Transcript Highlights:

• As staff, have the attorneys at CPUC advised you or your staff whether the CPUC would have the authority
• We are not in a position to disclose attorney input to us.
• I wasn't asking for you to break attorney-client privilege.
• I was just asking whether you've been advised by your attorneys that it is in your scope to look at broadband

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) to examine its history, current operation, and possible future changes in California. Chair Tasha Berner said the hearing was prompted in part by AT&T’s 2023 request for relief from COLR obligations and by broader concerns about public safety, affordability, universal service, and access to modern broadband and telecommunications. The first panel featured a telecommunications expert who traced COLR back to universal service principles and explained how states have handled COLR differently, including full deregulation, limited rural obligations, or transition pathways tied to competition and customer protections. Members asked about affordability, federal and state processes for service withdrawal, and whether COLR remains necessary given modern competition. CPUC staff then described California’s COLR framework, explaining that universal service rests on access, reliability/quality, and affordability, and that COLR requires carriers to provide basic service, including voice-grade calling, 911 access, relay services, and Lifeline. Staff said AT&T’s application sought relief in nearly all of its territory, but no replacement COLR came forward during the proceeding, and public participation hearings drew thousands of comments and strong concern from rural and vulnerable customers. The CPUC outlined its ongoing rulemaking to reconsider whether the 1996 COLR rules and 2012 basic-service definition still fit current conditions, with workshops and public hearings scheduled and a proposed decision expected later in the year or into 2026. Members pressed staff on geographic outreach, wireless coverage, whether broadband can be part of basic service, public safety during wildfires, and what reporting and complaint processes currently exist. In the final panel, industry and public-interest witnesses sharply disagreed. A U.S. Telecom representative argued COLR is outdated, costly, and copper-focused, and said reform should allow technology-neutral alternatives such as wireless, fiber, and satellite while preserving reliable voice and emergency access. The CPUC Public Advocates Office countered that COLR remains a necessary public safeguard, especially for rural and low-income customers, and argued that any transition should maintain or improve service, with public benefits such as broadband investment and continued protections for 911, disability access, and affordability. Committee members focused on the difference between an obligation to serve everyone and a mere option to serve, and on whether the Legislature should provide clearer guidance as the CPUC’s rulemaking moves forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• each of the boards, and legal counsel is provided through a contract with the Florida Office of the Attorney
• At the Attorney General’s office, have a look at the amount of complaints from estate sales.
• At the Attorney General's office, have a look at the amount of complaints from estate sales.
• Have a look at the Attorney General’s office.

Summary: The subcommittee heard and approved four bills focused on reducing or modernizing professional regulation. HB 6015, by Rep. Oliver, repeals the word “reusable” from the wine keg statute to allow businesses more flexibility in container materials; members joked about the possibility of a Home Depot bucket, and the bill passed 16-0. HB 339, by Rep. Abbott, creates an alternative temporary licensure pathway for surveyors and mappers based on employer recommendation and exam passage, but members raised concerns about qualifications, liability, and oversight; Abbott said he was open to amendments, and the bill passed 14-1 with Rep. Overdorf dissenting. HB 139, by Rep. Lopez, allows pawnbrokers to use digital transaction forms instead of only printed forms; a technical amendment added readability and placement requirements for digital forms, and the bill passed unanimously. HB 195, by Rep. Chambliss, lets the Department of Corrections coordinate with DBPR boards so inmates who complete licensure-related classes can receive credit toward professional licensure; supporters framed it as a second-chance and workforce bill, an amendment clarified that DBPR handles professions without boards, and the bill passed favorably 15-0. The committee then received a presentation from DBPR Secretary Melanie Griffin on the department’s role overseeing more than 1.7 million businesses and professionals across over 30 fields. She highlighted enforcement and complaint data, including more than 24,000 inspections and complaints handled in the last fiscal year, a preference for education and voluntary compliance over formal discipline, and the department’s alternative dispute resolution program, which returned $2.7 million to consumers and saved $270,000 in costs. Griffin also reviewed recent deregulatory and efficiency efforts, including endorsement/reciprocity reforms, fee waivers, reduced processing times, and shorter call wait times, and said DBPR is continuing to look for ways to cut red tape while protecting public safety. Members questioned Griffin about permitting, continuing education, complaint processing, board vacancies, fraud in cosmetology and construction, coordination with other agencies, and whether schools can block students from taking state exams over unpaid tuition. DBPR staff said complaints are generally processed within 60 days, schools cannot bar graduates from taking the exam because of tuition debt, and the department works with other agencies when issues cross jurisdictional lines. The panel discussion that followed featured industry representatives from landscape architecture, building/code administration, pools, roofing, construction, HVAC/electrical, and hospitality, who generally supported reducing local permitting burdens, standardizing requirements, improving reciprocity and training pathways, and using technology and clearer scopes of work to make licensure and inspections more efficient.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm an attorney and lobbyist with Kentucky Resources Council, KRC.
• morning my name is Audrey ernsberger<00:37:12.480><c> I'm</c><00:37:12.560><c> an</c><00:37:12.680><c> attorney
• </c><00:37:12.960><c> and</c><00:37:13.079><c> lobbyist</c> ernsberger I'm an attorney and lobbyist ernsberger
• I'm an attorney and lobbyist with<00:37:13.640><c> Kentucky</c><00:37:14.000><c> Resources</c><00:37

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00 Attendance Roll Call 01:45 SB 245 Discussion 02:20 SB 245 Roll Call Vote 04:12 SB 112 Discussion 05:25 SB 8 Discussion 25:20, 958, all

Summary: The Natural Resources Committee first approved the minutes from the prior meeting and then took up Senate Bill 245, which would give the legislature more authority to review appointments to the Fish and Wildlife Resources Commission and clarify language about commissioners serving before confirmation. The sponsor said the bill was meant to allow a deeper background review and prevent unconfirmed appointees from voting on budget matters. The bill was adopted with a sub and title amendment, and Senator Boswell explained his yes vote as a way to ensure timely and proper confirmation votes in the future. The committee then discussed Senate Bill 112, concerning fishing on privately owned lakes and ponds. Senator Boswell argued that landowners should be able to fish on their own property without a license and should control fish harvest on private waters, while still requiring permission for others to fish. Commissioner Rich Storm opposed the proposal, saying landowners already may fish on their property, warning that the bill could reduce fishing-license revenue and federal grant support, and noting the department’s work stocking fish, maintaining access, and funding conservation programs. Senator Webb said he was exploring possible compromise language, and other members raised concerns about pay lakes, youth access, and potential abuse of exemptions. Boswell ultimately withdrew the bill voluntarily, and the committee agreed not to vote on it that day. Finally, the committee heard a discussion-only presentation on Senate Bill 8, focused on long-term energy policy and the role of the Public Service Commission. The sponsor said Kentucky needs a broader energy strategy to address growing demand from new industries such as large data centers, grid capacity limits, and the need for expertise and possibly different pay scales to recruit qualified staff. Members responded positively to the discussion, noting the importance of the PSC and the need for continued work on the issue, but no vote was taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next, we have an attorney general with comments.
• Michael Shamella, Deputy Attorney General, you have our comments, and I'm available for questions if
• Next, we have Randy Pera, Executive Director for HGA, with comments. shamella uh Deputy attorney general
• you shamella uh Deputy attorney general you have<00:26:43.200><c> our</c><00:26:43.520><c> comments<

Committee: House Labor

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A report of the Essex County District Attorney is pursuant to Section 70C of Chapter 277 of the General

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, then briefly recessed and returned to receive and file two reports: an Essex County District Attorney report on decriminalization statistics and a Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association operational capacity report covering July 1 through December 31, 2024. These reports were ordered noted in the journal and placed on file. Senator Feeney offered resolutions congratulating Joseph G. Finn for his decades of work to end homelessness in the Commonwealth. The Senate adopted the resolutions by voice vote. Senator Tarr then offered an order to have the Senate adjourn to meet again on Thursday at 11:00 a.m., which was adopted without objection. The Senate then agreed to adjourn, and the chamber stood adjourned until Thursday.

Transcript Highlights:

• it strengthens our existing prohibition against out-of-state shipping of spirits and enables the attorney

Bills: SB1767 , SB1859 , SB1767 , SB1859

Committees: House Public Safety , House A&B Public Safety Subcommittee

Keywords: alcoholic beverages, shipping, retailers, legal compliance, civil penalties, interstate regulation, enforcement, cyber crime, fraud unit, digital evidence, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, investigative powers, financial deception, ransomware, 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Then I represented residential and small business customers for the Attorney General's office, and for
• 00:23:17.520><c> customers</c><00:23:18.400><c> for</c><00:23:18.640><c> the</c><00:23:18.880><c> attorney
• </c> business customers for the attorney business customers for the attorney general's<00:23:19.679><
• tell you over our last four rate cases, we've spent an average of $200,000 of staff and contracted attorney
• tell you over our last four rate cases, we've spent an average of $200,000 of staff and contracted attorney

Bills: HF4236 , HF4122 , HF4377

Committee: House Energy Finance and Policy

Keywords: public utility, interim rates, utility rates, rate case, general rate case, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, PUC, rate increase cap, rate freeze, refunds, customer refunds, ratepayer protection, electric utility, gas utility, regulated utility, ratemaking, return on equity, rate base, test year, rate design

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:21:16.720><c> and</c><00:21:16.880><c> the</c><00:21:17.039><c> Minnesota</c> County Attorney
• and the Minnesota County Attorney and the Minnesota Campaign<00:21:17.840><c> Finance</c><00:21:18.240
• c> recover</c> rights case, we were entitled to recover rights case, we were entitled to recover attorneys
• 43.039><c> and</c><00:21:43.280><c> costs</c><00:21:43.520><c> from</c><00:21:43.679><c> the</c> attorneys
• fees and costs from the attorneys fees and costs from the defendants,<00:21:44.240><c> which</c><00:

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:10:30.000><c> or</c><00:10:30.320><c> a</c> 5.8 8 the board, a county attorney or a 5.8 8 the
• board, a county attorney or a county<00:10:30.880><c> municipality,</c><00:10:31.839><c> etc.
• So, we're adding<00:10:32.800><c> a</c><00:10:32.959><c> county</c><00:10:33.279><c> attorney</c><00:
• 10:33.680><c> there</c><00:10:34.240><c> um</c><00:10:34.320><c> that</c> adding a county attorney there
• um that adding a county attorney there um that may<00:10:34.880><c> need</c><00:10:35.519><c> access

Committee: Senate Elections

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Even their own Department of Justice, 14 attorneys from the U.S.
• </c><01:06:44.880><c> from</c> Department of Justice, 14 attorneys from Department of Justice, 14 attorneys
• Attorney General Keith Ellison is on tape encouraging people to quote, "Put their bodies on the line.
• To their credit, many U.S. attorneys resigned rather than take part in unethical, politically motivated
• These acts of integrity are probably why the U.S. attorneys and even the local FBI were pulled off the

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm an attorney with the law firm called Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck.
• I'm an attorney with Farley Watit.
• My name is Hal Scoggins.<01:32:24.880><c> I'm</c><01:32:25.120><c> an</c><01:32:25.280><c> attorney</
• I'm an attorney with Farley Scoggins.
• I'm an attorney with Farley Watit.<01:32:27.600><c> We</c><01:32:27.840><c> are</c><01:32:28.080><c>

Bills: HB0120 , HB0043 , HB0128

Committee: House Minerals, Business & Economic Development

Keywords: energy production, natural gas, industrial sovereignty, manufacturing, tax exemptions, money laundering, illegal investment, financial institutions, criminal activity, Wyoming legislation, severance tax, oil production, tax exemption, energy sector, economic impact, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is necessary because the requirement for the applicant to be an attorney has created difficulties
• in hiring for the position, and the duties assigned can be accomplished by non-attorneys.
• We've made changes in the past to the law to have that staffed through the attorney general's office,
• So we move that administrative support to the attorney general's office so we weren't kind of providing
• And that I don't know if we have an attorney here that can maybe answer that question, but if not, we

Committee: Senate Energy and Natural Resources

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Attorney Fry will be right on it, whatever you say. I hope you heard that.
• Attorney Fry is going to pull up the current statute to see if there's any.
• Attorney Fry is right on it. They do have rules. It's B.A. Rule 35.1, applying for an exemption.
• in with one or a couple of classes in the school and then some apprenticeship hours, you can... attorney
• fry is right on it they do have attorney fry is right on it they do have rules<01:16:31.360><c> it's

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee reviewed selected House Bill 2 provisions, focusing first on the group two pension reform language and whether it matched prior legislation and the fiscal note. Members discussed two main issues: the treatment of extra and special duty pay in the pension calculation for employees hired before 2011, and the annuity multiplier after 15 years of creditable service. Several members said the HB 2 language was intended to restore prior law and protect against pension “spiking,” while others worried the draft and fiscal note may not have fully reflected current law, potentially affecting the cost estimate. The discussion repeatedly emphasized the need to avoid underfunding or double counting and to make sure Finance had the correct actuarial assumptions. No vote was taken; the committee agreed to flag the issues for Finance and to clarify the fiscal note. Members also discussed the vested-rights language, which was described as an explicit definition of vesting and a restriction on future legislative changes to compensation calculations after three years of service. Some viewed it as a policy protection with no immediate fiscal impact, while others noted it had been included in prior legislation and should be clearly understood before the bill moved forward. The committee also briefly referenced prior pension legislation, including House Bill 436 and House Bill 727, and noted that HB 2 was being used to carry forward related pension repair provisions. The committee then turned to an OPLC-related section transferring building, plumbing, electrical, and fuel gas inspector positions from OPLC to the Department of Safety’s Fire Marshal’s office. Testimony explained that the nine inspector positions are funded from the licensing fund, and that the move was justified as a public-safety function better aligned with the Fire Marshal’s mission because the inspections are statewide code-enforcement work rather than facility-specific licensing work. The discussion ended with a note that the remaining HB 2 changes run through 2034 and a brief announcement about memorial arrangements for C.J. Gerard.

Transcript Highlights:

• for agricultural educators, aviation degrees like aviation technicians and pilots, public service attorneys
• for agricultural educators, aviation degrees like aviation technicians and pilots, public service attorneys
• for agricultural educators, aviation degrees like aviation technicians and pilots, public service attorneys
• for agricultural educators, aviation degrees like aviation technicians and pilots, public service attorneys
• for agricultural educators, aviation degrees like aviation technicians and pilots, public service attorneys

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We elect our county attorney. We elect our sheriff. Um, we elect our county supervisors and so on.
• </c><01:33:19.120><c> We</c><01:33:19.280><c> elect</c> We elect our county attorney.
• We elect We elect our county attorney. We elect our<01:33:19.760><c> sheriff.
• Um, like the attorney, like the sheriff and so on, the registrar and all those kind of people.
• Um like<01:35:24.960><c> the</c><01:35:25.360><c> attorney,</c><01:35:25.920><c> like</c><01:35:26.159

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting focused on reviewing and amending draft minutes and then discussing a draft report on SAU consolidation and school administration efficiency. Members first corrected a disputed statement in the minutes about who starts charter schools, and agreed to mark it as disputed. They also noted a donation figure mentioned in the meeting but not reflected in the notes, and then approved the minutes as amended. The committee then reviewed supporting materials, including a Census Bureau education spending table and a 1993 report on eliminating SAUs. The chair argued New Hampshire ranks very high in administrative spending and used that as evidence for reducing administrative costs. Other members pushed back, noting that education costs are largely borne locally and that the committee should stay focused on its charge. Several members also objected to characterizations of SAU boards and to relying heavily on an old report or on the School District Governance Association’s proposal. The draft report itself drew repeated edits. Members objected to language suggesting the testimony from associations was simply that change was not needed, and proposed more neutral wording about concerns over the impacts of changes. There was also disagreement over a proposed model in which a county-level school administrator would be elected; some members said that would be inappropriate and premature, while others argued the committee had not yet fully developed a consolidation model. The discussion ended with a call from some members for more time and for a future joint legislative committee to continue refining any proposal before legislation is introduced.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the judge's first words once he finally let me in because I was not an attorney, just an advocate
• ,</c><01:18:08.400><c> just</c> because I was an not an attorney, just because I was an not an attorney
• They might be able to have their own attorney, for example, in this organization.
• They might have a fraction of an attorney for dealing with their issues.
• It doesn't have to be exactly, have a fraction of an attorney for their have a fraction of an attorney

Committee: House Education Policy and Administration

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill was drafted by our AI attorneys, and we have our AI representatives here.

Bills: SB94

Committee: Senate Children and Youth Health

Keywords: adoption, adoptive parent, adoptee, minor adoption, adult adoption, Alabama Minor Adoption Code, Alabama Adult Adoption Code, Department of Human Resources, DHR, county department of human resources, putative father registry, paternity, consent, relinquishment, implied consent, notice of adoption, contested adoption, home study, pre-placement investigation, post-placement investigation

Transcript Highlights:

• Andrew Labadini, Attorney General's Office. Chris Richards, Scapecut Five-Cent Savings Bank.
• I'm an attorney who worked on the federal debit interchange reform law in 2010.

Summary: The Special Legislative Commission on the future of credit card payments and their impacts on small businesses held what was described as its last public hearing. Chair Paul Feeney opened by noting the commission’s mandate under Chapter 238 of the Acts of 2024 and explained that members would continue working on a final report after the hearing. The meeting featured testimony from banks, payment industry groups, restaurant advocates, convenience store representatives, and others, with repeated discussion of interchange fees, surcharging, fraud, and federal preemption issues. Banking and card-industry witnesses, including the Massachusetts Bankers Association, the Card Coalition, and the Electronic Payments Coalition, argued that state-level interchange restrictions would disrupt a global payment system, create compliance problems, and likely apply only to a small share of transactions because of federal preemption. They emphasized consumer and merchant benefits of cards, the role of banks in absorbing fraud losses, and recent federal and state developments, including Illinois litigation, OCC and NCUA actions, and a settlement that they said would give merchants more flexibility. Several witnesses also suggested alternatives such as vendor compensation for tax collection and modernizing Massachusetts’ surcharge ban. Restaurant and convenience-store advocates took the opposite view, saying swipe fees are a major burden on thin-margin businesses and that merchants should not pay interchange on sales tax or gratuities that are not their revenue. Mass Restaurants United and individual restaurant owners described severe financial strain, rising costs, and the need for transparency and relief. NACS supported swipe fee reform and argued that current fees are excessive and inflationary. A few members questioned witnesses about whether industry should share more of the burden and about the feasibility of changing the current system. No votes or formal policy actions were taken. The chair said the commission would meet again to discuss a draft framework and final report, and members of the public were invited to submit additional written testimony before the commission concludes its work.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, you know, you're an attorney. I'm an attorney. We both went to law school.

Committee: Senate Senate Committee on the Census

Summary: The Senate Committee on the Census held a hearing on July 7, 2026 focused on how the census defines and tabulates race and ethnicity for redistricting. The sole witness, Professor Jeffrey Weiss, reviewed the history of Public Law 94-171, the Voting Rights Act, and Census Bureau race categories, explaining how block-level census data has been central to one-person, one-vote compliance and to enforcing Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. He described the evolution from separate race and Hispanic-origin tabulations to multiracial reporting, the addition of voting-age and citizen voting-age data, and the increasing complexity created by coalition districts and multiracial populations. A major theme was uncertainty about Census 2030. Weiss said the federal government is considering changes to race and ethnicity questions, possible elimination of the MENA category, reduced multiracial detail, and discontinuation of differential privacy, while also discussing a possible citizenship question and other procedural changes coming through the Commerce Department rather than the Census Bureau. He warned that these shifts, combined with staffing cuts, reduced outreach, and scaled-back testing, could affect the availability and granularity of redistricting data and may trigger litigation. Committee members pressed him on the Biden-era revisions, the Trump administration’s current actions, and whether future data might have to be reported at a higher geographic level if block-level privacy protections are removed. Weiss also summarized Supreme Court redistricting doctrine, describing the move from Baker v. Carr and Reynolds v. Sims to the Gingles framework, then to later decisions limiting race-conscious districting, including Shelby County, Rucho, and the recent Louisiana v. Calais decision. He said Calais significantly narrowed federal Section 2 protections but does not directly preempt state voting rights acts, which he noted are being adopted in several states and may still allow coalition-based protections. The hearing ended after questions from the chair and vice chair, with no votes or formal committee actions taken, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, you know, you're an attorney. I'm an attorney. We both went to law school.

Committee: Senate Senate Committee on the Census

Keywords: 1212, all