Transcript Highlights:

• It, I think it is a potential risk. How big is it? This is the thing I'd say I, I don't know.
• Does it enter the... Bloodstream? Does it enter the proteins? Does it enter the calves?
• My good representative friend here said, I've got it. Could I have it? Do you have it?
• Maybe it got in a rain cloud around Amarillo where they have it; it brought it over on me and rained
• It all had PFAS in... it.

Committee: House Agriculture

Summary: The meeting focused on the use of biosolids on farm and ranch land, with testimony from Oklahoma State University experts, a conservation official, and an engineering representative about the benefits, risks, and regulatory implications. Dr. Lusk described OSU’s long history of soil fertility research and said biosolids can provide nutrients and organic matter, but also may carry contaminants such as PFAS, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and pathogens. He emphasized that many questions remain unanswered, especially about contaminant uptake into soil, crops, livestock, and humans, and said existing EPA and Oklahoma DEQ regulations address some treatment and application standards but may not fully cover PFAS. Dr. Arnell expanded on nutrient management, explaining that biosolids can function similarly to manure as a fertilizer source, especially for nitrogen and phosphorus, but should be tested, incorporated into soil, and applied under permit conditions to reduce runoff and other losses. He said PFAS testing methods are not yet standardized and that more research is needed to determine sampling protocols, movement in soil, and long-term effects. Committee members asked whether farmers and ranchers should be notified of risks, whether PFAS is currently tested, how many counties use biosolids, and what research would be needed for a dissertation-level study. The witnesses generally agreed that landowners should be informed of known risks and uncertainties, but said the science is still developing. Dr. Arnell said a unified testing method is needed before reliable PFAS monitoring can be done, and suggested that a multi-year study would be required to understand soil movement, crop uptake, and livestock impacts. Greg Scott of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission framed the issue as a waste-management problem, noting that human waste streams contain contaminants and that soil type affects how pollutants move; he said sandy soils pose greater movement risks than clay soils and that current best practice is incorporation, careful timing, and avoiding steep or sensitive sites. He also said PFAS are widespread and not naturally occurring in the way some other compounds are, and that liability and cleanup costs are major concerns. Mary Elizabeth Mock of Garver Engineering focused on the practical and financial consequences of a possible moratorium on land application, saying most of Oklahoma’s biosolids are currently land applied and would otherwise have to go to landfills. She warned that many landfills are nearing capacity, tipping fees could rise sharply, and cities such as Tulsa and Norman could face large increases in disposal costs, which would ultimately be borne by ratepayers and taxpayers. She also said septic system maintenance costs could rise if land application options shrink, potentially leading to deferred maintenance and system failures. Mock urged a tiered, data-driven approach to PFAS regulation and said advanced treatment technologies may help in the future, but they are still emerging and expensive. No votes were taken; the session consisted of presentations and member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• was discussed here, it was poured it was discussed here, it was poured it was discussed here, it was
• It it it I'll just let me say say it like this to you. just let me say say it like this to you.
• And and and and and I it it's it it it hurts me to think and I it it's it it it hurts me to think and
• The other um it it it could turn deadly.
• Pulled it out. Here it is. right this. Pulled it out. Here it is. right this. Pulled it out.

Bills: HB265 , HB146 , SB254 , HB202 , HB3 , HB42 , SB18

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: resisting arrest, penalties, criminal justice, law enforcement, public safety, youthful offender, capital murder, victims' rights, SB254, Alabama, statute of limitations, civil procedure, civil action, sex offense, sexual abuse, child sexual abuse, survivor rights, tolling, disability, minor plaintiff

Transcript Highlights:

• Put it on consent. Put it on consent.
• They're putting it in their with it.
• </c> that it isn't necessary in order for it that it isn't necessary in order for it not<01:17:51.040
• 02:14:28.560><c> my</c> It just is it will just make it I my It just is it will just make it I my guess
• I mean it is um you know it publish it.

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• nationwide policy in its tracks, and leave it stopped for years that it takes to go through the normal
• can stop a nationwide policy in its tracks and leave it stopped for the years that it takes to go through
• Take it away from Democrats, take it away from Republicans, because what it really... strikes at is our
• And so it really shouldn't matter what label the court puts on it. What do they call it?
• It would.

Committee: Senate Senate Judiciary

Keywords: universal injunctions, legislative reforms, judicial authority, executive power, balance of power, judicial overreach

Summary: During this meeting, the committee focused on the implications of universal injunctions, which have become a significant concern in recent years. The discussion centered around various legislative proposals aimed at addressing the perceived overreach of district judges who issue nationwide injunctions that affect policies across the entire country. Several members expressed the belief that such injunctions undermine judicial authority and disrupt the balance of power between the judiciary and executive branches. Expert witnesses testified about the historical context of universal injunctions and the necessity for reforms that would limit the power of courts to grant remedies benefitting non-parties.

Transcript Highlights:

• Which one is it?
• Again, it can be a car lot or it can be a wine bar later.
• Yeah, a lot of it is that it is one of the scenarios.
• buy it, someone else should buy it.
• I mean, everybody's concerned about it, and it isn't just being... ...concerned about it for today, right

Bills: HB24 , HB2015 , HB2149 , HB2559 , HB2701 , HB2797 , HB3172 , HB24

Committee: House Land & Resource Management

Keywords: zoning, public notice, local government, residential development, protests, water conservation, municipal utility districts, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, environmental regulation, groundwater management, nonconforming uses, zoning regulations, land use, property rights, municipal authority, municipal moratorium, development moratorium, property development, subdivision, site plan

Transcript Highlights:

• That's it.
• So is it mandatory? Is it optional?
• It doesn't. It feels mean. Definitely feels wrong.
• That's it. That's it. That's it. That's it. That's it. And I think in this body we can do that.
• I care about our country, and we've got to protect it and leave it better than we got it.

Summary: The Senate opened with a quorum, prayer, and the Pledge of Allegiance, then read an amended joint proclamation expanding the special session call to include financial penalties for government officials, criminal penalties for offenses committed by illegal aliens, and programs and appropriations to support law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. No committee reports, governor’s messages, or House messages were on the desk before the chamber moved to the special order calendar. The main item was Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 2B, the immigration bill, along with a late-filed strike-all amendment by Senator Gruters. Gruters said the amendment aligned terminology with federal law, increased penalties for crimes by unauthorized aliens, added transnational crime organizations to gang definitions, required stronger participation in the federal 287(g) program, created financial penalties for noncompliance, offered a $1,000 bonus for officers assisting ICE in large operations, directed more information-sharing with federal agencies, and barred DHSMV from issuing licenses or IDs to unauthorized aliens. He framed the bill as supporting President Trump’s immigration agenda and focusing on criminal illegal aliens rather than street-level enforcement. A long question-and-answer period followed, with Senators Polsky, Pizzo, Smith, Jones, Roscoe, Berman, and others pressing the sponsor on scope, legality, costs, and implementation. Questions focused on whether the bill would require participation beyond jails and detention centers, whether schools or churches could be affected, liability and immunity for local agencies, the size and purpose of the proposed appropriations, and the impact on undocumented students receiving in-state tuition waivers. Gruters and Senator Fine said the 287(g) provisions were intended to apply to jails and detention facilities, that green-card holders and lawful residents would not be affected, and that the tuition waiver repeal would end discounted tuition for students in the country illegally while not affecting their ability to attend. Fine also defended the mandatory death penalty provision for certain capital offenses committed by illegal immigrants, acknowledging it would likely be challenged in court but arguing the bill was designed to test and advance the policy. No final vote or other action on the bill is reflected in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• &gt;&gt; kind of what it I tell you what it is to &gt;&gt; kind of what it I tell you what it is to a
• </c> &gt;&gt; it it got stuck in the Senate. &gt;&gt; it it got stuck in the Senate.
• of</c><00:54:54.160><c> s</c> &gt;&gt; So, it got Did it make it out of s &gt;&gt; So, it got Did it
• But<01:23:02.639><c> it</c><01:23:02.800><c> it</c><01:23:03.120><c> does</c> But it it does But it it
• </c> at it again but or seeing it somewhere at it again but or seeing it somewhere in<01:23:11.280><c

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• comes right down to it, and they don't have the money... ...when it comes right down to it and they
• Was it worth it? Yeah, 100%, Drew. I mean, a couple things.
• Was it worth it? Yeah, 100% Drew. I mean, a couple things.
• And also, I think it was important to do it during the daylight.
• It makes no sense. We take the oath because it means something.

Summary: House and Senate Republican leaders held a media availability on day 59 of the session focused mainly on the House-passed income tax proposal, the pending operating and transportation budgets, and several late-session tax and policy bills. Republicans said the income tax was a major, rushed change to the tax code, argued it was unconstitutional under existing state precedent, and criticized Democrats for blocking referendum options and for what they described as a tax-first approach to affordability and budgeting. They also said the budget conference process was likely to produce another deficit and warned of future tax increases if spending is not restrained. On transportation, Republicans discussed a bond bill needed to support the transportation budget and noted it requires a three-fifths vote in the House, which Democrats could reach on their own. They said they generally support maintenance and preservation but are skeptical of bonding for those purposes. They also identified other bills likely to move at the end of session, including a data center tax, a wholesale pharmaceutical tax, a K-12 funding bill, a highway construction bill, a direct electric vehicle sales bill, and an electric transmission bill. Republicans repeatedly framed the income tax as a “millionaires tax” that could later expand to more taxpayers, and said the 24-hour floor debate was intended to slow the process and force daylight scrutiny. They also criticized the use of Climate Commitment Act funds in the budget, saying the money should be returned to taxpayers or used for transportation or other public needs rather than special interests. In closing, Stokesbary said House Republicans had defeated a majority of Senate bills sent to the House and had helped stop several major Democratic priorities, including an agriculture unionization bill and other tax and regulatory measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, um, it if it when hearing of that.
• </c> half because it says half of the it half because it says half of the it looked<01:02:51.680><c>
• It is the intention to lay it over.
• Uh it it is off into the future, ways.
• Uh to do it is quite frankly worth it.

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• it.
• it.
• </c> to make it a recommendation but do it to make it a recommendation but do it more<00:47:22.880><c
• ><00:53:21.680><c> was</c> terms of should it be I think it was terms of should it be I think it was
• </c> service and if it and they don't do it service and if it and they don't do it then<01:19:11.040>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 110, HD1, which would clarify local food purchase goals for the Department of Education. DOE said it supports the measure and will work toward the 30% local food mandate by 2030. The Department of Agriculture also supported the bill, and outside advocates from the Hawaii Public Health Institute and Hawaii Farm to School Network strongly backed it as consistent with prior farm-to-school laws and helpful for measuring progress toward the goal. The committee then took up House Bill 293, which would exempt certain DOE purchases of local edible produce and packaged food products from electronic procurement rules and allow written-quote purchasing thresholds, including a lower quote requirement for some rural schools. DOE, the Department of Agriculture, the State Procurement Office, and the Hawaii Farm Bureau all supported the measure, describing it as a tool to help the department test and add local products and meet the 30% goal. However, members pressed DOE on the bill’s purpose and mechanics, questioning why the department could not simply add products to vendor lists or use existing procurement flexibility. DOE explained it was trying to test new local products, including products not yet on the USDA-approved list, and said the bill would allow limited pilot purchases while it works through USDA approval and vendor-list updates. Members also raised concerns about whether the bill was being used to bypass procurement and whether small farmers or aggregators could realistically supply the needed volume. House Bill 1069, which would add two voting members representing DOE and the Board of Education to the School Facilities Authority, also drew support from DOE and the Board of Education. Supporters said the change would improve accountability, strategic input, and communication on school facilities matters. SFA testified that it has already increased coordination with DOE through regular meetings and that recent discussions have been more robust. Committee members questioned whether voting seats were necessary given that DOE and BOE could already attend meetings and receive updates, and they raised concerns about how a voting representative would report back and whether the measure would actually solve communication problems. No votes or final actions were taken on the measures during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• But it that's doesn't it I can't.
• Then it it got cabbanged in policy. Then it it got cabbanged in finance.
• </c> agrees to it. U, parent says yes, do it. agrees to it. U, parent says yes, do it.
• </c> does it? does it?
• </c> of it? of it?

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The commission meeting focused on reviewing and correcting draft minutes and then working through a draft report on the cost of special education. Members made mostly clerical corrections, including clarifying references to Spalding, fixing acronyms such as LETRS, and cleaning up membership titles and appointee roles to match SB 57. The minutes were approved as amended, with some members abstaining because they were not present at the prior meeting. The chair also noted the commission’s deadline to complete findings and recommendations by July 1 and said the final report must be delivered to legislative leaders, the governor, the state librarian, and others. The main substantive discussion centered on the report’s findings about special education funding. Members agreed the report should emphasize that the commission was created to study the cost of special education and reduce reliance on local property taxes. One draft section described FY24 special education funding as coming from three primary state and federal sources totaling about $152 million, or roughly 15% of annual costs, with the remaining 85% paid by local school districts through property tax revenue, estimated at about $825 million. Members discussed adding historical or longitudinal data to show trends over time, and some suggested attaching charts or tables showing funding over the last 20 to 30 years. A second major topic was demographic data. The draft noted that statewide K-12 enrollment has declined since 2003 while the number and share of students with IEPs has increased. Members questioned whether the data compared like with like, especially given the growth of Education Freedom Accounts and charter school enrollment, and whether the figures included or excluded those students. Several members asked for clearer sourcing from the Department of Education and suggested keeping a list of unresolved questions, including the impact of the shift from ADMA to ADMR and the effect of the EFA program. The discussion ended with agreement to continue refining the report and to gather additional attachments and clarifications before finalizing recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:12:03.920><c> it</c> amendment I mean I feel like it it amendment I mean I feel like it it really
• it burns it burns to leave the and if it burns it burns they<00:22:13.440><c> knew</c><00:22:13.679>
• It is what it is, right? Yeah.
• </c> it was solely for residential but it it was solely for residential but it would<00:26:44.039><c>
• </c><04:11:44.000><c> it</c> smaller when you when you hear it it smaller when you when you hear it it

Committee: House Housing

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They're used to it. They like it.
• I do thank the committee for its work, its approach, and its acceptance largely of what we have come
• It started in 2023 or '22. I can't remember. Was it '22?
• It started in 2023 or '22. I can't remember. Was it '22?
• It started in 2023 or '22. I can't remember. Was it '22?

Committee: Senate Natural Resources and Water

Summary: The committee heard SB 1393, an omnibus update to the Fish and Game Code covering steelhead trout and Dungeness crab management. The author and supporters said the bill would strengthen the steelhead trout report card program, extend and refine Dungeness crab management, and clarify vessel transit rules in closed crab fishing areas. The Nature Conservancy, Trout Unlimited, and other supporters said the measure implements long-standing task force recommendations and supports both conservation and coastal fishing communities. There was no opposition, and the bill was moved forward on a 4-0 vote to Appropriations. The committee also heard SB 1250, which would require Caltrans to incorporate wildlife connectivity into transportation planning and asset management, set performance targets, and coordinate with wildlife agencies. Supporters from conservation, animal welfare, land trust, and local government groups said the bill would reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions, improve public safety, and better integrate crossings, culverts, and fencing into routine highway projects. The California Building Industry Association moved to a neutral position after amendments clarified the bill would apply to transportation right-of-way planning and not create exactions on private property. Members discussed the bill’s relationship to Caltrans planning authority and existing funding, and it was passed to Appropriations on a 4-0 vote. Senator Gonzalez’s SB 1268, which would codify the state’s Outdoors for All initiative, also received broad support from environmental justice, conservation, parks, and recreation groups. Testimony emphasized inequitable access to parks and nature, especially for low-income communities and communities of color, and said the bill would make the initiative more durable by placing it in statute. The chair and members spoke in favor of expanding outdoor access, and the bill was approved on a 3-0 vote with some members not yet voting. The committee then heard three Western Joshua tree bills from Senator Ochoa Bogh. SB 1061 would streamline relocation of limited numbers of trees without fees in certain cases; SB 1062 would require proportionate or tiered mitigation fees for public utilities and agencies; and SB 1063 would create an expedited, fee-free permitting path for basic residential utility and wildfire-hardening projects. Supporters, including local water agencies, counties, and farm and business groups, said the current law imposes heavy costs on desert residents and ratepayers. Opponents, including wildlife and conservation organizations, argued the bills would weaken protections for a species they said is threatened by climate change and habitat loss, and noted that existing administrative processes are already addressing fees and permitting. After amendments, opposition was withdrawn on SB 1061 and SB 1062, and both bills advanced on 3-0 votes to Appropriations; SB 1063 remained under discussion in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It takes all the politics out of it.
• I mean, we've seen it." "We've seen it, we've lived it, you know, multiple times.
• I'm all for it, you know, helping families out and elevating homes. Is it St. Tammany? Is it St.
• I'm all for it, you know, helping families out and elevate homes. Is it St. Tammany? Is it St.
• It makes it difficult.

Committee: House Natural Resources & Environment

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Sign it and hand it to our sergeant.
• of it.
• It was the wave was coming. We couldn't stop it. We had to do it, but it's like, but it's here.
• It says...
• It would. It would. It would. It would be part of this.

Committee: House Education

Summary: The committee first took up HB 987, which would move the Louisiana Geological Survey under the LSU Energy Institute to streamline energy-related programs. The author and members described it as an efficiency measure, and the committee reported the bill favorably without objection. Members then heard HB 513 on name, image, and likeness rules for intercollegiate and interscholastic athletes. The bill was presented as a product of a task force and was supported by the Attorney General’s office, coaches, and a student athlete, who emphasized the need for guardrails, education, and protections against exploitation by agents or third parties. Questions focused on high school enforcement, parental consent, and what students may legally do; the committee ultimately reported the bill favorably. The committee also considered HCR 26, which asks BESE to incorporate the science of human growth and development, including prenatal development, into science or health standards and to provide instructional materials. Supporters said it would improve science education and show fetal development more clearly, while opponents raised concerns about medical accuracy, political influence, and lack of safeguards. An amendment requiring parental consent for instruction was offered but failed on a roll call vote, and the resolution was then reported favorably. Later, the committee reported HB 608 favorably as amended to protect confidentiality of documents tied to intercollegiate athletics revenue-sharing, while preserving public disclosure of overall institutional spending. It also advanced HB 380, creating a pilot program to expand CDL workforce training through a community college and school partnership, and HB 392, which would require suicide hotline information on school websites, student ID cards, and, through amendment, visible signs in schools. The committee then reported HB 476 as amended, requiring Safe Haven law flyers in school restrooms, and began discussion of HB 682 to authorize veterans as school resource officers, with amendments addressing qualifications and training.

Transcript Highlights:

• SSD studied the problem, it documented it, and then it hit it from every single partner district in the
• Well, let's make it an issue and let's talk about it. It is a significant issue.
• So it would actually make it a lot worse.
• It could vote and it could pass, but it would pass for the detriment of the whole.
• does it.

Committee: House General Laws

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But it essentially says that it has insignificant impact on it in the long term, and it also— which I
• So I do want to ask: it doesn't, unless I missed it, it doesn't have a sunset, right? No.
• But I don't know if it would change any of it.
• It could be higher. It could be lower. Absolutely.
• It really just papers over it.

Committee: House Elementary and Secondary Education

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The ayes have it.
• It is.
• I'd love to see it. If not, if we can get it added.
• piece of it.
• , or is it still a department governing it?

Committee: House Commerce

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It was first one is... It was...
• You can't do it.
• It depends on interest rate. It depends on time to construct.
• But it does allow, you know, as we looked at it, at first we kind of flagged that and said it should
• Whatever it is, we have to be a part of it.

Committee: House Utilities

Summary: The Committee on Utilities first met in executive session and adopted a House Committee substitute for House Bills 2658, 2147, 2472, and 2546 by a roll call vote of 20 ayes and 1 no. The substitute expanded telephone solicitation language to include unsolicited real estate solicitations, adjusted reassigned-number compliance language, and refined spoofing-related definitions to focus on intent to cause harm or wrongfully obtain value. Members also discussed how the no-call list, existing business relationships, and political fundraising calls would be treated under the substitute. The committee then heard House Bills 1626 and 2122, both relating to nuclear energy and construction work in progress (CWIP/QIP) financing for nuclear projects. The sponsors argued the bills would remove an outdated barrier to nuclear construction in Missouri, especially for small modular reactors, by allowing utilities to recover construction costs during construction and thereby reduce interest and overall project cost. They emphasized ratepayer protections through clawback provisions, the role of the Public Service Commission, future energy demand, economic development, and keeping Missouri competitive with other states. Several members raised concerns about higher utility rates, the risk of cost overruns, the possibility of ratepayers paying for projects that are delayed or never completed, and whether the proposal was premature given that SMRs are not yet widely deployed in the United States. In response, the sponsors and supporters said the bill would include refund protections similar to Senate Bill 4 and that the PSC would oversee prudence and timing. Public witnesses in support included business, utility, and municipal representatives, as well as Missouri S&T’s chancellor, who stressed workforce development and the growing national and global move toward nuclear power. The hearing on House Bills 1626 and 2122 was then closed.

Transcript Highlights:

• and it, you know, it is or it isn't, and it seems pretty cut and dry.
• and it, you know, it is or it isn't, and it seems pretty cut and dry.
• It would just take time to clean it up and switch it back over. Yes.
• Is it, does it have to stay within that mental health budget or can it cross over?
• And it is what it is.

Committee: House Budget

Summary: The committee first heard the Office of the Governor’s FY 2027 budget request from Adam Gresham. He explained the office’s staffing and noted a $500,000 core reduction, along with a reallocation of three positions and about $168,000 from the governor’s office to the mansion operating fund to better reflect where those employees work. Members asked about the National Guard emergency line, which Gresham said had already spent about $63,457 in FY 2026 and could be used again for disaster activations, though he did not expect to use the full $4 million. He also said the agricultural resiliency transfer fund had not been used and had no current transfer plans. Several members commented on the size of the governor’s cut and whether the judiciary and other offices were also being asked to reduce budgets. No votes were taken. The committee then moved to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Childhood and early childhood-related budget items. DESE staff described funding for the Office of Childhood, MoQPK child care provider grants, LEA pre-K grants, early childhood special education, Parents as Teachers, First Steps, preschool coordination, after-school programs, and child care subsidy. Members asked extensively about the MoQPK grants, including why Head Start providers were eligible, how curriculum approval works, and what safeguards exist against fraud or improper payments. DESE said it conducts physical inspections, desk reviews, payment-system checks, and investigations as needed, and that it had not had findings in this area. Some members questioned whether DESE or DSS was the right home for early childhood programs, while others defended the partnership and the role of early educators in identifying child needs. A major portion of the discussion focused on early childhood special education and the child care subsidy program. DESE explained that First Steps serves children birth to age three, while early childhood special education covers ages three to five and is driven by IEP eligibility; members asked for more data on diagnoses, trends, and how many children come off IEPs. The committee also discussed the child care subsidy budget and the governor’s proposed shift to paying providers based on authorization and at the beginning of the month. DESE said the change is being piloted, that a wait list is expected to begin around March 1, and that a May rollout is being considered, but only if software testing and fiscal projections show the system is sustainable. Members expressed frustration that promised changes had been delayed and that providers had been told different timelines, while DESE said the delay was driven by software issues, fiscal caution, and the need to avoid repeating prior payment problems. The hearing ended with the committee in recess before later resuming discussion of the subsidy program; no final votes or actions were taken in the portion provided.