Video & Transcript : 'declaratory judgment' :
Page 55 of 215
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- And I have no judgment about what it was spent for. understand that that is not the understand that that
- And um I I make I have no judgment<00:11:10.000><c> about</c><00:11:10.320><c> what</c><00:11:10.480>
- c> was</c><00:11:10.800><c> spent</c><00:11:11.600><c> for</c><00:11:12.720><c> um</c> I have no judgment
Committee:
Senate Taxes
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
Hearings to examine United States Special Operations Command in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2026 and the Future Years Defense Program; to be immediately followed by a closed hearing in SVC-217. Apr 8th, 2025 at 01:30 pm
Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
Transcript Highlights:
- Army and the Army National Guard, and I expect you to always exercise independent, professional judgment
- I do not let that, in any way, cloud your judgment on him. He is a great person.
- Do you commit to always exercising your professional legal judgment free of political influence?
Committees:
Senate Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities , Senate Subcommittee on Seapower , Senate Subcommittee on Strategic Forces , Senate Subcommittee on Personnel
Keywords:
national security, nuclear energy, Department of Defense, military readiness, public commentary, nominations
Summary:
The meeting convened with a focus on the scrutiny of various nominations and their implications for national security. Mr. Brandon Williams was nominated as the Undersecretary of Energy for Nuclear Security, drawing attention to the pressing need to modernize the U.S. nuclear arsenal amid growing threats from other countries. This was echoed in discussions led by committee members who expressed concern over military readiness and the management of military installations, with emphasis on ensuring accountability within the Department of Defense. Public commentary was notably supportive of the nominations, although some concerns were raised regarding the administration's broader strategies.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- It is imperative that these bills be paid because, without these firms, this judgment would not have
- probably going to enter into settlements or go to trial with some of these cases and have large judgments
- **Chair**: No, I'm just talking about the judgment payout.
Bills:
SB 1
Committee:
Senate Finance
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
Senate Legislative Session Day 59 (4-14-26) - Part 2
Kentucky Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> still exercising common sense judgment still exercising common sense judgment to<04:58:40.160><c
- Notwithstanding the playing field that we play on, we have to make judgments in terms of resources and
- But because we have dynamics out here that we have to navigate and make judgments on no matter what our
- </c><06:05:16.718><c> in</c><06:05:16.958><c> terms</c> And we have to make judgments in terms And we
- on no matter what our calling judgments on no matter what our calling is<06:06:35.680><c> in</c><06:
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Legislative-Executive Committee on Budget Transparency and Fiscal Sustainability Jul 20th, 2026 at 09:00 am
Joint Legislative-Executive Committee on Budget Transparency and Fiscal Sustainability
Transcript Highlights:
- “Does the outlook assume a comparable number of judgments against the state, say tort claims, as in the
- And so I think one thing we've definitely heard about already today is there are these judgment calls
- of what goes into the outlook or not, or maybe they're not judgment calls.
- And so you can see how this is kind of like a judgment call that these are federal requirements.
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- litigants the opportunity to review because if the judge never makes a decision and never signs a judgment
- , then you cannot take an appeal because you don't have a judgment to appeal.
- litigants appellate review because while the case is being continued multiple times, there is no judgment
- You don't have a judgment to appeal from.
Committee:
House Civil Law and Procedure
Summary:
The committee first considered HB 446 by Rep. Boyer, a constitutional amendment to set eligible dates for local bond and tax elections. Staff said it would amend Article 6, Section 22, could not be done statutorily, and was scheduled for November 3, 2026 to maximize turnout. The committee adopted the 6.8A report and reported the bill without amendments.
Members then took up several constitutional amendments and civil law measures, including HB 244 on constitutional conventions, HB 214 on a property tax exemption for rehabilitated blighted or derelict property, HB 514 on an additional senior homestead-style ad valorem exemption, HB 27 on how non-recurring state monies may be applied to retirement system unfunded liabilities, and HB 225 on gubernatorial term limits. HB 244 and HB 225 were amended before being reported, while HB 214, HB 514, and HB 27 were reported favorably without amendments. The committee also adopted SB 127, which allows limited curator donations on behalf of interdicted persons and narrows forced heirship in certain disability-related estate planning situations.
The committee approved HB 1043, as amended, to raise the civil jurisdictional amount for the First and Second Parish Courts of Jefferson Parish from $20,000 to $35,000. It also approved HB 473 by substitute on custody and child support, with the substitute preserving language that physical custody should be shared equally unless the court finds that infeasible or not in the child’s best interest. HB 71, which extends certain self-defense liability protections to registered armed private security officers, drew opposition over training and public safety concerns but was reported favorably after a roll call vote of 8 yeas and 1 nay.
The committee also advanced HB 1082, which would require the Municipal Police Employees’ Retirement System to sue municipalities in the local parish rather than East Baton Rouge when it is the plaintiff. Supporters said the current venue rule burdens small towns with travel and litigation costs; opponents argued Article 84 provides a consistent statewide venue and that the litigation is largely about municipalities failing to enroll officers properly. Finally, the committee heard extensive testimony on HB 306, which concerns court costs and fees in domestic abuse cases; members worked through a concept amendment to restore “reasonable” attorney’s fees and add court-approved evaluation and expert witness fees, and the discussion continued with testimony about federal grant compliance and victim protections.
LA
Louisiana 2026 Regular Session
Labor and Industrial Relations Mar 19th, 2026
Labor & Industrial Relations
Transcript Highlights:
- the reason they're unhappy about the McBride case is that it's a very substantial personal injury judgment
- It's because there was a big personal injury judgment that they didn't want to pay.
- It's because there was a big personal injury judgment that they didn't want to pay.
- case, that because this person does manual labor, we shouldn't have to pay this big personal injury judgment
Committee:
House Labor & Industrial Relations
Summary:
The committee first adopted prior meeting minutes and voluntarily deferred three bills before taking up House Bill 232, which would shift the employment-certificate process for minors away from school boards and to Louisiana Works. Rep. Carlson said the bill is intended to reduce burdens on schools and make it easier for 16- and 17-year-olds to work, especially in the summer. A youth advisory council testified in support, describing the current process as cumbersome for students and families. The committee adopted amendments, including a change making the bill effective upon the governor’s signature, and then reported HB 232 favorably with amendments.
The committee next considered House Bill 951, creating an Office of Talent Accelerator within Louisiana Works and a Business Workforce Committee to coordinate employer-facing workforce services. Rep. Bamberg and Secretary Susie Schowen described it as a centralized, regional, business-facing effort to respond more quickly to workforce needs tied to major economic development projects, while also supporting existing small and mid-sized businesses. Supporters, including Bollinger Shipyards and Leaders for a Better Louisiana, said similar models in Mississippi had helped expand training pipelines and better match employers with workers. The committee adopted a large amendment set and reported HB 951 with amendments.
House Bill 923, a cleanup measure reorganizing Louisiana Works statutes and updating language after last year’s agency restructuring, was then adopted with technical amendments and reported with amendments. The committee also took up House Bill 301, which would create a voluntary portable-benefits framework for independent contractors and gig workers. Supporters said it would give contractors a way to negotiate benefits such as health care or retirement contributions, while opponents warned it could encourage misclassification, weaken workers’ compensation protections, and shift costs to workers and the state. After debate, the committee adopted amendments and reported HB 301 with a 6-5 vote.
Finally, House Bill 185 was introduced as a workers’ compensation measure to expand the definition of independent contractor and restore tort immunity for employers in certain contract-labor situations. The sponsor said it was part of the Attorney General’s package and aimed at addressing a recent court decision; the bill was just beginning discussion when the transcript ended.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee Mar 17th, 2026
Energy, Utilities and Communications
Transcript Highlights:
- You're basically being asked to substitute your judgment for that of the Building Standards Commission
- level, we're not opposed to these products, but the precedent that this sets for substituting your judgment
- for folks as long as, if we're, you know, and so what we really don't want to do is replace our judgment
- with, or put our judgment in replacement of others.
Committee:
Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications
Summary:
The committee heard extensive testimony on SB 868, the Plug and Play Solar Act, which would streamline approvals for portable plug-in solar devices while setting safety standards. The author and supporters argued the bill would help renters and homeowners with high electricity bills by allowing low-cost balcony solar systems to reduce monthly costs, and they emphasized that the devices would not feed power back to the grid. Supporters included environmental and consumer groups, solar advocates, and many members of the public. Opponents, including electrical workers, firefighters, utilities, and PG&E, raised concerns about shock, fire, overloading, and the need for California-specific building standards. After discussion, the author agreed to committee amendments and later to add compliance with the California Electrical Code in addition to the National Electrical Code; several opponents said that change would move them to neutral. The committee then voted to pass SB 868 out as amended to Senate Judiciary, with some members expressing support while reserving concerns about safety as the bill moves forward.
The committee then took up SB 886, dealing with data center electricity use and ratepayer protections. The author said the bill is intended to prevent large data centers from shifting grid and infrastructure costs onto other customers, citing rapid growth in data center demand and examples from other states. Supporters, including TURN and climate groups, said the bill would require data centers to pay for their own grid impacts, pre-fund long-term clean energy resources, participate in demand response, and cover related costs. Opponents from the data center industry, tech and business groups, utilities, and some energy users argued the bill was unnecessary, could duplicate CPUC processes, and could create discriminatory rate treatment or operational problems, especially around mandatory demand response and limits on backup generation. Committee staff described amendments narrowing the bill to large data centers, clarifying tariff and cost-allocation provisions, replacing a storage requirement with a long-term zero-carbon procurement mechanism, and exempting certain public and utility facilities. Members discussed the balance between affordability, reliability, and clean energy, with the bill framed as a way to protect ratepayers while allowing data center growth.
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- trigger off earlier, I notice we only get, I think, $25 million in collections of $200 million in judgments
- And so if they owe us, you know, $2 million, I mean, I have at least a $2 million judgment, I think,
- Sometimes we get judgments and we get a commitment to a judgment, but it's difficult to enforce it and
Committee:
House Appropriations
WY
Transcript Highlights:
- And I see no reason to quarrel with his judgment. As you look at this committee? Yeah.
- And I I see no reason to quarrel with And I I see no reason to quarrel with his<00:07:53.920><c> judgment
- 55.160><c> you</c><00:07:55.280><c> look</c><00:07:55.440><c> at</c><00:07:55.520><c> this</c> his judgment
- As you look at this his judgment. As you look at this committee? committee? committee? Yeah. Yeah.
Committee:
House Appropriations
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
Senate Legislative Session Day 34 (2-25-26)
Kentucky Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- And I think he's a wonderful guy and I trust his judgment on this.
- think he's a wonderful guy and I trust think he's a wonderful guy and I trust his<00:16:18.800><c> judgment
- :19.759><c> so</c><00:16:19.920><c> I</c><00:16:20.079><c> do</c><00:16:20.240><c> truly</c> his judgment
- And so I do truly his judgment on this.
NM
Transcript Highlights:
- language that I've shared around protecting physicians' personal assets from medical malpractice judgments
- And I don't mean that in terms of we can soak them for large judgments.
- I mean that in terms of, to deter bad behavior, it takes large judgments.
- narrow category of punitives that are about willful, wanton, reckless, fraudulent, or in bad faith judgments
Committee:
House House Judiciary
Keywords:
medical malpractice, malpractice reform, patient's compensation fund, PCF, health care liability, tort reform, damage caps, punitive damages, hospital liability, physician liability, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, outpatient facility, ambulatory surgical center, urgent care, free-standing emergency room, insurance surcharge, superintendent of insurance, New Mexico hospitals, medical review process
NM
Transcript Highlights:
- language that I've shared around protecting physicians' personal assets from medical malpractice judgments
- And I don't mean that in terms of we can soak them for large judgments.
- I mean that in terms of deterring bad behavior, it takes large judgments.
- narrow category of punitives that are about willful, wanton, reckless, fraudulent, or in bad faith judgments
Committee:
House House Judiciary
Summary:
The committee first took up House Bill 99, which would make changes to the Medical Malpractice Act, especially around punitive damages. The chair and sponsor said the bill would not be voted on that day and that public comment would wait until Monday, when a fuller presentation and any recommended substitute would be considered. Dr. Brooke Baker, a physician-lawyer, gave a long presentation on physician wellness, malpractice stress, and the effect of litigation on staffing and burnout, while also discussing hospital ownership structures, private equity, and rural hospital vulnerability. She argued that punitive damages are often pled too broadly in New Mexico, that the amendment language was unclear about which entities would be capped, and that better oversight and internal quality systems—not punitive damages—are the better tools for addressing bad actors and unsafe care. Committee members from both sides asked extensive questions about the patient compensation fund, indemnification, corporate structures, the effect of caps on insurance and recruitment, and whether the bill would protect physicians’ personal assets. No vote was taken on HB 99, and the committee recessed before moving to the next bill.
The committee then returned to House Bill 49, a public safety measure increasing penalties for felons who possess firearms. The sponsors and law enforcement witnesses said the bill is aimed narrowly at serious violent felons who are already prohibited from having guns, and that it would align state sentencing with federal law and give police and prosecutors a stronger tool against repeat violent offenders. An amendment was offered to narrow the bill further, add destructive devices, and make the offense a second-degree felony rather than escalating to first degree on repeat offenses. The amendment was adopted without opposition.
Public testimony on HB 49 was largely opposed. The Law Office of the Public Defender argued the bill criminalizes possession without a new act of violence, that current law already punishes felon-in-possession conduct, and that New Mexico has repeatedly increased penalties without evidence of reduced gun crime. The ACLU of New Mexico also opposed the bill, saying increased penalties are not a proven deterrent. The transcript cuts off as additional online opposition testimony was beginning.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Floor Session Jun 4th, 2025
California House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- administrative fee provision further to do two things: put a 10-year time frame on past wage claim judgments
- Unfortunately, improper service can result in default judgments that proceed without an individual's
- Default judgments can have devastating consequences for defendants, leading to garnished wages, levy
- Default judgments can have devastating consequences for defendants, leading to garnished wages, levy
Summary:
The Assembly convened with a quorum call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance, then moved through a long daily file of bills. Early procedural motions included a failed attempt to suspend the rules for AB 1219, followed by consideration of numerous measures on housing, veterans, education, elections, energy, wildfire prevention, public safety, and consumer affordability. Several bills drew bipartisan support and passed overwhelmingly, including AB 878 on safety accommodations for survivors of violence, AB 948 on school district facility maintenance, AB 81 and AB 88 on veterans’ mental health and student aid, AB 640 on school board fiscal training, AB 660 on housing permit timelines, AB 1048 on workers’ compensation billing disputes, AB 1119 on dual credentialing, AB 1172 on inhalable anti-seizure medication access, AB 1227 on wildfire prevention, AB 1285 and AB 696 on lithium-ion battery safety, AB 1417 on offshore wind transparency, AB 1530 on disaster recovery assistance, and AB 353 on affordable home internet. Some measures drew opposition or more divided votes, including AB 704 on sealing certain misdemeanor records, AB 1249 on early voting access, AB 1280 on thermal energy incentives, AB 1448 on offshore oil protections, AB 380 on price gouging, AB 402 on Cal Grant increases, AB 1074 on CalWORKs reunification, and AB 1084 on expedited gender-change and name-change court orders. The Assembly also granted reconsideration on AB 435, a child passenger safety bill, and passed it after debate on the five-step safety-seat standard.
The floor debate featured recurring themes of affordability, housing, wildfire preparedness, election access, veterans’ services, and public safety. Supporters of the election bill AB 1249 argued it would simply add a Saturday early-voting option in non-VCA counties, while opponents raised concerns about verification and county staffing. AB 30, authorizing E15 gasoline in California, was presented as an urgency measure to lower fuel costs and passed unanimously on the urgency and the bill. AB 1466 on groundwater disputes was also taken up, with the author arguing it would reduce frivolous litigation and better represent all water users; the vote was 42 ayes and 17 noes. After completing the file, the Assembly recessed for lunch, later returned, and continued with additional file items, with many measures passing on strong bipartisan votes.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Not the number, but the judgment formation of the number based on the number of damages on the percentages
- course and scope of it responsible, and I'm going to assume that responsibility for paying that judgment
- The percentages of fault will still be decided and applied to the damage findings resulting in a judgment
- you is that all of you need to think about God and your responsibility to be doing the best. ...judgment
Committee:
Senate Transportation
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Health committee approves HF2464, the omnibus health policy bill 4/2/25
Transcript Highlights:
- I get to make that judgment call.
- I've seen from people um I get to make I've seen from people um I get to make that<00:13:51.480><c> judgment
- 52.959><c> and</c><00:13:53.120><c> I</c><00:13:53.240><c> would</c><00:13:53.480><c> think</c> that judgment
- call and I would think that judgment call and I would think that<00:13:54.040><c> opthalmologist</c>
MS
Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
MS House Floor - 21 January, 2026; 2:00 PM
Mississippi House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- The one whom we'll stand before in judgment one day.
- Father, we're so thankful for your righteousness, for your judgments are fair.
- health response, and give public health better tools while respecting patient privacy and physician judgment
- respecting patient privacy<00:38:39.920><c> and</c><00:38:40.160><c> physician</c><00:38:40.720><c> judgment
- </c> privacy and physician judgment. privacy and physician judgment.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Sometimes we move forward; we move for default judgments as well. Wow.
- And then the default judgment is vile.
- It requires a specific reason for dismissal to be stated on the face of the judgment.
- You have to be on the judgment. Well, I won't talk about the committee substitute.
- And sometimes you see where it says "C-file," which is not clear on the face. of the judgment, or like
Bills:
HB867 , HB1347 , HB1801 , HB1820 , HB2197 , HB2617 , HB3110 , HB3166 , HB3330 , HB4237 , HB4342 , HB4629 , HB4933 , HJR148
Committee:
House Criminal Jurisprudence
Keywords:
criminal case dismissal, attorney discretion, law enforcement misconduct, judicial approval, evidence, judicial consent, transparency, healthcare, Medicare, insurance, elderly, retired, benefits, access, cost, criminal justice, case dismissal, prosecutorial discretion, law enforcement oversight, criminal procedure
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- at one point, registered nurses in hospitals were given the ability to exercise their independent judgment
- ability to exercise their independent ability to exercise their independent jud<00:04:07.920><c> judgment
- ><c> on</c><00:04:09.280><c> the</c><00:04:09.519><c> present</c><00:04:09.840><c> facts</c> jud judgment
- based on the present facts jud judgment based on the present facts and<00:04:10.400><c> their</c><00
- contribute to that statistic, but I easily could have if I had gone against my best professional judgment
Committee:
Senate Labor
VA
Virginia 2026 Regular Session
Code Commission Jun 3rd, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- So the definite, the plain language is a request for judgment on the pleadings.
- I don't know that a lot of people know what a judgment on the pleadings is; that's much better.