The Rules Committee considered several bills for constitutional and proper form. HB 2076, concerning school safety and concealed firearms for school employees, drew an anti-abrogation concern because its civil-liability immunity would also cover private school employees; the Rules Attorney recommended limiting that immunity to public school employees. HB 2136, creating crimes for civil terrorism and subversion, raised vagueness and due process concerns because “subvert” was undefined, and the sponsor agreed to work on a clarifying amendment. HB 2158 and HB 2159, both involving Mexican wolves, were flagged for federal preemption under the Endangered Species Act; members were told amendments may be needed, including possibly striking wolves from HB 2158. HB 2497, asserting a right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife and limiting legislative restrictions, raised legislative-entrenchment concerns, with a possible dormant Voter Protection Act issue discussed but not resolved. HB 2755, allowing renewal of state trust land mineral leases without public auction, was flagged for a possible conflict with the constitutional 20-year lease limit, and an amendment was recommended to ensure the original and renewal terms together do not exceed 20 years. HB 4030, imposing a moratorium on tax and fee increases, was flagged for a possible conflict with constitutional limits involving certain ad valorem taxes, and a carve-out amendment was suggested; HCR 2052, a related referral, was also discussed briefly.
The committee voted to recommend HB 2076, HB 2136, HB 2158, HB 2159, HB 2497, HB 2755, HB 4030, and HCR 2052 as constitutional and in proper form, each by a 5-2 vote with one absent. Members also debated the legal theories raised by the Rules Attorney, including preemption, vagueness, anti-abrogation, and legislative entrenchment, but no bill was held or amended in committee during this segment.
At the end of the meeting, the committee approved a mass motion holding a long list of additional House bills and several memorials and resolutions, and the Rules Office reported that those measures were constitutional and in proper form. That mass motion passed by a vote of seven ayes and one absent.
AZ
Arizona 2026 Regular Session
02/09/2026 - House Rules
Transcript Highlights:
- can't bind a future legislature, given that each legislature in the future has its own independent lawmaking
Summary:
The Rules Committee considered several bills for constitutional and proper-form review. House Bill 2171, which would bar certain hostile governments and related persons from owning or possessing Arizona real property and create enforcement penalties, was flagged for possible conflict with federal foreign-relations law but was recommended 5-2. House Bill 2446, requiring commercial truckers to demonstrate English proficiency and allowing out-of-service orders, was also recommended 5-2, with staff noting a needed amendment to carve out the federal border commercial zone. House Bill 2331, as amended, would require electric utilities to obtain 85% of generation from “reliable” sources by 2030; staff raised concerns about the Arizona Corporation Commission’s exclusive constitutional authority over utility regulation, but the committee still recommended it 5-2 after discussion of Johnson Utilities and related case law.
House Bill 2589, making it a felony to allow minors to see or be present at a drag show or to perform a drag show in a minor’s view, drew the strongest constitutional concerns. Staff said it implicated the First Amendment and parental rights and would likely face strict scrutiny, but noted the sponsor was working on an amendment; the committee nevertheless recommended it 5-2. House Bill 2592, dealing with artificial intelligence use by state agencies and legislative ratification of temporary rules, was said to be generally acceptable except for provisions that would require the legislature to act within 30 days and by simple majority, which staff described as an impermissible attempt to bind future legislatures; it was recommended 5-2.
The committee then approved a large mass motion covering many additional bills, memorials, and resolutions, all deemed constitutional and in proper form. Staff highlighted House Bill 2976 as one measure that may need amendment because of possible tension with the Arizona Supreme Court’s authority over justice court administration, though it was still included in the mass motion. The mass motion passed 7-0 with one absent, and the meeting adjourned.
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
- can't bind a future legislature, given that each legislature in the future has its own independent lawmaking
Committee:
House Rules
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Pro Forma Floor Session Jan 19th, 2026
Washington Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- now, Gracious Father, that you would extend your grace to our state, our senators, and those in lawmaking
Summary:
The Senate convened with a roll call, presentation of colors by Senate pages, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a prayer led by Reverend Rennell C. Jones of Tacoma. His daughter, Gabrielle Jones, then performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The chamber also recognized Girl Scout Troop 41752 from southeast Seattle later in the session.
After approving the previous day’s journal and handling routine committee and referral motions, the Senate advanced engrossed substitute Senate Bill 5994 on biosimilar medicines to the floor calendar. It also received new introductions and referrals, including Senate Bill 6204, which was referred to the Committee on Transportation. No substantive debate occurred on those measures in this transcript.
The main item of business was Senate Resolution 8661, recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Day and calling on Washingtonians to continue the work of justice, equity, and perseverance. Senator Nobles sponsored the resolution and several senators spoke in support, emphasizing Dr. King’s legacy, courage, nonviolence, and the need to keep working on issues such as racial justice, housing discrimination, and community investment. The Senate adopted the resolution by voice vote, and then adjourned until Tuesday, January 20 at 12:30 p.m.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
MN House of Representatives' 2025 State Fair opinion poll results Sep 2nd, 2025
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Lawmakers heard several requests for state funding for stadiums during the 2025 session, including a
Summary:
The segment presented the results of the 2025 Minnesota House legislative opinion poll, which asked fairgoers about a range of policy issues tied to recent or possible future legislative action. Topics included school calendar flexibility before Labor Day, state funding for sports stadiums and arenas, undocumented immigrants’ access to state programs, unemployment benefits for hourly school workers in the summer, banning guns in the Capitol, budget-balancing options for a projected 2028-29 deficit, removing party labels from legislative ballots, limiting free school meals by income, free fishing licenses for residents age 65 and older, local control over cannabis businesses, a post-employment lobbying ban for legislators, and a higher income tax rate for the highest earners.
For several questions, the segment noted the underlying legislative context. It referenced the 2023 law making undocumented immigrants eligible for MinnesotaCare and the 2025 law ending adult eligibility at year’s end, the school meals program’s higher-than-expected costs, and a 2025 proposal to remove party designations from legislative ballots that did not receive a committee hearing. It also mentioned the projected nearly $6 billion budget shortfall for the 2028-29 biennium, the Xcel Energy Center renovation funding request, and the recent killings of House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband and the shooting of Senator John Hoffman and his wife as part of the discussion about Capitol gun restrictions.
The poll itself was presented as a public opinion survey rather than a legislative vote, so no formal committee action or roll call occurred. The segment closed by thanking participants and saying the poll would return next year at the fair.
TX
AL
Alabama 2025 Regular Session
Alabama Senate Children and Youth Health Committee Apr 9th, 2025
Children and Youth Health
Transcript Highlights:
- We've had public outcry and distinguished lawmakers from the state of Alabama.
Bills:
SB274
Committee:
Senate Children and Youth Health
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
Business meeting to consider an original resolution authorizing expenditures by the committee during the 119th Congress. Feb 19th, 2025 at 09:00 am
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- possible, but DoD must have a seat at the table when its spectrum bands are studied and tested. lose if lawmakers
Keywords:
spectrum policy, FCC auction authority, national security, innovation, technology development, 9-1-1 modernization, adaptive technologies, China competition
Summary:
The meeting centered on the critical examination of spectrum policy and its implications for innovation and national security. The committee discussed the lapse of the FCC's spectrum auction authority, which has been in effect since March 2023, emphasizing the urgency of restoring this authority to maintain U.S. technological leadership against competitors like China. Witnesses provided testimony regarding the need for adaptive and reconfigurable spectrum technologies to enhance communication capabilities for both civilian and military applications. Senator Klobuchar highlighted the importance of modernizing 9-1-1 systems and ensuring robust emergency communication frameworks leveraging new spectrum innovations.
AL
Alabama 2026 Regular Session
Alabama House Ways and Means General Fund Committee Special Session 2026 May 7th, 2026
Ways and Means General Fund
Transcript Highlights:
- If lawmakers decide children should receive free lunch at school, a child eats.
- Ladies and gentlemen, I urge you as lawmakers to reject SB 1 and instead support maps that are fair,
- Thank you. lawmakers to reject lawmakers to reject SB<00:40:59.800><c> 1</c><00:41:00.040><c> and</c>
Bills:
SB1
Committee:
House Ways and Means General Fund
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- farmer tax credit, we had our board of directors up here yesterday, and we're visiting with various lawmakers
- farmer tax credit, we had our board of directors up here yesterday, and we're visiting with various lawmakers
- farmer tax credit, we had our board of directors up here yesterday, and we're visiting with various lawmakers
- We had our board of directors up here yesterday, and we're visiting with various lawmakers, and one of
Committee:
Senate Taxes
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- And as lawmakers, you're here today to unfortunately have to fix another problem.
- And as lawmakers,<00:50:50.800><c> you're</c><00:50:51.119><c> here</c><00:50:51.359><c> today</c><00
- :50:51.680><c> to</c> lawmakers, you're here today to lawmakers, you're here today to unfortunately<00
Committee:
House Education Policy
Keywords:
grooming, child protection, student safety, sexual exploitation, educator licensing, teacher discipline, mandatory reporting, mandated reporter training, school misconduct, predatory offender, child abuse, sexual abuse, sex trafficking, child sexual abuse material, child pornography, position of authority, school employee, school administrator, license revocation, license suspension
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- to blue states, not to move to purple states, or red states because they don't think their state lawmakers
- to blue states, not to move to purple states, or red states because they don't think their state lawmakers
- I ask you to pass this measure so that we don't lose the doctors we are already short on. state lawmakers
- These state lawmakers will protect them.
Committee:
House Health
Summary:
The joint hearing covered House Bill 251, which would require hospitals to report costs associated with Medicare and uninsured patients, and House Bill 1875, which would expand protections for gender-affirming health care services. On HB 251, the Department of Health said it supported the intent but described the bill as complicated and potentially impractical as drafted because the department lacks the expertise to produce the required analyses without outside help. Hawaii Health Systems Corporation echoed those concerns, while the Queen’s Health System said it was willing to work with the department to provide the information. In committee discussion, officials explained that hospital support in Hawaii includes public hospital appropriations and the provider tax program, which uses hospital and nursing home contributions to draw federal matching funds; a department witness estimated the net benefit at about $150 million for hospitals and $20 million for nursing facilities, though exact figures would be provided later.
On HB 1875, the Insurance Division testified with concerns that the bill’s language on prohibited actions by malpractice insurers was broad and vague, and that a rate-increase prohibition could conflict with actuarially based insurance pricing. The division also noted it was not the primary enforcement agency for the statute. In contrast, many testifiers strongly supported the bill, including the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, the Hawaii State LGBTQ+ Commission, the Hawaii Public Health Institute, PFLAG Oahu, the ACLU of Hawaii, the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, the Hawaii County Democratic Party, and others. Supporters argued that gender-affirming care is medically necessary, evidence-based, and protected by privacy and bodily autonomy principles, and that the bill would protect patients and providers from outside political interference. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the portion of the hearing provided.
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Congressional Redistricting, Select Jul 28th, 2025
Congressional Redistricting, Select
Transcript Highlights:
- Yet, certain Texas lawmakers have a history of suppressing Latino voting strength.
- Republican lawmakers stood in federal court and swore under oath that their map was legal because it
- Now those very Republican lawmakers claim that the map they drew is illegal because it was drawn with
- May, attorneys from the state asked me a number of questions under the assumption that the state lawmakers
Committee:
House Congressional Redistricting, Select
FL
Florida 2026 5th Special Session
Judiciary Apr 1st, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- I'm Alexia Champaign, a current senior at Florida State University, and I'm urging lawmakers to vote
- So again, I do urge lawmakers to vote in opposition against this bill. Thank you for your time.
- They were written by lawmakers who do not have medical knowledge.
- They were written by lawmakers who do not have medical knowledge.
Summary:
The committee first took up SB 1272 on guardianship, which would limit a guardian’s ability to isolate an adult ward from family and require notice to family or other named persons about major events such as a ward’s death or medical relocation. Senator Jones said the bill was intended to curb abuse by bad actors while not affecting good-faith guardians. Fortuna Smuggler and Phyllis Smith spoke in support, describing the need for family notification and closure. The bill passed unanimously, 8-0, and was reported favorably.
The committee then considered CS/SB 1284 on wrongful death for an unborn child. Senator Graal explained that the bill would expand Florida’s Wrongful Death Act to allow parents to recover economic and non-economic damages for the death of an unborn child. An amendment was adopted to define “unborn child” as a member of the species Homo sapiens carried in the womb and to state that the act does not authorize a wrongful death action against the mother or a health care provider acting within the applicable standard of care. The amendment drew questions about abortion, medical emergencies, and whether fathers could sue; the sponsor said the bill was not intended to create claims against mothers or lawful medical care. Public testimony was sharply divided, with supporters arguing it gives families parity and accountability, and opponents warning it could be used to target abortion care, increase malpractice pressure, and worsen physician shortages. The committee approved the bill as amended by a 6-4 vote.
Finally, the committee heard a strike-all amendment to SB 1288 on parental rights. The amendment would strengthen parental consent requirements for minors’ medical care, with exceptions for emergencies, court orders, certain legal categories of minors, and other existing statutory exceptions. It also would require parental consent for treatment related to STD screening, give parents more control over school or health surveys, and address use of biofeedback devices. Supporters said the measure restores parents’ authority and protects children from inappropriate questioning or treatment, while opponents argued it could block needed care for minors in unsafe homes, reduce access to STI treatment and mental health services, and create unintended consequences. The amendment was adopted, and the committee continued hearing testimony on the bill.