Transcript Highlights:

• That's not good journalism practice that violates basically every... code of ethics by every journalism
• Ukraine were instead paying for Ukrainian models and designers to attend fashion weeks in New York City

Committee: Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

Keywords: fiscal responsibility, government waste, foreign aid, funding resolution, legislative oversight

Summary: The committee meeting addressed government spending and foreign aid, with a particular emphasis on perceived wasteful expenditures. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing a funding resolution for the committee, which received unanimous support from the members present. The chair noted a quorum at the beginning of the meeting, signaling that the committee was ready to conduct its business. Discussions highlighted ongoing debates concerning fiscal responsibility and the necessity of legislative oversight, notably regarding foreign aid allocations and their implications for domestic fiscal health.

Transcript Highlights:

• The salaries are big deal because I'm going to the cities make a higher wage that might cost a bit more
• And we seem to have cracked the code at the state University level.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, up next we have Andrew Kanano testifying for City and County of Honolulu.
• share that we were told that it was something to do with retirements—that the person who knew how to code

Committee: Senate Labor and Technology

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Labor and Technology heard several labor-related measures. SB 183 would allow arbitration to resolve disputes over state and county contributions to the EUTF benefits trust fund; labor groups supported it, and the committee advanced it with amendments. SB 185, concerning indebtedness to the state, drew support from unions and discussion with DAGS about tiered repayment options for lower-paid employees; DAGS said the system could be programmed to accommodate the bill, and the measure was also advanced with amendments. SB 458 would expand the definition of employer for wage-payment laws to include the state and counties when no comparable public-employee provision exists; HSTA testified in support, citing repeated delayed pay for teachers, while DAGS and county representatives raised operational concerns. The committee deferred SB 458 for further administrative work. SB 425, on qualified community rehabilitation programs and the aggregate contract cap, was advanced with technical amendments after UPW said employers were splitting contracts to exceed the statutory threshold. The committee also considered SB 1287, which would apply unfair and deceptive practices law to tipped food and beverage establishments and require tip-pool signage with wage-division contact information. The Attorney General’s office recommended a savings clause to avoid retroactive application issues, and the committee passed the bill with amendments. SB 1660 would require hospitality employers to adopt anti-harassment measures, training, panic buttons, and anti-retaliation protections; the Commission on the Status of Women and worker advocates supported it, while DLIR noted existing complaint systems and the need for rulemaking. The committee adopted amendments incorporating sexual assault hotline information, panic-button guidance, and employer flexibility on translation languages, then passed the bill with amendments. SB 631, relating to the Department of Human Resources Development, was deferred, with the chair noting a prior law already allows departments to screen and select applicants from initial pools.

Transcript Highlights:

• It skirts foreign lobbying laws to influence democratic governments, and it woos state and city officials
• theft, at least the way our legal statutes are designed—particularly 1831 and 1832 of the criminal code—have

Committee: Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• So Senate Bill 1328 makes necessary technical corrections to align Idaho Code with the Department of
• will make it clear the enforcement of the Forest Practices Act will be conducted pursuant to Idaho Code
• But it looks to me like we're just correcting the code in the two different sections so they look the
• These sections are already covered in Idaho Code.
• The board has the authority to set the actual fees under Idaho Code 67-42-23.

Summary: The committee first approved minutes from February 9 and February 11, 2026. It then heard Senate Bill 1328 from Senator Harris, a cleanup bill related to the Department of Lands’ authority to use its own general counsel under the 2024 changes in Senate Bill 1292. Harris said the bill aligns statutes with current practice by replacing references to the Attorney General in multiple land-management and enforcement provisions, while preserving some AG involvement. The Attorney General’s office, through Phil Skinner, opposed the bill as unconstitutional, arguing it strips core duties from a constitutional officer and transfers sovereign litigation authority to agency attorneys. Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller and General Counsel John Richards testified in support, describing confusion and overlap in recent cases. After debate, a substitute motion to hold the bill in committee failed 2-7, and the original motion to send the bill to the floor with a do-pass recommendation passed 7-2. The committee then considered three Idaho Department of Fish and Game rule dockets. Docket 13-0103-2501, covering public use of Fish and Game lands, added definitions and restrictions related to camping, leashes, exploding targets, and air guns; it was approved unanimously. Docket 13-116-2401, on trapping and fur-bearing animals, clarified bait definitions, adjusted reporting and reimbursement provisions, and added allowances or restrictions tied to snow-covered routes, bridges, wildlife crossings, and wolf trapping; it was also approved unanimously. Docket 13-119-2501, governing licensed vendors, revised selection and termination criteria, lowered the active vendor ceiling, barred new out-of-state vendor applications, and allowed vendors to pass through credit card processing fees; it was approved unanimously. Finally, the committee heard Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation Director Susan Buxton on docket 2601-2501. She proposed fee increases for motor vehicle entry, commercial vehicle entry, boat launching, moorage, and reservation-related charges, while asking the committee to reject two sections: one adding employee enforcement language and one increasing campsite fees, which she said should be revisited later to better protect affordability for Idaho residents. The committee agreed to reject those two sections and approved the remainder of the docket, with members noting the changes were intended to focus fee increases more on non-residents and align with prior legislative intent.

Transcript Highlights:

• So if you hear about the Water Resources Board actions or see that in code, Board so if you hear about
• Only the legislature can move money from one fund to another, unless otherwise provided in code.
• Only the legislature can move money from one fund to another, unless otherwise provided in code.
• A deficiency fund in Idaho Code is something that is very unique, and it's only, we only have a few of
• Chairman, Senator Okinawicks, to my knowledge, there is not a limit that is set in code.

Committee: Senate Resources and Environment

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Unanimous consent to allow for a relaxed dress code for the morning session of the state Senate.
• And New Mexicans have played a proud, proud part in our nation's history from the code talkers to the
• need to come in and conduct business in the chamber, I ask for unanimous consent to relax the dress code
• So for the member's information, the Senate does have a dress code. We did send out a letter.
• on both sides of the aisle, and I believe that there was plenty of notice sent to uphold the dress code

Transcript Highlights:

• And I was trying to explain this to my wife, and I said, so evidently there's a code out there, a code
• book, and I want to get a copy of this code.
• This is some insurance regulation code book in which an insurance company would say that, okay, that
• It extends the last call for on-site alcohol service from 1 to 2 a.m. statewide and also enables cities
• It will expand commerce options for businesses while giving cities more options to meet the needs of

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee met in executive session and first discussed scheduling, noting that Town Meeting Day would cancel the next Tuesday meeting, that they would meet Wednesday instead, and that remaining bills would be handled through subcommittees and a likely final executive session on the 19th to meet the deadline for committee action on the 20th. The committee then took up several bills, with repeated roll calls and votes, often placing measures on the consent calendar after committee approval. House Bill 185 on ambulance reimbursement rates was described as a perennial issue and was voted inexpedient to legislate, with members noting concerns that an any-willing-provider approach would make premium impacts hard to evaluate. House Bill 186 on cannabis legalization was retained for further work, with members saying the bill addressed stopping marijuana arrests but that the sales and implementation details still needed more development. House Bill 241 on treatment alternatives to opioids was also retained because the sponsor could not attend and the committee wanted more time to continue work. The committee then considered House Bill 302 on state treasury investments in digital assets and precious metals. The amendment narrowed the proposal, removing more complicated provisions like stable tokens and staking, lowering the authorized allocation from 10% to 5%, and limiting eligible digital assets to those with very high market capitalization; members discussed volatility, the treasurer’s discretion, and oversight through bond-rating concerns. The amendment and the bill as amended both passed, and the bill was placed on the consent calendar. Other measures moved quickly: House Bill 451 on a paint product stewardship program was amended to remove direct funding and framed as manufacturer-run enabling legislation, then passed and was placed on consent; House Bill 499 made technical corrections to insurance laws and passed unanimously; House Bill 538 on relocating Liquor Commission positions passed unanimously; House Bill 552 on children covered under the state retirement insurance plan was cleaned up to remove a student requirement and passed unanimously; and a blockchain/digital currencies bill was amended to address noise and local regulation concerns for data mining operations, with supporters emphasizing energy-use issues, municipal authority, and a separate commission studying regulation. That bill also passed and was sent to consent.

Transcript Highlights:

• Every student, regardless of their race, background, and zip code, deserves a supportive learning environment
• I am a superintendent here in the Twin Cities and also on the executive committee for the Association
• and I am a superintendent here in the and I am a superintendent here in the Twin<01:33:38.080><c> Cities
• <c> also</c><01:33:39.159><c> on</c><01:33:39.320><c> the</c><01:33:39.440><c> executive</c> Twin Cities
• and also on the executive Twin Cities and also on the executive committee<01:33:40.239><c> for</c><01

Committee: House Education Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And so these policies are sometimes described as spending through the tax code.
• Uh you may hear these the tax code.
• And for wind, the most concentrated ZIP code would have about 14 installations.
• And for wind, the most concentrated ZIP code would have about 14 installations.
• The map on the Minnesota's zip codes.

Committee: Senate Taxes

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those codes are CPT 64568 and CPT 61885.
• have been inadequate, procedure codes have been inadequate, causing<00:19:28.640><c> multiple</c><00
• </c><00:26:52.640><c> CPT</c><00:26:53.360><c> 64568,</c> for surgical procedure codes CPT 64568, for
• So that's based on the diagnosis and procedure codes that are built on the patient claim.
• um that are built on the procedure codes um that are built on the patient<00:33:14.720><c> claim.

Committee: Joint Medicaid

Keywords: Medicaid - Room 216, 4 February, 2026; 2:00 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, Idaho Code 27-502 deals with human remains and it has a loophole.
• Idaho Code 27-502 deals with human remains, and it has a loophole.
• So current Idaho Code 27-502 currently allows the lawful possession, purchase, and sale on the public
• And then the current code also does not ban other states or other places in the U.S. from shipping remains

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Rules

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, in our current state code, it amends the electronic registration information center, which is a
• However, it's still in state code that it could be used.
• So, the objective is to remove that from the state code.
• cannot... ...that this just simply says you cannot use that form of identification, as found in the code

Bills: SB5 , SB142 , SB158 , SB171 , SB5

Committee: Senate County and Municipal Government

Keywords: archives, history, board of trustees, vacancies, government control, SB142, Alabama, voting, voter registration, election law, Secretary of State, board of registrars, ERIC, Electronic Registration Information Center, National Change of Address, NCOA, voter roll maintenance, address change, voter list cleanup, inactive voter

Transcript Highlights:

• Eric Lur, on behalf of the California State Association of Counties and the League of California Cities
• In the definition of automated decision system, we pulled that from Government Code.
• put a pair of shoes in your online cart but don't check out, and the retailer emails you a 10% off code

Summary: The committee heard several bills, with the main discussion focused on AB 1705, AB 1898, AB 2076, and AB 2564. AB 1705 would require pornographic websites and uploaders to certify consent and age before sexually explicit content is posted, including AI-generated nude images, and would allow civil actions by nonconsenting individuals or minors depicted in the material. Supporters, including child advocacy, women’s groups, district attorneys, and university women’s organizations, said it would help combat nonconsensual sexual imagery and revenge pornography; there was no opposition testimony, and the bill drew favorable comments from members. AB 1898 would require employers to give workers advance notice before using AI-powered tools to surveil or manage employees, including disclosure of the purpose, data collected, decisions affected, and general locations of use. Labor groups and privacy advocates supported the measure as a transparency and worker-protection bill, while business and industry groups opposed it, arguing the definitions were too broad, the notice requirements could expose proprietary or security-sensitive information, and the private right of action could lead to litigation and overbroad compliance burdens. Members raised cybersecurity and scope concerns, and the author said the bill had already been narrowed and would continue to be refined, but the committee ultimately took a roll call and advanced the bill on a vote, leaving it on call for absent members. AB 2076 would add nitrous oxide to the list of products subject to online age verification under the Parents’ Accountability and Child Protection Act and increase penalties for large sellers that fail to comply. The author and supporters, including a parent, a deputy district attorney, narcotics officers, Children Now, labor, and the Children’s Advocacy Institute, described rising youth access, health harms, and online sales loopholes. Some opposition groups said they appreciated the amendments but remained concerned about other provisions. Members questioned the bill’s gift-card restrictions and whether they would unnecessarily limit adult purchasing choices; the author and committee staff explained the restriction was aimed at anonymous purchases of the most dangerous items. The bill passed on a 7-0 vote and was left on call for absent members. AB 2564 would prohibit “surveillance pricing,” or using personal data to set individualized prices, while preserving certain transparent discounts and loyalty programs. The author and supporters from Consumer Reports, TechEquity, labor, and privacy groups argued the bill would prevent discriminatory pricing and protect consumers from opaque data-driven price manipulation. Retail, chamber, and industry opponents said the bill was too broad, could chill legitimate discounts and promotions, created compliance and litigation risks, and contained vague definitions. Members discussed the balance between consumer protection and business concerns, but the transcript cuts off before a final vote on AB 2564.

Transcript Highlights:

• Eric Lur, on behalf of the California State Association of Counties and the League of California Cities
• In the definition of automated decision system, we pulled that from Government Code.
• The retailer emails you a 10% off code to complete the purchase.

Committee: House Privacy and Consumer Protection

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Oakland Ceasefire, which reduced gun violence in Oakland by 50% while it was active, and in nine other cities
• :59.360><c> Supreme</c><00:27:59.679><c> Court,</c> Lopez case before the Supreme Court uses black codes
• and/or codes from—oh. >> That's it.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 3040, which would create an Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Supporters, including Moms Demand Action and a crime-victim advocate, argued the office would improve data collection, research, and coordination to help reduce gun violence. Opponents, including several gun-rights advocates, said the proposal was duplicative, lacked oversight, and would exclude the firearms community. The chair noted 41 testimonies in support and 77 in opposition, but no vote was taken on the bill in the portion provided. The committee then moved through a series of decision-making items and adopted the chair’s recommendations on several measures. SB 17 on wildfire mitigation passed with amendments from multiple agencies and a report date shifted to the 2028 session. SB 2730 on criminal justice reform passed with a defective effective date amendment, SB 2749 on sentencing passed with a defective effective date, SB 2688 on compassionate release passed with amendments narrowing eligibility and adding notification and funding language, and SB 2798 on law enforcement passed with a defective effective date to make the agricultural enforcement pilot program permanent. SB 2645, a short-form bill, was amended to insert substantive provisions and recommitted to the committee. SB 2383, which would have provided a $15,000 retention bonus for sworn law enforcement officers, was reconsidered and held in committee because it was identified as a duplicate. The committee also passed SB 2575, relating to firearms, with amendments adopting a proposed SD1 that would establish minimum mandatory prison terms for certain class A firearm felonies and add clarifying language. SB 2720, which would create a Hawaii firearm injury restitution fund funded by firearm manufacturer licenses, also passed with amendments clarifying the fund’s scope and eligible injuries. Later, the committee began hearing SB 3107 on parole eligibility. The Office of the Public Defender and the Hawaii Paroling Authority supported language allowing the parole board to waive certain program requirements, while the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission opposed the bill, warning it could keep people incarcerated longer if program access remains limited. The Department of Corrections said it is working on classification changes and a pilot project to move inmates through the system faster.

Transcript Highlights:

• We can conform to a provision of the federal tax code called NICTI, which brings in shifted income by
• Every day, I see the moment that a child unlocks that code of learning how to read.
• Many teachers in California are unable to purchase or run a home in the areas or cities they teach in

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And we can discuss the commission's blatant violation of Public Utilities Code 1804(e), which addresses
• areas that allow them, obviously, to get out to the areas and really have an opportunity to even go to city
• Section 747 of the Public Utility Code declared that the Legislature's intent for the California Public

Summary: The committee first heard AB 13, which would restructure the CPUC to increase legislative oversight, add legislative liaisons, require more detailed and timely reporting on rate-setting decisions, and add a public advocate member. The author and supporters argued the bill would improve transparency, accountability, and geographic diversity in CPUC decision-making amid rising utility rates. Witnesses from TURN, San Joaquin County, SDG&E, and former CPUC Commissioner Loretta Lynch offered support or support-in-principle, while no opposition testimony was presented. Members generally praised the bill’s transparency goals, and AB 13 passed 10-0 to Appropriations, with the roll left open for absent members. The committee then adopted the 2025-2026 committee rules and approved three consent items: AB 61, AB 365, and AB 406. The next bill, AB 99, would cap investor-owned utility rate increases above inflation except for specified costs such as safety, modernization, and fuel/commodity costs. The author and supporters, including a representative of the California Senior Legislature, said the bill was needed to protect ratepayers, especially seniors and low-income customers, from repeated rate hikes. Opposition came from utility labor, utilities, the Chamber of Commerce, and others, who argued the bill was too simplistic, could suppress labor costs, and did not account for major cost drivers such as wildfire mitigation, mandates, and net metering. Several members supported moving the bill forward as a starting point on affordability, while others criticized it as overly blunt. AB 99 passed 11-0 to Appropriations, with the roll left open. The hearing then shifted to an informational panel on strategies to reduce California transmission costs. A Public Advocates Office staffer described a growing backlog of approved-but-unbuilt transmission projects, rising transmission access charges, and long project timelines driven largely by utility pre-application and construction periods. Panelists from Net Zero California and consulting firms presented research suggesting that public financing or public-private partnership lease models could reduce transmission costs by lowering financing, tax, and capital costs, with estimated savings of up to 57% and as much as $123 billion over 40 years. PG&E’s representative said the utility is already pursuing federal loan guarantees, grants, and a public-private partnership with Citizens Energy, but warned that state ownership could create tax, wildfire-liability, and governance risks. Members asked about the CPUC’s role, the causes of delays, and whether public financing could complement existing competitive solicitation processes.

Transcript Highlights:

• license in New York City.
• than they do because of the incorporation maps for the city boundaries.
• The issue that exists between GRU, the city of Gainesville, and all the rate payers in the city of Alachua
• That costs the city money to fix. ...sea walls that crumble, that costs the city money to fix every time
• The city of Fort Lauderdale has contacted me.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and included several member introductions recognizing guests, interns, firefighters, and a doctor of the day. The chamber then moved to the special order calendar and began taking up a series of bills, often substituting House companions for Senate measures before final passage. The first major bill, health care patient protection, required hospitals with emergency departments to adopt pediatric emergency care policies, training, a pediatric emergency care coordinator, and readiness assessments; it passed 36-0. A public records bill protecting victim identities and temporarily exempting the name of a law enforcement officer who is a victim also passed after questions about access for victims of police misconduct, with a 33-4 vote. The Senate next approved a local government cybersecurity bill creating a state-administered program through Florida Digital Service to help counties and cities strengthen cyber defenses, with priority for rural and fiscally constrained governments; after amendments, it passed 37-0. A clerks of court bill allowing clerks to retain all revenue above projections and, through a House amendment, revising legal notice and traffic citation distribution provisions, passed 38-0 despite debate over impacts on municipalities and law enforcement. The chamber also passed a trademark modernization bill and a septic system permit bill intended to reduce delays for builders; the septic bill was amended to align the House and Senate versions and passed 38-0. The longest and most contested item was the elections bill, which updated citizenship verification procedures using REAL ID and state databases, changed candidate qualification rules, and altered election administration provisions. Numerous amendments were offered and rejected, including proposals to exempt certain seniors, preserve student and retirement-center IDs, allow attestations in place of documentary proof of citizenship, and require human review over automated systems. One amendment to delay implementation until July 1, 2027, was also debated. The transcript ends while debate is still underway on the elections measure, with no final vote shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• which is just consistent with state and federal law, calling out 501(c)(3) and other associated tax code
• which is just consistent with state and federal law, calling out 501(c)(3) and other associated tax code
• 501c3 and other calling out um 501c3 and other associated<00:26:02.480><c> tax</c><00:26:02.799><c> code
• </c> associated tax code associated tax code and<00:26:04.960><c> that's</c><00:26:05.200><c> it</c><
• 32.400><c> 4,</c> Excuse me, section 4, we have a phased rollout where on July 1st, 2028, counties, cities

Bills: HB0075 , HB0128

Committee: House Minerals, Business & Economic Development

Keywords: virtual currency, kiosk, financial institutions, regulation, Wyoming Money Transmitters Act, penalties, severance tax, oil production, tax exemption, energy sector, economic impact, 916, all