Transcript Highlights:

• . $250,000 are illusory; it's a $250,000 policy, but the deductible is also $250,000.
• When you take away the deductible... You've exhausted the insurance.

Transcript Highlights:

• Immediate deduction for investments in new fixed assets, 100%.
• Additional 25% deduction for training or innovation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Assembly Bill 555 prohibits certain private health insurers from imposing a deductible, co-payment, co-insurance
• Prohibit certain private health insurers from imposing a deductible, co-payment, co-insurance, or other

Keywords: 909, all

Transcript Highlights:

• from the Texas Supreme Court in Nelson versus SCI, an increase in our insurance premiums, and our deductibles
• to give you an idea, it's $6,500 for victims of violent crimes for the funeral service, and the deductible

Bills: HB223

Keywords: municipal budget, county budget, local government finance, spending cap, expenditure limit, inflation plus population growth, taxpayer impact statement, budget transparency, property tax, fees, Legislative Budget Board, voter approval, disaster spending, fiscal restraint, Texas Local Government Code, city budget, county expenditures, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When you deduct the annual expenses that we have, we have $1.6 million remaining in funds for projects
• When you deduct the annual expenses that we have, we have $1.6 million remaining in funds for projects
• When<00:36:03.839> you<00:36:04.000> deduct<00:36:04.400> the<00:36:04.720> uh
• <00:36:04.880> annual<00:36:05.200> expenses When you deduct the uh annual expenses
• When you deduct the uh annual expenses that<00:36:05.839> we<00:36:06.079> have,<00:36

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee first approved the March 3, 2026 minutes by voice vote. It then heard a presentation from the Minnesota Zoo on its aging facilities and bonding needs. Zoo staff highlighted the zoo’s economic and educational role, its 1.4 to 1.5 million annual visitors, and its Free to Explore program, while stressing that many of its 50-year-old buildings are in poor condition, with more than $78 million in backlog and safety concerns for visitors, staff, and animals. The zoo said the governor recommended $4 million for critical life-support systems and asked for an additional $6 million in asset preservation to renovate the original animal hospital building so a new hospital wing can function properly. Testimony emphasized that the renovation is necessary for staff space, storage, code compliance, asbestos removal, and safe animal care, and described recent injuries and close calls tied to outdated facilities. Members asked questions about porcupine quills, natural predators, and the meaning of the zoo’s incident rate. Zoo staff explained that quills are not poisonous but are barbed and can be difficult to remove, and that predators include larger cats, owls, and fishers. On incidents, staff said they include close calls and injuries linked to aging infrastructure, such as a tiger reaching farther through a wall after fencing shifted over time, and staff injuries during animal procedures in older spaces. Members also confirmed that the hospital project has shifted from a standalone building to a wing attached to the existing hospital because of rising construction costs. The committee then heard from Perpich Center for Arts Education. Perpich described its statewide role as both a public high school and an arts education resource center, serving students and educators across Minnesota. It said it hosted 313 events last year for nearly 2,000 educators and administrators and worked with 275 school districts across all 67 Senate districts. Perpich emphasized that nearly seven in 10 students rely on its residential programs because there are no comparable arts high school options in greater Minnesota, and noted strong student outcomes including a 100% graduation rate and national recognition as an exemplary school. For capital needs, Perpich said it received $1.26 million last year for HVAC and building automation work, is grateful for the governor’s recommended $1.3 million this year, and requested $6 million to create a secure, accessible main entrance and upgrade outdated restrooms to ADA compliance.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that would deduct from the amount that the Senate Finance Committee puts forward for us in the bill
• That would deduct from that amount, and it allows for a prevention of what we've seen in other states
• voucher programs, 17 states with tax credit scholarship programs, and seven states with individual tax deduction
• voucher programs, 17 states with tax credit scholarship program, seven states with individual tax deduction
• or tax credit programs. states with tax credit programs, seven states with individual tax deduction

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 convened with a quorum, adopted its committee rules, and heard opening remarks from members introducing staff and outlining priorities for the session. Several senators emphasized support for public education, teacher pay and safety, parental choice, and the combined K-16 jurisdiction of the committee. The chair also reviewed hearing procedures, including public testimony registration and time limits. The main item was Senate Bill 2, the Texas Education Freedom Act, laid out by Chairman Creighton. He described the bill as an education savings account program intended to expand school choice, with a $200 million universal eligibility pool and an additional $800 million targeted to students with disabilities and lower-income families. He said the bill includes anti-fraud safeguards, criminal background checks for vendors, reporting requirements, data protections, and annual testing for participating students, while not imposing STAAR on private schools or homeschoolers. He also said the bill removes a prior hold-harmless provision for public schools and is separate from public school funding and teacher pay legislation. Members questioned the bill’s income threshold, lottery and priority structure, treatment of homeschoolers, microschools, charter schools, religious freedom protections, citizenship/lawful presence language, cybersecurity, open records, and disability-related issues, including whether 504 students and foster children should be included. Creighton said the bill is designed to prioritize former public school students with disabilities or lower incomes, while also allowing universal eligibility within the program’s first funding tier, and that the Comptroller would oversee vendor screening and cybersecurity rules. He said the bill does not direct curriculum or interfere with religious beliefs and that amendments may be offered later on citizenship and other issues. After member questions, the committee began invited testimony, starting with EdChoice representative Robert Inlow, who testified in support of SB 2 and cited national growth in school choice programs and studies he said show positive effects for students and public schools.

Transcript Highlights:

• I can't think of a person who dances when taxes are deducted from their paychecks or when they pay their

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 1001, sponsored by Representative Les Eaves, which would lower Arkansas’s personal income tax rate to 3.7% retroactive to the current year and reduce the corporate income tax rate to 4.1% beginning in 2027. Eaves argued the bill continued a decade-long strategy of broad-based tax relief, would help working families, and would keep Arkansas competitive with other states. He said the measure would reduce future surpluses rather than cut current services, and noted the average taxpayer could see roughly $800 to $1,000 in annual savings from recent tax changes. Several witnesses testified against the bill. Arkansas Appleseed’s Anna Morchetti, Missy Wyatt Joyce, Pastor Preston Clegg, Michelle Pedro of the Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese, and Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families’ Pete Guest all argued the state should prioritize funding for public schools, health care, supported living services, food assistance, rural hospitals, and early childhood education instead of further tax cuts. They said Arkansas faces significant unmet needs, including underfunded schools, food insecurity, and shortages in disability and community-based services, and warned the tax cut would mainly benefit higher earners while reducing resources for essential programs. After testimony, the committee limited debate time for witnesses to five minutes. Representative Eaves closed by saying the state had been responsible in prior tax cuts and that the bill would return money to taxpayers without reducing services. Representative Bray also spoke in support, saying the legislature has continued to fund major priorities while still providing tax relief to working families. The committee then voted to pass the bill, and HB 1001 was approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, I was wondering whether this budget would Perhaps deduct $45 million from the Department of Public

Bills: SB1177, SB1177

Keywords: education funding, mental health services, public safety, housing, state budget, 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We simply took our existing beer excise tax reporting form and allowed you to deduct and claim it right

Summary: The Administrative Rules Subcommittee reviewed a series of agency rules and related requests. The Department of Corrections and Post-Prison Transfer Board reported quarterly updates with no questions, and several Commerce rules were approved, including repeals tied to the minority business enterprise and women-owned business enterprise programs and the Consolidated Incentives Act because they were superseded by Act 116 or duplicative of statute. The Insurance Department’s new rule for online marketplace guarantee providers was also approved, with Airbnb used as an example of the type of platform covered. The Department of Education presented an update to the Arkansas Adult Diploma Program to align payment milestones with Act 502 of 2025, and DFA presented a rule implementing a new tax credit for Arkansas rice used in beer and sake production under Act 874 of 2025. Members asked about verification of grain bills and whether the credit was broadly available; DFA said the rule tracks the statute and requires producers to submit the grain bill with their return. DHS then presented a SNAP rule implementing federal changes from Public Law 119-21, including raising the able-bodied adult without dependents age limit to 64, changing treatment of dependents and exemptions, and adjusting energy assistance income treatment; the rule was approved despite one public comment. Later, DHS Medical Services amended the Medicaid Rehab Hospital Manual to allow rehab hospitals to operate psychiatric units and bill Medicaid for those services, and also secured approval for a recovery audit contractor exemption because Arkansas law bars contingency-fee contractors and the state already has other program integrity safeguards. The Board of Public Accountancy’s rules implementing Act 428 of 2025 were approved after discussion of a new CPA licensure pathway requiring a bachelor’s degree plus two years of experience, changes to substantial equivalency for out-of-state CPAs, and removal of a government/not-for-profit coursework requirement. The committee also approved the Department of Education’s request to be excluded from certain reporting requirements, retained all 18 DAPSAF rules under a review of Group 3, filed outstanding 2023-session rulemaking updates, and adjourned after filing monthly updates.

Transcript Highlights:

• claiming this credit, and we simply took our existing beer excise tax reporting form and allowed you to deduct

Summary: The Administrative Rules Subcommittee met to review a series of agency rules and related requests. The Department of Corrections and Post-Prison Transfer Board reported quarterly updates and had no questions, so both were filed. The Department of Commerce sought repeal of rules tied to the minority and women-owned business enterprise programs and the Consolidated Incentives Act, explaining the rules were repealed by implication or duplicative of statute; all were reviewed and approved. The Insurance Department presented a new rule implementing Act 426 of 2025 for online marketplace guarantee providers, using Airbnb-style host damage protection as an example, and it was approved. The Department of Education updated the Arkansas Adult Diploma Program rule to reflect statutory payment amounts for milestones and diplomas, and it was approved. DFA presented a rule creating a reporting method for the Arkansas rice beer and sake excise tax credit; members asked about verification of Arkansas rice use, and the rule was approved. DHS presented a SNAP rule implementing federal changes to work requirements and energy assistance counting, including raising the able-bodied adult without dependents age limit to 64 and removing some exemptions; it was approved after questions about terminology and waiver-related issues. The committee also approved DHS Medicaid rules allowing rehab hospitals to bill for psychiatric units and exempting Arkansas from the federal recovery audit contractor requirement, citing other program integrity measures already in place. The State Board of Public Accountancy, under Labor and Licensing, presented rules implementing Act 428 of 2025, including a new CPA licensure pathway with a bachelor’s degree plus two years’ experience, substantial equivalency for out-of-state CPAs, and removal of the government not-for-profit accounting requirement; despite some negative comments, both rules were approved. The committee then granted the Department of Education’s request to be excluded from certain reporting requirements, and approved its request to retain all 18 Division of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation rules under Act 781 review. Remaining outstanding 2023-session rulemaking and monthly updates were noted in packets with no questions, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Salt is a bad deduction. We all agree. It's bipartisan.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, attendance, and approval of the prior journal. Members then recognized several guests and issued proclamations, including honors for the Maryvale High School basketball program and Maryvale’s gifted and talented micro school, a Black History Month proclamation, and a remembrance for Emily Pike, with Senator Hatathlie urging continued attention to missing and murdered Indigenous people and to changes in the turquoise alert law. The chamber also marked Arizona’s statehood anniversary with cake for members and staff. The body then moved through Committee of the Whole and third-reading action on several bills. SB 1107, relating to peace officer certification pathways, was amended in committee and passed 27-2-1. SB 1032, appropriating money to the Corrections Oversight Fund, passed 29-0-1 after supportive explanations from senators. SB 1083 on condominiums and planned communities, SB 1252 on assignment for benefit of creditors, and SB 1259 on campaign-related provisions all passed 29-0-1. SB 1198, relating to the Arizona Beef Council, passed 23-6-1 after debate over whether the council used tax dollars or industry checkoff dollars. SB 1020, relating to special plates, initially passed 26-3-1 but was later reconsidered at Senator Bolick’s request and then passed again 25-4-1. The Senate also requested the House return SBs 1333 and 1368 for reconsideration. Committee meetings were announced for the following Monday, and the chamber adjourned until February 16, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• A 9% deduction on an annual basis from the general revenue.

Bills: SB 10, SB 8, SB 15, SB 12, SB 6, SB 13, SB 9, SB 7, SB 17, SB 4, SB10, SB8, SB15, SB12, SB6, SB13, SB9, SB7, SB17, SB4

Keywords: sex designation, restroom access, civil penalties, private civil right of action, women's privacy, law enforcement, department file, employee records, misconduct, confidentiality, Texas occupations code, election laws, attorney general, prosecution, criminal offenses, criminal prosecution, jurisdiction, hemp, consumable hemp, hemp-derived cannabinoids

Transcript Highlights:

• And through working hard at the age of 15, my income taxes were deducted from my payroll for over five

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But that, in terms of the deductibles and co-pays, is to get them to think, you know, one versus the
• co-pays<05:31:09.480> and would be through co-pays and would be through co-pays and deductibles
• and and they show you know deductibles and and they show you know and<05:31:15.240> with<05:31
• okay no but that that that deductibles okay no but that that that they<05:31:55.958> refer<05
• and coopas is to get them to deductibles and coopas is to get them to think<05:32:36.320> you

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard testimony on House Bill 167, which would add ski, snowboard, and boat wax containing PFAS to the state’s consumer-product restrictions. The sponsor argued the product is already banned in many places, has PFAS-free alternatives, and is used in ways that can directly contaminate water rather than landfills. She cited high PFAS levels in several New Hampshire lakes and said the bill was a simple extension of prior PFAS legislation. A witness also described a personal experience where a liquid ski wax disappeared from the market and later returned, likely because of PFAS concerns. The chair then closed the hearing on HB 167 without a vote. The committee then opened a hearing on House Bill 312, dealing with college athletes’ name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights. Representative Moffett said the bill was modeled on New Jersey law and intended to let student-athletes earn compensation from NIL without losing institutional scholarships, while also requiring licensed representation and setting limits on certain endorsements. He described the measure as proactive because NIL rules are evolving and could create conflicts among schools and future lawsuits. Members questioned whether the bill should apply to two-year institutions, whether it should exclude firearms and weapons, and whether the scholarship protections would cover need-based or academic aid as well as athletic scholarships. Moffett said the scholarship language was intended to protect scholarships generally, but not need-based aid specifically, and he acknowledged discomfort with some of the endorsement restrictions. Public testimony on HB 312 was mixed. One supporter, a former Division III athlete and coach, backed the bill but urged removal of a section allowing institutions or athletic bodies to use an athlete’s NIL without compensation, arguing most New Hampshire athletes do not receive NIL money and should not have to work extra jobs to cover basic expenses. The chair also raised concerns about the bill’s contractual and identity-rights implications, referencing prior committee work on a J.D. Salinger-related identity case and noting the committee had previously declined to get involved in similar contractual disputes. No vote was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• But he doesn't get the advantage of the state, in a sense, deducting an additional 5%.
• How does that affect, say, mortgage payments where the property tax is deducted monthly?
• We don't allow them, we don't have them add all that on, then allow 5% and then deduct it all and say

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 2401, which would require physicians to complete continuing education on nutrition and metabolic health as part of the state’s rural health transformation effort. HHS supported the bill, saying it would help physicians better address chronic disease and preserve federal grant points tied to the state’s application. A member of the public also testified in favor, arguing that better nutrition education could improve diabetes outcomes and reduce costs. The committee then adopted an amendment to add the Board of Occupational Therapy Practice to the background-check statute so the occupational therapy compact could proceed, and it passed the bill as amended on a roll call vote. The committee next heard House Bill 1621, which would require the Presidential Fitness Physical Fitness Test in elementary, middle, and high school physical education courses. HHS said the bill was part of the rural health transformation application and could help preserve federal funding, but members raised many questions about the test’s criteria, adaptive options for students with disabilities, equipment needs, and whether the bill should apply to non-public schools. Senator Clemens offered an amendment to limit the requirement to public schools, but it failed. Senator Hogan then offered an amendment to clarify exemptions and allow DPI to align implementation with federal guidance; that amendment passed. A further amendment adding language allowing DPI to establish criteria for and exceptions to the test also passed. The committee then approved the bill as amended on a roll call vote. The committee also considered House Bill 1622, which joins North Dakota to the physician assistant licensure compact. HHS said the compact would improve access to care, especially in rural areas, support military families, and help preserve rural health transformation funding. Members noted the compact had been discussed in a prior session and that many earlier concerns had been resolved. After brief discussion about the compact process and its consistency with other interstate compacts, the committee voted to do pass the bill. Finally, the committee began Senate Bill 2402, which expands pharmacists’ prescriptive authority and therapeutic substitution powers. HHS and the Board of Pharmacy supported the bill as a way to improve access to care and maintain rural health transformation funding. Senator Roers introduced a detailed amendment negotiated with the Board of Medicine and Board of Pharmacy to narrow and clarify the bill, including notification requirements, limits on certain drug categories, and patient-protection language for therapeutic substitution. The Board of Pharmacy then testified in support of the broader bill and explained the CLIA-waived testing provisions and the repeal of the older, narrower pharmacist-testing language. The hearing and amendment discussion were still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• My son's MRI through our health insurance provider was less than my $2500 deductible.
• you, you are a patient that, that, that, that doesn't have either doesn't have insurance or has a deductible
• And this says either the amount received from the facility, the third party is defined, the deductible

Transcript Highlights:

• For instance, people are already trying to marry their AI systems, which could lead to tax deductions

Bills: HB2059, HB3920, HB2992, HB3267, HB4457, HB3800, HB3818, HB4425, HB4427, HB4430, HB4431, HB4333, HB4340, HB4343, HB4344, HB4363, HB4229, HB4230, HB4236, HB4246, HB1979, HB3431, HB3052, HB3047, HB3048, HB4092, HB4302, HB3261, HB3704, HB3312, HB3546, HB3849, HCR1021, HB4105, HB4159, HB4304, HB3835, HB3619, HB4490, HB3710, HB4201, HB3907, HB3748

Keywords: health care, medication, inmates, Oklahoma Health Care Authority, reimbursement, county jails, medical expenses, sales tax exemption, nonprofit organizations, procurement, transplant research, Oklahoma Tax Code, HB2992, Data Center Customer Ratepayer Protection Act of 2026, Corporation Commission, Oklahoma utilities, ratepayer protection, data centers, artificial intelligence computing, AI data centers

Transcript Highlights:

• non-renewal, including non-renewals based solely on claims that are made below the policyholder's deductible

Summary: The Assembly Insurance Committee met to consider several insurance-related bills, with SB 1301 by Senator Allen and SB 876 by Senator Padilla receiving the most discussion. SB 1301 would reform residential property insurance non-renewals by requiring clearer written explanations, giving policyholders a chance to fix identified issues, and limiting non-renewals based on unreasonable grounds. The bill was supported by consumer advocates, fire survivors, local officials, and several organizations, while insurers said they had worked extensively with the author and were moving to neutral, though they still raised implementation and proprietary-information concerns. The committee voted to pass SB 1301 as amended to Appropriations, with the roll left open briefly before the bill was declared out. SB 876 would overhaul wildfire and disaster claims handling by requiring updated replacement-cost estimates, stronger extended replacement-cost and building-code coverage options, faster status updates when adjusters change, and other consumer protections. Supporters included the Department of Insurance, United Policyholders, consumer groups, and local representatives, who argued the bill addresses underinsurance, delays, and inconsistent claims handling exposed by recent wildfires. Several industry groups said recent amendments resolved major concerns and moved them to neutral, while the California Fair Plan remained respectfully opposed pending further review. The committee approved SB 876 as amended to Judiciary, again leaving the roll open briefly before finalizing the vote. The committee also took up a consent item, SB 536 by Senator Archuleta, which was approved unanimously to Appropriations. Other bills listed at the start of the hearing, SB 555 and SB 795, were pulled at the request of the authors and were not heard.

Transcript Highlights:

• I can't think of a person who dances when taxes are deducted from their paychecks or when they pay their

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 1001, sponsored by Representative Les Eaves, which would lower the individual income tax rate to 3.7% retroactive to the current year and reduce the corporate rate to 4.1% beginning in 2027. Eaves argued the bill continues Arkansas’s recent tax-cut strategy, would provide broad relief to working families, and would keep the state competitive while preserving future surpluses rather than cutting existing services. He and Representative Bray emphasized that prior tax cuts have benefited taxpayers and supported economic growth. Several opponents testified against the bill, including representatives from Arkansas Appleseed, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, a pastor, and individuals speaking about disability services and food insecurity. They argued Arkansas cannot afford further revenue reductions given needs in public education, early childhood care, Medicaid and food assistance, rural hospitals, and supported living services. Witnesses said the tax cut would disproportionately benefit higher earners while providing little or no relief to lower- and middle-income families, and urged the committee to prioritize public investments over tax cuts. After debate, the committee adopted a motion to limit witness testimony to five minutes each. Representative Eaves closed on the bill and moved to pass it. Following discussion, the committee voted to pass HB 1001, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• figure out what, what to, what consequences it will have on our local communities when we have 29% deduction

Bills: SB 10, SB 8, SB 15, SB 12, SB 6, SB 13, SB 9, SB 7, SB 17, SB 4

Keywords: sex designation, restroom access, civil penalties, private civil right of action, women's privacy, law enforcement, department file, employee records, misconduct, confidentiality, Texas occupations code, election laws, attorney general, prosecution, criminal offenses, criminal prosecution, jurisdiction, hemp, consumable hemp, hemp-derived cannabinoids