Transcript Highlights:

• There’s zero evidence that I can find that if it were not for those tax credits, we would not have the
• There’s zero evidence that I can find that if we were not for those tax credits, we wouldn’t— There’s
• zero evidence that I can find that if we’re not for those tax credits, we wouldn’t have the employment

Summary: The House recognized its drafters and research staff, then moved through committee reports and several conference committee reports and final passage motions. Senate Joint Resolution 87 was adopted and finally passed after debate over a provision affecting the City of St. Louis sheriff; supporters said the final version restored the original format with a minor wording change, while opponents argued it removed local voter control. The resolution passed 95-46 on both the conference report and final passage votes. Members then adopted and finally passed Senate Bill 973, a measure combining a wholesaler provision and a land bank/real estate transparency provision, with supporters describing it as consumer protection and cleanup language. Senate Bill 1421, a public safety package, was also advanced after a motion to exceed the conference differences; debate focused on clean slate provisions, masked intimidation penalties, prosecuting attorney salaries, fentanyl language, good time credit, Brianna’s Law, and a St. Louis liability provision. The conference report passed 116-18, final passage 110-25, and the emergency clause for the drone-related portion passed 136-5. The House also adopted and finally passed Senate Bills 835 and 1111, a broad package including insurance claim assignment protections, court automation updates, treatment court administration, a circuit judgeship codification, a St. Louis civil case surcharge, and anti-SLAPP protections. Senate Bill 1408, which authorizes MoDOT and the Highway Commission to consider raising rural interstate speed limits from 70 to 75 mph, was receded to the Senate version and finally passed 93-46. Senate Bill 913, extending multiple agricultural tax credits through 2033 and adding a short-line railroad credit, drew extensive debate over tax credits, budget priorities, and return on investment before the previous question was ordered and the bill passed 107-30. Finally, Senate Bill 1553 was passed, creating incentives and a grant program tied to critical minerals and pharmaceuticals to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers; supporters framed it as a jobs and national security measure, while one member raised concerns about local revenue impacts before clarifying the bill’s scope. The House then received Senate messages indicating the Senate had passed a House bill, and the session continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• concern that I have, and I'm going to be quite frank, is that we're looking at a fiscal note that has zero
• Okay, I'm just confused as to why it has zeros on all of the expenses.
• I think that was the question of, is that built in, that this is zeros right now? Right.

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 105, which reinstates a sunset-expired TOPS Tech benefit for eligible veterans. Senator Kathy said the bill would use existing TOPS dollars, not new funding, and would help veterans stay in Louisiana and enter the workforce. After brief questions about eligibility and funding, Representative Marcelle moved the bill favorably, and it was reported favorably without objection. House Resolution 3, by Representative Newell, asked the Louisiana Housing Corporation to study whether vacant state-owned property could be repurposed for housing and rental assistance for cost-burdened state employees. Members discussed the high fiscal note and whether the work could be absorbed in existing budgets. Fiscal staff said LHC had requested a full-time position and four part-time positions for the study, but the committee also talked about narrowing the study’s scope. Representative Marcelle moved the resolution favorably, and it was reported favorably without objection. The committee then debated House Bill 189, which would extend supplemental pay to fire protection officers at the Lakefront Management Authority’s airport fire department. Representative Newell and airport representatives argued the firefighters perform specialized, hazardous ARFF duties and should receive the same supplemental pay as other qualifying public firefighters. Some members questioned whether the airport and its employees qualify under existing law and whether the supplement should be expanded further. After discussion, Representative Marcelle moved the bill favorably, but the motion failed on a roll call vote of 8 yeas to 10 nays. Later, Senate Bill 461, concerning Office of Group Benefits coverage for certain small employee groups, was reported favorably without objection. House Bill 623, creating a three-tier permitting system for vapor products, was amended to clarify direct-to-consumer shipment restrictions and then reported favorably as amended. House Bill 1222, creating a grocery initiative grants and financial support program through LED to address food deserts, drew extended debate over whether it would amount to government-run grocery stores; supporters framed it as an incentive and grant program for private grocers, while critics raised concerns about government involvement. After amendment, it was reported favorably as amended by a vote of 16 yeas to 2 nays. Finally, House Resolution 80, directing a comprehensive fiscal audit related to Board of Regents and university system spending on certain executive budget metrics, was amended into a substitute version. Members debated whether the resolution would require universities to do additional work and whether it belonged in Appropriations at all, especially since the fiscal note had been removed. The discussion also raised concerns about the listed schools and the resolution’s purpose in light of a federal civil rights investigation. The transcript ends while the committee is still discussing the resolution and related procedural motions.

Transcript Highlights:

• With the yeas being 125 and the nays being zero, the gentleman's motion is approved.
• Absolutely not, zero. Is this a new general revenue request? Absolutely not.
• I have an amendment ending in point zero two-h. It's been distributed, and I move for its adoption.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approved the House Journal by a 125-0 roll call vote. Members then spent a large portion of the morning recognizing special guests, interns, students, and constituents, including school groups, interns, a Savannah Bananas player, and several birthday and personal privilege announcements. On legislation, the House agreed to conference on Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 1421. The chamber then took up Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 1000, a bipartisan measure to reauthorize the Missouri Tourism Supplemental Revenue Fund and continue support for the Division of Tourism and Missouri Film Office. Supporters from both parties emphasized tourism’s economic importance statewide; the bill passed 136-6. The House next debated House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1020, an omnibus Department of Revenue bill covering fee office contracting, vehicle registration penalties, Real ID document retention, and other DOR changes. The body adopted an amendment lowering late registration penalties, making document retention opt-in, and restoring a five-year plate option, followed by a second amendment removing cosmetic damage as a basis for rejecting rebuilt-vehicle inspections. The bill then passed 130-10. Later, the House began debate on a combined judiciary/civil legislation bill involving insurance assignment-of-benefits restrictions, anti-SLAPP protections, workers’ compensation and court administration changes, and expungement-related funding; members adopted a title change and several amendments, including one to make attorney-fee awards more even in anti-SLAPP motions, while also debating a proposed St. Louis police legal expense fund amendment and whether it had been properly vetted.

Transcript Highlights:

• There was a fiscal note of zero, right? Right.
• This was a few years ago, and he really believed it with zero evidence.
• Do you want to... ...it with zero evidence.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Zero information to go on—they trust us up here.
• Cut and a path to zero.
• That two-and-a-half mile little section right there has zero deaths.

Bills: HB3257 , HB3176 , HB3544 , HB3619 , HB3546 , HB1782 , HB2293 , HB4358 , HB3081 , HB3983 , HB3790 , HJR1023 , HB4139 , HB3297 , HB3041 , HB3673 , HB4105 , HB3338 , HB3048 , SR33 , SCR21 , SCR20 , HB4030 , HB4031 , HB4032 , HB4034 , HB4036 , HB4037 , HB4038 , HB4040 , HB4041 , HB4042 , HB4043 , HB4045 , HB4046 , HB4047 , HB4048 , HB4044 , HB4050 , HB4051 , HB4052 , HB4053 , HB4054 , HB4056 , HB4057 , HB4071 , HB4065 , HB4067 , HB4072 , HB2992 , HB4338 , HB4170

Keywords: veterans, disability benefits, federal law, Oklahoma Statutes, military service, Oklahoma, Gas Hub, artificial intelligence, national laboratory, public-private partnerships, aerospace, high-performance computing, economic development, social AI companions, minors, emotional attachment, safety protocols, civil penalties, parental controls, geographic information

Transcript Highlights:

• Like if it's zero to 100, it's a different price as if it's 200 or plus.
• day, but especially at night, where so much of this signage is, the reflectivity is almost down to zero
• Almost down to zero.

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met on March 16 and first disposed of several local bills without controversy. House Bills 590, 679, and 873 were voluntarily deferred. HB 503, allowing certain utility terrain vehicles and golf carts in Golden Meadow, was amended and reported. HB 720, clarifying tacit dedication and public access to waterways and related access points, was reported favorably. HB 856, expanding indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracting authority for DOTD and the Office of Louisiana Highway Construction, was amended and reported. HB 487, increasing penalties for drivers who run red lights by using shoulders or turn lanes to pass stopped traffic, was amended and reported. HB 846, prohibiting obscured or covered license plates, was reported favorably. HB 733 and HB 875, both dealing with OMV reinstatement fees and lapses of insurance, were reported with amendments after discussion of audit findings and fee timing. HB 707, moving liquefied petroleum gas commission functions to Agriculture, was amended and reported. HB 693, creating legislator district signs, was amended and then voluntarily deferred. HB 777, requiring a driver's license renewal knowledge exam, was amended and voluntarily deferred for further work with the department. HB 746, concerning oversized trucking permits issued by local governments, was introduced but not advanced, with the author signaling a desire to work on the issue further rather than force a vote. Several bills drew extended debate over safety, enforcement, and government overreach. HB 309, which would have penalized pedestrians for looking at cell phones while crossing crosswalks, was amended from a criminal offense to a $25 civil fine but then voluntarily deferred after members raised concerns about enforceability, tourism, free will, and whether the bill targeted the right party. HB 695, requiring permits and QR-code documentation for consensual non-commercial towing of multiple connected vehicles, was heavily questioned over how it would work in practice, whether it applied to single or multiple vehicles, and how out-of-state travelers would know about the requirement; the committee asked the author to work with OMV and State Police and voluntarily returned the bill to the calendar. HB 868, removing the farm exemption from trailer safety-chain and attachment requirements after a fatal accident involving a trailer separation, was amended and reported despite concerns from members and the Agriculture Commissioner about impacts on older farm equipment and the need to preserve flexibility for agricultural operations. The committee also heard testimony from law enforcement, the auditor’s office, the Department of Transportation and Development, the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, and industry groups. Chiefs of police supported the red-light and license-plate bills as common-sense public safety measures, while the Legislative Auditor explained that the OMV fee bills were intended to align Louisiana’s reinstatement fees and grace periods more closely with other states and with audit recommendations. DOTD and the secretary supported the procurement bill as a tool to speed construction and maintenance work. Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain supported the propane commission bill and urged caution on the farm trailer safety bill so that older and specialized equipment would not be unintentionally burdened.

Transcript Highlights:

• She worked with us and supported us during our net zero bill that we got through the legislature a few
• It's proof that an ambitious and progressive agenda is achievable and that it doesn't have to be a zero-sum
• There being 133 ayes and zero nays, the bill is passed and its title is agreed to.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• But I do think, you know, you also don't want it at zero either. Does that help? Yeah, it does.
• But, I mean, at this, the way we do it right now, if somebody had an enrollment of one or zero, they
• So can you provide a little bit more clarity for me on 932 about Bartle Hall, that it was zeroed completely

Committee: House Budget

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All those in favor of adopting the substitute ending in point zero four C, signify by saying aye.
• In Lincoln County, I can tell you that we have one traffic safety goal, and that's zero fatalities.
• So that would essentially take your fiscal note to zero.

Committee: House Special Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 1087 from Senator Joe Nicola, which would update limited driving privileges and create a process to suspend licenses after repeated failures to appear or pay for minor moving traffic violations. Nicola said the bill was intended to improve public safety and municipal court compliance without restoring the pre-2015 system of fines and fees. Supporters, including officials from Independence, O’Fallon, and the Missouri Municipal League, argued that municipal court reform had sharply reduced citations and increased failure-to-appear rates, leaving courts with too little leverage to ensure compliance and creating safety problems for repeat offenders. They said the bill would preserve discretion, protect work and basic travel needs, and help law enforcement and courts address chronic noncompliance. Opponents, including the State Public Advocate, argued the bill would restore a cash-cow system, burden low-income residents, and create harsh consequences for missed notices or address problems. The hearing closed without a vote on SB 1087. The committee then moved into executive session and reconsidered House Bill 2288, ultimately voting to reconsider and then voting the bill due pass by a 10-5 margin. The committee also adopted a substitute and passed House Bill 3006 due pass by 13-1, passed House Bill 2289 due pass by 10-3 with one present, and passed House Bill 2906 due pass by 13-1 after adopting an amendment and rolling it into a substitute. Members discussed procedural issues about quorum and the reconsideration motion during the HB 2288 vote. Later, the committee heard House Bill 3491 from Representative Don Mayhew, which would codify English-language proficiency requirements for commercial driver’s license holders and impose penalties on drivers and motor carriers when those requirements are violated. Mayhew and a Lincoln County prosecutor described a recent Highway 61 incident involving a Minnesota CDL holder who could not communicate in English, could not identify his location, and was taken out of service after a Highway Patrol proficiency test. Supporters said the bill would mirror federal rules in state statute, improve safety, and hold both drivers and carriers accountable. Some members questioned whether the bill was redundant with federal law, whether it would be enforceable before an accident, and whether the language was too broad, especially the phrase about conversing with the general public. The prosecutor said the current tools are mostly reactive and that the bill would help remove dangerous drivers and penalize carriers, but no final action was taken on HB 3491 in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• All those in favor of adopting the substitute ending in point zero four C, signify by saying aye.
• In Lincoln County, I can tell you that we have one traffic safety goal, and that's zero fatalities.
• So that would essentially take your fiscal note to zero.

Committee: House Special Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• we can do, but I want to caution everybody: there is never going to be a situation where we have a zero
• But when you live in a zero floodplain, apparently there is no such thing. Mm-hmm.
• But on FY 25, there was $150 million in authority, but there were zero actual expenditures.

Committee: House Budget

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It would go to zero, and then there would be an additional 138,000 acre-feet that would actually come
• We got really, you know, we got zeroed in on them pretty fast, as you can imagine.
• We got really, you know, we, we got zeroed in on them pretty fast, as you can imagine.

Bills: HB24 , HB27

Committee: House Natural Resources

Keywords: groundwater, conservation, water permits, sustainability, resource management

Summary: The committee met to hear House Bills 27 and 24 on groundwater issues in East Texas, with members and witnesses focusing on a proposed large-volume groundwater export project and the need for more science before major permitting decisions are made. HB 27, which was within the special session call, would direct the Texas Water Development Board to conduct a hydrogeologic study of the aquifers in the affected area and temporarily pause new export permits while the study is underway. HB 24, a separate bill that would limit certain production and export permits to 5% of modeled available groundwater, was laid out but the chair said it would not be moved out of committee. Testimony on HB 27 was largely supportive, though some witnesses were neutral. Supporters, including representatives from a water supply corporation, the Trinity River Authority, Environmental Defense Fund, and the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, said the region lacks enough hydrologic data, that the proposed pumping could affect private wells, surface water, and local economies, and that the state needs better information on sustainable yield and groundwater-surface water interaction. Several witnesses emphasized that groundwater conservation districts need clearer tools and better data, while also noting concerns about property rights and the rule of capture. Committee members discussed the scale of the proposed project, the absence of a groundwater conservation district in Houston County, and the possibility that the study should examine desired future conditions and maximum sustainable pumping rather than only modeled available groundwater. The committee adopted the committee substitute for HB 27 and voted it out favorably to the full House with a recommendation that it do pass, be printed, and be sent to the Committee on Calendars. The roll call was unanimous, 11 ayes and 0 nays. After the vote, members briefly reflected on the complexity of the issue and the need to continue working on broader groundwater policy in the interim and next session. HB 24 was discussed later in the meeting, but no final action on that bill was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• if you look at the sequential intercept model, we have that handout from yesterday, the intercept zero
• according to that person's needs, but what you're talking about, what you're doing right here is intercept zero
• bigger than that, that you're going to prevent a lot of problems in the future if we can intercept at zero

Committee: House Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• that we don't know or we can't measure or predict that, we know it's going... going to be more than zero
• I currently telework full time, I pay zero for parking, and that's how it should be.
• There is zero telework, 52% of the state employees. All right, so how many do Did you say 250?

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I think if you ask the department chairs and the deans and my EVC, their answer will be zero.
• I understand that zero is probably the ideal answer, but not an acceptable answer.
• Because when there’s uncertainty, we convert that to a certainty with likelihood zero of funding.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance held an extended hearing focused primarily on University of California budget issues, enrollment, housing, and Title IX. Chair David Alvarez opened by noting the governor’s proposed 8% ongoing General Fund reduction to UC, the deferral of compact funding, and the College of the Law budget item, while emphasizing that no votes would be taken that day. Public commenters, including UC Davis employees and lecturers, urged restoration of UC funding and opposed the hiring freeze, saying cuts would worsen staffing shortages, reduce research capacity, and harm students and patients. On UC core operations, the Department of Finance said the governor’s budget maintains the compact but defers $240.8 million in ongoing support and continues a planned 7.95% reduction, while the LAO recommended rejecting the deferrals and instead making any changes in the budget year. UC San Diego’s chancellor and UC Office of the President argued the cuts and deferrals would create major campus shortfalls, force hiring freezes, larger class sizes, fewer course offerings, delayed projects, and possible layoffs. Committee members questioned whether cuts could be shifted away from students and toward administration, discussed UCOP reserves and bond debt, and noted that UC’s budget structure makes the campus-level impact larger than the headline reduction. The committee also reviewed enrollment trends and nonresident replacement. The LAO said UC resident enrollment has grown and recommended revisiting 2026-27 targets and pausing the nonresident replacement plan if state funding does not improve. UC said it has exceeded California undergraduate enrollment and nonresident replacement goals, but warned that continued growth without funding would force enrollment reductions and harm quality. Members discussed the role of nonresident and international students, tuition rates, and the value of UC as a pathway for California students and a source of talent for the state. A separate housing item covered the state’s Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program. UC reported that recent bond savings could support additional affordable beds at UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara, but the LAO and Finance noted the Legislature would need to decide how to use the $6.2 million in savings from the original projects. The committee also heard a Title IX update from UC’s systemwide civil rights office, which described campus Title IX structures, training, and policy enforcement, and said the system has been working to improve confidentiality guidance and streamline complaint processes after survey feedback showed confusion and lengthy procedures.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're being 12 eyes zero days, the motion prevails. Thank you. It's okay. It's okay. You did it.
• three years ago, I was told that I think the recidivism rate of the graduates of this program was zero
• There being 14 ayes and zero nays, the motion prevails. Members, that concludes today's agenda.

Bills: HB367 , HB497 , HB549 , HB983 , HB 1188 , HB 1290 , HB1368 , HB2243 , HB2310 , HB2849 , HB3099 , HB3546 , HB3629 , HB3627

Committee: House Public Education

Keywords: education, absences, severe illness, life-threatening, school policy, verification, healthcare, insurance, affordability, coverage, patient rights, school health, respiratory distress, airway clearance devices, medication training, public health, HB 983, Texas Education Agency, TEA, educator privacy

Transcript Highlights:

• the bill and adds further consumer protections such as timely transmission requirements, a default zero
• and a lot of the improvements it brings, including, as you've already heard, setting tips default to zero
• company takes ownership of the full paycheck until payday, also setting the default tip default tip to zero

Committee: House Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Transcript Highlights:

• bill is just to give transparency. last year passed out of this committee nine to nothing and 29 to zero
• I'm limited to only capturing costs for true depreciation, mortgage interest, property tax. tax with zero
• support of how I got to the cost that shows that it is only the cost that was invested. occurred with zero

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• By a vote of 33 in the affirmative, zero in the negative, the appointment of Heather Jordan as the Director
• By a vote of 40 in the affirmative, zero in the negative, the appointment of Mariana Padilla as Secretary
• By a vote of 37 in the affirmative, zero in the negative, Senate Bill 88, as twice amended, has passed

Transcript Highlights:

• By your vote of 10 yes, zero no, you have due past House Committee substitute for Senate Bill 1572.

Committee: House Rules - Legislative

Summary: The Legislative Rules Committee met in two sessions and first addressed several procedural issues about when it can hear bills referred directly to the committee, including notice requirements for public hearings and whether it can take action on bills that are not first referred to it. The chair said the committee would only take action that afternoon on Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 1553, Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 1002, Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 1135, and House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1572, and later indicated a separate hearing would be held the next evening on Senate Bill 999 (the “born-alive” bill) using a committee substitute that had been distributed in advance. The chair also noted an amendment would be offered to House Bill 2243 to address unintended effects on the telecommunications sector, and said the committee might also consider other referred bills if announced on the floor. In executive session, the committee voted do pass on Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 1553, dealing with incentives for production of certain critical materials, by 10-0. It then approved Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 1002, concerning elections submitted to the people by a school board, by 8-2, and Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 1135, concerning child maintenance orders for certain persons, by 8-2. House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1572, relating to public employee retirement systems fixes, was approved unanimously 10-0. When the committee reconvened later that evening, it canceled the previously posted morning hearing and confirmed that the next evening’s public hearing would be on Senate Bill 999, with executive session planned afterward on the committee substitute. The committee then voted do pass on Senate Bill 999 by 8-2 and adjourned.