Transcript Highlights:

• Those small businesses bring in 85% of the new jobs in Arizona.
• Those small businesses bring in 85% of the new jobs in Arizona.
• So the reason this bill is so important. of the new jobs in Arizona.
• which we aren't going to do, that would result in a massive tax hike for Arizona businesses and our job
• them, well, I'm sorry, your senator, your House member, and the governor didn't finish doing their job

Summary: The caucus focused on HB 2153, a tax conformity bill that would align Arizona tax law with the Internal Revenue Code as of January 1, 2026, including retroactive provisions for tax year 2025. Staff explained that the bill excludes three federal provisions: the additional $6,000 senior deduction, the higher SALT deduction, and the deduction for interest on new car loans. It also adds several Arizona-specific changes, including a $6,000 deduction for certain retirement distributions for taxpayers 65 and older, a $6,000 deduction for Roth IRA contributions, an increase in the dependent tax credit from $100 to $125, and a deduction for child and dependent care expenses above the federal credit. JLBC estimated a negative fiscal impact of $441.3 million in the first year, declining over the next two years. Chairman Livingston argued the bill was needed immediately because the Department of Revenue had already issued tentative forms assuming full conformity, creating confusion for taxpayers and businesses. He said the governor’s earlier direction and the department’s forms were not coordinated with the legislature’s approach, and warned taxpayers and businesses not to file until the issue was resolved. He also said the bill would help small businesses by preventing mismatched state and federal rules, especially on deductions and vehicle expensing, and emphasized that many Arizona businesses would otherwise face two sets of books. Members asked about the practical impact on small businesses and the department’s forms. Livingston and staff said Arizona has about 700,000 small businesses, most with 19 or fewer employees, and that the department’s forms largely reflected full conformity except for a worksheet tied to the governor’s requested changes. Staff explained the difference between “simple conformity” and “full conformity,” noting that some federal provisions occur “below the line” and require explicit state law. The committee also discussed the child care provisions as a new Arizona deduction and a separate increase in the child care credit. No vote was taken, and the meeting adjourned before floor session.

Transcript Highlights:

• or for a scholarship or for... ...whether that’s for a job or for a scholarship or for, you know, frankly
• that we draw a bright line around lobbying and say that nobody in their outside employment can have a job
• the general understanding that, you know, we recognize that our structure is that people have other jobs
• It keeps us doing our job.
• It keeps us doing our job.

Summary: The Legislative Ethics Board approved the minutes from its September 8, 2025 meeting and reported that there were no employment disclosure forms. The board then discussed whether RCW 42.52.187(1) permits legislators to write letters of recommendation in a broader range of situations, including citizenship, clemency/pardon, immigration waivers, scholarships, and appointments. Members generally favored a broad reading for constituent-requested letters, while staff noted their existing advice had been narrower and suggested drafting an advisory opinion to clarify the definition and scope of “letter of recommendation.” The board also considered whether the statute’s reference to commemorations or celebrations of “persons who are not current legislators” allows use of state resources to recognize entities such as the Mariners or Seahawks. Members discussed whether “person” includes organizations under the Ethics Act’s definition, and the consensus leaned toward a plain-language reading that would allow posts about teams and other non-legislator entities, though some members suggested the language may need cleanup in the future. A third item addressed a previously retired advisory opinion concerning legislators who are attorneys and represent clients before state agencies. Staff proposed republishing or updating the opinion with current citations, but several members expressed concern that the old opinion could be read too narrowly or as implying legislators cannot do outside legal work involving agencies. The board agreed the issue needed more refinement and deferred further action to a future meeting. There was no public testimony beyond a brief check-in from Jerry Cornfield, and the meeting adjourned after a motion and second.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, in the interest of time, you did such a great job. We did have a motion and a second.
• Good job. Senate Bill 184 by Senator Chastain. Mr. Chair. All right, Senator Chastain, go ahead.
• You're doing a good job. Who moved the amendment? ...a good job. Who moved it?
• How, what redress are they going to have other than getting fired because they can't do their job?
• They fired because they can't do their job? They won't be fired. I know, right? Yeah. Mr.

Bills: HB315 , HB152 , HB205 , SB184 , SB209 , HB309 , SB280 , SB267

Committee: Senate Finance and Taxation Education

Keywords: sales tax, local exemption, Consumer Price Index, tax holiday, clothing tax exemption, school supplies, sales tax exemption, baby supplies, baby formula, maternity clothing, menstrual hygiene products, use tax, exemption, tax conformity, tangible personal property, Alabama Department of Revenue, retail tax, consumer use tax, nonresident, religious publications

Transcript Highlights:

• And we create jobs, so we're not just a social construct; we're also an infrastructure company where
• This blue package talks about jobs and the impact that makes on private sector job creation.
• It also can create jobs.
• it's about elderly people accessing medical care as well as educational opportunities to get to those jobs
• if… opportunities to get to those jobs.

Bills: HB52 , HB89 , HB141 , HB52 , HB89 , HB141

Committee: Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund

Keywords: income tax, CHOOSE Act, education funding, ABLE account, tax credits, poverty threshold, legislative funding, HB89, Medicaid, pregnant women, pregnancy, prenatal care, ambulatory prenatal care, presumptive eligibility, temporary Medicaid coverage, Alabama Medicaid Agency, maternal health, low-income women, health coverage, eligibility determination

Transcript Highlights:

• Especially with the Trump administration doing a hatchet job on jobs.
• </c><00:59:25.080><c> on</c><00:59:25.320><c> jobs.
• </c> doing a hatchet job on jobs. doing a hatchet job on jobs.
• ><c> people,</c><00:59:29.160><c> for</c> Especially jobs for black people, for Especially jobs for black
• So, you know, one of the big job makers.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened with 42 members present and a quorum, opened with an invocation by Pastor Jaylen Robinson, and recognized several guests and honorees. Early floor remarks included a welcome to students from Forest Oak Middle School, a young Senate shadow from Woodlawn High School, and guests from Charles H. Flowers High School. The chamber also noted a doctor of the day and announced that panoramic photos in the Senate lounge were available for order by March 27, with eye exams available in the State House. The main legislative business was Senate Bill 283, the President’s Maryland Consolidated Capital Bond Loan of 2026. The Senate Budget and Taxation Committee presented 291 amendments, described as funding priorities for jobs, infrastructure, and reliability while staying within debt affordability limits. The amendments covered school construction, natural resources, higher education, housing, Maryland Environmental Service, miscellaneous grants, local Senate bond initiatives, jails and detention centers, and pre-authorizations for fiscal 2028. Four amendments were separated for individual roll calls: 30, 35, 46, and 241, all of which were adopted. The remaining committee amendments were adopted without objection, and the favorable committee report as amended was then taken up. During debate on the capital budget amendments, one senator raised concerns about the bill and the difficulty of tracking the amendments on the electronic system, prompting discussion about technical issues and the availability of the documents on the website and in paper form. The chair said the committee had been working on the bill for months and urged the body to proceed. A question was raised about Amendment 264, which deauthorized a Willing Helper Society renovation project in Charles County; the chair explained the money had not been spent, was about to expire, and was repurposed to a Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maryland project to keep the funding in Charles County.

Transcript Highlights:

• with a public adjuster than you will with what we're doing our job.
• </c> the consumer when we need to do our job the consumer when we need to do our job first<00:46:45.200
• c> When we do our job, When we do our job, that<00:46:52.080><c> cost</c><00:46:52.400><c> will</c><00
• So, how do you what we're doing our job.
• Good job. How bad did you beat me up over there? Good<01:18:17.080><c> job.

Committee: House Banking & Insurance

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:00:11 Discussion HB 527 00:02:29 Vote HB 527 00:08:02 Discussion HB 627 00:09:09 Vote HB 627 00:24:29 Discussion HB 355 00:25:59 Vote HB 355 00:34:28 Discussion HB 568 00:35:18 Vote HB 568 01:12:10, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill is good for communities, energy, jobs, and industry.
• </c> communities, energy, jobs, and industry. communities, energy, jobs, and industry.
• You've done an excellent job on this. We have testifiers including Mr.
• You've done an excellent job on you.
• The center has also 4.9% of those jobs.

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• economy including extension of our state's flagship CalCompetes tax credit program to attract and retain jobs
• this subcommittee very appropriately asks hard questions and digs into the details, and that's our job
• this subcommittee very appropriately asks hard questions and digs into the details, and that's our job
• your district, and these services are necessary to support local economies in your districts, grow jobs
• your district, and these services are necessary to support local economies in your districts, grow jobs

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I pray you'd bless them and their job.
• And all those that work in this statehouse, I pray You bless them and their jobs and their opportunities
• We are very blessed to have you here and to do the jobs you're about to do.
• It's your job to make these folks look good, and I'm going to tell you right now it ain't easy.
• She's doing a good job, and I wish I was there with her today. It's going to be fun to watch.

Summary: The House convened with 66 members present, approved the previous day’s journal, and received a Senate message returning HCR 20, which was referred for enrolling. The chamber also approved a long list of House attaches for the second regular session of the 68th Legislature, after which the attaches were sworn in and welcomed. Most of the meeting consisted of announcements. Members were told that respectful workplace training was mandatory that afternoon, a majority caucus presentation by Convention of States was scheduled for Thursday, and a House/Senate Bible study with breakfast would be held the next morning. Committee schedule notices were read, including several committees not meeting and House Education, Revenue and Taxation, and JFAC meeting the following day. A member used personal privilege to discuss the U.S. Supreme Court and Idaho’s role in protecting women’s sports, referencing the Hickok case and related litigation, and praising state leaders for their efforts. The House then adjourned by motion until 11 a.m. on Wednesday, January 14, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair Vang did a very good job explaining it.
• I think we're doing a good job. I think we did a great job for what we had to work with.
• We both couldn't and wouldn't do this job without good people that help put this bill together and keep
• but also to the workforce, because it's evident that this is supportive of programs that bring in jobs

Transcript Highlights:

• I'll just note for the community we have nine people full-time whose sole job is to work in compliance
• I'll just note for the community we have nine people full-time whose sole job is to work in compliance
• have nine people full-time that<00:04:03.920><c> their</c><00:04:04.280><c> sole</c><00:04:04.560><c> job
• c> is</c><00:04:04.920><c> to</c><00:04:05.480><c> work</c><00:04:05.720><c> in</c> that their sole job
• is to work in that their sole job is to work in compliance<00:04:06.439><c> with</c><00:04:06.599><c

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 1354, which was moved with a DE1 amendment. The amendment was adopted without opposition. The bill, as explained by the author and BCA Superintendent Drew Evans, would narrow the BCA’s website-posting requirement for officer-involved death investigations so that the agency must post the video of the incident showing the events leading up to, during, and shortly after the incident, rather than all body-camera footage. Other materials would still be available through normal data requests, and the change was described as intended to reduce the burden of redacting and posting large amounts of extraneous video while preserving transparency. Evans said the BCA supports public access and transparency but is struggling to meet the current 30-day posting deadline because of the volume of video and the time required to redact private information. He noted that the BCA has nine full-time staff working on data practices requests and that the Senate amendment clarifies what must be posted while preserving Chapter 13 and the Minnesota Data Practices Act. A public testifier, Rich Newmeister, thanked the bill authors and said the amendment helps ensure data remains available to the public and supports transparency following George Floyd’s death. Members offered supportive comments, including appreciation for the BCA’s cooperation and willingness to work on the issue. No opposition was recorded. The committee then approved the motion to re-refer House File 1354, as amended, to the Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• sector and to local governments that are paying $10,000,000 to $20,000 more per year for those same job
• I cannot blame the people who treat this job like it's just some resume booster, because Texas does not
• future, as a career, and not just something to put on their resume when they go and find their real job
• in 2019, just as the overtime was building up that the senator was talking about, it's a stressful job
• Texas state employees are being asked to do some of the hardest jobs out there for wages that simply

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, just want to remind people what our job here is.
• </c> to remind people what our job here is. to remind people what our job here is.
• Listening to is part of our job.
• </c> giving them time to do their job, right? giving them time to do their job, right?
• Our job is not the people of another state.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• and into better jobs.
• and into better jobs.
• The Governor called for the master plan to ensure quality careers and jobs for students, whether their
• The state can better understand outcomes, pathways, and earnings for job training programs.
• We have 600 employees that are now without jobs.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm representing over 4,000 employees and their families across the county whose jobs are at risk.
• I'm representing over 4,000 employees and their families across the county whose jobs are at risk.
• It means a $5.5 million loss for the city of Redwood City, which are critical jobs and a job loss of
• If we do not receive these funds, 87 members of our unit would be at risk of losing their jobs.
• threatens good-paying union jobs helped by these workers to deliver these essential public services.

Summary: The hearing began with a vote-only agenda and then focused first on San Mateo County’s request to restore in-lieu vehicle license fee (VLF) funding. County officials, city leaders, labor representatives, nonprofits, and public safety advocates argued that the loss of roughly $157 million would force major cuts to homelessness services, housing assistance, mental health programs, libraries, parks, fire and police staffing, and other local services. They described the current formula as outdated and unfair, tied to school funding and basic-aid dynamics that no longer work for San Mateo County, and urged both an immediate budget restoration and a permanent legislative fix. The Department of Finance said the payments are discretionary, not statutorily required, and noted the administration does not view the expenditure as sustainable in the current fiscal climate. Committee members expressed sympathy, questioned the formula, and said they would keep the issue under consideration; the committee later voted to move the two vote-only items on the agenda. The committee then received an update from the Department of General Services on state property redevelopment, including the Hillcrest DMV site in San Diego, the Fell Street DMV site in San Francisco, and other state-owned properties. DGS explained that Hillcrest is not currently an active project, while the Fell Street project shifted from an integrated DMV-housing plan to a more feasible relocation of the DMV into leased commercial space, with a budget change proposal pending. Members pressed DGS on the slow pace of redevelopment, the potential for housing on state sites, and the costs and feasibility of adaptive reuse. DGS said many state buildings are aging and that adaptive reuse depends heavily on building design, floorplate depth, light, and risk from unknown conditions behind walls. The Government Operations portion then turned to the California Education Learning Lab, which supports intersegmental higher education innovation grants. The Lab asked for permanent restoration of $4 million in ongoing funding and a move of its home agency from the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation to GovOps, along with technical trailer bill changes. Supporters said the program has funded more than 120 projects reaching thousands of faculty and hundreds of thousands of students, including work on generative AI in higher education. The Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended rejecting the restoration and continuing the wind-down, citing the state’s projected deficit and suggesting the California Education Interagency Council could pursue non-state-funded grant opportunities instead. The committee held the item open. Finally, GovOps presented the new California Education Interagency Council staffing request, seeking four ongoing positions to support the council, with funding already included in last year’s budget. The department said the governor has appointed Debbie Cochran as executive officer and that the remaining positions are being recruited. Finance and LAO had no objections, and the committee began questions about how the council will be staffed and organized.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we are job. We need to be self-sustaining.
• “Well, our job was not to directly provide books for children.”
• “Well, our job was not to directly provide books for children.
• Our job was to ensure that we built an infrastructure that enabled that.
• Is that in your job profile or is it someone else’s?”

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• How many jobs would be lost and the impact that would have to the teaching staff and/or other staff in
• Chairman and Sonny, so you're saying that the jobs, and again, just so... Mr.
• Chairman and Sonny, so you're saying that the jobs, and again, just so the jobs lost will be those that
• It has to be things within the scope of administering the job of school board member.
• And the answer that was given was, 'Oh, that's just your job.'

Bills: SB23 , SB73 , SB210 , SB234 , SB243 , SB244 , SM16

Committee: House House Education

Keywords: student use, wireless devices, public schools, policy implementation, education technology funding, driver education, driver's ed, driving school, motorcycle safety, traffic safety, vulnerable road users, pedestrian safety, bicycle safety, cyclist, bike lane, micromobility, scooter, moped, motorcycle training, DWI prevention

Transcript Highlights:

• So they have done a great job of checking.
• or an administrator at a university or community college, uh, you can go back to work in any public job
• in the in the to work in any public job in the in the system<00:21:19.520><c> uh,</c><00:21:19.679><
• </c> 30 days and and go back into the job 30 days and and go back into the job they<00:30:48.320><c>
• job? job?

Committee: Joint Finance

Keywords: Finance - Room 216, 2 February, 2026; 3:00 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We clarify something to make Emily's job really, really hard many times.
• That's my job.
• They did an excellent job of finally pointing it out to folks.
• Getting the job done, the preceding district attorney just wasn't getting the job done, and he was defeated
• Job sharing that.

Committee: Senate Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't call them jobs out here; we call them careers.
• So great, great job opportunities here.
• Critical minerals—those are all going to be $100,000 jobs, long-time careers.
• I think the legislature has a great job, done a fantastic job of passing the legislation and stuff that
• There's a lot more jobs in the community. There are a lot of pluses for that.

Summary: The committee met at the Coteau Freedom Mine in Mercer County, approved the June 2 minutes, and heard an overview of the mine from Coteau Properties president Andrew Hawbaker. He described the Freedom Mine’s production history, customer mix, safety record, reclamation practices, workforce, community involvement, and economic impact. Members asked about how long land stays in production before reclamation, how quickly it returns to agriculture, labor shortages, groundwater impacts, and which skilled trades are hardest to fill. Hawbaker said the mine typically disturbs land for three to five years, reclamation returns much of the land to agricultural use, and the biggest hiring challenges are electricians, welders, mechanics, operators, engineers, and accountants. The committee then heard from Public Service Commission Chairman Randy Christman on coal mining reclamation. He reviewed the history of North Dakota and federal reclamation laws, the PSC’s permitting and inspection authority, bonding requirements, contemporaneous reclamation standards, and how the state handles topsoil, subsoil, drainage, and revegetation. He emphasized that North Dakota’s program is well regarded, with frequent inspections and no corrective-action issues in recent federal reviews. Christman also discussed problems caused by federal coal ownership that can delay mine plans, and he answered questions about reclamation timing, wildlife easements, wind and pipeline reclamation, and whether similar bonding concepts could apply to data centers. In the afternoon, the committee received an update from Lignite Energy Council President and CEO Jonathan Fortner on the lignite industry. He highlighted the industry’s long-term role in providing reliable electricity, jobs, and tax revenue, along with North Dakota’s low electricity rates and strong grid reliability. Fortner discussed severance and conversion tax revenues, federal regulatory changes, litigation over EPA rules, carbon capture, critical minerals, and the potential for large-load customers such as data centers to support new coal generation. He said the industry sees a window of opportunity for growth and expressed support for new large-load development, while noting that diversified energy companies are also pursuing natural gas and other resources. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken beyond approving the minutes and adjourning for the tour.