Video & Transcript : 'public streets' :

Page 52 of 500
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • for public defenders.
  • for public defenders.
  • for public defenders.
  • for public defenders.
  • for public defenders.
Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary heard testimony from the Department of Public Advocacy (DPA) on attorney compensation and alternatives to incarceration. Because the committee lacked a quorum, the chair skipped formal roll call and minutes approval, then invited DPA Public Advocate Damon Preston, Deputy Public Advocate Melanie Lowe, and alternative sentencing worker Cena/Tina Mills to present. Preston said DPA is fully state-funded, has 698 funded positions, and was near full staffing with 673 filled positions and 42 new law graduates expected to join in August. He argued that DPA’s resources lag behind those of prosecutors, noting that local prosecutorial offices receive substantially more total funding and have additional revenue sources beyond the state budget. Preston focused on salary disparities and turnover. He said DPA trial-office attorneys total about $26 million in salaries, compared with about $41.9 million for prosecutors on publicly listed state funding, and estimated that more than 100 additional prosecutors are paid through other sources, bringing total prosecutor compensation to a little over $50 million versus DPA’s $26 million. He said starting DPA attorney pay is $58,200, experienced attorney pay averages about $73,000, and that these levels are too low given law school debt and the state’s constitutional obligation to provide defense counsel. He also said DPA attorney turnover is about 20%, median service time before separation was 15 months in 2024, and exit interviews often cite salary as the main reason for leaving. He gave examples of former DPA attorneys moving to prosecutor offices for raises ranging from 12% to 50%. Committee members asked about how often defendants are represented by private counsel versus DPA and how that affects workload. Preston said a 2017 study found about 50% of misdemeanor cases and about 75% of circuit court cases were handled by DPA, with DPA handling most of the most labor-intensive cases. He said DPA will step aside when a defendant hires private counsel or is found ineligible, and he acknowledged the system historically erred by denying counsel in some cases, though he said the current concern is whether DPA is now appointed too broadly. Members requested updated trend data on appointments over the past decade. Preston also described DPA’s pay scale and said the agency’s compensation structure makes retention difficult. Mills then described DPA’s alternative sentencing worker program, which she said has operated for about 20 years and has received national recognition. She shared a case example involving a client named Patrick, who faced a prison sentence on a possession charge and was referred to a horse-based treatment and certification program in Shelbyville. She said the client wanted treatment and a fresh start, a bed became available, and she and the client’s attorney presented an alternative sentencing plan to the court. The presentation was interrupted briefly by a technical issue, but the testimony continued.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
  • 12.000><c> with</c> Hawaii public housing authority with Hawaii public housing authority with comments
  • So that's available to the public.
  • So that's available to the public.
  • So, I know [clears throat] water usage per household is public, or at least semi-public.
  • </c> &gt;&gt; Um not outside public concerns. &gt;&gt; Um not outside public concerns.
Committee: House Housing
Summary: The House Housing Committee heard testimony on a series of housing-related Senate bills. SB 2190 SD2 on inclusionary zoning drew support from HHFDC, Hawaii YIMBY, Grassroot Institute, Housing Hawaii’s Future, and Hako Seed Center, with opposition from OHA and Aloha Independent Living Hawaii. SB 2338 SD1, dealing with housing agency personnel authority, received comments from the Attorney General cautioning that the bill should be clarified to avoid conflicts with civil service and collective bargaining laws and recommending removal of a provision limiting employment contracts; HHFDC said its comments addressed those concerns and supported the measure. SB 2424 SD1, concerning HHFDC, received broad support from housing, business, and community groups, with one opposition. Testimony focused on changing the definition of “qualified resident” so people who already own an HHFDC-assisted unit could later purchase another if their housing needs change; HHFDC said the current rule forces people to sell before buying again and that the bill would help people move up the housing ladder and encourage more housing development. SB 2356 on parking also drew broad support from state agencies, housing advocates, business groups, and local officials, with Unite Here Local 5 in opposition. SB 2981 on land use had strong support from many organizations and 67 individuals, with Unite Here Local 5 opposing. SB 3028 SD2 on property conveyance generated the most detailed policy debate. Supporters, including Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawaii Children’s Action Network, Indivisible Hawaii, and others, backed restructuring the conveyance tax into a marginal rate system and urged changes to revenue allocations, including dedicated funding for homeless services, DHHL, and the rental housing revolving fund. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii supported the marginal-rate concept but opposed dedicated special-fund allocations and criticized the bill’s blank sections. Committee members questioned the historical purpose of the conveyance tax, and the Tax Foundation explained it was originally a modest tax tied to property-value tracking when the state still ran the property tax system. The committee also heard SB 3187 SD2 on off-site construction, SB 2378 SD2 on housing permitting, and SB 2398 SD2 on residential housing utilities. OPSD supported SB 3187 but said it preferred the House version and wanted clarification that off-site certification should apply to factories in Hawaii, not out of state, to avoid outsourcing labor; it also suggested starting with a small scope. SB 2378 SD2 drew support from engineering, housing, and labor groups, with testimony that the House version included needed fixes to make the program insurable. On SB 2398 SD2, the Board of Water Supply opposed the bill, saying it could require disclosure of sensitive infrastructure information beyond ordinary water-availability assessments and raise critical-infrastructure and cybersecurity concerns; developers and housing groups supported the measure. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Rules Mar 3rd, 2026

Rules

Transcript Highlights:
  • business that they were doing in the public.
  • charter, or traditional public, it needs...
  • charter, or traditional public, it needs.
  • Private, public, or traditional public, it needs to be consistent.
  • schools who accept public dollars as well?
Bills: S0036 , S0620 , S0796 , S0934 , S1080 , S1096 , S1366 , S1536 , S1548 , S1580 , S1588 , S1620 , S1756 , S7034 , S7044
Committee: Senate Rules
Summary: The committee first took up SB 354, the “Blue Ribbon Projects” bill, which creates a framework for large planned communities on at least 15,000 contiguous acres with 60% reserved area and a streamlined local review process. Senator McLean presented the bill and a strike-all amendment, and members raised concerns about local control, conservation enforceability, data centers, concurrency, multi-county projects, and whether reserve lands could later be converted. Audubon Florida and 1,000 Friends of Florida opposed the bill, arguing the conservation protections were not permanent enough and that the reserve areas could be changed later; small-county representatives also worried about tax-base impacts. Supporters argued the bill would better manage growth, preserve green space, and provide a more orderly alternative to sprawl. After debate, the committee voted to report the bill favorably. The committee then approved SB 620 on candidate qualifying, which requires candidates for federal, state, county, district, judiciary, school, and school board offices to disclose any non-U.S. citizenship. Amendments added disclosure about whether federal candidates intend to trade stock if elected and adjusted 2026 congressional qualifying procedures in the event of redistricting, including a new qualifying window and petition rules. The bill was reported favorably after brief support from a member of the public and discussion about candidate vetting. The committee also reported favorably CS/CS/CS/SB 1452, a Department of Financial Services bill with amendments addressing My Safe Florida Home notices, condo pilot eligibility, firefighter hiring, unclaimed property, and related financial-services provisions. Next, the committee approved CS/CS/SB 1620, a school board members’ bill of rights. A substitute amendment narrowed the bill to access to records, fiscal transparency, and nondisclosure agreements, while preserving board members’ rights to timely documents, budget information, and public comment, and setting deadlines for records requests. Superintendents and a school board member testified in support, saying the bill clarifies roles and prevents board members from being frozen out. The committee also passed CS/HB 245, which replaces the term “child pornography” with “child sexual abuse material”; one senator supported the terminology change but warned about preserving legal precedent and avoiding appellate issues. The committee then reported favorably SB 1548, an update to the Live Local affordable housing law expanding eligible sites and clarifying setbacks, airport proximity, and fair-housing protections. Finally, the committee took up the veterinary medicine bill creating veterinary professional associates. The bill allows trained master’s-level VPAs to perform limited veterinary services under a veterinarian’s supervision, and an amendment tightened the standard to immediate supervision on premises. Supporters said the measure would expand access to care, especially in rural areas with vet shortages, while opponents argued it added unnecessary regulation. After testimony from veterinary educators and others, the bill continued with support expressed by committee members, including praise for the direct-supervision amendment.
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

02/18/2026 - House Appropriations

Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:
  • Number two, public safety.
  • Okay, members, there's no further public testimony.
  • The Department of Public Safety funding is designed to strengthen border security and public safety efforts
  • , getting the drugs off the street.
  • Okay, members, there's no further public testimony.
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

02/16/2026 - House Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs

Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • Filing for one every time there's a fire on federal public lands doesn't really make sense, as sometimes
  • And I think there could be a question about whether or not they could file if it wasn't on federal public
  • What if it's a mix of public lands and state lands?
  • Representative Sanchez... wasn't on federal public lands.
  • What if it's a mix of public lands and state lands?
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Civil Judiciary Feb 12th, 2026 at 10:30 am

Civil Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • rights by codifying an Oklahoma Supreme Court decision from 2006 regarding the definition of what public
  • We're running this one because public use we feel like the people of East Norman.
  • We feel like public use shouldn't exist in a nebulous space that should exist in statute.
  • , or security personnel present at a public meeting from barring a person from recording a public meeting
  • The measure includes the legislature as a public body for The purpose of this provision: the measure
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Civil Judiciary Feb 12th, 2026

Civil Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • We feel like public use shouldn't exist in... ...to Turner or Westville, by the way.
  • We feel like public use shouldn't exist in a nebulous space. It should exist in statute.
  • From the summary, House Bill 2940 prohibits public bodies, members, officers, staff, law enforcement,
  • or security personnel present at a public meeting from barring a person from recording a public meeting
  • The measure includes the legislature as a public body for the purpose of this provision.
Summary: The committee heard and advanced a series of bills covering workers’ compensation, public transparency, criminal law, property rights, probate, family law, eviction procedure, higher education accreditation, and protections for minors in content creation. House Bill 426, as amended by a PCS, would extend workers’ compensation coverage for firefighters, peace officers, and EMTs who suffer a heart attack or stroke within eight hours after strenuous emergency response or training; it passed 7-0. House Bill 2981, requiring school board meeting minutes to be posted publicly, also passed unanimously. Other measures approved included House Bill 3695, which aligns DUI-related language on great bodily injury with domestic violence statutes; House Bill 2960, which limits lawsuits against gun manufacturers when a firearm is modified after sale; House Bill 3967, tightening landowners’ rights and land banking transparency with appraisal requirements; and House Bill 3968, codifying a Supreme Court-based definition of public use for eminent domain and strengthening private property rights. The committee also passed House Bill 4339 on probate notice filing, House Bill 4341 updating CASA volunteer standards by removing duplicative national standards language, House Bill 4342 making prior domestic violence abuse admissible in court proceedings, House Bill 2940 prohibiting public bodies from barring recording of public meetings and allowing civil suits for violations, House Bill 4295 adjusting eviction timelines to exclude weekends and holidays, and House Bill 4196, a uniform trust bill. House Bill 3134, which says accreditation for Oklahoma public colleges and universities should be based on academics rather than ideology, drew extended questioning about jurisdiction and enforcement but ultimately passed 5-2. House Bill 1016, with a committee substitute, would regulate content creation involving minors by defining the industry, requiring recordkeeping and trust funds for compensation, and allowing civil action when the law is violated; it passed 7-0. Several bills were laid over for later consideration, including House Bills 2941, 2959, 3087, 3321, 3298, and 3297. The committee adopted a PCS for House Bill 426 and a committee substitute for House Bill 1016, and it adopted an amendment to House Bill 2940 replacing “videotape” and “audio tape” with “video” and “audio.”
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

House Chamber - Tue Feb 3, 2026, 12:00PM HST - Day 8

Hawaii House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Today, I'm very honored to welcome to the gallery some of our Hana and Kumu from Malam Hunua Public Charter
  • Hunua Public Charter School in Wanalo. Hunua Public Charter School in Wanalo.
AL

Alabama 2026 Regular Session

Alabama Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee Feb 4th, 2026

Finance and Taxation General Fund

Transcript Highlights:
  • There are other folks who actually, um, have public benefits, um, get public money, but yet they'll be
  • There are other folks who actually, um, have public benefits, um, get public money, but yet they'll be
  • There are other folks who actually, um, have public benefits, um, get public money, but yet they'll be
  • There are other folks who actually, um, have public benefits, um, get public money, but yet they'll be
  • There are other folks who actually, um, have public benefits, um, get public money, but yet they'll be
Bills: SB57 , SB155 , HB39 , HB77 , HB104 , SB57 , SB155 , HB39 , HB77 , HB104
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • public testimony. for a public meeting or a public comment period.
  • have a public comment period.
  • for public comments, and public notice.
  • Does a public meeting also imply public input that might be in written form, or is it solely the public
  • meeting without public input?
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • Less than 5% of all the land in Texas is public.
  • Let me, before I go to public testimony, let me ask.
  • This is all I have registered for public testimony.
  • All right, we'll move to public testimony.
  • I have only four more witnesses for public.
Bills: SB410 , SB795 , SB2510 , SB728 , SB2689 , HB143 , HB143
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • Okay, with no public testimony, we'll close public testimony on Senate Bill 870, and Senate Bill 870
  • Members, we can discuss questions, and then we'll open up with public testimony.
  • I mean, that's what our classrooms have evolved to in our public school settings.
  • So our public schools are a reflection of our society.
  • But this is not just a public school issue.
Committee: Senate Education
Summary: The committee heard a series of school safety and discipline bills, beginning with SB 870, which would codify an attorney general opinion allowing local school boards to decide whether school marshals may openly carry, conceal carry, or store a firearm in a secure safe on campus. The bill was laid out with no public testimony and left pending. The chair then moved to a combined discussion of SB 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, and 1924, all focused on school discipline, teacher authority, and student safety. Senators Perry and Creighton described the package as a response to rising classroom disruptions, assaults on teachers, and concerns that districts lack effective tools to maintain order. SB 1871 would expand teacher removal authority, require return-to-class plans before a student removed for certain conduct can return, make some serious offenses mandatory for placement in juvenile justice settings, and provide telehealth mental health services through a consortium. SB 1872 would require expulsion to a JJAEP for assaults on teachers or school volunteers and extend certain expulsion-eligible conduct to off-campus offenses. SB 1873 would restore the prior understanding that in-school suspension is not subject to a three-day limit. SB 1874 would grant teachers immunity from disciplinary action for reporting discipline violations or acting in compliance with Chapter 37. SB 1924 would restore authority for local police and school district police to issue Class C citations for school offenses and require criminal referrals for students posing an imminent threat or assaulting a teacher, with a substitute clarifying referral rules when a citation has already been issued. The committee adopted the substitutes for the bills and moved them forward. Invited witnesses from teacher and administrator groups largely supported the overall goal of stronger discipline and safer classrooms, while asking for refinements. The Texas Classroom Teachers Association testified that teachers need more autonomy to remove disruptive or violent students and that classroom removals should not mean removal from learning. Superintendents from San Angelo, Grandview, and Wiley ISDs supported the bills’ emphasis on safety, expanded ISS flexibility, mandatory placement for serious offenses, and telehealth mental health services, but asked for more local control, flexibility for Districts of Innovation, more than one campus behavior coordinator in large districts, clearer timelines for return-to-class plans, and more precise definitions for disruptive conduct. Several witnesses stressed that teacher retention and student learning are being harmed by current discipline problems, while some members raised concerns about vague standards and the risk of overuse or public humiliation through citations and removals.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • Public testimony, we'll close public testimony on Senate Bill 870, and Senate Bill 870 will be pending
  • The common denominator is public schools.
  • There's plenty of space, and all of them have a public...
  • Classrooms have evolved in our public school settings.
  • Our public schools are a reflection of our society, and what you're seeing in the public school really
Committee: Senate Education
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Judiciary May 7th, 2026

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • I appreciate the public for always remaining decorum-wise fine.
  • Do you have any idea when it may go public?
  • So we are in support of this as a public health protection for kids.
  • As a public health protection for kids, we'd like to see it expanded statewide.
  • Senate Bill 164 seeks to add public works employees to that definition.
Bills: HB302 , HB371 , HB597 , HB1097 , HB1190 , SB34 , SB164 , SB208 , SB232 , SB317 , SB357 , SB421 , SB510
Committee: House Judiciary
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Capital Investment Committee 3/26/26

Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:
  • </c> upgrades including streets and alleys. upgrades including streets and alleys.
  • </c> Metro Regional Public Safety Facility. Metro Regional Public Safety Facility.
  • </c> public safety solution. public safety solution.
  • </c> public safety resources. public safety resources.
  • Uh supports public safety project.