Transcript Highlights:

• Supports for low income students.
• Title 4A student supports of $10 million.
• receive or where the state does not receive reimbursement for those students.
• That definition at-risk students include low-income students, English learners, Native American students
• , students with disabilities, all of the groups that are, that are, uh, currently.

Committee: House Federal Funding Stabilization Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• I myself am an unreligious student.
• I myself am an unreligious student.
• students, Jewish students, and all the above.
• But a student can't walk out.
• But a student can't walk out.

Bills: S0212 , S0218 , S0442 , S0460 , S0532 , S0554 , S0644 , S0686 , S0692 , S1054 , S1106 , S1128 , S1134 , S1138 , S1338 , S1434 , S1506 , S1620 , S1748

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: sexual offender, sexual predator, sex offender registry, child protection, residency restriction, loitering, proximity restriction, public swimming pool, school safety, child care facility, day care center, park, playground, conditional release, probation, community control, warrantless arrest, background check, registry screening, minor victims

Summary: The committee first considered SB 1434 on infill redevelopment. A late-filed strike-all amendment narrowed eligibility criteria, including environmental and adjacency requirements, density and intensity limits, and exclusions for certain lands and military areas. The amendment was adopted without opposition, and the bill then passed favorably on an 8-0 vote, with testimony both for and against from advocacy groups. Members then heard several bills related to criminal justice, land use, and local government operations. SB 212 on sexual offenders and sexual predators was amended to add public swimming pools and related restricted-location provisions; the committee heard extensive opposition testimony arguing the bill lacked empirical support and could worsen homelessness and burden families, while supporters said it would reduce temptation and improve safety. The amended bill passed 8-1. SB 686 on agricultural enclaves also received a strike-all amendment clarifying development allowances near interstates and protected-area non-preemption; after opposition from a county Republican committee and support from housing and business groups, it passed 10-0. SB 554 updating nonprofit corporation law, SB 1338 on charitable giving and endowment restrictions, SB 532 on court fee retention by clerks, and SB 218 on land use regulations after hurricanes all passed favorably, each with little or no opposition. The committee also approved SB 692 on cybersecurity standards and liability after debate over whether the bill created enough compliance incentives and whether its liability presumption should apply retroactively; supporters said it would encourage adoption of cybersecurity frameworks, while opponents warned it could weaken local standards and create litigation issues. The bill passed 9-2. SB 1138 on qualified contractors was amended to preserve local government authority while allowing licensed professionals to conduct limited pre-application reviews, and it passed 11-0. Finally, SJR 1104 on religious expression in public schools passed 8-3 after extensive public testimony and debate, with supporters saying it would enshrine existing protections in the Constitution and opponents warning it would favor majority religions and increase bullying and litigation. The committee then took up SB 1106 on requiring state agencies and instructional materials to use “Judea and Samaria” instead of “West Bank,” with the sponsor arguing it reflected historical truth and opponents saying it erased Palestinian identity and inserted the state into an international naming dispute; the transcript ends during public testimony on that bill before any vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• They need to make sure that the students, by the time they graduate, understand these core historical
• And I think it was selling the students of Idaho short.
• That is what this section is really trying to get to the heart of: making sure students understand that
• My concern is, and we've heard it on the floor a lot, is student shall.
• And they talk about the remedial courses and the help that these students are given.

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill established the Idaho High Need Students Fund in Idaho Code to help address the extraordinary
• I move for public school support in the Student Support Division for FY 2027 from the High Needs Student
• Idaho High Needs Student Fund.
• We're Ready Students Program Fund to the Idaho High Needs Student Fund. We have a motion.
• The driver training account to the Idaho High-Needs Student Fund. We have a second.

Summary: The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee first approved a trailer appropriation for House Bill 730, adding $351,000 one-time General Fund to the Department of Health and Welfare’s Division of Welfare for SNAP eligibility system changes. One member argued the change was unnecessary because Idaho already has a low error rate and the current eligibility systems work well, but the motion passed with a due pass recommendation. The committee then considered House Bill 898, which moves the State Historic Preservation Office from the Idaho State Historical Society to the Office of Species, Minerals, and Energy Coordination. Members discussed whether the move was requested by the governor and whether it would create efficiencies in permitting and federal coordination. The committee approved both the reduction from the Historical Society budget and the corresponding addition to SMEC, along with language exempting SMEC from certain transfer restrictions. The State Historical Society director was said to support the move. Next, the committee approved trailer funding for Senate Bill 128, creating the Idaho High Need Students Fund. The committee added $5 million one-time dedicated funding and approved transfers of $1 million from the Idaho Career Ready Students Program Fund and $4 million from the driver training account. Analysts explained that while the funding is one-time, it could increase the state’s ongoing maintenance-of-effort obligation under federal special education rules if other funding remains unchanged. Members described the measure as a partial, temporary response to a larger special education funding gap. Finally, the committee revisited the Department of Fish and Game budget after it had failed on the House floor earlier. Members discussed multiple enhancement requests, including habitat projects, Good Neighbor Authority work, fisheries inflation, wolf depredation, communications, and replacement items. A substitute motion that included additional funding for temporary employees failed in the House vote, and the committee then approved a revised motion with a due pass recommendation. The committee also adopted language directing $200,000 of wolf depredation funds to wolf trapping. The meeting ended with discussion of pending items for the next day, including rural health transformation and state police-related budget actions.

Transcript Highlights:

• In addition, it would provide students with information on how to register to vote.
• Currently, I am a high school student in San Bernardino.
• Right now, many students do not simply know where to begin.
• It is a responsibility as a student and to show others what having a voice looks like.
• I was a student government leader at the CSU and to higher education committee.

Committee: House Elections

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for future for our students.
• </c><01:28:25.920><c> without</c> college credits to students without college credits to students without
• Thank you lives of students like myself.
• </c> class size, and student class size, and student opportunities.<01:33:05.120><c> Our</c><01:33:05.520
• 33:15.920><c> that</c> With approximately 1,200 students, that With approximately 1,200 students, that

Committee: Senate Taxes

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You wouldn't know the exhaustion of teaching a seventh-grade history course of 35 students, seven of
• to have a for every struggling student to have a go-to<00:35:23.359><c> person</c><00:35:23.920><c>
• , changes in standards and new curriculum, increased mental health needs in students, and navigating
• health needs in students and navigating students<00:38:02.520><c> in</c><00:38:02.760><c> crisis</c>
• <00:38:03.280><c> without</c><00:38:03.599><c> enough</c> students in crisis without enough students

Bills: HF550 , HF412 , HF796 , HF140

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Keywords: redistricting, Bipartisan Commission, Minnesota Constitution, census, legislative districts, HF412, Minnesota legislature, education committee, K-12 education, school observation, teacher observation, administrator observation, legislative transparency, legislator accountability, House rules, Senate rules, Legislative Reference Library, public reporting, education finance, education policy

Transcript Highlights:

• , if not all of our students.
• , if not all of our students.
• , if not all of our students.
• Formula is that it puts the emphasis on the student first.
• To serve their students, and that's one of my long-term goals.

Summary: The Senate convened with 31 members present, heard prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and approved the corrected journal. The body then moved through routine orders, including referral of memorials and resolutions and reports from standing committees. Among the items reported were several bills printed or enrolled, House bills referred to Senate committees, and messages from the House transmitting additional bills and memorials for referral. A major floor item was Senate Concurrent Resolution 121, which called for modernizing Idaho’s public school funding formula. Supporters argued the current formula is outdated, overly focused on inputs and adults rather than students, and should be redesigned to give local school leaders more flexibility and better outcomes. The resolution was adopted and transmitted to the House. The Senate also adopted SCR 123 recognizing 2026 as the Year of Rangeland and Pastoralists, SR 118 supporting development of a state plan for kinship caregivers, SCR 124 supporting wildlife crossings to reduce collisions and protect wildlife migration, and SR 119 approving certain administrative rules from the Department of Agriculture and Idaho Hops Growers Commission, with one seed-related rule exception. The Senate adopted SJM 114 urging Congress to address problems in college athletics created by name, image, and likeness rules and transfer/agent issues. It then passed SB 1350, which authorizes optional cash rounding to the nearest five cents when pennies are unavailable; the bill passed 24-9 after debate over whether the change could lead toward broader cashless practices. The chamber also passed SB 1373, the fiscal year 2027 appropriations bill for economic development and related agencies, after extended debate over across-the-board budget cuts, especially the impact on the state public defender system and constitutional indigent defense obligations. The Senate concluded with announcements and adjourned until the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• The problem that I see is a lot of students, a lot of high school students, thank you.
• The problem that I see is a lot of students, a lot of high school students, maybe individuals that are
• Many students have opportunities to get internships in school.
• I don't know any student that would pick that.
• It's easier for students to apply. They can have volunteer opportunities.

Committee: Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability

Summary: The committee took up several bills and reported each favorably after brief presentations, amendments, and roll calls. SB 1760, by Senator Grall, would require certain elected officials and agency heads to reside in Florida, with agency heads also required to be U.S. citizens and live in the county where their agency is headquartered; it also clarifies the constitutional prohibition on holding more than one office. SB 1202, by Senator McClain, expands insurance benefits for firefighters who are totally and permanently disabled during official training exercises, and its amendment was adopted to avoid local fiscal impact. SB 582, by Senator Leak, increases penalties for unlawful demolition of historic buildings and limits the higher penalty to properties on the National Register of Historic Places or in a listed district; supporters included representatives of St. Augustine and the Florida League of Cities, while one opponent waived in opposition. SB 312, by Senator Gates, revises governance of the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition and allows affiliated nonprofit subsidiaries to enter agreements with universities; an amendment adding one public member to the board was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then considered SB 676, by Senator Martin, which would allow employees to waive the state minimum wage right under a framework the sponsor said would help young or inexperienced workers gain entry-level experience. The bill drew extensive public testimony, with supporters arguing it could help small businesses hire and create opportunities, and opponents saying it would undermine the voter-approved minimum wage, invite coercion, and exploit vulnerable workers. Senator Martin’s amendment clarifying the Fair Labor Standards Act exception was adopted, and the bill passed on a favorable vote despite opposition from Senator Arrington and others. Finally, SB 440, by Senator McClain, was heard as an expansion of prior law to cover public employees and prohibit certain employment practices related to gender identity and pronoun use; after an amendment narrowing the bill by deleting references to training, instruction, or other activity regarding sexual orientation, the committee heard extensive testimony both for and against, with supporters framing it as protecting conscience rights and opponents calling it discriminatory. The committee ultimately reported SB 440 favorably as well.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's balanced incredible growth with excellent student outcomes.
• Founded in 1927, this HBCU educates more than 8,700 students and offers more than 100 undergraduate and
• Thank you. of students and faculty and staff and administration from Texas Southern University and to
• their Texas Senate please help me in welcoming members Texas Southern students and administration to
• And along with the students, I'm happy to recognize. Superintendent of Pasadena ISD, Dan Powell.

Bills: SJR3 , SB5 , SJR36 , SJR3 , SB616 , SB565 , SB384 , SB5 , SB21 , SB72 , SB140 , SB262 , SB370 , SB372 , SB495 , SB627 , SB703 , SB764 , SB842 , SB971 , SB790 , SB767 , SB480 , SB1066

Keywords: dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, research funding, state budget, prevention, healthcare, medical research, Dementia Prevention and Research Institute, research institute, funding, grants, state health initiatives, aquifer, water management, Edwards Aquifer, sustainability, regulatory framework, SB 565, Texas Water Code

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a group of engaged students from Hawaii Pacific University.
• Regina Alagard, CLM; graduate assistant Kayla Y.; students Amelia Belbin, Marina Buel, Leia Dick, Olivia
• </c><00:14:32.959><c> from</c><00:14:33.199><c> Hawaii</c><00:14:33.880><c> Pacific</c> engaged students
• from Hawaii Pacific engaged students from Hawaii Pacific University<00:14:35.639><c> these</c><00:14
• Amelia belbin Marina Kayla y students Amelia belbin Marina Buel<00:15:01.880><c> Leia</c><00:15:02.399

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House convened with 46 members present and five excused, then deferred reading of the journal. The chamber received Governor’s Message No. 4, which transmitted proposed changes to the fiscal biennium 2025-2027 executive budget, and the message was received and filed. The House also received a Senate communication transmitting a Senate bill that had passed third reading in the Senate; on motion by Representative Morikawa, seconded by Representative Garcia, the bill was given first reading by title on a voice vote. During introductions, Representative Morikawa recognized staff members Judy Hernandez and Robbie Allen, Representative Lamosao welcomed Kab Bukowski of IBEW 1260, and Representative Iwamoto introduced a Hawaii Pacific University student group visiting to learn about the legislative process and environmental policy. The House then considered Standing Committee Report No. 797; Representative Todd moved to adopt the report and advance the accompanying House bill as amended to second reading and third reading calendar, the motion was seconded by Representative Morikawa, and it passed by voice vote. No resolutions were up for action, and none were referred to print. Announcements highlighted an upcoming Capitol agriculture event featuring more than 70 vendors and a separate notice about House member jacket samples and ordering for 2025. The House adjourned on motion by Representative Moryker, seconded by Representative Garcia, until 12:00 noon on Thursday, February 27th.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:57:42.640><c> What</c> student. So what's happened then? What student.
• , homeschool students, the students that are there.
• , the students that are there.
• </c> keep students safe. Thank you. keep students safe. Thank you.
• This is what we need to students.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 26.400><c> Minnesotans</c> has placed nearly 1,000 Minnesotans has placed nearly 1,000 Minnesotans student
• <00:03:28.160><c> Minnesota</c><00:03:28.640><c> students</c><00:03:29.440><c> students</c><00:03:30.000
• ><c> in</c> student Minnesota students students in student Minnesota students students in newsrooms<00
• Students may not be aware of the many different careers that broadcast journalism has to offer.
• Students may not be aware of the many different careers that broadcast journalism has to offer.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• In Grace, potato farmers rely on student and staff workers.
• School schedules are designed specifically to meet student success.
• That would create additional challenges for families, staff, and students.
• Is this a reference to pay by, or to funding students by enrollment, “To pay by” or to funding students
• So in this case, what— “Funding big classrooms, not students.”

Committee: House Education

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from February 12 and 13, then recognized page Ethan Cowell for his service before moving into legislation. House Bill 599 was explained as a technical change to how funding for digital curriculum grants is awarded, shifting from first-come, first-served to a need-based application process using a rubric from the State Department of Education. The committee voted to send HB 599 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee then introduced RS 33436, a proposal related to the state endowment fund. The sponsor said the measure would not change the amount of money distributed to schools, but would send endowment dollars directly to schools as a separate line item rather than blending them into the general school funding formula. After a brief question about average daily attendance, the committee voted to introduce the RS. House Bill 710, which would set a statewide public school start date of the Tuesday after Labor Day, drew extensive testimony. The sponsor argued for a uniform start date for predictability and said schools could adjust by shortening breaks, while opponents—including superintendents, the Idaho PTA, and the Idaho School Boards Association—said the bill would override local control, disrupt harvest schedules, and create problems for districts with four-day weeks or calendars built around community needs. The Idaho Lodging and Restaurant Association supported the bill, saying later starts would help tourism businesses. After debate, a motion to send the bill to the floor without recommendation failed, and the committee then voted 9-5 to hold HB 710 in committee. Finally, the committee considered RS 33230C1, which would create a performance-based funding flexibility model for charter schools. The sponsor said it would reward strong academic, financial, and governance performance with greater spending flexibility. Members discussed whether similar flexibility should also be available to traditional school districts, but the sponsor did not agree to broaden the RS. An amended motion failed, and the committee then voted to introduce RS 33230C1.

Transcript Highlights:

• And importantly, we do this research by training our students.
• These are the people that are contributing to the students.
• There is so much student enthusiasm for this field. It's I've never seen any...
• The students have themselves started their own... ...think is palpable.
• The students have themselves started their own alternative protein chapter.

Summary: The Select Committee on Alternative Protein Innovation held its first informational hearing to examine the state of alternative protein research, industry growth, and policy needs in California. The chair opened by noting California’s $5 million public investment in UC research in 2022 and framed the hearing around three panels: the climate, environmental, and security potential of alternative proteins; industry scaling and commercialization; and university-led research and workforce development. Members emphasized that the committee will continue with site visits and additional hearings across the state. The first panel focused on the case for alternative proteins as a climate, land, water, biodiversity, and food-security solution. Shana Fertig of the Good Food Institute argued that plant-based, fermentation-derived, and cultivated proteins can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water use while helping California meet its climate and conservation goals. Zane Swanson of CSIS added that alternative proteins could reduce risks tied to zoonotic disease, antimicrobial resistance, supply-chain disruption, and broader national security concerns. In questions, members discussed the role of pharmaceuticals in animal agriculture and how alternative proteins might complement, rather than replace, traditional farming by creating new markets for California crops and helping farmers diversify. The second panel featured industry leaders Ethan Brown of Beyond Meat, Myra Passick of Upside Foods, and Arye Elfenbein of Wildtype. Brown highlighted plant-based meat’s health and climate benefits, criticized misinformation campaigns against the sector, and urged better labeling, reduced subsidies for factory farming, and more plant-based food in public institutions. Passick described cultivated meat as a scalable food-production technology, said Upside Foods has already produced millions of pounds annually at its Emeryville facility, and asked for grants, low-interest loans, and possible participation in cap-and-trade or similar revenue programs. Elfenbein described cultivated seafood as a way to address overfishing, contamination, traceability problems, and the heavy import dependence of the U.S. seafood supply, while also noting conservation benefits and the need for California to remain a hub for the industry. The final panel centered on research and workforce development. UCLA’s Amy Rowat described state-funded work on technical bottlenecks such as growing fat cells and creating edible scaffolds, along with a Future Food Fellows program that trains students across science, engineering, law, and policy. UC Santa Cruz economist Galina Hale argued that alternative proteins are necessary to meet future protein demand while reducing food-system emissions, and said California must support the sector through grants, loans, procurement, and research centers to avoid losing leadership to other states and countries. The hearing ended with the chair thanking the witnesses, noting that all materials would be posted online, and saying the committee would continue building policy and budget proposals to support the sector.

Transcript Highlights:

• The unanimous consent request allows jeans for our students who are here joining us today.
• They now have 170 students, and they expect to serve 300 students.
• This is an opportunity. ...and they expect to serve 300 students.
• I'm going to call out the students first.
• With us today, sitting before you, I’m going to call out the students first.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , with an additional 305 students at 27 schools on Oʻahu assisted this past year.
• Just last month, we convened before nearly 400 students at Mililani High School to hear the case of a
• the justices answer questions posed by the students.
• </c> beforehand to help teach the students beforehand to help teach the students about<00:45:37.200><
• </c> by the students more than 6,000 students by the students more than 6,000 students have<00:45:45.400

Keywords: State of the Judiciary Address by Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald, 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> their designate with respect to student their designate with respect to student medical<00:45:16.480
• </c> conveniently to where the students conveniently to where the students generally generally generally
• that banned for those students.
• </c><06:32:18.360><c> Library</c> available in the Sora student Library available in the Sora student
• students students in<06:48:03.558><c> front</c><06:48:03.718><c> of</c><06:48:03.840><c> her</c><06:

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 763, an early bill concerning AED access at athletic events and venues. Representative Morris offered amendment 0743H to clarify the bill by removing charter schools from the language and tying AED placement to American Heart Association guidance, emphasizing that AEDs should be readily accessible within a reasonable walking distance rather than mandated on every field. The amendment and then the bill as amended both passed 17-0, and the bill was reported out as Ought to Pass with Amendment. The committee then considered House Bill 781, requiring school districts to adopt cell phone-free education policies, and a related bill, House Bill 131. HB 781 was amended to include charter public school boards, cover other personal electronic communication devices, require at minimum restrictions on student personal cell phones during class instruction, allow superintendent-approved exceptions for medical or language needs, protect students with medical needs or disabilities under Section 504, and set an effective date of July 1, 2025. Some members argued the amendment was too prescriptive and limited local control, while supporters said it still left districts flexibility outside classroom instruction. The amendment passed 16-1, and the bill then passed Ought to Pass as Amended 16-1. HB 131, described as a mirror bill, was then retained by a 17-0 vote. House Bill 398, a title bill requiring Holocaust and genocide studies to include impacts on people with disabilities, was moved to ITL after Representative Selig reported the genocide commission believed the topic was already being covered. That motion passed 17-0. The committee also agreed to hold several bills for later consideration, including HB 754, HB 1221, HB 360, and HB 699, citing the need for more review or missing copies. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 361, prohibiting mandatory mask policies in schools. Supporters argued the bill would preserve individual choice while preventing statewide or districtwide mandates in future public health emergencies, and cited a Department of Health and Human Services letter saying masks remain effective but decisions should be based on individual choice and risk assessment. Opponents emphasized local control and the need for districts to respond to different public health conditions. The transcript cuts off before the final vote on HB 361 was completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• For the last four years, the Department focused on everything but student learning, with bureaucracy
• and red tape standing in the way of student success.
• returning powers to states and local communities, which, by the way, are best equipped to address students
• Jewish students who have faced anti-Semitic violence. violence and harassment since October the 7th.
• It enforces our federal civil rights laws to ensure all students can get a decent education no matter

Committee: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

Keywords: Department of Education, Ms. McMahon, educational reform, public testimony, federal responsibilities, local governance

Summary: The meeting of the legislative committee encompassed discussions on key bills including HB22, SB4, and HB2214, with significant focus on the implications surrounding the Department of Education. Members expressed varying opinions on the nomination of Ms. McMahon to lead the department, underlining the need for reform and accountability. The committee witnessed passionate exchanges regarding educational values and the responsibilities of the federal government versus local authorities. Public testimonies contributed to the discussions, highlighting the community's concerns about educational policies and their impact on students from diverse backgrounds.

Transcript Highlights:

• She flicked on the TV, and we watched from the helicopter vantage point a bunch of students filing out
• school setting could actually be an unsafe one, and that stuck with me. vantage point a bunch of students
• filing vantage point a bunch of students filing out<00:00:49.039><c> of</c><00:00:49.879><c> uh</c><
• and teachers and staff within students and teachers and staff within schools<00:01:31.759><c> and</c
• </c> we have created uh to give every student we have created uh to give every student teacher<00:01:

Keywords: 1183, house