Transcript Highlights:

• Last year, the chairs of the API, Black, and LGBT...
• I'm Kristen Nimmers, Policy Campaigns Manager with the California Black Power Network.
• Black-empowering grassroots organizations.
• There are a few examples of recent intentional acts to suppress Black votes and political power.
• We highlighted the burdens voter ID requirements place on Black voters and other communities.

Committee: House Judiciary

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• workers and stock products from Black-owned companies.
• </c> minority hiring and investment in black minority hiring and investment in black communities.<00:
• </c> 8 million votes, proving that a black 8 million votes, proving that a black candidate<00:49:15.359
• Red, yellow, brown,<00:51:56.640><c> black,</c><00:51:56.960><c> and</c><00:51:57.200><c> white.
• And we're all brown, black, and white.

Transcript Highlights:

• We will now hear House Bill 2598, sponsored by Representative Black.
• John Black, House District 129, Webster County, Missouri.
• So I'm going to let you respond to that, Representative Black. Think about it.
• I mean... ...I want to let you respond to that, Representative Black. Think about it.
• Good morning, Chairman and committee members, Representative Black.

Committee: House Utilities

Transcript Highlights:

• not seeing anything around, at least in my read of the bill, addressing that overrepresentation of Black
• not seeing anything around, at least in my read of the bill, addressing that overrepresentation of Black
• not seeing anything around, at least in my read of the bill, addressing that overrepresentation of Black
• <01:37:55.520><c> or</c><01:37:55.760><c> African</c><01:37:56.320><c> African-American</c> black or
• </c><01:38:52.639><c> and</c> but not specifically black and but not specifically black and African-American

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• in Black History Month.
• It's been truthful Black history.
• Davica Baker, followed by Lilith Black, followed by John Maurer.
• Lilith Black, followed by John Harris-Mauer, followed by Letitia Harmon.
• Lilith Black, for one minute. Hello.

Bills: S0092 , S0110 , S0192 , S0212 , S0260 , S0350 , S0394 , S0422 , S0434 , S0442 , S0484 , S0546 , S0556 , S0684 , S0696 , S0706 , S0748 , S0786 , S0820 , S0824 , S0838 , S0840 , S0848 , S0856 , S0962 , S1000 , S1014 , S1036 , S1050 , S1054 , S1080 , S1118 , S1134 , S1338 , S1480 , S1500 , S1506 , S1622 , S1724

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The Committee on Rules met with a quorum and considered a long agenda of bills, many of them retained from the prior week. The most debated measure was CS for SB 706, which would preempt naming of major commercial service airports to the state and designate Palm Beach International Airport as the Donald J. Trump International Airport, subject to FAA approval and a trademark agreement. Amendments were offered and rejected, including proposals to prevent private financial benefit from the naming. Several senators spoke in opposition, citing concerns about naming an airport after a sitting president, lack of local input, and the trademark/licensing arrangement; supporters argued there was no cost to the airport and that the bill simply set a state naming policy. The committee reported the bill favorably after a roll call vote. The committee also reported favorably CS for SB 546 on conservation land notice requirements, CS for CS for SB 1014 on municipal utility service to properties outside city limits, CS for SB 1500 on uncontested probate proceedings, SB 962 on excluding farms from certain zoning definitions, and CS for SB 820 on problem-solving court reporting requirements. The committee then approved several bills from Senator DiCeglie and Senator Arrington. SB 840, addressing land-use regulations for local governments affected by natural disasters, was supported by local-government and environmental advocates who said it would restore local control after SB 180’s hurricane-related restrictions; the sponsor said it was intended to correct unintended consequences of last year’s law. CS for SB 856, requiring online listing platforms to show estimated ad valorem taxes on residential listings, was amended to exclude social media platforms and broaden liability protections; the sponsor and a county property appraiser described it as a consumer-transparency measure. CS for SB 110, clarifying homestead exemption treatment for long-term leases that end at death, was also reported favorably. The committee took up a controversial strike-all amendment to SB 212, which focused on public swimming pools and added residency and related restrictions for certain sex offenders and offenders on community control or probation. The amendment drew strong opposition from advocates and affected families, who argued it would worsen homelessness, impose broad geographic restrictions, and lack evidence of improving child safety; supporters said it was a targeted public-safety measure. Despite the objections, the committee reported the bill favorably. The committee also approved SB 684 on electronic signatures for total-loss vehicle and vessel titles, SB 394 on reinsurance intermediary managers, SB 434 on property tax assessment treatment for wind-hardening improvements, CS for CS for SBs 658 and 608 on water-safety requirements for rental properties with pools or nearby water, SB 748 on adding voting-rights restoration information to sentencing score sheets, and CS for SB 824 requiring school districts to inventory unimproved real property. The meeting ended while the committee was beginning SB 848 on stormwater treatment, with an amendment being introduced as the transcript cut off.

Transcript Highlights:

• We had the first black bear death in my district.
• We have the first confirmed black bear fatality in Sierra County.
• You know, on the black bear question, we haven't talked a whole lot about bears.
• Our species of focus are black bears, mountain lions, and coyotes.
• Just recently, we had a black bear that went into Descanso Gardens.

Committees: House Water, Parks and Wildlife , House Water, Parks, and Wildlife

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the director of the Southern California Black Worker Hub.
• We coordinate Black workers throughout Southern California, reaching more than 15,000 Black workers.
• Please fund our CWOP program. ...more than 15,000 Black workers.
• This funding is critical for the Inland Empire, for Inland Empire Black workers.
• Black workers are visible and deserve our protection.

Summary: The subcommittee heard a series of budget and trailer bill presentations focused on labor and public employment programs. The first item covered EDD Next modernization, where EDD described progress on customer service improvements, fraud prevention, language access, and the Integrated Claims Management System. The LAO urged stronger legislative oversight as the project enters its most difficult phase, and members questioned the revised schedule, total cost, change orders, stress testing, SB 1090 implementation, and how race and ethnicity data will be protected. EDD said the overall project cost remains about $1.2 billion, that the work is being phased with disability insurance and paid family leave first, and that fraud has been greatly reduced since pandemic-era programs ended. Members also asked for follow-up information on SB 590 outreach and equity impacts. The committee then reviewed the California Workforce Development Board’s request to reduce staffing as one-time grant workloads wind down, along with trailer bill language to streamline reporting requirements. The board and Department of Finance said the staffing reductions reflect the end of surge funding and that the proposal would consolidate roughly 10 to 12 reports into one annual report, with additional reporting only if new funds are appropriated for certain programs. Senator Durazo questioned the policy direction of reducing workforce staffing, while the administration said the positions were tied to temporary grant programs and that current staffing is sufficient for ongoing duties. Members also asked about the board’s role in AI-related workforce planning and the rationale for using state funds for the High Road Construction Careers Program. A major portion of the hearing focused on the Subsequent Injury Benefits Trust Fund reforms and related staffing request at DIR. The administration and LAO described rapid growth in applications, backlog, and liabilities, saying the program’s eligibility has expanded beyond its original intent and that liabilities could reach about $30 billion by 2030 without reform. The trailer bill would tighten eligibility, apply the changes to open cases, and use the QME process and contemporaneous evidence to document preexisting disabilities. Members raised concerns about fairness to pending claimants, evaluator capacity, and the relationship to other SIBTF legislation, while the LAO said the proposal largely aligns with its prior recommendations. DIR also presented a request to eliminate vacant positions under a statewide vacancy sweep, which drew criticism from members who argued the cuts could weaken enforcement and backlog reduction efforts; the committee asked DIR to return with more detail on impacts and on its use of temporary-help authority. The final items addressed a request for additional Cal/OSHA investigative staff and a trailer bill to make permanent the revised Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board petition timeline. DIR said the BOI staffing would help investigate fatalities and serious injuries more quickly, while members emphasized the importance of family contact and timely investigations. For the WCAB item, the chair explained that the 2024 change to Labor Code section 5909, which starts the 60-day decision clock when a case is transmitted rather than when a petition is filed, has reduced pending cases and should be made permanent; the remaining backlog was reported at 460 cases, down from 637 before the change.

Transcript Highlights:

• All Black folks, not bad folks.
• All Black folks, not bad folks.
• </c> mentioned that because it was a black mentioned that because it was a black sheriff<03:04:37.600
• </c> Because our black boys are bigger. Because our black boys are bigger.
• </c> constituents ain't black folks. constituents ain't black folks.

Transcript Highlights:

• You are recognized to present Brent Black from Bixby to the Forensic Review Board.
• Honored to carry the nomination of Brent Black for the Forensic Review Board.
• Black is the president of Creoks Behavioral Health Services and would qualify as one of those.
• Black, and he had to work today. Okay. Yeah, and that's fine.
• Chairman, Brent Black is the current president of Creoks Behavioral Health Services, Incorporated, since

Bills: HB3045

Committee: Senate Public Safety

Summary: The Public Safety Committee first considered several gubernatorial nominations. Brent Black of Bixby was renominated to the Forensic Review Board, with Senator Guthrie noting the board’s seven-member makeup and the need for mental health professionals; the nomination was advanced 8-0. Lou Ann Moody of Henrietta was then presented for the Forensic Review Board. Moody described her long legal career, her work as city attorney and in juvenile/dependency matters, and her decision to avoid criminal defense work to avoid ethical conflicts. Members asked about the board’s caseload and meeting schedule, and the nomination was advanced 8-0. The committee also heard the nomination of a retired Oklahoma Highway Patrol officer, Mr. McCoy, to the OSBI Commission. He emphasized his decades of law enforcement and emergency-management experience, and the nomination was advanced 8-0. The committee then took up House Bill 3045, with an amendment offered by Senator Reinhart. The amendment would allow certain fire departments, rural fire districts, and fire protection districts in municipalities under 200,000 population to recover accident response fees, while preventing those fees from going into general revenue or funding non-fire services. Reinhart explained the bill was intended to address fire departments’ ability to recover costs while limiting the impact on the state’s two largest cities. Senator Brooks questioned why the exemption would apply only to the largest municipalities, and Reinhart responded that Tulsa and Oklahoma City would see the greatest fiscal impact and that rural departments lacked comparable revenue sources. Senator Murdoch raised a point that the bill had an unescorted fiscal impact on municipalities and asked for a ruling under the Municipal Fiscal Impact Act. The chair took the matter under advisement and, at the sponsor’s request, laid the bill over rather than proceeding further. The meeting concluded with members offering extended personal remarks thanking the chair and vice chair for their leadership and service, and the chair adjourned the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Equality was not there for Black Americans and brown people and Native Americans and women.
• He grew up in a time where if you walked down the street and you were a Black man, you had to walk off
• the sidewalk... ...and you were a Black man, that you had to walk off the sidewalk if a white person
• the wrong way, that you could get lynched, that the military was a separate branch when it involved Black
• she got into ASU simply because, number one, she's a woman, and number two, she happens to be half Black

Summary: The Special Committee on Government heard three measures and advanced all of them on due pass recommendations. First, HCR 2044, sponsored by the Speaker, would expand Arizona’s constitutional prohibition on preferential treatment and discrimination based on race or ethnicity in public education, spending, hiring, and contracting. Supporters, including Goldwater Institute, Our America, and Heritage Action, argued it would close loopholes around DEI and reaffirm merit-based treatment. Some members raised concerns that the resolution would chill speech and discussion about race and identity, while others said it was needed to prevent race-based preferences. The committee approved the resolution 4-3. The committee then considered HB 2671, as amended by the Blackman Amendment. The bill narrows mandatory adult-court transfer for juveniles classified as chronic felony offenders, limiting it to higher-level felonies and preserving transfer for serious violent offenses. Sponsor Rep. Hernandez and juvenile public defender Michelle Robbins said the change would restore judicial and prosecutorial discretion, keep lower-level repeat juvenile offenders in juvenile court, and reduce recidivism by allowing access to rehabilitative services. Members from both parties spoke in support, emphasizing second chances and juvenile justice reform. The committee adopted the amendment and passed the bill 7-0. Finally, the committee heard HB 2676, also sponsored by Rep. Hernandez, which lowers the minimum age for restoring firearm possession rights for certain juvenile offenders from 30 to 25 and broadens restoration eligibility for other juvenile felony convictions. Supporters said the bill aligns firearm-rights restoration with juvenile record-destruction timelines and helps rehabilitated individuals move forward without unnecessary barriers to employment, education, and housing. The committee passed the bill 7-0 and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for joining us today, Senator Nobles, and happy Black History Month. Thank you.
• History Month, how Black students and other students of color are treated and identifying, in this case
• I'm Derek Harris, Executive Director of Black Education Strategy Roundtable, and I'm here to support
• My name is Jared Lagarde, a resident of Renton, Washington, and a board member of the Black Education
• This disproportionately silences Black and marginalized students nationwide.

Bills: SB6278

Committee: House Education

Keywords: teacher preparation, principal preparation, educator preparation, alternative route certification, teacher certification, principal certification, Washington Professional Educator Standards Board, PESB, field placement, student teacher, residency, mentoring, school district partnerships, K-12 education, preK-12, high-need schools, Title I, special education, English language learner, rural schools

Transcript Highlights:

• I can think of different school organizations like the Black Student Union, Hispanic Student Union,..
• organizations like the Black Student Union, Hispanic Student Union, and Gay-Straight Alliance—would
• that was what the Black member, you know, fell under, right?
• And what if it's an all-Black board and there's no white person?
• For me, DEI is white, Black, and Latino, every color. But this is me.

Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee took up CS for House Bill 1071, a broad education package described by the sponsor as updating transparency, parental rights, student safety, early learning accountability, scholarship oversight, and instructional program rules. The committee adopted two amendments without objection: one clarifying that Title I funds may be used for STEM programs, and another removing a prior provision related to canine dogs on school grounds. Members then questioned the bill’s provisions on student records transfers, instructional materials adoption and removal, educational emergency authority for low-performing schools, health education and a fetal development video, student-led organizations, FHSAA board language, lab schools, and rulemaking authority. The sponsor repeatedly said the bill was intended to improve accountability, keep education dollars focused on students, and give districts flexibility, while also noting that some issues would be addressed through future rulemaking or later amendments. Public testimony was overwhelmingly opposed. Many speakers argued the bill was an omnibus measure that bundled unrelated policies together, making it hard for families and educators to understand or meaningfully comment on it. Opponents also said it would increase school-law enforcement coordination, chill immigrant and mixed-status families’ participation, restrict DEI-related and student-led organizations, and impose controversial health and embryology content on students. Supporters, including the Christian Family Coalition and Florida Citizens Alliance, backed the fetal development video and the bill’s parental rights and funding restrictions, saying the content should be medically accurate and that schools should not fund political advocacy. Several speakers urged the committee to break the bill into separate measures. In debate, some members praised the sponsor’s responsiveness but said they would vote no because of constituent concerns, especially around DEI, the fetal development video, and local control. Others supported the bill, emphasizing rulemaking, educational emergency flexibility, EpiPen access, early learning changes, and evidence-based math instruction. The sponsor closed by reiterating support for the bill as amended, saying the law enforcement provision had been removed, the embryology content would be opt-out with posted materials, state funds should not support political advocacy, and the bill would help with safety, accountability, and student outcomes. The committee then voted on the bill after debate, with the sponsor indicating support and members stating their positions during closing discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Ah, black people are not apes.
• Black people aren't apes.
• Ah, black people are not apes. powerful. Ah, black people are not apes.
• And I flashed Black people aren't apes.
• Black people are not going back, Mr. President.

Transcript Highlights:

• historical and ongoing, continue to deny equitable participation for many communities, particularly Black
• Act dismantled and seeing many states taking actions to make voting more difficult, especially for Black
• I did not realize at the time that Black people, including my parents, could not vote just because they
• were Black.
• Before the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Black and brown citizens were systematically blocked, discouraged

Bills: HB344

Committee: Senate Elections & Government Affairs

Summary: The Senate Elections and Government Affairs Committee heard several election- and campaign-related bills. House Substitute 2 for House Bill 155 would make Public Integrity Commission reports publicly available on the commission’s website, add a specific travel-expense reporting category, and remove the FOIA requirement for accessing reports; Senator Richardson said he supported the transparency measure and asked to be added as a co-sponsor. The committee also took up House Bill 444, the Delaware John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which would create state protections against voter suppression and vote dilution, expand language access, prohibit intimidation and deception, and allow court remedies for violations. The bill drew strong support from advocacy groups including YWCA Delaware, the League of Women Voters, the ACLU, and the Legal Defense Fund, and several senators voiced support and interest in moving it quickly. House Bill 430, a constitutional amendment proposal, would make explicit that only natural persons may vote in Delaware elections, including municipal elections, in response to concerns about corporate or other artificial-entity voting in some towns. The discussion focused heavily on Fenwick Island, where the mayor testified that the town’s charter has long allowed certain artificial entities to vote in local elections and said the system is limited and has worked for years; other speakers argued the bill was needed to prevent corporate dilution of residents’ votes. Senator Richardson expressed concern about restricting entities with a local stake, while Senator Hoffner and others emphasized the principle of one person, one vote. Senator Townsend presented House Bill 344, which would tighten campaign finance rules by requiring Delaware bank accounts for candidates and committees, recurring training, better documentation of candidate loans, longer record retention, automatic filing extensions, and inactive status for noncompliant committees; one public commenter opposed the bill on cost grounds. He also presented House Bill 448, which would allow campaign funds to be used for reasonable security expenses for candidates and elected officials, with guardrails, and a commenter suggested allowing electronic security systems without a cap. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 472, a local de-annexation measure for Noble’s Pond in Cheswold to remove scattered residential lots from town boundaries and resolve uneven tax treatment; Senator Hoffner noted local law enforcement supported the change. The committee adjourned after hearing no further public comment on HB 472, and the vote to adjourn was unanimous.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the state of Alabama, black voters make up approximately one-third of the electorate.
• State leaders in this chamber and the upper chamber are trying to dilute the black vote.
• In the state of Alabama, black voters make up approximately 1/3 of the electorate.
• State leaders in this chamber and the upper chamber are trying to dilute the black vote.
• It's time for us to put voices back in government and for black voices to stay in government.

Transcript Highlights:

• acts, went on to become an internationally celebrated entertainer in Paris, and was also the first Black
• celebrated entertainer in Paris, like the Paris, not the other Paris, but in Paris, and was also the first black
• First Black woman to star in a major motion picture in 1927.
• Jesse Owens opened up the world to the Black athlete during that time period, as did boxer Jack Johnson
• Do you think her advocacy for Black women is important and a reason that we would be celebrating her

Committee: House Special Committee on Tourism

Transcript Highlights:

• universities and research, whether it's dealing with nonprofits who have had, you know, their HIV for Black
• men cut or Black Women for Wellness who are trying to get much-needed care, whether it's support services
• men cut or Black Women for Wellness who are trying to get much-needed care, whether it's support services
• these clinics with this funding that the federal government has removed disproportionately impacts Black
• The irony is, we saved it, and this is the year it was going to be the first year in the black for six

Committee: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review

Transcript Highlights:

• But after seeing the success of the black-and-white plate that the Potato Commission brought last year
• what this piece of legislation does is it proposes a new specialty plate that is solid white with black
• what this piece of legislation does is it proposes a new specialty plate that is solid white with black
• Representatives, some of you may know that in the nine months since the introduction of the black-and-white

Committee: House Transportation and Defense

Transcript Highlights:

• Black. Davis. Dolan. Hardwick. Jameson. Keithley. Overcast. Sharp. Sharp. Here. Keithley. Overcast.
• Black. Davis. Dolan. Hardwick. Hardwick. Jamison. Thank you.
• Black. Davis. Dolan. Hardwick. Keithley. Hardwick. Jameson. Keithley. Overcast. Sharp. Smith. Beat.
• Black. Davis. Dolan: Aye. Hardwick. Jamison: Aye. Keithley. Overcast. Sharp: Aye. Smith: Aye.

Committee: House Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met with a quorum and first went into executive session, where it voted House Bill 1711 do pass with no opposition. HB 1711 concerns the Uniform Interstate Deposition and Discovery Act. The committee then took up HB 1713 on limited liability companies, adopted a House Committee amendment and then a House Committee substitute that incorporated Secretary of State language on series LLCs and certificates of good standing, and voted the substitute do pass 10-0. The committee next considered a combined judgeships measure. It adopted an amendment and House Committee substitute that merged language from several bills, including provisions for additional judges or associate judges in Jefferson, St. Charles, Franklin, Miller, and Clay counties, and voted the substitute for HB 2968, 2427, and 3086 do pass 10-0. It also adopted an amendment and substitute for HB 3072, a workers’ compensation bill, and voted that substitute do pass 9-0. In public hearing, Representatives Smith and Dolan presented HB 2574 and HB 2163 together, both aimed at expanding limited driving privileges for people in treatment programs. They explained the bills would allow limited driving privileges through adult drug/treatment courts and, in one version, let offenders petition the sentencing court after completing a 120-day treatment program. Members discussed public safety concerns, ignition interlock devices, and insurance requirements, and one member noted personal experience with a drunk-driving fatality while supporting the goal of helping people maintain employment. Eric Jennings testified in support for the Judicial Conference of Missouri, saying the change would extend an existing tool from DWI courts to adult treatment courts with the same safeguards. No opposition or informational witnesses appeared, and the hearing was closed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Later, in 2000, she became known as the historian of Sewickley Valley's Black community.
• 2000, that work came to fruition with the publication of her book titled Their Story: History of Blacks
• 30.240><c> of</c> her book titled Their Story: History of her book titled Their Story: History of Blacks
• </c><05:40:30.878><c> African-Americans</c><05:40:31.680><c> in</c><05:40:32.000><c> Swickley</c> Blacks
• and African-Americans in Swickley Blacks and African-Americans in Swickley and<05:40:32.480><c> Edgeworth