Transcript Highlights:

• Ryan Flanagan, on behalf of the Wine Spirits Wholesalers of California, in opposition. Thank you.
• We've been talking a lot about California... wine spirits wholesalers of California in opposition thank

Summary: The committee heard several bills, with extensive testimony and debate. AB 2507 by Assembly Member Wynn would strengthen state consultation with federally recognized tribal governments by requiring clearer tribal liaison roles, a tribal advisory committee, and more consistent early engagement across agencies. Support came from Wilton Rancheria and the California Tribal Business Alliance, with members praising the bill as improving respect, coordination, and outcomes for tribes. AB 2024, also by Wynn, would require the Outdoor Advertising Act permitting process to reach a determination on submitted applications, aimed at reducing delays and uncertainty; it drew support from the outdoor advertising industry and the California Association of Realtors, with members describing it as a technical cleanup measure. Both bills were later moved to Appropriations, along with a consent calendar of several other measures. AB 1585 by Assembly Member Connolly would require wine labeled as American to be made from 100% American-grown grapes, aligning the federal “American” label with California’s existing 100% state-origin standard. Supporters, including California wine grape growers, family wineries, consumer advocates, and several local agricultural groups, argued the bill would improve truth in labeling and help struggling growers. Opponents from major wine companies and industry groups warned it could reduce flexibility, create labeling complications, and limit the ability to list varietal and vintage on some blended wines. After a lengthy debate over labeling standards, consumer expectations, and impacts on interstate wine sales, the committee passed the bill to Appropriations. AB 1605 by Assembly Member Ransom would allow judges to place a no-alcohol-sales notice on the licenses of repeat or serious DUI offenders, restricting their ability to purchase alcohol as a preventive measure. Supporters, including the California Police Chiefs Association, the Safe California Roads Coalition, and the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, said the bill would give courts another tool to reduce recidivism and save lives. Retailers and restaurant representatives raised concerns about implementation and ID-checking burdens, but the bill was amended and passed to Appropriations. AB 2211 by Assembly Member Hoover, which would allow craft distillers to operate a second tasting room, also advanced with support from the California Distillers Association. Finally, AB 1578 by Assembly Member Jackson, presented by Assembly Member Solache, would require anti-hate speech training for local and state elected officials; it drew strong opposition over First Amendment and definitional concerns, and members pressed for a clearer definition of hate speech before further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• discussed here is a very niche field within a much larger industry made up of dealers, refiners, wholesalers
• , miners, and other industries. ...refiners, wholesalers, miners, and other industries.

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The committee first considered House Bill 350, which would extend the grade levels at Ecole Pointe-au-Chien from fourth through eighth grade. The sponsor and several members emphasized the school’s importance to Terrebonne Parish, French immersion, and school choice. An amendment was adopted making the bill subject to appropriation, and the bill was reported favorably as amended. Members then approved House Bill 749, which authorizes the Louisiana Tuition Trust Authority to contract with a program manager for certain savings programs, including ABLE, START, and START K-12, in response to a prior cyber incident and to improve security and customer service. An amendment simplified the bill’s effective-date language so provisions would take effect upon execution of the contract. The bill was reported favorably as amended. The committee also advanced House Bill 979 to increase the survivor benefit for law enforcement officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty from $250,000 to $350,000. Testimony from the governor’s office said the increase could be covered within existing appropriations and that the amount was consistent with inflation since the benefit was last set. The bill was reported favorably. Later, House Bill 42 creating a phased retirement option for public post-secondary employees in the Teachers’ Retirement System was reported favorably, and House Bill 205 to allow local clerks of court to supplement election commissioner pay by up to $100 per election was also reported favorably after extensive testimony about staffing shortages and stagnant pay. The committee additionally reported favorably House Bill 12 extending survivor benefits to reserve officers killed in the line of duty, and House Bill 324 on judicial salaries, after amending it to remove future COLA provisions and leave only the permanent stipend increase.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've taken enforcement actions across the state, including two manufacturers, 22 wholesalers and distributors
• It is, and we do investigative work, obviously, to track down some of these manufacturers and wholesalers

Committee: Senate Health

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), focusing on public health risks, overdose deaths, and regulatory gaps in California. The chair opened by noting that FDA and CDPH consider kratom and 7-OH products unlawful for consumption, yet they remain widely sold in smoke shops, vape stores, gas stations, and convenience stores. The hearing was framed as part of ongoing legislative work, including a future review of AB 1088, and members emphasized the need to weigh potential benefits against risks and consider whether stronger safeguards are needed. Expert testimony from a toxicology professor and several public health and medical officials described kratom as a plant with multiple alkaloids, with 7-OH identified as the more potent opioid-like compound associated with tolerance, dependence, withdrawal, and respiratory depression. CDPH reported 362 kratom-related overdose deaths in California from 2019 to 2023 and 15 deaths involving 7-OH, while Los Angeles County officials described unexplained deaths in young adults that led them to expand toxicology testing and identify 7-OH as a common factor. County and state public health representatives said they have issued advisories, contacted retailers, removed products from shelves, and taken enforcement actions, but they stressed that local enforcement is patchy, under-resourced, and limited by unclear jurisdiction and lack of testing capacity. Medical witnesses said patients are presenting with 7-OH dependence and withdrawal in ways similar to fentanyl-related cases, sometimes requiring buprenorphine, methadone, or repeated naloxone. They argued that unregulated retail sales and misleading marketing make the products especially risky, and that a statewide framework would be more effective than a patchwork of local ordinances. Some officials said the safest current policy is to keep kratom and 7-OH unlawful for consumption, while others said any new regulation would need resources, packaging rules, and clearer authority for enforcement. Industry and consumer advocates urged the committee to distinguish natural kratom leaf from concentrated or synthetic 7-OH products. They argued that kratom leaf has long-standing use, that 7-OH should be targeted rather than the whole plant, and that regulation should focus on age limits, labeling, testing, serving-size caps, and restrictions on adulterated products rather than prohibition. Several speakers warned that bans could push demand to the black market and reduce access for people using the products for pain relief or harm reduction, while critics of the industry said the products are being marketed deceptively and that more comprehensive regulation is needed.

Transcript Highlights:

• , pointed out, the way that we've historically taxed alcohol is regressive because we tax at the wholesale
• brought forward in this last legislative session, we work keeping and freezing the base of that wholesale

Committee: House House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Have you modeled other ways to do this so that people wouldn't wholesale lose access to dental care?
• I can't even imagine that a proposal would include wholesale cuts to funds for dental, particularly for

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a middleman, and it's owned by all the big wholesaler drug companies.
• There are three big wholesalers that own the PSAOs.

Bills: SB331 , SB883 , SB926 , SB1137 , SB1138 , SB1144 , SB1151 , SB1236 , SB1270 , SB1522 , SB1869 , SB2207 , SB2422

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Keywords: healthcare, cost disclosure, transparency, administrative penalties, health facility compliance, COVID-19, off-label use, prescription drugs, patient access, medical standards, insurance, physician ranking, incentives, fiduciary duty, health plan issuers, SB 1137, group home, assisted living, residential care, board and care

Transcript Highlights:

• It's an act to amend Title 37 relative to the wholesale of residential real properties to provide for

Bills: SCR12 , HB221 , HB509 , HCR58 , SB78 , SB25 , SB80 , SB132 , SB155 , SB157 , SB202 , SB228 , SB250 , SB414 , SB433 , SB479 , SB513 , SCR9 , SCR58 , SB65 , SB215 , SB249 , SB269 , SB282 , SB296 , SB323 , SB363 , SB369 , SB474 , SB490 , SB492 , SB500 , SB514 , HCR32 , HB17 , HB41 , HB73 , HB223 , HB244 , HB759 , HB906 , HB966 , HB1006 , HB1009 , HB1086 , HB1107 , HB1112 , HB1215 , HB1242 , SB217 , SB283 , SB469 , HB36 , HB42 , HB74 , HB119 , HB159 , HB259 , HB302 , HB414 , HB459 , HB776 , HB848 , HB956 , HB1017 , HB1028 , HB1095 , SB208 , SB312 , SB382 , SB389 , HB210 , HB258 , HB359 , HB368 , HB468 , HB552 , HB732 , HB784 , HB870 , HB953 , HB1117 , HB1236

Keywords: logging, recognition, John Keith, environment, safety, Mississippi River bridge, Trump Expressway, transportation, federal funding, Louisiana highways, injection wells, public hearing, geologic sequestration, environmental impact, public comment, Ascension Parish, state capitol, economic development, community partnership, celebration day

Transcript Highlights:

• labeled not for sale, so we're not buying this and going back out and reselling like a middleman or a wholesaler

Committee: Senate Agricultural Affairs

Summary: The Senate Agricultural Committee began with a visit from a BYU-Idaho agribusiness class, whose students and faculty were welcomed and briefly introduced themselves. The committee then took up a rule docket, 02-0601-2501, and approved it with an exception: section 112, new subsections 01 through 05, which incorporated documents by reference without a specific date. The committee adopted findings that this was inconsistent with the Idaho Administrative Procedures Act and directed the agency to return with a compliant rule in the future. The committee next considered RS 33272, presented by Senator Tammy Nichols, which would create standards for kratom products. Nichols said the proposal was intended to preserve lawful access to natural leaf kratom while prohibiting adulterated, synthetic, or artificially enhanced products, requiring limited third-party testing, setting an age restriction, clarifying supply-chain responsibilities, and establishing penalties without creating new licensing or fees. The committee voted to send the RS to print. Senator Todd Lakey then presented RS 33226, the Idaho Direct to Consumer Act, which would reduce regulation on small-scale homemade food and non-alcoholic drink sales made directly from producer to consumer, preempt more restrictive local rules, and include labeling and record-keeping requirements, including for certain direct meat sales. The committee voted to send that RS to print as well. The Idaho Department of Water Resources, speaking in its role with the Soil and Water Conservation Commission, gave an agency update on conservation district support, CREP, WACPA, and related programs. Officials reported on district funding distributions, landowner assistance, conservation acres served, and performance measures, and discussed budget requests including a proposed miscellaneous revenue fund and additional appropriations to address future CREP matching needs. In response to a question, the department said WACPA was not included in the governor’s budget. The Idaho Association of Soil Conservation Districts then presented on the value of locally led conservation districts, emphasizing volunteer governance, the return on state investment, education efforts, and local projects such as flood recovery and rangeland fire protection. Committee members asked about EPA coordination, and presenters said working through state agencies and local districts remained preferable and generally effective. The meeting concluded after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're not buying this and going back out and reselling it like a middleman or a wholesaler. 37-208

Committee: Senate Agricultural Affairs

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair: Jared Ross, Florida Wholesalers Association in support. Anything else?

Transcript Highlights:

• couldn't be better, that along the line it will be modified, but it will be done so in degree, not wholesale

Summary: The Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee first considered the gubernatorial appointment and reappointment of Alan Kavanaugh to the Pardons and Parole Commission, but no vote was taken at this meeting. Kavanaugh, a longtime law enforcement officer, described his approach as conservative on parole, strongly victim-focused, and centered on public safety, fair hearings, and helping people succeed after release. Senators asked about workload, decision-making, and successful outcomes; Kavanaugh highlighted a veteran who used parole to rebuild his life and support other veterans, and he also praised a work-release program in eastern Idaho as a model for reducing recidivism and increasing employment. Members expressed support for the commission’s work and noted the importance of adequate funding, but deferred the appointment vote to the next meeting. Eric Fredrickson, the Idaho State Public Defender, then gave an update on the statewide public defense system. He reviewed the history of public defense reform in Idaho, the creation of the State Public Defender office, and the transition from county-based to state-based operations. Fredrickson said the office faced a difficult rollout in October 2024, including a backlog of more than 1,300 cases and staff departures, but that the system has since stabilized. He reported that increased funding in 2025 allowed salary adjustments, higher contract rates, new institutional offices, and significant hiring, including 34 attorneys, 13 legal assistants, and 11 investigators. Senators asked about the effects of budget holdbacks, backlog recovery, judge relations, and future needs; Fredrickson said holdbacks led to reduced travel, training, and tighter spending on experts and billing, and said the office’s next priorities are an Idaho-specific workload standard, more attorneys, and more social workers. The committee then printed two bills. RS 32880 C1, by Senator Foreman, the “Constitutional Courts Act,” would prohibit Idaho courts from enforcing or applying judgments based on religious or cultural law that do not conform to the U.S. and Idaho Constitutions. Foreman said it was intended to prevent any outside body of law from replacing Idaho’s legal system, while not restricting private religious practice. Senators debated whether the proposal was necessary, whether it conflicted with religious liberty protections, and whether it would treat some religions differently; the motion to print passed. RS 33006 C1, by Senator Nichols, would update Idaho’s Son of Sam law to prevent criminals from profiting from notoriety through modern media and digital monetization while protecting free speech and due process. Nichols said the current statute is outdated and constitutionally vulnerable; the motion to print also passed, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• couldn't be better, that along the line it will be modified, but it will be done so in degree, not wholesale

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Rules

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a brand manufacturer and a wholesale producer of oil distillate, cured resin, live resin.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm not willing to go forward and do a complete wholesale change when that never occurred, because that

Summary: The committee approved the December 8 minutes and referred items C1 and C2 to the labor and environment subcommittees, adopting the chair’s recommendations. The main substantive item was a DHS rule package revising the State Plan Personal Care Manual and the Arkansas Independent Assessment (ARIA) Manual. DHS said the revisions would repeal and replace the current manuals with streamlined versions, remove overlapping language, implement Act 853 by shifting licensure/certification for personal care agencies to the Department of Health, lengthen personal care prior authorizations from six months to one year, and keep the 64-hour monthly cap. For ARIA, DHS said it would remove references to state plan personal care, clarify telehealth and in-person assessments, and add/update sections for PASS, AR Choices, Living Choices, and PACE. DHS argued the current independent assessment process is costly and not controlling utilization, citing a 95% approval rate, annual spending of more than $212 million on personal care for about 17,000 people, and an estimated $6.173 million in savings from eliminating the Optum assessment and reducing prior-authorization frequency. Agency witnesses said the new process would reinsert primary care practitioner involvement, use standardized evaluation and prescription forms, and rely on personal care provider nurses for the assessment step, with training already available through an AFMC contract. Several members questioned whether PCPs should be used as gatekeepers, whether the change would delay services, and whether the savings estimate accounted for training or provider burden. Some members also raised concerns about conflicts of interest, the workload on physicians, and whether the agency had adequately worked with the existing vendor to improve the current system. The discussion became contentious, with Senator Irvin and others strongly opposing the proposal as inconsistent with the earlier independent-assessment approach and urging DHS to slow down and work with legislators. Other members asked for clarification on how the new process would work for new applicants and whether it would affect waiver or PASS participants; DHS said the rule would not apply to PASS and should not delay services. At the end of the hearing, the chair offered DHS the option to pull the rule down and work off-record with legislators on a revised proposal, and DHS agreed. The meeting then adjourned without further business or a final vote on the rule.

Transcript Highlights:

• I worry that getting rid of it wholesale could cause a lot more problems.

Bills: HB1342 , HB2889 , HB3002 , HB3254 , HB4820 , HJR40 , HJR40

Committee: House Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Keywords: private activity bonds, housing, residential rental projects, low-income, affordable housing, bond measures, funding equality, political subdivisions, public communications, election fairness, debt collection, consumer rights, disclosures, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, settlement agreements, State Board of Education, group benefits program, health insurance, state employees, dependents eligibility

Transcript Highlights:

• annual water supply authorizations by the TCEQ or Groundwater Conservation District or pursuant to a wholesale

Bills: HB 4530 , HB 4931 , HB 5559 , HB 5560

Committee: House Natural Resources

Keywords: water rights, Texas Water Trust, water bank, environmental conservation, water quality, instream flows, aquifer, water injection, Edwards Aquifer, environmental regulation, groundwater, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, water conservation, drought, utility regulation, water use restrictions, Public Utility Commission, civil penalties, drought contingency, environmental protection

Transcript Highlights:

• This revenue would come from the lower potency hemp edible wholesaler license that is being created.

Bills: HF1646 , HF2443

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Keywords: medical debt, debt relief, healthcare financing, consumer protection, financial hardship, commerce, cannabis, insurance, housing, ombudsperson, affordability, property, task force, financial institutions

Transcript Highlights:

• Established in 1949, headquarters in Austin, TFFA supports both the retail and wholesale sectors of the

Transcript Highlights:

• Established in 1949, headquarters in Austin, TFFA supports both the retail and wholesale sectors of the

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• uniquely complex due to a variety of reasons, uh, such as diverse state tax structures, distinct wholesale
• uniquely complex due to a variety of reasons, uh, such as diverse state tax structures, distinct wholesale
• uniquely complex due to a variety of reasons, uh, such as diverse state tax structures, distinct wholesale
• uniquely complex due to a variety of reasons, uh, such as diverse state tax structures, distinct wholesale
• </c> state tax structures, distinct wholesale state tax structures, distinct wholesale and<00:39:28.079

Committee: Joint Revenue

Keywords: 916, all