Transcript Highlights:

• I do not read it the same way, and I read it in a way that you would be able to activate that or do it
• off, and somebody has it on the lap and is communicating, even if it is on speaker, that it would...
• it.
• It is a problem. It's an epidemic. We all see it. It is very... It's an epidemic. We all see it.
• That's it. That's it now.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development met to review its fiscal year 2025-2026 budget proposal and several bills. The chair outlined a roughly $18 billion budget area, including major funding for the Department of Transportation work program, Visit Florida, library/cultural/historical initiatives, affordable housing, National Guard tuition assistance, and Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles needs. The committee adopted a motion allowing technical adjustments and then approved the budget proposal as a recommendation to the full Senate Appropriations Committee. The committee next heard and approved CS/SB 666, creating a Miami Northwestern Alumni Association specialty license plate, with proceeds supporting scholarships, academic, athletic, and arts programs at Miami Northwestern Senior High School. Members praised the school’s academic and athletic achievements, and the bill was reported favorably without opposition. The committee also heard extensive testimony on CS/SB 1318, which would rename Florida’s texting-while-driving law as the hands-free driving law and expand the prohibition to handheld use of wireless devices, including in work zones. Supporters, including law enforcement, health care, bicycling, and crash victims’ advocates, argued it would save lives and make enforcement clearer; some senators supported the goal but raised concerns about enforcement, privacy, and impacts on drivers with older vehicles. The bill was reported favorably. The committee then approved SB 1408, designating memorial highways in Hillsborough and Charlotte counties for Master Patrol Officer Jesse Madsen and Sergeant Elio Diaz, and SB 1516, creating the International Aerospace Innovation Fund to be administered by Space Florida to support partnerships between Florida and international aerospace companies. Both bills were reported favorably with little debate. Senators also requested to be recorded in the affirmative on selected bills, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The issue is, if it had pornographic material in it, then it would be considered to be harmful to minors
• That we have this whole, oh, well, it had a literary value. It didn't. It does. It doesn't.
• This is it.
• it.
• It can be. It depends.

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Summary: The committee first considered the appointment of Michelle Whitworth to the Florida Commission on Offender Review. Whitworth described her 30 years of criminal justice experience, and the committee voted to recommend her confirmation favorably. The committee then took up SB 1692 on material harmful to minors, adopting a delete-all amendment that shifted the focus to K-12 instructional materials and objections by parents or residents. Supporters argued it would create clearer standards and protect children from pornographic content, while opponents warned it would worsen book bans and remove consideration of literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. After extensive debate and public testimony, the bill as amended was reported favorably. The committee also reported favorably on several criminal justice and public safety bills. SB 1422 increased penalties for certain drone-related offenses near critical infrastructure and for weaponized drones; SB 1360 clarified xylazine’s veterinary use while creating stronger trafficking penalties; and SB 1732 increased penalties for animal cruelty involving minors and for contributing to a minor’s delinquency. SB 776 added an aggravating factor for the assassination or attempted assassination of a head of state, and SB 984 added aggravating factors for capital felonies committed where people are gathered for religious, school, or government activities. SB 1640 made domestic violence lethality assessment forms confidential, and SB 1268 updated FDLE operations and increased reimbursement for retired police dogs. All of these bills were reported favorably after brief debate and mostly supportive testimony. Later, the committee approved SB 1084 on sexual cyber harassment, with a strike-all amendment addressing digitally forged intimate images and extending prosecution time limits. SB 1654 updated sexual offender and predator registration rules, including definitions of residence and online reporting for in-state travel, though one witness raised concerns about vague language and employer privacy. SB 1774 created a rebuttable presumption in certain second-degree murder cases when the victim had a controlled substance in their system, drawing criticism that it could devalue victims who used drugs. Finally, SB 1838 strengthened protections for court officials against tampering, harassment, and retaliation, with an amendment adding magistrates, hearing officers, and related staff; defense attorneys warned the tampering language could inadvertently reach zealous advocacy. Each of these measures was ultimately reported favorably, and the meeting ended with adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• It looks like it was removed. So I appreciate it. Thank you. Further discussion.
• And it was unfortunate that we had to do it.
• It was there, but I didn't really know it.
• It does include in it, and it creates a grant for independence from foreign influence.
• But it is what it is.

Summary: The House recognized its drafters and research staff, then moved through committee reports and several conference committee reports and final passage motions. Senate Joint Resolution 87 was adopted and finally passed after debate over a provision affecting the City of St. Louis sheriff; supporters said the final version restored the original format with a minor wording change, while opponents argued it removed local voter control. The resolution passed 95-46 on both the conference report and final passage votes. Members then adopted and finally passed Senate Bill 973, a measure combining a wholesaler provision and a land bank/real estate transparency provision, with supporters describing it as consumer protection and cleanup language. Senate Bill 1421, a public safety package, was also advanced after a motion to exceed the conference differences; debate focused on clean slate provisions, masked intimidation penalties, prosecuting attorney salaries, fentanyl language, good time credit, Brianna’s Law, and a St. Louis liability provision. The conference report passed 116-18, final passage 110-25, and the emergency clause for the drone-related portion passed 136-5. The House also adopted and finally passed Senate Bills 835 and 1111, a broad package including insurance claim assignment protections, court automation updates, treatment court administration, a circuit judgeship codification, a St. Louis civil case surcharge, and anti-SLAPP protections. Senate Bill 1408, which authorizes MoDOT and the Highway Commission to consider raising rural interstate speed limits from 70 to 75 mph, was receded to the Senate version and finally passed 93-46. Senate Bill 913, extending multiple agricultural tax credits through 2033 and adding a short-line railroad credit, drew extensive debate over tax credits, budget priorities, and return on investment before the previous question was ordered and the bill passed 107-30. Finally, Senate Bill 1553 was passed, creating incentives and a grant program tied to critical minerals and pharmaceuticals to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers; supporters framed it as a jobs and national security measure, while one member raised concerns about local revenue impacts before clarifying the bill’s scope. The House then received Senate messages indicating the Senate had passed a House bill, and the session continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• It was a horrific incident. It did not look good.
• It was a horrific incident. It did not look good.
• I get it.
• If it had been one person, it would be different.
• It is your staff. It is the population. It is everybody who comes in contact with you.

Committee: Senate Rules

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, what it does is that it.
• Was it last year? Yes, it would just move it to the same as the organized retail theft.
• And this bill just doesn't do it. It doesn't cut it.
• They can see it, hear it, understand it, and practice their audience behavior.
• So it adds, it adds a lot of elections.

Bills: HB4420 , HB3974 , HB3016 , HB3062 , HB3021 , HB3145 , HB4128 , HB3131 , HB3015 , HB3472 , HB3453 , HB1638 , HB4126 , HB2696 , HB2710 , HB3552 , HB3031 , HB3544 , HB3521 , HB4490 , HB4488 , HB1746 , HJR1069 , HB4428 , HB4429 , HB1170 , HB3538 , HB4124 , HB3904 , HB4106 , HB2999 , HB3982 , HJR1077 , HB3464 , HB2588 , HB3462 , HB4440 , HB3674 , HB3345 , HJR1067 , HB4326 , HB4331 , HB4337 , HB4338 , HB4359 , HB4392 , HB3557 , HJR1076 , HB4003 , HB3495 , HB3497 , HB3501 , HB3505 , HB3749 , HB3011 , HB4336 , HB4346 , HJR1087 , HB3240 , HB3647 , HB3796 , HB3969 , HB3972 , HB3983 , HB3984 , HB3989 , HB3383 , HB3130 , HB4358 , HB3327 , HJR1055 , HB3386 , HJR1089 , HB3087 , HB2970 , HB3314 , HB4129 , HB4199

Keywords: reading, intervention, literacy, education, third grade retention, teacher training, funding, Strong Readers Act, tort claims, inmate housing, government immunity, public trust, private prison, emergency legislation, vision screening, binocular vision, kindergarten, elementary education, health, firearm rights

Transcript Highlights:

• But it was an overwhelming majority, but it fell on party lines, is the way I would say it.
• It is. It absolutely is. Let's see.
• It is. It absolutely is. Let's see.
• We have worked on it to the point where we took it back and worked on it some more.
• Hold it. Hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it. Mr.

Summary: The Missouri House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the prior day’s journal 117-1, and held several points of personal privilege and guest introductions. Members recognized Women Legislators of Missouri for raising $100,000 for scholarships, honored fallen officer James Anthony Mitchell, Sr. with a moment of silence, welcomed the Blair Oaks state championship football team, visiting students from Bakersfield, Kirbyville, and Raymondville, hospital representatives promoting healthy eating, a former member of the House, and several interns. The chamber then took up committee reports and a supplemental budget measure, House Bill 2014. The budget chairman explained the Senate substitute made limited changes, including removing funding for the capital commission and a D.C. promotional event, restoring $600,000 for an agriculture fee fund, and adding $14 million for tobacco settlement shortfalls. He also noted major funding for MoDOT, disaster relief, and rural health care. The House adopted the Senate substitute 135-14 and finally passed the bill 137-13. Members next debated and passed House Bill 2559, the Raines Act, which would require more legislative review of rules with fiscal impacts; supporters framed it as reining in bureaucracy, while opponents said it would add delay and another layer of government. It passed 103-44. The House also passed House Bill 2710 on school accountability and A-F report cards for schools and districts after extensive debate over transparency, local control, and whether the bill would unfairly label schools; it passed 96-53. Other bills passed included HB 2404/2172 on repurposing unused school buildings (91-54), HB 1797 on alternative CPA licensure pathways (142-0), HB 1786 increasing Highway Patrol vehicle revolving fund spending authority (139-4), HB 2105 on water/sewer billing transparency for tenants (129-9), HB 2397 giving water district boards flexibility on dissolution thresholds and ballot language (130-15), HB 2108 conveying land to address a Jefferson City viaduct/emergency access issue (143-1), HB 2818 allowing St. Joseph to annex an airport it has owned since 1942 (137-8), and HB 1980 expanding peer review protections to emergency medical professionals, which was introduced and discussed near the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Vidal: But it is, isn't it? Representative Anchía: Nope. Mr.
• Of course it is. Is it more than 100? Mr.
• And the way the bill is written, it just says it authorizes it.
• I was unable to get it even though my doctor prescribed it, and you can get it at the feed store.
• Are they going to crush up the pills, heat it up, inject it in their arms, do they put it in their mouths

Bills: HB25 , HB48 , HB149 , HB254 , HB26 , HB192

Keywords: ivermectin, pharmacist authority, prescription-free, healthcare regulation, patient access, HB 48, Texas alert notification systems, emergency alerts, public warning systems, alert fatigue, notification fatigue, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Department of Public Safety, DPS alerts, emergency management, State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry, STEAR, disaster notifications, weather alerts, Amber Alert

Transcript Highlights:

• it went Yeah, it Oh, this morning and it went Yeah, it went<00:29:33.440><c> downhill</c><00:29:33.840
• You think that Yeah, it but it does it.
• it so that it legislatively we changed it so that it could<01:24:22.480><c> only</c><01:24:22.639><c
• ><01:29:22.840><c> um</c><01:29:23.840><c> not</c> book and it and it and it um not book and it and it
• the</c> that, but it it is typically the that, but it it is typically the distinction.<02:03:44.000><

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 74, which would require state agencies, especially the Department of Environmental Services and other permitting agencies, to report more detailed data on permit applications, approvals, denials, pending applications, and permits taking longer than 90 days. The sponsor’s representative and a lawyer who helped draft the bill argued that the legislature needs comprehensive permitting data to evaluate whether current timelines are reasonable and whether regulatory delays are burdening property owners and economic activity. They said the information should already be tracked within existing budgets, despite a fiscal note claiming additional staff would be needed. A Business and Industry Association representative supported the bill, saying better data is needed to understand actual permitting timelines and to help streamline the process, especially in light of housing and development concerns. Members asked whether the bill was simply collecting data without a clear next step, and the response was that the data would allow lawmakers to judge whether existing deadlines, extensions, and exemptions are justified and whether changes to permit timelines are needed. Several members agreed the information would be useful and that agencies should already be tracking it. The committee then voted to pass Senate Bill 74 on a roll call, with the motion approved and the bill placed on consent for further consideration, with a note that it would go to finance for review of the fiscal note. The committee then took up Senate Bill 196, which would raise the threshold for certain in-house construction projects handled by the Department of Military Affairs and Veterans Services and two other departments from $500,000 to $1 million, described as an inflationary update. The sponsor said the department’s existing staff can handle these smaller renovation-type projects and that the bill should not require new positions; the deputy adjutant general later confirmed the department does not need additional staff and said the projects are typically roof, boiler, and similar repairs. Members asked about a fiscal note suggesting new positions and about revenue/expenditure impacts, and the sponsor explained that the fiscal note language appeared to reflect an earlier draft and that the budget effect is largely a shift in where the work is performed. The committee recessed briefly for the deputy adjutant general’s arrival, then continued discussion of the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• it all.
• It was a U.S. Steel mine. It closed suddenly.
• potentially tax it, believe it or not.
• got it.
• And what it does is it essentially combines...

Summary: The committee met for its final meeting and approved the June 16 minutes. The main focus was policy development for advanced nuclear energy, including used fuel disposition, community engagement, and Wyoming’s legislative framework for nuclear development. Rod McCullum of the Nuclear Energy Institute briefed members on DOE’s “innovation campus” initiative for used nuclear fuel, explaining that DOE has narrowed responses to five states—Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Idaho, and Louisiana—and is seeking host agreements by September 30. He said the effort likely requires both federal and state legislation, and industry disputes DOE’s proposal to restart the nuclear waste fee, arguing the Nuclear Waste Fund should instead be used through appropriations for disposal-related work. He also answered questions about Yucca Mountain’s failure, deep seabed disposal, and international approaches to spent fuel, emphasizing consent-based siting and collaboration with states, localities, and tribes. Envoy Public Labs/GAIN presenters Chase Blazer and Austin Blanche described state-led community engagement models for advanced nuclear projects. They highlighted examples from Kentucky, Indiana, New York, Illinois, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, and Connecticut, noting that successful siting depends on early public education, local government support, workforce planning, and, in some cases, state funding for early site permitting. Committee members asked how broad engagement should be, whether it should be countywide or regional, and how small modular reactors differ in public outreach; the presenters said the approach should match the project footprint and local concerns, but that even SMRs still require broad education and stakeholder involvement. Wyoming Senator K.L. Case and Wyoming Energy Futures CEO Rita Meyer then described Wyoming’s legislative history and TerraPower’s Natrium project in Kemmerer. They reviewed Wyoming’s earlier 1995 high-level waste law, which effectively froze nuclear development until reforms in 2022 allowed on-site storage of waste from an active in-state reactor and removed much of the state-level permitting burden. Meyer said the project is now in construction, with a sodium-cooled fast reactor and molten-salt storage system, but faces major supply-chain challenges—especially HALEU fuel—and relies on private investment plus a federal ARDP grant rather than state dollars. Members asked about water supply, investor motives, supply-chain bottlenecks, and state revenue; the presenters said water comes from a PacifiCorp surface-water contract, investors are seeking long-term returns, and Wyoming expects benefits through property and sales taxes and a per-megawatt-hour fee rather than direct state investment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Most people did not seek it out. They didn't want it, but there it was.
• And it was so hard. But she got it, and it totally changed everything.
• I don't want my kids to touch it. I think we should tax it heavily and discourage it.
• I don't want my kids to touch it. I think we should tax it heavily and discourage it.
• it as a relapse and call it a failure.

Committee: House Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Task Force

Summary: The task force meeting opened with a brief organizational update, including new leadership, roll call, and an explanation of the task force’s statutory duties: to study current and future drug and substance use in Missouri, explore solutions, draft or modify legislation, and report recommendations on prevention and treatment. The chair outlined the summer hearing plan, which would feature field experts, with future sessions expected to cover alternative therapies such as psilocybin and ibogaine and testimony from the Department of Mental Health. Members were encouraged to think about legislative ideas and policy recommendations for the upcoming session. The first major testimony came from Dr. Rachel Winograd, who described Missouri’s overdose crisis as evolving into a “fourth wave” marked by fentanyl mixed with animal tranquilizers such as xylazine and medetomidine, along with methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs. She said overdose deaths have declined for a third straight year, with preliminary 2025 data around 1,200 deaths, but emphasized that the crisis remains severe. Her main recommendations were to focus on demand reduction rather than repeated supply crackdowns, expand evidence-based treatment—especially methadone and buprenorphine—broaden naloxone access, and improve practical supports like housing, transportation, and case management. She also said peer services are valuable but should not be used as a substitute for clinical care, and noted that Missouri Medicaid generally covers evidence-based treatment but reimbursement for peer recovery services remains a gap. Dr. Heidi Miller, the state medical director at the Department of Health and Senior Services, reinforced the call for integrating substance use disorder care into whole-person health care. She highlighted the state naloxone standing order, which supports more than 11,000 Medicaid naloxone prescriptions annually, and urged five best practices: integrating SUD treatment into primary care, maternal health, general medical training, EMS initiation of buprenorphine after overdose, and expanded methadone access. She also argued for team-based reimbursement, stronger parity enforcement between behavioral health/SUD and physical health, and caution in regulating emerging substances so policy does not outrun the science. Dr. Doug Burgess of University Health in Kansas City echoed the integration theme, arguing that Missouri’s system is too fragmented and that patients are often stabilized and then left to coordinate their own next steps. He compared ideal SUD care to the coordinated response used for heart attacks, with seamless transitions from emergency care to inpatient treatment, rehab, and outpatient follow-up. He said treatment courts can be effective when they are well coordinated and informed by addiction science, and he stressed the importance of discharge planning, peer recovery coaches, information-sharing, and maintaining Medicaid coverage during justice involvement. No formal votes or committee actions were taken during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> that</c> but it was uh, it was focused on that but it was uh, it was focused on that and<00:13:53.600
• </c> earlier, which is it it could be abused. earlier, which is it it could be abused.
• it it it But the way I read it, it it it diminishes<01:07:10.040><c> or</c><01:07:10.160><c> takes</c
• One is interim study it. it. it.
• </c> regulate it. regulate it.

Committee: House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Or is it our failure to honor and obey it?
• Or is it our failure to honor and obey it?
• They can't do it now.
• It isn't radical.
• It's not worth it.

Summary: The Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee approved the February 11, 2026 minutes and then heard House Concurrent Resolution 25, which would apply for an Article V convention limited to proposing a balanced budget amendment, with a seven-year sunset on Idaho’s application. Senator Ricks and supporter Lauren Enz argued that federal debt is unsustainable, Congress has failed to act, and the states should use Article V pressure to force a balanced budget amendment. Supporters said the resolution is narrowly limited, that ratification would still require 38 states, and that Idaho should join the 28 states already on board. Opponents, including representatives of the Idaho GOP and several private citizens, warned that an Article V convention could not be safely limited, could become a runaway convention, and would place the Constitution at risk. They argued Congress, not the states, controls the process once a convention is called, and that the real problem is federal overreach and failure to follow the Constitution rather than the need for a new amendment. Several speakers also said Idaho should not pursue a balanced budget amendment while relying heavily on federal funds. After public testimony and committee discussion, Senator Foreman moved to send HCR 25 to the Senate floor with a due pass recommendation, seconded by Senator Ricks. The committee debated the risks of a convention versus the urgency of federal debt, then took a roll call vote. The motion failed 5-4, and HCR 25 was held in committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• If they're not paying it, who is paying it?
• It does. It allows for what they call a flex-band rate. trying to do. It does.
• “It is.
• It makes it a lot easier.
• Well, they did it. They did it. It was a nationwide order.

Bills: SJR85 , SCR29 , SCR38 , SCR42 , SB23 , SB39 , SB209 , SB227 , SB240 , SB330 , SB527 , SB584 , SB618 , SB619 , SB636 , SB663 , SB715 , SB732 , SB758 , SB801 , SB825 , SB826 , SB843 , SB844 , SB847 , SB870 , SB884 , SB912 , SB957 , SB1013 , SB1020 , SB1065 , SB1143 , SB1152 , SB1164 , SB1183 , SB1257 , SB1299 , SB1325 , SB1349 , SB1413 , SB1455 , SB1539 , SB1558 , SB1574 , SB1583 , SB1624 , SB1642 , SB1643 , SB1667 , SB1717 , SB1718 , SB1727 , SB1734 , SB1756 , SB1757 , SB1784 , SB1789 , SB1832 , SB1868 , SB1870 , SB1883 , SB1896 , SB1920 , SB1924 , SB1963 , SB2010 , SB2018 , SB2024 , SB2037 , SB2052 , SB2073 , SB2111 , SB2161 , SB2196 , SB2207 , SB2253 , SB2268 , SB2322 , SB2323 , SB2332 , SB2349 , SB2371 , SB2533 , SB2570 , SB2601 , SB2626 , SB2692 , SB2705 , SB2717 , SB2774 , SB2788 , SB2877 , SB2920 , SB2 , SB260 , SB1786 , SB1 , HJR4 , SJR36 , SJR50 , SJR63 , SJR85 , SJR84 , SCR12 , SCR39 , SCR38 , SCR42 , SCR29 , SCR4 , SCR18 , SCR43 , SCR46 , SB2023 , SB825 , SB2010 , SB1870 , SB62 , SB666 , SB847 , SB284 , SB854 , SB1073 , SB810 , SB1539 , SB1505 , SB583 , SB957 , SB1502 , SB507 , SB1026 , SB1349 , SB1433 , SB1434 , SB1376 , SB1585 , SB1772 , SB2016 , SB1163 , SB619 , SB1122 , SB732 , SB731 , SB397 , SB508 , SB1436 , SB287 , SB261 , SB1882 , SB618 , SB393 , SB1791 , SB826 , SB1257 , SB870 , SB529 , SB209 , SB1883 , SB2024 , SB2429 , SB1999 , SB511 , SB2309 , SB510 , SB1860 , SB2037 , SB1924 , SB2253 , SB2018 , SB2206 , SB1963 , SB1643 , SB1299 , SB841 , SB668 , SB584 , SB1085 , SB2431 , SB1490 , SB1868 , SB2314 , SB434 , SB2046 , SB1667 , SB1727 , SB2127 , SB1975 , SB1760 , SB1734 , SB1335 , SB2246 , SB2439 , SB1624 , SB1244 , SB1468 , SB2717 , SB1612 , SB1262 , SB604 , SB2395 , SB1832 , SB1745 , SB1746 , SB2207 , SB1784 , SB1524 , SB528 , SB437 , SB269 , SB1137 , SB968 , SB636 , SB747 , SB1325 , SB1789 , SB1455 , SB2056 , SB1940 , SB2052 , SB1579 , SB2068 , SB3034 , SB844 , SB1920 , SB1558 , SB1236 , SB1044 , SB884 , SB463 , SB227 , SB240 , SB517 , SB1200 , SB1410 , SB1626 , SB1845 , SB1863 , SB2216 , SB2681 , SB1717 , SB2141 , SB2323 , SB2200 , SB2332 , SB2199 , SB1642 , SB1757 , SB2050 , SB1138 , SB2626 , SB2458 , SB1864 , SB2201 , SB1862 , SB1583 , SB1055 , SB2660 , SB1898 , SB2662 , SB2161 , SB2964 , SB2881 , SB1065 , SB801 , SB2743 , SB2533 , SB1413 , SB2073 , SB3014 , SB3013 , SB2774 , SB2702 , SB2629 , SB2443 , SB2349 , SB2167 , SB2145 , SB2121 , SB758 , SB648 , SB647 , SB512 , SB438 , SB1721 , SB2268 , SB1495 , SB2705 , SB2366 , SB1422 , SB1369 , SB1013 , SB682 , SB2692 , SB2570 , SB2797 , SB2111 , SB1896 , SB1164 , SB1020 , SB663 , SB2371 , SB1152 , SB2196 , SB2383 , SB2581 , SB2798 , SB330 , SB646 , SB843 , SB1998 , SB1418 , SB2788 , SB1169 , SB2873 , SB1754 , SB1534 , SB1718 , SB2779 , SB2004 , SB1143 , SB1756 , SB912 , SB2119 , SB2032 , SB527 , SB1580 , SB1952 , SB2601 , SB2322 , SB2448 , SB1777 , SB1283 , SB407 , SB2392 , SB2076 , SB2786 , SB3031 , SB2877 , SB2876 , SB2284 , SB2225 , SB1540 , SB2920 , SB2929 , SB1395 , SB1972 , SB2540 , SB1183 , SB2742 , SB2595 , SB2217 , SB2117 , SB715 , SB2330 , SB1964 , SB1383 , SB500 , SB1640 , SB39 , SB2001 , SB2080 , SB2722 , SB506 , SB2514 , SB2623 , SB2658 , SB1574 , SB2900 , SB23 , SB2753 , SB2398 , SB401 , SB1241 , SB2927 , SB2173 , SB2538 , SB898 , SB467 , SB1449 , SB2529 , SB1531 , SB2846 , SB2476 , SB2031 , SB986 , SB1181 , SB2075 , SB2154 , SB2864 , HB135 , HB1109 , SCR48 , SB31 , SB2880 , SB1359 , SB2386 , SB771 , SB2844 , SB2550 , SB1351 , SB1423 , SB1931 , SB2245 , SB2589 , SB2707 , SB2807 , SB2351 , SB410 , SB659 , SB816 , SB2776 , SB2693 , SB2580 , SB1980 , SB1886 , SB1234 , SB739 , SB482 , SB456 , SB127 , SB1666

Keywords: Texas constitutional amendment, property tax relief, school district taxes, ad valorem tax, homestead exemption, residence homestead, elderly homeowners, senior citizens, disabled homeowners, age 65 or older, school finance, tax exemption increase, local school taxes, property tax exemption, homestead tax relief, voter approval, school district revenue, tax rollback, disabled persons exemption, El Paso

Summary: The Senate opened with a quorum, an invocation by Rabbi Kelly Levy, a gubernatorial message naming appointees to the Red River and Nueces River Authority boards, and several ceremonial recognitions, including Texas Woman’s University athletes, the Doctor of the Day, Balch Springs Day, St. Mary’s University, Austin Oaks Church’s centennial, and a memorial resolution for Marie Flickinger, which was adopted after remarks from members and a moment of silence. The chamber then moved to the calendar and took up a series of bills and resolutions. Several measures dealing with water and taxes were passed: Committee Substitute for SB 1413 on procedures for amending or revoking certificates of public convenience and necessity for certain water utilities; SB 1583 on groundwater conservation district management plans, amended by Blanco; SB 23 and SJR 85 to increase the school district homestead exemption for elderly and disabled homeowners, both passing with one nay; SB 2774 to classify industrial uniform and linen rental businesses as retail trade for franchise tax purposes; and SCR 29 designating El Paso as the official boot capital of Texas for 10 years. Members also adopted SCR 49 recognizing Austin Oaks Church’s 100th anniversary and SR 424 recognizing Balch Springs Day. The Senate also advanced a package of insurance and regulatory bills. Committee Substitute for SB 1643 would require prior approval from the Texas Department of Insurance for certain property and casualty rate changes over 10%, and Committee Substitute for SB 1642 would restructure TDI from a single commissioner to a three-commissioner model; both passed after debate about rising insurance costs, inflation, labor, reinsurance, and litigation. Committee Substitute for SB 1883, on land use assumptions, capital improvement plans, and impact fees, passed after discussion of transparency and local development costs. SB 826, enhancing penalties for DWI in an active school zone, passed with strong support. Two other controversial measures were also advanced: Committee Substitute for SB 1257, requiring health plan coverage for complications, reversals, and related care tied to gender transition procedures, passed to engrossment but was held there after a 20-11 vote; and Committee Substitute for SB 2024, banning disguised vape pens and, by amendment, hemp vape pens and other intoxicating-substance vape pens, passed. The final item shown was Committee Substitute for SB 240, the Texas Women’s Privacy Act, which was laid out by Senator Middleton and described as restricting access to sex-specific private spaces in public facilities based on biological sex, with civil penalties for violations; the transcript cuts off during the presentation of that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• It affects their families. It affects the whole community.
• market it and market it and market it.
• It actually increased. has done it if you want a sports bet in has done it if you want a sports bet in
• If we have it here, it will be nonstop marketing.
• If we have it here, it will be nonstop marketing.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• it.
• it.
• Okay, we got it paid. We got it to the office.
• It was the insurance and we was behind on it.
• If it... I can say. It appears that it could be costing more than you can take in.

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING-COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Just not liking it all over it then.
• <00:39:49.200><c> who</c><00:39:49.520><c> it</c><00:39:49.760><c> is</c> it who it is it who it is and
• So again, it it is still unavoidable.
• It does um it does affect every it does.
• It I back home, back to conquered it.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You'd given it its own line item at $15 million.
• in it.
• So it could vary between the system. It could vary.
• Michael, maybe we jumped over it. Maybe you explained it and I missed it.
• And I think that's about it, isn't it, Dustin?

Summary: The Water Topics Overview Committee met to receive interim status updates on several water-related studies and Department of Water Resources projects. The committee approved the March 26, 2026 minutes, observed a moment of silence for the late Representative Conmy, and then heard updates on the watershed management study and the stormwater/wastewater study. Staff reported that the committee had already received the testimony contemplated in the study plans, including input from state agencies, local governments, and out-of-state entities, and that any further action would be at the committee’s discretion. The Department of Water Resources then provided project and budget updates on NAWS and the Southwest Pipeline Project. Reese reported NAWS is expected to serve about 81,000 users, with a total projected cost of about $571 million and about $96 million remaining, while the Southwest Pipeline Project is estimated at $1.06 billion total with about $409 million remaining. Members asked about funding sources, capacity needs, and whether current and future construction is being designed for increased demand; department staff said current work is designed for ultimate capacity, but some future components may need redesign based on new requests. The committee also discussed local cost shares, Minot’s role in NAWS funding, and whether the system is adequate for peak demand. A major portion of the meeting focused on the department’s cash management, carryover, and long-term water funding outlook. The department said Resources Trust Fund revenues are tied to oil extraction taxes and are affected by stripper well exemptions and future oil price declines. Members expressed concern about large carryover balances and whether the state is obligating more money than can realistically be spent in a biennium. The department reported about $340.6 million in remaining carryover and said it is trying to reduce that through a two-tier pre-construction/construction process and closer project vetting. The department also summarized the Deloitte studies on regional governance and finance and on cost-share policy. Stakeholders generally favored keeping the current governance structures for NAWS and Southwest with improvements, while Red River stakeholders leaned toward a different option; the department said it will bring an implementation plan back in September. On cost share, Deloitte’s recommendations would reduce some percentages, prioritize projects differently, and use other measures to close a projected long-term funding gap. Members debated affordability, local burden, deferred maintenance, and whether statutory changes may be needed to allow the commission more flexibility in prioritizing and funding projects. No formal votes or final actions were taken beyond approving the minutes and receiving the updates.

Transcript Highlights:

• It was formed back, I think it was in the...
• I see it all day; I see it every... them. I see it all day; I see it every day.
• We did it last year, I think we actually did it the year before. What it does is it gives it...
• That's it.
• I'll take it. ...it.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is challenging. It is complicated.
• It is challenging. It is complicated.
• It was a hardbound book, and it had pictures of everybody in the class.
• it to report it to the police, or show it to a friend.
• But let's call it what it is: any time you hit one side, it pops up somewhere else like whack-a-mole.

Summary: The Senate took up several local and special bills for final passage, including measures on culverts and dams in Town Line Brook and Lindenbrook, alcohol license conversions and additions in Milford, Salem, and Bridgewater, and special legislation allowing William Pilarie to take a firefighter civil service exam in Arlington despite the age limit. All five bills were passed to be enacted. The Senate also concurred in House amendments to bills on alcohol licenses in Bolton and conservation restrictions in Hanson, and adopted a resolution commending the National Safety Council and recognizing June as National Safety Month. The chamber then considered Ways and Means reports and orders for House bills on improving Massachusetts home care and requiring health care employers to prevent workplace violence. Both bills were amended with new Senate text and ordered to second reading on July 16, 2026, with the new text pending and further amendment procedures specified. The Senate also advanced several House bills passed to be engrossed, including land transfers in Norton, transportation bond terms, and Watertown property tax classifications, each being ordered to a third reading. The main debate centered on Senate No. 30, a bill to protect children from addictive social media feeds, which was taken up with a Ways and Means substitute draft, Senate No. 3164. Senators supporting the bill argued it targets addictive design features such as algorithmic feeds, autoplay, infinite scroll, and overnight notifications while preserving access to social media, privacy, and First Amendment rights; opponents and some supporters raised concerns about parental authority and the role of the state. The Senate adopted a series of amendments, including changes to the definition of user, stronger limits on minors’ nighttime notifications, parental consent and privacy protections for location sharing and age verification, exemptions for nonprofits and open-source platforms, age-signal clarifications, dark-pattern restrictions, and data-security/reporting provisions, while rejecting several other amendments. The debate remained ongoing at the end of the transcript, with additional amendments and discussion still pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• Most people did not seek it out. They didn't want it, but there it was.
• And it was so hard. But she got it, and it totally changed everything.
• I don't want my kids to touch it. I think we should tax it heavily and discourage it.
• it as a relapse and call it a failure.
• It is a gigantic problem, and we’ve known it for years, and we’ve not fixed it yet.

Committee: House Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Task Force

Keywords: 959, house, all