Transcript Highlights:

• rentals vacation occupancy; HB 2621, access special education public schools; HB 2720, prostitution assessment
• vacation, rentals occupancy, HB 2621, access, special education, public schools, HB 2720, prostitution assessment

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 618 by Representative McMakin, Title 36, fees and costs assessed by Louisiana Economic Development
• House Bill 618 by Representative McMakin, Title 36, fees and costs assessed by Louisiana Economic Development

Bills: HR19 , HR20 , HR21 , HR22 , HR23 , HR24 , HR25 , HR26 , HR27 , HR28 , HR29 , HR30 , HR31 , HR32 , HR33 , HR34 , HR35 , HR36 , HR37 , HR38 , HCR15 , HCR16 , HCR17 , HCR18 , HB115 , HB208 , HB465 , HB832 , HB964 , HB965 , HB966 , HB967 , HB968 , HB969 , HB970 , HB971 , HB972 , HB973 , HB974 , HB975 , HR14 , HR15 , HR16 , HR17 , HR18 , HCR14 , SCR4 , SCR7 , SCR8 , HB362 , HB963 , HB207 , HB300 , HB331 , HB428 , HB464 , HB587 , HB618 , HB629 , HB801 , HB853 , HB891 , HB78 , HB112 , HB148 , HB149 , HB190 , HB221 , HB346 , HB354 , HB355 , HB356 , HB358 , HB384 , HB427 , HB657 , HB675 , HB716 , HB901

Keywords: HR19, House Resolution 19, Louisiana Nursery and Landscape Association Day, LNLA, nursery industry, landscape industry, horticulture, green industry, environmental stewardship, beautification, sustainability, state capitol, special day resolution, commemoration, trade association, wholesale growers, landscape architects, grounds maintenance, interiorscapers, Louisiana agriculture

Transcript Highlights:

• bill authorizing the Washington Tourism Marketing Authority to develop, by rule, a self-supported assessment
• It creates an oversight board within the WTMA to govern the self-supported assessment program and modifies

Summary: The Rules Committee considered a long series of House bills and substitute House bills, moving nearly all of them from the white sheet to the floor calendar. Topics included health care transaction notice requirements (HB 2548), waste-to-energy compliance and utility rates (HB 2416), language access for state programs (HB 2475), repeal and transition away from the Community Protection Program for developmental disabilities services (HB 1390), nursing regulation and ARNP standards (HB 2339), lump-sum payment increases for small monthly payments (HB 2124), roadway fatality risk data collection by the Traffic Safety Commission (HB 2192), statewide low-income energy assistance (HB 1903), local government tax resources and flexibility (HB 2442), permanent property tax exemption for multipurpose senior citizen centers (HB 2133), retirement benefit bargaining for Department of Corrections employees (HB 1069), collective bargaining rights for non-academic employees at Western Washington University (HB 1570), medically tailored meals in Medicaid (HB 2211), aviation funding for wildland fire response (HB 2104), port worker retirement and wage/benefit authority (HB 2179), overdose data sharing (HB 2168), real estate transaction exemptions for public-benefit acquisitions by public entities, tribes, and conservation groups (HB 2624), security measures for legislators and other elected officials (HB 2333), voter registration challenge procedures (HB 1916), limits on restraint and isolation in schools (HB 1795), jail search policies for transgender and intersex individuals (HB 1604), Attorney General investigators for wage theft and fraud (HB 2156), Transportation Improvement Board updates (HB 1823), tax treatment for land transferred to government entities (HB 2140), expanded shared leave uses for hate crime and immigration enforcement-related situations (HB 2411), collective bargaining protections if federal enforcement changes (HB 2471), labor standards for clean energy/urban area property tax exemption projects (HB 1210), employer notice and enforcement rights during I-9/immigration audits (HB 2105), tax increment financing dispute resolution for special purpose and junior taxing districts (HB 2451), AI-generated content disclosure and enforcement (HB 1170), tourism marketing assessment authority (HB 2325), defective license plate replacement fees (HB 2114), the Blue Envelope Program for neurodiverse drivers during traffic stops (HB 2323), and pre-clearance provisions under the Washington State Voting Rights Act (HB 1710). Most motions passed on voice votes with little or no opposition; one notable dissent came on HB 2105, where Senator King raised concerns about the bill’s private right of action. The committee also noted Senator Conway’s likely final Rules Committee meeting and thanked him for his service before adjourning with no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• And finally, maybe the most egregious one, one that will assess a company's fee, but really attacks any
• ... ...assess companies a fee, but really a tax, on any of their employees that use Apple Health or Medicaid

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: At this Republican media availability, Senate and House GOP leaders focused on affordability, taxes, and government accountability as the session approached cutoff. Senate Republican Leader John Braun criticized the Senate’s income tax bill and a range of other tax proposals, arguing they would raise costs for food, health care, prescription drugs, data centers, startups, grocery bags, and employers of Apple Health/Medicaid users. House Republican leaders Peter Abbarno and April Connors echoed those concerns, saying the latest revenue forecast did not justify new taxes and that Democrats were relying on tax increases rather than relief for families and small businesses. A major topic was the income tax bill that had passed the Senate and was headed to the House. Republicans said they opposed it on constitutional and policy grounds, argued it would eventually expand beyond high earners, and said the bill should be amended to remove the necessity clause so it could be referred to voters. They also said any meaningful tax reform should include broader relief such as property or sales tax reductions, not just narrow carveouts. Braun also said he hoped Governor Inslee would reconsider support for the measure, while House Republicans said they would try to stop it from advancing. The lawmakers also discussed child welfare and public safety bills, especially efforts to force votes on legislation related to DCYF and child deaths. They criticized House Democrats for not hearing or advancing several Republican-backed bills and said process objections were being used to avoid accountability. Braun noted that a bipartisan bill to add fentanyl to the endangerment statute, HB 5071, remained alive in the House. Other bills mentioned as priorities to oppose included an environmental crimes bill, a juvenile release bill, a real estate excise tax measure, and a bottle bill, all of which Republicans said would increase costs or expand state authority.

Transcript Highlights:

• And finally, maybe the most egregious one, one that will assess a company a fee, but really attacks any
• ... ...assess companies a fee, but really a tax, on any of their employees that use Apple Health or Medicaid

Summary: Washington Senate and House Republican leaders held a media availability focused on affordability, taxes, and government accountability as cutoff day approached. Senator John Braun and Representatives Peter Abbarno and April Connors criticized the Senate-passed income tax bill, arguing it is unconstitutional, would eventually expand beyond high earners, and should be stopped in the House. They also warned about a range of other tax proposals they said would raise costs for groceries, prescription drugs, data centers, startups, and businesses that employ people on Apple Health or Medicaid. The lawmakers also highlighted concerns about energy policy, saying past decisions have driven up utility costs and forced more spending on low-income energy assistance. Abbarno criticized a bill affecting L&I funds and said money was diverted to CCA instead of education or health care. They also objected to several agency-expansion and enforcement bills, including an environmental crimes bill and an Attorney General investigations bill, saying they would centralize power in Olympia and discourage investment. A major portion of the discussion centered on child welfare and DCYF accountability. Republicans said House Democrats blocked motions to bring child welfare bills to the floor, including measures tied to the Keeping Families Together Act and a bill to clarify “imminent harm,” and argued the Legislature should focus on child safety rather than process objections. In closing, Braun noted that a bipartisan fentanyl/endangerment bill, HB 5071, remains alive in the House, while Republicans said they would continue trying to stop tax increases and other bills they view as harmful before the cutoff deadline.

Transcript Highlights:

• introduced by Representative Serrato, is an act relating to local government, clarifying that special assessments
• under the Improvement Special Assessment Act shall be paid by property owners or lessees who hold industrial

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• storage locations, giving the Fire Prevention Bureau the information needed to conduct inspections and assess
• storage locations, giving the Fire Prevention Bureau the information needed to conduct inspections and assess

Committee: Senate Governmental Organization

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• anything about the decision we need to ask for clarification or just to determine how to financially assess
• That November economic and revenue forecast comes out, and then again that assessment is made.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Employment Relations

Summary: The Joint Committee on Employment Relations met for work sessions on supplemental bargaining for Washington Public Employees Association (WPEA) agreements in general government and higher education, followed by an overview of the collective bargaining process. OFM staff explained that bargaining for the 2025-27 biennium began in 2024, reached tentative agreements, was not ratified in time for the October 1 deadline, resumed, and ultimately produced ratified agreements in August 2025 that were submitted for financial feasibility review under RCW 41.80.010. Staff outlined the tentative agreements’ costs and covered employee counts, including roughly 2,500 FTEs in general government and 2,100 in higher education, with estimated 2025-27 total fund costs of about $22.25 million and $13.5 million respectively. Staff then gave a broader briefing on how state collective bargaining works, including the bargaining calendar, the role of class and compensation review, the June revenue forecast, interest arbitration, and the October 1 submission deadline. They described the groups OFM bargains for, including general government, higher education, health care coalitions, and certain non-state provider groups such as adult family home providers, child care providers, and language access providers. In response to a question from Senator King, staff said the legislature requires bargaining for those non-state provider groups and has also provided interest arbitration for them. Staff also discussed bargaining priorities such as general wage increases, targeted classification adjustments, recruitment and retention, low-wage worker increases, and maintaining the health care premium split. In executive session, the committee voted to keep the current co-chairs, Senator Robinson and Representative Couture, through 2026. Members also voted to recognize that the committee met twice in 2025 and to set the 2026 meeting schedule at two meetings. The motions passed without opposition, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• three primary responsibilities are managing spending targets, monitoring systems performance and assessing
• to the social cost of carbon which reflects the real world impact of greenhouse gas emissions as assessed

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• colleague Dan Meyer and I studied what happened in the state of Wisconsin when the interest rate assessed
• That's what we assessed. If you want a figure, I can give you that figure. ...that on hand here.

Bills: SB629 , SB1015 , SB2501 , SB2933

Committee: Senate Jurisprudence

Keywords: child support, interest accrual, family law, delinquency, financial judgment, statutory probate courts, probate court fees, judicial fund, county reimbursement, comptroller, Texas Government Code, Local Government Code, court fees, fee allocation, excess contributions, judicial education and support fund, presiding judge salary, county finance, court administration, Texas judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• 9 through 12 are from Chair Moeller's House File 1082, which increases certain fees and creates assessments
• It also requires that money received from the current assessment on insurance policies be used only to

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• question of obligating the district for the costs if the landowner has failed to pay the required assessment
• question of obligating the district for the costs if the landowner has failed to pay the required assessment

Bills: HCR3018

Committee: Senate Agriculture and Veterans Affairs

Keywords: water rights, wetlands, inundated lands, taxation, property tax, drainage, flooded land, seasonal wetlands, meltwater, navigability, jurisdiction, county tax rolls, agricultural land, soil health, wildlife habitat, environmental regulation, public health, land ownership, riparian, drain and fill

Summary: The Agriculture and Veterans Affairs Committee met with a quorum and first took up House Concurrent Resolution 3018, which was amended to expand a study of wetlands and jurisdictional water issues, including questions about taxing authority over land inundated by water. The committee adopted the amendment and then passed the resolution as amended on a roll call vote, with all members present voting yes or aye. Senator Weston agreed to carry the measure. The committee then considered House Bill 1581, relating to funding for the Native American Tourism Alliance. Senator Marcellais explained an amendment restoring the funding level to $500,000 and adding a 10% tribal match. Members debated the budget impact and the likelihood of the bill surviving in that form. The amendment failed on a 3-3 tie, after which the committee moved to the original House version. That version, with $100,000 total funding and matching requirements, received a 4-2 do pass recommendation and was sent to Appropriations, with Senator Marcellais designated as carrier. The committee also discussed House Bill 1541, which would create a new commission to oversee septic systems, but members indicated a preference for a different approach already moving in the House that would place licensing and oversight under DEQ with health units still handling inspections. No final action was taken on that bill. Finally, the committee reviewed House Bill 1280, a water/drainage-related measure involving voting eligibility for landowners who have not paid assessments, but members raised legal questions and deferred further action. The committee also discussed broader concerns about a chemical-labeling bill and related public emails, then recessed until the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• What's more, because the bill still does not require a research-based method to assess the effectiveness
• program expansion to be effective, it must be adequately funded and monitored using research-based assessment

Summary: The subcommittee met with a quorum and considered three bills. House Bill 1145 by Representative Shoaf would clarify that public charter schools may participate in the CAP grant program and expand the number of eligible programs under the money-back guarantee workforce education provision from three to six. Supporters said it would broaden access and encourage outcomes-focused training; members asked about fiscal impact and repayment concerns. The bill passed 16-0 and was reported favorably. House Bill 127 by Representative Kendall addressed exceptional student education and workforce credentialing. A strike-all amendment broadened the bill to include all students with disabilities, use the term micro-credential, involve the Department of Education, the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities, and OSHA, and add validation by special education staff and an IEP team member. Public testimony included support from Goodwill and others, while one witness raised concerns about IDEA compliance, voluntariness, and funding. Members debated those issues, with supporters emphasizing that the bill was not mandatory and would help transition students into work; the amendment was adopted and the bill then passed 15-0. House Bill 571 by Representative Kendall would expand career planning and work-based learning opportunities for students, require the Articulation Coordinating Committee to evaluate apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs for postsecondary credit, allow more flexible work-based learning, provide career days for students age 16 and up, guarantee transfer of certain credits to the Florida College System, and require annual review of personalized academic and career plans. Several industry and education groups appeared in support, no one spoke in opposition, and the bill passed 15-0 and was reported favorably. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We help Florida Commerce with their damage assessment survey.
• We help Florida Commerce with their damage assessment survey and the small business emergency bridge

Committee: Senate Commerce and Tourism

Summary: The Committee on Commerce and Tourism convened with several members present and Senators DiCeglie and McClain excused. The committee first heard a presentation from Greg Britton, State Director of the Florida Small Business Development Center Network, who described the network’s statewide small-business assistance, including startup support, export and contracting help, disaster recovery, and rural outreach. He highlighted reported 2023 impacts such as $3.9 billion in sales generated, $575.9 million in government contracts, $346.2 million in capital, and support for 2,009 new businesses, including 130 manufacturing firms over the past two years. Members asked about comparisons with SCORE and about measuring rural success, with the chair suggesting jobs and wages in rural areas would be useful metrics; Britton said he could provide job data but was unsure about wage information. The committee then took up SB 320 by Senator Gates, which creates a five-year demonstration project for an alternative licensure pathway for surveyors and mappers. The bill would allow a “first-step” probationary license based on industry certification, apprenticeship, recommendation from a licensed Florida surveyor, and passage of the Department of Agriculture exam within the five-year period, without requiring a four-year degree. Senators asked about the labor shortage, education requirements, foreign workers, and moral character standards. Gates said the shortage is chronic and worsening, the bill has no degree requirement, and anyone meeting the qualifications could proceed regardless of visa status. The committee voted to report SB 320 favorably. Next, the committee considered SB 316 by Senator Berman, which authorizes series limited liability companies in Florida and sets rules for how Florida and foreign series LLCs may operate and transact business in the state. Berman explained that the bill is intended to let businesses isolate liabilities across separate series while providing clearer rules for Florida citizens and businesses dealing with such entities. There were no substantive questions, one appearance form in support, and the committee voted to report SB 316 favorably before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• George Connor from Alabama DOT: We have pavement condition assessments...
• We have pavement condition assessments that show a decline in pavement, but we don't have anything that

Bills: SB110 , SB64 , SB42

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

Keywords: weight limits, trucking regulations, transportation, enforcement authority, portable scales, SB64, Alabama, state waters, public waters, aquatic plants, aquatic vegetation, lake management, waterway maintenance, environmental regulation, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, DCNR, commercial contractors, vegetation removal, mowing aquatic plants, uprooting plants

Transcript Highlights:

• and telehealth resources, offering birth control, STI testing and treatment, life-saving cancer screenings

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs was opened by Chair Joe McGonagle and Vice Chair Senator Mike Rush, who noted that Chair John Velis was deployed with the Massachusetts National Guard. The chairs explained the hybrid format, three-minute testimony limit, live streaming, and filing deadlines, and said the committee would hear 11 House bills and eight Senate bills dealing with federal and overseas issues. Much of the hearing centered on competing resolutions about Article 5 constitutional conventions, along with related resolutions on D.C. statehood, child labor, Citizens United, and Cambodia. Supporters of H. 4692 and S. 284, a joint resolution to rescind all prior Massachusetts Article 5 convention applications, argued that old resolutions from the 1930s and 1970s could be used to count Massachusetts toward the 34-state threshold for calling a federal constitutional convention. Testifiers from Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, the ACLU, Reproductive Equity Now, labor groups, and others warned that a convention would have no clear rules, could not be reliably limited to specific topics, and could put civil rights, reproductive rights, labor protections, and other constitutional protections at risk. Several speakers also cited a recent federal lawsuit and said the safest course was to remove outdated applications from the books. A large opposing panel testified in support of H. 3888, a resolution calling for a Convention of States to propose amendments limiting federal power, imposing fiscal restraints, and establishing term limits. Supporters argued that Article 5 provides a lawful way to address federal overreach, debt, and congressional stagnation, and said the process would be limited by state applications and ratification by 38 states. Some committee members and witnesses raised concerns about a runaway convention, broad language in the resolution, and whether Congress could or should set rules for such a convention. Representative Gentile also testified in support of several related resolutions on overturning Citizens United, D.C. statehood, and the child labor amendment, while Representative Howard and Representative Tongue supported a Cambodia resolution condemning political oppression and urging free and fair elections. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• It shall be analyzed through a social and racial equity screen and then submitted to MassDOT for final

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Transportation

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused on a broad package of traffic and roadway safety bills, with repeated emphasis on work zone safety, the Move Over law, automated enforcement, and protections for pedestrians, cyclists, and roadside workers. MassDOT Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver strongly supported a bill allowing MassDOT vehicles to use blue flashing lights in limited work-zone settings, arguing that blue lights reliably slow drivers and could help address a rise in work-zone crashes and fatalities. District Attorney Marion Ryan, State Police representatives, and police association leaders supported a separate Move Over bill that would raise penalties for repeat violations and add an education component, citing officers and workers killed or injured roadside and saying the goal is deterrence and safer driver behavior rather than revenue. A major portion of the hearing was devoted to automated enforcement bills for speed and red-light violations, including proposals for school zones, work zones, and broader local options. Senator Brownsberger and Senator Jalen argued that automated enforcement is needed because speeding and red-light running remain common while police traffic enforcement has declined, and they described the bills as civil, opt-in tools that issue tickets to vehicles rather than drivers. Supporters from WalkMass, T4MA, Safe Roads Alliance, MassBike, Medford officials, and other advocates cited fatal pedestrian crashes, neighborhood speeding, and the need to protect vulnerable road users, while also pointing to privacy and equity safeguards in the bills such as limits on photographs, data retention rules, public reporting, and local approval processes. Several local and advocacy witnesses backed targeted camera programs. Senator Lovely and Representative Cruz supported a Salem school-zone camera bill, describing repeated violations around schools and buses. Medford officials and school-safety advocates supported a similar statewide camera bill, citing recent pedestrian deaths and dangerous cut-through traffic. AAA Northeast and the Massachusetts Aggregate and Asphalt Pavement Association also supported targeted enforcement in work zones and school zones, while urging public education and warning periods. Some witnesses raised concerns about the color of lights for highway workers, with State Police representatives preferring green over blue to avoid confusion with law enforcement, and committee members asked about constitutional issues, surchargeability, and possible targeting concerns. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And amending the requirement to tools for user and parents to clarify that the tools are to manage screen

Bills: SB2057 , SB2109 , SB2400 , HB1752 , SB2599 , SB2930

Keywords: immigration enforcement, sanctuary policy, detainer, ICE, federal immigration authorities, 8 U.S.C. 1357(g), 8 U.S.C. 1373, 8 U.S.C. 1644, deportation, undocumented immigrants, noncitizen, migrant rights, local police cooperation, law enforcement cooperation, hold request, judicial warrant, probable cause, civil immigration enforcement, county police, state police

Transcript Highlights:

• but I did a quick search, and I just wanted to read this for the record, if I can get to the right screen

Bills: HCR10 , HB195 , HB283 , HB319 , HB325 , HB407 , HB448 , HB482 , HB992

Committee: House Education

Keywords: sanctioned sports, athletics, youth sports, high school, LHSAA, self-defense, chemical spray, public safety, campus security, higher education, Teacher's Shield Act, student discipline, assault, battery, school employee protection, sick leave, expulsion procedures, Louisiana Commission on Civic Education, civic education, civic engagement

Transcript Highlights:

• Situations like this illustrate how, when mandates are enforced without adequate screening, informed

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Keywords: 989, all