Transcript Highlights:

• It's basically illegal to allowed.
• That is already illegal to do. >> That's illegal. >> So do you know what statute that's under by any
• </c> It<03:24:08.239><c> is</c><03:24:08.479><c> already</c> It is already It is already illegal illegal
• </c><03:24:19.439><c> That's</c><03:24:19.760><c> illegal.
• would lose in cross-border sales.

Committee: House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• you get this chill going down your spine that I'm having so much fun at this debate, perhaps we've crossed
• reimburse cities, towns, and counties that install supplemental fencing or bollard walls in high-crossing
• communities, and the work that's being done on the border now has stopped the flow of 20 million illegals
• Has stopped the flow of 20 million illegals coming into this country.
• No, I can definitely find drugs and alcohol on the reservation, even though it's illegal there.

Summary: The committee met to hear and vote on a series of appropriations and transportation-related bills, beginning with SB 1550, which would fund a Queen Creek police pilot program focused on runaway youth prevention, at-risk youth protection, and anti-trafficking work. Supporters said the town and local facilities already contribute personnel and administrative support, while some members urged Queen Creek to add local matching funds. The bill received a due pass recommendation on a 7-2 vote. The committee then considered SB 1156 and SB 1157, both $20 million border-related reimbursement bills sponsored by Senator Rogers. SB 1156 would reimburse cities, towns, and counties for short-term detention hold costs for unauthorized non-citizens, and SB 1157 would reimburse local governments for supplemental fencing or bollard walls in high-crossing border areas. Both bills drew strong opposition from public commenters who described them as funding detention and border enforcement at the expense of other needs, while supporters framed them as backfilling local costs already incurred. SB 1156 passed 5-3, and SB 1157 passed 5-3. The committee also approved SB 1245, which would fund pavement replacement on Rodeo Road in Williams, and SB 1707, which would provide $5 million for AI-related border security at DPS. SB 1245 passed 6-3, with some members objecting that the state highway user revenue fund is underfunded and local contributions should be required. SB 1707 passed 6-4 after testimony split between supporters who favored using AI and surveillance tools for border security and opponents who said the bill was too vague, too expensive, or inappropriate given other state priorities. Later, the committee advanced SB 1273, funding pavement rehabilitation on Ogle Frontage Road between Bowie and San Simon, and SB 1811, which would clarify that school districts and charter schools may allow wireless device use in the case of an emergency rather than during an emergency. SB 1273 passed 6-4 amid debate over state versus local funding responsibility, and SB 1811 passed 8-1 after testimony that the change would give schools more flexibility and avoid practical problems during emergencies. The committee also heard SB 1088, a cybersecurity appropriation for DHS, and SB 1332, which would require ADOT to study light rail expansion in Maricopa County versus autonomous or semi-autonomous transit options. SB 1088 passed 6-4 despite concerns that the appropriation was vendor-driven and not requested by the department. SB 1332 drew extensive testimony from small business owners along Indian School Road who said light rail construction had harmed access and sales, while Phoenix/Valley Metro opposed the bill and questioned ADOT’s role; the discussion continued as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I will point out we have caught 10% of those enclosures illegally importing from out of state, caught
• It's only been illegal in our state since the mid-2000s.
• It's only been illegal in our state since the mid-2000s.
• Have we crossed that with all the different strains of CWD to see if that holds true across all the different
• Have we crossed that with all the different strains of CWD to see if that holds true across all the different

Summary: The meeting began with roll call, approval of the agenda, and approval of the prior minutes, followed by a presentation from Julie Grenwald of Louisiana Hunters for the Hungry. She described the nonprofit’s work collecting and distributing protein to food banks and agencies statewide through freezer clean-out days, deer donations processed by more than 50 processors, fish donations through Venice Marina, and a paused-but-planned-to-reopen feral hog program. Members asked about processor locations, signage, exotic species, funding, sponsorships, and disease safety; Grenwald said the program is protected under Louisiana’s Good Samaritan Law and that wildlife and fisheries agents help connect processors and promote the program. She also noted the organization is looking for more partners and ways to expand access and awareness. The task force then received an update from Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries on chronic wasting disease testing. Jonathan Bordelon reported more than 2,800 samples collected and over 2,300 results returned, with nine positives to date: eight in Tensas Parish and one confirmed new detection in Concordia Parish from a hunter-harvested deer. He said the Concordia positive triggered the state’s CWD response plan, including a declaration of emergency and a future rulemaking process to adjust control-area boundaries. Members asked about symptomatic deer, harvest trends, and whether the disease appears to be spreading along the river; Bordelon said most positives were asymptomatic hunter-harvested deer and that harvest numbers remain near record highs. William McKinley of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks then gave an extensive presentation on Mississippi’s CWD experience. He said Mississippi has had 529 detections across 18 counties since 2018, with prevalence rising from about one in 500 samples to roughly one in 40 this year, and that some counties near the Tennessee line are seeing severe impacts. He described Mississippi’s surveillance system, voluntary sampling, taxidermist partnerships, targeted tags for properties near positives, bans on feeding and baiting in CWD zones, and research on environmental contamination, raccoons, and strain differences. Members asked about high-fence enclosures, live deer movement restrictions, Tennessee’s regulations, environmental testing capacity, and whether more aggressive measures or LSU research capacity could help Louisiana; McKinley said the disease is expanding despite management efforts and emphasized early detection, rapid response, and continued interstate coordination.

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, it is illegal under federal law.
• It didn't happen because we had a president with the courage to cross the DMZ.
• Closed to the southern border and deported more than 400,000 illegal aliens charged with...
• Closed to southern border and deported more than 400,000 illegal aliens charged with Thank you.
• Illegal migration.

Summary: The Senate convened with an opening prayer, pledge, and several introductions recognizing visitors, students, local officials, and professional groups in the gallery. The chamber then took up a report from the Ethics and Elections Committee confirming 42 executive appointments; the report was adopted by a vote of 36-0. The Senate also adopted a resolution honoring the Ripple Project for childhood cancer awareness and funding. The bulk of the meeting was spent on special-order bills, many of them open-government sunset review measures and policy bills. The Senate passed bills preserving or updating public records exemptions for aquaculture records, trade secrets, and cybersecurity information; a child-abuse reporting statute of limitations bill; a commercial driving schools bill; a human trafficking training requirement for nursing graduates; a new injunction for protection against serious violence by a known person and its companion public-records bill; a nature-based coastal resiliency bill with an amendment restricting dredge-and-fill in Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve; a chiropractic patient-funds bill; specialty license plate legislation; a one-time waiver for late financial disclosure fines; public school personnel compensation changes; the Florida Farm Bill with amendments protecting Everglades lands and technical corrections; homestead exemption clarification for long-term leaseholders; disability presumption clarifications for firefighters and law enforcement; reinsurance intermediary manager conformity changes; patriotic displays in public schools; ADS-B aviation fee restrictions; autism-related law enforcement training and a blue envelope program; public post-secondary safety policy requirements; and a bill allowing licensed agents to market health care sharing ministries. Several bills were temporarily postponed, including local vessel restrictions, temporary certificates for practice, and domestic animals. Members debated a number of measures, especially the health care sharing ministries bill, where opponents raised consumer-protection and commission concerns and supporters argued for free speech, religious liberty, and expanded consumer choice; it passed 32-5. Other debated bills included the autism law enforcement bill, the school athletics bill addressing coach support for student-athletes, and the Farm Bill, where senators discussed surplus land safeguards and biosolids timing. Most bills passed overwhelmingly, often 37-0 or 38-0, with a few closer votes such as the patriotic displays bill (36-2) and the health care sharing ministries bill (32-5).

Transcript Highlights:

• WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DOTTED THE EYES AND CROSS THE TEES. SENATOR PIZZO? THANKS.
• DOESN'T THIS ALLOW EMPLOYERS TO PAY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHATEVER THEY WANT?
• THIS BILL DOES NOT DEAL WITH ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IF YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN MORE.
• IMMIGRANT HERE ILLEGALLY AND PAY THEM WHATEVER THEY WANT?
• THANK YOU AGAIN THIS BILL DOES NOT DEAL WITH ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION BUT I DON'T THINK THAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

Transcript Highlights:

• Um so but also potentially illegal."
• You can cross the border into Iowa, and you can start betting.
• </c><00:39:12.840><c> until</c> gambling in Minnesota is illegal until gambling in Minnesota is illegal
• Please state your name for the record and you may begin. illegal. Thank you.
• Thank you and next illegal. Thank you.

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• It's federally illegal. It's against the law.
• It, you know, it is not illegal—we heard—it is not illegal.
• You know, it is not illegal, we heard, it is not illegal for bankers and remitters of cash money to other
• This law wants to change that, to make it illegal.
• It's an illegal alien means she's not even saying illegal alien, which that's the proper definition.

Summary: The committee first took up SB 1803, which would regulate non-accredited veterans benefits claims assistance by prohibiting unrecognized agents or attorneys from preparing or prosecuting claims, limiting compensation practices, requiring written disclosures and cancellation rights, and making violations subject to Attorney General enforcement. Supporters, including the sponsor and several veterans, said the bill would create needed guardrails against predatory actors while preserving veterans’ choice to use free or paid help. Opponents and some neutral testimony, including a VA-accredited attorney and representatives of the VFW and American Legion, argued the bill still lacked sufficient protections, raised federal preemption concerns, and should require VA accreditation instead. After debate over fees, back pay, and the availability of free services, the committee adopted an amendment and gave SB 1803 a do pass recommendation by a 5-2 vote. The committee then heard SB 1232, a strike-everything amendment dealing with outdoor advertising signs in military airport and ancillary military facility overlay zoning districts. The bill would allow signs on property with a military compatibility permit in areas otherwise treated as residential under a zoning designation, which the sponsor and property representatives said was needed to resolve an ADOT permitting loophole for a specific parcel near Luke Air Force Base and the Northern Parkway. Members questioned whether the change was narrowly tailored, whether other properties could be affected, and whether ADOT and federal highway beautification rules would be satisfied. After the amendment was adopted, the committee approved SB 1232 on a 4-3 vote, with several members saying they would reserve the right to change their votes on the floor. Finally, the committee began hearing SB 1511, which would prohibit operation of a commercial motor vehicle in Arizona unless the operator can prove lawful presence in the United States and would allow impoundment if proof is not provided. The sponsor introduced the bill with a lengthy explanation of commercial driver licensing history and concerns about non-domiciled and limited-term CDLs, contrasting them with Canadian and Mexican commercial licensing arrangements. The transcript cuts off before testimony, questions, or any action on SB 1511.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's federally illegal. It's against the law.
• It, you know, it is not illegal, we heard, it is not illegal.
• You know, it is not illegal, we heard, it is not illegal for bankers and remitters of cash money to other
• It is not illegal, and they were made to feel like it was, and that's not fair.
• It's an illegal alien means she's not even saying illegal alien, which that's the proper definition.

Bills: SB1232 , SB1421 , SB1505 , SB1511 , SB1520 , SB1803

Committee: Senate Military Affairs and Border Security

Keywords: outdoor advertising, military compatibility, zoning, electronic signage, permitting, undocumented immigrants, financial services, identification requirements, loans, foreign remittances, transitional housing, military, veterans, grant program, supportive services, SB1511, commercial driver license, CDL, nondomiciled CDL, nondomiciled commercial driver license

Transcript Highlights:

• My parents crossed true oceans to bring me as a small child to America. We, as a family...
• Dillon, if President Trump were to ask you to do something that you believe was either illegal or unethical
• laws and it would therefore be appropriate to refuse to follow a directive. of the president, if illegal
• No argument was made by the president that the order was unconstitutional, illegal, immoral, etc.
• concerning our Southern... border where he defied federal immigration law and allowed 12 million illegal

Committee: Senate Senate Judiciary

Keywords: Department of Justice, nominations, Assistant Attorney General, civil rights, enforcement, committee discussion

Summary: The meeting covered important discussions surrounding key nominations in the Department of Justice, specifically for the roles of Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights and the Office of Legal Policy. Various committee members took turns to express their views on the nominees, emphasizing the implications of their potential confirmation on civil rights enforcement in the country. Alongside the committee discussion, the nominees provided insights into their professional backgrounds and how their experiences align with the responsibilities of the positions for which they have been nominated.

Transcript Highlights:

• He did not see this as a cross-the-board increase in every poker tournament.
• they're not authorized, they are 100% illegal.
• thinking like, okay, so unauthorized equals illegal, and apparently we think that's okay.
• If they're legal, good; if they're illegal, can't send them there.
• The chances of you doing anything illegal if you were released today is virtually nil.

Summary: The committee first approved minutes from prior meetings and then filled a vacancy on Legislative Management by appointing Senator Braunberger after a caucus recommendation. Members then took up an unusual appeal from the North Dakota Gaming Commission after the Administrative Rules Committee voided a rule that would have raised the poker tournament entry fee from $300 to $1,500. Legislative Council explained the administrative rules process and the grounds for voiding a rule, while Gaming Commission representatives argued the commission had statutory authority and that the issue should be left to the full Legislature. Several members raised concerns about legislative intent, precedent, and whether the matter should wait for the regular session. On a motion to disapprove the Administrative Rules Committee’s finding and restore the rule, the committee voted no, so the voiding of the rule remained in place. The committee then reviewed the fiscal impact statement for Constitutional Measure No. 1 on congressional age limits. Staff reported no current fiscal impact because no litigation had been filed, though members noted the possibility of future legal challenges if the measure were enforced. After that, the committee began hearing proposed bills for the upcoming special session, starting with several kratom-related measures. Representative Wolff withdrew her bill, saying it was redundant, while Representative Heinert presented a bill to legalize and regulate natural kratom for adults 21 and over under the Attorney General, with licensing, labeling, penalties, and a public health campaign. Senator Axtman presented a companion bill targeting synthetic kratom derivatives, placing them on the controlled substances list with penalties similar to marijuana. Legislative Council later outlined Representative Johnston’s separate kratom bill, which would regulate kratom under the Department of Agriculture with product registration, licensing, and enforcement provisions. The committee also heard Senator Hogue’s bill to address funding for the State Historical Society’s military museum project. He argued the state was in breach of contract and that delaying action would increase costs, so his bill would authorize a $35 million line of credit to keep construction moving while fundraising continued. Members questioned the relationship between the proposed line of credit, existing SIF funding, and the private fundraising requirement, but no vote was taken before the meeting moved on. Finally, Representative Sue Ann Olson began presenting a bill requiring the Class D driver’s license test to be administered in English, arguing it was a safety measure because road signs are in English and law enforcement encounters can be complicated by language barriers. The transcript cuts off before her testimony concluded or any action was taken on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• And even if I do that, if I don't, you know, and the person is not here illegally...
• You're in good faith trying to find out whether someone you hired was illegal.
• If you hire someone who is here illegally, there are very hefty penalties for that.
• From the laws that are on the books about illegal immigration, if you hire someone who is here illegally
• I like numbers, and I wonder how many illegal ones...

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 4198, which would require employers to use E-Verify to confirm new hires’ work authorization and impose escalating penalties for violations, including warnings, debarment from state contracts, loss of business licenses, and other sanctions. Counsel and senators raised extensive drafting concerns, including circular language, conflicts with existing record-retention provisions, unclear references to “seeks to employ,” possible application to babysitters, lawn care, and other casual or household arrangements, and uncertainty about how the bill would work for employers who never actually complete a hire. The bill sponsor defended the measure as a way to strengthen compliance with existing law, protect employers who use E-Verify in good faith, and deter illegal hiring. After debate, a motion to table the bill failed on a roll call vote, 6 in favor and 10 opposed, and the chair then announced the bill would be sent to a subcommittee to be cleaned up, with instructions to resolve the drafting conflicts and other ambiguities. The committee then turned to House Bill 4710, with an amendment, which would require a person to be registered with a political party or as an independent 210 days before filing a certificate of candidacy. Counsel explained that the change would lengthen the current 60-day requirement and would affect both party-switching and independent candidacies, making it harder for candidates to change affiliation shortly before an election. Senators asked about how the 210-day period would work relative to the primary and general election filing deadlines, and counsel clarified that it would be measured backward from the relevant filing dates. The discussion focused on the practical effect of the bill as a “sore loser” measure and on the timing rules for candidacy filings.

Transcript Highlights:

• drugs legal nowhere to support illegal drugs legal nowhere in<00:48:04.080><c> the</c><00:48:04.160>
• </c> there and use drugs illegally there and use drugs illegally under<00:48:13.200><c> the</c><00:48
• A place where they're thinking about having a place where people can go use illegal drugs.
• It incorporates proper cross-references. Really largely technical in nature.
• </c><02:13:21.160><c> Blue</c><02:13:21.320><c> Shield,</c> um, Blue Cross Blue Shield, um, Blue Cross

Transcript Highlights:

• I think we need way more cross-gender mentorship and guidance about here's what men are looking for from
• specific policy addressing user-generated content about muscle-building supplements that were not illegal
• specific policy addressing user-generated content about muscle-building supplements that were not illegal
• And it's an interesting approach because you're actively advocating for something that is illegal to
• do, yet you're monetizing off of that illegality.

Summary: The hearing was the inaugural meeting of the Assembly Select Committee on Developing Pathways to Purpose for Young Men, chaired by Assembly Member Avelino Valencia. In opening remarks, Valencia and several committee members described concerns about boys’ and young men’s disconnection from school, work, and relationships, and tied the committee’s work to technology, mentorship, education, and suicide prevention. Members repeatedly noted the effects of COVID-era screen use, the importance of positive male role models, and the need to think beyond funding alone toward broader policy and cultural changes. The first panel focused on the state of men online. Testimony from David Sakaki of the American Institute for Boys and Men, Vihon Bardwaj of Generation Up, and Dr. Alok Kanojia (“Dr. K”) emphasized that pornography, gaming, gambling, social media, and AI can meet real needs for belonging, status, and relief, while also encouraging addiction, isolation, distorted sexual expectations, and harmful comparisons. Witnesses argued that young men are especially vulnerable to algorithm-driven content, that online systems often amplify misogyny and other harmful behavior, and that public policy should address design defaults, age-appropriate sex education, gambling-like game mechanics, and offline alternatives such as sports, mentorship, and social-emotional skill building. Committee members asked about pornography, loot boxes, gambling ads, and how to create healthier substitutes for the immediate gratification these products provide. Witnesses said the answer is not to match the addictive pull of harmful content, but to build more fulfilling offline pathways and teach practical social and emotional skills. Assembly Member Brian also spoke about the need for policy frameworks that help young men and boys be seen and supported, while acknowledging that these issues affect women and girls as well. The second panel shifted to design and health impacts. Dr. Ravi Iyer, drawing on his experience at Meta, said platforms are often optimized for engagement rather than users’ aspirations, which can increase exposure to nudity, violence, hate, and unwanted sexual content; he also warned about emotionally manipulative chatbot interactions and suggested stronger rules and public tracking of app harms. Dr. Jason Nagata of UCSF described research linking problematic social media use to later ADHD symptoms in boys, and explained how social media can intensify muscularity pressures, body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, and risky appearance-modification trends such as “looksmaxxing.” No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the CEO of the American Red Cross of Idaho, Montana, and East Oregon.
• The Red Cross does not approve these.
• I'm a member of the Board of the Red Cross. I've been a member for five years.
• I'm not a part of the blood services department at the Red Cross.
• This has nothing to do with, you know, Red Cross or any other supplier of blood.

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• What we do know is that the numbers at the border have plummeted of asylum seekers—people crossing in
• We've always had 75, 80 percent of the illegal migration in Texas.
• We had over 500,000 from Venezuela cross in the last four years.
• We had over 500,000 from Venezuela cross in the last four years.
• Now, you know, I did it with old-fashioned technology called cross-training of staff.

Bills: SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee heard a presentation from the Legislative Budget Board on the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Article 5 budget. LBB recommended $3.7 billion in all funds for 2026-27, a 5.2 percent decrease from the base, while FTEs would rise by 856.7. Major items included funding for driver license services, DPS facilities, troopers and recruit schools, crime labs, vehicle and aircraft operations, border security, and rider changes. The committee also reviewed DPS exceptional items not included in the recommendation, including additional staffing, technology, and facility requests. Members focused heavily on driver license operations, criticizing long wait times, call abandonment, and repeated staffing increases without clear process improvements. LBB said the agency’s call-answer rate was about 9 percent in fiscal 2024, with average hold times around 34 minutes, later reduced to roughly 22-25 minutes. Senators questioned whether more FTEs alone would solve the problem and urged a broader efficiency study and better use of technology. DPS officials said they were pursuing process changes, including appointment-system upgrades, online pre-population of forms, and remote issuance options, while noting that Real ID requirements and population growth continue to drive demand. DPS leadership then outlined the agency’s priorities: completion of the Williamson County training academy, recruitment and retention of troopers, capital needs for vehicles and aircraft, and expanded responsibilities at the Capitol complex and the Alamo. Officials said the new trooper funding would help address staffing shortages, public safety, and border operations, and that overtime and deployment patterns had been adjusted to reduce burnout and improve flexibility. They also discussed Operation Lone Star, saying DPS spending is largely overtime, travel, and fuel, and that the agency continues to coordinate with federal partners while awaiting clarity on possible federal reimbursement for border security costs. Senators also raised concerns about oilfield theft, cartel activity, high-speed pursuits, bilingual pay, and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, and DPS said it would follow up on some of those issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• mercury is illegal and subject to<01:01:55.359><c> penalties.
• </c> reproductive age because it can cross reproductive age because it can cross the<01:03:36.720><c>
• Right now it is illegal to products.
• Right now it is illegal to sell<01:04:49.039><c> products</c><01:04:49.359><c> with</c><01:04:49.640>
• This is talking about illegal search and seizure, and this is exactly what they're doing, and I need

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Transcript Highlights:

• Many of the unquote illegal immigrants.
• I don't know why, but here because it's illegal to do that.
• </c><01:31:19.440><c> Uh</c><01:31:19.760><c> we</c><01:31:20.000><c> heard</c> illegal actions, right
• Uh we heard illegal actions, right?
• Um, you know, I talked to a business owner who employs illegal immigrants, and they also verified with

Bills: HF4077 , HF3798 , HF3886

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:

• However, this is an unenforceable illegal act of jaywalking.
• However, this is an unenforceable illegal act of jaywalking.
• The reality is that crossing a roadway when there is no car coming mid-block is safer than crossing at
• </c><00:10:31.519><c> a</c> government to tell you how to cross a government to tell you how to cross
• </c><00:11:03.760><c> a</c> into and um the reality is is crossing a into and um the reality is is crossing

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Is that something, isn't that already illegal, insider trading? Mr.
• So then if that's already illegal, why do we need to address this?
• Okay, Jeff Cross. Welcome, sir. Introduce yourself.
• Jeff Cross, Deputy Treasurer, on behalf of the Arizona State Treasurer's Office.
• I'm Jeff Cross, Deputy Treasurer here at the Arizona State Treasurer's Office. Mr.

Committee: House House Appropriations Committee of Reference

Summary: The Appropriations Committee met on January 28 and heard several bills, beginning with introductions of members and staff. The committee first considered HB 2056, which would appropriate $100,000 to the Arizona Department of Water Resources for a feasibility study of brackish groundwater desalination sites. Sponsor Rep. Gail Griffin argued the state should explore use of large brackish groundwater reserves amid Colorado River concerns, while one speaker opposed the bill on aquifer-protection grounds. The committee voted 11-6-1 to give HB 2056 a due pass recommendation. The committee then took up HB 2798, as amended, which appropriates $100,000 to the Arizona Geological Survey to compile data on materials relevant to nuclear energy, including thorium and other non-uranium fuels. Rep. Carbone and others framed the bill as an economic development and national security measure, while opponents questioned whether Arizona has meaningful deposits and whether the state should fund the research. The University of Arizona testified that the Geological Survey could do the work. The committee adopted the Livingston amendment and then approved the bill 11-5-1. Next, the committee considered HB 2303, which codifies investment standards for the State Treasurer, emphasizing safety and principal preservation and prohibiting speculative investments and insider misuse. The Treasurer’s Office supported the bill, saying it reflects existing policy and ethics rules, though members asked for clearer definitions of “speculative” and how the bill would interact with other statutes. The committee passed HB 2303 15-0 with two members present and one not voting. HB 2344, which directs the Treasurer to manage the local government investment pool internally and allows a third-party contract only for emergency backup, also passed after questions about local control and whether the bill was necessary; the vote was 12-2-3 with one not voting. The committee later heard HB 2759, a $500,000 appropriation to the Department of Veterans’ Services to partner with an educational institution in Yavapai County for veterans programs. Retired Navy SEAL Chief Richard Rodriguez testified about Embry-Riddle’s veteran population and emergency assistance needs for housing, travel, and equipment, while opponents objected to using state funds for a private institution and argued veterans services should be broader and statewide. The bill received a due pass recommendation 11-6-1. The committee also approved HB 2207, which funds the prison Braille transcription program at $300,000 and was described as a successful rehabilitation and service program, and HB 2224, as amended to $1 million, which funds the Double Up Food Bucks produce incentive program through SNAP; supporters said it helps families, farmers, and local economies, and the committee adopted the amendment and passed the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Likewise, the work that we're doing on wildlife crossings, helping animals cross highways, is really
• Wildlife crossings and things like that.
• This is the Wallace-Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, which I have been honored to work on for 14 years.
• We're building the nation's largest wildlife crossing to ensure it.
• But I also founded the Wildlife Crossing Fund.

Committees: House Water, Parks and Wildlife , House Water, Parks, and Wildlife