Transcript Highlights:

• Right now, cost-wise, most of these courts are partially funded in one way or another by counties.
• <00:21:42.800> funded<00:21:43.280> in courts are funded in partially funded in courts
• are funded in partially funded in one<00:21:43.840> way<00:21:44.000> or<00:21:44.159>
• They don't have the partial courts.
• We will receive not always guaranteed.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• perform a legal abortion if the act that causes the death is performed prior to the child being partially
• The death of the child occurs as a result of the abortion after the child is partially born.
• perform a legal abortion if the act that causes the death is performed prior to the child being partially
• born.' ...causes the death is performed prior to the child being partially born, even though the death
• of the child occurs as a result of the abortion after the child is partially born.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• perform a legal abortion if the act that causes the death is performed prior to the child being partially
• born, even though the... ...formed prior to the child being partially born, even though the death of
• the child occurs as a result of the abortion after the child is partially born.
• perform a legal abortion if the act that causes the death is performed prior to the child being partially
• born, even though the death of the child occurs as a result of the abortion after the child is partially

Summary: The Committee on Children and Families heard testimony on Senate Bill 999, sponsored by Sen. Brad Hudson. Hudson said the bill was a revised substitute combining the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act with language from other bills dealing with domestic violence/no-contact orders, the Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review Board, and cyber-harassment. He argued the born-alive provisions were needed to ensure infants born alive during or after an abortion receive the same care as any other child, and he cited a Canadian study and Missouri infanticide law as support. Committee members questioned him about the study, the scope of the bill, the medical duty of care, and the bill’s non-severability clause and multiple-subject concerns. Supporters included Missouri Right to Life, which said the bill was needed to protect babies born alive after abortion attempts and prevent confusion in medical settings. Opponents, including Abortion Action Missouri, argued the bill was a “trap law” designed to restrict abortion access, said no such situation was being documented in practice, and cited opposition from numerous medical organizations. An informational witness from Campaign Life Missouri said he supported the born-alive language but warned the added provisions and non-severability clause could make the bill vulnerable to a constitutional challenge and could jeopardize other enacted provisions if struck down. During executive session, members debated the bill’s purpose and political implications. Several members said they would vote no because they trusted Missouri medical providers and opposed adding more law to an already regulated area, while others said they supported the bill as a protection for children born alive. The committee then voted 12-4 to send Senate Substitute No. 2 for Senate Bill 999 do pass.

Transcript Highlights:

• Governor to advise you that he has signed House Bill 1924 on April 8th, subject to the following partial
• appropriation for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the office of Attorney General, subject to partial
• To the Mississippi House of Representatives: Governor's partial veto of House Bill 1653.
• I understand that, but procedurally, according to counsel, it's not going to nullify the partial It's
• not going to nullify the partial veto on those projects.

Bills: HR144, HB4182, HC51, HR169, HB4178, HB4179

Keywords: commendation, sports, team achievement, high school, state championship, suffrage, restoration of voting rights, conviction, probation, law-abiding citizen, congressional term limits, constitutional amendments, Article V, state resolution, political reform, Jackson State University, Veterans Memorial Stadium, economic growth, property tax, multi-purpose facility

Transcript Highlights:

• The primary reason for it being only partially resolved is just that we've talked about this in several
• fully integrating that into each of the board rules in the process, and so that's the reason for the partial
• It's reason for the partial resolve.
• Most of these findings are in the partially resolved state.
• <00:11:45.920> resolved findings are in the partially resolved findings are in the partially

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from its October 3 meeting unanimously. It then reviewed follow-up status on prior performance audits, beginning with the Department of Corrections’ sex offender treatment program. DOC said all audit items from the 2016 review were resolved except one related to tracking benchmarks, progress, and recidivism. Officials explained that a new offender management system, Chorus, was recently implemented but has had rollout problems affecting operations, including restitution checks, and that they hope the system will be stable enough within about six months to begin tracking the needed metrics. Members asked about treatment inside prison and after release; DOC described in-prison treatment, parole aftercare, probation and parole oversight, administrative restrictions, and reassessment if conditions are not met. The committee next heard from OPLC on the Real Estate Commission audit. OPLC reported that all but one finding is substantially or fully resolved, with the remaining issue involving review of applicants’ adverse financial history and liabilities. The delay is tied to ongoing rulemaking, and OPLC said the commission is amending its criteria and integrating universal application procedures into board rules. The office estimated substantive completion by March 2027, with rule filing expected sooner. The committee then took up the Board of Pharmacy audit, where OPLC said most findings remain partially resolved because the board is in the middle of a major rule overhaul and a new licensing software project. Officials described a shift toward a compliance bureau and more routine, risk-informed inspections, rather than inspections driven only by complaints, and said updated manuals and forms will follow the new rules and technology. Finally, the Legislative Budget Assistant reported on ongoing audits. For special education, staff said they are writing the report, have 25 completed observations, and have expanded to 70 identified observations, with a full draft expected in the first quarter of 2026 and a final report by summer 2026. For education freedom accounts, 40 observations have been identified, 15 finalized, and a draft is expected by midspring with a fiscal committee presentation in summer. For the Doorway program, the audit plan was finalized with DHHS help, financial activity was isolated, fieldwork is expected to finish by Thanksgiving, and a draft report is planned for January or February 2026, with a final report by March or April 2026. The committee discussed scheduling its next meeting for February 6 at 10 a.m. and emphasized the value of follow-up on older audits; the meeting adjourned after members agreed the follow-up process should continue.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's partially why administrative funding for grants is so important because it allows for that work
• That's partially why administrative funding for grants is so important because it allows for that work
• fiscal supports for grantees and the fiscal controls.<00:26:57.919> That's<00:26:58.240> partially
• That's partially why controls.
• That's partially why administrative<00:26:59.600> funding<00:26:59.919> for<00:27:00.159

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee approved the March 3 minutes and then heard a presentation from the Office of the Legislative Auditor on state grant-management requirements. Deputy Legislative Auditor Katherine Tyson outlined the main controls agencies must follow, including pre-award risk assessments for grants of $50,000 or more, reimbursement as the preferred payment method, limits and documentation requirements for advance payments, and monitoring obligations for active grants. She emphasized that these controls are intended to reduce improper payments and fraud, but also require staff time and strong internal systems. In response to questions, she said advance payments are used in some grants but reimbursement is more common, and noted that agencies can add controls such as retaining a portion of funds, surprise visits, or audits. She also said surety bonds are required in some state programs, but not generally for grants, and that this could be a policy discussion for the executive branch. The committee then received a Department of Natural Resources presentation on the new Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund community grant program created in 2023 law. DNR officials said the program is intended to expand access to ENRTF funding, especially for communities affected by pollution and environmental degradation, and to support projects such as environmental education, resource restoration, trail work, and aquatic invasive species management. They said the department will use the same grants team that handles Outdoor Heritage Fund and LCCMR grants, which already manages a large volume of grants, and that the advisory council application is open through April 10. DNR described its implementation plan as similar to the Conservation Partners Legacy program, with both standard and expedited grant rounds, technical assistance, and use of technical experts. Differences include no match requirement, allowance for fiscal agents to help smaller organizations, and more flexibility for administrative expenses to reduce barriers to participation. Officials said the program will follow state grant rules, including pre-award financial reviews and monitoring, and will use the 5 percent administrative allowance to support both oversight and grantee assistance. They also said the report’s suggestion of advance payments for grants under $50,000 was raised for discussion, but they did not dispute the auditor’s emphasis that reimbursement is the preferred approach.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you ask someone to come in, you guarantee them at least two hours of pay.
• It's turning down other... you guarantee them at least two hours of you guarantee them at least two hours
• It's not the full loaf, but I'm happy with a partial loaf, and this amendment will give us that.
• I'm happy with a partial loaf, and this amendment will give us that.
• But simply mandating reassignment and enrollment does not guarantee that any children's needs will be

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It was a paralegal position that was approved last year, and we are partially the Executive is partially
• So we are gonna be asking you today, it sounds like maybe Saturday to Grant partial funding of the $61,000
• hopefully like to be able to fill that position at some point in the fiscal year if we can get the partial
• appropriate for me to ask a question as well, but my top priority is if we can at least get that partial
• And I think that's partially what's driving this.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This will help guarantee safety for everyone who is going through our courthouses on a daily basis.
• This will help guarantee safety for everyone who is going through our courthouses on a daily basis.
• Homes, just one example, where different builders will have different homes that they've built or partially
• <02:00:12.719> built<02:00:12.960> and<02:00:13.119> then uh built or partially
• built and then uh built or partially built and then they're<02:00:13.840> people<02:00:14.159

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then from reading the fiscal note, it says this subsidy plan would be, I guess, partially operational
• And then from reading the fiscal note, it says this subsidy plan would be, I guess, partially operational
• <01:18:01.040> operational um I guess I guess partially operational um I guess I guess partially
• > credit,<01:37:40.000> but<01:37:40.239> the receive a partial tax credit, but
• the receive a partial tax credit, but the subsidy<01:37:40.880> would<01:37:41.040> be<

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So Proposition 36 partially rolled back those punishment reductions that were made by Prop. 47, and so
• Committee's concurrence with the partial restoration in the current year.
• Committee's concurrence with the partial restoration in the current year.
• You know, I will partially echo what my colleague has just said.
• You know, I will partially echo what my colleague has just said.

Summary: The committee heard extensive testimony on Proposition 36 and its implementation, with judicial and budget officials describing it as a major shift from misdemeanor to felony processing for repeat drug possession and certain theft offenses. Witnesses explained that the law creates a treatment-mandated felony process that can lead to dismissal if a defendant completes treatment, but also requires evaluations, court monitoring, and potentially long, open-ended supervision. Judicial representatives said the new law is already generating large numbers of filings, creating workload, staffing, courtroom, and facility pressures, and that access to treatment beds, housing, and evaluation capacity is limiting participation. Several speakers emphasized that collaborative courts are effective but are not a perfect fit for Prop. 36 because those programs are typically probation-based and serve different risk/need populations. Court officials from San Bernardino and Orange counties said the impacts vary by county but are severe, with some counties seeing hundreds or more filings in a short period and others moving more slowly to build treatment infrastructure first. They argued that Prop. 36 is effectively an unfunded mandate unless the state provides more resources for judges, staff, facilities, treatment, housing, and supervision. The Legislative Analyst’s Office noted that Prop. 36 will reduce the Proposition 47 savings that fund mental health and substance use treatment grants, but said the near-term reduction is relatively modest and that the full effect will take time to appear because of the way those savings are calculated. Members of the committee repeatedly raised concerns that the state is underfunding the courts and counties needed to carry out the new law. The committee also reviewed the Governor’s proposed trial court operations budget, including a partial restoration of a prior $97 million cut and additional ongoing funding. Judicial branch officials said the restoration helped avoid furloughs, hiring freezes, and service reductions, and supported cybersecurity, technology, staffing, and records management. The LAO recommended that the Legislature seek more detail on how midyear restorations are handled and consider clarifying language for transferring unspent trial court trust fund monies to the General Fund. Finance said the flexibility in the ongoing funding was intentional and would be taken back for consideration. In a separate item, the committee heard testimony on a $6.3 million increase for Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal appointed counsel programs. Judicial officials and appellate project representatives said the system is facing a crisis because indigent appeals have risen sharply while the number of panel attorneys has fallen, leaving many cases waiting months for counsel. They argued the proposed increase would help but is still below what is needed to recruit and retain attorneys and prevent delays that affect criminal, juvenile, and child welfare cases. The committee also discussed the Tracy courthouse project in San Joaquin County, where local officials said reopening a courthouse closed since 2011 is necessary to serve a growing population and relieve overcrowding elsewhere. The LAO and Finance both noted the project is next in line under the facilities plan, though LAO suggested the Legislature could consider whether other facility priorities should come first.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 2050, relating to partial public financing of elections.
• ><01:09:54.719> is<01:09:54.880> a partial public financing program is a partial public
• This year we're going to increase partial public. I can feel it in my bones.
• we're going to increase partial public. we're going to increase partial public.
• Next measure, House Bill 2050 relating to partial public financing of elections.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 1525, which would appropriate funds to counties to open more voter service centers for in-person voting, provide money to the Office of Elections to print and mail the voter information guide to all registered voters, and support a public outreach campaign to increase voter participation. The Office of Elections supported the bill and estimated costs of a little over $2 million to print and mail the guide and about $178,000 for outreach, noting it spent about $441,000 on election advertising in 2024. Testimony from advocacy groups including Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action, Common Cause Hawaii, and Indivisible Hawaii strongly supported the measure, emphasizing access for neighbor island voters, people with disabilities, new voters, and voters who need ballot assistance. County election officials from Honolulu, Maui, and Kauai provided comments or testimony that were more cautious. They said additional funding would be welcome, but staffing and logistics remain major constraints, especially for election-day service centers. Honolulu’s city clerk said funding alone would not necessarily solve long lines, while Maui’s county clerk explained that voter service centers require trained seasonal employees, extensive training, and the ability to handle many ballot styles. Maui also described its current pop-up sites, including Hana, as expensive but necessary for remote communities, and said the county is already running at bare minimum staffing. Members asked questions about who decides how many service centers are opened, how staffing is handled, and whether there is a middle-ground model between the old precinct polling places and the current voter service center system. Honolulu explained that county clerks make those decisions under current law and that the county has tried pop-up sites in addition to its main centers. The discussion also noted that in 2024 most voters used vote by mail, while a smaller number used early in-person voting or final-day service centers. No vote on the bill was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, partially it's because the children in the House made some bad decisions.
• It's just the Senate.<00:23:01.039> Uh<00:23:01.280> partially<00:23:01.679> it's
• Uh partially it's because the Senate.
• Uh partially it's because the children<00:23:02.559> in<00:23:02.799> the<00:23:02.880>
• due to our concern that are uh partially due to our concern with<00:23:55.520> the<00:23:55.679

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• else that got picked up in this that I have not had a chance to talk with you, um, Chair, but it's partially
• 39.520> it's talk with you, um, chair, but it's it's talk with you, um, chair, but it's it's partially
• 40.960> is<00:04:41.280> that<00:04:42.160> your<00:04:42.560> draft partially
• in here is that your draft partially in here is that your draft created<00:04:44.479> a<00:04

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, members, this is the audit partial count bill from yesterday. I move passage.
• We will be guaranteed... Through the desert, we have plentiful jobs here, ladies and gentlemen.
• We will be guaranteed a job in the United States. Why, members?
• I guarantee you... How would you answer that?
• and not confuse parental rights within education with students' own guaranteed rights.

Summary: The House convened, established a quorum, heard an invocation and pledges, and approved several routine motions, including excuses for absent members, permission for committees to meet while the House was in session, and postponements of some bills. The chamber also received a Senate message listing measures passed by the Senate and adopted a memorial resolution honoring the 21 victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, with remarks entered into the House Journal after a moment of silence. The House then took up a long third-reading calendar and passed a series of Senate bills on topics including criminal justice and corrections sunset provisions (SB 2405, 2406, 2407), election equipment testing (SB 2166), electric grid reliability and attack-preparedness exercises (SB 2148), firefighter collective bargaining (SB 777), DFPS and foster care procedures (SB 1141 and SB 1398), Medicare durable medical equipment billing (SB 1330), property tax administration (SB 1453), probate cleanup and record transfers (SB 1448 and SB 1839), mental health filing procedures (SB 53), school residency for children in safety placements (SB 226), diabetes-related amputation study (SB 1677), rapid DNA analysis (SB 1723), utility rate transparency and capacity cost recovery (SB 1664 and SB 1856), community supervision eligibility (SB 552 postponed), and other measures. Several bills passed with broad support, while others drew notable opposition and narrower margins, including SB 777, SB 2137, SB 2111, SB 1677, SB 1936, SB 1453, and SB 38. Two bills drew especially extensive debate. SB 2148, dealing with electricity supply chain reliability and tabletop exercises for critical facilities, was discussed as a grid-security measure aimed at coordinating utilities, law enforcement, ERCOT, and the PUC in the event of physical attacks; it passed unanimously. SB 1936, changing how LSD is measured for criminal prosecution from dosage-based to weight-based calculations, prompted extended discussion about lab consistency, carrier mediums, and fairness in charging, with supporters saying it would help crime labs and law enforcement and opponents warning it could distort penalties depending on the medium used; it passed 108-26. The House also passed SB 36, creating a Homeland Security Division within DPS, after questions about overlap with TDEM and the cost of adding personnel. Late in the day, the House debated SB 38 on eviction procedures, with supporters saying it targeted squatters and streamlined removal of unauthorized occupants, and opponents arguing it would make evictions too easy and worsen homelessness; it passed 85-44. The chamber also began debate on SB 37, a major higher-education governance bill that would expand governing-board oversight of curriculum, hiring, and faculty senates; members raised concerns about academic freedom, faculty governance, and the impact on humanities programs, and debate was still underway at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• I guarantee you, they're here to help you. All right. Appreciate it.
• Arkansas Code, $716 were fuel purchases that, according to the mayor and recorder-treasurer, were partially

Summary: The committee began with prayer and approval of the January 8 minutes, then received updates on delinquent private water and sewer reports. Staff reported that for the 2022 reports, 19 of 43 entities had had their turnback reinstated, while 24 remained in escrow; for the 2023 reports, 59 of 64 entities had filed, leaving five outstanding. The committee also filed a report on Adona, where staff said the city had made enough progress toward substantial compliance with municipal accounting laws to discontinue withholding turnback, and the committee adopted that recommendation. The bulk of the meeting focused on municipal accounting noncompliance cases. Gum Springs and Denning were presented with extensive repeat findings involving budgets not adopted by ordinance or resolution, missing or incomplete bank reconciliations, inadequate receipts and disbursement records, payroll issues, and improper handling of Act 833 funds or other city money. Both cities’ mayors and recorders-treasurers testified about efforts to correct records, obtain training, and work with the Municipal League; the committee voted to start the 60-day turnback-withholding clock for both and then filed the reports. Fargo was deferred because no city representative was present. Additional reports included Green Forest, Elaine, Strong, Brooklyn, Mineral Springs, Rondo, Waldo, Columbia County, and several private water and sewer entities. Strong drew significant concern over missing garbage-bag revenue, improper fund transfers, and deficit balances; the committee deferred that report to the March meeting. The committee also heard investigative or referred reports on the Faulkner County Fair Association, Brooklyn payroll direct-deposit fraud, and other entities with questionable disbursements or recordkeeping. In several cases, staff recommended filing the reports after responses were received; in others, the committee deferred action when responses were lacking or representatives were absent. The meeting ended with a motion to defer a Cross County Rural Water matter so the entity could appear at the next meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• I guarantee you. They're here to help you. All right. Appreciate it.
• Arkansas Code. $716 were fuel purchases that, according to the mayor and recorder treasurer, were partially

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Liquor and Cannabis Board partially concurred with this recommendation.
• And again, a lot of consumers believe that once that hold is released, those funds are guaranteed, that

Summary: The committee began with a work session on the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee’s cannabis market study, presented by JLARC staff member Susanna Pratt. The report found Washington’s cannabis production in 2023 was likely two to three times higher than retail sales, with production estimated at 292,000 to 443,000 pounds of THC versus 139,000 pounds sold. Pratt explained that canopy data are inconsistent and that the Liquor and Cannabis Board’s traceability system is incomplete and unreliable, limiting data-driven regulation, tax verification, recall tracking, and diversion enforcement. JLARC recommended that LCB submit a plan by the end of 2025 for obtaining accurate licensee data by the end of 2026; LCB partially concurred and said a 2027 timeline may be more realistic. JLARC also concluded that the social equity producer licenses would likely have only a minimal effect on statewide production capacity, and suggested the legislature consider broader ways to increase equity in the industry. Members asked about the slow issuance of social equity licenses and about comparable traceability systems in other states. The committee then heard a series of presentations on fraud and scam prevention. Paul Benda of the American Bankers Association described the scale of fraud losses, the role of telecom spoofing, social media scam ads, SIM farms, and crypto ATMs, and argued for a shared-responsibility approach involving banks, telecoms, and platforms. Katie Clark of IQ Credit Union described member-to-member fraud, romance scams, and the operational and financial impacts on credit unions, and recommended better information sharing, safe harbors for returning scam-related funds, and stronger fraud education. Kyle Innes of SIFMA highlighted investor fraud and Washington’s 2009 report-and-hold law, which he said helped shape similar protections in most states, and emphasized the need for better communication among financial firms, APS, and law enforcement. Brian Gerard and Ali Higgs from the Department of Financial Institutions discussed “pig butchering” and other investment scams, focusing on how scammers build trust through social media, dating apps, fake websites, and crypto schemes before extracting funds. Across the fraud presentations, witnesses repeatedly stressed consumer education, interagency information sharing, and stronger controls on telecom, social media, and crypto ATM activity. Members asked about model laws from other states, the role of financial education in schools, and whether crypto ATMs should be regulated or banned. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• it's gonna be a lot to try to catch up, but I think the question is, how do we know, what, what guarantees
• Uh, Madam Chair, as of right now, we have not corrected it partially because, um, we don't necessarily

Transcript Highlights:

• into account the teacher pay raise component, which is historic—historic for our Texas teachers, a guaranteed
• They can still own a partial interest. They cannot own a controlling interest.

Bills: HB5560, HB2, HB24, HB3233, HB1397, HB2067, HB3133, HB5696, HB5680, HB2885, HB3966, HB3556, HB3595, HB144, HB26, HB2038, HB521, HB4, HB 1178, HB42, HB 1211, HB783, HB3963, HB2240, HB1690, HB 1234, HB3372, HB27, HB4211, HB2243, HB2853, HB4638, HJR7, HB 100, HB 126, HB3783, HB5138, HB2512, HB5616, HB4751, SB17, SB1637, SB1833, SB2155, SB21, SB2778, SB260, SB8, SB12, SB37, SB379, SB441, SB1566, SB2878, HB4112, HB3866, HB4749, HB2844, HB150

Keywords: groundwater, civil penalties, water conservation, drought contingency, environmental protection, public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, zoning, public notice, local government, residential development