Video & Transcript Research : 'Potsdam Conference'
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MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Floor Session 5/16/25 - Part 2
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Conference<00:04:24.800>
Committee Conference Committee report on House Number 2130, an act - repassed as amended by the conference repassed as amended by the conference committee.
- and prevailing coming out of conference and prevailing coming out of conference committee<02:37:
- this bill comes out of conference this bill comes out of conference committee,<02:46:10.960>
- We can look at in conference that.
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
Senate Standing Committee on State and Local Government. (1-21-26)
State & Local Government
Transcript Highlights:
- expressed<00:03:11.920>
a <00:03:12.239>desire Jason Hall, with the Catholic Conference - Jason Hall with the Catholic Conference of Kentucky and Senator Elkins and I spoke just before the meeting
- Jason Hall with the Catholic Conference<00:04:13.120>
of <00:04:13.360>Kentucky <00:04:13.680 - >
and <00:04:14.000>Senator Conference of Kentucky and Senator Conference of Kentucky and
Keywords:
Meeting Start: 00:03
Attendance Roll Call: 00:08
SB 27 Discussion 01:36
SB 27 Vote 07:06
SB 40 Discussion 08:11
SB 40 Vote 12:38
Adjournment: 13:31, 958, all
Summary:
The Senate State and Local Government Committee met with a quorum and adopted a committee substitute for Senate Bill 27, sponsored by Senator Greg Elkins. SB 27 would let fiscal courts or local governments responsible for indigent remains choose cremation instead of burial, after consulting the coroner and after a 30-day effort to locate next of kin. The bill also preserves the ability of a religious community to assume responsibility if it has expressed that intent in writing. Jason Hall of the Catholic Conference of Kentucky said his only concern was ensuring cremated remains are interred, not disposed of otherwise, and Rabbi Schlommo Litman of the Kentucky Jewish Council thanked the sponsor for accommodating religious communities and said the bill was a good compromise.
After discussion, the committee voted 10-0 to report SB 27 favorably as amended by committee substitute, with members indicating they expected it to pass on the floor. The sponsor thanked the committee for its work and noted the bill’s importance to religious communities.
The committee then considered Senate Bill 40, sponsored by Senator Gary Boswell, and adopted its committee substitute. SB 40 changes the process for library board appointments, returning appointments to local judge executives and local boards and modifying the alternate appointment process created by prior law. Testimony from the County Judges Association and the Kentucky Public Library Association indicated the parties had worked together and were in agreement on the compromise. After questions about how the regular and alternate processes would work, the committee voted 10-0 to report SB 40 favorably as amended by committee substitute, also with favorable expression for floor passage. The committee then adjourned.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am
Transcript Highlights:
- matter expert, Landon Jack Winole, Employment, Labor, and Retirement Policy Analyst for the National Conference
- Employment, Labor, and Retirement Policy Analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures,
- I'm with the National Conference of State Legislatures in our Employment, Labor, and Retirement Program
- Employment, Labor, and Retirement Policy Analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures,
- I'm with the National Conference of State Legislatures in our Employment, Labor, and Retirement Program
Summary:
The Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions held a public hearing on Initiative Petition 2522 / H. 5909, which would amend state labor law to treat the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) as a public employer and allow its employees to seek collective bargaining rights. The chair explained the Article 48 initiative process, noted that no opponents or members of the public had signed up to testify, and said written testimony would be accepted through March 20. The hearing focused on whether CPCS staff should be brought within the public-sector bargaining framework and how that would interact with the agency’s statutory duties.
Expert testimony began with an NCSL analyst, who gave a national overview of public employee bargaining rights and examples of public defender unions in other states and localities, including Colorado, New York City, Indianapolis, Cook County, Maryland, and Illinois. Department of Labor Relations officials then reviewed prior failed organizing efforts at CPCS and its predecessor, explaining that earlier petitions were dismissed because the agency was not considered a public employer under existing law. They said passage of the initiative would not automatically unionize employees, but would allow a union to petition for an election or written majority authorization, with normal unit-appropriateness and supervisory/confidential employee issues still to be resolved.
CPCS Chief Counsel Anthony Benedetti testified that the agency supports providing information to the legislature but is not taking a position for or against unionization. He described CPCS’s statutory responsibilities, size, and current efforts to expand staffing after recent indigent-defense crises, and said any new bargaining framework would need to operate alongside the agency’s obligations to provide counsel. Proponents from SEIU Local 888 and allied labor groups argued that CPCS employees have long been denied the same collective bargaining rights as other public workers, and that a union would provide just-cause protections, a voice on staffing and working conditions, and better support for recruitment and retention. CPCS attorneys and staff testified in favor of the measure, citing heavy caseloads, rapid expansion, inadequate supervision and office support, and the need for representation in disciplinary and workplace disputes. Committee members asked about bargaining-unit composition, the role of the DLR, the effect of unionization on attorneys’ ethical duties, and the use and cost of paid signature gathering. The hearing ended with no votes taken and no opposition testimony presented.
MN
Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session
Conference Committee on HF2431 5/16/25 - Part 1
Transcript Highlights:
- [Music] The hour of 1 p.m. having arrived, I hereby call the conference committee on House File 2431
- are here today because negotiations between the House and the Senate are underway, and we on this conference
- <00:14:30.720>
members <00:14:31.040>of <00:14:31.199>the <00:14:31.279>conference - case, um, members of the conference case, um, members of the conference committee<00:14:32.000><
- The motion prevails and the<00:16:21.839>
conference <00:16:22.240>committee <00:16:22.560
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Conference Committee on SF3045 5/13/25
Transcript Highlights:
- I am calling this meeting of the State and Local Government and Elections Conference Committee to order
- in<00:15:29.760>
the line 15 and include them in the line 15 and include them in the conference - <00:15:31.360>
All <00:15:31.519>those conference committee report. - All those conference committee report.
- Um, and all of the folks who are working in pre-conference on elections stuff can stick around in this
Summary:
The State and Local Government and Elections Conference Committee met on May 13, 2025, to adopt agreed-upon provisions from the elections article. The chair noted they initially lacked a quorum on both sides, but later confirmed quorum was present. Members and staff walked through a grid of proposed sections, covering voter registration and student proof-of-residence rules, public voter information list deadlines, electronic rosters for combined polling places, absentee ballot procedures, candidate filing and ballot preparation notices, write-in candidate timelines, municipal boundary adjustments, emergency polling place signage, county election training, special election filing periods for legislative vacancies, school district election timing, voting system testing, town elections, hospital board elections, and repeal of the voting equipment grant account.
Several items were described as technical or clarifying changes, including wording fixes, consistency edits, and updated effective dates, with many provisions set to take effect January 1, 2026. One item, line 15, involving a cannabis-related provision, was set aside because an amendment had not been posted and printed in time; members agreed to take it up later. The committee also discussed a mix of House-only and Senate-only provisions, including third-party presidential electors, phonetic spelling on affidavits of candidacy, notification of ballot preparers when candidate names change, emergency polling place procedures, training requirements, and rules for temporary polling places on tribal land.
After the staff walkthrough and brief questions, Vice Chair Aldenorf moved to adopt the provisions in the document titled “Elections Provisions Proposed Sections for Adoptions, May 13, 2025,” excluding line 15, and include them in the conference committee report. The motion passed on a voice vote with no opposition recorded. The committee then adjourned, with members noting that work on remaining elections provisions could continue afterward.
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
CPN DEFER, CPN, CPN Public Hearings 02-25-2025
Commerce and Consumer Protection
Transcript Highlights:
- Commerce and Consumer Protection, Tuesday, February 25, 2025, 9:30 a.m. decision-making hearing in Conference
- Commerce and Consumer Protection, Tuesday, February 25, 2025, 9:32 a.m. decision-making hearing in Conference
- /c><00:02:20.400>
in a.m. uh decisionmaking Hearing in a.m. uh decisionmaking Hearing in conference - 22.280>
at <00:02:22.400>the <00:02:22.519>Hawaii <00:02:22.840>state conference - room 229 at the Hawaii state conference room 229 at the Hawaii state capital<00:02:25.040>
um
Summary:
The Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection held decision-making and hearing sessions on February 25, 2025, on several measures. In decision-making, the committee passed with amendments SP 588 SD1, SP 1245 SD1 (pharmacists), SB 1287 (transparency), and SP 1298 SD1 (recycling), generally adopting agency-requested or technical amendments and in several cases pushing the effective date far into the future to keep the bills moving. The committee deferred SP 1149 SD1 and SP 281 SD1 for one day, and indefinitely deferred SP 1286 SD1 on motor vehicles after noting no supportive or opposing testimony and that the Office of Consumer Protection wanted to work further with the introducer.
In the later hearing on consumer-protection-related measures, the committee heard testimony on SB 419 (insurance), SB 942 (rental applications), and SB 1142 (insurance proceeds). SB 419 would require auto insurance to cover replacement of a damaged child passenger restraint system; the Attorney General’s office suggested language to avoid contract impairment, and the measure was advanced with amendments. SB 942 would bar landlords from rejecting applicants solely for lack of a recent paycheck if they can show sufficient liquid assets or unearned income; testimony was largely supportive, with Realtors asking for clarifying amendments to protect their fiduciary duties, while a witness opposed those changes as an unnecessary burden on retirees and elders. SB 1142 would impose requirements on mortgage services for disbursing insurance proceeds after damage to residential property; DCCA and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement supported it, and the committee advanced it with technical amendments and a defective effective date.
Across the actions, the committee repeatedly voted to pass measures with amendments, with the chair voting aye and, on SB 942, the vice chair voting with reservations over the Realtors’ amendments. No measures were rejected in the portions provided, and the committee adjourned after adopting the recommendations.
TX
Texas 89th Regular
S/C on County & Regional Government Mar 17th, 2025
S/C on County & Regional Government
Transcript Highlights:
- We have him shown as registering as the policy director for a conference of our counties and test and
- Telephone conference, they'd like to do video conferencing.
- And they'd like to have the opportunity to build a video conference where they can see each other as
- opposed to having to do it purely by telephone conference.
- They can't see each other with a telephone conference because they're an advisory board, right?
Keywords:
law enforcement, sheriff, constable, contracts, county governance, HB 554, fireworks, Juneteenth, Juneteenth holiday, retail fireworks permit, Texas Occupations Code, Local Government Code, county commissioners court, drought conditions, Texas A&M Forest Service, fire safety, holiday sales, seasonal fireworks sales, Fourth of July, Independence Day
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- The appropriation language is blank, and we will deal with this in conference.
- Members, it still has to go to conference. This is way different from what the Senate has.
- So this will be a conference, a discussion with, uh, and by the way, the, did all these amendments I
- So this will be a conference, a discussion with, uh, and by the way, the, did all these amendments I
- So this will be a conference, a discussion with, uh, and by the way, the, did all these amendments I
MN
Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session
House Floor Session 5/1/25 - Part 2
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- I think you'll probably be on the conference committee.
- I think you'll probably be on the conference committee.
- support into conference support into conference committee<02:43:27.120>
to committee to committee - <03:25:27.359>
The conference committee be appointed. - The conference committee be appointed.
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- So, as Senator Prentice pointed out, this went to a committee of conference, and the committee of conference
- So, as Senator Prentice pointed out, this went to a committee of conference, and the committee of conference
- So, as Senator Prentice pointed out, this went to a committee of conference, and the committee of conference
- this went to a a committee of conference this went to a a committee of conference and<00:21:23.600
- :21:25.840>
um and the committee of conference um and the committee of conference um started<00
CO
Colorado 2026 Regular Session
Colorado Senate 2026 Legislative Day 105 Apr 29th, 2026
Colorado Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- This is conference committee reports. Mr. Majority Leader.
- No, or first report of the first conference committee on House Bill 1410.
- ><00:42:10.160>
House conference committee appointed on House conference committee appointed on - The motion is to proceed out of order for consideration of conference committee reports.
- suspended to consider conference suspended to consider conference committee<01:08:51.120>
reports
Summary:
The Senate convened, approved the journal, and received a series of committee and conference committee reports. Committee reports advanced several bills, including House Bill 106 from Education; House Bills 1312 and 1322 from Judiciary; Senate Bill 172 from Transportation and Energy; and a large group of bills from Appropriations, many of which were sent to the Committee of the Whole, some placed on the consent calendar. The chamber also received a conference committee report on House Bill 1410, the state budget bill, which was later taken up for repassage.
A special order consent calendar was then considered and adopted, advancing Senate Bills 154, 156, and 157. Those bills were described as dealing with Colorado Channel Authority Board appointments, State Workforce Development Council practices, and abandonment of a town with critical water infrastructure. The Committee of the Whole report on those bills was adopted, and they were ordered engrossed and placed on the calendar for third reading and final passage.
The Senate also adopted the first conference committee report on House Bill 1411, which concerns health insurance benefits for certain low-income individuals who are ineligible for medical assistance due to immigration status and adjusts appropriations. The report was adopted 34-0, and the bill was repassed 32-2. House Bill 1410, the long bill, was then adopted from conference committee and repassed after extended debate on funding for the ID community and related developmental disability and transition funding; the final repassage vote was 23-11. During debate, senators discussed the difficulty of the budget decisions and the need to revisit the issue with better information in the interim.
Later, the Senate considered Senate Bills 17, 45, and 91 in Committee of the Whole. SB 17, concerning out-of-network health care dispute resolution, received committee amendments and was adopted. SB 45, concerning workforce development opportunities in Colorado’s nuclear sector, was amended to include a one-year sunset if funding is not raised for the School of Mines program, then adopted. SB 91, concerning exclusion of certain printed news deliverers from employee definitions in labor and employment law, drew debate: supporters said it would help preserve local newspapers and independent contractor delivery models, while opponents argued it would weaken worker protections and favor large newspaper owners. The transcript cuts off before the final vote on SB 91.
NY
New York 2025-2026 Regular Session
New York State Senate Session - 05/27/2026
New York Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Do we do this for any other authority, agency, department, conference, anything?
- There will be an immediate meeting of the Republican Conference in Room 315.
- THAT OUR CONFERENCE HAS ABOUT THE LEGISLATION.
- , and even in our conference.
- I especially want to thank my conference, the Majority Conference, for your incredible and relentless
Summary:
The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation, then approved the prior day’s Journal and moved into motions, resolutions, and budget-related business. Senator Gianaris called up Senate Print 5898A for reconsideration; the Senate voted 59 ayes to restore the bill to the third reading calendar. Several amendments were also received on third-reading bills, and the Finance Committee was called into session while the chamber proceeded with resolutions.
The Senate adopted Resolution J.2106 recognizing Second Chance Month and the mental health impacts of incarceration, with Senator Brisport speaking in support and a guest from the community recognized in the chamber. The body also adopted Resolution J.1492 designating May 27, 2026, as Taiwan Heritage Day, with remarks from Senators Sepúlveda, Stavisky, and Liu highlighting Taiwanese contributions to New York and expressing support for Taiwan amid current geopolitical tensions. The Finance Committee then reported several budget bills, including Senate Prints 9003D, 9004D, 9007C, and 9009C, which were moved to third reading.
The remainder of the session focused on the supplemental and controversial budget calendars, especially tax and spending provisions. Senators debated the “Protecting Our Wallets” energy rebate, with supporters describing it as a one-time check for eligible taxpayers and critics arguing it was too small and not tied directly to utility bills; the chamber accepted the message of necessity and laid the bills aside. Members also debated extensions and changes to tax provisions affecting corporations, alternative fuel exemptions, Broadway and theatrical production tax credits, charitable deductions for certain 501(c)(3)s, nicotine pouch taxes, a new New York City pied-à-terre tax, and a standardbred horse-racing testing fee. Several senators criticized the budget as raising costs or favoring certain industries, while supporters defended the measures as revenue-raising, affordability, or public-health policies. No final votes on the controversial budget bills are shown in the excerpt beyond procedural rulings, adoption of the resolution calendar, and acceptance of committee reports.
HI
Hawaii 2026 Regular Session
EDN Public Hearing - Tue Feb 3, 2026 @ 2:00 PM HST
Transcript Highlights:
- It is currently in consult and confer. So it does include procedures such as that.
- So it does include procedures confer.
- ><01:25:50.480>
provide <01:25:50.719>the confer process is we provide the confer process - Um, we also go to conferences and talk from licensing agencies and educator preparation program.
- Um, we also go to conferences and talk from licensing agencies and educator preparation program.
Summary:
The committee on Education heard testimony on HB 1895, which would add education-worker protections by expanding harassment-related offenses. The Department of Education, HSTA, HGA, and several school employees and principals testified in support, describing increased harassment and threats toward teachers and staff, especially since COVID, and saying the bill would help deter bad actors. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the measure, saying the language was vague and overbroad, could criminalize ordinary parental advocacy or speech, and might not survive constitutional scrutiny. In response to questions, the public defender said existing statutes already cover threatening or assaultive conduct against educational workers, while DOE representatives said the bill was aimed at excessive and repetitive disruptive behavior. No vote or final action was taken in the excerpt.
The committee then took up HB 1592, concerning protections for educational workers and sports officials. DOE, the Charter School Commission, HGA, HSTA, school principals, athletic programs, and many individual testifiers supported the bill, with several describing threats, harassment, and aggressive behavior at schools and athletic events. One principal said he had repeatedly involved law enforcement after threats and incidents on campus, and a teacher testified about the need to keep school environments safe and orderly. The Office of the Public Defender again opposed the bill, arguing that current law already enhances penalties for assaults and terroristic threatening against educational workers and sports officials, and that new offenses would have little deterrent effect. Committee members questioned whether the bill should be a separate statute and how to distinguish passionate advocacy from harassment; DOE said the line was crossed when conduct became excessive and repetitive, while the public defender urged clearer drafting and more emphasis on prevention, education, security, and de-escalation. No vote or final action was announced in the excerpt.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- Conference? Conference?
- So, the SEC, the Big 10, conferences.
- <00:55:14.000>
and competitive within our conference. and competitive within our conference - <01:05:52.079>
championships to compete for conference championships to compete for conference - So we've already from the conference.
Summary:
A joint informational briefing of the House and Senate higher education committees focused on how the University of Hawaiʻi athletics department plans to remain competitive in the new NIL era, including the effects of the House v. NCAA settlement, direct institutional payments, and the need to balance competitiveness with the university’s educational mission. Senators and committee members introduced themselves, and the briefing featured remarks from women’s basketball coach Laura Beeman, football coach Timmy Chang, and Athletic Director Matt Elliott.
Coach Beeman said NIL has already affected recruiting and retention in women’s basketball, estimating the program has lost six to 10 student-athletes because it lacks the funding to keep comparable talent. She emphasized that the issue is not greed but retention, culture, and keeping student-athletes who value the university and community, while also using NIL as a way to teach financial literacy, privacy, and adult responsibilities. Coach Chang described similar pressures in football, including transfer portal volatility and competing offers from other programs, and gave examples of players whose personal and family circumstances made NIL support important for staying at Hawaiʻi.
Athletic Director Elliott said the department’s vision is to create an outstanding student-athlete experience, recruit and retain elite athletes, compete at the top of the Mountain West, and strengthen community ties. He said the department wants to preserve the educational focus while adapting to a system in which student-athletes can share in revenue. Elliott explained that UH is seeking a $5 million annual NIL fund, is fundraising through the community and the “Boost the Bose” account, and is also pursuing individual NIL deals, corporate sponsorship-related deals, and licensing opportunities. In response to Senator Kim’s question, he said NIL compensation can come through two tracks: institutional payments within the department’s discretion and outside deals that must be reviewed for market value under the new reporting system. No votes or formal actions were taken; the meeting was informational only.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:25:31.039>
and participating in status conferences and participating in status conferences - Um, I think one thing that they need is you have to have frequent status conferences.
- <01:16:11.679>
The <01:16:11.920>courts frequent status conferences. - The courts frequent status conferences.
- to have more frequent status conferences to have more frequent status conferences for<01:16:30.560
Summary:
The Judiciary Committee heard testimony on Governor’s Message 767, the nomination of Kanoi AD Jackson to serve as circuit court judge for the Third Circuit. The chair announced that the committee would not vote on the governor’s message or two judge nominations until Tuesday, April 15, but planned to vote that day on two Defender Council items. Testimony on Jackson’s nomination was limited to two minutes per speaker, and the hearing was conducted partly by Zoom.
Supporters emphasized Jackson’s qualifications, work ethic, judicial temperament, and community ties. Testifiers included the West Hawaii Bar Association, family members, a retired teacher, retired Judge Robert Kim, and the Hawaii State Bar Association. The West Hawaii Bar Association said Jackson received high marks from its review process and that the Third Circuit needed a permanent judge for stability. Judge Kim and others praised her preparation, intelligence, humility, and experience as a prosecutor and litigator. Jackson also spoke in her own behalf, acknowledging that her background is primarily criminal rather than civil, but saying she is committed to learning the civil docket and serving the community if confirmed.
Members questioned the Hawaii State Bar Association about the basis for its support, including how many members responded and whether concerns were raised about Jackson’s lack of civil experience. HSBA said it uses a confidential review process, receives both positive and negative comments, and does not track votes or percentages, but its board voted to support her. Judge Kim responded that judges can learn new areas of law, that civil dockets can be managed with benchbooks and help from other judges, and that Jackson’s trial experience would serve her well. No vote was taken on Jackson’s nomination during this hearing.
VT
Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Session - 2026-05-13 - 10:00AM
Vermont Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Are you of conference be appointed.
- The<01:28:19.840>
committee <01:28:20.159>on <01:28:20.480>conference <01:28 - :21.520>
will <01:28:21.920>be <01:28:22.480>the The committee on conference will - The ayes have it, and we will appoint a committee of conference.
- Are you ready conference be appointed.
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Kentucky Housing Task Force 2025 (6-30-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:09:22.080>
I <00:09:22.399>won't us to come to their conferences. - I won't us to come to their conferences.
- But we're also going to have these Indiana folks at our conference to talk about these programs.
- <00:26:42.240>
to Indiana folks uh at our conference to Indiana folks uh at our conference - know and will feature at our conference know and will feature at our conference some<00:31:56.320
Keywords:
Meeting Start 00:00:15
Roll Call 00:00:45
Discussion of Pro-Growth Housing Policies 00:02:33
Adjournment 01:17:15, 958, all
Summary:
The Housing Task Force 2.0 reconvened with several new members and heard a presentation from Kentucky Housing Corporation Executive Director Winston Miller and Deputy Executive Director Wendy Smith. They framed the task force’s work as a practical effort to address Kentucky’s housing shortage, update members on the current housing landscape, summarize existing state and federal resources, and suggest areas for the task force to focus on over the coming year.
KHC said its 2024 housing supply gap analysis found Kentucky is short about 206,000 housing units, split roughly evenly between rental and homeownership, and projected the gap could grow to 287,000 units by 2029 if current trends continue. They emphasized that every county in Kentucky needs more housing, that the 2008 housing crisis and loss of construction capacity remain major causes of the shortage, and that current pressures include high interest rates, rising insurance and tax costs, construction cost inflation, and housing prices and rents growing faster than incomes. KHC also said homelessness has risen in Kentucky, with point-in-time counts showing double-digit increases in recent years.
The presenters reviewed existing resources, including federal programs, the Kentucky Affordable Housing Trust Fund, the rural housing trust fund, KHC mortgage and down payment assistance programs, and the state mortgage interest deduction. They said these resources are important but insufficient to close the gap, and noted that a proposed federal FY2026 budget would cut HUD programs by 44%, potentially removing about $286 million from Kentucky housing resources, though no action has been taken yet. They urged the task force to consider stronger, more flexible tools such as a revolving loan fund, a state affordable housing tax credit, and economic development and employer-assisted housing incentives, and pointed to Indiana’s housing infrastructure and regional development funds as examples. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
Committee of Conference on HB 158, 281, 317, 340, 1062, 1187, 1234, 1300, 1306, 1381, 1541 (5/27/26)
Transcript Highlights:
- We're going to bring together the committee of conference on House Bill 158, relative to public inspection
- I handed out an amendment, and so the Committee of Conference will consider this amendment.
- Open the committee of conference on House Bill 1234. I was keeping track of them.
- <01:01:22.160>
on Open the committee of conference on Open the committee of conference on - We will open up the Committee of Conference on House Bill 1300.
Summary:
The committee of conference first took up House Bill 158 on public inspection of absentee ballot lists. The Senate explained that its amendment replaced the original bill with a requirement that the Secretary of State review absentee ballot data after each general election and report findings to the committees of jurisdiction, focusing on unusual patterns such as multiple ballots sent to the same address. After a brief caucus, the House agreed to the Senate position, and members voted individually to concur.
The committee then discussed House Bill 281, which concerns making the electronic voter checklist available in a sortable format. The main dispute was whether the public list should include the mailing address where an absentee ballot was sent if it differs from the voter’s registered address. The Senate argued that including mailing addresses could expose where voters actually live or are away from home and could create safety concerns, while the House argued the information could help candidates reach voters and was not primarily a fraud measure. The parties also discussed a related nursing home verification provision and record-retention/public-records questions. After caucusing, the House agreed to the Senate’s position with the added nursing home signing language, and the committee closed the bill on consent.
House Bill 340, concerning electioneering by public employees, was then taken up with a Senate amendment that narrowed the definition of electioneering by tying it to existing statutory language, added a prohibition on expressly or primarily political surveys, and created a civil penalty option alongside the misdemeanor penalty. Senators and representatives debated whether the penalties should be mandatory or discretionary and how the language would apply to certain categories of public employees. After further clarification and caucus, the House accepted the Senate’s amended replace-all language, and the committee closed HB 340.
Finally, the committee opened House Bill 1062, authorizing the Secretary of State to conduct random audits of citizenship qualifications of registered voters. The Senate explained that its changes removed the need for a permanent audit power by allowing records to be checked against databases and by requiring identification for registration going forward, which is why it added a sunset clause. The House member objected to the sunset and wanted the authority to continue indefinitely, and discussion continued as the transcript ended.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Floor Session Apr 3rd, 2025
California House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Starting today, you will see thousands of blue jackets around Sacramento as the State FFA Leadership Conference
- The conference brings together ag students and teachers from 368 chapters throughout California to learn
- Shanks with a resolution today recognizing his remarkable career, and tomorrow at the State Conference
- Shanks with a resolution today recognizing his remarkable career, and tomorrow at the State Conference
Summary:
The Assembly met after a quorum call and proceeded with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a series of guest introductions recognizing FFA students, district staff, public health leaders, and visiting students from local schools. Several members highlighted agriculture education, public health week, and civic education, and one member also announced the birth of a calf before introducing an honored agriculture teacher. The chamber then moved through the daily file, passing over second- and third-reading items and taking up Senate Concurrent Resolution 1, which establishes the joint rules for the 2025-26 legislative session; it was adopted on a 50-14 vote and sent immediately to the Senate.
On the consent calendar, Assembly Bill 565, Assembly Bill 708, and Assembly Concurrent Resolution 42 were adopted unanimously, 71-0. ACR 42, relating to adult education, also received 65 co-authors. Additional guest introductions followed, including students from the San Fernando Valley and a Jewish day school, with remarks emphasizing leadership, agriculture, and community service.
The Assembly then held an adjournment in memory for U.S. Army Sergeant Edvin F. Franco of Glendale, who died in a training accident in Lithuania. Members honored his military service, awards, and family. The house announced its next schedule and adjourned until Monday, April 7 at 1 p.m.
HI
Hawaii 2026 Regular Session
AEN-WLA-EIG, WLA-AEN-EDT, WLA-AEN, WLA-AEN-PSM Public Hearings 03-20-2026
Agriculture and Environment
Transcript Highlights:
- Um, the chair is having conferred.
- Um, the chair is having conferred.
- <01:11:39.760>
room here in state capital, conference room here in state capital, conference - Um, I think pursuant to the discussion the chair is having conferred, um, there are a number of other
- <01:16:27.360>
um discussion chair is having conferred um discussion chair is having conferred
Bills:
HB1979
Keywords:
environmental review, affordable housing, clean energy, judicial proceedings, public participation, Hawaii Revised Statutes, 912, senate, all
Summary:
The committee heard testimony on HB 1979 HD3, which would shorten the time to file certain judicial challenges to environmental assessments and environmental impact statements for affordable housing and clean energy projects, and would also affect transfer of some environmental court appeals to the Supreme Court. The Office of Planning and Sustainable Development supported the amended bill, saying the changes were improved from earlier versions and that the shorter filing period was reasonable for these priority projects. Hawaii Gas asked that the bill’s clean energy definition be broadened to align with existing renewable energy law so emerging technologies like renewable hydrogen and renewable gas would be included. Kauai Island Utility Co-op and Greenpeace Hawaii testified in support and opposition, respectively, with supporters arguing the bill would reduce litigation uncertainty and opponents saying the shorter deadline would limit public participation and not solve the real causes of project delays.
Opposition testimony came from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Earthjustice, Sierra Club, 350 Hawaii, and others, who argued the bill could chill legitimate public-interest claims, especially where there is limited public notice, and that environmental review was being unfairly blamed for delays caused by permitting, financing, or infrastructure problems. Several speakers said the measure would reduce transparency and make it harder for communities to respond in time. One testifier from Earthjustice said the environmental review process itself is not the problem and should not be weakened for projects that still need public disclosure and community engagement.
The committee then moved to decision-making and, citing the volume of opposition and concerns about public participation, transparency, and whether the bill would actually improve timelines, the chair deferred HB 1979 HD3 indefinitely. The hearing was adjourned after the vote decision was announced.
The transcript then shifted to HB 2585, relating to tourism and statewide standards for agritourism. Testimony was mixed: farmers and agricultural groups described agritourism as essential to keeping small farms and ranches viable, while also urging safeguards so it would not be abused or displace real agricultural production. Some speakers warned the bill’s revenue-based limits could unintentionally shut down existing farm stays and related operations, especially in Maui County. The Hawaii Farm Bureau said it supported the intent but wanted clearer protections for bona fide agriculture and more flexibility around revenue requirements and force majeure situations. The discussion was still underway when the transcript ended.