Video & Transcript : 'state employees' :

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WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session Mar 12th, 2026 at 10:30 am

Washington House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • It is not just a piggy bank for state government.
  • And yes, the state contributed, but it is more complicated than that. The state contributed.
  • No other state has achieved such a thing. No other state has achieved such a thing.
  • The state of Washington manages The precedent that it sets.
  • The state of Washington manages 15 different pension plans for various types of public employees.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session Mar 11th, 2026 at 05:40 pm

Washington House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • If you could be the OSPI of the entire state, the superintendent of the entire state, and then every
  • And when I heard that we in Washington State had a 44% rate, States.
  • State your point. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
  • State your point. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
  • state but are registered businesses here in the state, and they are, of course, required to comply with
Summary: The House first took up Substitute Senate Bill 6225, a transportation bond measure. Supporters said it was needed to fund preservation and maintenance of Washington’s transportation system, including road upkeep and emergency repairs, while opponents argued the state had already addressed current needs through a recent unanimous budget and existing bond authority. The bill passed final passage 59-38, meeting the required three-fifths vote. The House then considered Gross Substitute Senate Bill 6260, an education budget-related bill with many floor amendments focused on transition to kindergarten, alternative learning experience (ALE) funding, local effort assistance (LEA), educational service district reserves, superintendent pay, MSOC funding, and collective bargaining limits. Most proposed amendments were rejected, though Amendment 2654 on TK priorities was adopted. After the committee amendment as amended was adopted, the bill advanced to third reading and then passed 50-47. Supporters described it as a necessary budget reduction and risk-management measure; opponents argued it cut K-12 funding too deeply, especially in rural and property-poor districts, and would worsen inequities and invite litigation. The House also concurred in Senate amendments and passed several other bills. House Bill 1796, about school construction financing and capital levy use, passed 95-2. Second Substitute House Bill 2105, dealing with immigrant worker protections, passed 58-38. Engrossed House Bill 2211, on food sourcing for a health-related program, passed unanimously. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2225, regulating companion chatbots and child safety, passed 74-21. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2247, related to animal care, passed unanimously. Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2418, streamlining permitting timelines to support housing affordability, also passed unanimously. The House then moved on to additional Senate-concurred bills, beginning with Second Substitute House Bill 1906.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session Mar 11th, 2026 at 01:00 pm

Washington House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • As a vote-by-mail state, we don't face the same kind of issues that other states do on matters of voter
  • than our state where everyone votes by mail.
  • Please state your point. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
  • We have such an amazing state. I love taking my family across all four corners of our state.
  • We need to do a better job of convincing folks and showing off our state to people outside of our state
Summary: The House began by signing several bills and receiving messages from the Senate that multiple House bills had passed there or that Senate bills had been signed. It then took up third reading and concurrence on a series of bills, often with sponsors explaining that Senate amendments were technical, clarifying, or improved the bills, while opponents argued some amendments broadened exemptions, weakened election protections, or created tax increases and other unintended consequences. Among the most debated measures were bills related to election administration and voting rights, utility and energy programs, local government finance, tourism promotion, and public safety. House Bill 2215 failed to concur in Senate amendments after concerns that an exemption was too broad. House Bill 1710, dealing with voting rights/election procedures, passed 57-39 after a roll call vote despite objections that it could complicate elections and reduce local control. House Bill 1750 and House Bill 1916 also passed after roll calls, with supporters describing them as technical or protective of election integrity and opponents warning about voter dilution, local authority, and access issues. Other bills passed with varying levels of support: House Bill 1903 on utility assistance passed 70-26 after supporters said it would help small counties and make the program voluntary and state-funded; House Bill 2532 on nitrous oxide sales passed unanimously as a public health and youth safety measure; House Bill 1974 on housing/conservation-related policy passed 59-37 amid debate over nonprofit advantages and county revenue impacts; House Bill 2296 passed 95-1 after supporters said it would help renters and utilities with energy efficiency; House Bill 2325 passed 91-5 with added transparency for tourism oversight; House Bill 2442 passed 51-45 despite sharp disagreement over property tax and levy implications; and House Bill 2594 passed 95-1 as the state version of McKinney-Vento protections for unhoused students. The House also transmitted or received several bills and ended the session briefly at ease.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session Mar 11th, 2026 at 09:00 am

Washington House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • May we be united across difference for the sake of all people in this beloved state of ours, and may
  • Collected as a result of CCA ripping it out of the pockets of taxpayers here in Washington State.
  • I will be rising in no today for the reasons that were previously stated.
  • We are an outlier in the way we administer access to the courts in Washington State.
  • Please state your point. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Summary: The House convened with a quorum, offered the Pledge of Allegiance and prayer, approved the prior day’s minutes, and then recessed briefly for caucus. The chamber received several Senate messages, including concurrence on amendments and the signing of Engrossed Senate Bill 5068, before moving into third reading and final passage of multiple bills. Most of the floor debate centered on concurrence with Senate amendments and the policy effects of those changes. Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1170 passed 55-38 and was described as reorganizing and clarifying how Climate Commitment Act auction revenues are distributed among state accounts; supporters said it would create a clearer budget process, while opponents objected to shifting funds away from transportation and capital uses and reducing tax relief. Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2251 passed 54-40 after debate over Climate Commitment Act account structure and operating-account allocations. Engrossed House Bill 2445 passed 66-29 on probate-related changes, with supporters citing clarifications and opponents saying it did not go far enough to limit outside involvement in probate matters. The House also passed Substitute House Bill 2334 80-15, with little debate after Senate “perfecting” changes. Engrossed Third Substitute House Bill 1960 passed 86-9; supporters said it would replace an inconsistent property tax on wind, solar, and battery storage facilities with a stable excise tax to benefit rural communities, counties, and labor, while opponents focused on tax impacts and local burdens. Additional bills passed included Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1500 on HOA resale certificates (61-34), Second Substitute House Bill 1909 creating a Court Unification Task Force (57-38), Engrossed House Bill 2156 expanding Attorney General investigative authority over economic and financial crimes (54-41 on reconsideration), Substitute House Bill 2539 on inmate funds and related deductions (57-38), Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2548 on health care facility mergers and market oversight (55-41), Engrossed House Bill 2588 on local control for the Lummi ferry system (56-40), and Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2320 on gun violence prevention and 3D-printed firearms (58-38). The House also agreed not to concur in Senate amendments to Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1408 and retransmitted it to the Senate.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session Mar 11th, 2026

Washington House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • May we be united across difference for the sake of all people in this beloved state of ours, and may
  • I will be rising in no today for the reasons that were previously stated.
  • We are an outlier in the way we administer access to the courts in Washington State.
  • Speaker, the bill would be bad enough on its own merits. ...in this state. Mr.
  • Please state your point. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Summary: The House convened, established a quorum, approved the previous day’s minutes, heard Senate messages on several bills, and then took up a series of third-reading and concurrence votes. The chamber also received notice that the Senate had concurred in House amendments to several other bills and that the Senate President had signed Engrossed Senate Bill 5068. Members then considered a slate of bills dealing with climate commitment account revenue, court administration, attorney general investigative authority, inmate funds, health care facility transactions, ferry governance, gun violence prevention and 3D-printed firearms, and renewable energy tax treatment. Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1170, Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2251, Engrossed House Bill 2445, Substitute House Bill 2334, Engrossed Third Substitute House Bill 1960, Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1500, Second Substitute House Bill 1909, Engrossed House Bill 2156, Substitute House Bill 2539, Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2548, Engrossed House Bill 2588, and Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2320 all received final passage after Senate amendments, with several members speaking in support or opposition. Supporters generally described the measures as clarifying revenue accounts, improving court access, protecting consumers, updating inmate account limits, addressing hospital consolidation, enabling local ferry management, and strengthening gun-violence prevention or renewable-energy tax policy. Opponents raised concerns about reduced transparency, expanded bureaucracy, shifting costs, attorney general overreach, limits on local control, and First Amendment or property-rights issues. Recorded votes showed passage on each of those bills, with margins ranging from narrow to broad: 55-38 on HB 1170, 54-40 on HB 2251, 66-29 on HB 2445, 80-15 on SHB 2334, 86-9 on ESHB 1960, 61-34 on ESHB 1500, 57-38 on SSB 1909, 54-41 on EHB 2156 after reconsideration, 57-38 on SHB 2539, 55-41 on ESHB 2548, 56-40 on EHB 2588, and 58-38 on ESHB 2320. The House also agreed to retransmit Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1408 to the Senate after deciding not to concur in the Senate’s fourth amendment. The meeting ended with both caucuses called and the House at ease.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session Mar 10th, 2026 at 01:45 pm

Washington House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • I agree with my colleague from the 39th District that we've got some really fantastic state employees
  • But surely some of those 225 employees could be able to do. client in the state, but surely some of those
  • Forty-one other states have an income tax—red states, blue states, purple states.
  • The bulk of that has been covering our state employees' collective bargaining, about $3 to $5 billion
  • The bulk of that has been covering our state employees' collective bargaining, about $3 to $5 billion
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session Mar 10th, 2026 at 06:30 am

Washington House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • state. ...taxes we have traditionally used in this state.
  • to collect and then the state to redistribute to the people as the state sees fit.
  • They bring it to the state.
  • Speaker, work for the state agencies, or do the state agencies work for the people?
  • Washington State being a state of innovators, and that's true. That's true still today.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session Mar 9th, 2026 at 05:40 pm

Washington House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • as an employee across the state, or even when I was living in Oregon and working in Washington, I watched
  • And at the same time, we're not making the adults suffer with a $3 billion pay increase to state employees
  • State.
  • You know, sometimes as a small business owner here in the state of Washington, myself, with employees
  • state.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session Mar 9th, 2026 at 10:45 am

Washington House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • I think we're going to have more expensive health care or child care in our state.
  • We can't do that anymore legally in the state.
  • The member from the state, Representative Graham [member_16651]. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
  • This is a big problem, and the state is trying to provide a solution for this.
  • This is a big problem, and the state is trying to provide a solution for this.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session Mar 9th, 2026

Washington House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • I think we're going to have more expensive child care in our state.
  • We can't do that anymore legally in the state.
  • We can't do that anymore legally in the state.
  • This bill will ban non-compete agreements in the state of Washington.
  • The member from the state, Representative Graham.
Summary: The House convened with a quorum, the flag was escorted by the Muckleshoot Veterans Color Guard, and the day opened with a prayer from Dennis Anderson Sr. The House approved the previous day’s minutes, welcomed representatives from the Urban Native Education Alliance, and then moved through caucuses and Senate messages before taking up a long series of third-reading votes on bills that had returned from the Senate. Several measures drew debate over Senate amendments. House Bill 1069, concerning bargaining over supplemental retirement benefits for certain public employees, passed 78-17 after supporters said it would help correctional workers and critics said the Senate changes weakened the bill. Second Substitute House Bill 1128, creating a child care workforce standards board, passed 68-27 amid arguments over child care shortages, wages, and affordability. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1155, banning non-compete agreements, passed 62-33; supporters framed it as pro-worker and pro-entrepreneurship, while opponents said contracts should be voluntary and important in business sales. The House also passed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1187 on ambulance billing and collections (93-2), Substitute House Bill 1390 phasing out the Community Protection Program (51-44), Engrossed House Bill 1501 on housing-related local requirements (58-37), House Bill 291 on bargaining communication rights (92-3), Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2110 on ambulance staffing/training (95-0), Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2165 on impersonating peace officers (66-29), Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2219 on child care regulations and opioid-related safety language (67-28), Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2266 on housing siting and local flexibility (56-39), Substitute House Bill 2350 on notice and accountability for developmental disability services (95-0), Substitute House Bill 2360 allowing schools to keep and administer albuterol with parental-notification changes (79-16), Second Substitute House Bill 2384 on financial transparency for continuing care retirement communities (78-17), Second Substitute House Bill 2429 on behavioral health planning and appropriations (95-0), Substitute House Bill 2496 protecting tribal sacred sites (71-24), and House Bill 2510, on which the House did not concur in Senate amendments. The chamber also granted conference requests on Engrossed Substitute Senate Bills 5998 and 605 and appointed conferees for each.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Administrative Rules Feb 24th, 2026

Administrative Rules

Summary: The committee met in a new room and took up a package of 10 bills, mostly sunset extensions. Chairman Kendrick explained that although the bills were drafted as one-year extensions, he moved committee amendments on each to change the sunset date from 2027 to 2031 so the agencies would stay on a five-year cycle and avoid having too many sunsets come due in the same year. The committee adopted the amendments, and the bills were then presented and advanced. The bills extended the Board of Cosmetology and Barbering (HB 3000), Child Death Review Board (HB 3001), Commission on County Government Personnel Education and Training (HB 3002), Board of Chiropractic Examiners (HB 3003), Board of Examiners of Optometry (HB 3004), Oklahoma Climatological Survey (HB 3005), Oklahoma Advisory on Indian Education (HB 3006), Environmental and Natural Resources Advisory Councils (HB 3007), and Board of Tests for Alcohol and Drug Influence (HB 3008). HB 4319 was a separate policy bill changing the Administrative Procedures Act to require specific and explicit statutory authority, codifying a common-law requirement. Most bills passed unanimously after the amendments, with HB 3007 passing 9-2. After the bill votes, Chairman Kendrick returned to the chair and gave an update on administrative rules work, saying the committee was preparing multiple rules bundles and resolutions for floor consideration. He emphasized that fiscal analyses marked “unknown” are unacceptable under the Administrative Procedures Act and the Raines Act, and that agencies must provide a comprehensive analysis or use “zero” or “none” instead. The meeting then adjourned.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Capital Budget Jan 29th, 2026 at 01:30 pm

Capital Budget

Transcript Highlights:
  • access to state support, forcing them to rely more heavily on state and local dollars than other districts
  • We see community forest popping up kind of all over the state.
  • , county road, or a state highway, those sorts of things.
  • We've helped invest in several communities on state lands throughout the state to build things.
  • and the west side of the state were both being considered.
Bills: HB2470 , HB2353 , HB2420 , HB2338
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Veteran Affairs Apr 15th, 2025

Veteran Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • Please go ahead, state your name, who you represent, and please answer it.
  • What this bill does is it adds it for the state of Texas.
  • It's active duty, it's reservist, state military forces, and veterans.
  • So he had to sue the state of Texas to try to get his job back.
  • He ultimately won the case, and the state of Texas paid him money.
Bills: SB2007 , SB2104 , SB2543 , SB2545 , SB2926 , SB2938
Summary: The Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs heard several bills focused on veterans’ mental health, criminal justice coordination, cemetery expansion, housing, vehicle registration, and anti-discrimination protections. SB 2926 would transfer administration of veterans’ mental health initiatives from HHSC to the Texas Veterans Commission, create a community-based mental health grant program, require a statewide veteran suicide prevention action plan, and add annual reporting requirements. SB 2938 would require county jails to verify and report veteran status at intake, help veteran inmates apply for federal benefits, and provide access to county veteran services and free visitation with service coordinators. Both bills were described as joint or practical efforts to improve coordination and service delivery for veterans, and both were left pending after no public testimony was offered. The committee also heard SB 2543, which would give more flexibility to expand the Texas veterans cemetery system, and SB 2545, which would explore using manufactured homes as another affordable housing option for veterans through the Veterans Land Board. SB 2545 drew questions about how manufactured-home loans would work; a Texas Veterans Land Board witness said implementation would likely require closing at a title company rather than through a retail bill of sale, and the Texas Manufactured Housing Association testified in support. Both cemetery and housing bills were left pending. Members then heard SB 2007, which would let vehicle registration applicants voluntarily designate military status so the DMV could record it and help with benefits and towing/impound issues involving deployed service members. Witnesses from the towing industry and DMV supported the bill, saying the current system lacks enough identifying information to run military-status checks and that the indicator could help prevent vehicles from being sold while owners are deployed. SB 2104 would add military status as a protected class under state anti-discrimination laws for employment, housing, and utilities; the author said it would address ongoing discrimination against service members, veterans, and military families. The Texas VFW supported the bill, citing the Leroy Torres case as an example of why additional state protections are needed. After discussion about overlap with federal law and existing state protections, SB 2104 was also left pending.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Hied Committee Meeting - 2025-04-01

Higher Education Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • When looking at projected employment growth or the highest number of job openings in the state, state
  • Our state colleges, our state universities, and the University of Minnesota, and my question is why?
  • This just seems like a lot more state employees would be needed to do this work.
  • A lot of state investment into our state colleges and universities.
  • the state of Minnesota.
Bills: HF2634 , HF2241 , HF2649 , HF2520 , HF2610
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee 4/1/25

Higher Education Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • Minnesota State doesn't charge out-of-state tuition.
  • I mean, this just seems like a lot more state employees would be needed to do this work.
  • I mean, this just seems like a lot more state employees would be needed to do this work.
  • </c><00:59:59.359><c> Other</c><00:59:59.680><c> states</c> the state of Minnesota.
  • Other states the state of Minnesota.
Bills: HF2634 , HF2241 , HF2649 , HF2520 , HF2610
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Rules 2nd REVISED Apr 6th, 2026 at 08:30 am

Rules

Transcript Highlights:
  • Is that what it would cost the state of Oklahoma?
  • We have a high poverty population in our state, unlike a lot of other states.
  • We have a high poverty population in our state, unlike a lot of other states.
  • under current state statute.
  • They are both red, blue, and purple states.
Bills: HB4440 , HJR1067 , HJR1087 , HJR1089
Committee: Senate Rules
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Transportation Jan 26th, 2026 at 04:00 pm

Transportation

Transcript Highlights:
  • initiative with AAA and MADD was to release a toolkit that talks about these countermeasures and also has a state-by-state
  • And with that, I will wrap up simply by saying when states reduced the BAC from 0.10 to 0.08, most states
  • I'm Chief of the Washington State Patrol.
  • What I will say is it's very difficult to live in a state when all the checks and balances of state government
  • What I will say is it's very difficult to live in a state when all the checks and balances of state government
Bills: SB5234 , SB6110 , SB6176
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Ways & Means Feb 19th, 2026 at 04:00 pm

Ways & Means

Transcript Highlights:
  • This saves $282,000 of general fund state in 2027 and $564,000 of general fund state in 2029.
  • These are general fund state costs.
  • I am here today in my role as the statewide treasurer for the Washington Federation of State Employees
  • What happens if the governor negotiates a bonus with state employees that the legislature doesn't like
  • For non-state-funded TTK children.
Committee: Senate Ways & Means