Transcript Highlights:

• Why not put the Upper Guadalupe River Authority with the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority?
• We have a different river than it's downstream. It's not the same Guadalupe River.
• River, just like we did on the Trinity River 40 years ago in Dallas back in the '80s.
• River extending from the Llano River, and the San Saba River that flows across the northern part of
• Gabriel River, we need help from the state in cleaning up that river.

Summary: The joint Senate and House disaster preparedness and flooding hearing opened with quorum calls, prayer, testimony time limits, and remarks from legislative leaders emphasizing decorum, respect, and the goal of learning from the July 4 flood to prevent future loss of life. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker Dustin Burrows said the special session and hearings were intended to hear directly from local officials and residents, and that the state would pursue immediate and longer-term legislation and continue working beyond the current session. The committee then heard invited testimony from Kerr County, Kerrville, Kendall County, Real County, and the Upper Guadalupe River Authority, followed by member questions. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, Sheriff Larry Leitha, and emergency management coordinator William B. Thomas described the flood as a sudden, unprecedented event that overwhelmed local systems before many officials or residents understood the danger. They said the county received multiple National Weather Service and IPAWS alerts, but the rain fell in remote upstream areas with limited gauges, and the flood rose too quickly for normal response. They detailed the emergency response, including dispatchers handling heavy call volumes, deputies and volunteer firefighters conducting rescues, and state and federal partners assisting. County officials said 108 people died, including 37 children, and two remained missing. They called for better real-time flood detection, stronger rural emergency management resources, improved broadband and cell coverage, and more funding for swift-water rescue and warning systems. Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring and City Manager Dalton Rice said the city had floodplain rules, emergency plans, and prior preparedness efforts, but the event exposed gaps in communications and regional warning capacity. They urged the Legislature to fund a flood warning system, whether sirens, automated alerts, or a hybrid, and asked for support for predictive weather modeling, broadband expansion, a hazard mitigation fund, and disaster recovery resources. The Upper Guadalupe River Authority said it had long funded gauges and pursued flood-warning and mitigation projects, including a new software-based flood prediction system and possible retention dams, and planned to dedicate reserve funds to feasibility studies and infrastructure improvements. Kendall County Judge Shane Stolarczyk said his county’s emergency action plan and early alerts helped prevent deaths there, and he recommended easier access to alerting tools, a river-wide warning system, simpler grant applications, and regional coordination. Real County Judge Bella Rubio said rural counties face major challenges because of limited cell service, broadband, staffing, and funding, especially for camps and visitors along the Frio and Nueces rivers, and argued that reliable alert systems should be treated as a necessity, not a luxury. Members asked about the timeline of the flood, low-water crossings, communications failures, sirens, bridges, and funding, and several witnesses said the key lessons were better communications, better warning systems, and more investment in rural flood mitigation and emergency response.

Transcript Highlights:

• So my Indian name is Tachnanam.
• , but beyond the reservation.
• Transportation safety issues on the reservation.
• And we went to numerous events within the reservation, both tribal events and non-Indian events, to gain
• Confederated Tribes of Culver Reservation.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee met in Yakima to focus on tribal traffic safety, with members and Yakima Nation leaders emphasizing the importance of safety, the right to travel, and continued partnership on U.S. 97 corridor improvements. Yakima Nation Vice Chair Christopher Wallachie and engineering staff described the Tribal Traffic Safety Committee, the U.S. 97 safety project, heritage connectivity trails, roundabout construction, and the use of federal grants and advanced sensing technology to identify hazards before crashes occur. They highlighted collaboration with WSDOT, the Traffic Safety Commission, the University of Washington, and other regional partners, and explained that the goal is to move from reactive crash response to proactive risk reduction. The Yakima Nation engineering team and AI Vision presented the MUST sensor project, which uses compact AI-enabled devices to collect traffic counts, speeds, near-miss events, roadway conditions, and pedestrian activity, with data transmitted to a dashboard and used for real-time warnings and longer-term planning. Committee members asked about speed tracking, driver behavior, enforcement, and partnerships with WSDOT and counties. Yakima Nation staff said the relationship with WSDOT has improved over time, especially after community outreach on proposed roundabouts, and that the tribe now supports several roundabout projects and broader safety coordination. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission then presented statewide fatality trends and tribal traffic safety data. Mark McKekney said 2024 showed a roughly 10% decrease in fatalities statewide, though recent years remain among the highest in decades. He noted that race and ethnicity data are only available for people who die in crashes, and that many American Indian and Alaska Native fatalities involve passengers, pedestrians, or bicyclists rather than drivers. Penny Rerick outlined tribal traffic safety coordinator grants and other state-funded tribal projects, including work with Yakama Nation, Colville, Kalispel, Makah, Port Gamble S'Klallam, Muckleshoot, Lower Elwha, and Puyallup, stressing that flexible state funding helps fill gaps left by federal programs and supports community-led solutions. The final presentation covered impaired driving enforcement and ignition interlock compliance in Yakima County. Yakima Police Chief Sean Boyle said the city created a DUI enforcement and education officer program that helped reduce serious injury and fatal impaired-driving crashes, supported by state funding and social media outreach. Yakima County District Court’s Nick Bazan described a supervision program for DUI offenders and interlock compliance, reporting more than 1,000 DUI convictions in 2024-25 and about 3,800 noncompliant interlock users countywide. He said the court is using a two-pronged approach—pretrial assistance for indigent clients and post-conviction accountability and case planning—to improve compliance and reduce impaired driving. The committee expressed support for the work, noted the progress made, and adjourned the work session after thanking presenters for their updates.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have swift water rescue vehicles that work across the state during atmospheric rivers.
• So that reserve fleet, the criteria for it is deepening.
• , but you think of a reserve apparatus maybe 15 or 20 years old.
• So all that to say is the result is that the reserve fleet is taxed.
• So all that to say is the reserve fleet is taxed.

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on the rising cost and long delivery times for fire apparatus and related equipment, with opening remarks stressing that aging fleets, supply chain problems, and delayed replacements are affecting emergency readiness across California. Cal OES and Cal Fire described statewide procurement challenges, including higher prices, multi-year delivery timelines, two-year encumbrance limits, and the strain on mutual aid when engines remain in service beyond their intended replacement cycles. Cal Fire said it operates 537 engines, with 300 meeting replacement criteria and 243 at least 16 years old, and explained the difference between mandatory contracts and one-time acquisitions. The Department of General Services said vendors have cited labor costs, chassis pricing, and the need for longer production timelines, while also noting that statewide contracts can include nominal price increases but not open-ended price hikes. Local fire chiefs from Santa Barbara County, Los Angeles County, Napa, and Fullerton testified that apparatus prices have risen sharply while delivery times have stretched from under a year to three to five years or more. They described specific examples of engines and ladder trucks costing far more than prior purchases and arriving years later, forcing departments to keep older reserve apparatus in service, spend more on maintenance, and defer other budget priorities. Several witnesses said industry consolidation has reduced competition and contributed to delays and price increases, with Los Angeles County and Fullerton noting they have pursued antitrust complaints and litigation against major manufacturers. Napa also described proprietary parts and software limiting in-house repairs, and Santa Barbara County said a vendor’s unfulfilled delivery promise caused the department to lose its place in line. Members asked about possible solutions, including whether the state should consider manufacturing apparatus itself, whether procurement rules or prototype requirements could be streamlined, whether DGS staffing or contract processes could be accelerated, and whether more stable long-term purchasing commitments would help manufacturers plan production. Witnesses said safety-driven specification changes are necessary but can add time, and that the main bottlenecks are industry capacity, consolidation, and vendor performance. The vice chair raised concerns about how grant funding windows and local matching requirements are affected by multi-year delays, especially for small and rural departments that rely on grants and on used apparatus passed down from larger agencies. No votes were taken; the hearing concluded with committee members indicating interest in possible legislative, regulatory, and antitrust follow-up.

Transcript Highlights:

• the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, presented by Frank Chavez, Chairman of the New Mexico Indian Gaming
• Act and Indian gaming in New Mexico are working to provide a better quality of life for many Indian
• In Indian communities...
• communities, both Indian and non-Indian alike.
• In New Mexico, not all tribes have chosen to pursue Indian gaming or see Indian gaming as a feasible

Committee: House House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• “Thank you so much, and I’ll reserve other comments after your presentation.”
• provide public safety on Indian reservations.
• reservations here in the state of California.
• That does not solve the issue of cross-deputization and hiring of deputy reserves, and we will reserve
• We will reserve our comments for those topics at a future date.

Committee: House Public Safety

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So today's plan is to get a presentation from the Department of Transportation on the atmospheric river
• That's what we just had with the atmospheric rivers, and the other is called an external cause.
• Yakima River took it out, and we've been out there working since mid-January to get this restored.
• And out on Highway 410, out in the Indian Claw area, again, you can see the pictures.
• We had some communications going back and forth about equipment needs during the White River flood.

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then also we just reached a contract agreement on a direct appropriation for the Calhitz Indian tribe
• And then lastly, I'll mention the $1.5 million strategic reserve fund awarded to SkyNRG that was... $1.5
• million strategic reserve fund awarded to SkyNRG that was extended through this biennium by the governor
• Ecology completed three programmatic EISs in June 2025: one for utility-scale solar, one for onshore wind

Bills: HB2111 , HB2495

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: Interstate 5 bridge, toll facility, bond retirement, transportation, state funding, vehicles, streetcar operation, public safety, urban regulation, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• poultry production has led to outstanding achievements, including winning the grand champion and reserve
• poultry production has led to outstanding achievements, including winning the grand champion and reserve
• to try to get some, especially these New York colleagues, to get an idea of where they're going to wind
• The FAB 5 Senate Indian Rule to Rural Cultural Affairs will not be meeting tomorrow.

Transcript Highlights:

• We ended up with 33 rivers flooding, 18 exceeding major flood stage.
• Fortunately, what happened is the atmospheric river split.
• If you don't keep it out of the rivers, I'm going to find you.
• If you don't keep it out of the rivers, I'm going to find you.
• and then there wasn't enough water in the river and they all died.

Committee: House Agriculture & Natural Resources

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> College, Jones College, Pearl River College, Jones College, Pearl River Community<00:12:08.079><
• Lady from Pearl River. No.
• in</c> Mississippi Band of Chakaw Indians is in Mississippi Band of Chakaw Indians is in support<01:
• All right, you're recognized. >> Gentle from Pearl River to explain the bill. >> Pearl River, explain
• </c> &gt;&gt; Gentleman from Pearl River. &gt;&gt; Gentleman from Pearl River.

Keywords: MS House Floor - 12 February, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I reserve the balance of my time. >> Reserves.
• reserve.
• I'm ready to close and I reserve. reserve. reserve.
• </c> it and I reserve. it and I reserve.
• </c> her reserve. her reserve. &gt;&gt; Gentleman<05:41:39.920><c> reserves.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the way from Alabama through Georgia, down into central Florida and then eventually goes down into Indian
• I know even over in Indian River County, they just opened up a injection 0.4 rng facility that actually
• transfers to a new homeowner. >> It's maybe miss questions I could with respect to value with will reserve

Transcript Highlights:

• They’ve reserved the Tree Fort Music Hall, which is just down the street at Front Street and Capitol.
• They’ve reserved the Tree Fort Music Hall, which is just down the street at Front Street and Capitol.
• And so with the high winds that are expected, we’ll try to wait for the storms to come through and then
• had a very, very, very successful Cal Girl Congress public exhibition and programming in the Wood River

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The America 250 in Idaho Advisory Council met with a quorum and approved the June 10, 2026 minutes. Staff then gave a financial update showing an unobligated balance of $42,547.53, with additional accrued revenue expected to become available in fiscal year 2027; members were also reminded that Luma would be closed July 1-2 for invoice processing. Treasurer Ellsworth reported on the ambassador program and statewide America 250 activities, highlighting events and outreach efforts across Idaho, including service projects, festivals, and public appearances. He also updated the council on the Liberty Bell project, noting that the bell had been restored, that fundraising for the statewide tour was ongoing, and that the bell’s route would include county seats and other communities; a request was made on the record for the bell to pass through Nampa. He also said the bell’s transport and liability arrangements had been reviewed with risk management and that state employees could volunteer to drive it. Secretary McGrane gave a broader planning update for the July 4 Capitol celebration, saying preparations were largely complete and that the event would proceed outdoors if possible, with an indoor backup at Treefort Music Hall and a rescheduling option if needed. He described Capitol decorations, media promotion, volunteer recruitment, and coordination with Idaho Public Television, the governor’s office, and event partners. He also highlighted the national recognition of Idaho’s July 4 event, the Idaho State Pavilion in Washington, D.C., the Move 250 initiative, the restored Liberty Bell’s statewide tour, and other upcoming America 250-related events, including a July 8 statewide reading of the Declaration of Independence. The council then discussed scheduling its next meeting for July 14, tentatively, and members confirmed who would attend the July 4 celebration before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know there's been a lot of talk about nuclear and other forms of energy, hydrogen, gas, wind, but they're
• which we've heard about, Mach 2, don't know where that is, the Nuclear Task Force, that is years out, wind
• , years... ...the Nuclear Task Force, that is years out, wind, years out.
• With the Indian River unwind of 500 megawatts, Delaware is 500 megawatts short on its peak days.
• build and bring their own energy, and ideally that energy would be clean and renewable sources, like wind

Committee: Senate Environment, Energy & Transportation

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on energy, public safety, and environmental cleanup. House Bill 455 would create a historic preservation license plate to raise funds and awareness for Delaware preservation efforts, and House Bill 471 would tighten rules and penalties for off-highway vehicles on shared private roads, with golf carts excluded. House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill 439, the Truth in E-Bike Marketing Act, would require clearer disclosures when selling electric mopeds and electric motorcycles so consumers understand classification, power, and licensing/insurance requirements. House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill 407, related to the Hazardous Substance Cleanup Act and brownfields, would shift funding for brownfield cleanup from the original realty transfer tax approach to a dedicated share of the hazardous substance cleanup fund and raise civil penalties for fraudulent acts. The committee also approved the June 18, 2026 minutes once quorum was reached. Most of the meeting centered on House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill 233, as amended, a large-load/data center bill intended to protect ratepayers from costs tied to massive new electricity users. The sponsor and Public Advocate said PJM’s warnings about a coming reliability backstop auction made it urgent to establish a Delaware framework now, requiring large energy users to sign utility agreements, cover their share of transmission, distribution, and capacity costs, and comply with curtailment and other protections. Supporters from environmental groups and some labor and business voices said the bill was needed to prevent cost shifts to households and small businesses, while opponents argued it was being rushed, could deter investment, and might unintentionally affect other industries; several asked for more time and clearer definitions. No vote was taken in the portion provided. The committee also took up House Bill 470, which would authorize Delmarva Power, with PSC approval, to build and operate utility-owned battery storage and spread costs across the customer base. The sponsor and Delmarva said the bill would improve reliability quickly and help avoid outages, while the chair expressed concern that the state had not yet fully studied whether utility-owned or competitively procured storage is the best model, noting a recent SEU storage study and broader policy questions. Supporters said utility storage could be deployed faster and help with peak shaving, while others urged a competitive process; the transcript cuts off before any final action on HB 470.

Transcript Highlights:

• Prior to this position, she served as Chief Operations Officer for United Indian Health Services.
• River in their actual district.
• River miles in order to improve representation of the appropriate council districts.
• In my district, two hot spots of hydrogen sulfide have been identified in the Tijuana River Valley and
• In my district, two hot spots of hydrogen sulfide have been identified in the Tijuana River Valley and

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, observed a moment of silence, offered prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognized several guest delegations, including UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute fellows and community college representatives. The body approved the Senate journals and then moved through gubernatorial appointments, confirming Dr. Hernando Garsohn as Chief Medical Officer at the Emergency Medical Services Authority and Stephanie Weldon as Deputy Director of the Office of Health Equity at the Department of Public Health, both by 39-0 votes. The chamber then took up a series of third-reading bills. Measures approved included SB 799 on the South Bay Regional Housing Trust, SB 33 on prompt payment for public works contractors, SB 222 to streamline permitting for heat pump installations, SB 300 strengthening protections for minors in AI chatbot interactions, SB 457 expanding support for community land trusts, SB 479 authorizing city-based homeless response multidisciplinary teams, SB 719 extending a reporting sunset on automated decision systems, SB 722 protecting mobile home park residents from demolition-related displacement, SB 832 updating the Upper Los Angeles River working group, SB 342 limiting forfeiture when a contractor’s license lapses, SB 490 allowing local inspections of unlicensed treatment facilities with state approval, SB 828 requiring permit-data verification for fireworks and explosives facilities, SB 849 barring physicians who committed sexual misconduct from license renewal, SB 742 addressing decommissioned electric lines in response to the Altadena fire, SB 96 regulating amplified advertising on streaming and related platforms, and SB 58 updating hydrogen sulfide monitoring and response standards. Most passed unanimously; SB 222 and SB 677 drew some opposition, and SB 222 passed 38-3. A major floor debate centered on SB 694, which would restrict unaccredited private firms from charging fees to assist veterans with VA benefits claims and align state law with federal accreditation rules. Supporters argued the bill would protect veterans from predatory “claim shark” practices and preserve access through accredited providers, while opponents said it would limit veterans’ choice and could reduce access to needed help. After a motion to pull the bill from Rules and take it up immediately passed 29-9, the Senate approved SB 694 by a 39-0 vote. The session ended with unanimous approval of the consent calendar items and adjournment until January 27, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Rivers and Swantec, what's that call when a business does due diligence sort of work on this site?
• language to allow the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa to authorize gaming to be conducted at an off-reservation
• Grand Forks County, and in bold print must be approved by the Secretary of the Interior under the Indian

Bills: SB2003

Committee: House Appropriations - Education and Environment Division

Keywords: higher education, student loans, scholarships, capital projects, workforce development, funding, North Dakota university system, 908, all

Summary: The committee first reconsidered Senate Bill 2003 in the higher education budget and adopted several changes. It removed $3 million for enterprise resource planning, struck $2 million for a grant program for students who are pregnant or recently gave birth, and then added $3 million back into workforce education and innovative grants, restoring that line to $12 million. Members also discussed a possible purchase of the 19th Avenue building in Fargo for the State School of Science, but the motion was withdrawn for later consideration. Other higher ed items were briefly noted, including tribally controlled community colleges and a state magazine funding line, but no final action was taken on the building proposal during this segment. The committee then moved to Senate Bill 2018, the Commerce budget, and reviewed a long list of funding items. It restored a vacant workforce FTE, increased tourism marketing to $10 million and Find the Good Life to $5 million, raised Operation Intern by $1 million, removed a $100,000 infrastructure study, increased autonomous agriculture grants to $15 million, and set the Regional Workforce Impact Program at $10 million. It also kept or adjusted several other items, including the uncrewed aerial vehicle replacement program, the global talent office, tribally controlled community colleges, Native American small business grants, and technical skills training grants. A major new provision would transfer $50 million total, split between SIF and Bank of North Dakota profits, to the Theodore Roosevelt Library Museum Endowment Fund, matching a private fundraising challenge; members expressed both support and concern, and said they would revisit it later. The committee also discussed language to allow commercialization of Vantis and to permit the Turtle Mountain gaming compact proposal to move forward with required federal approvals, while clarifying that a previously discussed $100,000 study had been removed. Commerce officials said the workforce language was intended to centralize data and strategy, and they noted Operation Intern would need an emergency clause because applications begin in May. No final vote on the Commerce budget was taken in this segment, and the chair said the committee would return later to finish both budgets.

Transcript Highlights:

• Whether he was in, as someone said in the fo fo, as he would say, uh, or he was in River Oaks, I mean
• While working dispatch full time, he graduated from the basic and reserve police academies to become
• It's a majority minority community with no one minority being the dominant group, but it's 20% Asian Indian

Transcript Highlights:

• On the left, Three Rivers Park District renovated restrooms at the Baker Park Reserve at Lake Independence
• along the Minnesota River.
• Just down the river in Dakota County is the Minnesota River Regional Trail, as illustrated on the right-hand
• I know our Three Rivers Park District has their Nordic ski opener day, as an example.
• </c><01:09:38.319><c> Park</c> well I know our Three Rivers Park well I know our Three Rivers Park district

Committee: House Legacy Finance

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The river has inspired awe for generations.
• Johns River, a 100-mile estuary from Palatka to Jacksonville.
• Johns River, the Ocklawaha River, Silver Springs, that's near and dear to my heart.
• As we all know, the Indian River Lagoon is a very, very special place, and it's the most biodiverse estuary
• As we all know, the Indian River Lagoon is a very, very special place, and it's the most biodiverse estuary

Summary: The Committee on Environment and Natural Resources heard and advanced several bills. SB 958, by Senator Bradley, would require local straw and stirrer ordinances to allow renewable, certified compostable, and marine-biodegradable products, with supporters arguing it creates standards and avoids patchwork local rules; it was reported favorably. SB 1066, by Senator Brodeur, proposed a phased restoration of the Ocklawaha/Rodman Dam area, including partial dam restoration, recreation and economic development planning, and a local advisory council; testimony was strongly divided between restoration supporters and local officials concerned about water supply, reservoir value, and community impacts. The committee adopted an amendment adding a Naval Air Station Jacksonville representative to the advisory council, then reported the bill favorably as amended. The committee also approved CS/SB 698 by Senator Martin, which would let builders proceed with home construction after applying for septic permits rather than waiting for the permit to be issued first. Testimony from builders and industry representatives focused on permitting delays, contract pricing, and the need for a glide path if DEP rules change; some senators raised concerns about the 120-day transition period, but the bill passed favorably with a technical amendment. CS/SB 1230, by Senator Harrell, would phase out PFAS-containing firefighting foam for non-emergency use, require inventory and disposal reporting, create DEP rules and a registry of alternatives, and establish grant/cost-savings support for local agencies; it was reported favorably after an amendment clarifying DEP references and penalty language. Finally, the committee approved CS/SB 1288, also by Senator Harrell, to designate a water body feature in the Jupiter Narrows area as the Andrew Red Harris Shoal in honor of a local environmental advocate who died rescuing a friend. The bill was amended to clarify the shoal identification and then reported favorably. At the end of the meeting, senators requested the record reflect additional affirmative votes on certain bills, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Tarr: support and improvement of rivers and riverine environments. Mr. Tarr. Thank you, Mr. Tarr.
• Silver Lake flows into the Jones River, which is the largest river draining to Cape Cod Bay, Cape Cod
• After hatching, juvenile herring have made their way down the Jones River and into the ocean.
• Because drought caused the river to run dry. Now, we often talk about climate change.
• Because drought caused the river to run dry.

Keywords: 1212, all