Video & Transcript Research : 'voting integrity'

Page 37 of 500
US

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

US House Floor Proceedings (Tuesday, June 10, 2025)

US Federal House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Vote is the co-author of Russell Vote.
  • he'll vote for HR1. he'll vote for HR1.
  • I ask for a recorded vote. Recorded vote is requested. Those favoring a recorded vote will rise.
  • > in vote for voting representation in vote for voting representation in Congress.<05:11:23.280
  • We're not voting to let non-citizens vote in D.C. today.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

House and Governmental Affairs May 6th, 2026

House and Governmental Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • and integral in testimony in a trial.
  • So I think it's important for the integrity of the state, the integrity of our elected officials to have
  • It would have to be voted on by a two-thirds vote to initiate the suit.”
  • “It would have to be voted on by a two-thirds vote to initiate the suit, and then the suit would be initiated
  • from office, I wouldn’t vote for it.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Senate in Session Jan 29th, 2026

Florida Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • I vote.
  • If all senators voted, all senators voted.
  • If all senators voted, all senators voted.
  • Senators will proceed to vote. Of all senators voted, has Senator Sharief voted?
  • Senators will proceed to vote. If all senators voted.
Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions recognizing guests and visiting groups, including the Challenger Learning Center, the Florida Dental Hygienists Association, Zeta Phi Beta, Pine Forest High School students, and others. Senators also noted President Albritton’s recovery and upcoming caucus and appointment announcements. The chamber then moved to the special order calendar. The main floor debate centered on Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 156, which increases penalties for crimes against law enforcement officers and other personnel, including making manslaughter of an officer punishable by mandatory life imprisonment without release and clarifying resistance to officers. Senator Leek described the bill as a compromise intended to honor Officer Jason Rainer, while Senators Rouson and Bracy Davis offered and then withdrew amendments. Senators Pizzo, Berman, Smith, Polsky, and others questioned the bill’s impact on self-defense, officer conduct, jury instructions, prosecutorial discretion, and the removal of language regarding unlawful force by officers. Supporters argued the bill corrects confusion and strengthens protections for officers; opponents said it removes civilian protections and imposes disproportionate mandatory sentencing. The bill passed 31-4. The Senate then passed SB 168 on public nuisances, expanding nuisance law to include gambling establishments and increasing penalties; SB 288 on rural electric cooperatives; SB 292 and SB 298 creating public records protections for appellate clerks and dating-violence victims; SB 296 establishing the HAVEN alert platform study and expanding address confidentiality protections for domestic violence victims; SB 364 modernizing CPA licensure; SB 386 creating protections for farm equipment purchasers; and several Open Government Sunset Review bills preserving or extending public records and meeting exemptions, including SB 7000, SB 7202, SB 706, SB 708, SB 7012, SB 7014, and SB 7016. Most passed with little or no opposition, though some of the public-records measures drew a few nays. At the end, the Senate waived rules to immediately certify passed bills to the House and adjourned until the next scheduled meeting.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Governmental Oversight and Accountability Jan 12th, 2026

Governmental Oversight and Accountability

Transcript Highlights:
  • And by your vote, Senate Bill 7006 is reported favorably.
  • And by your vote, Senate Bill 7008 is reported favorably.
  • Yes, and by your vote, Senate Bill 7016 is reported favorably.
  • Any members wishing to record a vote that might have missed one?
  • Yes, on Tab 1, please vote in the affirmative; Tab 2, which is 7002, vote in the affirmative; Tab 6,
Summary: The Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability met and first postponed SB 350 for a future meeting. The committee then considered a series of Open Government Sunset Review bills preserving or extending public records and public meeting exemptions. SB 7000, relating to emergency shelter recipients’ address and phone information, and SB 7002, relating to Department of Military Affairs records in Department of Defense systems, were both amended to set a new sunset date of October 2, 2031 and reported favorably. SB 7012, concerning Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles records, was amended to conform its effective date with the House companion and also reported favorably. The committee next heard SB 7006, which preserves exemptions for certain Florida Public Service Commission hearing portions involving confidential proprietary utility information, and SB 7008, which preserves similar exemptions for the Florida Gaming Control Commission; both were reported favorably without amendment. SB 7004, concerning conviction integrity unit investigation information, was also reported favorably after testimony that state attorney conviction integrity units support keeping the exemption in place beyond its current repeal date. Later, the committee took up SB 7014, presented by Senator Arrington on behalf of Senator Leitz, and adopted a committee substitute extending to October 2, 2031 two exemptions tied to Department of Legal Affairs investigations of social media platforms. The committee also approved SB 7016, which preserves the exemption for certain financial information used by economic development agencies to administer small business loan programs. At the end of the meeting, members recorded affirmative votes on several bills and the committee adjourned.
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

05/11/2026 - Senate Director Nominations

Director Nominations

Transcript Highlights:
  • We are integrated by design.
  • We are fully integrated right now.
  • And number three, integrating military assets for civilian safety.
  • And so I do want to just clarify for the record because my integrity was called... ...because my integrity
  • I vote aye. Senator Ortiz? Aye. Senator Rogers? Mr. Chair, may I explain my vote?
Keywords: 1182, all
FL
Transcript Highlights:
  • And by your vote, Senate Bill 7008 is reported favorably. Thank you. Thank you.
  • And by your vote, Senate Bill 7016 is reported favorably. Chair Mayfield.
  • Yes, and by your vote, Senate Bill 7016 is reported favorably.
  • Any members wishing to record a vote that might have missed one?
  • Yes, on Tab 1, please vote in the affirmative; Tab 2, which is 7002, vote in the affirmative; Tab 6,
Summary: The Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability met and first postponed Senate Bill 350. It then took up several Open Government Sunset Review bills, most of them extending or preserving public records or public meeting exemptions. Senate Bill 7000, relating to emergency shelter information for persons provided public emergency shelter during storms or catastrophes, was amended to set a new sunset date of October 2, 2031, and reported favorably. Senate Bill 7002, concerning Department of Military Affairs records in Department of Defense systems, was similarly amended to extend the sunset date to October 2, 2031 and reported favorably. Senate Bill 7012, dealing with Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles records on motor vehicle registration, dealer licensing, driver licenses, and private inspection providers, was amended to conform the effective date with the House companion and reported favorably. The committee also approved Senate Bill 7006, which preserves public meeting and records exemptions for portions of Florida Public Service Commission hearings involving confidential proprietary business information, and Senate Bill 7008, which preserves similar exemptions for Florida Gaming Control Commission meetings and records. Senate Bill 7004, concerning conviction integrity unit investigation information, was explained as maintaining confidentiality for reinvestigation materials during active innocence reviews and was reported favorably without amendment. Later, Senate Bill 7014, on Department of Legal Affairs records related to investigations of social media platforms, was taken up as a committee substitute that extended the repeal date for two exemptions from October 2026 to October 2031 and was reported favorably. Finally, Senate Bill 7016, which preserves the exemption for certain financial information held by an economic development agency for administration of small business loan programs, was reported favorably without amendment. No opposition or public testimony was presented on the bills, and the committee adopted the amendments and committee substitute by voice vote before taking recorded roll-call votes. At the end of the meeting, members were invited to record missed votes, and the committee adjourned.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

FL House Floor Session - 2025-05-01 (11:00AM Session)

Florida House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • I'm going to vote no today for fairness. I'm going to vote no.
  • Senators will proceed to vote. Have all senators voted?
  • Senators will proceed to vote. Have all senators voted?
  • I cannot vote for this bill. I want to vote for this bill.
  • vote.
Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a series of introductions recognizing interns, pages, a retiring sergeant-at-arms employee, and advocates visiting for a Prader-Willi Syndrome awareness resolution. Leaders also noted ongoing budget talks with the House and said senators should not plan to be in next week while negotiations continue. The main floor debate centered on Committee Substitute for House Bill 12.5, a citizen-initiative elections bill. Sponsors said it was intended to address petition fraud and protect the integrity of the constitutional amendment process, citing investigations, arrests, and fraudulent petition activity tied to recent initiatives. Opponents argued the bill would make it much harder and more expensive for citizens to place amendments on the ballot, chill volunteer participation, and effectively favor wealthy or corporate interests. After extensive debate, the bill passed 28-10. The Senate then moved through a series of education bills, including measures on Bright Futures, Gold Seal, Florida ABLE, dual enrollment, educator preparation, and broader education policy, all of which passed unanimously. After a recess, the chamber took up House messages and concurred in amendments to bills on stem cell therapy, student athlete ECGs, cardiac emergency response plans, and school safety. Those measures also passed with broad support, with the school safety bill drawing some questions about the Guardian program and child care facilities.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Senate in Session May 1st, 2025

Florida Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Senators will proceed to vote. Have all senators voted?
  • Senators will proceed to vote. Have all senators voted?
  • Senators will proceed to vote. Have all senators voted?
  • I cannot vote for this bill. I want to vote for this bill.
  • vote.
Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a series of member introductions recognizing interns, pages, and a retiring Senate employee. Leadership also announced that budget talks with the House were continuing and that senators should not plan to be in next week, with hopes of sharing more budget news soon. The chamber then moved to third reading and took up a major bill on citizen initiatives and constitutional amendments, with sponsors saying it was needed to address documented petition fraud and to protect the integrity of the process. That bill drew extensive debate. Supporters argued that recent investigations showed widespread fraud in petition gathering, that the measure would add reasonable guardrails, and that it would prevent taxpayer-funded government messaging from being used to influence ballot measures. Opponents said the bill would make it much harder for ordinary Floridians to place amendments on the ballot by adding costs, deadlines, registration requirements, fines, and felony exposure, and they warned it would chill grassroots participation and effectively favor wealthy or corporate-backed campaigns. After debate, the Senate passed the bill 28-10. The Senate then adopted several House amendments and concurred on a series of education and public-safety measures, including bills on stem cell therapy, student-athlete electrocardiograms, cardiac emergency planning in schools, school safety, Bright Futures and other education policy items, and educator preparation. Most of those measures passed unanimously or with overwhelming support, and the chamber also recognized additional interns and a long-serving education advocate before recessing and returning to continue with House messages.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

PBS Public Hearing - Fri Jan 30, 2026 @ 11:00 AM HST

Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:
  • the<00:33:01.039> state's not integrated into the state's not integrated into the state's
  • Seeing none, Vice Chair, for the vote. Okay, this is regarding HB 1751.
  • Vice Chair Iwamoto votes I. Member Hashem. Hi. Representative Ichiyama. Hi.
  • Yes, with reservation. the vote. the vote.
  • > um<00:47:18.000> I Vice Chair Umoto votes um I Vice Chair Umoto votes um I >> um<00
Summary: The Committee on Public Safety held its first hearing and began with House Bill 1531, which would require the governor or county mayor to provide an ASL interpreter during official emergency announcements broadcast on television or the internet, ensure the interpreter is visible, and require news outlets to show the interpreter in a picture-in-picture window. Testimony was strongly supportive from disability advocates, who said live captions can be inaccurate and that ASL access is critical during emergencies, but broadcasters raised practical concerns that the bill as drafted could require extra camera crews and reduce coverage. Members discussed possible alternatives such as government-provided pool feeds and interpreter placement, and the chair recommended deferring decision-making on the bill to the following Wednesday to allow time for amendment language. The committee then heard House Bill 1751, which would expand the Hawaii National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program to include graduate degrees at the University of Hawaii for qualified enlisted personnel. The Hawaii Army National Guard, the Department of Defense, and University of Hawaii representatives supported the measure as a recruiting, retention, and professionalization tool. A member asked about funding, and the response was that the program is funded through a state appropriation currently set at $250,000 and was described as sufficient at present. The bill drew no opposition in the hearing. Next, House Bill 1752 was taken up. This measure would remove the Adjutant General as a nonvoting ex officio member of the HAIMA advisory committee and add the HAIMA administrator as a nonvoting ex officio member of the MSAC. The Department of Defense and Department of Health supported the bill, with the Department of Health asking that it be aligned with other EMS modernization provisions in the governor’s package so the related measures remain consistent. No objections were raised. The committee also heard House Bill 1577 on 911 services, which would require the 911 Board to establish a statewide emergency safety profile system for residents to voluntarily store emergency-relevant personal information. The Department of Health, disability advocates, the 911 Board, and others supported the concept, saying it could improve emergency response for people with disabilities, kūpuna, families, and others with functional needs. Testimony also raised concerns about funding, system integration, confidentiality, advanced directives, and liability protections if information does not reach responders in time. Members discussed statewide coordination and existing county systems, and the hearing continued with those issues unresolved.
NY

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

New York State Senate Session - 05/19/2026

New York Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • I proudly vote aye.
  • I proudly vote aye.
  • So I vote yes. I encourage a yes vote. Thank you, Mr.
  • I vote aye, and I urge everyone else to vote aye.
  • I VOTE AYE. AND I URGE EVERYONE ELSE TO VOTE AYE. THANK YOU.
Keywords: 993, senate, all
Summary: The Senate convened, approved the prior journal, and handled several motions to discharge and substitute identical Assembly or Senate bills, along with a number of amendments. The chamber also welcomed student visitors from the League of Women Voters’ Students of Albany program and a group of Staten Island titleholders, and later adopted previously approved resolutions honoring Dorothy E. Reid for her role in Brown v. Board of Education and recognizing Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. on Delta Day, with multiple senators speaking in support of both recognitions. The bulk of the floor session was devoted to third-reading votes on a large number of bills, most of which passed with broad support. Measures addressed public health, workers’ compensation, education, environmental conservation, insurance, labor, criminal procedure, domestic relations, tax, municipal authority, and correction law. Several bills were explained by sponsors as advancing stormwater management authority, labor-law transparency, public health protections, and stronger penalties for trafficking-related offenses; one bill on immunization in summer camps drew a defense from Senator Skoufis as a child-protection measure, while another on correction law passed with some Republican opposition. The chamber also took up a controversial public health/electronic health records bill by Senator Fernandez. Senator Martin questioned the bill at length about redacting certain categories of information, emergency access, provider obligations, and the impact on doctors’ ability to see complete medical histories. Fernandez said the bill was intended to protect patients from discrimination and to limit access to a small list of sensitive services, while also noting emergency exceptions and support from more than 200 health care providers. The debate remained focused on balancing privacy protections with concerns about continuity of care and record integrity.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

Room 229 Conference PM - 04-29-2026

Hawaii Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Okay, let's proceed with the vote then. >> Vote, please?
  • <00:22:09.480> to<00:22:09.560> a are integrate integrally related to a are integrate integrally
  • May we take the vote?
  • Chair votes I. I vote I. Senator DeCourt? I. May we vote for the House? >> Oh, thank you.
  • I'm ready to be able to take the vote? I'm ready to<00:29:10.320> vote.
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

December 2, 2025 - 01:00 PM

Transcript Highlights:
  • AS I'VE SAID ALREADY THIS PROGRAM IS TIED TO THE ASSOCIATION SO THE BOARD HAS TO VOTE TO PARTICIPATE.
  • IT WAS CHANGED TO 75 AND THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER VOTE OF THE ASSOCIATION SO THEY VOTE TO PARTICIPATE
  • TO EVEN CONDUCT THE VOTE.
  • AND WE STARTED THE INTEGRATION TESTING ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE WE HAD 170 DIFFERENT AEROSPACE FILES, 60
  • WITH DIFFERENT BANKS FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES, EVERY BILL WE PAY WE ARE INTEGRATING FOR A WARRANT, ALL
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development Feb 18th, 2026

Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:
  • to get voting.
  • Every vote cast by an illegal non-citizen is a vote that cancels out the vote of a lawful American citizen
  • Every vote cast by an illegal non-citizen is a vote that cancels out the vote of a lawful American citizen
  • We want students to vote. Imagine now they try to vote.
  • We want students to vote. We want everyone to vote. Everyone's been voting just fine.
Summary: The committee first heard CS for SB 1342 on transit-oriented development by Senator Rouson, which seeks to expand housing near fixed transit corridors by updating TOD definitions and applying Live Local-style land-use principles to those areas. An amendment narrowed definitions, limited the bill to land-use and development regulations, removed a private cause of action, and added exclusions for environmentally sensitive areas, historic properties, and military installations. Supporters said the bill would increase housing supply near existing infrastructure and maximize the state’s transit investments, while local government groups and city leagues opposed it as a sweeping preemption of local zoning authority that could force high-density development without public hearings or adequate infrastructure planning. The committee adopted the amendment and then reported the bill favorably. The committee then took up CS for SB 1334 on elections by Senator Grall, which would require documentary proof of citizenship in voter registration and related election processes, update how citizenship is verified through REAL ID and the SAVE database, clarify that paper ballots are the primary voting method, and add other election-related changes such as candidate eligibility rules and timelines. Two technical amendments were adopted. During extended questioning, senators raised concerns about how documents would be submitted and stored, whether voters without Florida IDs or REAL IDs—especially students, disabled voters, seniors, and homeless Floridians—could be flagged or burdened, and what fiscal and workload impacts the bill would have on supervisors of elections and state agencies. Supporters argued the bill would streamline verification and reduce duplicate paperwork, while many public speakers and some senators said it would create barriers to voting, increase costs, and risk disenfranchising eligible voters. The transcript ends during debate on the bill, before a final vote is shown. Later, the committee considered CS for SB 1362 on advanced air mobility by Senator Harrell. A strike-all amendment aligned the bill with the House version and added vertiports and charging systems as eligible projects for public-private partnership funding, with FDOT authorized to fund certain vertiport costs within available resources. The bill drew support from industry and local representatives, and the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. The committee also heard SB 174, which designates a portion of State Road 985 in Miami-Dade County as Charlie Kirk Memorial Avenue and directs FDOT to install markers at an estimated cost of $2,400. The bill prompted significant debate over whether Kirk’s legacy warranted a state road designation, with opponents citing his controversial statements and arguing the honor was political and divisive, while supporters said the designation recognizes civic engagement near FIU and is symbolic rather than regulatory. The transcript ends during debate on SB 174, before any final action is shown.
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

Ethics and Elections Mar 10th, 2025

Transcript Highlights:
  • THE SAME INFORMATION IS REQUIRED TO REQUEST A VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT TO REGISTER TO VOTE.
  • THIS MIRRORS THE VOTE BY MAIL STATUTE.
  • VOTE BY MAIL, OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN'T DO THAT WITH THE BALLOT.
  • IS JUST AS MEANINGFUL AS THE VOTES THAT COME IN AFTER.
  • I ENCOURAGE YOU TO VOTE NO.
Keywords: 999, senate, all
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

Senate Floor Session 04-07-2026 11:30am

Hawaii Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Any no votes?
  • Any reservations, any no votes? - 23 ayes. Thank you.
  • Any reservations, any no votes? - 23 ayes. Thank you.
  • Any reservations, any no votes? - 23 ayes. Thank you.
  • No vote for SCR 3415 and 3416. please register my no vote on SCR 3 34 15 SCR 34 16 Malo.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
  • Okay, seeing none, chair, for the vote. Voting on House Concurrent Resolution 192 HD1.
  • Um, chair votes aye, vice chair votes aye, Rep. Holt, aye, Rev. Hussy, aye, Rep.
  • Voting on House Concurrent vote.
  • Um, chair votes I, vice chair votes HD2.
  • Um, chair votes I, vice chair votes I,<00:29:13.679> Rep.
Keywords: 910, house, all
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session 5/17/26 - Part 2

Minnesota House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • >> Mani Hiltsley votes I. >> Mani Hiltsley votes I.
  • for a green vote. Thank you. for a green vote. Thank you.
  • a no vote at this time. a no vote at this time.
  • >> please vote green. >> please vote green.
  • >> Mani Hiltsley votes I. >> Mani Hiltsley votes I.
Keywords: 919, house, all
Summary: The House first took up Senate File 334, a bill to modernize county human services technology used to administer programs such as Medicaid and SNAP. The author and several members described the current systems as outdated “green screen” platforms that are slow, duplicative, and difficult for workers and applicants, and argued modernization would improve service, retention, and fraud prevention. The bill would create a technology modernization fund with about $90 million over time, capped at $50 million, route funds through Minute, establish an interagency group with county representation, create a legislative working group, and provide $15 million for Office of Inspector General technology. Members from several counties spoke in strong support, citing local system failures, cyberattacks, and the need for better tools; one member noted the bill was about 20 years overdue. The bill passed third reading by a vote of 134-0, and a title was agreed to. The House then considered Senate File 4401, the cannabis bill. The author described it as a maintenance and cleanup package developed with more than 80 stakeholders over months of meetings, including business owners, labor, tribal representatives, and medical cannabis interests. The bill was presented as making noncontroversial adjustments to support small businesses, clarify statutes, improve privacy protections, adjust event and transporter rules, address good-faith errors, strengthen enforcement against unlicensed operators, and support local governments and municipal cannabis dispensaries. It also included a first step toward a medical psilocybin program and changes intended to make the medical cannabis market more sustainable, including easing the grow-and-sale ratio issue. The transcript cuts off before final action on this bill, but members speaking in support emphasized collaboration and the need for practical regulatory fixes.
NM

New Mexico 2026 Regular Session

House - Appropriations and Finance Jan 23rd, 2026 at 09:13 am

House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • You're not voting on this. So just raise flags. We'll do our best.
  • But it is nice that we're not just having a hearing and then you vote on the budget.
  • Again, you're not voting on it, but it's just some informational material.
  • And part of this effort also is to integrate some of that stuff.
  • Again, we’re not voting. I said it once, I’ve said it 100 times. Just want to make sure.
Keywords: 996, all
Summary: The meeting began as an informal education budget work group focused on reviewing a revised House Appropriations and Finance Committee scenario and flagging concerns rather than taking votes. Staff outlined the main changes from the LFC recommendation, including moving the statewide student information system appropriation, adding funding for the Black, Bilingual, Multicultural and Hispanic Education Act, universal school meals overrun costs, an evidence-based CTE pilot with a 50% local match, STEM network funding, wellness room pilots, Martinez-Yazzie action plan items, and changes to innovation zone and out-of-school time appropriations. A separate handout on the seven-year CTE pilot explained spending patterns, reversions, and possible federal maintenance-of-effort concerns if the state continues funding beyond a true pilot. Members then debated CTE extensively, with several arguing it improves attendance, graduation, and career readiness and should be sustained or expanded, especially in rural areas, while staff and others emphasized that much of the current funding has gone to general operational costs rather than intentional program design and that regional or matched funding models may be more effective. Members also discussed STEM and math initiatives, the need for more industry involvement, and whether the proposed match requirements would be too burdensome for smaller districts and BIE schools. The discussion also covered the Black, Hispanic, and Multilingual Education Acts and the Martinez-Yazzie lawsuit. Some members stressed that the acts should be explicitly named in the budget language and not merely implied, while staff said the scenario reaffirms prior commitments by building the costs into agency operating budgets. Members raised concerns about charter school hold-harmless funding, declining enrollment, and the need to align spending with the needs of at-risk students. The work group ended the education portion without any votes, with staff noting they would incorporate the feedback and return with clarifications, including on CTE funding, the educational acts, and the charter hold-harmless item. The meeting then shifted to the child well-being and early childhood work group, where staff presented a revised Early Childhood Education and Care Department scenario. The proposal moved money toward child care assistance and early pre-K, kept the FIT program funding level unchanged, and used a mix of trust fund, TANF, federal, and operating-budget adjustments to close part of the gap between the executive and LFC recommendations. Members questioned the policy direction, especially the shift toward infant and toddler care and pre-K expansion, the impact on school-age child care, and the implications for continuity of care and provider costs. Staff explained that the scenario prioritizes younger children and at-risk families, includes language for a wage and career ladder, and would require legislation to raise the early childhood trust fund distribution cap from 500 to 525. Members also discussed a separate proposed CYFD pilot bill (HB 65), which would be distinct from ECECD funding. No votes were taken, and staff said they would return with more cost information on full pre-K plus wraparound care. A final work group reviewed C2 and Department of Information Technology-related appropriations. Staff compared the LFC and executive recommendations for new funding and reauthorizations, noting that the LFC generally limited new projects while the executive funded more. Members discussed several IT modernization requests, including the Secretary of State’s voter registration and election management systems, the Spaceport Authority, Game and Fish, the State Engineer’s WATERS system, ECECD’s FitKids and EPIC replacement discovery, and Aging and Long-Term Services’ enterprise system modernization. The main themes were whether to fund planning versus full replacement, how to avoid piecemeal spending, and whether new systems should wait for incoming leadership. The Secretary of State’s office said its system is nearing end of life and the planning funds would help prepare a realistic replacement request, while other agencies described aging infrastructure, cybersecurity risks, and the need for modernization. The work group did not vote on any of the items and ended with staff noting additional follow-up on funding needs and reauthorization details.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Elections Committee Apr 30th, 2025

Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • So AB 930 would strengthen election integrity by doing a few things, allowing vote by mail ballots postmarked
  • Not voting. Lackey is not voting. We'll keep that bill on call for our absent members.
  • We respectfully request that you maintain that integrity by not voting for AB 351. Thank you.
  • We urge you to protect the integrity of California's local governments and vote no on this bill.
  • Not voting. Macedo? Not voting. Berman? Very respectful.
Keywords: 988, house, all
FL

Florida 2026 5th Special Session

Fiscal Policy Apr 8th, 2025

Transcript Highlights:
  • renew the contract... ...to vote to renew the contract for hydrofluorosilic acid, I voted against it
  • to vote with integrity on behalf of my political stances.
  • Chair, I move that we vote time certain at 4:50. Yes. I move that we vote time certain at 4:58.
  • We're a Black-led voting rights organization. We focus on empowering Black people to vote.
  • And if you're going to vote yes on it, then vote yes. But please vote no on it. Thank you.
Summary: The committee first took up CS for CS for CS for SB 462 on transportation. A substitute amendment was adopted that would require counties receiving transportation surtax proceeds to report how the money is used to the Office of Economic and Demographic Research, prohibit certain airport fees tied to collegiate aviation flight training, create a Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority pilot program, and dedicate $10 million annually for a traffic signal modernization program. The amendment also removed several provisions from the bill, including a sales-tax transfer to the State Transportation Trust Fund, a bid-protest-related contracting requirement, and repeal of the Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council. A late-filed amendment was tabled, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then heard CS for CS for CS for SB 628, Lucy’s Law, which strengthens boating safety penalties for leaving the scene of a vessel accident and reckless operation. After the sponsor withdrew a pending amendment, the committee heard emotional testimony from Lucy’s parents and others in support, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee next considered CS for CS for SB 700, the Florida Farm Bill, under a strike-all amendment. The bill’s major provisions included removing non-purity additives from public water systems, requiring clearer labeling for meat, milk, poultry, and eggs, criminalizing drone harassment over farmland, updating agriculture disaster recovery programs, creating an honest services registry for charities tied to countries of concern, expanding FFA-related scholarships and school infrastructure, and allowing the state to repurchase certain former agricultural lands converted to solar fields. Testimony included strong support from agriculture and related groups, opposition from the Florida Bankers Association over a private right of action related to financial discrimination, and criticism from speakers opposed to fluoride removal. The bill was amended and then reported favorably despite some opposition. The committee also reported favorably SB 796, which authorizes DEP general permits for distributed wastewater treatment systems to replace failing septic tanks. The committee then took up a large strike-all for CS for SB 1618, a K-20 education package. The amendment combined provisions on VPK flexibility, early grade success, agriculture education, financial literacy, reading intervention, teacher assignment transparency, restrictions on spending public funds for political or social activism, emergency opioid antagonists, corporal punishment consent, teacher certification pathways, and other higher-education and workforce items from SB 1624, including guardrails for certain private religious postsecondary institutions. Members questioned the new prohibition on using public funds for political or social activism, with the sponsor saying it was intended to keep public schools from being a battleground for ideology; Equality Florida and the ACLU opposed that section. The amendment was adopted and the bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee began extensive debate on CS for SB 7016, a major initiative-petition reform bill. The sponsors said the bill responds to fraud and abuse documented in a large Office of Election Crimes and Security report and would impose tighter rules on petition circulators, including Florida residency and U.S. citizenship requirements, training, shorter submission deadlines, stronger penalties, new identification requirements on petitions, and a 25% invalid-signature trigger for investigations by election-crimes officials. Senators raised numerous questions about due process, public records, penalties, the treatment of volunteers and former felons, the verification process, and the practical effect of the new deadlines and thresholds. The discussion was ongoing when the transcript ended, and no final vote on SB 7016 is shown in the excerpt.