Transcript Highlights:

• , but no staff to go along with those judges.
• , but no staff to go along with those judges.
• Senate Bill 2512, a bill to be entitled an act relating to judges.
• for fiscal year 2026-27, authorizing 13 new circuit court judges and 12 new county court judges.
• for fiscal year 2026-27, authorizing 13 new circuit court judges and 12 new county court judges.

Summary: The Senate took up the 2026-2027 budget package, beginning with an overview of the $115 billion General Appropriations Bill (SB 2500). Appropriations Chair Hooper said the budget reduces overall spending from the prior year, preserves reserves, and includes a 3% pay raise for state employees and 5% raises for law enforcement, firefighters, correctional officers, and park rangers. Committee chairs then highlighted major spending in their areas, including K-12 education, higher education, health and human services, criminal and civil justice, transportation/economic development, and environmental/agricultural programs. Major items discussed included school funding increases, workforce and university investments, Medicaid and child welfare funding, corrections operating deficits, housing and hurricane recovery, Everglades and water quality projects, and state employee compensation. Members asked detailed questions about several budget items. In education, senators discussed teacher salaries, declining enrollment supplements, scholarship funding growth, and charter school capital outlay. In higher education, they asked about Bright Futures, New College funding, and the EASE grant program. In health and human services, senators focused on the iBudget waiver, Medicaid hospital rate reductions, the ADAP HIV drug program, and the use of opioid settlement funds. In criminal justice, questions centered on DOC deficits, inmate health care and food service costs, public defender and state attorney funding, and whether the budget would prevent the need for National Guard support. In environmental and state agency budgets, senators discussed Florida Forever land acquisition, conservation easements, cultural grants, the Emergency Management Trust Fund, and election security funding. After the budget presentations and questions, the Senate substituted House bills for the Senate budget bills and adopted amendments to place Senate language onto the House vehicles for conference. The chamber passed HB 5001, the appropriations bill, by a 36-0 vote and agreed to conference. It also passed the implementing bill, collective bargaining and state employee bills, retirement legislation, fuel tax and SLERS bills, the court trust fund bill, judicial certification bill, K-12 and higher education conforming bills, and other related measures, generally by unanimous votes. Several motions were adopted to request the House to pass the Senate versions or include them in budget conference.

Transcript Highlights:

• US District Judge.
• The county judge.
• I'm the Pecos County judge. I've testified against this bill now three times.
• And I've been a county judge now, I'm in my 23rd year.
• Nor can any of the other commissioners or my county judge.

Bills: SB 18 , SB 19 , SB18 , SB19 , SB666 , SB688 , SB707 , SB888

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c> closely with a work group of judges, closely with a work group of judges, prosecutors<00:08:48.360
• </c><00:12:39.160><c> in</c><00:12:39.280><c> making</c> for the court to assist judges in making for
• the court to assist judges in making bail<00:12:39.839><c> determinations.
• All of our judges, all of our specialty court judges are aware of our budget constraints.
• </c> spending with our with our own judges spending with our with our own judges and<00:26:06.920><c>

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary received an update from the Administrative Office of the Courts on implementation of House Bill 504, the judicial branch budget, and court facility projects. AOC leaders said they do not anticipate problems balancing the outgoing biennium or fiscal year 2026, and explained that the budget changes were driven by the need to reduce costs while preserving required constitutional, court-rule, and statutory services. They also said the new filing fee increases authorized by HB 504 took effect that day and are expected to generate up to $5 million, while the reorganization is projected to save about $3 million in general fund dollars. The bulk of the presentation focused on a major reorganization of the Office of Statewide Programs, which includes specialty courts, family and juvenile services, and pretrial services. AOC said the plan eliminates 170 positions and creates 109 new ones, mainly by reducing middle-management layers, expanding regional service delivery, and cross-training staff. Officials said 110 employees had already been offered or accepted placements, 24 had chosen voluntary separation, and the final number of employees leaving remains fluid until the process concludes around August 1. They emphasized that specialty court programs were not eliminated, but state-funded treatment court contracts and behavioral health liaison positions were removed, with treatment costs shifted to Medicaid or participants where appropriate. Members asked about the process, staffing impacts, specialty court participation, juvenile services, and how AOC will monitor the changes. AOC said the reorganization was developed by leadership, HR, and legal staff under direction of the Chief Justice and approved by the Supreme Court, and that it is intended to improve efficiency and frontline support rather than reduce services. They said specialty court participant levels are being watched closely, that CDW services will continue to use outside providers for programming, and that the agency will keep judges and stakeholders informed as the new structure goes into effect. No votes were taken, and the committee did not approve minutes because a quorum was not present.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> &gt;&gt; Uh is it is it the same bill as Judge &gt;&gt; Uh is it is it the same bill as Judge Hill's
• :20.880><c> about</c><00:47:21.200><c> a</c> Judges determine most everything about a Judges determine
• </c> trying to authorize or tell the judge trying to authorize or tell the judge through<00:51:46.000
• And and and Judge Hugo &gt;&gt; Exactly. Right.
• Uh, judges area or what have you.

Committee: House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• A 2020 National Judiciary College survey of 572 judges revealed that a majority of those judges feared
• or a judge that was appointed by a particular party.
• Same concept for judges and court commissioners.
• We just did one earlier for judges under 422.
• We just did one earlier for judges under 422.

Committee: House Public Safety

Summary: The committee heard several public safety and criminal justice bills. AB 837 by Assembly Member Davies would add ketamine transportation to existing drug-trafficking law; supporters, including district attorneys and law enforcement groups, said the bill closes a loophole and addresses a growing public safety threat, while opponents argued increased penalties do not reduce drug supply and can discourage people from seeking help. The bill passed on a due pass as amended vote to Appropriations. AB 352 by Assembly Member Pacheco would make threats against judges and court commissioners an aggravating factor in sentencing; supporters cited rising threats to the judiciary, while opponents said existing law already covers threats and aggravating factors. The committee approved it on a due pass vote to Appropriations. AB 938 by Assembly Member Bonta would expand vacature and affirmative defense relief for survivors of human trafficking, intimate partner violence, and sexual violence, including for some violent offenses, and featured powerful testimony from survivor Susan Bustamante and vacature expert Jamie Beck. Supporters said the bill would let survivors tell their full stories and seek justice; opponents, including district attorneys and sheriffs, warned it could go too far by covering violent crimes and could affect public safety. The chair recommended an aye, and the bill passed to Appropriations. AB 475 by Assembly Member Wilson would make prison work assignments voluntary and was framed as part of efforts to end involuntary servitude; supporters linked it to rehabilitation and racial justice, while one member opposed it as inconsistent with accountability and the will of voters. The measure was moved on but left on call pending additional votes. AB 704 by Assembly Member Lowenthal would allow people convicted of low-level misdemeanors before age 26 to petition to seal and destroy records, with supporters emphasizing brain development and the limits of expungement in the digital age. District attorneys opposed it over Brady/discovery concerns and the destruction of records, but the chair recommended aye and it passed to Appropriations. AB 812 by Assembly Member Lowenthal would expand resentencing opportunities for incarcerated firefighters; supporters highlighted the rigor of fire camp work and rehabilitation benefits, while the district attorneys’ association opposed giving firefighters independent petition authority. Testimony on AB 812 was still underway at the end of the excerpt, and no final vote was shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><00:17:19.439><c> their</c> responding judges worry about their responding judges worry about their
• <00:18:17.840><c> judges</c><00:18:18.240><c> in</c> threatening behavior toward judges in threatening
• Several judges shared recent years.
• judge noted threats to And one judge one judge noted threats to harm<00:18:39.679><c> my</c><00:18:40.000
• </c> Many judges have noted death threats. Many judges have noted death threats.

Transcript Highlights:

• The judge would have discretion. Right.
• The judge would have discretion. Right.
• And when a judge is faced with somebody like that, And when a judge is faced with somebody like that,
• This is an issue that the Juvenile Court Judges of California and the California Judges Association reached
• by the judges association.

Summary: The Senate Public Safety Committee met without a quorum and operated as a subcommittee while hearing a long agenda of bills. Early items included AB 2605, which would require statewide reporting on public defense services; supporters said California lacks basic data on how indigent defense is delivered and that the bill would help identify under-resourced counties, while no opposition appeared. AB 1650 would require rental vehicles used in law enforcement operations to display agency identification; supporters framed it as a transparency and community-trust measure in response to immigration enforcement tactics, while sheriffs and police groups opposed it unless amended, arguing it could compromise undercover and task-force operations and raise legal and indemnification concerns. AB 1930 would require notice to the Attorney General before business entities respond to subpoenas involving legally protected abortion or gender-affirming care information; supporters said it protects patient privacy and provider safety, while opponents raised constitutional, law-enforcement, and business-burden concerns. The committee also heard AB 458, directing state procurement guidelines for firearms and accessories so agencies buy from responsible vendors, with support from police chiefs, gun-violence prevention groups, and local officials, and no opposition testimony offered. The committee then heard AB 1588 on sideshows and street takeovers, which would update the definition of sideshows, include motorcycles and dirt bikes, and align penalties with street racing. Supporters, including police, city, transportation, and road-safety advocates, said the bill responds to dangerous events, property damage, and injuries; opponents from civil liberties and public defender groups argued higher fines and criminal penalties are ineffective and disproportionately harm low-income people, favoring roadway design and community-based prevention instead. AB 910, the Survivors Act, would expand affirmative defenses and vacature relief for survivors of trafficking, intimate partner violence, and sexual violence; supporters, including a survivor who described decades of abuse and wrongful conviction, said the bill gives survivors a chance to tell their stories and seek relief, while district attorneys opposed expanding relief to violent offenses and warned it could erase restitution and undermine victims’ rights. AB 2624 would expand Safe at Home confidentiality protections to immigrant service providers, employees, and volunteers; supporters described threats, doxxing, and harassment against immigrant-serving organizations, while opponents claimed the bill was prompted by investigative reporting on fraud and would chill journalism and transparency. The committee also heard AB 31, making the tribal police pilot program permanent and creating a missing and murdered Indigenous persons task force, which drew strong support from tribal representatives and no opposition. Later, AB 1959 sought to close a resentencing loophole tied to a 2001 Santana High School shooting case by restoring judicial discretion in resentencing for certain juvenile offenders; supporters said the current process can lead to automatic release even after parole denial, while opposition testimony began with concerns that the bill was responding to one case and lacked broader evidence. Throughout the hearing, members repeatedly noted they supported several bills but could not formally vote because the committee lacked a quorum, so motions were held for later action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you, Judge Barker. We will open test... We will go through the testimony.
• I'm responsible to judges. Judges know me. They understand how I work.
• It's incumbent upon the judge to pick a receiver who does the right thing, which we do all the time.
• There are many judges who flat out just refuse; they'll take any opportunity to say, "I don't want to
• are different salary requirements for the two different judges that get to appoint.

Bills: HB 1193 , HB2495 , HB2733 , HB3104 , HB3395 , HB4325 , SB3009

Committee: Senate Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:

• that's like, hey, by the way, judge, our jail's full, so, you know, we'd like to do this, and the judge
• So judges will hold hearings once or twice a week.
• There are certain penalties that a judge may add on to a case.
• A judge could add, assess, another fee onto that.
• Oh, the presiding judge... I believe our presiding judges are very approachable.

Committees: Joint Judiciary , Joint Judiciary Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Typically, that is your county judge. If it's a single unit, it's your county judge.
• At the county level, it's the county judge.
• The county judge and I talked, and I think...
• My name is Judge Tricia Krennick.
• This allows the county judge to pre-clear the person who is...

Transcript Highlights:

• I'M STUCK ON THE WHOLE PIECE THAT JUDGES WERE APPROVING THESE.
• THE JUDGE MADE THE FINAL CALL, BUT WHAT WE CAN DO IS BASICALLY PUT RULES AND STATUTES IN THE JUDGE MADE
• JUDGE SILVERMAN, JUDGE MERCEDES PARKED AND I SAY THIS FOR BECAUSE FOR 10 YEARS THE JUDGES I WENT IN FRONT
• SADLY I FOUND TWO JUDGES TAKING THESE HOUSES THEMSELVES.
• I'M GLAD THE LINE OF QUESTIONING THAT THESE JUDGES SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO DO THESE.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'd like to welcome this morning my local county judge, Judge Hector Akala from Meny County.
• Please make Judge Akala welcome to our meeting this morning. [applause] Good morning, Judge.
• <c> Hector</c> county judge this morning, Judge Hector county judge this morning, Judge Hector Akala<
• ; Good<00:04:51.040><c> morning,</c><00:04:51.360><c> judge.
• Always good to see &gt;&gt; Good morning, judge. Always good to see you,<00:04:52.720><c> sir.

Committee: House Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't think it changed in the. but taking away the discretion of the judge.
• So, my concern is, painting with a broad brush, not all judges are good, not all judges are bad.
• Then we went into the judges and what was happening there.
• So, as we looked. at this, there are very few judges that do this, very few judges that do it, and it's
• Well, I just bring up the situation and I hear you I just said to the judges.

Bills: SB437 , SB528 , SB626 , SB636 , SB884 , SB968 , SB1044 , SB1608 , SB2336

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> use party balanced election judges use party balanced election judges during<00:05:16.880><c> special
• in there and swear to be an election judge.
• </c><00:57:25.520><c> And</c><00:57:25.680><c> I</c> from being an election judge.
• And I from being an election judge.
• </c><00:57:27.440><c> are</c> think generally our election judges are think generally our election judges

Committee: Senate Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• There should be some discretion to the judge to decide whether or not it should be 50%.
• So now we are giving the judge...
• Judges told us, well, actually it's doing this now, and then we try to fix it.
• We're rewarding bad behavior by allowing this discretion by judges across the state.
• And the judge would make those costs. Thank you. Thank you, Representative Jordan.

Committee: House Insurance

Summary: The House Committee on Insurance met on March 25 and took up House Bill 577 by Representative Glorioso, which would change Louisiana’s bad-faith insurance penalty language from a flat 50% to “up to 50%,” giving judges discretion to award a lower penalty in cases involving minor or technical delays. Glorioso argued the bill would correct an omission from the 2024 consolidation of the bad-faith statutes, reduce unnecessary litigation over nominal delays, and potentially help lower reinsurance and homeowners’ insurance costs. Committee members questioned whether the change would weaken consumer protections or reward insurer misconduct, especially in catastrophe claims after storms, and whether any real rate relief would follow. Opposition testimony came from the Louisiana Association of Justice and Real Reform Louisiana. They argued the current penalty provisions are important guardrails that help force timely payment and fair handling of claims, especially after hurricanes, and that the bill would reduce deterrence without producing meaningful premium reductions. They also said insurers already have substantial time and procedural protections under the law, and that penalties are rarely awarded but serve as leverage in settlement negotiations. Supporters and the Department of Insurance said Louisiana’s penalty structure is an outlier compared with other states and that the bill could make the market more competitive, though the department said it did not have court data on bad-faith judgments and could not quantify the bill’s effect on rates. After debate, Representative Glorioso closed by saying he was open to further language changes but asked the committee to advance the bill. The committee then voted 10 yeas and 6 nays to report House Bill 577 favorably. Afterward, the committee moved on to the next item, House Bill 955.

Transcript Highlights:

• Judge Holdrich, can you come to the table, please? Yes, sir. Thank you. HB 142 by...
• You have their amendments, Chair, Judge? Yes, sir. Okay. Go ahead on the amendments, Judge. Okay.
• Thank you, Judge. Rep. Gloria, so is this on the amendment? No.
• Thank you, Judge.
• I've got Judge Holders, who's at the table from the Law Institute, and also I have Judge Glenn Ansardi

Committee: House Civil Law and Procedure

Summary: The House Committee on Civil Law and Procedure met on May 23, 2006, and considered a series of civil law bills, most of them reported favorably or as amended. Representative Mandy Landry’s HB 135, which updated motor vehicle exemptions from seizure in bankruptcy by raising vehicle value limits, allowing a second vehicle, increasing the exemption for vehicles adapted for persons with disabilities, and protecting certain HSA funds, was reported favorably. Her HB 297, expanding early lease termination rights to include stalking and cyberstalking victims, was also reported favorably after supportive testimony from housing and domestic violence advocates. Representative Robbie Carter presented HB 292 on security deposits, HB 215 on raising the small succession threshold from $125,000 to $200,000, HB 226 on requests for admissions, and HB 216 on service of process. HB 292 was amended to give landlords an additional 15 days to send itemized security deposit statements and then reported as amended. HB 215 was reported favorably over opposition from the Clerks of Court Association, which argued the higher threshold would reduce clerk-generated revenue. HB 226 was amended to require a Rule 10.1 discovery conference before filing a motion based on unanswered requests for admissions and then reported as amended. HB 216, which would have allowed parties to choose how they receive service in later filings, drew concerns about practicality and electronic service and was voluntarily deferred. The committee also reported favorably HB 609, which exempts veterans from one-time fees for obtaining private medical records needed for disability claims, and voluntarily deferred HB 170 and HB 194 at the authors’ requests. Representative Weibel’s HB 284, modeled on existing blight and expropriation procedures, would expand local government tools to address abandoned and blighted property and was reported as amended after questions about property rights, notice, heirs, and title protection. Finally, the committee took up HB 142, a Law Institute package of civil procedure revisions, including changes to default judgments, appeals, motions to quash, trial notices, small claims reconventional demands, and abandonment procedures; after discussion of the abandonment affidavit requirements and appeal record costs, the bill was reported as amended. The meeting ended with adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Delaware Chancery Court judges and the uncertainty that their decisions have created.
• They bypass the constitutional requirement that people select judges?
• You've talked about and put out these phrases of activist judges. Yeah, in Delaware.
• They're activist judges.
• And I think regardless of how the judges are selected, you want judges that can handle.

Bills: HB32 , HB15 , HB171 , HB421 , HB581 , HB644 , HB745 , HB349 , HB917 , HB204 , HB923 , HB15 , HB171 , HB204

Committee: House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Keywords: eviction, landlord rights, tenant rights, justice court, property law, court procedures, chemical dependency, court-ordered treatment, mental health, health care, treatment facility, juvenile justice, criminal justice reform, deep fake, digital impersonation, age verification, private cause of action, explicit content, consumer protection, HB 581

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> So, that's up to a prosecutor, a judge, a jury to make that determination. >> Well, the judge and
• </c> two years of dealing with with Judge two years of dealing with with Judge Bedric,<02:53:06.000><
• </c><02:53:18.160><c> Bedrick</c> that he had to pay, um, Judge Bedrick that he had to pay, um, Judge
• </c> they still have to go before the judge they still have to go before the judge that<03:00:24.160>
• And the judge that's<03:00:33.359><c> the</c><03:00:33.600><c> judge</c><03:00:33.840><c> that's</c><

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• He's a former district uh<00:07:52.400><c> judge</c><00:07:52.800><c> court</c><00:07:53.039><c> judge
• judge and he identifies uh judge court judge and he identifies with<00:07:54.479><c> the</c><00:07:54.639
• In 1989, I was appointed as a judge of Hennepin County District Court and worked as a judge and as a
• senior judge for about 20 years.
• ,</c><00:10:57.120><c> a</c> temporary administrative law judge, a temporary administrative law judge

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:

• He served as chief judge from 1998 to 2002 and a senior judge for an additional 14 years until the age
• I would ask that you please join me in a moment of silence for Judge Thomas Gallen.
• And now, because if a judge can consider immigration status as a potential flight risk, I think the judge
• And now, because if a judge can consider immigration status as a potential flight risk, I think the judge
• The judge can't even take into, when they're determining whether to set bail, the judge can't use right

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the pledge, and a moment of silence honoring former Senator and Judge Thomas Gallen. The chamber then moved to special order items focused on immigration and related enforcement measures. Senate Memorial 6C, urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to provide guidance and training for 287(g) agreements, passed by voice vote. The Senate then took up Senate Bill 4C, an immigration measure that would impose a mandatory death penalty for unauthorized aliens convicted of capital felonies and create state crimes for illegal entry and re-entry. Senators Pizzo, Polsky, and Sharief raised concerns about constitutional issues, plea bargaining, trial and penalty-phase procedures, prosecutorial discretion, and the effect on victims’ families. Supporters, including Senators Fine and Gruters, argued the bill was a strong deterrent and a response to serious crimes committed by undocumented immigrants. The bill passed 25-11. The chamber next debated Senate Bill 2C, a broader immigration enforcement package. The bill would create a State Board of Immigration Enforcement, expand local-federal cooperation, fund detention and enforcement efforts, strengthen pretrial detention rules for unauthorized aliens, and end in-state tuition waivers for undocumented students. Senators Davis and Pizzo questioned enforcement mechanics, jurisdiction, bond procedures, and whether local agencies were actually mandated to participate; supporters said the bill was designed to maximize cooperation with federal authorities and the Trump administration. A late-filed amendment by Senator Pizzo to preserve tuition waivers for current students failed 14-22, and a second amendment was withdrawn after discussion. Debate then continued on the bill, with opponents arguing it was costly, federal in nature, and harmful to Dreamers and other students, while supporters said it was necessary to crack down on illegal immigration and align state policy with federal enforcement priorities.