Transcript Highlights:

• Born in Philadelphia as the first of 10 children, Jerry's deep Catholic faith, instilled by his parents
• Jim and Jane instilled by his parents Jim and Jane guided<00:08:50.080> him<00:08:50.399>
• Entire generations, grandparents, parents, and children gone.
• Entire generations, grandparents,<00:28:16.399> parents,<00:28:16.720> and<00:28:16.880
• > children grandparents, parents, and children grandparents, parents, and children gone.<00:28

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Like, for example, let's reduce benefits for parents who choose to stay home with their children.
• I'm here both as the NICA board member and a parent to Ian Oliver. He is a participant of NICA.
• Parents are not asking for anything extravagant.
• They're only asking for the basic things their children need to survive and live with dignity.
• And to everyone, every parent who is going through the same thing, we really understand your struggle

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and heard four bills. HB 1311, relating to legal tender, ratified DFS/OFR rules to implement last year’s gold-and-silver legal tender law, repealed a prior repeal provision, and clarified the definition of custodian for electronically transferable gold and silver. The sponsor said the bill was a technical follow-up to ensure the law could take effect; members asked about the need for the bill, consumer awareness, and banking industry input. A technical amendment was adopted, and the bill passed favorably. HB 1343 would create an optional high school elective on property and casualty insurance that could satisfy pre-licensure education for a 440 insurance license after graduation. The sponsor said it would help students enter the insurance workforce or gain consumer literacy. An amendment directing DOE and DFS to develop the curriculum was adopted. Testimony from insurance groups and others supported the bill, and members spoke in favor of the workforce benefits. The bill passed favorably. HB 1291 addressed the Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association (NICA), aiming to strengthen its long-term solvency by creating clearer triggers for funding remedies and expanding covered services. Public testimony focused heavily on families affected by birth injuries, with a parent and NICA board member describing the lifelong care needs of medically fragile children and the importance of stable funding. Members expressed sympathy and support, and the sponsor said the bill increases access to reserve funds, authorizes casualty insurer assessments, and preserves benefits. The bill passed favorably. HB 271 would cap bail bond rates at 6.5 percent for foreign and alien bail bond insurers as well as domestic insurers, to create a more even competitive and tax treatment across carriers. The sponsor explained that out-of-state corporations had an advantage under current reporting and premium rules. There was no public testimony or debate, and the bill passed favorably. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're more than just They need to stop their suffering and survive, and eventually find a new home.
• There are some parents that go too far, but they can put that defense forward, and then it goes before
• There are some parents that go too far, but they can put that defense forward, and then it goes before
• It's a committee made up of all stakeholders: we have children's attorneys, parents' attorneys, judges
• Then it changes the provisions regarding termination of parental rights proceedings so that they would

Keywords: 909, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, but right now I have two parents that are ill.
• That is the ultimate meaning of survival. The only strategy that will work.
• That is the ultimate meaning of survival. The only strategy that will work.
• That is the ultimate meaning of survival. The only strategy that will work.
• <04:49:00.160> for that tyranny will always survive for that tyranny will always survive for

Keywords: 920, all

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the pledge, and a roll call establishing a quorum of 35 senators. The journal was adopted without objection, absent senators were excused, and there were no house messages, committee reports, motions, or resolutions before the first bill was called. The main item of business was House Bill 1, described as a conditional measure to set a process for electing U.S. House candidates in Alabama’s congressional districts 1, 2, 6, and 7 if a federal court order lifts current injunctions. The sponsor said the bill would only take effect if the court order is issued and would allow quick compliance with federal rulings. Debate centered on whether the bill was truly responsive to the court or instead an attempt at mid-decade redistricting; opponents argued it would violate Alabama’s constitutional limits on elections and ignore the court’s redistricting orders, while supporters said they were trying to comply with the court and that the issue was partisan rather than personal. Much of the discussion focused on Allen v. Milligan, the Voting Rights Act, and the meaning of the court’s injunctions. One senator argued the bill would dilute Black voting strength and was being driven by national Republican politics, while the sponsor and others insisted the legislature was acting only conditionally and that the court had not ordered the specific action being debated. The exchange became lengthy and contentious, but no final vote or other action on HB1 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Brittany was injured but survived.
• punishment for the attempted capital murder of a peace officer fit the crime. ...Maybe because one survived
• There were several parents of A&M students. that were very shocked and horrified at what was going on

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My parents as well, and it was always a dream.
• My parents live in the city of Bell, and they haven't left the house in three weeks because my parents
• And I vividly remember my parents struggling to build their life.
• And I had the world at my fingertips because of my parents' sacrifice.
• And all of a sudden you feel like you're drowning just to survive.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My own parents wouldn't afraid to leave.
• And small businesses cannot survive And small businesses cannot survive that. that. that.
• , survive, survive, we<00:43:26.640> were<00:43:26.800> just<00:43:27.160> expected<
• delay growth just to survive. delay growth just to survive.
• the survival of otherwise viable<01:09:25.799> enterprises.

Bills: HF4477

Keywords: Minnesota business recovery loan program, small business loan, zero-interest loan, forgivable loan, business recovery, economic development, small business emergency loan account, Minnesota Initiative Foundations, nonprofit lenders, greater Minnesota, Twin Cities metro, seven-county metropolitan area, immigration enforcement, business interruption, revenue loss, job preservation, business stabilization, state appropriation, forward fund, loan forgiveness

Transcript Highlights:

• this test done, yet this is the one cancer where if you catch it early, it's something that you can survive
• This bill was brought to me by a local parent who lost her son due to a fentanyl overdose.
• I wondered if what they gave him pushed him beyond being able to survive.
• would have allowed law enforcement to seek attempted murder charges on behalf of my son's friend who survived

Transcript Highlights:

• on some kind of other intoxicating illegal substance, and you hit and kill the, and take away the parents
• of a child, one or both parents of a child, you've affected their life forever.
• or parents.
• So Bentley and Mason's Law, basically, we're saying if you take a parent or parents away, you still have
• That's something the parents could probably, or the surviving person that they're living with, could

Summary: The committee heard Senate Bill 1135, Bentley and Mason’s Law, which would require a person convicted of killing a parent or parents while driving drunk or otherwise under the influence to pay ongoing child support-like maintenance to the victim’s children until age 18, or 21 if in college. The sponsor explained the bill is modeled on child support procedures, with the amount determined by the court based on the offender’s finances and the children’s needs, and with a one-year delay after release from prison before payments begin. He also said the bill was designed to avoid duplicate recovery if the family pursues a civil case against an insurance company, and members raised questions about penalties for nonpayment, whether health care or FAFSA would be affected, and whether the bill should be strengthened with more enforcement teeth. Public testimony was strongly supportive. A Tennessee mother, Brooke Stewart, described how her husband was killed by a drunk driver and how a court-awarded restitution order under Bentley’s Law is helping provide for her two daughters’ future education and needs. She said the offender had prior DUI-related arrests and that the law gave her family relief after a devastating loss. A representative from Mothers Against Drunk Driving also supported the bill, said the measure is needed because Missouri families currently lack this protection, and urged the committee to pass it without amendment because the session was nearing its end. She noted the bill has been pursued for several years, has support from affected families, and is part of a broader effort to strengthen impaired-driving laws in Missouri. Committee members generally expressed sympathy and support, with several saying the bill was good policy and asking about implementation details rather than opposing the concept. The sponsor indicated he was open to offline discussions about possible strengthening amendments, but MADD asked that the bill not be changed at this stage. No opposition testimony was offered, and the hearing on Senate Bill 1135 was closed without any vote or other action taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:04:08.400> from are not going to prohibit parents from are not going to prohibit parents
• interpreting this to mean that a parent interpreting this to mean that a parent can<00:05:30.880
• the a problem where the parents the a problem where the parents regarding<00:06:22.800> could
• . parents. parents.
• Parents don't have access to the portal. parental access to a minor's child's parental access to a minor's

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• um The Entity would manage the parents um The Entity would manage the facility<01:12:47.320> and<
• Most of them continue to live with their parents, who are aging, and that has the parents very concerned
• <01:26:41.520> the<01:26:41.719> parents<01:26:42.159> very<01:26:42.480>
• concerned and that has the parents very concerned and that has the parents very concerned the<01
• You know, they just want to continue, and their parents want to make sure that once their parents are

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I counsel parents who are terrified about the safety of their teenagers.
• <00:44:45.680> during greatest threat to their survival during greatest threat to their survival
• An exemption for children with a parent under 21 who has not graduated high school but is specifically
• An exemption for children with a parent under 21 who has not graduated high school but is specifically
• An exemption for children with a parent An exemption for children with a parent under<01:11:03.520

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My wife and I have been **ICA IFPA** foster parents for over 10 years.
• . difficulty recruiting and retaining foster parents.
• In the past, there was a concern with liability to the parents surrendering the baby.
• parent when given support.
• Either parents leaving their babies in a dumpster or leaving them in a baby box.

Transcript Highlights:

• concerns, specifically transgender and non-binary people who've experienced abuse and harassment, parents
• A 16-year-old's parents asked me to seek an impoundment in connection with their child's name change
• My ex-husband was a stay-at-home parent, but he controlled all of our finances.
• During those years of severe abuse, I was focused on surviving.
• During my relationship, I was simply trying to survive.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on the Judiciary held a lengthy public hearing on a wide range of civil actions, labor, consumer protection, and animal welfare bills. Chair Lydia Edwards and Representative Michael Day opened with strict testimony rules and time limits, then heard from legislators and advocates on measures including animal-abuser pet ownership bans (S. 1207/H. 1914), a name-change privacy bill (S. 1045/H. 1973), tort claims reform (H. 1724), law enforcement council coverage under the Tort Claims Act (S. 1199), civil rights and qualified immunity-related proposals (H. 1641), employee free speech/captive audience restrictions (S. 1078/H. 1653), consumer protection and civil rights jurisdiction expansion (S. 1041), private right of action for wage theft (H. 1916), gun-owner liability insurance (H. 1836), pseudoephedrine sales tracking (S. 1243/H. 1581), prepaid legal services plans (H. 1612), structured settlement protections (H. 1863), third-party litigation financing disclosure (H. 1861), antitrust reform for small businesses and workers (S. 1038/H. 1982), legal notices in online-only newspapers (S. 1279/H. 1632), and several animal cruelty and protection bills including H. 1938, H. 1949, S. 1277/H. 1934, and H. 1764. Testimony was largely supportive from bill sponsors and advocacy groups, with repeated themes of protecting vulnerable people and animals, improving access to justice, and updating outdated laws. Supporters of the animal bills argued for stronger possession bans, broader cruelty citations, and civil removal tools to prevent repeat abuse; opponents or conditional supporters raised due process and enforcement concerns, especially around warrantless seizures and requiring retail or shelter staff to check registries. On the labor and consumer side, supporters said the antitrust bill would curb monopoly power and help small businesses and workers, while opponents warned it could destabilize competition and burden successful firms. The employee free speech bill was backed as a response to captive audience meetings, and the wage-theft bill was presented as a way to let workers or organizations pursue claims when individual employees are afraid to come forward. Several public officials and association representatives testified on the law enforcement and civil rights bills. Chiefs of police supported adding law enforcement councils to the Tort Claims Act, saying it would close a liability gap for regional mutual-aid collaborations. But police representatives opposed changes to the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act and qualified immunity-related provisions, arguing the federal system already provides a workable forum and that expanding liability could increase costs, reduce morale, and worsen recruitment and retention. On the consumer/civil rights bill, Senator Collins and a veteran described an out-of-state assault case that they said showed the need for Massachusetts to let residents seek redress at home when rights are violated elsewhere. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the hearing itself; the committee mainly received testimony and questions. Several witnesses indicated they had submitted written testimony or proposed amendments, and some bills drew requests for favorable reports while others were explicitly opposed unless amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• We all know that parents are not sending their kids to school.
• We all know that parents are not sending their kids to school.
• We all know that parents are not sending their kids to school.
• But truth be told, our immigrant community right now, it's in survival mode.
• And like I said earlier, people right now are just trying to survive.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on the Census held an early planning hearing on how Massachusetts can maximize participation in the 2030 census, with Chair Will Brownsberger and Vice Chair Rebecca Rausch emphasizing the need to start well in advance. The first panel, made up of leaders from the Massachusetts Voter Table, MassVOTE, MIRA, and MESA, stressed that grassroots community organizations are trusted messengers and should be funded early to do multilingual outreach, training, and direct assistance in hard-to-count communities. They described lessons from 2020, including the shift to internet response, reduced federal census infrastructure, the importance of coordinated statewide networks, and the need to begin messaging several years before Census Day because building trust and staffing outreach takes time. Panelists repeatedly warned that immigrant communities are facing heightened fear because of federal immigration enforcement and the possibility of a citizenship question or other federal changes, making census participation more difficult. They said 2020 funding arrived too late to fully staff and train outreach teams before the pandemic, and argued that future resources should be deployed earlier and more flexibly. In response to committee questions, they estimated Massachusetts should invest roughly $8 million to $10 million or more in state census outreach, with one proposed model of about $3 million to $5 million at the start, additional funding in the middle years, and a larger final push closer to 2030. They also suggested that funding should support communications infrastructure, translation, social media and ethnic media outreach, and possibly a permanent complete count structure or trust fund to preserve institutional knowledge. A second panel from Common Cause Massachusetts and the ACLU of Massachusetts echoed the call for stronger, earlier investment and stronger privacy protections. They urged the legislature to expand existing census line items, consider a trust fund or other dedicated funding stream, and coordinate census outreach with other state programs that already work through trusted community messengers. The ACLU testimony focused on racial inequities in census counts and warned that federal efforts to exclude non-citizens or add a citizenship question would deepen distrust and undercount immigrant communities. Committee members asked about the 2020 overcount/undercount results, funding levels, timing of grant distribution, and whether census outreach should be routed through the Secretary of the Commonwealth or other state mechanisms; no votes were taken, and the hearing moved on to a later panel on immigrant-community outreach.

Transcript Highlights:

• But what do you tell a family that put their heart and soul into an industry and made it survive this
• What an incredible thing it is to have known your fathers, your parents, and then your generation, and
• . ...Day and welcome all the students and parents to the Roundhouse.
• His parents are Amy and Jeremy Kohler, and when he grows up, Mr.
• Senator Survival. Senator Campos votes no. Senator Cervantes votes no. Senator Charlie votes no.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• second link is that when a child is in the foster care system, they have essentially a substitute parent
• That substitute parent is the state and the county.
• It’s also their parents.
• The children are also victims of abuse, but the children are oftentimes removed from both parents.
• They'll see those parents with a Feather Alert issued on them. This isn't just a one-time thing.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) crisis in California, with opening remarks emphasizing the need for sustained funding, better coordination, and recognition that foster care, jurisdictional gaps, and public safety systems are all connected to the crisis. Members and tribal leaders described the issue as longstanding and systemic, and several speakers noted progress in recent years, including the Feather Alert, state grant funding, DOJ coordination, and MMIP summits, while stressing that much more remains to be done. The first panel featured tribal leaders from Southern, Central, and Northern California who described how overlapping tribal, county, state, and federal jurisdictions delay investigations and leave families without answers. They called for real-time regional response agreements, better data sharing and transparency, stronger tribal law enforcement capacity, and ongoing rather than one-time funding. Several leaders shared personal stories of missing or murdered relatives and said the state must treat tribal cases with the same urgency as others. Committee members asked about next steps, including training for law enforcement on Public Law 280, improving local relationships, and ensuring tribal courts and protection orders are not overlooked. The second panel focused on strengthening systems and services. The California Highway Patrol commissioner reported that Feather Alert implementation has improved after prior criticism, with more alerts activated and a higher recovery rate, and said CHP has expanded outreach, training, and tribal liaison work. The Department of Justice’s Office of Native American Affairs described work under AB 3099 and AB 1334, including a Public Law 280 advisory council, improved crime reporting, a tribal police pilot program, and outreach on Feather Alert and other resources. A Coyote Valley council member described a local MMIP program that supports prevention and family outreach. Members and panelists also discussed the need for better training, clearer jurisdictional authority, and stronger support for tribal justice systems. The final panel addressed foster youth and the MMIP crisis, arguing that Native children in foster care are at heightened risk of going missing or being exploited. Speakers said Native children are disproportionately represented in foster care, that many MMIP cases begin with child welfare system failures, and that social workers and attorneys often do not know or use Feather Alert procedures quickly enough. They urged stronger ICWA implementation, culturally grounded prevention and healing services, housing and mental health support, and immediate coordination among tribes, families, and agencies when a child is missing.

Transcript Highlights:

• we’re building through these different grants, we can’t just look at one area and think that it survives
• The second link: when a child is in the foster care system, they have essentially a substitute parent
• That substitute parent is the state and the county.
• It’s also their parents.
• And they'll see those parents with a Feather Alert issued on them.

Summary: The Select Committee on Native American Affairs held an informational hearing on the state’s response to the missing and murdered Indigenous people (MMIP) crisis, with an added focus on foster youth and child welfare. Opening remarks from the chair and members emphasized that California has made some progress through the Feather Alert, DOJ coordination, grant funding, and MMIP summits, but that the crisis remains severe and requires ongoing, not one-time, investment. Members repeatedly noted the need for stronger statewide coordination, better data, and more consistent attention to tribal communities and foster youth. Tribal leaders described the crisis as rooted in jurisdictional gaps, poor data collection, and lack of urgency from law enforcement. Witnesses from Hamul, Chachancey, Tahon, Yurok, and Hoopa tribes shared personal accounts of missing and murdered relatives, criticized inconsistent responses, and called for regional response agreements, direct tribal access to data, sustained funding, and clearer law enforcement protocols in Public Law 280 settings. Several leaders said Feather Alert and state grants have helped build infrastructure and partnerships, but stressed that trust-building, training, and accountability are still uneven across the state. The second panel featured the California Highway Patrol and the Department of Justice’s Office of Native American Affairs, both of which reported on implementation improvements. CHP said it has tightened Feather Alert practices, increased activations, improved outreach and training, appointed a tribal liaison, and expanded human trafficking training. DOJ described work under AB 3099 and AB 1334, including a Public Law 280 advisory council, improved crime reporting and data systems, MMIP outreach, and a tribal police pilot program with the Yurok Tribe. Members also raised the need to better support tribal courts and ensure protection orders are enforced. The final panel focused on foster youth as part of the MMIP crisis. Advocates from Pitt River, the California Tribal Families Coalition, and Coyote Valley said Native children are disproportionately represented in foster care and are at heightened risk of going missing or being exploited. They argued that foster care, trafficking, poverty, housing instability, and historical trauma are all connected to MMIP, and called for stronger ICWA implementation, culturally grounded services, better coordination with social workers and law enforcement, and immediate use of Feather Alert when Native children are missing. No formal votes were taken; the hearing was informational and ended with continued calls for legislative, budgetary, and policy action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, as a parent of a rare disease child and um, also a type 1 diabetic parent, I will tell you it is
• Um, as a parent of a rare disease child and um, also a type 1 diabetic parent, I will tell you it is
• “Um, as a parent of a rare disease child and um, also a type 1 diabetic parent, I will tell you it is
• It’s a way to survive, but not really.”
• And a way to survive, but not really.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They survive on the fees that they're able to collect in their airports.
• I'm sure the parents out there have asked a million what-ifs in their mind, and as has the city.
• We need to make sure that we afford every opportunity for those small businesses to survive to help our
• We need to make sure that we afford every opportunity for those small businesses to survive to help our
• youth. that we afford every opportunity for those small businesses to survive to help our youngest.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met on April 16, 2025, with one agenda item: PCB WMC-2502, the committee’s tax package. Chair Duggan presented the bill as a broad tax measure covering sales tax, tourist development taxes, ad valorem/VAB procedures, affordable housing property tax changes, tangible personal property, special assessments, fuel taxes, communication services taxes, corporate income tax updates, pari-mutuel/card room taxes, local incentives, and a redistribution of horse industry trust fund money. He also noted emergency rulemaking authority for the Department of Revenue and estimated a recurring state impact of $34.6 million in FY 2025-26. Members questioned several provisions, including the aviation fuel tax repeal, the delay of the natural gas fuel tax, the extension of the local communication services tax freeze, the charitable trust corporate income tax clarification, the reduction in card room taxes, and the affordable housing changes tied to the Live Local Act. Public testimony included support from airlines, UPS, child care management, and others, while the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association opposed the lifeguard/TDT change, the Florida Association of Counties and Florida League of Cities opposed the missing-middle exemption changes, and local government representatives raised concerns about revenue impacts and the loss of local opt-out authority. The committee also adopted Amendment 1 by Representative Rizzo, which limits certain special assessments on RV parks when based on square footage. During debate, members split on some provisions but generally supported the package, with comments focused on aviation competitiveness, preschool assessment relief, lifeguard funding, affordable housing, and the horse industry funding shift. Representative Duggan closed by emphasizing that the bill was only the beginning of the process and would continue through conference and floor consideration. The committee then voted 16-1 to report PCB WMC-2502 favorably, with Representative Alvarez voting no.