Transcript Highlights:

• Senator, our constituencies have nearly doubled, our state budget has more than doubled, the complexity
• And we talked about budgets increased. But we have a certain amount of money in this state.
• It plays a big part in the decision, and it affects the family budget and the family opportunity in a

Committee: Senate Senate Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• THERE IS ANOTHER RULE ON MEDICAID WAIVER PROGRAMS, DEVELOPMENT DISABILITY INDIVIDUAL BUDGET WAIVER SERVICES
• AND FINALLY A FINAL DISABILITY INDIVIDUAL BUDGET WAIVER SERVICES AND FINALLY A FINAL RULE UP FOR OBJECTION
• IS DEVELOPMENT DISABILITIES INDIVIDUAL BUDGET WAIVER SERVICES PROVIDER RATE TABLE.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If I know that putting the sale of some property in the budget before we know an offer or even a price
• to have some reform in this process, we've gone through over a hundred million that was put in a budget
• :25:05.679><c> offer</c><00:25:06.080><c> or</c><00:25:06.480><c> even</c><00:25:06.720><c> a</c> budget
• </c><00:25:22.640><c> and</c> million that was put in a budget and million that was put in a budget and
• </c> were increased in the last budget. Nope. were increased in the last budget. Nope.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a good budget. A good budget, in my opinion.
• You know, one of them take the budget.
• We have<00:15:30.800><c> a</c><00:15:30.959><c> good</c><00:15:31.120><c> budget.
• </c><00:15:33.360><c> my</c> have a good budget.
• A good budget in my have a good budget.

Keywords: 920, all

Summary: The Alabama Senate convened with prayer, the pledge, and a roll call establishing a quorum. Senators then adopted the prior day’s journal and excused absent members. A lengthy point of personal privilege followed, in which Senator Smith criticized the prior day’s handling of the special order calendar and argued that minority-party senators were denied the chance to speak, while Senator Coleman said Senate Bill 318 had been removed from the calendar and tied that to Child Abuse Prevention Month; she also noted Senate Bill 43, which would provide civil recourse for child sex assault survivors, had not advanced. The presiding officer also recognized guests in the gallery, including staff from the Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention and members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. The Senate then received multiple committee reports, largely on a unanimous or near-unanimous basis. Finance and Taxation Education reported favorably on House Bills 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 565, 517, and 98, and Senate Bill 380, with some substitutes or amendments; Finance and Taxation General Fund reported Senate Bill 378 favorably; County and Municipal Government reported House Bills 568, 499, and 433; Education Policy reported House Bills 8 and 380; Banking and Insurance reported House Bill 545; Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development reported House Bill 586 with two nays; Healthcare reported House Bills 533 and 605; Tourism and Marketing reported House Bills 513 and 626 and Senate Bill 357; and local legislation committees reported several Mobile County and Madison County bills, including Senate Bill 379 relating to Madison County and various House bills, all advancing to the next legislative day. In motions and resolutions, the Senate agreed to allow committee reports to be received at any time during the day. Several resolutions were introduced and referred to the Rules Committee, including Senate Joint Resolution 100 honoring Presley Skelton, SJR 101 commending Auburn University’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, SJR 102 establishing the Alabama Forest Products Retention and Pulp and Paper Mill Stability Study Commission, SJR 103 mourning Norman Wendell Arnold, and SJR 104 designating Alabama as the river state. The chamber also suspended the rules to take up Senate Joint Resolution 105, commending Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth for his service; the resolution included a lengthy recitation of his background and accomplishments and was read for immediate consideration with all senators added as sponsors.

Transcript Highlights:

• And today I stand here on the floor to offer amendments to the foreign affairs budget to restore funding
• Speaker, I also include in the record the Congressional Budget Office estimate for this bill.
• They just passed a budget which is raising taxes on health care plans and on business software.
• Let's pass a balanced budget amendment.
• We've been passing We've been talking about passing a balanced budget amendment for a long time.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• a dedicated appropriation for a state emergency response fund—we do have, because of the balanced budget
• requirements, a budget stabilization fund and a revenue stabilization fund—but those things are not
• a dedicated appropriation for state emergency response fund, we do have, because of the balanced budget
• The budget committee was taken over recently by Sheriff Jason Richardson from DeSoto Parish.
• The budget committee was taken over recently by Sheriff Jason Richardson from DeSoto Parish.

Summary: The committee met on May 26, 2026, and first approved the minutes from the May 22, 2025 meeting. The main topic was the Northwest Louisiana earthquake cluster, with testimony from Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy staff, LSU and Tulane geoscientists, and later LSU law professor Keith Hall. Witnesses said the cause of the swarm has not been definitively identified, but induced seismicity from wastewater injection or hydraulic fracturing remains a concern. They described 50 earthquakes reported by the USGS in Red River, Bienville, DeSoto, and Natchitoches Parishes, including a magnitude 4.9 event on March 5, 2026, and explained that Louisiana’s sparse seismic network limits detection and depth/location estimates. C&E said it inspected Class II injection wells within 12 miles of the events, found no violations, now requires more frequent injection reporting, and is working with researchers and LSU on a possible state monitoring network and future policy changes. Committee members asked about injection depths, fault locations, whether the activity could be natural, and whether Louisiana should adopt stronger monitoring or a traffic-light regulatory system like other states. The witnesses said more data is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn, but that denser monitoring can detect smaller quakes and help identify patterns. Professor Hall summarized responses in other states, including more frequent reporting, increased monitoring, injection reductions, moratoria, and traffic-light systems in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Ohio, and Illinois. Members also discussed whether operators should share more seismic and geologic data, and several said the state should avoid jumping to conclusions while still improving oversight. The committee then heard from William Berger, a Texas geoscientist, who described using AI and operator data to model wastewater injection and seismic risk, and said broader data sharing would improve forecasting and siting decisions. He and another witness emphasized that many earthquakes arise from clusters of wells rather than a single well, and that proprietary concerns limit voluntary disclosure. The committee also received a brief update from GOSEP and the Louisiana National Guard on the Barksdale Air Force Base drone incursions. GOSEP said it logged the incident in WebEOC and shared releasable information, while State Police and the FBI said they were limited in what they could disclose. Officers said a task force has been formed, some personnel have received federal drone-mitigation training, and House Bill 940 is intended to mirror the task force MOU. Finally, Major General Thomas Friloux and Brigadier General Jason Maffus updated the committee on the merger of GOSEP into the Louisiana Military Department. They said the merger has reduced GOSEP from seven divisions to three, brought back employees to in-person work, modernized the state’s common operating picture, and produced about $10.5 million in first-year cost avoidance through staffing and contract changes. They also noted the planned transfer of the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, ongoing hurricane preparedness, and continued coordination with parish emergency managers. No votes were taken on the substantive topics, and the meeting ended with the committee moving through its agenda items and receiving informational testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• And what I look at now, in doing the budget, it concerns me as to what line in the budget are we covering
• all these expenses, because nowhere in our discussion of doing the budget did this expense, this $400
• So tell me where in the budget is this $4...
• Tell me where in the budget is this $4 whatever dollar million is coming from?
• But isn't it coming from the body or from our budgets, or from our emergency fund?

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You've got a small budget, very little money, and you've got folks who can collect money.
• thought it would be cost prohibitive, but it was not, and some entities added about $800 to their budgets
• Yes, sir. 50, $55 million budget.
• In full transparency, I got them $25,000 last year and I think I doubled their budget. Yeah.
• So my appointed parish tourist commission, with a budget of, I'm going to be generous, $100,000 a year

Committee: House House and Governmental Affairs

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on public access, transparency, and campaign finance. HB 648, as amended, would allow early childhood providers and parents of children under five to participate virtually in certain boards and commissions when in-person attendance is not feasible; supporters said it would help short-staffed providers and busy parents, while an opponent argued participation is different from observation. The bill was reported favorably as amended. HB 615 would require certain public bodies with taxing, rulemaking, or fee-setting authority to broadcast meetings live and keep an online archive; supporters emphasized low-cost technology and broader access, while local government representatives warned of unfunded mandates, confusion over which bodies are covered, and concerns about archiving and platform dependence. The committee adopted amendments clarifying the recording/broadcast language and reported the bill favorably as amended. HB 627, a similar live-streaming bill by Rep. Knox, was voluntarily deferred in favor of HB 615. The committee also considered HB 996, which would allow campaign funds to be used for clothing required for holding office and related cleaning/maintenance. The author said the bill was meant to offset required professional attire costs for legislators with modest salaries, but members raised concerns about public perception, possible abuse, and whether a cap should be added. The bill was voluntarily deferred so the author could work with members on a cap and narrower language. HB 540, dealing with disclosures for certain digital political communications and influencer-style campaign advertising, was discussed as a way to require disclosure when third parties are paid from campaign funds to promote or attack candidates online; members sought clarification that it would apply to paid campaign content rather than ordinary self-posted material. The bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee took up HB 270, which would allow qualified incarcerated voters who have not been convicted of a felony to vote absentee by mail if they are first-time mail registrants and cannot vote in person. The author said the bill was intended to resolve a conflict between existing voting statutes and preserve already-existing voting rights for pretrial detainees and others not convicted of felonies. Supporters said incarcerated voters are highly verifiable and the bill would reduce confusion, while opponents raised concerns about administration. After debate, the committee adopted a motion to involuntarily defer the bill by a recorded vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• :55:36.720><c> decisions</c><00:55:37.119><c> about</c><00:55:37.280><c> the</c><00:55:37.520><c> budget
• 00:55:38.480><c> um</c> Representative Murray said that counties need to make decisions about the budget
• that part of the impetus for the bill was his experience in county government and trying to make budget
• With regard to the county issue, he asked how the sheriff's office works when the county does the budget
• , and noted that the sheriff does not present a detailed budget for Hillsborough County.

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Coconino County public defender fees make only 0.01% of the public defender budget.
• Navajo County defender fees make up 0.05% of the public defender budget.
• And we compare what this fee removal would do to budgets across all city and county budgets, so their
• entire budgets, this fee would be 0.007% of that.
• It is impossible for vital agencies to plan or operate efficiently when their budgets are tied to the

Committee: House House Judiciary Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee first heard HB 2415, which would regulate kratom by treating certain synthetically derived compounds as narcotic drugs, raising the minimum sale age to 21, and penalizing sales of products exceeding a 400 parts per million cap. The sponsor and supporters argued the bill targets dangerous synthetic or highly concentrated kratom while preserving natural leaf products; testimony included a woman describing kratom addiction and treatment, family members describing harm from 7-OH products, and law enforcement and Attorney General’s Office support. Opponents, including criminal justice advocates, warned the bill could sweep in users and create harsh felony penalties, while some speakers urged a full ban and others defended natural kratom as distinct from synthetic products. The committee adopted the Wynn amendment and then gave HB 2415, as amended, a do-pass recommendation by a 6-3 vote. The committee then considered HB 2870, which would prohibit more than one Level 2 or Level 3 registered sex offender from residing in the same home unless they are related by blood, marriage, or adoption. The sponsor said the bill was prompted by a neighborhood case involving multiple sex offenders in one residence and argued it was aimed at residential homes, not supervised group homes. Supporters described fear and disruption in their neighborhoods, while opponents argued the bill would reduce already limited housing, make supervision harder, and potentially force people onto the streets; some also raised due process and recidivism concerns. After discussion about possible amendments and the distinction between group homes and unsupervised residences, the committee approved HB 2870 with a do-pass recommendation by a 6-3 vote. Next, the committee heard HB 2413, which requires GPS or electronic monitoring for registered sex offenders who are homeless or lack a permanent address until they obtain one. Supporters said the bill would close a gap because transient registrants are only required to check in every 90 days, leaving law enforcement without regular location information; a policy analyst said monitoring could be implemented through existing systems, though costs and administration would vary. Opponents argued the bill raises due process and equal protection concerns, duplicates existing reporting requirements, and could impose costs on people trying to stabilize their lives. The committee passed HB 2413 on a 5-4 vote. Finally, the committee took up HB 2720, which increases the penalty for purchasing prostitution to a class 6 felony and directs a $200 assessment to the anti-human trafficking fund, with an amendment clarifying the affirmative defense for trafficking victims and restricting use of the assessment to trafficking services. Supporters, including the sponsor, prosecutors, Phoenix police, and a city council member, said the bill targets buyers who drive demand and exploitation. Opponents from criminal justice and anti-violence groups argued the bill could still ensnare trafficking victims and sex workers, especially because the affirmative defense may be hard to assert in practice. After adopting the amendment, the committee gave HB 2720, as amended, a do-pass recommendation by an 8-0-1 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Lastly, I would say, and I'll be fighting for this in the budget, there's some technology that we should
• Navajo County defender fees make up 0.05% of the public defender budget.
• And we compare what this fee removal would do to budgets across all city and county budgets, so their
• entire budgets, this fee would be 0.007% of that.
• It is impossible for vital agencies to plan or operate efficiently when their budgets are tied to the

Bills: HB2205 , HB2265 , HB2413 , HB2415 , HB2418 , HB2495 , HB2589 , HB2661 , HB2720 , HB2771 , HB2833 , HB2870

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: criminal damage, trespassing, critical facilities, felony, Arizona Revised Statutes, court fees, public defender, criminal justice, legal aid, indigent defense, appeals, administrative assessments, sex offender, electronic monitoring, registration, public safety, youth protection, Kratom, narcotic drugs, regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• This is our overall compliance with the registration and budget submissions.
• So the budget submissions includes the budget estimates, amendments, and year and actuals.
• While you all may hear from the Office of State Budget Director that the state road fund is increasing
• </c><00:21:05.120><c> director</c><00:21:05.520><c> that</c> the office of state budget director that
• the office of state budget director that the<00:21:05.840><c> state</c><00:21:06.080><c> road</c><00

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:13 Roll Call 00:00:24 Approval of Minutes from September Meeting 00:02:10 Presentation of Special Purpose Governmental Entities Report 00:03:19 Presentation of Kentucky League of Cities Legislative Platform for the Upcoming 2026 Session of the General Assembly 00:15:37 Discussion of Centralized Collection of Net Profits and Occupational License Taxes 00:37:05 Adjournment 00:55:53, 958, all

Summary: The committee received reports on special purpose governmental entities from the Department for Local Government and the Fire Commission. DLG staff described SPGEs as limited-jurisdiction political subdivisions and reviewed the department’s registry, reporting portal, compliance monitoring, and planned system upgrades such as a two-way message center, automated noncompliance notices, and tracking for new entities and board expirations. They reported that, as of October 10, 2025, 69% of SPGEs were active and discussed compliance data by cycle, fiscal year, and district type. The Fire Commission reported that fire department mergers have reduced the number of departments by 16 since last year, largely because of volunteer staffing shortages, while financial disclosure compliance had risen to 94%. The commission also noted 509 compliance reviews, 19 in-house inquiries, seven referrals to outside agencies, and one recent federal prison sentence in a theft case. Members asked whether DLG advises SPGEs on tax rates; staff said it only performs calculations and the entities set their own rates. Questions to the Fire Commission focused on whether department reductions meant station closures; officials explained that most changes were mergers that keep physical buildings in place while combining personnel and finances to meet minimum staffing requirements. They said the trend is spread across the state but is especially pronounced in rural areas. The Kentucky League of Cities then presented its 2026 legislative agenda. Its priorities included modernizing city revenue options, increasing equity in road funding, fixing tax increment financing issues, addressing transient room tax collection from web-based platforms, strengthening emergency response coordination, clarifying massage parlor regulation preemption, correcting unintended consequences of House Bill 606, improving newspaper publication rules, and modernizing procurement statutes. KLC also said it supports allowing all cities to collect restaurant tax revenue, wants cities to receive a larger share of road funds and EV-related revenues, and seeks state collection and remittance of any future local sales tax to comply with the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement. Members asked about best-value bidding, road-fund equity, Airbnb tax litigation, EV prevalence, and disaster funding applications; KLC said cities currently must accept the lowest bid, the road split should better reflect city street costs, the Airbnb tax case remains pending, EV data by locality has not been studied, and allowing cities to apply directly for disaster funds would reduce reliance on county officials. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the September meeting minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also just passed in this latest budget significant reforms that would also help developers.
• Also, I would invite the committee to consider this law's financial impact on the overall budget, in
• You know, and I've certainly fought on the Senate side and the budget.
• I appreciate everyone who worked on the budget to make sure we, when there was no money in there after
• requirements for many of the state dollars and programs that we have been building on with every budget

Summary: The committee heard several housing bills, with the longest discussion focused on SB 79, which would allow more housing near high-capacity transit stops and on transit agency-owned land. The author and supporters argued it would address California’s housing shortage, reduce vehicle miles traveled, and strengthen transit systems by putting more residents near rail and rapid transit. Supporters included housing advocates, local officials, environmental groups, and transit-oriented development organizations. Opponents, including many cities, the League of California Cities, and some tenant and legal advocacy groups, raised concerns about affordability requirements, displacement, demolition protections, local control, and the bill’s interaction with existing local planning efforts. The committee discussed amendments to strengthen anti-displacement protections, minimum density, affordability standards, and a local flexibility alternative, and SB 79 was moved out on a due-pass-as-amended vote of 8-1, with one member not voting. The committee then took up SB 21, which would amend the Housing Crisis Act to allow limited unit reductions when converting deed-restricted SRO buildings into larger, more livable affordable units with private bathrooms, kitchens, and supportive services. The author and nonprofit housing providers said many SRO buildings are financially unsustainable and that the bill would preserve deeply affordable housing while improving conditions for residents. There was no organized opposition testimony at the hearing, though one business property group registered opposition. Members expressed support for the preservation-focused approach, and SB 21 was approved on an 8-0 vote and sent to the Assembly Committee on Local Government. Next, SB 92 was heard, a measure to close a density bonus loophole by limiting how much additional commercial floor area a project can receive and preventing the law from being used to justify very large nonresidential projects with only minimal affordable housing. The author cited a San Diego project as an example of the problem, and the City of San Diego supported the bill as a reasonable fix. Several labor and housing groups also supported it, while no formal opposition witnesses testified. The committee accepted amendments, members praised the effort to curb abuse while preserving feasibility, and SB 92 passed on a 7-0 vote. Finally, the committee began hearing SB 522, which would extend just-cause eviction protections to units rebuilt after disaster if they had previously been covered by the Tenant Protection Act. The author and the Los Angeles City Attorney said the bill would help preserve rental housing in disaster-affected communities, especially after the Pacific Palisades fires, and would not create new rent control. Opponents, including apartment, realtor, and property owner groups, argued it would add burdens to rebuilding and could discourage reconstruction. Members raised questions about whether existing law already protects returning tenants and whether the bill was necessary, and the hearing continued into committee discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• would draw 97% of its revenue from people in the top 5% of the income scale, so especially with some budget
• would draw 97% of its revenue from people in the top 5% of the income scale, so especially with some budget
• the income scale so especially with of the income scale so especially with some<00:32:44.519><c> budget
• concerns</c><00:32:46.000><c> coming</c><00:32:46.519><c> this</c><00:32:46.639><c> seems</c> some budget
• concerns coming this seems some budget concerns coming this seems like<00:32:47.000><c> a</c><00:32:

Committee: Senate Ways and Means

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee took up House Bill 422, relating to school impact fees. The Education Committee recommended passage with amendments, and Ways and Means concurred. The amendments would repeal the construction fee component of the school impact fee while retaining the land impact fee and in-lieu fee requirements, remove related statutory language, exempt certain developments from school impact fees, raise the unit threshold for satisfying the land component to 100 units, require the School Facilities Authority to adopt rules and policies, and require a report to the Legislature on the effect of repealing the construction portion of the fee. The measure was also given a sunset date of June 30, 2029, with the committee report to note that the changes are intended to test the efficiency and efficacy of the fee structure and could be made permanent if the report supports that outcome. The committees adopted the recommendation, with one senator initially voting no and then changing to yes after the amendments were explained. The meeting also included a separate hearing on House Bill 1155, concerning procurement for Department of Transportation projects and construction manager/general contractor procurement. DOT testified that it supported the concept but wanted to narrow the bill, saying the current language was too broad and that the goal was to allow more innovative procurement while preserving selection safeguards. The State Procurement Office said it supported the bill’s language but was willing to work with DOT on alternative wording. Several construction-related organizations, including subcontractors, iron workers, elevator constructors, and building trades representatives, opposed the bill, arguing that exemptions from the procurement code would weaken protections such as retainage, equality, and prompt payment and could invite favoritism or corruption. In response to those concerns, the chair proposed amendments limiting the exemption to DOT, narrowing the qualifying contracts, adding a two-year sunset, requiring a report after the first year, and clarifying that project management could not be procured under the section. The amended recommendation passed, though several members voted with reservations. A separate item, House Bill 476, was briefly called up at the end of the agenda, with a recommendation to pass with amendments to increase a rate from 7.25% to 8%, but discussion was not completed in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, and that's in the setting that we were already being asked to make significant budget reductions.
• Uh, and that's in the setting that we were already being asked to make significant budget reductions.
• </c><01:37:45.199><c> So</c><01:37:45.440><c> there</c> significant budget reductions.
• So there significant budget reductions.
• And so, living within the realities of our current budget, there will be significant trade-offs.

Committee: House Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:18:13.840><c> for</c> they're going to be able to budget for they're going to be able to budget
• for our budget, right?
• if you've ever heard me testify about the banking department's budget, 80% of our budget is salaries
• Um, we did provide, um, budget them.
• So, I well understand the budgeting.

Committee: House Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• After going out and speaking budgets.
• item on municipal budgets, is not an acceptable solution.
• They passed their annual budget on March 24th based on the facts and figures from this document.
• on March 24th given the facts and budget on March 24th given the facts and figures<06:04:35.440><c>
• </c> budget impact of almost $1.7 million. budget impact of almost $1.7 million.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 47, sponsored by Sen. Regina Birdsell at the request of the Insurance Department. The bill would codify the department’s interpretation that a birth mother’s health insurance is the primary coverage for a newborn, unless the mother has no insurance or coverage under an employer-sponsored plan. Birdsell and Insurance Commissioner DJ Benton Court said the measure is a clarification of existing practice and intended to protect vulnerable newborns; a question from Rep. Miles clarified that if a young woman is on her parents’ policy, the newborn would generally be covered under that family coverage. The hearing on SB 47 was then closed. The committee then took up Senate Bill 121, introduced by Grant Bosi for Sen. Kevin Avard, which would require insurers to notify the Insurance Department when they stop writing an entire line of business or, in some cases, Medicare Advantage plans. Commissioner Benton Court said the bill arose from disruption in the Medicare Advantage market, where consumers, brokers, and the department were confused by carriers changing or ending offerings; he said the department wanted a simple notification requirement so it could better advise consumers. Members discussed network adequacy, county-based service areas, and the fact that the bill would make notice a condition of licensure, with possible fines or license action for noncompliance. Witness Paula Rogers of AHIP said her group supported the bill if amended, and the department indicated it would support a change from a 120-day notice period to 90 days to align with state rules; the committee planned to work on an amendment in subcommittee. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 247, introduced by Rep. Brian Cole, which would prohibit network exclusion of pharmacies that refuse to dispense prescriptions when PBM reimbursement is below acquisition cost. Cole argued the bill is meant to stop pharmacies from being forced to sell drugs at a loss, describing PBMs as middlemen and saying the measure is a compromise that protects local pharmacies. Members questioned whether consumers would pay more and whether pharmacies voluntarily enter PBM contracts; Cole responded that the bill would let pharmacies refuse unprofitable fills while consumers could still obtain the drug through mail order or other channels. He also said the issue has changed over time because the practice now affects a much larger share of generics and is concentrated among a few PBMs. The hearing remained open as questions continued, with no vote taken in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• And can we take that out of the AG's budget?
• For the state and can we take that out of the AG's budget? Mr.

Summary: The committee took up Senate Bill 1448, described by the sponsor and Deputy Attorney General Phil Skinner as a cleanup bill responding to a Ninth Circuit ruling in ongoing litigation over Idaho’s library law. Skinner said the bill removes language the court flagged as potentially unconstitutional, including a phrase that added subjective factors to the obscenity analysis, and adds an “adolescent minor” definition to align the statute more closely with Supreme Court obscenity precedent. He emphasized that the bill was intended to preserve the existing standard and penalties while helping moot the lawsuit and avoid further litigation costs and possible attorney fees. Several members raised concerns that the bill still left in place provisions defining “sexual conduct” in ways that could sweep in benign material, especially references to homosexuality, and questioned whether the bill truly fixed the constitutional problems. Representative Handy asked about the cost of the litigation and whether repealing the law would be an option; Skinner said the goal was to save the state money by resolving the case and that repeal would be a policy choice for lawmakers. Jenny Emery Davidson testified against the bill, arguing that the process was rushed, public access was limited, the new minor definition was problematic, and the better course would be to repeal the underlying law rather than amend it. Members also questioned the bill’s late arrival and legislative path. Chairman Scott explained that the bill had moved quickly through the Senate and that posting was limited because the bill number was not yet available. Skinner added that an earlier, similar House bill had not advanced and that this measure was a narrower attempt to address only the court-identified issues. After a motion to send S-1448 to the floor with a do-pass recommendation, the committee voted, with at least one member requesting to be recorded as a no. In closing remarks, some members reflected on the cost and frequency of court-driven legislation and the challenges of passing bills that later require fixes.

Transcript Highlights:

• wouldn't be a basis to charge a kilowatt-hour tax on, which means they couldn't enter anything for their budget
• in the upcoming fall budget process, which means that the property taxes would shift to other property

Summary: The House Revenue and Taxation Committee met on March 11, 2026, and heard three bills. House Bill 792, by Rep. Monks, would clarify Idaho’s small seller and occasional seller sales tax exemptions, including how yard sales and other small sales are counted within a calendar year and how taxes apply once sales exceed $5,000 and $7,500. Monks also explained that sellers over $3,000 in annual sales should keep records for four years, though those records are not filed with the Tax Commission. After brief questions about recordkeeping and gun show sales, the committee closed public testimony and advanced the bill to the floor with a due pass recommendation. House Bill 722, by Rep. Ehlers, was presented as a follow-up to last year’s utility tax changes, adjusting timing so utilities do not pay under both the old property-tax system and the new kilowatt-hour tax system. The bill sets six-month reporting and payment periods and addresses how new utility investments are handled for budgeting and tax purposes. After a question from Rep. Cheatham about whether the bill covered non-generation or distribution investments in county buildings, and a response from the Idaho Association of Counties that it could not answer the question, the committee voted to send the bill to the floor with a due pass recommendation. House Bill 811, presented by Chairman Cannon, would expand community infrastructure districts from cities to counties, add a sunset structure for districts and their bonds, and allow a temporary fee to help fund fire protection or emergency medical services. Committee members asked about how unincorporated areas would be included, whether the general plan could be amended, and whether district boundaries could be expanded; attorney Jeremy Piscay explained that amendments and expansions are possible through public notice, hearings, and, where applicable, property owner consent. After discussion of the bill’s dissolution and bond-discharge provisions, the committee approved a motion to send HB 811 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee then adjourned and announced it would meet again the next day at 9 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• wouldn't be a basis to charge a kilowatt-hour tax on, which means they couldn't enter anything for their budget
• in the upcoming fall budget process, which means that the property taxes would shift to other property

Committee: House Revenue and Taxation

Keywords: 989, all