Video & Transcript : 'legislature' :
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NM
New Mexico 2026 Regular Session
House - Chamber Meeting Feb 6th, 2026 at 11:19 am
New Mexico House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- I shared with you some high points of our work here in the legislature.
- Almost 35 years ago, the legislature created in Statue Indian Day here at the legislature to provide
- And in 2009, the New Mexico Legislature passed And in 2009, the New Mexico Legislature passed the State
- HED would then provide a recommendation to the legislature, and the legislature then would appropriate
- Anything over a million dollars requires it to come back to the legislature for the legislature to actually
Bills:
HB111 , HJR1 , HB61 , HB8 , HB30 , HB43 , HB156 , HJM2 , HM7 , HM17 , HM4 , HM22 , HM23 , HM24 , HM26 , HM2 , HM16 , HM11 , HM14 , HM21 , HM34 , HM50 , HB70 , SB3 , HJM3
Keywords:
water law, state engineer, civil penalty, compliance order, water rights, overdiversion, illegal diversion, groundwater storage and recovery, well license, permit violation, water enforcement, New Mexico water code, irrigation district, conservancy district, water diversion, unauthorized water sales, measuring device, district court appeal, water resources, water compliance
NM
New Mexico 2026 Regular Session
House - Chamber Meeting Feb 6th, 2026
New Mexico House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Almost 35 years ago, the legislature created Indian Day here at the legislature to provide for the opportunity
- And in 2009, the New Mexico Legislature passed...
- The legislature is not typically deeply involved in that.
- HED would then provide a recommendation to the legislature, and the legislature then would appropriate
- Anything over a million dollars requires it to come back to the legislature for the legislature to actually
Bills:
HB111 , HJR1 , HB61 , HB8 , HB30 , HB43 , HB156 , HJM2 , HM7 , HM17 , HM4 , HM22 , HM23 , HM24 , HM26 , HM2 , HM16 , HM11 , HM14 , HM21 , HM34 , HM50 , HB70 , SB3 , HJM3
Summary:
The House convened for a special American Indian Day celebration, with prayers, flag citations, a Navajo national anthem, and many members introducing tribal leaders, students, veterans, and community guests. Speakers emphasized Native sovereignty, government-to-government relations, cultural preservation, education, and the importance of representation in state government. The Speaker announced plans for a future tribal summit to discuss funding, capital, and policy priorities with tribes and nations.
After the celebration, the House received executive messages, including gubernatorial authorization for new bills and notice that House Bill 9 had been signed into law. Committee reports were adopted on several measures, including House Bills 128, 285, 20, 52, 57, 58, 206, 109, 38, 66, 178, 198, 202, 224, 257, 103, and 247, with several health-related bills advanced via committee substitutes and referred onward. The House also adopted House Memorial 32 and enrolled House Bill 50 with a certificate of correction.
On the floor, House Joint Resolution 1, as amended, passed 67-0. The resolution would create nominating committees for certain constitutionally named institutions, require no single party majority on those committees, and shift the student regent appointment to an elected student government body; members discussed the one-year party-registration requirement and the timing of implementing legislation. House Bill 8, which creates and funds the Major Capital Projects Fund for higher education projects, was then debated at length over its graduation-rate criteria and waiver provisions, and an amendment was offered to require Higher Education Department waiver findings to be reported to and approved by the State Board of Finance for added oversight.
MO
Transcript Highlights:
- I thought I might give, this is not a new issue to the legislature.
- That's completely not involved with school districts at all because this legislature over the last 20
- Would the legislature have passed this? Was this part of some big deal or something?
- I've never heard it in the legislature before. I'm not going to say no one has ever filed it.
- So this covers every sort of legislative act that the legislature might do.
Committee:
House Legislative Review
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
- Decades ago, the legislature enacted essentially an intent in 43-102.
- The legislature didn't need to put... The tax year includes the next tax year as well.
- The legislature didn't need to put that reference in there.
- Until the legislature takes action, anything is possible, and so they would continue to do that.
- So before I leave the legislature, I'm glad I got to see it. Thank you.
Keywords:
public funds, virtual currency, bitcoin, investment, Arizona Strategic Digital Asset Reserve Act, state treasurer, retirement system, state payments, cryptocurrency, Arizona law, payment methods, government transactions, tax lien, property tax lien, real property tax lien, foreclosure, right of redemption, redeem, excess proceeds, county abatement lien
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
March 20, 2025 - 08:30 AM
Transcript Highlights:
- I think there's been a large-scale realization amongst the legislature this year that...
- It's not a full-time position, much like the Legislature.
- That's going to be up to the legislature.
- We're a part-time legislature. We're here for committee weeks.
- a part-time legislature.
Summary:
The committee heard and approved several measures. HB 735 expanded Florida’s boating improvement program to fund parking for boat trailers at public ramps and offered a 10% sovereign submerged land lease discount for manufacturers using environmental best management practices; it passed unanimously. HB 4021 expanded the North River Ranch Improvement Stewardship District in Manatee County by 640 acres and was reported favorably. CS for HB 371, which promotes nature-based methods and green/gray infrastructure for coastal resilience, also passed unanimously after supportive testimony from resilience and environmental groups and committee members.
The committee then took up HJR 1325, a proposed constitutional amendment to create an elected Commissioner of Government Efficiency (COGE) with authority to audit, investigate, and report on waste, fraud, and abuse in state and local government. The proposal would eliminate the lieutenant governor position, the Government Efficiency Task Force, and the legislature’s current auditor appointment, with many implementation details deferred to a future bill. Members debated the scope of the new office, its relationship to the Auditor General and inspectors general, whether it should cover the legislative and judicial branches, staffing, and the comparison to federal DOGE efforts. An amendment making a minor wording change was adopted, and the resolution passed 23-? with a favorable report after a split vote.
The committee also approved two Gulf of America bills. HB 575 redesignated the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, and CS for HB 549 required Florida’s academic standards and newly adopted instructional materials to reflect the federal designation for materials acquired on or after July 1, 2025. Both measures drew criticism from members who argued the renaming was politically motivated, historically insensitive, and potentially confusing for students, while supporters said Florida should align with federal action. HB 575 passed and CS for HB 549 passed 18-7. Finally, HB 4071, a local bill adjusting the boundary between Coral Springs and Parkland in Broward County by about 8.7 acres, was amended and reported favorably with support from both cities and the Broward delegation.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on State Administration May 21st, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- On the Gen AI issue, I am very worried that this administration is not allowing the Legislature enough
- I've been very clear that the Legislature...
- So that is something that is within the prerogative of the Legislature.
- We urge the Legislature to reject control sections 3.90 and 3.91. Thank you. Thank you.
- This is not right, and we need the Legislature on our side. Thank you.
Summary:
The subcommittee heard an informational update on the state’s generative AI implementation and related oversight. Administration officials said several proof-of-concept projects have moved into minimum viable product phases, including work at CDTFA and Caltrans, and that CDPH has a May Revision request for up to $8 million to scale up its healthcare facilities inspections project. The Legislative Analyst’s Office urged the administration to publish a report on lessons learned from each POC and recommended limiting the new generative AI approval process to a pilot through the first two rounds of projects, with continued monthly meetings and stronger legislative oversight. Members pressed for more transparency and questioned why the CDPH request was not included in January; the administration said the cost estimate was not available then and that only one project is seeking additional resources beyond existing departmental budgets.
The committee then reviewed a proposed $400 million loan from the Labor and Workforce Development Fund to the General Fund. Finance and the Labor Agency said the fund has grown because civil penalty revenues have risen sharply, and the loan would be repaid in 2029-30 with provisional language allowing earlier repayment if needed. The LAO agreed the fund could support the loan but warned that recent PAGA reforms may reduce future revenues. Public commenters, including labor and community groups, argued the money should instead support labor-law enforcement and outreach programs such as CWOP, and urged rejection of the loan.
Members also heard a Department of Industrial Relations request for $19.1 million for phase two of Public Works Information Technology System Enhancements, which officials said will support labor-law enforcement and apprenticeship registration. The department said the project was delayed because a prior procurement did not result in a contract award and that completion is now expected in October 2026. The committee then took up an EDD Next reappropriation technical adjustment to extend UI fund spending authority through June 30, 2026; the LAO said the request was fine but again raised concerns about oversight of the larger modernization effort, which EDD said now totals more than $660 million and is expected to continue through 2029.
Finally, the committee discussed DGS’s request for new parking facilities near the May Lee Building and a trailer bill shifting statewide telework policy language from DGS to CalHR while also expanding NDI eligibility for certain CEA employees. The LAO said the telework trailer bill should likely go through the policy committee process instead of budget, and union and employee witnesses strongly opposed it, arguing it would undermine bargaining rights and could be used to narrow telework. In a separate item on the governor’s return-to-office order, administration officials said departments are being directed to move to a four-day in-office expectation starting July 1, 2025, but they had no statewide cost estimate yet because departments are still assessing vacancies, exemptions, and space needs. Members criticized the lack of analysis and said the state should have clearer numbers before moving forward.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- At the same time, in parallel, this legislature, or I should say, let me rephrase, that legislature at
- I—we—the legislature gives us funding for lawsuits or pending litigation.
- Subsequent to that, some member of the Legislature sued.
- The legislature has done yeoman's work. They're trying to do what they can.
- We just got this report as required by the legislature a few days ago.
Committee:
Senate Appropriations
Summary:
The committee met with a quorum present and took up three property-tax related bills before turning to a broader discussion of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund. SB 434, which would prohibit counties from increasing a residential property’s assessed value because the owner installed wind mitigation measures, was presented by Senator Lee and reported favorably. CS for SB 110, which clarifies that holders of 98-year-or-longer residential leases remain eligible for the homestead exemption even if the lease ends at death, was also reported favorably. SB 856, requiring online residential listing platforms to display estimated property taxes using prescribed calculation methods and not the current owner’s tax bill, drew support from property appraisers, Zillow representatives, and others and was reported favorably after questions about transparency and realtor obligations.
The committee then considered SPB 7040, which would recreate and extend the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund through December 31, 2027. Senator DiCeglie and Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie argued the fund is needed for hurricane response, other natural and man-made emergencies, and reimbursement-based spending; they said the extension preserves legislative oversight that would otherwise lapse. Several senators questioned the use of the fund for immigration-related operations, detention facilities, and other non-disaster activities, as well as the lack of additional guardrails, reimbursement timing, and transparency. Guthrie said the division has used the fund for hurricanes, flooding, civil unrest, security operations, and other incidents, and that some reimbursements are still pending from the federal government.
Public testimony on SPB 7040 was largely opposed. Speakers from the Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Florida for All, and others argued the fund has been repurposed for immigration enforcement and detention-related spending rather than true emergencies, and raised concerns about deaths in detention and the absence of competitive bidding and oversight. Guthrie answered extensive questions about the South Florida and North Florida detention facilities, Operation Vigilant Sentry, State Guard support, reimbursement requests, equipment purchases, and legislative access to facilities. The committee did not take a final vote on SPB 7040 within the portion of the transcript provided.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Ways and Means Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am
Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Transcript Highlights:
- Our partnership with the legislature is more critical than ever as we face new and ongoing challenges
- Our partnership with the legislature is more critical than ever as we face new and ongoing challenges
- Quite well in terms of the resources that the Legislature has given us. Thank you very much.
- And what should the Legislature know about the kinds of funding you may...
- No one at EOHHS or in the legislature wants to see someone institutionalized.
Committee:
Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held a Health and Human Services budget hearing in Clinton, with opening remarks from Chairs Meg Kilcoyne and Robin Kennedy, local officials, and many House and Senate members introducing themselves. The hearing focused on Governor Healey’s FY27 EOHHS and MassHealth budgets, with repeated themes of rising health care costs, federal funding uncertainty, workforce shortages, and access to care in underserved regions. Members also raised concerns about primary care shortages, rural and regional disparities, behavioral health access, maternal health, food insecurity, and the impact of federal policy changes on Massachusetts programs.
EOHHS Secretary Kiame Mahaniah said the FY27 EOHHS budget totals $33.7 billion, reflecting mostly non-discretionary growth from health care costs, labor costs, caseload increases, and provider rate pressures. He highlighted targeted investments in foster care, family resource centers, maternal health, youth services, nutrition programs, immigrant legal services, and human service workforce rates, while warning that federal actions could strip roughly $3.5 billion annually from the state’s health care funding. In response to questions, he defended the administration’s cooperation with federal audits and program integrity efforts, discussed the primary care crisis, and said the state is trying to preserve core services while preparing for a more difficult FY28 budget cycle.
MassHealth Undersecretary Mike Levine then described two major FY27 challenges: double-digit cost growth and the expected effects of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act. He said MassHealth’s proposed $22.7 billion gross budget includes a 7.5% increase and relies on a moratorium on new expansions plus targeted reductions, including a $1,000 annual adult dental cap, ending GLP-1 coverage for weight loss only, reducing care management to peer-state levels, and work groups to slow growth in PCA, adult foster care, and adult day health spending. Members questioned the impact on Boston Health Care for the Homeless, preventive care, and regional access; Levine said the changes are meant to preserve sustainability, that children and certain disabled populations remain protected, and that the administration will continue working with providers, advocates, and the Legislature on implementation and longer-term reforms.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Education Finance May 19th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- So we'd be happy to continue to talk with the Legislature regarding growth.
- It could be a future consideration for the Legislature. And thank you for that context.
- If the Legislature rejects this proposal, it would also ...because it is not as targeted.
- All of the funding reverts back to the state Legislature.
- The Legislature could provide a different amount.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Ways and Means Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am
Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Transcript Highlights:
- We know we have to bring it through the Legislature.
- It's not the language that we have passed in the Legislature.
- And what are we going to do as a legislature to offset that?
- Ed and I are both creatures of the legislature.
- Ed and I are both creatures of the legislature.
Committee:
Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Summary:
The hearing was a Joint Committee on Ways and Means budget session held in Lawrence focused on the governor’s proposed FY27 education and local aid budget, with remarks from legislative co-chairs, local officials, and education agency leaders. Acting Mayor Giovanni Rodriguez and Superintendent Ralph Carrero emphasized Lawrence’s high-need student population, the importance of Chapter 70 and Student Opportunity Act funding, and the impact of state aid on schools serving many English learners and low-income families. Carrero highlighted Lawrence High School programs such as early college, dual degrees, career pathways, and early childhood classrooms embedded in the high school, while lawmakers introduced themselves and noted the importance of the hearing to their districts.
Acting Secretary of Education Amy Kershaw, Commissioner of Higher Education Noi Ortega, Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Pedro Martinez, and Commissioner of Early Education and Care Amy Kershaw outlined the administration’s FY27 priorities. They described investments in literacy initiatives, universal school meals, student mental health, early college and career pathways, higher education affordability, community college and university student-success supports, preschool expansion, child care subsidies, and workforce supports for early educators. The commissioners also discussed federal funding threats, equity gaps, and the administration’s efforts to improve outcomes for Black and brown students, multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and low-income students.
Members questioned the panel about the local contribution formula study, the final year of Student Opportunity Act implementation, and the need to revisit Chapter 70 funding to better address rising costs such as special education, transportation, and health care. Officials said the local contribution study report is expected by the end of June, with a draft to be shared after data analysis and public comment. Commissioner Martinez said the Student Opportunity Act narrowed funding gaps but more work is needed, and he pointed to a proposed Accelerating Achievement Initiative to support the highest-need schools. Senator Oliveira also raised concerns about Chapter 70 disparities and asked about partnerships with libraries to support literacy, prompting discussion of broader early literacy collaboration.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health Apr 20th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- And she was able to convene that meeting and do a summary and send it to all the Legislature with the
- But that would be something to be cognizant of as the Legislature is thinking about assisting hospitals
- And if the Legislature and administration are considering additional funding, we support the existing
- If there is consideration for expansion of the scope of the program, we would point the Legislature to
- The intent of the Legislature in creating this program was to increase transparency about health care
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
JLARC – Joint Legislative Audit & Review Committee May 14th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- In 2020, the legislature created the social equity and cannabis program.
- In 2003, the legislature created a new exemption to protect certain data of at-risk employees.
- The legislature created a new exemption to protect certain data of at-risk employees.
- The legislature asked JLARC to recommend whether the exemption should be maintained or modified.
- The legislative auditor recommends that the legislature keep the survivor's exemption in place.
Summary:
At the May 14, 2025 JLARC meeting, members approved the January 9 minutes and adopted the 2025–27 biennial work plan with a minor typo correction. Staff reviewed the new work plan studies, including a drug take-back program fee/expenditure review due in December 2025 and a state energy performance standard compliance review due in June 2027, and noted JLARC’s recent session activity, including several bills passed related to JLARC work and recommendations.
The committee then heard a preliminary cannabis market study showing Washington businesses likely produced two to three times more cannabis than retailers sold in 2023. Staff and RAND said LCB’s data systems are incomplete and unreliable, limiting regulation, tax verification, and diversion tracking; they recommended that LCB submit a plan by year-end for collecting accurate data by the end of 2026. Members and LCB discussed the long timeline for a new traceability system, the causes of missing sales and weight data, overproduction, diversion, and the social equity program’s effect on producer licenses.
JLARC also presented a preliminary hospital oversight report concluding that the Department of Health is late on many hospital inspections, does not verify third-party inspection standards, does not review adverse health event correction plans, and could make hospital data more accessible. The committee discussed fee funding, language access, and inspection timing, and DOH said it would work on a strategic plan and continue coordinating with JLARC. Members also heard a preliminary report on the public records survivor exemption, which found agencies are using it but need more guidance; JLARC recommended keeping the exemption and having the Attorney General provide additional training. Finally, the committee approved the DDA processes and staffing final report for distribution, which recommended performance metrics, stronger data quality controls, and workforce planning; DDA concurred. JLARC also introduced proposed study questions for a future DCYF juvenile rehabilitation review focused on safety, security, programs, staffing, education, and contraband, and the meeting adjourned after members asked about scope and facility conditions.
FL
Florida 2026 5th Special Session
Appropriations Feb 5th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Senator DeSigley, what happens to the fund if the Legislature doesn't pass this bill?
- At the same time, in parallel, this legislature, or let me rephrase, that legislature at the time had
- Subsequent to that, some member of the legislature sued.
- The Legislature has done yeoman's work. They're trying to do what they can.
- We just got this report as required by the Legislature a few days ago.
Summary:
The committee took up four bills before moving to a broader discussion of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Trust Fund. SB 434, which would prohibit counties from increasing a home’s assessed value because the owner installed wind mitigation measures, was presented as a homeowner protection measure and reported favorably. CS/SB 110, clarifying that certain 98-year-or-longer residential leaseholders remain eligible for the homestead exemption even if the lease ends at death, was also reported favorably without opposition. SB 856, requiring online real estate listing platforms to display estimated ad valorem taxes using prescribed calculation methods and not the current owner’s tax bill, drew supportive testimony from property appraisers, Zillow, and local government groups; members emphasized transparency for buyers, especially first-time homebuyers, and the bill was reported favorably.
The committee then spent most of the meeting on SPB 7040, which would recreate and extend the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund through December 31, 2027. Supporters, including the Division of Emergency Management, argued the fund is needed for hurricanes, flooding, other disasters, and rapid response operations, and said the extension preserves legislative oversight that would otherwise lapse. Opponents from advocacy and policy groups argued the fund has been used too broadly, especially for immigration-related detention and enforcement activities, and criticized the lack of tighter guardrails and transparency. They cited deaths in detention facilities, the use of emergency dollars for non-disaster purposes, and concerns about political favoritism and public accountability.
Director Kevin Guthrie testified at length in support of the extension, explaining that the fund is used for natural, man-made, and technological emergencies, that reimbursements from federal and other sources are returned to the fund, and that the state has used it for hurricanes, flooding, civil unrest, international evacuations, and immigration-related operations under Operation Vigilant Sentry. He said the division has sought federal reimbursement for some expenses and that the fund helps the state respond quickly when emergencies arise. Members questioned the size of the fund, the amount spent on immigration-related activities, the status of federal reimbursements, and whether lawmakers should have more oversight or unannounced access to detention facilities. The bill discussion remained ongoing in the portion provided, with no final vote on SPB 7040 shown in the transcript excerpt.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- I think any senator, any member of the Legislature can certainly request the CFO...
- At the same time, in parallel, this legislature—well, let me rephrase—that legislature at the time had
- Subsequent to that, some member of the Legislature sued.
- The Legislature has done yeoman's work. They're trying to do what they can.
- We just got this report as required by the Legislature a few days ago.
Committee:
Senate Appropriations
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Floor Session Aug 18th, 2026
California House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- As a Black woman in the legislature, I appreciate that.
- This is a Legislature we all know. Thank you. Resolved. This is a Legislature we all know.
- And the reason why I ran for the legislature, all I was comfortable.
- Two, to every member of the state legislature that I've served with.
- I was first elected to the California State Legislature in 2012.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on State Administration Apr 14th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- To identify, we as the Legislature know where to prioritize.
- So this is the direction we've been hearing from you all at the legislature.
- So this is the direction we've been hearing from you all at the legislature.
- And so we recommend the legislature approve that.
- We have a couple of modifications the Legislature might want to consider.
Summary:
Assembly Budget Subcommittee 5 on State Administration heard two housing-related trailer bill items tied to the Governor’s reorganization plan. The first item would codify the creation of a new Housing and Homelessness Agency and a Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency structure; the second would further streamline the state housing finance system by creating a Housing Development and Finance Committee and reserving most private activity bond capacity for affordable housing. Administration officials said the changes are intended to reduce duplication, speed awards to construction, and make housing funding more predictable and efficient.
Agency leaders described recent housing investments and implementation steps, including work groups, coordination with Finance, the Controller, and the Treasurer’s Office, and development of new guidelines and staffing. Members raised concerns about limited funding, the need for better program-by-program outcome data, youth homelessness, excess sites, and fraud prevention. The Interagency Council on Homelessness presented new three-year action plan metrics, including goals to increase exits from unsheltered homelessness to 70% and move more people into permanent housing, while also noting current performance data and quarterly public reporting.
The Legislative Analyst’s Office said it had no concerns with the first trailer bill, but supported the general concept of the second while recommending changes, including removing or revising the proposed 50% bond-cap floor for the new committee and adding attention to 9% and state tax credits. Public commenters, including local governments, nonprofit developers, housing authorities, and advocacy groups, largely supported the reorganization and streamlining goals, but several urged stronger protections for deeply affordable housing, earlier reallocation of unused bond authority, continued access to 9% credits, and more funding for housing programs. No votes were taken in the portion provided; the chair closed item one and moved to item two after member and public testimony.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> and suspending this legislature and suspending this legislature statutes.<00:10:55.760><c> Um</c
- </c><00:18:00.000><c> has</c> any examples of what the legislature has any examples of what the legislature
- That is the new language proposed by this bill. um of the legislature the well that's um of the legislature
- However, at some point the legislature might decide that it's time for the legislature to act and suspend
- </c><00:37:44.880><c> no</c> provide a report to the legislature no provide a report to the legislature
Committee:
Senate Public Safety and Military Affairs
Summary:
The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 2145, which would establish a statutory right for the public to record law enforcement activities in public. Supporters, including the Libertarian Party of Hawaii and the ACLU of Hawaii, said the bill would clarify First Amendment protections, reduce confusion, and provide a private right of action if the right is violated. Most written testimony was in support, while the Maui Police Department and Honolulu Police Department submitted opposition. A senator asked about existing court cases, and the ACLU witness said courts have consistently recognized a right to record officers in public so long as recording does not obstruct police activity.
The committee then took up Senate Bill 2151 on emergency management. Testimony from the Office of Information Practices and HEMA focused on proposed changes to Chapter 127A, including limits on emergency powers and a two-thirds legislative override. Earthjustice and other supporters argued the bill was needed after the Hawaii Supreme Court’s Nakoa decision, which they said read emergency powers too broadly and could allow suspension of laws for long-term policy issues rather than true emergencies. HEMA opposed the restrictions, saying emergency managers need flexibility to respond to unknown, statewide crises such as tsunamis, hurricanes, war-related threats, and large disasters, and objected especially to limits on the governor’s ability to suspend public records requirements during emergencies.
Several witnesses, including the Public First Law Center, said the bill was a step in the right direction but suggested amendments to better define emergencies and make clear the changes respond to the Nakoa decision. Committee members questioned whether the proposed limits would hinder disaster response and whether the legislature already has tools to override emergency proclamations. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Postsecondary Education & Workforce Feb 25th, 2026 at 01:30 pm
Postsecondary Education & Workforce
Transcript Highlights:
- But the reality is, over the last 36 years, the way that the legislature is funding Western, they have
- But the reality is, over the last 36 years, the way that the legislature is funding Western, they have
- At times, the legislature has decided to include additional... ...years for each institution.
- We have a proud claim that we, the legislature, fund our collective bargaining agreements.
- We’re going to fund it here from the legislature. Thank you very much.
Committee:
House Postsecondary Education & Workforce
Keywords:
funding, education, higher education, Western Washington University, state funding parity, financial aid, state funding, student support, educational reform, university procedures, academic policy, student success, Washington Medical Commission, medical license, license relinquishment, voluntary surrender, nondisciplinary pathway, physician regulation, health professional licensing, disciplinary database
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House judiciary committee approves HF20 2/13/25
Transcript Highlights:
- The legislature decided it should take on the issue of data privacy.
- The legislature decided it should take on the issue of data privacy.
- </c> which was suggested to the legislature which was suggested to the legislature by<00:14:14.560><c
- </c> before the legislature before the legislature historically<00:29:43.200><c> I</c><00:29:43.360><
- </c><00:39:40.200><c> and</c> of the Venture of the legislature and of the Venture of the legislature
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
Appropriations Committee on Higher Education Mar 11th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Thanks to the generosity of legislature and the support from the executive office of the governor.
- The maintenance and operation of University buildings were previously funded by the Legislature.
- Our powers were confirmed on us by the Legislature.
- We seek guidance from the legislature.
- And that is the goal that I believe we all share in this legislature.