Transcript Highlights:

• And so what drives that? What drives that?
• What drives that is something that takes decades to build, right?
• poverty. and so I would just say That is really what's driving poverty.
• You know, why are you driving Uber?
• That's why they're driving Uber. It's not because they're dumb.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion

Transcript Highlights:

• extends well beyond the driving credential itself, unquote.
• It's not enough to just learn how to drive that vehicle.
• Part of driving that vehicle means understanding what the signs are telling you.
• It's drivers from all over the world that are driving equipment.
• Is there any requirement... ...driving equipment.

Bills: HB2056 , HB2057 , HB2224 , HB2257 , HB2265 , HB2311 , HB2352 , HB2367 , HB2369 , HB2446 , HB2532 , HB2592 , HB2752 , HB2809 , HB2957

Committee: Senate Appropriations, Transportation and Technology

Keywords: brackish water, groundwater, desalination, water resources, feasibility study, environmental impact, special plates, centennial, Arizona Department of Transportation, vehicle registration, commercial discounts, Arizona Centennial, produce incentive, agriculture, economic support, funding, Arizona, boating, watercraft licensing, law enforcement

Transcript Highlights:

• These are industries that drive the economy back in my home district for many of our students.
• These are industries that drive the economy back in my home district.
• Assembly Bill 714 removes commercial driving from the program. Good afternoon.
• My name is Steve Gold, and I own the 160 Driving Academy Truck Driving Schools.
• The 160 Driving Academy is the largest commercial truck driving school in the country.

Committee: House Higher Education

Summary: The Assembly Higher Education Committee met for a policy hearing and first took up a consent calendar, approving several bills on consent before moving through a series of higher education measures. The committee heard AB 977, which would require the CSU to audit surplus land and work with California tribes to identify burial sites for Native American remains as part of repatriation efforts; the bill was supported by tribal representatives and others, with CSU expressing no formal position but saying it was working on repatriation. Members spoke strongly in favor of returning remains home, and the bill passed 5-0 to Appropriations. The committee then considered AB 1093, creating a California-Mexico higher education exchange program, but members raised concerns about border issues, sewage contamination, and funding; the author said the program would be funded through university dollars and was intended as a one-for-one exchange. AB 1035, which would extend the California College Promise to cover tuition for students pursuing community college bachelor’s degrees, drew support from community college leaders and faculty, but some members questioned the use of Prop. 98 funds and whether the bill would divert resources from other students; it passed 3-2 to Appropriations. AB 922, giving the UC statutory authority to maintain access to federal background-check systems for hiring, passed unanimously to Public Safety, and AB 1346, protecting in-state residency and tuition status for dependents of military service members, also passed unanimously to Military and Veterans Affairs. The committee also heard AB 1212, allowing UC campuses to use low-income housing tax credits to build affordable housing for faculty and staff on UC land. UC and labor supporters argued it would help recruitment and retention and increase affordable housing supply, while opponents objected to the preference for UC employees over the general public; the bill was supported by the chair in closing. Finally, the committee took up AB 500 and AB 684, both focused on UC admissions transparency: AB 500 would require consultation with students, K-12, and CSU before UC admissions changes, and AB 684 would subject UC BOARS meetings to the Bagley-Keene Open Meetings Act. Both measures were framed as transparency and accountability bills, with some UC opposition or neutrality, and both advanced on 5-0 votes to their respective committees. The committee also heard AB 1122 on universal dual enrollment access, with strong support from educators and community college partners and favorable comments from members about expanding college access.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then, you know, parents need to drive their kids to school. They need to go to work.
• And if they are to drive under current law, it is a misdemeanor for that. >> And this is, you know, driving
• to a doctor's appointment, drive into your job.
• That is what is driving this, which this Bill curiously a Mets. Nothing about e verify.
• Charge them with felonies for driving their kids to work or going to school.

Transcript Highlights:

• In my home state of West Virginia, I've seen firsthand how these drive-up in costs, these delays, not
• A driving force behind these exorbitant credit prices is the shortage of mitigation banks across the
• Delays also drive up costs.
• It purely is just driving down, driving out the length of the review process and driving up costs.
• It will lower the price because the cost of regulation continues to drive.

Committee: Senate Environment and Public Works Committee

Keywords: environmental review, permitting process, infrastructure, bipartisan legislation, economic growth, Nucor, West Virginia

Summary: The meeting focused on critical discussions surrounding the need for modernizing the federal environmental review and permitting processes. Witnesses from various sectors, including Nucor, provided testimony on the delays and costs associated with current regulations, emphasizing the impact on infrastructure and economic growth. Major projects in West Virginia, such as the Corridor H and Coalfield Expressways, were highlighted as examples of initiatives stalled by excessive permitting hurdles, prompting calls for bipartisan legislation to streamline these processes while maintaining environmental protections. The committee expressed a commitment to address these issues immediately, highlighting the urgency to enhance efficiency in permitting to facilitate economic development.

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of people drive that way.
• If that was less than something that Idaho did, then people would still drive there.
• ISP is pulling people over for DUID—driving under the influence of drugs—marijuana.
• He also said that driving there, he had seen more fatalities, more traffic accidents, and erratic driving
• driving.

Committee: House State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• I do like to drive.
• , or impaired driving defense.
• , or impaired driving defense.
• > I</c><04:07:28.479><c> should</c> driving, uh, impaired driving I should driving, uh, impaired driving
• </c><04:07:40.640><c> And</c> in our impaired driving laws. And in our impaired driving laws.

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Summary: The hearing focused primarily on House Bill 1087 and House Bill 123, both related to firearms. HB 1087 was introduced as a Second Amendment measure, but after questions from the chair and discussion with law enforcement, the sponsor agreed it should be set aside and referred to a study committee for further review, rather than advanced as written. The New Hampshire Chiefs of Police Association testified in opposition to the bill as written, while also indicating support for the sponsor’s proposed amendment or a study approach. The bulk of the discussion centered on HB 123, which would require the return of firearms after a not guilty verdict or dismissal. The sponsor and several members described the bill’s purpose as speeding up the return of property, but law enforcement and judicial branch witnesses raised concerns about federal law, the need to ensure a person is still legally eligible to possess firearms, and the bill’s 24-hour return requirement. Witnesses from the State Police and judicial branch explained the current process, including background checks through the state police gun line, and said the existing procedure already aims to return firearms promptly while allowing time to verify disqualifying information. Members and witnesses discussed possible amendments, including removing language that would bar background checks and instead tying return of firearms to completion of the check within a set time frame. Judicial branch and State Police witnesses said a process that requires a background check and return within a reasonable period, with notice if there is a delay or denial, would better address safety and legal concerns. The hearing ended without a vote; the committee closed the public hearing and indicated it would continue working on the language before executive session.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> road is in fact the mailo Drive road is in fact the mailo Drive Extension<00:24:19.960><c> itself
• serves as the whereas makakilo Drive serves as the only<00:24:46.760><c> Access</c><00:24:47.120><c>
• As you know, Chair, Makakilo residents currently have one way in and one way out using Makakilo Drive
• Makakilo residents currently have one way in and one way out using Makakilo Drive, and in the event of
• </c><00:31:29.919><c> and</c> one way out using the makakilo drive and one way out using the makakilo

Committee: House Public Safety

Summary: The Committee on Public Safety met on Wednesday, April 2 at 11:05 a.m. and began with housekeeping instructions for Zoom testimony and meeting conduct. The first major item was House Resolution 43, HD1, which urged the City and County of Honolulu to work with stakeholders on an emergency access road on the West Coast. The acting chair proposed a substantial HD2 amendment to add Makakilo language, expanding the resolution to call for two emergency access roads—one on the Ewa coast and one in Makakilo—and to request community meetings and a timeline for an alternative Makakilo access road by early 2026. Testimony on the resolution was strongly supportive overall, with 14 written testimonies in favor and none opposed. The committee then debated whether the proposed HD2 was appropriate without prior concurrence from the original introducer or prior committee chair. Several members objected to the amendment process and said they would vote no because the amendment had not been posted in advance and lacked concurrence, while the acting chair argued the rules did not require concurrence for resolutions and that the amendment was needed to address Makakilo residents’ safety concerns. The discussion also included references to prior conversations with leadership and the Speaker about whether resolution titles could be amended. After debate, the committee first voted on the amended version of HR 43, but the recommendation was not adopted. The acting chair then moved to pass HR 43 HD1 as originally presented, without the new Makakilo amendments. That motion was adopted, with the committee voting to pass the resolution as is. The record notes that members supporting the original measure cited the written testimony and the need for a second access point on the West Coast, while others voted no because they viewed the Makakilo language as duplicative or preferred a separate measure. After HR 43, the committee moved on to HCR 9, and the acting chair indicated that the committee would need to take a reconsideration vote before proceeding to a final vote on that resolution.

Transcript Highlights:

• I also have—there's some parks in my community that, when you drive by, you don't necessarily see a lot
• In the bill, a person driving or in charge of a motor vehicle may leave it standing unattended for up
• In the bill, a person driving or in charge of a motor vehicle may leave it standing unattended for up
• In the bill, a person driving or in charge of a motor vehicle may leave it standing unattended for up
• Tunises, the driving cat. You lost me. I'm sorry. You lost me. A night-night life?

Summary: The committee held public hearings on several transportation bills. ESSB 6262 would raise the maximum vehicle weight subject to transportation benefit district vehicle fees from 6,000 to 9,000 pounds for vehicles subject to gross weight license fees; the sponsor and city representatives said it would close a loophole, make fees more equitable, and help fund road maintenance, while the fiscal note was described as indeterminate. SB 5824 would clarify how fifth-wheel travel trailers are measured, aligning Washington with other states and supporting RV dealers; the bill drew support from the RV industry. SB 6110 would exclude certain faster electric vehicles from the e-bike definition and create a Department of Licensing work group to recommend a framework for electric motorcycles; testimony generally supported the effort but urged clearer e-motorcycle definitions and earlier work-group action, with some concern about youth safety and local enforcement. SB 5833 would allow a person to leave a vehicle running for up to 30 minutes to heat or cool a pet inside, with locking and brake requirements; the sponsor and a sheriffs’ association witness discussed balancing pet safety with auto-theft concerns, and the committee heard no fiscal impact. The committee also heard ESSB 6066, which would establish crash prevention zones in areas with unusually high serious-injury or fatal-crash rates, initially for a specific stretch of U.S. 395 and later more broadly beginning in 2029. The bill would allow local governments and WSDOT to designate zones, conduct engineering and traffic studies, increase enforcement, use speed cameras in the zones, and dedicate related revenues to safety improvements; supporters from Pasco and county risk pools backed the approach, while the sponsor asked for broader geographic coverage. ESSB 6311 would require continuous, accessible pedestrian passage during construction near hospitals, parks, and school routes, with temporary routes, safety plans, inspections, and enforcement tools such as stop-work orders and penalties; the sponsor said it was modeled on local practices and aimed at protecting pedestrians during construction, and contractors and transportation advocates supported it with a requested amendment clarifying design responsibility in design-bid-build projects. No votes were taken; the chair closed each public hearing and adjourned the meeting after testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Something is going on to drive those numbers and drive that data and put Florida at the top of that .
• ..to drive those numbers and drive that data and put Florida at the top of that very unenviable list.
• If all of you had to start paying in, it would drive the premiums down.
• I have to drive out of my way, put him in a car, and drive him to a different hospital so he doesn't
• It's my driving force as a legislator. Where is the balance?

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met to consider HB 6003, a bill to repeal Florida’s “free kill” law that limits certain survivors’ ability to recover non-economic damages in medical negligence wrongful death cases. The sponsor, Rep. Trabulsy, said the bill would restore access to the courts for a small class of families and noted the measure passed both chambers last year before being vetoed by the governor. She and supporters framed the bill as a fairness and constitutional issue, while opponents argued repeal would increase malpractice exposure, insurance costs, and pressure on physician access, especially in high-risk specialties and rural areas. Public testimony was sharply divided. Supporters included family members who described deaths they said were caused by medical negligence and who argued the current law denies accountability and equal treatment based on marital status or whether a decedent had minor children. Opponents included the Florida Hospital Association, Florida Medical Association, Florida Chamber, U.S. Chamber, Florida Insurance Council, and other health care and business groups, who warned that repeal could worsen already high malpractice premiums, contribute to physician shortages, and destabilize access to care. Several speakers on both sides discussed possible caps on non-economic damages as a compromise, though the bill itself was presented as a clean repealer with no amendments. During debate, several members spoke in support, emphasizing equal access to the courts and rejecting the idea that the law should treat some families differently from others. Opponents of the bill argued that the current system helps preserve market stability and that liability concerns, not the free kill law, are driving provider departures. After closing remarks from the sponsor, the committee voted 15 yeas and 1 nay to report HB 6003 favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our accidents and fatalities due to drunken driving are getting worse.
• Our accidents and fatalities due to drunken driving are getting worse.
• </c> drunken driving are are getting worse. drunken driving are are getting worse.
• </c> people driving over 100 miles an hour. people driving over 100 miles an hour.
• </c><01:26:11.760><c> over</c> have people who are going to drive over have people who are going to drive

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• it, even after. 1965 Impala, then you could still drive it, even though they were no longer providing
• If there is, you know, if I'm driving, if I own the car and my son is, If I'm driving, if I own the car
• car or he was driving the car, then I would receive the warning, right?
• And then I make the determination, as the owner of the car, who was driving it at that time.
• I make the determination of the owner of the car who was driving it at the time.

Summary: The committee heard several privacy, technology, and public safety measures. SB 898 by Senator Weber Pearson would require manufacturers of connected consumer products to disclose the minimum period of software support and notify consumers when support is nearing or has ended. Consumer Reports supported the bill as a consumer protection and cybersecurity measure, while some members raised concerns about enforcement through the unfair competition law and the possibility of private lawsuits. The bill was moved on a 5-1 vote to the Senate Judiciary Committee, with amendments to be taken there. SB 1279 by Senator Gonzalez would authorize Long Beach to place speed safety cameras on Pacific Coast Highway under the same privacy and equity guardrails as the existing pilot program, including no facial recognition, confidentiality of DMV data, warning notices, and reduced fees for low-income recipients. Supporters said the cameras would address severe speeding and fatal crashes on PCH, while opponents raised civil liberties, due process, and concerns about automated enforcement and identifying the actual driver. The committee voted 6-2 to send the bill to Appropriations, and it was placed on call. The committee also advanced SB 1111 by Senator Ashby, the Artificial Intelligence Abuse Protection Act, which would create civil remedies for nonconsensual AI voice, image, and video cloning. Support came from SAG-AFTRA and Common Sense Media, and members discussed concerns about employer liability and the scope of the bill, but no opposition testified. The measure passed 7-1 to Public Safety and was placed on call. SB 1217 by Senator Grove, backed by survivors of trafficking and nonconsensual intimate imagery, would create a DOJ-run clearinghouse to verify removal requests and require platforms to take down intimate images within 48 hours. Survivors described ongoing harm from images still circulating online; members focused on privacy, DOJ capacity, cybersecurity, and the lack of a private right of action. The bill passed 8-0 to Public Safety and was placed on call. Finally, SB 1095 by Senator Perez would require fusion centers and participating agencies to adopt MOUs limiting the sharing of sensitive personal information for immigration enforcement or racial profiling, require annual reporting, and add oversight and audit provisions. Supporters argued fusion centers have operated with too little transparency and have been used to circumvent California privacy and immigration laws; some members raised operational concerns about defining prohibited sharing and how the restrictions would work in practice. The discussion continued, with the author noting committee amendments and existing state law as the basis for the bill's guardrails.

Transcript Highlights:

• drive. drunk driving convictions in four years, yet still held a valid California driver's license.
• He was killed by fentanyl in a drive-by by somebody he knew. His death was not an accident.
• This was a drunk driving, a fentanyl poisoning, whatever the case. I get that.
• This was a drunk driving, a fentanyl poisoning, whatever the case. I get that.
• These decisions are made quickly at a counter, at a drive-through, or on a digital screen.

Committee: Senate Health

Summary: The committee heard SB 1422, which would restore Medi-Cal access for income-eligible undocumented adults beginning January 1, 2027. Senator Durazo and county, labor, health, immigrant-rights, and provider supporters argued the current enrollment freeze shifts costs to counties and hospitals, worsens preventive care, and increases expensive emergency treatment. No opposition testified. Several senators voiced support but also raised concerns about funding and the need for new revenue sources; the chair said she supported the concept and would continue working on financing, but the bill was not voted on because quorum was lost. The committee also heard SB 1023 on PrEP access, SB 1071 on amending death certificates after a homicide finding, SB 1057 on conviction-history review for CNA and home health aide certification, and SB 1088 on advance care planning and POLST/DNR updates. SB 1023’s author and supporters said requiring pharmacy-benefit coverage for injectable PrEP would reduce administrative barriers and improve access, while health plans opposed it as an improper benefit-design mandate; members sought clarification about how the billing pathway would work. SB 1071 drew strong support from victims’ families, law enforcement, and prosecutors who said death certificates should reflect later legal homicide findings, while coroners opposed it as blurring medical and legal determinations and risking data integrity. SB 1057 was presented as a fair-chance workforce measure to expand caregiving jobs for rehabilitated people with records, with no opposition heard. SB 1088 would modernize POLST/DNR rules, including electronic signatures, out-of-state recognition, and clearer signer authority; supporters backed the changes, while clinical nurse specialists opposed the bill for not including them as authorized signers. After quorum was established, the committee took up SB 869, which would require large chain restaurants to display an added-sugar icon next to beverages exceeding half the daily recommended sugar limit. Senator Weber Pierson and supporters from the American Diabetes Association and American Heart Association framed the bill as a transparency measure to help consumers make informed choices and reduce chronic disease risk. The senator responded to opposition concerns by saying existing nutrition information is often hard to find and that the icon would not unduly crowd menus. The hearing continued with testimony on the bill after quorum was reached, but no final vote is reflected in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't support drinking and driving; I do not.
• It doesn't directly relate to what you're driving. record; it's just your credit score.
• , but they do not have anything to do with your actual driving experience.
• on the rating algorithm on actual driving behavior.
• So there could be a bias against women driving.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Today or at least they get in the car and drive home? Correct. Okay. Do we have issues with cars?
• And I think I'm as frustrated as anyone else that people driving without insurance, it's very bad.
• I'll just try to remind everybody, driving is not a privilege.
• You have a right to drive if you follow all the rules.
• Senator Perry, you might try out comedy defensive driving.

Bills: SB35 , SB284 , SB296 , SB305 , SB857 , SB995 , SB1121 , SB1555 , SB1902 , SCR25 , SB 35

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• Is that a driving factor at all?
• It is the LCFS that is supporting that drive and that investable signal to the state.
• cars that they’re probably going to be driving for much longer.
• “Think it’s very untrue to say that the LCFS is driving consolidation.
• The LCFS program drives in-state economic investments and creates high-quality jobs.

Summary: The hearing was a select committee discussion on the transportation costs and impacts of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), with opening remarks from the co-chairs and members emphasizing affordability, climate goals, and the need to explain the program’s benefits to the public. The first panel from CARB and the California Energy Commission described how LCFS works as a market-based, declining carbon-intensity program that rewards lower-carbon fuels, supports zero-emission vehicle infrastructure, and is intended to reduce greenhouse gases and local air pollution. They argued the program has driven billions in private investment, increased alternative fuel use, and that LCFS credit prices are not the main driver of retail gasoline prices, which they said are dominated by crude oil, refining, and distribution costs. Members questioned the panel on the gap between the regulatory target and actual carbon-intensity performance, the role of credit banking, which fuels are generating the most credits, how the 2025 amendments affected the program, and whether LCFS credits are truly additional. CARB explained that banking helps cost-effectiveness and investment certainty, that ethanol, renewable diesel, and biodiesel currently provide the largest volumes while electricity is expected to grow, and that the updated targets were informed by the state’s 2045 carbon-neutrality goals and the 2030 scoping plan. The Energy Commission said its data show environmental programs add some cost to gasoline but do not drive price volatility, which is mainly tied to crude oil and refinery margins. The second panel, featuring academic and research experts, focused on program design, out-of-state credit generation, and broader economic effects. Speakers said LCFS is successful because it ties incentives to emissions benefit, uses life-cycle analysis, and allows flexible compliance that lowers costs compared with more direct regulation. They also said the program’s benefits generally outweigh costs, that it can reduce air pollution disparities and support equity, but that some issues—especially indirect land use change, additionality, and older program assumptions—need more research and may warrant future rulemaking. One researcher noted that while LCFS likely raises gasoline prices somewhat, the effect is uncertain by design and usually smaller than normal market fluctuations, and another warned that limiting credit generation too narrowly could create legal and efficiency problems.

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, it's just going to drive up costs because we're going to create additional costs.
• That's just driving up costs, driving up costs, and then being criticized for that also from the state
• Again, it's just going to drive up costs because we're going to create additional costs.
• That's just driving up costs, driving up costs, and then being criticized for that also from the state
• </c><02:25:06.720><c> up</c> additional local mandates, driving up additional local mandates, driving

Committee: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• So, yeah, I could drive in California and other states that you had mentioned, but with this license,
• Now, whether they do or not is, you know, people drive without licenses too.
• There are certain roads you can drive down, certain ones you can still see the true track from there
• If I’m going to take for the day, I’m going to drive through state land.
• But there are Rubicons and Jeeps and Land Cruisers driving those same trails, just like an OHV.

Committee: Joint Arizona Off-Highway Vehicle Study Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• For instance, our most frequent problem is these people will drive on the opposite side of the road,
• or end up driving the wrong way on a roadway against or into oncoming traffic.
• or end up driving the wrong way on a roadway against or into oncoming traffic.
• on sidewalks or the roadway and drive on sidewalks or end<00:20:08.679><c> up</c><00:20:08.880><c> driving
• We don't know who's driving these vehicles. That's why we need to stop them.

Transcript Highlights:

• Obviously, as they drive around, not only will we collect our assets, but also collect those of OLHC
• I mean, obviously they would have to drive around to see it.
• And I'm only saying the driving around is something we don't see either.
• I was driving here.
• So what this tool does is it takes the data from the van that's driving around yearly.

Committee: House Transportation, Highways & Public Works

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met for an information-only hearing with no votes or formal actions. DOTD Secretary Glenn LaD and Deputy Secretary Beau Black outlined the department’s transformation efforts, emphasizing faster project delivery, improved transparency, and use of technology. They reported major reductions in contractor payment processing time, from roughly 35 days to 15 days or less, and change-order approvals from about 40–45 days to around five days. They also described new tools such as inspection tablets, a project delivery dashboard, e-ticketing, a customer service portal, and a pilot using sensor technology on department vehicles to identify potholes and damaged assets. The department said it is reorganizing district staffing, replacing the old area engineer model with district points of contact for construction, maintenance, and operations, without increasing total staff. Members focused heavily on local maintenance concerns, including potholes, drainage, culverts, mowing, overgrown ditches, and utility-related delays. Several legislators asked how to get quicker responses on routine maintenance and how to distinguish state responsibility from local jurisdiction. DOTD said it would meet with district administrators to address specific problems and clarify jurisdiction, and that the new customer service portal should help track complaints electronically. Members also asked about contractor accountability, utility relocations, and public communication on long-running projects; DOTD said it is improving internal KPIs, coordinating more closely with district staff and public information officers, and considering broader public updates beyond the website. The department also reviewed highway planning and funding. Officials said the Highway Priority Program is being reworked into a more fiscally constrained, staged process that starts earlier in concept development and gives legislators and constituents more feedback before the annual road show. They said the department is using new IDIQ contracting authority to bring in outside help for bridge maintenance and other work, and that bridge maintenance backlogs remain significant. DOTD reported that LTIF 1.0 and 2.0 together cover 91 projects statewide totaling more than $534 million, with over 40 complete, and that LTIF 3.0 adds 39 projects and about $165 million. Combined with other funding sources, the department said its upcoming construction program will include 385 projects worth about $1.73 billion. Legislators generally praised the department’s progress but raised concerns about lingering local problems and the need for clearer communication. Questions were also asked about a barge strike on the Black Bayou Pontoon Bridge, with DOTD saying divers and staff were inspecting the damage and that emergency repairs would likely be needed. After the DOTD update, the new Office of Louisiana Highway Construction, led by Archie Chesson, gave its own update on its first year, describing a small staff, heavy use of consultant and contractor pools, emergency procurement authority, and rapid delivery of rural bridge and roadway projects.