Video & Transcript : 'driving' :
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KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Capital Planning Advisory Board (7-9-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> strengthen academic programs, and drive strengthen academic programs, and drive meaningful<00:32
- So currently they can't. care. uh right now they're driving two care. uh right now they're driving two
- Uh there's a a drive in opportunities.
- That drives research and innovation.
- Um that drives is big tech stuff, right?
Summary:
The meeting opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a roll call establishing a quorum. The committee then approved the prior meeting’s minutes. Members were reminded to silence cell phones, and the chair noted an informational item on capital plan amendments made by state agencies during the latest revision period before moving to university capital plan presentations.
Eastern Kentucky University President David McFaden outlined EKU’s enrollment growth, strong Kentucky student retention, and signature programs in nursing, occupational therapy, criminal justice, education, manufacturing engineering, and aviation. EKU’s main capital priorities were a new health innovation project to support a proposed osteopathic medical program, including a $50 million escrow requirement until accreditation; a collaborative center for health innovation to address outdated health sciences facilities; a $5 million startup request for an air traffic control program; aircraft upgrades for the aviation fleet; and continued asset preservation funding. In response to questions, EKU said roughly 40% of the new health facility would be dedicated to the medical school, with shared simulation space for multiple health programs, and that aviation maintenance needs are currently being met through KCTCS partners but could be expanded if demand grows.
KCTCS representatives then described the system’s scale and capital needs, noting service to 107,000 students, extensive dual credit and workforce training, and a network of 342 buildings across 70 campuses. They said prior legislative support, including $277 million in asset preservation and $90 million released for approved projects, had helped with safety, roofs, energy efficiency, and campus security. Their current priorities include about $30 million for systemwide safety and security upgrades, renovations tied to consolidation and footprint reduction under Senate Joint Resolution 179, and broader asset preservation needs estimated at roughly $300 million to $325 million. Members discussed the need to preserve and expand skilled trades training, and KCTCS said its plan includes construction trades and flexible, multiuse facilities that can adapt to changing workforce needs. No votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes, and the presentations concluded with questions and discussion only.
MO
Missouri 2026 Regular Session
2026 Legislative Session - Day Sixty Three - Tuesday, May 5th
Missouri House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- So they had no idea they were on a divided highway, driving for five miles.
- I would think the first clue that you were driving the wrong way was that every car was driving in the
- It deals with limited driving privileges.
- or DUI court, and they can get a limited driving privilege.
- DUI court, and they can get a limited driving privilege.
Summary:
The House met with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the House Journal by roll call vote, 133-0. The session then included many introductions of interns, guests, and a Teacher Appreciation Day statement. A committee report recommended passage of Senate Bill 903, and the chamber moved into third reading and amendment action on Senate Bill 1421 and related measures.
Members debated and adopted a long series of amendments covering public safety, criminal justice, schools, and corrections. Topics included drone enforcement authority for law enforcement, a Missouri Ranger school safety program and school bus stop-arm penalties, Clean Slate automatic expungement language narrowed to drug offenses, an Alzheimer’s task force and dementia training for law enforcement, fire hydrant testing, pseudoephedrine access, banning portable electronic devices in prisons, hands-free cell phone law fixes, critical infrastructure protections, parental accountability for minors’ offenses, fentanyl trafficking, attorney general firearms authority, support for St. Louis and Kansas City police boards, DNA collection on arrest for additional crimes, a 25-foot buffer around first responders, a domestic violence registry, squatter and notary fraud fixes, gift card fraud, and post-conviction death penalty procedures. Several amendments drew opposition over civil liberties, school safety, prison penalties, and death penalty concerns, but most were adopted.
The most contested item was the death penalty post-conviction relief amendment, which members argued either would streamline appeals and risk wrongful executions or would provide needed finality for victims; it ultimately passed 75-68 after a roll call vote. Another notable debate centered on the St. Louis Police Board amendment, with members disputing who should pay for police overtime and liability costs. The transcript ends amid discussion of a corrections-related amendment on good-time credit and rehabilitation programming, with the amendment to the amendment being supported by members from both parties.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions Mar 30th, 2026
Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions
Transcript Highlights:
- High taxes are a major factor driving Coworkers, graduates, and retirees.
- High taxes are a major factor driving this exodus.
- That's what drives ultimate long-term growth. We can all be really matter, okay?
- state growth and they do not drive migration.
- Multiple times a week, I would drive to visit my chronically ill mother.
Summary:
The Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions held a public hearing on two proposed ballot initiatives: one to reduce the state personal income tax rate from 5% to 4% over three years, and another to revise the state tax collection cap law (62F) so the cap would be based on the prior year’s actual collections plus wage-and-salary growth and would include surtax revenue. Committee chairs outlined the hearing process and noted that the measures would need additional signatures to qualify for the 2026 ballot if not enacted by the legislature.
The committee’s expert witness, Doug Howgate of the Massachusetts Taxpayer Foundation, said the income tax proposal would lower the base rate in stages beginning in 2027 and would ultimately reduce state income tax collections by about $5.4 billion annually when fully implemented. He estimated savings would vary by income level, from a few hundred dollars for lower- and middle-income households to about $10,700 for taxpayers at the surtax threshold. He argued the proposal would improve tax competitiveness but would also require major budget adjustments, likely including reserve use, spending cuts, and possibly new revenue measures; he cited prior downturns and said the state’s rainy day fund is stronger than in past recessions, though spending growth and health care costs remain concerns. On the 62F proposal, he said rebasing the cap to prior-year collections would make refunds more likely, with modeled refunds totaling about $7.9 billion without the surtax and $10.1 billion with it over the last decade, and warned it could reduce stabilization fund deposits and constrain recovery after recessions.
Proponents of both petitions, including representatives from Taxpayers for an Affordable Massachusetts, NFIB, Pioneer Institute, and the Mass Opportunity Alliance, argued that Massachusetts faces an affordability and competitiveness crisis and that lower taxes would help families, small businesses, job creation, and outmigration. They said the income tax cut would put about $1,300 a year back into the hands of average families, help pass-through businesses reinvest, and improve the state’s ability to compete with lower-tax states such as North Carolina. Their economist, Rebecca Paxton, presented a model projecting average annual revenue losses of about $680 million during the phase-in and a total net income tax revenue impact of $2 billion to $2.2 billion, while saying long-term revenue growth would be stronger after implementation. The hearing ended with committee questions and a brief dispute over a planned voter testimonial video, which the chairs said was not appropriate for the hearing at that point.
MO
Transcript Highlights:
- I have For vehicles that I drive, I haven't talked about those vehicles.
- One may outweigh the other in terms of driving the dollars that are being required.
- I mean, I was, you know, the driving force behind it.
- I literally ended up driving to Springfield.
- I literally ended up driving to Springfield.
Committee:
House Budget
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
House Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice, Public Safety, & Judiciary (1-20-26)
Transcript Highlights:
- We don't have the room precise driving.
- </c><00:26:19.679><c> That's</c><00:26:19.919><c> the</c> says leech driving track.
- That's the says leech driving track.
- But it's it's typically junior lawyers who are driving from, you know, Etown to Lichfield.
- </c> typically junior lawyers who are driving typically junior lawyers who are driving from,<00:49:23.839
Summary:
The subcommittee heard capital project requests from the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet for fiscal years 2026-28. The cabinet described its large statewide footprint and said its facilities face significant deferred maintenance, with the governor’s budget proposing full funding for maintenance pool requests, including an additional $60 million for the Department of Corrections’ maintenance pool and cash funding through investment income. Officials said the projects were based on facility assessments and were presented as necessary public safety investments rather than wish-list items.
For the Department of Juvenile Justice, the main requests were $35 million for a high-acuity mental health treatment facility and $45 million each for two new female detention facilities. Officials said the mental health facility would fill a gap for youth needing psychiatric care, while the female facilities were needed to support a regional detention model and address overcrowding; they noted the current female population has grown by 50% since July 2024. Members asked about locations, and staff said they were considering western Kentucky abandoned mine land and available land in Fayette and Jefferson counties, with current female placements in Boyd County and Warren County.
For the Department of Corrections, officials requested funding for critical mechanical, electrical, plumbing, roof, and structural repairs, including $15.78 million for Kentucky State Penitentiary utilities infrastructure and additional funding for North Point Training Center projects. They also highlighted two re-entry initiatives: a KCTCS partnership for a re-entry campus at North Point and the East Kentucky Applied Manufacturing Institute at Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex, both aimed at reducing recidivism through intensive training and job preparation. Members asked about the KCTCS re-entry model, and DOC explained it would be a more immersive, campus-style program than current prison-based vocational classes.
The Department of Criminal Justice Training discussed projects at its Richmond campus and the planned Western Kentucky Training Center, including a replacement flat track and campus access road at Richmond and added training features in Madisonville. Officials said the Richmond changes were needed because EKU construction had removed the existing flat track and would affect access, while the Western Kentucky project would expand training capacity and reduce travel for law enforcement agencies. The Kentucky State Police then outlined the final phase of the statewide emergency radio system replacement, estimated at about $17.5 million, and said the system is being built in geographic phases; members asked how long completion would take, and staff estimated roughly four years after funding, assuming no major inflation spikes. No votes were taken, and the meeting remained informational with member questions and staff responses.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee 1/22/25
Transportation Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- </c><00:02:04.880><c> around</c> propane driver driving around propane driver driving around handwriting
- </c><00:42:36.760><c> an</c><00:42:36.880><c> average</c> Minnesota's drive an average Minnesota's drive
- It penalizes a lot of the people that drive the economy, and we don't need that.
- </c> penalizes a lot of the people that drive penalizes a lot of the people that drive the<00:53:41.440
- </c> hope we again make life and driving hope we again make life and driving Minnesota<00:57:33.400><
Committee:
House Transportation Finance and Policy
WV
West Virginia 2026 Regular Session
Senate in Session Mar 12th, 2026 at 11:34 am
West Virginia Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- And I find when I drive around the state, and I did mention this in our transportation committee, when
- And I find when I drive around the state, and I did mention this in our transportation committee, when
- Again, I really—I know many of you know I drive all the way from the Eastern Panhandle.
- Again, I really—I know many of you know I drive all the way from the Eastern Panhandle.
- Engrossed House Bill 5406, relating to driving under the influence, third reading of the bill.
Summary:
The Senate met on March 11, 2026, with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, journal approval, and numerous guest and page introductions, including school groups, prayer caucus visitors, and advocates for Home Family Education Day and Women in Blue Day. The chamber then took up committee reports and a large number of House bills, most of them on third reading, along with several resolutions and referrals. Senate Resolution 62, designating March 12, 2026, as West Virginia Athletic Trainers Day, was adopted after remarks emphasizing the value of athletic trainers in preventing injuries and tragedies in school sports. Several other resolutions and concurrent resolutions were referred to the Committee on Rules or laid over under the rules.
The Senate passed a wide range of bills addressing economic development, public safety, health, licensing, and state administration. Measures approved included bills on the West Virginia Collaboratory at Marshall University, the Business Ready Sites program, volunteer fire company spending authority, the Load Forecast Accountability Act, funeral service licensure, work zone fines, biennial business reporting, correctional officer retirement law, the Right to Try Act, quick claim deed tax exemptions, an ibogaine drug-development grant program, aggravated vehicular homicide sentencing, 529 savings plan definitions, opportunity zones, barber apprenticeship, municipal and county hotel occupancy fund uses, criminal-record licensing standards, intimate image disclosure remedies, executor training materials, contempt penalties, PEIA treatment flexibility, PANS/PANDAS information, the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact, capitation rate review expansions, convention and visitors bureau board membership, peer support services, cosmetology licensure compacts, natural resource police retirement, DNR fee indexing, ALS care services, the Neighborhood Investment Program, oil and gas well plugging and carbon capture-related provisions, DUI technical changes, abuse intervention program terminology, and a youth summer employment and career readiness program. Most bills passed overwhelmingly, with a few closer votes, including the Load Forecast Accountability Act and the DNR fee-indexing bill.
Several bills were amended on the floor, including title amendments and strike-and-insert changes. The Senate also debated the work zone penalty bill, with supporters citing worker safety and fatalities and opponents arguing the bill increased fines too much without requiring removal of outdated work-zone signs. On the energy-related load forecast bill, senators discussed the inclusion of provisions from Senate Bill 420 and concerns about coal plant utilization and utility impacts. After debate, the Senate adopted amendments and passed the bill. In most cases, after passage the Senate ordered the bills communicated to the House, and for a few measures it also adopted title amendments or made bills effective from passage or on a specified date.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Human Services Finance and Policy Committee 3/11/26
Human Services Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- And so that's what I'm most worried about, where we have driving costs and driving, you know, increasing
- And so that's what I'm most worried about, where we have driving costs and driving, you know, increasing
- And so that's what I'm most worried about, where we have driving costs and driving, you know, increasing
- And so that's what I'm most worried about, where we have driving costs and driving, you know, increasing
- We would want to address those things because that's what we know drives up costs and drives frustration
Committee:
House Human Services Finance and Policy
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Floor Session Feb 19th, 2026
California Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- It is the driving core of the entire world.
- It is the driving core of the entire world.
- And who wants to drive into San Francisco? I sure don't.
- in a community that's not designed for driving.
- in a community that's not designed for driving.
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations and Budget Judiciary Subcommittee - Morning Session Jan 13th, 2026 at 09:00 am
A&B Judiciary Subcommittee
Transcript Highlights:
- I have zero problem hiring lawyers for that office, even though it's a 30-minute drive.
- But now, in order to properly staff Sequoia County, I drive lawyers down there every single day.
- So I've got him driving in 30 minutes to Wagner, getting in a car, and driving an hour to Sallisaw in
- take turns driving down to Sallisaw to demand that office.
- Flying lawyer from Oklahoma City that's driving back and forth every day.
Committee:
House A&B Judiciary Subcommittee
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- We drive ships. We're really good at it.
- Driving a 1,200-foot cruise ship. They'll be driving a tanker, a 900-foot tanker.
- They drive very large container ships.
- They've been driving ships for 20 years, and it goes back to this 21 miles.
- I know that driving down here to Austin over the last couple of months, I'll drive through work zones
Bills:
HB2007 , HB2863 , HB2921 , HB3331 , HB3332 , HJR144 , HB3514 , HB3528 , HB3720 , HB3751 , HB3859 , HB3947 , HB4148 , HB4346 , HB4880 , HB5603 , HB4337
Committee:
House Transportation
Keywords:
commercial signs, county approval, transportation code, regulations, road signage, vehicle title, revocation, hearing process, Transportation Code, county assessor-collector, confidentiality, personal information, local government, airport data, public records, vehicle regulation, transportation, steel industry, state fees, safety standards
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
AEN-PSM, AEN, AEN DEFER, AEN DEFER Public Hearings 02-07-2025
Agriculture and Environment
Transcript Highlights:
- On Wednesday, February 5th, I was driving home on K Highway.
- I don't go around driving around and looking for this kind of stuff.
- <00:32:58.840><c> home</c><00:32:59.840><c> on</c><00:33:00.159><c> K</c> driving home on K driving home
- through between kamakani and PM driving through between kamakani and makawi<00:33:19.600><c> I</c><00
- </c> spraying I don't go around driving spraying I don't go around driving around<00:33:42.360><c> and
Committee:
Senate Agriculture and Environment
Summary:
The joint AEN-PSM hearing on February 7, 2025 focused primarily on three agriculture-related measures and one animal welfare bill, with additional discussion of pesticide drift monitoring, coffee labeling, and a gas-pump labeling bill. SB 762 would create an Agricultural Crimes Council and authorize agricultural crime investigators; testimony from the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Law Enforcement, the Attorney General’s office, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Hawaii Farmers Union, and several members of the public was generally supportive, with repeated calls for stronger enforcement, community involvement, and in some cases allowing investigators to be armed. Some testifiers also urged changes to the appointment process for council members, preferring neighborhood boards or local officials over gubernatorial appointments. The committee discussed combining related agricultural crime bills and noted concerns about investigator safety in remote areas.
SB 763 would establish an agriculture enforcement program within the Department of Law Enforcement and a special fund. Testimony was strongly supportive from state agencies and farm groups, with speakers emphasizing the need for more effective response to agricultural theft, poaching, and related crimes. Several public testifiers linked the bill to broader community safety and asked for clearer funding, training, coordination, performance metrics, and technology use. The committee also heard SB 1022, which would prohibit leaving pets in dangerous conditions in vehicles and allow officers, firefighters, animal control, and in some cases private citizens to rescue animals; the Attorney General said existing cruelty statutes may already cover the conduct and suggested amendments, while HPD opposed the bill. Members asked about liability for rescuers and whether the proposal might affect property-crime enforcement.
The committee also heard SB 1304 on pesticide drift monitoring funding, with the Department of Agriculture supporting the measure and explaining it was needed to complete a required project under an EPA-related agreement. A Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action representative raised concerns about the methodology of prior studies, and a public testifier described a recent odor incident near a roadway and school. SB 1015, requiring labels on gas dispensing equipment warning about fossil fuel impacts, drew support from the Department of Agriculture and the Public Utilities Commission but opposition from the Hawaii Energy Marketers Association. SB 500 on coffee labeling and regional origin was also heard, with the Department of Agriculture in support. In decision-making, the committees adopted recommendations to pass SB 762 with amendments, SB 763 with amendments, SB 1022 with technical amendments, SB 1304 with technical amendments, and SB 1015 as is; SB 500 was not acted on in the portion provided.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Floor Session Mar 19th, 2026
California House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- This morning, I was driving from Rockland, and it was a road-rage-filled morning, driving.
- This morning, I was driving from Rockland and Road rage-filled morning, driving.
- "Auckland" and a road-rage-filled morning driving through traffic.
- But then driving through traffic, and I hadn't even really had coffee yet.
- And we're asking them, hey, can you come to the Assembly chambers, wake up early, drive through that
Summary:
The Assembly convened after a quorum call, heard a prayer and Pledge of Allegiance, and then moved through a largely ceremonial and procedural floor session. Speaker Revis delivered remarks condemning the sexual abuse allegations involving Cesar Chavez and said he would work with Senate leadership on legislation to rename Cesar Chavez Day as Farm Worker Day. The body also handled several procedural motions, including re-referrals of bills to committees and guest introductions for visiting students, advocacy groups, and university representatives.
The main substantive actions were on a series of resolutions. H.R. 83, recognizing Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, drew extensive personal testimony from Assemblymembers about family members and constituents with disabilities, the need for inclusion, and the importance of state funding and direct support services; it was adopted by voice vote after 70 co-authors were added. ACR 154, recognizing California Down Syndrome Awareness Week and Day, was similarly supported with personal stories about family members with Down syndrome and the need for continued awareness and services; it was adopted after 67 co-authors were added. ACR 148, designating Family Physician Week, highlighted the shortage of primary care doctors and the importance of investment in family medicine; it was adopted after 60 co-authors were added. ACR 156, recognizing National Day of Play, emphasized social connection, reduced screen time, and community engagement; it also passed with 60 co-authors added.
The Assembly also adopted the consent calendar, which included Senate Concurrent Resolution 125 related to Ramadan, by a 60-0 vote. Later, members gave an adjournment in memory for Raymond Martin Melgoza, a union laborer and community member from the Central Valley. The session ended with announcements about the schedule, including no floor session on March 20 and a mandatory joint convention on March 23 for the State of the Judiciary address, followed by adjournment until March 23 at 1 p.m.
AL
Alabama 2026 Regular Session
Alabama House County and Municipal Government Committee Mar 17th, 2026
County and Municipal Government
Transcript Highlights:
- I talked to one person in my district today, and he says he drives to Montgomery to a board meeting.
- that for some reason somebody's going to void what the board did, then it makes no sense for him to drive
- person in my district today and he says person in my district today and he says he<00:23:44.960><c> drives
- to Montgomery to a board he drives to Montgomery to a board meeting.<00:23:47.120><c> He</c><00:23:47.280
- </c> make no sense for him to drive up here. make no sense for him to drive up here.
Committee:
House County and Municipal Government
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations Committee on Higher Education Feb 19th, 2025
Appropriations Committee on Higher Education
Transcript Highlights:
- . ...costs the same as running a CDL program for commercial driving or for an electrician or for some
- Historically, that difference, that unmet funding need, has been used to help drive where additional
- There are things like student-to-teacher ratio that are very present in health care that drive its cost
- put together the way it is, created by the legislature originally, is to say that nobody needs to drive
- The legislature originally said that nobody needs to drive more than an hour to get their post-secondary
Summary:
The Appropriations Committee for Higher Education met to review Florida’s workforce and Florida College System funding models as part of budget planning. Chair Harrell opened by emphasizing the state’s growing focus on technical education and workforce pathways, and the committee first heard from Tara Goodman of the Department of Education on district workforce education. Goodman explained the programs funded through district workforce dollars, including career certificates, applied technology diplomas, registered apprenticeship, and adult general education, and described the model’s reliance on lagged enrollment, program cost weights, local tuition offsets, and supplemental factors such as disability services, GED testing, and minimum funding for small rural districts. She also noted federal support through Perkins and WIOA and said the model is used to determine unmet need and guide appropriations. In response to questions, she said health care programs are generally among the higher-cost offerings and may be supplemented by pipeline funds.
The committee then heard from Kathy Hebda, Chancellor of the Florida College System, on the college system’s funding model. Hebda described the main funding sources, including the program fund, student success incentive funds, pipeline funds, tuition and fees, and performance-based incentives, and explained that the current model was developed by the 28 college presidents under legislative direction. She said the model uses a three-year average FTE, weights workforce enrollment more heavily than non-workforce enrollment, gives significant weight to completions, includes a small-college factor and regional cost differentials, and also provides targeted funding to bring colleges up to a floor based on per-FTE funding. Senators asked about colleges below the target, cost differences among programs, faculty salaries, and health insurance costs; Hebda said the model is meant to provide flexible operating dollars that colleges can use for those expenses, but specific salary and benefit decisions are left to the institutions.
Seminole State College President Georgia Lorenz also testified in support of the college funding model, saying it holds institutions accountable for enrollment and completions, can be adjusted to reflect state priorities like workforce, and addresses differences in size and regional costs. No bills were voted on, and the committee adjourned after brief closing remarks thanking Seminole State College and the presenters.
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Interim Joint Committee on Transportation (9-16-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- </c><00:19:48.320><c> in</c> army who flies in uh and and drives in army who flies in uh and and drives
- And these not while driving or towing.
- I drive past that.
- I drive past that.
- </c> dad when I drive past that. dad when I drive past that.
Summary:
The committee first heard a presentation from the Kentucky Aviation Association on the importance of general aviation airports in Kentucky and their economic and public-safety role. Witnesses said the state has more than 50 general aviation airports that support jobs, agriculture, tourism, medical transport, disaster response, and law enforcement, and they urged continued support for aviation infrastructure and workforce development. They asked the legislature to again provide $200,000 per general aviation airport for operating and basic infrastructure costs, to route the money through the Kentucky Department of Aviation for accountability, to revisit a special-purpose governmental entity audit requirement they said is too costly for small airports, to create a long-term appropriations process for the roughly $100 million in unmet capital needs, and to fund the Arrow Act for aviation education and scholarships. Members asked about a dedicated aviation fuel tax and about local training partnerships, simulators, and school or community college programs; the witnesses said they preferred an appropriations-based solution and offered to help connect interested communities with aviation education resources.
The committee then took up “Troy’s Law,” sponsored by Representatives White and Flannery, which would allow tow trucks to use blue lights while stationary and actively removing vehicles or debris from highways. Sponsors and tow operators said the bill is intended to improve worker safety after the deaths of tow operators Troy Cwell and Hubert Mosley in highway hit-and-run incidents, and they emphasized that tow operators often work in dangerous conditions at night, in bad weather, and near fast-moving traffic. They said the proposal would not apply while driving or towing and noted that other states have adopted similar measures. Witnesses from the towing industry, including Bubba Johnson and Barbara Maguire, supported the bill as an added layer of protection and described tow operators as first responders who help motorists in emergencies. Representative Flannery and other members expressed support for the safety goal and invited further discussion, but no vote or final action was taken in the excerpt.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee May 13th, 2026
Utilities and Energy
Transcript Highlights:
- This path drives higher rates for investors when utilities start fires.
- drive a long-drawn utilities and their preferred investors to deliberately drive a long, drawn-out,
- As an example, return on equity must be aligned with driving affordable energy rates.
- That same logic is now driving the SB 254 study.
- If we drive transparency, then we'll have great representation of victims.
Committee:
House Utilities and Energy
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 4 on State Administration and General Government Apr 16th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- campaign to both grow the key sectors that we're focusing on, but also the broader economy and to drive
- , and then they drive over us to, you know, downtown, which is a...
- And then they drive over us to, you know, downtown, which is a thriving part of my district.
- So, again, slightly different than driving tourism.
- And so, slightly different than driving tourism.
Summary:
The subcommittee heard an overview from Go-Biz Director D.D. Myers on the administration’s economic development strategy, centered on the California Jobs First framework. Myers described regional planning across 13 regions, the Jobs First Council, and pilot sectors including ag-tech, space and defense, life sciences, and semiconductors. She also outlined budget requests for CalCompetes, CalExport, the California Film Commission, innovation/emerging technologies, and the California Civic Media Fund, along with the new California brand campaign. Committee members raised questions about misinformation about California, regulatory burdens, tourism versus broader economic messaging, and how the brand campaign would highlight underrepresented communities. No vote was taken; the item was informational.
The committee then reviewed CalOSBA’s work on small business support, including California RISE, the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund, and TAP/SIP technical assistance and capital infusion programs. CalOSBA reported that California RISE’s first cohort awarded $16.9 million to 61 employment social enterprises, with growth in revenue, contracts, and jobs; the performing arts payroll fund paid all 100 recipients but was heavily oversubscribed; and TAP supported more than 112,000 businesses in the past year, helping leverage federal and local funds. Testimony from program partners emphasized the importance of small business counseling, community-based outreach, and support for arts organizations facing post-pandemic and AB 5-related cost pressures. Senators pressed for more data on long-term job retention, better outreach to smaller and ethnic media, and possible program changes to speed grants and stretch funding further.
Finally, the committee heard Go-Biz’s request for additional staff and funding for the California Film and Television Tax Credit Program. Staff said the request would support application review, DEIA implementation, and data tracking. The Film Commission reported that about 147 productions had been approved and roughly 90% were opting into the new diversity provisions, with career pathways reporting to include demographic and participation data and a future report expected in 2027. Senators asked about accountability, apprenticeship and internship hours, and whether the program was producing real career pathways and inclusive hiring outcomes. The item remained informational, with no vote or action taken during the hearing.
MS
Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
MS Senate Floor - 1 April, 2026; 10:00 AM
Mississippi Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- I am their official spokesperson for their Drive Campaign, which stands for Driving Requires Initiative
- safe and we teach them how to drive safe so that they can one day achieve their goals.
- So, thank you so much for recognizing April 2nd as Drive to Arrive Day because I think it's Drive to
- thank you for making April 2nd Drive to Arrive Day.
- A college football student killed in a drive-by. Elderly folks afraid to sit on their own porches.
MO
Transcript Highlights:
- Do you drive to Wash U? We drive three hours to Wash U.
- That doesn't prevent monopoly busting, which tends to drive up prices.
- to drive up prices and just a recognition of the difference between fleecing and profit.
- Now, will that drive prices down?
- This isn't a car that we want to drive instead of the truck that we want to drive.
Committee:
House Health and Mental Health
Summary:
The committee first took testimony on House Bill 1681, which would require health carriers and pharmacy benefit managers to count amounts paid by or on behalf of an enrollee for certain medications toward out-of-pocket maximums when no generic substitute is available. The sponsor described the bill as helping patients with serious illnesses afford needed drugs. The committee then adopted a substitute that rolled HB 1681 together with House Bills 1941 and 2279, including an ERISA-related labor exemption, and passed the combined committee substitute by a vote of 15-2.
The committee next heard House Bill 2365, which was also combined with related bills through a substitute that changed terminology to “delivery systems.” That substitute was adopted by voice vote, and the House Committee substitute for House Bills 2365, 2490, and 2249 was then approved unanimously, 18-0. After that, the committee heard House Bill 2149, the dementia care coordinator bill. The sponsor and supporters from the Alzheimer’s Association and family caregivers argued the state needs a central point person to coordinate resources, improve early detection, support caregivers, and connect rural residents to services. Members raised concerns about the fiscal note, whether the work duplicates existing Area Agencies on Aging and Alzheimer’s Association services, and whether two FTEs would be effective statewide. No vote was taken on HB 2149 during the portion provided.
The committee also heard House Bill 2309, which would prohibit Missouri insurance coverage for organ transplants or related services involving organs taken from prisoners of conscience in China. The sponsor and supporters framed the bill as a human-rights measure aimed at condemning organ harvesting and abuse of Falun Gong practitioners and other prisoners of conscience. Members asked whether there was documentation of such transplants in Missouri and whether federal oversight exists; the sponsor said there is no reporting mechanism and no known opposition. No action was taken on the bill in the excerpt.
Finally, the committee began testimony on House Bills 1975 and 1850, pharmacy benefit manager reform bills. The sponsors said the measures are intended to protect local pharmacies, improve transparency, limit harmful audit practices, and create a critical access pharmacy program. Supporters, including a pharmacy business group, argued PBM practices drive up drug costs and close pharmacies. Opponents, including a carpenters’ health plan representative, warned the bills could increase costs for self-funded plans, limit network and mail-order arrangements, and shift more administrative burden onto plan sponsors. The hearing continued with questions and testimony, but no final vote is shown in the provided transcript.