Transcript Highlights:

• Further remarks, the member from the 17th, Representative Waters. Vote yes.

Bills: HB2720 , HB2073 , HB2487 , SB5816 , SB5919 , SB5995 , SB5831 , SB6134 , SB6136 , SB6137 , HB2689 , SB5922 , SB5944 , SB5957 , SB5988 , SB5994 , SB6011 , SB6065 , SB6103 , SB6151 , SB6244 , SB5420 , SB5868 , SB6044 , SB6132 , SJM8002

Keywords: behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access, mental health funding, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, insurance tax, state regulation, insurers, taxation, budget impact, juice grapes, agriculture, commerce, market access, fire safety, insurance incentives

Summary: The House received a Senate message that Substitute House Bill 1570 had passed the Senate, then moved several bills from Rules to the second reading calendar, including Substitute Senate Bill 5242 on anaphylaxis medications in schools and Senate Bill 6132 on Inland Port District debt. The chamber then took up several bills, beginning with Senate Bill 5988 on Department of Health accreditation fee authority for opioid treatment programs. Amendment 2336 to cap the fee at $17,000 was debated at length but rejected, and a separate amendment to add safe-injection-site language was ruled out of scope. Senate Bill 5988 then passed 62-34. Substitute Senate Bill 6309 on enhanced municipal permitting tools for high-capacity transit projects drew multiple amendments focused on Sound Transit’s authority. Amendments to require written consent from abutting property owners, to add flood-zone and seismic/critical-area protections, and to address public-records issues were either rejected or ruled beyond scope, though the local government committee amendment was adopted. The bill passed 56-38. The House also passed Substitute Senate Bill 5886 on digital personality rights and Senate Bill 6136 on transparency in workers’ compensation rate-setting, both with strong bipartisan support. Later, the House passed a series of additional bills: Substitute Senate Bill 6034 codifying the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs; Gross Second Substitute Senate Bill 5395 on prior authorization reform, with remarks emphasizing limits on AI in health care decisions; Substitute Senate Bill 6248 creating the Washington Travel Insurance Act; Substitute Senate Bill 5720 establishing uniform consumer debt default judgment procedures; Senate Bill 5995 on port modernization funding and labor considerations; Senate Bill 6103 affecting rural hospitals; Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6110 creating a work group on e-motorcycles; Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5156 allowing smaller elevators to support accessible, more affordable housing; Substitute Senate Bill 6269 updating motor fuel definitions to include hydrogen; Substitute Senate Bill 6189 giving Thurston County more time to pursue an aquatics public facilities district; and Senate Bill 6134 requiring unemployment applicants to acknowledge repayment obligations if retroactive union pay is received. Most of these bills passed with large margins, and the House adjourned after completing final passage votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it just clears up a lot of muddy water.

Committee: House Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met with a quorum and first took up several bills in executive session. It voted House Bill 3144, relating to injunctions, due pass by an 8-4 vote; House Bill 3160, relating to preliminary injunctions and judicial proceedings, due pass by a 9-4 vote; House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2254, relating to post-conviction relief, due pass after adopting a technical committee amendment and substitute, by an 8-5 vote; House Bill 2206, relating to commercial activities, due pass by a 12-1 vote; and House Bill 2256, relating to minimum prison terms, due pass by a 9-4 vote. Members raised questions on HB 3160 about whether probate commissioners should be included in the bill’s language, and on HB 2254 about whether it was the same measure previously used to speed up the process. In public hearing, the committee heard House Bill 1711, the Uniform Interstate Deposition Discovery Act, which the sponsor and the Attorney General’s office said would streamline out-of-state depositions and subpoenas, reduce legal fees, and make Missouri’s process consistent with more than 40 other states. No opposition testimony was offered. The committee also heard House Bill 1713, which would simplify dissolution of deadlocked LLCs by allowing a judge to order dissolution more quickly, with the sponsor arguing it would reduce delay and litigation; no witnesses opposed it. House Bill 2427 would add judicial positions in St. Charles County, with the sponsor and members discussing the county’s rapid growth, docket pressure, staffing, and the need to reconcile differences among pending versions of the bill. No witnesses testified for or against that measure. The committee then heard House Bill 3086, which would create an additional associate circuit judge position in Miller County. The sponsor and a local attorney testified that Miller County’s caseload, tourism-related population spikes, municipal cases, and lack of commissioners justify moving up the statutory population threshold for a second associate judge. Members asked about treatment court staffing, courtroom space, senior judges, and whether similar arguments might apply in other counties. Finally, House Bill 3072 would allow the Industrial Labor Commission to modify attorney fee arrangements in permanent total disability cases when an attorney retires or dies and a new lawyer must take over; the sponsor said it would clear up an oversight and help manage ongoing medical issues. The committee also heard House Bill 2968, a cleanup bill to align circuit descriptions with prior recircuiting changes and to authorize a previously budgeted circuit judge position in the 25th Circuit. Testimony from the Judicial Conference explained that the bill would remove outdated geographic language and resolve ambiguity about the election date for the new judge. The meeting concluded after the public hearing on HB 2968, and members were told the next Judiciary meeting would be held the following Tuesday at noon in Hearing Room 3.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're not experts on water issues that we vote on. We're not experts on dental.

Committee: Senate Health and Welfare

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• his estate would potentially have a claim on the future benefits, and just clears up a lot of muddy water

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• proposed fee caps, being recommended to address the rising service, maintenance, electricity, and water

Committee: Senate Resources and Environment

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Commission oversees the interstate operation of investor-owned electric, gas, water, and telecommunications

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The committee met to review the general fund update and several budget-setting items, with staff explaining how to track the latest “green sheet” online and how JFAC actions were affecting the FY 2026 and FY 2027 bottom lines. Members also discussed whether work group progress should be summarized more broadly, but leadership emphasized that work groups were intended to remain independent and that members should consult analysts directly rather than have a running public summary of each group’s internal deliberations. The committee then acted on a series of agency budgets. It approved the Idaho State Tax Commission enhancement package after revising it to remove the chief operating officer personnel item and adopted language limiting use of $550,000 for fast tax collection vendor payments, with any unused amount reverting to the general fund. It also approved supplemental and enhancement requests for the Office of Information Technology Services, including Chinden campus furnishings, E-Core grant staffing and funding, enterprise security/firewall upgrades, the IT modernization transfer of 58 positions from Health and Welfare, and a one-time cash transfer language item to cover transition-year health insurance costs. The Military Division’s request for $120,000 for Office of Emergency Management indirect cost recovery was approved, but an alternate motion to also add $190,800 for the state education assistance program failed, and the original motion was later held in committee. The Industrial Commission and Public Utilities Commission budgets were both advanced with dedicated-fund increases for IRIS maintenance, training, disability fund needs, OITS hardware, and replacement laptops. The Department of Fish and Game budget was also advanced, with approval of a large package of dedicated and federal funds for fishery habitat projects, Good Neighbor Authority work, hatchery and laboratory inflation, temporary employees, wolf depredation response, communications, and replacement items, along with reappropriation authority for prior-year funds. The committee then took up the Department of Health and Welfare Division of Public Health Services, where competing motions focused on the Idaho Home Visiting Program, immunization assessment fund restoration, laboratory testing, HIV and hepatitis prevention, suicide prevention, and moving the home visiting program to Early Learning and Development. Both the substitute motion and the original motion failed after split votes in the House and Senate committees, leaving that budget held for later action. Finally, the committee considered new language for the State Controller and State Treasurer to require monthly reconciliation of cash balances between Luma and TARS from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2026, with a report due by the fall interim JFAC meeting and documentation retained for audit. Members discussed the need for accurate cash reconciliation and the resources available to the Controller’s office, but no final action was taken before adjournment. The chair announced upcoming budget-setting meetings and reminded members to complete work group motions by the end of the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're talking about natural environmental resources such as air, water, earth, species, and habitat.

Bills: HB2111 , HB2495

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: Interstate 5 bridge, toll facility, bond retirement, transportation, state funding, vehicles, streetcar operation, public safety, urban regulation, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• programmatic environmental impact statement: we're talking about natural environmental resources such as air, water

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held a work session on electric vehicles, renewable fuels, hydrogen, and related transportation investments, followed by public hearings on several bills. Agency presenters from WSDOT, Commerce, and Ecology described the Electric Vehicle Coordinating Council’s work, Washington’s slowing EV adoption growth, charging infrastructure gaps, and programs such as NEVI, ZEVIP, and a new medium- and heavy-duty incentive program. Members asked about fast-charging standards and whether higher-capacity chargers could be supported. Commerce also outlined renewable fuels and sustainable aviation fuel efforts, including the Office of Renewable Fuels, hydrogen and SAF modeling, technical assistance, and the Cascadia Sustainable Aviation Accelerator’s partnerships and funding. WSDOT then discussed hydrogen investments in transit, aviation, backup power, and corridor planning, while Ecology explained the alternative jet fuel programmatic environmental impact statement, its scope, timeline, and how it will support future project review. In the public hearing on Substitute House Bill 2114, the committee heard testimony supporting a no-fee replacement process for defective license plates within two years of issuance, with optional fee waivers later; the sponsor and county auditors said peeling or unreadable plates are a real customer-service problem, especially in eastern Washington. The hearing on House Bill 2111 concerned allowing the I-5 Bridge Replacement Project toll facility bond retirement account to keep its interest earnings instead of sending them to the general fund; the prime sponsor said it is a straightforward fix requested by the state treasurer. Substitute House Bill 1823 would update Transportation Improvement Board statutes by replacing “non-motorized” with “active transportation” and removing obsolete references; TIB said it is a cleanup bill that aligns statutes with current grant practices and complete streets policy. The committee also heard House Bill 2495, which would let the City of Seattle direct immediate impoundment of unattended vehicles blocking streetcar operations, similar to existing authority for Sound Transit. Seattle’s streetcar manager said blocked tracks cause frequent delays and that the bill would reduce waits for police authorization and restore service faster. Public testimony and sign-in counts were noted for each bill, but no votes were taken in the transcript, and the meeting concluded after the final public hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the reason why this took so long is because we wanted to make sure that the Idaho Water Users Association

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Summary: The committee began with a silent roll, confirmed a quorum, and recognized page Drew Brown, who spoke briefly about his interest in law enforcement and asked Senator Den Hartog about the hardest part of being a senator. The committee then considered the gubernatorial appointment of Callie Younger as administrator of the Office of Energy and Mineral Resources. Younger described her background in public lands and natural resources, the office’s work on rural energy grants, nuclear policy, and permitting reform, and answered questions about a proposed merger with the Office of Species Conservation; the committee said it would likely vote on her appointment at a later meeting. The committee introduced two RS measures from Senator Anthon. RS 33435 would reinforce civics and patriotism in public education, including codifying existing American history and government credit requirements and adding complementary instruction tied to the nation’s founding, in connection with America 250; it was introduced by voice vote. RS 33460 would make a narrow change for smaller irrigation districts of 15,000 acres or less to help fill board vacancies where farm consolidation has left fewer resident landowners eligible; it was also introduced by voice vote. The committee then heard Senate Bill 1300, which would require Senate advice and consent and gubernatorial appointment for the directors of Fish and Game, Transportation, and Parks and Recreation. The sponsor argued the change would improve accountability and align those agencies with others, while opponents from the Idaho Wildlife Federation, Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association, Trout Unlimited, Friends of Idaho State Parks, and others said it would politicize wildlife and parks management, conflict with the 1938 Fish and Game initiative, and potentially jeopardize the Harriman State Park agreement. After debate, the committee voted to send SB 1300 to the floor with a do pass recommendation, with Senator Ruchti recorded as voting no. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 1301, which would allow licensed breweries under the small-brewer threshold to operate two remote retail taproom locations instead of one. The sponsor and brewery owners testified that the current limit restricts growth, jobs, and community investment, while the bill would support measured expansion without changing tax or regulatory oversight. The committee voted to send SB 1301 to the floor with a do pass recommendation, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness is like a mighty stream, we will stand, we will

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As a young man during segregation, he courageously drank from a whites-only water fountain and made sure

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Who knows where we'll be watered down in the next year?

Committee: Senate Senate Health & Public Affairs

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In particular, I always think about what about our water services, what about our services to help people

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, a roll call showing 29 present, and several guest introductions, including Scout groups from Phoenix/Levine, Dr. John Galgiani for Valley Fever Awareness, and Dr. Sarah Lee Davidson as Doctor of the Day. Senator Kavanagh read a proclamation recognizing Valley Fever Awareness and the work of the University of Arizona’s Valley Fever Center for Excellence. The chamber also adopted a death resolution for Victor E. Hardy and observed a moment of silence. The Committee of the Whole considered SB 1036 on unemployment insurance, SB 1056 on reporting vacant state positions, SB 1236 on AHCCCS enrollment verification and presumptive eligibility, and SB 1238 on the physician assistant licensure compact. SB 1036, SB 1056, and SB 1238 were approved in Committee of the Whole, with SB 1036 and SB 1238 amended. During floor debate, SB 1036 drew criticism from Democrats as adding burdens and reducing benefits for unemployed workers, while supporters said it was aimed at preventing fraud; it later passed the Senate 17-12. SB 1056 also passed 17-12 after debate over whether automatic elimination of long-vacant positions would improve efficiency or harm agency staffing. SB 1238 passed with a conforming amendment and later the House version HB 2190 was substituted and passed. The Senate then took up several third-reading bills. SB 1126 on educational records passed 29-0. SB 1189 on campaign expenditures passed 27-2 after debate about political violence and campaign-related expenses. SB 1211 on sentencing passed 29-0. The chamber also reconsidered and substituted House bills for identical Senate bills: HB 2206 for SB 1333 and HB 2396 for SB 1368, both related to SNAP. HB 2206 passed 17-12 after debate over a proposed SNAP error-rate penalty and its impact on food access, and HB 2396 passed 17-12 after debate over restricting SNAP purchases. Finally, HB 2796 was substituted for SB 1236 and passed after debate over AHCCCS enrollment barriers. The Senate adjourned until Tuesday, February 17, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• In particular, I always think about our water services and our services to help people with child care

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The sprinkler systems require a separate water supply.

Committee: House Business

Summary: The House Business Committee introduced several RS measures and advanced one bill. RS 33-267, from Rep. Cheatham, would exempt four-plex dwellings from mandatory sprinkler requirements to reduce housing costs and would add heat-detection devices in new construction to address garage fires involving lithium-ion batteries. Members discussed whether heat detection was already being added in the rules package, and some expressed concern about changing prior sprinkler policy, but the RS was introduced. RS 33-022, a travel insurance regulatory framework based on a national model act, was also introduced after testimony that it would standardize consumer protections, disclosures, licensing, and a free-look period. RS 33-208, on third-party litigation financing, was introduced with support for disclosure requirements and a prohibition on foreign adversary participation. RS 33-065, aimed at reducing barriers to manufactured housing by easing zoning treatment and covenant restrictions, was introduced despite questions about consultation with cities and counties. RS 33-274, creating a voluntary portable benefits plan for independent contractors, was introduced after questions about how it would interact with existing benefit plans and whether contributions would be limited to hiring parties. The committee then heard House Bill 530 on oral chemotherapy parity. Rep. Bruce and Rep. Green described the bill as a response to cancer patients facing much higher out-of-pocket costs for oral anti-cancer drugs than for IV treatments, and several witnesses, including Susan G. Komen, a cancer patient, a St. Luke’s pharmacist, and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, testified in support. They said the bill would not create new coverage mandates but would require equal cost-sharing treatment for oral and IV anti-cancer medications, helping patients avoid delayed or abandoned treatment. Members debated whether the bill should include a $250 monthly cap on out-of-pocket costs; the sponsors said the substitute RS removed that cap while preserving parity, and some members preferred the cap for predictability. A motion to table the bill failed, and HB 530 was sent to the floor with a do-pass recommendation. The substitute RS 33-222 was then introduced. Finally, RS 33-262, from Rep. Skog, was introduced to cap interest and fees on loans from non-regulated lenders, targeting payday and title lending practices described by supporters as predatory and trapping borrowers in cycles of debt. Members raised concerns about whether the cap could reduce access to short-term credit, while supporters cited examples of 200% to 300% or even higher effective rates. The committee also noted existing Idaho usury law questions during discussion. The RS was introduced, and the meeting adjourned after announcements about upcoming floor and committee schedules.

Transcript Highlights:

• So they will run off in an instant to chase the shiny object, water being a shiny object.

Committee: House Veterans and Armed Forces

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• building something on the edge of town, let's do it right there where we already have the sewer, the water

Bills: SB1280 , SB1392 , SB1393 , SB1395 , SB1400 , SB1405 , SB1832 , SB1839 , SB1989 , SB2001 , SB2143

Committee: Senate Revenue and Taxation

Keywords: excise tax, oil tax, natural gas tax, state revenue, Oklahoma Corporation Commission, income tax, tax credit, aerospace sector, employment, economic development, adaptive reuse, affordable housing, urban renewal, economic impact, program, housing, revitalization, urban development, income tax credit, manufacturing

Summary: The Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee took up a mix of tax policy, incentive, and administrative measures, beginning with an annual motion authorizing the chair to request OSBI background checks for any Horse Racing Commission nominees. The committee then passed Senate Bill 1839, as amended, to create a de minimis ad valorem tax exception for personal property valued at $5,000 or less per account. The committee also confirmed Daniel LaFortune to the Oklahoma Tax Commission by a 12-0 vote, with LaFortune emphasizing his IRS background and commitment to customer service and fairness. Several other bills were approved, including Senate Bill 1280 to align the plugging fund sunset date in the tax code with another statute; Senate Bill 1832 to reauthorize income tax refund checkoffs for veterans programs; Senate Bill 2001 to freeze property taxes for three years for homeowners displaced by a turnpike or eminent domain, though members raised concerns about downsizing and future valuation; and Senate Bill 1405 to renew the wildlife diversity checkoff, with testimony clarifying it would fund non-game species rather than predator reintroduction. Senate Bill 1989 also passed, expanding the Oklahoma College Savings Plan to accept digital payment platforms such as Venmo and PayPal, with members discussing how deposits would be tracked. The committee then considered Senate Bill 2143, which would allow counties to use aerial or satellite imagery and fixed-wing aircraft for property assessment while excluding drones; supporters cited efficiency, safety, and accuracy, while opponents raised privacy, foreign-company, and taxpayer-frustration concerns. The bill passed 7-4. Senate Bill 1393, a housing redevelopment tax credit for vacant and abandoned properties, passed 8-3 after discussion about affordable housing requirements and project ranking. The committee also approved three Incentive Evaluation Commission recommendations: Senate Bill 1392 to increase the aerospace engineer employee tax credit, Senate Bill 1395 to limit carryforward of the new jobs tax credit to seven years, and Senate Bill 1400 to consolidate aircraft-related sales tax exemptions. The meeting adjourned after the chairman noted more bills would be heard at a later meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• It tops everything, people with no electricity, no water.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The task force met to handle routine business, including roll call, adoption of the amended agenda, approval of prior minutes, and withdrawal of one agenda item because a presenter could not attend. The main presentation came from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries on the recent chronic wasting disease (CWD) emergency declaration and control-area expansion after a positive deer was confirmed in Concordia Parish, including on Richard K. Yancey Wildlife Management Area. LDWF explained the expanded control area, the enhanced mitigation zone where baiting and supplemental feeding are prohibited, the buffer zone rules, carcass transport restrictions, and the taxidermy waiver process. Officials also said the emergency declaration lasts 180 days unless extended or replaced by formal rulemaking, and that the department will pursue a notice of intent process that may or may not mirror the emergency rules. Members asked detailed questions about where the positive deer may have been exposed, how the control-area boundaries were drawn, how many deer were sampled, and how surveillance targets are set. LDWF and Dr. Roberts said the positive likely reflects prior exposure but the source is unknown, that the map follows roads, waterways, and processor locations, and that the deer was sampled through a hunter check-in process with a large sample size from the WMA. They also explained that surveillance goals are based on risk models and that sample collection is voluntary, with costs covered by the department and some federal research funds, not by hunters. Several members asked for better public-facing maps and parish-level data showing harvest, sample goals, and actual samples, while staff noted the information exists and can be stratified, but some harvest totals are delayed by DMAP reporting. The National Deer Association then read a statement saying CWD is the most serious long-term threat to wild deer and deer hunting and that hunters, landowners, scientists, and wildlife agencies must work together to slow its spread. The task force also discussed its legislative charge under HR/ACR 75, with staff outlining five areas for recommendations: testing and tracking practices, interagency information sharing and public notification, monitoring captive and wild herds, containment protocols, and needed statutory or regulatory updates. Members discussed the timeline for recommendations relative to the commission’s April notice-of-intent process and the 2027 reporting deadline. Near the end, two members reported large declines in retail sales of deer feed products since CWD feeding restrictions, and a public comment thanked the governor for assistance after a severe ice storm. The meeting adjourned without any votes beyond adopting the agenda and approving minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• operations, there's a number of programs within their budget, including the Supreme Court, district court, water

Summary: The Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee approved the January 19, 2026 minutes and voted to send Michael Kennedy’s gubernatorial reappointment to the Idaho Judicial Council to the Senate floor with a recommendation for confirmation. The committee then received a JFAC budget presentation on the judicial branch, Idaho Department of Correction, and Idaho State Police. Judicial branch highlights included a requested increase for guardian ad litem/CASA pass-through funds in the Second Judicial District and a large increase for the Senior Magistrate Judge Retirement Fund to cover expected retirements and related service purchases. For IDOC, analysts described declining dedicated fund balances, the governor’s holdback exemption, and population-driven costs for county and out-of-state placements and medical services; members asked about vacant FTE reductions, inmate labor revenue declines, probation/parole collections, and population growth despite lower crime trends. For Idaho State Police, the main budget issue was a proposed commission pay plan funded by increasing the Project Choice fee from $3 to $12 per vehicle registration, which drew questions about the impact on motorists and whether state general funds should cover the cost instead. JFAC Chair Scott Grow also discussed overall state budget conditions, emphasizing structural balance, revenue uncertainty, and the need to avoid relying on one-time funds for ongoing expenses. He noted that general fund revenues and appropriations are tightening, that conformity legislation and other policy bills could affect the bottom line, and that JFAC is considering ongoing spending reductions for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. Members questioned the assumptions behind the revenue forecast and the size of the ending balance under different scenarios. The committee then printed two RSs from Senator Lakey: RS 33169, which would further align Idaho’s illegal-entry/presence law with federal immigration law and address preemption concerns, and RS 33172, which would clarify juvenile probation officers’ authority to detain or arrest juvenile probationers for in-person violations and to execute warrants and transport juveniles. Finally, the committee heard and passed Senate Bill 1239, a technical change to sex offender residency restrictions that would treat locally approved or zoned daycare facilities the same as state-licensed daycares for purposes of the 500-foot restriction; the bill was sent to the floor with a due pass recommendation after questions about retroactivity and whether existing residents would be forced to move.

Transcript Highlights:

• When critical infrastructure, energy, water, telecommunications, and data networks are reliant on adversary-linked