Transcript Highlights:

• Not that they don't affect it, but the primary reaction because we're a reactive body.
• they're close enough to Iowa, they're close enough to the Dakotas.
• enough to Wisconsin, they're close enough to Wisconsin, they're<02:51:49.920><c> close</c><02:51:50.080
• enough to Iowa, they're they're close enough to Iowa, they're close<02:51:51.920><c> enough</c><02:51
• </c> Um, our legislature is so closely Um, our legislature is so closely divided<03:16:59.840><c> that

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ...is closed. Senate Bill 2051 is left pending at this time.
• Seeing and hearing none, public testimony is closed.
• Seeing and hearing none public testimony is closed.
• Get close to the microphone, and go ahead. Welcome.
• Public testimony on Senate Bill 240 is closed.

Bills: SB240 , SB1183 , SB1184 , SB1577 , SB2043 , SB2051 , SCR42 , SJR68

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Keywords: biological sex, gender identity, public facilities, civil penalties, local government, EBT, electronic benefits transfer, food stamps, SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, TANF, temporary assistance for needy families, welfare benefits, benefit card fraud, fraud hotline, card replacement, photo ID, recipient photograph, HHSC, Health and Human Services Commission

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 1183, by Senator Creighton, which would require Lone Star Cards used for SNAP and TANF benefits to display the recipient’s name and photo, add fraud-reporting information, and require HHSC to track replacement-card requests. Creighton argued the bill would reduce fraud and protect taxpayer dollars, citing Texas SNAP theft and overpayment data. HHSC testified that photo IDs on the card are technically possible and explained how authorized secondary users are added. Dr. Amber O’Connor of Every Texan testified against the bill, saying SNAP fraud is a small share of expenditures, that the proposal would be costly and ineffective, and that federal rules limit mandatory photo requirements. Public testimony closed and SB 1183 was left pending. The committee then heard Senate Bill 1184, also by Senator Creighton, which would lower from 20 years to 10 years the minimum age of collectible wine that Texas collectors may sell to permitted restaurants. Supporters said the change would help Texas restaurants access desirable vintages, keep collectible wine in-state, and align with market demand; invited witnesses from the wine industry testified in favor. No opposition was heard, public testimony closed, and SB 1184 was left pending. Next, Senator Birdwell laid out Senate Bill 2051 and Senate Joint Resolution 68, both aimed at revising Texas impeachment procedures in response to issues identified during the 2023 impeachment process. The measures would clarify constitutional and statutory impeachment authority, require sworn testimony, extend review periods for House members, address conflicts of interest and presiding officers, require cost reporting, and modify rules for impeaching the governor or lieutenant governor. A committee substitute added protections for the accused, longer review periods, and a fallback presiding-officer option. Witnesses generally supported stronger accountability but raised questions about whether the language should also cover retired or visiting judges. Both measures were left pending after testimony. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1577, which would expand Texas Motor Speedway’s alcohol sales authority to include distilled spirits and remove certain event and concession limits; the Speedway’s representative supported the bill and it was left pending. Later, the committee heard Senate Concurrent Resolution 42 and Senate Bill 240, which would recognize only two sexes and restrict access to sex-designated private spaces in public facilities based on biological sex. Supporters argued the measures were needed to protect women’s privacy and safety, including in schools and shelters, while opponents warned about enforcement problems, privacy concerns, and impacts on transgender Texans and others who do not fit stereotypical sex traits. After extensive testimony, both measures were left pending. The committee then took up multiple pending bills and reported several favorably, including SB 511, SB 33, SB 510, SB 871, SB 2024, SB 2166, SJR 27, SJR 40, SB 1313, SB 1314, SB 1316, SB 1541, SB 2420, SB 1999, SB 2309, SB 1860, and SB 2429, with some also certified for the local and uncontested calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• How closely are you working with those tribal nations?
• In closing, I respectfully suggest that policymakers encourage solutions, expand coverage options, and
• From a general safety perspective, this issue is closely tied to wildfire risk and preparedness.
• And in closing, I'll just say, reducing insurance costs... All the things like that.
• And in closing, I’d just say, reducing insurance costs cannot be solved by insurance policy alone.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We just closed the first application window: 116 applications.
• Before and after summer, when schools are closed, yes. And so, Mr.
• That's, I mean, you know, it's close enough for government work, as they say.
• Violent crimes are increasing, and our senior meal sites are closing around the state.
• We've been working closely with UNM on that project all year.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Certainly from the Attorney General's perspective, his primary focus is community safety.
• So the reason we want to do this now is that we want to really close these legal.
• And examine really closely the failures of oversight to protect future generations.
• And if I can close, well, yes, but just to stay on topic to what we're talking about here.
• To persist, and how it is that we can close those loopholes.

Committee: House Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• To close up my points here, during the interim, the LFC focused a lot on analyzing which types of economic
• But without working closely with our electric utilities, electric cooperatives, telephone broadband,
• But the ones today are, you know, there are typically closed loop water systems or they're using other
• At the end of it, let me know that that's done, then I can talk to my constituent and I can close it
• We just want to close that loophole and give the Secretary the authority to waive the waiting week in

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, I think this guy's closed. This guy's closed.' It's a Saturday.
• So I think Senator Duhigg, it's time to close.
• Seeing none, Senator Zell to close.
• Senator O'Malley closed. Mr.
• Senator Hill to close. Thank you, Mr. President.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge, and agreed by unanimous consent to allow cameras on the floor and gallery, excuse several senators, and move to announcements and miscellaneous business. The chamber then adopted a ceremonial resolution honoring Lieutenant Governor Howie Morales for his years of service as Senate president and lieutenant governor, followed by extensive remarks from senators and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham praising his leadership, fairness, education advocacy, and personal kindness. Morales briefly responded, thanking members, the governor, and his family, and noting he would offer fuller remarks on his final day. After messages from the House were read, the Senate adopted several committee reports. These included favorable action on Senate Memorial 31; House Judiciary Committee substitute for House Bill 70; House Bill 124, referred to Finance; Senate Joint Resolution 6, referred to Judiciary; Senate Joint Resolution 7; House Bills 103, 154, 165, and 285 as amended; and the Finance Committee’s amended report on House Appropriations and Finance Committee substitute for House Bills 2 and 3. The Judiciary Committee also reported Senate Bill 104 as duly enrolled and engrossed, and the body noted that SB 104 had been signed in open session. During personal privilege, Majority Floor Leader Peter Wirth discussed a State Ethics Commission advisory opinion on whether legislators who are attorneys may vote on medical malpractice cap legislation, arguing the issue is governed by Senate rules rather than the Governmental Conduct Act. He said he would continue to disclose his interests and vote under Rule 7-5, and also rejected a newspaper suggestion that he had a conflict in sponsoring a judgeship bill for the First Judicial District Court. The Senate then moved into third reading, beginning with Senate Rules Committee substitute for Senate Bill 264, which Senator Duhigg explained as an election-security measure responding to concerns about federal interference, intimidation, and emergency election disruptions; Senator Nava then spoke in support as a co-sponsor.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so we work very closely with counties.
• But I'm very close to retirement.
• I am very close to retirement.
• All right, we will close public testimony. Members, that concludes our business for the day.
• Alright, we will close public testimony. Members, that concludes our business for the day.

Bills: SB1 , SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All senators having voted who desire to vote, the secretary will close the roll.
• they are not the primary person renting the<00:11:36.480><c> unit.
• [snorts] All senators having voted who desire to vote, the secretary will close the roll.
• </c> All senators having voted who desires a vote, the secretary will close the roll.
• All senators having voted who desire to vote, the secretary will close the roll.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And they've been doing this for I don't know, close to 180 years. Been long practice.
• </c> know close to 180 years. know close to 180 years.
• That is, I believe, one of the primary reasons why the Maryland Association of Counties feels that this
• </c> That is, I believe, one of the primary That is, I believe, one of the primary reasons<01:32:12.000
• And some of us that speak very loudly don't put it too closely, but some of you that speak very uh...

Keywords: House streaming session for Saturday, April 11, 2026, 957, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• IID being the primary water manager in that region. Offline, could we walk through a...
• They might know a little bit more as they're about to get close to connection, who actually is going
• You know, you also serve as parts of my district in East Los Angeles, so we work closely with some of
• You also serve as parts of my district in East Los Angeles, so we work closely with some of your folks
• than it otherwise could have been, which is really important for us when we're talking about we have close

Summary: The informational hearing focused on California’s future water supply and, in particular, how the state tracks and manages commercial, industrial, and institutional (CII) water use, including data centers. The chair and members framed the issue as a “trifecta” of climate-driven supply uncertainty, limited monitoring of CII uses, and rapidly changing industries with significant water demands. Committee members emphasized the need for better data before imposing broad regulations, while also expressing concern about protecting ratepayers and ensuring new large users pay their fair share. Representatives from the Department of Water Resources and the State Water Resources Control Board reviewed the state’s existing framework: urban water management plans, water supply assessments for large projects, SBX7-7’s 20% by 2020 conservation goals, and the 2018 Making Conservation a California Way of Life law. They explained that process water, including data center cooling water, is statutorily excluded from some conservation targets, and that current CII reporting is aggregated rather than facility-specific. They also noted that local water suppliers and land use agencies retain major responsibility for approving development, while state rules and groundwater sustainability requirements provide additional checks. Committee members pressed the agencies on whether data centers should be treated differently, how recycled water is categorized, whether process water should remain exempt, and whether the state has enough information to understand the water impacts of new facilities. The agencies said they could not recommend specific water sources for individual facilities, but could support community-by-community planning and best management practices. They also said the Legislature could direct additional data collection if needed. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational only. The second panel, from CalWEP and California Water Service, described how suppliers are implementing CII programs in practice. They said CII use varies widely by sector and location, making one-size-fits-all benchmarks difficult. They highlighted tools such as AI-assisted customer classification, mapping of disclosure buildings, outreach guides, and customized rebate programs for high-use customers. Examples included water-saving projects at a hydrogen plant, a commercial laundry, and fire department training systems. Speakers stressed that CII conservation work is resource-intensive, often takes years, and works best when paired with local planning, customer outreach, and targeted incentives.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Sites and I worked closely together to address that concern by adding his language that
• If I was running this bill in a primary manner, I'd have this room full of advocates for that specific
• A very, very small portion are reported even to close family members early on.
• So if it's just you and I, and it's kind of close, and they say, you know what, we'll just split 50-50
• Everybody, they'll hear all the evidence of the case and their closing arguments by counsel, which can't

Committee: House Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 1645, which would reduce Missouri’s general personal injury statute of limitations from five years to two years for claims after August 28, 2026, while also extending the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims from 10 years to 20 years after the victim turns 21. Representative Overcast and supporters from the insurance and business communities argued the change would improve Missouri’s business climate, lower insurance costs, and align the state with most others; opponents, including trial lawyers and victim advocates, warned that shortening the filing window would harm injured adults and sexual abuse survivors who need more time to come forward. Representative Sites supported the child sexual abuse expansion but said broader retroactivity work was still ongoing. No vote was taken in the hearing itself, but the bill drew both support and opposition testimony. The committee then heard House Bill 1610 and House Bill 2182, both of which were described as similar proposals to shorten the general civil statute of limitations, with HB 1610 moving from five years to three years and HB 2182 moving from five years to two years. Supporters repeated the same business-climate and insurance-rate arguments, while opponents repeated concerns about access to justice and the time needed to investigate complex injuries. Several witnesses from the insurance, chamber, farm bureau, railroad, and business groups testified in support, and some said they preferred two years over three. The chair noted the testimony was largely repetitive across the bills, and the hearings concluded without recorded votes in the transcript. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2714, which would change Missouri from a pure comparative fault system to a modified comparative fault system, barring recovery if a plaintiff is found more than 50% at fault. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would make Missouri more business-friendly and more consistent with neighboring states, while opponents from the trial bar argued it would unfairly cut off recovery for injured people and that juries already apportion fault under current law. Testimony focused on how fault percentages are determined, the effect on settlements and trials, and examples such as car crashes and product liability cases. The hearing ended with continued opposition testimony and no final committee action reported in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Seitz and I worked closely together to address that concern by adding his language that
• If I was running this bill in a primary manner, I'd have this room full of advocates for that specific
• A very, very small portion are reported even to close family members early on.
• So it’s just you and I, and it’s kind of close, and they say, you know what, we’ll just split at 50-50
• They’ll hear all the evidence of the case, then there are closing arguments by counsel, which can’t be

Committee: House Commerce

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Just make a closing comment to say thank you for the time. And this is a big Herculean effort.
• Then we also look at the information submitted by each of these programs and see that their closing package
• Chairman and Senator Cook, that is not the primary focus of either our financial statement audits or
• Yeah, close to comment, if I may. Okay. Thank you again, April.
• Half the states don't, but what we found is at least pretty close to every state, if not every state,

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation on Idaho’s medical education workforce plan, developed from House Bill 368. The presenter said the working group unanimously supported a long-term plan to address Idaho’s physician shortage, noting Idaho ranks 50th per capita in physicians and would need roughly 1,400 more doctors to reach the national average. Recommendations included maintaining existing WAMI and other state-supported seats, adding 10 non-WAMI seats this year, expanding graduate medical education by 15 seats, creating a dedicated health education coordinator/director to manage undergraduate and graduate placements and clinical sites, and using one-time Rural Health Transformation funds for larger investments. Members discussed the value of WAMI, the need for more clinical training sites, rural recruitment incentives, the role of nurse practitioners and other providers, and how to measure results. No formal vote was taken in the transcript. The committee then received April Renfro’s update on the statewide single audit and related accountability work. She reported $5.4 billion in federal assistance audited for fiscal year 2024, 45 findings, seven repeat findings, $2.4 million in known questioned costs, and $2 million in projected questioned costs. Major issues were concentrated at the Department of Health and Welfare, especially Medicaid managed care eligibility and provider oversight, delayed health and safety surveys, and reporting problems tied in part to the Luma transition. Other notable findings involved the Child Care and Development Fund, Vocational Rehabilitation, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance, and DEQ. Members pressed her on accountability, fraud detection, managed care oversight, Luma-related errors, staffing, and which findings should be prioritized for follow-up. She said her office would provide a top-10 list of priorities to the co-chairs. No vote was taken. After a break, the committee heard a budget presentation from Brooke Dupree on how to read the front-end reports in the legislative budget book. She explained the state’s constitutional structure, the 20 executive departments, and the decision-unit budget model, including the sequence from the current-year appropriation to maintenance, enhancements, and the final fiscal year 2027 original appropriation. She also walked through request-versus-recommendation reports and fund-source comparisons. Members asked a few clarifying questions, including what falls under public school support. The final item began a short presentation from the Impact Review Team on a base budget dashboard tool, described as a different way to view existing budget data.

Transcript Highlights:

• assistance, other governmental assistance as well, and not to mention the whole issue regarding the primary
• when commitments are made for money, like whoever is making them at the top, that we just informed as close
• when commitments are made for money, like whoever is making them at the top, that we just informed as close
• when commitments are made for money, like whoever is making them at the top, that we just informed as close
• when commitments are made for money, like whoever is making them at the top, that we just informed as close

Committee: House Public Safety

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Public Safety heard testimony on several bills. HB 628 HD1, relating to education, would reinstate a prior law allowing veterans whose high school education was interrupted by wartime to receive a diploma. Testimony was generally supportive from the Office of Veterans Services, the Department of Education, the Hawaii Military Affairs Council, and an individual testifier, with one person in opposition. The committee later recommended passage of HB 628 HD1 as is, and the motion was adopted. The committee also heard HB 1158 HD1 and HB 1159 HD1, both relating to commercial harbors. HB 1158 HD1 concerns firefighting at commercial harbors and drew support from the Department of Transportation; the committee recommended passage as is and adopted the recommendation. HB 1159 HD1 would require masters or persons in charge of vessels to comply with a Harbor Master’s order to evacuate a commercial harbor during emergencies. Testimony included support from Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Transportation, and comments from the Hawaii Harbor Users Group. Members raised concerns about small boat operators and safety, and the committee passed the bill with reservations. The committee then discussed HB 1262, relating to the Emergency and Budget Reserve Fund, and HB 1296, relating to the major disaster fund. Supporters of HB 1262 included the Climate Advisory Team and AARP Hawaii, while the Department of Budget and Finance cautioned about duplication of benefits with federal disaster aid and the need to preserve the fund’s primary purpose. Members questioned how the bill would interact with federal assistance and whether the fund could be used more broadly; no vote was taken, and the bill was deferred to decision-making. On HB 1296, HEMA and Budget and Finance opposed the measure, citing the need for flexibility in emergencies and concerns that added reporting requirements could hinder response efforts, while the Tax Foundation of Hawaii noted the major disaster fund is much smaller than the EBF. The committee likewise deferred HB 1296 to decision-making, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, well, I want you to know that I'll be following this very closely.
• Congressman, you are very close to President Trump, both as a member of the House and since that time
• Twice over the past eight years, pipes have burst, temporarily closing parts of the medical center, and
• At the Fort Campbell VA facility, the wait to get a primary care appointment today, and we've just checked
• First of all, I would tell you that we work closely with the Inspector General at the Department of Veterans

Committee: Senate Senate Veterans' Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• The beach was closed.
• The beach was closed.
• </c> that a little more closely. that a little more closely.
• </c> get that right or close? get that right or close?
• You were really close.

Committee: House Municipal and County Government

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is actually closing this for the T for the next fiscal year.
• The primary issue at the top of the list is always transportation.
• Equity, or anything close to equity.
• Just the last comment on this, and then I'll close it up.
• We have been working very closely with USDOT.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused on House Bill 55, the governor’s FY25 supplemental budget proposal to spend about $1.3 billion in surplus Fair Share revenue. House and Senate chairs framed the bill as a one-time opportunity to invest fairly in education and transportation, while also noting the need to protect the state’s long-term fiscal balance. Administration officials said the proposal should be considered alongside the FY26 budget and related bills, since the governor’s broader Fair Share plan aims for roughly an even split between education and transportation over time. Secretary of Administration and Finance Matthew Gorzkowicz, Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt, and Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler outlined the administration’s priorities. Transportation funding would go mainly to the MBTA and related reserves, including money for the Federal Transit Administration reserve, MBTA stabilization reserve, low-income fares, winter resilience, RTA workforce support, MassDOT workforce and project delivery, and micro-transit grants. Education funding would support universal preschool expansion, early education and care capacity, early literacy tutoring, adult basic education and ESOL, early college and career technical education, MyCAP expansion, and special education circuit breaker funding. The administration emphasized that many of these investments are one-time or multi-year measures designed to address current needs without creating unsustainable recurring costs. Committee members raised concerns about regional equity, especially the large share of transportation money going to the MBTA versus regional transit authorities and rural areas. Several members asked for more detail on how the proposal would benefit Western Massachusetts and other non-MBTA regions, and whether micro-transit and Chapter 90-related investments would be sufficient. Education questions focused on special education reimbursement shortfalls, federal funding cuts to school districts, and how CTE and vocational investments would align students with workforce needs. The administration said it would provide additional data on MBTA versus RTA investment and explained that the special education circuit breaker and transportation reimbursement changes were intended to improve predictability and relief for districts. After the administration panel, Jessica Tang of AFT Massachusetts testified in support of using Fair Share funds to protect public education amid federal uncertainty and cuts. She argued that schools are facing a fiscal cliff, that vulnerable students would be hit hardest by funding losses, and that the Fair Share revenue should be used to preserve services and support students’ needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• The clerk will close the roll.
• The clerk will close the roll.
• The clerk will close. Close the roll.
• In closing, Mr.
• The clerk will close the roll.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I'm going to close that hearing and reopen the hearing on House Bill 148.
• So I'm going to close that hearing and reopen the hearing on House Bill 148. No, no, hang on.
• So I'm going to close that hearing and reopen the hearing on House Bill 148.
• </c> bill so at this point I'm going to close bill so at this point I'm going to close the<03:16:36.000
• </c> envisions and that's its primary envisions and that's its primary function<04:10:57.439><c> is</

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Judiciary Committee opened a hearing on House Bill 148, which Rep. Jim Kofalt said is the same language as last year’s HB 396, vetoed by the governor. He described the bill as allowing, but not requiring, separation by biological sex in three areas: bathrooms and locker rooms, houses of correction, and certain athletic competitions. Kofalt argued the bill would give local school boards and other policymakers discretion to set practical rules, citing concerns about safety, privacy, and a Milford incident involving a biological male in girls’ locker rooms. Committee members pressed him on the lack of a definition of “biological sex,” and he said he did not think one was necessary because males and females are commonly understood. He also said the bill was meant to address situations where outside groups threaten lawsuits and leave local boards with no latitude. Testimony then split sharply. Supporters, including Executive Counselor Karen Hill and several others, said HB 148 would roll back anti-discrimination protections, contradict New Hampshire’s “Live Free or Die” values, and harm transgender and non-binary people. Opponents described the bill as discriminatory and unnecessary, arguing that existing bathroom and sports policies already work and that the bill would invite harassment, invasive enforcement, and legal conflict. Several speakers, including trans residents and parents of trans children, said they had used public restrooms without incident and warned that enforcement would be impractical or abusive. One supporter argued the bill was needed to protect girls’ privacy and safety and cited school sports disputes and a concern about a sex offender at a game as examples of why sex-segregated rules should be restored. Committee members asked questions about how biological sex would be defined, whether the bill was responding to real incidents in New Hampshire, and how any restrictions would be enforced. Kofalt said he was aware of issues in several school districts and at the State House, but did not have detailed documentation for every case. No vote or final action was taken in the portion of the hearing provided; the chair instead moved through public testimony under a strict two-minute limit and noted that follow-up questions would be limited so the committee could hear multiple bills that day.