Transcript Highlights:

• That you believe are still operating? I don't know if they're still operating.
• I would say to you is either not operating or is operating illegally, but it would be speculating to
• Well, Madam Chair? Yes, Mr. Attorney General.
• So you were very well aware.
• I think it's well run, probably.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also recognize that some people learn very well virtually; not everyone learns very well virtually
• We also recognize that some people learn very well virtually; not everyone learns very well virtually
• > well<00:04:42.440> um<00:04:42.639> virtually everyone learns very well um virtually
• mark my words I will be a crane operator mark my words I will be a crane operator someday<00:10:
• as well.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And finally, we are back to normal operations, which means there still are operations.
• , increased workload, and and well-being, increased workload, and increased<00:31:48.720> operational
• increased operational cost. increased operational cost.
• Our ancestors survived Operation and we will survive Operation Metro Surge.
• c> survive<01:08:24.640> Operation and we will survive Operation and we will survive Operation

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The people outside a surprise to people inside the city as well.
• I know it's and drafting well established.
• But I was impressed that that smallman fracturing operation was able to take our our family as well as
• as well as lumber for construction.
• Well, trucks to get an out faster.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They've been operating that way.
• To make that use no longer allowed, you can operate as a nonconforming use and you can operate until
• So if the restaurant is still operating, if the car shop is operating, if the muffler shop is operating
• Well, you know, low taxes, low regulations. Businesses like stability as well.
• Well, is there, is there a competition?

Bills: HB24

Keywords: groundwater, conservation, water permits, sustainability, resource management

Transcript Highlights:

• The operation of a local GED testing center is a community operation that's not wholly tied to enrollment
• So as you see in this chart, we have currently Grant as well.
• Well, oftentimes a lot of these projects aren't finished until the end.
• Well, it's more of a grants processing system.
• We thought, well, we definitely know we've had a problem with paper.

Summary: The Higher Education Budget Subcommittee met to review funding models for the Florida College System and district workforce education programs, with an emphasis on how new dollars are allocated in the program fund and how performance and targeted funding are incorporated. Chancellor Hebda explained the Florida College System model, including base program funding, student success and pipeline funds, performance incentives for industry certifications, and the 2022 president-developed formula that weights enrollment, workforce enrollment, completions, small-college factors, and regional cost differences, plus a targeted funding floor for colleges below a minimum per-FTE level. Vice Chancellor Goodman then outlined the district workforce model, which uses lagged enrollment, program cost weights, local revenue offsets, small-district adjustments, and unmet-need calculations to distribute lump-sum appropriations to school districts offering workforce education. The department also provided updates on several grant programs and funding delays. Goodman said the Workforce Development Incentive Grant, Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant, Graduation Alternative to Traditional Education Startup Grant, and teacher apprenticeship/mentor bonus programs all involve multi-year awards and often require reversions and reappropriations because projects are delayed, extended, or not fully obligated by year-end. She said the department is moving toward an electronic grants system and had already adjusted internal deadlines to speed awards, while acknowledging some reimbursement delays and explaining that mentor bonuses for teacher apprentices will not be paid until the first cohort reaches the statutory timing requirement. Members asked about tracking whether CTE students work in their trained fields, how Xello is used to inform students about career pathways, how FTE is calculated, whether the funding formulas could encourage growth over quality, and how students with disabilities are counted in workforce funding. Questions also focused on tuition, enrollment trends, and the gap between college and university funding. The committee heard that tuition has remained flat for more than a decade, enrollment has rebounded from COVID and is projected to exceed pre-pandemic levels, and the college system’s funding per FTE varies widely. Valencia College President Kathleen Plinsky testified in support of the proposed formula and an additional $200 million for the Florida College System, saying Valencia is the second-largest college in the state but ranks last in per-FTE funding, which has made it difficult to recruit and retain faculty and admit qualified students in high-demand programs like nursing. The committee took no vote and adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Lucci alluded to this as well.
• , as well as anyone remotely associated...
• Well, thank you very much for your testimony.
• Operated on 14 times.
• Well, we'll have to look at that too. And then, Senator...

Bills: SB1540, SB2225, SB2284, SB2382, SB2487, SB2514, SB2595, SB2876, SB2877, SB3031, SB2753, HB45

Keywords: election officials, confidentiality, personal information, government transparency, public safety, spirit beverages, alcoholic beverages, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, distribution, taxation, firearms, local regulation, archery equipment, weapons, voter registration, statewide list, county requirements, election integrity, computer services contracts, mental health

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:36:01.920> as families Youth and seniors as well as families Youth and seniors as well
• <01:49:27.199> as farming um the visual arts as well as farming um the visual arts as well
• <01:54:21.679> the name is Lilia kapuni I we operate the name is Lilia kapuni I we operate
• as heavy equipment operators.
• as heavy equipment operators.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Ways and Means and Finance informational briefing on grants and aids was held February 14 and was organized as a high-volume public testimony session with strict procedures: no Q&A, one representative per applicant, one minute per testimony, in-person testimony first, and then Zoom participants. The chairs also announced a recess at 11:00 a.m. for floor sessions and a reconvening at 1:00 p.m. Testimony was heard first from neighbor island applicants, then Oʻahu applicants, with members repeatedly directing speakers to line up and keep remarks brief. Neighbor island testimony focused on a wide range of capital and operating requests. Health and community projects included Hawaii Island Community Health Center’s workforce housing in Kau, Wuli Hawaiian Homestead Association’s learning center and predevelopment work, Rescue Tube Foundation’s beach rescue tube expansion, Puna Community Medical Center’s planned hospital/ER campus, Maui Humane Society’s free veterinary care after the wildfires, Hawaiʻi Care Choices’ palliative care readiness, and the Lyman Museum’s HVAC replacement. Other requests included the Maui Advanced Manufacturing Alliance’s Pāʻia Mill redevelopment, Laua 2020’s preschool and learning lab, Mālama Aina’s USDA-compliant meat processing facility, the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association’s water safety programs, Kaha P Organization’s agriculture education support, Ohana Arts’ youth performance project, Friends of the Children’s Justice Center’s emergency closet, EOA Pacific’s Marshall Islands teacher training, and the Central Pacific Youth Athletic Club’s new facility. Oʻahu testimony included the YWCA Oʻahu/Pythink Center’s renovation of Juliet M. Atherton Hall and its community kitchen, West Oʻahu Community Health Center’s wildfire protection and security needs, the Early School’s playground improvements, Surfing the Nations’ food distribution center expansion, and Sounding Joy Music Therapy’s weekly services for people with disabilities. Speakers generally emphasized community benefit, workforce development, health access, food security, disaster recovery, and support for children, seniors, and underserved populations. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have to apply it by those rules as well.
• Well, thank you.
• Well, then he might as well just stay out.
• Wellness trooper wellness issue if we don't get them rotated out.
• This was asked as well.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, Senator, share with our committee?
• So that is a well-crafted bill.
• Uh well, all of is a hands-free bill.
• and who ended up in the operating room.
• and who ended up in the operating room.

Keywords: 01:09 Roll Call 02:11 SB 7 12:42 SB 7 Vote 13:48 SB 30 17:26 SB 30 Vote 19:56 SB 28 46:35 SB 28 vote, 958, all

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee met for its first meeting of the 2026 regular session, welcomed new member Senator Gary Clemens and an intern, established a quorum, and took up several bills. Senate Bill 7, sponsored by Senator Aaron Reid, would let counties voluntarily handle driver’s license renewals and duplicates locally through county clerks, circuit clerks, sheriffs, or county judge/executive offices, with a $25 convenience fee retained locally and interlocal agreements allowed. Reid said the bill was meant to address long travel distances, long lines, and delays, especially in rural areas, and emphasized it was not a mandate or an unfunded requirement. Senators asked about fraud, local interest, and stakeholder views; Reid said the bill would not directly change fraud but would increase local accountability, and he said most agencies were neutral or supportive. The committee reported SB 7 favorably with a “shall pass” recommendation on a roll call vote. The committee then considered Senate Bill 30, also sponsored by Senator Greg Elkins, a cleanup bill for the Motor Vehicle Commission that would allow restricted funds from license fees to carry forward from one fiscal year to the next instead of lapsing. Elkins said the change would let the commission use its own fee revenue for operations in future years, and the chair noted the commission’s work on dealer regulation and lemon law cases. Senator Burke asked what happened to the money under current law and whether there would be a cap on accumulation; Elkins said the bill would simply allow carryforward and did not set a cap. The committee approved SB 30 favorably with a “shall pass” recommendation. Finally, Vice Chair Douglas introduced Senate Bill 28, a hands-free/distracted driving bill sponsored by Senator Jimmy Higdon. Higdon said the measure was revised from prior versions to address concerns raised last year and would prohibit drivers from holding or supporting a mobile electronic device while driving, while still allowing hands-free use, navigation, emergency reporting, and certain device functions. He cited safety research, support from advocates, and the death of Kimberly Burns in a distracted-driving crash as motivation for the bill. The proposal also included enforcement limits, a $100 fine, no license points, signage at highway entry points, and distribution of fine revenue to trauma and veterans-related funds. The transcript cuts off during Higdon’s presentation before any committee questions or action on SB 28 are shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• enforcement operation in Minnesota. enforcement operation in Minnesota.
• on sides of the Operation Metro Search. on sides of the Operation Metro Search.
• Well, I just like to remind members what the operation that this left-wing organized assault on the rule
• Well, I just like to remind members what the operation that this left-wing organized assault on the rule
• Well, I just like to remind members what the operation that this left-wing organized assault on the rule

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, that's good news. Yes, sir. Thank you. Well, I don't know if...
• Well I think the preference is is new.
• Act, we have a well-tested, well-respected track record of delivering on state and national security.
• All right, well thank you very much. Thank you. Mr.
• I'm well chair.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• introduce yourself for us and begin well introduce yourself for us and begin well thank<00:02:15.920
• those costs have gone up as well those costs have gone up as well Transportation<00:07:23.039>
• <00:08:54.880> referendum the the cap on the operating referendum the the cap on the operating
• trying to balance those needs um as well trying to balance those needs um as well and<00:16:02.959
• <00:42:09.319> this demands on their time as well this demands on their time as well this

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Education Policy Committee approved the minutes from January 21, 2025, and then heard testimony from several school superintendents about the financial and operational impact of recent education-related mandates. Chair Bennett framed the hearing as an opportunity to hear from districts about the effects of more than 65 new mandates and restrictions adopted in recent years. The first witnesses were Corey McIntyre of Anoka-Hennepin, Michael Thomas of Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools, and David Law of Minnetonka Public Schools. The superintendents said districts are facing rising costs, flat or declining enrollment, the end of federal pandemic aid, and mandates they described as unfunded or underfunded. McIntyre cited major budget cuts in Anoka-Hennepin, including reductions in central office staff, and said the district faces continuing shortfalls tied to special education, multilingual learner costs, unemployment claims, paid leave, transportation, literacy materials, and the K-3 discipline statute. Thomas said Prior Lake-Savage is balancing growing student needs against limited revenue, and argued that mandates such as REACT and other requirements should be delayed or better funded so districts can implement them with fidelity. Law said the concerns are statewide, not just metro-based, and criticized the accumulation of expectations around food service, mental health, sick and safe time, unemployment, and family leave without corresponding resources. Several witnesses emphasized that school budgets are heavily committed to staff costs and that new obligations create administrative burdens as well as direct expenses. They urged lawmakers to reduce, delay, or better fund mandates, adjust timelines, and provide more flexibility in local revenue tools and equalization aid. No votes were taken on legislation during this portion of the meeting beyond approval of the prior day’s minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well.
• Well, I do.
• And you know how I operate.
• As well.
• Well, and Mr.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, moving on to the operating adjustment: there are two operating adjustments included in this proposal
• Okay, moving on to the operating adjustment: there are two operating adjustments included in this proposal
• Okay, moving on to the operating adjustment: there are two operating adjustments included in this proposal
• probably okay and I just have uh well probably okay and I just have uh well that's<00:23:57.760>
• Minnesota economy a well-functioning Minnesota economy a well-functioning system<00:52:11.040>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Why should you operate, continue to operate independently?
• So we operate a joint EOC.
• “Well, no, sir, I didn’t.
• “Well.” “Well, 25% compared to this.
• I know Camp Mystic very well, and I know the family very well. All right.

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:

• of manslaughter resulting from operation of manslaughter resulting from operation of<00:02:33.680
• Uh, well, Mr.
• He said it does scare him as well.
• driver and vehicle services operating driver and vehicle services operating account<00:45:49.680
• I'm very concerned this is not just private business; this is city-run and county-run operations as well

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Also, an operator may not operate an electric bicycle at speeds greater than 10 miles an hour if a pedestrian
• Also, an operator may not operate electric bicycle at speeds greater than 10 mile an hour if a pedestrian
• Date and time of the crash, class of the e-bike or scooter, age of the e-bike operator, where the operator
• had a valid. scooter, age of the e-bike operator, whether the operator had a valid driver's license
• Well, Mr.

Bills: S0382, S0654, S0684, S0880, S1080

Keywords: traffic enforcement, speed detection systems, school safety, traffic violations, reporting requirements, local authority, electronic signatures, vehicle titles, insurance regulations, auditing, total loss vehicles, specialty license plate, specialty plates, Florida DMV, DHSMV, Miami Northwestern Alumni Association, Miami Northwestern Senior High School, alumni association, commemorative plate, license plate fees

Summary: The Transportation Committee met with a quorum and first took up SB 654 on traffic infraction enforcement, which would standardize procedures for red-light, school-zone speed, and school bus camera enforcement. The bill would allow clerks to retain 10% of penalty revenue, permit virtual hearings, require records retention, limit surveillance/data use, tighten school-zone flashing-light requirements, and add school board approval and reporting requirements for school bus camera programs. An amendment clarified reporting periods and which entity receives liability-transfer affidavits. Members raised questions about information-sharing, facial recognition, school-zone warnings, and school bus stop safety, but the committee accepted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. The committee then considered SB 1080, which was amended by a delete-all to address FDOT direct payments to first-tier subcontractors and takeover agreements involving sureties and replacement contractors. The amended bill was reported favorably. The committee also approved a slate of appointments in tabs 1 through 6 by one vote. Next, the committee heard SB 382 on electric bicycles and scooters. A strike-all amendment shifted the bill away from immediate enforcement changes and instead created an e-bike task force, required crash data collection and reporting, and retained rules requiring riders to yield to pedestrians, provide audible signals, and limit speed near pedestrians. Members discussed enforcement practicality, access concerns for riders who rely on e-bikes, and the need for public education and transparency. The amended bill was reported favorably. The committee then reported favorably SB 684, which removes certain signature requirements for electronic odometer disclosures in total-loss vehicle and vessel insurance transactions, and SB 880, which creates a new license plate for the Miami Northwestern Alumni Association. The meeting ended after all items were approved and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Wells [member_21233], and others will be coming and going.
• Well, thank you so much, Senator, Chair Rausch and Chair Lewis, thank you.
• Gentile as well. Great. Go ahead. All right. The floor is yours.
• I work really well with the Lynn delegation, and I’m sure you all do as well with your respective municipal
• officer and head of its Operational Services Division.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused on Governor Healey and Lt. Gov. Driscoll’s Municipal Empowerment Act, with administration officials and municipal leaders broadly supporting the bill as a package of tools to help cities and towns manage rising costs, staffing shortages, and service demands. The administration highlighted procurement reforms, including raising Chapter 30B advertising thresholds, clarifying cooperative purchasing, and removing the Commbuys notice requirement; permanent authority to amortize emergency-related deficits over three years; expanded authority and enforcement for removing double poles; continued flexibility for hybrid and remote public meetings; regionalization options such as regional boards of assessors and intermunicipal agreements; cybersecurity reporting to EOTSS; and several local revenue options and other municipal finance changes. They said the bill was shaped by listening sessions with municipal officials and was intended to increase flexibility, efficiency, and stability without imposing broad mandates. Committee members asked about regionalization, cybersecurity costs, Commbuys, hybrid meetings, and double poles. Administration witnesses said cybersecurity reporting would help the state target resources and that existing Community Compact and capital grant programs, including IT and municipal fiber funding, could support local needs; they said EOTSS would absorb reporting within existing resources. On procurement, they said the Commbuys notice change would be optional and that other public notice methods would remain available. On hybrid meetings, they emphasized flexibility for different types of boards and the burdens a one-size-fits-all mandate could create for small towns and volunteer boards. On double poles, they said the bill’s main change from last session was to give utilities more time and improve the removal process while keeping enforcement mechanisms aimed at speeding removal rather than raising revenue. The Massachusetts Municipal Association, MAPC, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, and multiple mayors and town managers testified in support. They described the bill as a practical modernization measure that would help local governments operate more efficiently and respond to fiscal pressure. Witnesses from Northampton, Lynn, Gardner, Cambridge, Franklin, North Andover, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Ashland praised the hybrid meeting provisions, procurement changes, regional service-sharing, and emergency deficit amortization. Several also urged adoption of local revenue tools, including meals and lodging tax options and other local fees, as ways to preserve services and staffing. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am a livery, a owner and operator for over 10 years and one of the largest water sports operations
• Waterway, navigation, pontoon, operation and PWc.
• Right now, there are at least 4 different online operators.
• Well, any education is better than on.
• None show that motion adopted as well.

Keywords: 999, senate, all