Transcript Highlights:

• I serve currently on the state Republican Executive Committee as the Senate District 3 committeeman.

Bills: HB 256, HB 1308, HB 1554, HB 1743, HB 2308, HB 2351, HB 2858, HB 3676, HB 3784, HB 4312, HB 4552, HB 4823, HB 4852, HB 5007, HB 5010, HB 5520, HB 5524, HCR 19

Keywords: E-verify, employment verification, illegal employment, state contracts, government entities, license suspension, immigration compliance, state grant funding, E-Verify, compliance, penalties, immigration, government contracts, employee status, state contractors, E-verify program, legally present, employment practices, legal services, public money

Transcript Highlights:

• I serve on the committee as the Senate District 3 committeeman.

Bills: HB256, HCR19, HB256, HB1308, HB1554, HB1743, HB2308, HB2351, HB2858, HB3676, HB3784, HB4312, HB4552, HB4823, HB4852, HB5007, HB5010, HB5520, HB5524, HCR19

Keywords: severe weather, adaptation plan, vulnerability assessment, environmental protection, state agencies, federal agents, transparency, law enforcement, identification, public trust, immigration enforcement, HCR 19, Texas concurrent resolution, federal immigration enforcement, masked agents, facial coverings, visible identification, uniforms, badges, name tags

Transcript Highlights:

• The precinct-by-precinct report.
• So I'm a precinct chair.
• precincts.
• But if we have to put a voting precinct, like a countywide precinct in every precinct, a voting precinct
• that precinct, you could combine it with a neighboring precinct to prevent unreasonable. precinct, you

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 3709, which would change the partial manual audit process so early voting could be audited by voting location rather than by randomly selected precincts. The author and several supporters said the current precinct-based process is antiquated, labor-intensive, and especially difficult in countywide voting systems and large counties. Opponents and some neutral witnesses raised concerns about whether the change would still allow an apples-to-apples audit against official precinct results, whether random selection procedures should be more clearly defined, and how ballot secrecy and mail ballots would be handled. The Secretary of State’s office said counties already use random selection methods and that the bill would largely standardize early voting audits with election-day procedures, while also noting ballot privacy issues can arise in public records requests. After testimony, the bill was left pending. The committee then took up House Bill 766, as substituted, which would require precinct chair applicants to provide an email address, phone number, or both, while making that contact information confidential. Supporters said the change would help parties and local officials contact applicants more efficiently. Opponents argued it could expose personal contact information to public records requests and harassment, and some suggested the information should instead be handled through party rules. The bill was left pending after the committee substitute was withdrawn. House Bill 3775 followed and would set clearer timelines for when early voting ballot boards may begin opening carrier envelopes, with different start times based on county size. Supporters said the bill would address counties opening ballots too early and improve ballot security, while opponents warned it could delay defect notices and cure opportunities for mail voters and create problems in large counties that process high volumes of ballots. Testimony also focused on whether the bill referred to carrier envelopes or secrecy envelopes and on how counties like Harris County currently image and secure ballot materials. The bill was left pending. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 4275, which would require countywide polling systems to have polling places in each election precinct, intended to address uneven distribution of polling locations across county commissioner precincts. Supporters said the bill would make polling place distribution fairer and more consistent, especially in Harris County, while opponents said it would undermine countywide voting, increase costs, require more equipment and staff, and reduce local flexibility. Several witnesses also raised concerns about ballot secrecy and the practical burden on large and rural counties. The bill remained under discussion as testimony continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• Precinct 1 is $105 million. Precinct 2 is $94 million. Okay. Precinct 1 is $105 million.
• Precinct 2 is $94 million. Precinct 3 is $52 million. Precinct 4 is $90 million.
• county roads by precinct is 15%. ...14% for Precinct 2, 15% within 1%.
• You can do this with precincts.
• And I'll just repeat them. 105 million for Precinct 1, 94 million for Precinct 2, 52 million for Precinct

Bills: SB39, SB2129, SB2141, SB2246, SB2323, SB2439, SB2722

Keywords: commercial motor vehicle, truck liability, motor carrier, trucking, civil liability, respondeat superior, negligent entrustment, negligent maintenance, negligent loading, negligent repair, bifurcated trial, exemplary damages, punitive damages, personal injury, collision, employer liability, vicarious liability, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Texas tort reform, commercial truck accident

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee reconvened on SB 2722, as substituted by Senator Bettencourt, which would redirect a portion of Harris County Toll Road Authority surplus revenues to the City of Houston and impose audit and tax-rate penalty provisions. Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz and Fire Chief Thomas Munoz testified in support, arguing that Houston bears a large share of toll-road public safety burdens, citing thousands of police and fire responses on toll-road property and the need for compensation for emergency services. Bill King, testifying neutrally, said the toll authority generates large excess revenues and urged stronger oversight and clearer controls on how the money is spent. Opponents, including Harris County officials, business and neighborhood representatives, and toll-road critics, argued the bill would divert transportation dollars, create a precedent for taking toll revenues for general municipal use, and could worsen project delivery and incentives; several also questioned the accuracy and interpretation of the revenue figures and the lack of comparable audit requirements for the city. The committee took extensive testimony but left SB 2722 pending without a vote. The committee then heard SB 2129, which would increase fines for motorists who disregard railroad crossing gates or flaggers, and SB 2323, which would redact railroad crew members’ personal information from public accident reports. Both bills were presented as safety measures, with railroad labor testimony in support, and both were left pending after brief public testimony. The committee also heard SB 2141, a Zaffirini bill concerning specialty license plates for judges, with the substitute aimed at reducing security risks by changing how judges are identified on plates; it too was left pending. Finally, the committee heard SB 2439, another Zaffirini bill, described as a TDLR cleanup measure related to ATV and off-highway vehicle safety certification. The bill would abolish the current training and certification program, which supporters said was burdensome and underused given the small number of approved instructors statewide. With no significant opposition on the record, the committee closed testimony and left SB 2439 pending as well.

Transcript Highlights:

• Precinct 2 is $94 million, Precinct 3 is $52 million, and Precinct 4 is $90 million.
• by precinct is 15%, 14% for Precinct 2, and 15% within 1%.
• But systematically, Precinct 3 has built more roads in Harris County than any other precinct.
• with contracts with Precinct 2.
• And I'll just repeat them. $75 million for Precinct 1, $94 million for Precinct 2, $52 million for Precinct

Bills: SB39, SB2129, SB2141, SB2246, SB2323, SB2439, SB2722, SB 39

Keywords: commercial motor vehicle, truck liability, motor carrier, trucking, civil liability, respondeat superior, negligent entrustment, negligent maintenance, negligent loading, negligent repair, bifurcated trial, exemplary damages, punitive damages, personal injury, collision, employer liability, vicarious liability, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Texas tort reform, commercial truck accident

Transcript Highlights:

• the precinct granularity.
• Precinct 207 is voting in a precinct three race.
• They're not by precinct.
• Those results tapes are not by precinct.
• It looks like it was misprogrammed on the poll book that a Precinct 4 person is voting in a Precinct

Bills: HB223

Keywords: municipal budget, county budget, local government finance, spending cap, expenditure limit, inflation plus population growth, taxpayer impact statement, budget transparency, property tax, fees, Legislative Budget Board, voter approval, disaster spending, fiscal restraint, Texas Local Government Code, city budget, county expenditures

Summary: The Committee on State Affairs heard several House bills, with most measures left pending after testimony and later taken up in a batch of votes. Early in the meeting, HB 5624 on liability protections for motocross/off-road vehicle tracks, HB 223 on requiring competitive procurement for municipal lobbying contracts, HB 3709 on post-election audit procedures, and HB 5081 on protecting personal information of judicial officers and court staff were all discussed and left pending after testimony. Witnesses on HB 223 supported greater transparency in municipal lobbying contracts. HB 3709 drew sharp opposition from an election integrity advocate who argued the bill would reduce precinct-level granularity and make it harder to detect ballot errors, while a Secretary of State resource witness said the bill would simplify and standardize the audit process by location. HB 5081 received strong support from court administration and a district judge who described prior threats and an attack tied to publicly available personal information. The committee also heard HB 3546 on allowing school districts to move elections to November, HB 493 on barring certain felony offenders from serving as poll watchers, HB 5115 on increasing penalties for election fraud and related conduct, HB 4081 on trade secret filing procedures, HB 3909 on limiting restrictions on wireless devices at polling places, HB 2702 on limiting gubernatorial closure authority for certain veterans organizations during pandemics, HB 119 on foreign adversary lobbying, and HB 5138 on the Attorney General’s authority to prosecute election crimes. Several of these bills were explained with committee substitutes and then left pending before final action. Testimony on HB 493 and HB 5115 came from an election integrity advocate who supported both bills, saying the poll watcher restriction was appropriately narrowed and that the election fraud bill would help address invalid votes and refusal to count valid votes. Later, the committee took up pending business and voted out a large number of bills, generally along party lines or with broad support. HB 186 on minors’ social media use, HB 229, HB 2885, HB 3909 as substituted, HB 4285, HB 1661, HB 2820, HB 3181, HB 4157, HB 223, HB 521, HB 640, HB 1234, HB 2253, HB 2294, HB 3053, HB 3697 as substituted, HB 4281, HB 4463, HB 4995, HB 5081 as substituted, HB 5624 as substituted, HB 119 as substituted, HB 3225, HB 5138 as substituted, HB 5115, HB 481 as substituted, HB 3546, HB 493, and HB 4145 were reported favorably to the full Senate, with several also placed on the local and uncontested calendar. The committee also adopted committee substitutes for multiple bills, including HB 3909, HB 5081, HB 5624, HB 119, HB 5138, and HB 481. At the end, the chair noted another committee meeting would likely be needed before deadlines, possibly on a weekend, and recessed the committee subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• November 2020, Precinct 207 is voting in a Precinct 3 race.
• They're not by precinct.
• races, 50 races for each precinct.
• It looks like it was misprogrammed on the poll book that a Precinct 4 person is voting. in a Precinct
• By precinct, you don't even... the 409's not even listed because I bet they put that ballot in Precinct

Bills: HB223

Keywords: municipal budget, county budget, local government finance, spending cap, expenditure limit, inflation plus population growth, taxpayer impact statement, budget transparency, property tax, fees, Legislative Budget Board, voter approval, disaster spending, fiscal restraint, Texas Local Government Code, city budget, county expenditures, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And since he was the only one. from this precinct, that voted in this precinct, all you had to do was
• Voting by precinct does not mean you have to have separate locations. for each precinct.
• You know, right now we have 14 precincts, we could probably get that down to five precincts.
• First, just my precinct. It was about an hour and a half to drive across my precinct.
• in a precinct only voting County.

Bills: SB16, SB76, SB310, SB311, SB396, SB505, SB827, SB964, SB1209, SB1210, SB1386, SB1470, SB2035, SJR37, SB 16

Keywords: voter registration, proof of citizenship, Election Code, criminal offenses, limited federal ballot, transportation, infrastructure, funding, public safety, state regulation, election, polling places, voter access, state oversight, electronic voting, voting, polling place, elections, countywide program, election integrity

Transcript Highlights:

• our election precincts.
• Now, I will say precinct by precinct reporting will still be available after the election.
• To say voting by precinct, but being able to see the votes by precinct because we'll...
• I don't say voting by precinct, but being able to see the votes by precinct.
• If you have countywide voting, you can't gain information precinct by precinct.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• "We have a question, Senator." select one precinct to at random to uh select one precinct to at random
• and could could take the other precincts and could could take the other precincts and<00:11:29.920
• how do we make sure that the precincts how do we make sure that the precincts are<00:19:40.160><
• precincts targeted. precincts targeted.
• And before they leave that precinct, they put a tape on the door, a copy of that precinct report, too

Bills: HB91, HB95, HB255, HB318, HB91, HB95, HB255, HB318

Keywords: county housing authority, public housing, housing authority, affordable housing, low-income housing, mixed-use development, community facilities, subsidiary, affiliate, public corporation, municipal tax exemption, deed tax, mortgage tax, probate fee, bond financing, housing project, urban redevelopment, rural housing, public-private partnership, eminent domain

Transcript Highlights:

• randomly one precinct? randomly one precinct? >> Okay, >> Okay.
• . precincts. precincts.
• select the precinct. select the precinct.
• least one precinct per county. least one precinct per county.
• It's already said at least one<02:44:55.760> precinct one precinct one precinct >> and<02

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ballots were available in any Precinct ballots were available in any Precinct that<00:05:22.120>
• <00:26:53.919> boundaries determining their Precinct boundaries determining their Precinct
• Other times, if they get three of the seven precincts in, they'll upload those three precincts first
• locations excuse me it's on a Precinct locations excuse me it's on a Precinct by<01:14:44.120>
• > so<01:14:46.840> um by Precinct basis right and so um by Precinct basis right and so

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, is that 40% still in Precinct 3?
• That's just in my precinct? Just in your precinct. That's oh, that's great.
• In your precinct, is your precinct also the City of Houston and other cities?
• The county road miles per precinct.
• of the transfer to the precincts.

Bills: HB2065, HB2462, HB2621, HB3187, HB3539, HB3563, HB3726, HB4164, HB4207, HB4368, HB4706, HB4916, HB4950, HB4967, HB5177, HB4429, HB5597

Keywords: commercial vehicles, parking regulations, residential areas, local governance, land use, traffic safety, high occupancy vehicle lane, pregnant operators, transportation, parental rights, motor vehicle regulations, live video feed, state agency, transparency, public safety, regional transportation, mobility program, sales tax, public infrastructure, local government

Transcript Highlights:

• One precinct is that one precinct per per county. Per that one precinct per per county.
• Don't know which precinct. I'm just trying to figure precinct. I'm just trying to figure precinct.
• There are 16 precincts. In a general There are 16 precincts. In a general There are 16 precincts.
• precinct.
• that precinct to base it on. that precinct to base it on. that precinct to base it on.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In Williamson County, a precinct chair and volunteers knocked on more than 600 doors to make sure voters
• There was no way for that Republican precinct chair to reach all of those voters again, to make sure
• level polling as well. counties, the other party is forced to do precinct level polling as well.
• level voting places, precinct impacted Latino and Black voters, precinct level voting places, precinct
• The example I spoke about was a Republican precinct chair in Sun City.

Transcript Highlights:

• Voters could vote at their precinct, the polling location that contains their precinct, or they could
• It would not and by allowing precincts. to be combined, it would lessen the number of precincts, would
• It would not, and by allowing precincts to be combined, it would lessen the number of precincts, would
• Then you're saying that afterwards you could get a precinct-by-precinct report so that...
• Some of those challenges include precinct-by-precinct reporting and voter history.

Bills: HB45, SB1540, SB2225, SB2284, SB2382, SB2487, SB2514, SB2595, SB2876, SB2877, SB3031, SB2753

Keywords: flooding, disaster response, emergency preparedness, state guidance, public safety, election officials, confidentiality, personal information, government transparency, spirit beverages, alcoholic beverages, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, distribution, taxation, firearms, local regulation, archery equipment, weapons, voter registration, statewide list

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, the Texas election code requires continuous counting of ballots at precincts.
• I heard about precinct judges. I heard about, um, the supervisor.
• precincts opened late and so someone went to court and said, hey, you know, uh, these 5 precincts open
• If a precinct voting precinct for whatever the reason, and I don't care what that reason is either.
• It may be located where a precinct used to be, but it's not a precinct.

Bills: HB304

Keywords: franchise tax credit, food desert, grocery store, healthy corner store, nutrition assistance, economic development, public health

Transcript Highlights:

• , "Hey, you know, these five precincts opened an hour late.
• If that precinct opens an hour late, then I think that precinct needs to stay open an hour late.
• that precinct should stay open an hour later.
• But yet their vote centers are not the same as precincts.
• It may be located where a precinct used to be, but it's not a precinct. So yeah, you're right.

Bills: HB304, HB401, HB556, HB1475, HB1489, HB2259, HB2424, HB2773, HB2811, HB3323, HB304

Keywords: voter ID, citizenship proof, provisional ballot, election security, Texas, voting rights, deep fakes, misleading videos, election integrity, criminal offense, digital misinformation, deep fake, political manipulation, misinformation, artificial media, political influence, artificially generated media, election influence, Texas Election Code, healthcare reform

Transcript Highlights:

• Was this like where they did it by precinct or at each precinct? Yes sir.
• In a traditional... count situation it's required to be by precinct by voter registration precinct so
• Where we may only have a few voters in a precinct vote.
• Across the different precincts, and it took 200 people to get that done.
• From the precinct. There are a lot of states that do that already. Why don't we do it?

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Puts those um uh precincts back in the original subdistrict.
• in 43 that should have been in precincts in 43 that should have been in 42<00:20:21.679> and<
• um uh precincts back in the original<00:20:29.440> subd<00:20:29.840> district.
• out of the existing of the precincts out of the existing judges judges judges um<00:20:54.000> uh
• So, I see some precincts in the district that I represent are going to be voting for the CCID judge,

Keywords: MS House Floor - 13 January, 2026; 2:00 PM, 925, all

Summary: The House opened with a prayer by Reverend David McDow of Fondren Presbyterian Church, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Members then handled routine business, including confirming a quorum, dispensing with the reading of the journal and bill introductions, and recognizing pages and several visiting groups in the galleries, including Oktibbeha County Young Leaders, Special Olympics champions, the doctor of the day, and members of the Women’s League of Voters. There were also remarks honoring Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s Founders Day and a response from a member of Omega Sapphire Fraternity. The main legislative item was House Bill 580, a technical correction to judicial district maps. The bill was explained as fixing precinct placement errors in the Fourth Circuit Court District and correcting precincts affected by the creation of the CCID in Hinds County’s Seventh Circuit Court District. Members asked about how many judges would be on the ballot, whether the CCID judge would exercise regular civil and criminal jurisdiction, and when the changes would take effect. The sponsor said the bill was intended to preserve existing district boundaries, avoid changing qualifying deadlines, and keep the CCID judge as a regular circuit judge for an eight-year term. The House passed the bill 112-0 and then granted immediate release. Toward the end of the meeting, members made several announcements about committee schedules and upcoming events, including budget hearings, Military Affairs, Universities and Colleges, Rules, State Affairs, and a legislative prayer breakfast and welcome reception. The House also took multiple adjournment-in-memory requests for deceased Mississippians, including Larry Bryant, Cynthia Patterson Bond, Linda Stranger, Mary Lou Thompson, and Viva Hughes Williams. The House then adjourned until 2:00 p.m. the next day.