Transcript Highlights:

• I want to introduce special guests that we had today. >> Yes, ma'am. >> We had very special guests in
• So, thank you to our special guests. >> Mr.
• </c> like to welcome special guests. like to welcome special guests.
• Speaker, if I special guests. Uh Mr.
• <c> education,</c> To primary and secondary education, To primary and secondary education, House<00:31

Transcript Highlights:

• We will take up to two primary witnesses in support and up to two primary witnesses in opposition for
• Any primary witnesses in opposition? All right. Good afternoon.
• that are elected by their voters.
• district attorney who is elected countywide, And you have an elected sheriff who's also elected countywide
• Any primary witnesses in opposition? Any opposition at all?

Summary: The committee heard multiple bills, with extensive discussion focused on short-term rental regulation, street vending, park/public safety financing, transit-oriented housing fees, and demographic data collection. SB 346 would require short-term rental platforms to provide local governments with listing addresses and related information to help collect transient occupancy taxes and enforce local ordinances; supporters argued cities and counties need the data to identify unlicensed operators and recover taxes, while opposition from platforms raised privacy and due process concerns and said administrative subpoenas already exist. The bill was amended and passed 7-0 to the Judiciary Committee. SB 635, the Street Vendor Business Protection Act, sought to protect street vendors’ personal information from being shared in ways that could expose them to federal immigration enforcement; supporters described raids and fear in vendor communities, and the bill passed 6-1 to Public Safety. SB 499 would clarify that certain park and recreation facilities designated in local safety or hazard mitigation plans can qualify for fee deferral exemptions when they serve emergency or public safety functions; supporters said parks can serve as fire buffers, evacuation sites, and recovery hubs, while some housing advocates sought a clearer nexus to development impacts. The bill passed as amended 6-0 to Appropriations. SB 358, which would modernize traffic impact fee rules to better reflect lower automobile trip generation for walkable, transit-oriented housing, drew support from housing and transportation advocates and passed 8-0 to Appropriations. SB 515, aimed at improving demographic data collection and reporting by local governments and state entities, passed to Appropriations on a 4-0 vote. The committee also took up SB 276, presented by Assembly Member Stefani on behalf of Senator Wiener, which would allow San Francisco to create a permit-and-enforcement system for the sale of commonly stolen goods on sidewalks. Supporters said the measure is needed to address fencing operations and protect legitimate vendors, while emphasizing it is narrowly targeted and not aimed at food vendors or permitted sellers. The transcript ends during testimony on SB 276, with supporters from the Mission street vendor community and San Francisco Public Works describing enforcement problems and the need for clearer rules and city resources.

Transcript Highlights:

• Do you have any primary witnesses in support? Not at this time. Okay.
• Do you have any primary witnesses in support?
• Any primary witnesses in opposition or anyone else in opposition?
• Any primary or other witnesses in opposition?
• Any primary or other witnesses in support? Any primary or other witnesses in opposition?

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• They are a private, not-for-profit organization owned by the members they serve, with locally elected
• provide the majority of anesthesia care in the VA system, as well as the U.S. military, and are our primary
• .. ...the majority of anesthesia care in the VA system, as well as the U.S. military, and are our primary
• Special guest speaker tomorrow is from the Secretary of Defense.
• Speaker Pro Tem, with your permission, the Health and Human Services Committee has a special meeting

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the journal. Members then introduced the Doctor of the Day, Dr. John Lynch, and recognized several guest groups in the gallery, including Arizona electric co-op representatives, March of Dimes participants, CRNAs, AEA retirees, a University of Arizona legislative fellow, and ACLU visitors. Attendance was recorded at 58 present, one absent, and one excused. The chamber handled routine floor business, including temporary committee replacements, referral of HB 2677 from Judiciary to Public Safety and Law Enforcement, and the first reading and referral of a large number of House bills and one concurrent resolution. The bill list covered a wide range of topics, including education, appropriations, housing, taxes, health care, public safety, energy, water, labor, elections, and several measures related to abortion, firearms, and tribal affairs. Second reading of bills was also announced for another extensive set of measures. During announcements, members promoted a blood drive, a Veterans Caucus coffee-and-donuts event and lunch with a Department of Defense speaker, and several committee meetings or cancellations. No substantive debate or votes on legislation occurred beyond the procedural motions and the final motion to adjourn. The House adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, January 22, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, Senator Axtman and I both served on the special committee or special task working group.
• In 1986, we had a special session, and that special session included the fact that there was no money
• That's why we were elected. And, you know, there are, Why we were elected.
• Our special session began September 2nd. Our special session begins September 2nd.
• any of that conflict with special session rules. for the duration of the special session.

Committee: Joint Legislative Management

Transcript Highlights:

• Where we have an elected member of the board, but he’s a state-elected person, he or she is a state-elected
• First, we should acknowledge some special guests we have.
• Chairman, committee members, and of course, special thanks to Senator Reinhardt.
• Stephanie is the owner and CEO of Primary Care Clinic, specializing in Stephanie is the owner and CEO
• of a primary care clinic specializing in rural health care, and her appointment is to the Board of Regents

Committee: Senate Education

Summary: The Extended Education Committee met to consider a long slate of gubernatorial nominations and reappointments to education-related boards and commissions. The committee heard brief introductions from sponsoring senators and remarks from nominees for the Oklahoma Lottery Commission, State Board of Career and Technology Education, Regional University System of Oklahoma, State Board of Education, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges, the Secretary of Education, several university and college boards, the Oklahoma Student Loan Authority, the State Textbook Committee, the Oklahoma Arts Council, and the Langston University board, among others. Many nominees emphasized their backgrounds in public education, higher education, business, agriculture, health care, or community service, and several acknowledged family members or institutional leaders present in the room. A few nominations drew questions or discussion. John Wesley Nofire was asked about working with the State Board of Education and about the social studies standards process, and he explained the board followed statutory public-comment procedures and made changes before final adoption. Secretary of Education Dan Hamlin received supportive comments from multiple senators, who praised his data-driven approach and urged that he be retained by future administrations. Michael McElroy, Brian Beller, Christopher Franklin, Dr. Michael Peck, and others also answered questions about the role of their boards and their experience with the institutions they would oversee. The committee voted on each nomination, with most receiving unanimous approval and a few passing with one or two dissenting votes. Notable vote totals included David McKenzie and Michael McElroy passing 9-2 and 10-1 respectively, while the rest of the nominees generally passed 8-0, 9-0, 10-0, or 11-0. At the end of the meeting, the chair thanked members for their work on the large number of executive nominations and announced that the committee was adjourned for the year.

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 1493 would require school board special elections to be consolidated with the next primary or the
• Well, it's not really the special elections.
• No one was excluded from the election, right? They chose not to vote in the special election.
• Specifically around elections, I share your concerns that special elections cost money, and they come
• Specifically around elections, I share your concerns that special elections cost money, and they come

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee met at the start of the 2026 session and heard four bills. AB 673 (Jackson) would create a five-year Unaccompanied Youth Support Grant Program for 16- and 17-year-old homeless students who are not in a parent or guardian’s custody, with grants to local education agencies for housing referrals, basic needs, tutoring, employment readiness, and related services. Support came from the Department of Education and an Alameda County Office of Education representative. Members raised questions about funding, reporting burdens on small districts, and coordination with county and nonprofit services, but the bill was approved 6-0 and sent to Human Services as amended. AB 1493 (Avila Farías) would have required school board special elections to be consolidated with the next primary or general election. The author argued this would reduce costs and increase turnout, while opponents including CFT and the California School Boards Association said it would reduce local accountability and preserve too much time for appointed members without voter input. Committee members debated turnout, democracy, costs, and whether the bill should instead address signature thresholds; the author said she was open to further work, but the measure failed on a 2-2 vote and did not advance. AB 68 (Gallagher) would require rural school districts, as defined in the bill, to have at least one school resource officer on campus, with a good-cause exception and a compliance plan if a district cannot meet the requirement. The author and a Glenn County superintendent said rural schools face long response times and need more protection, while CSBA, the Small School Districts Association, and several advocacy groups opposed the mandate, citing local control, costs, and evidence that SROs can increase anxiety and disciplinary actions without improving safety. After a lengthy debate over safety, local control, and funding, the bill passed 5-2 and was sent to Public Safety. AB 296 (Davies), which would create a standalone website for schools to buy and sell used career technical education equipment, drew support from construction industry groups and passed unanimously 8-0 to Appropriations.

Transcript Highlights:

• situation where the percentage of high school graduates—I'm talking nationally, not in Florida—who elect
• But that is a really special day for any of us.
• But that is a really special day for any of us.
• It's very special to me. Our entire community, made up of Clay, Putnam, and St.
• We will be reporting this to the Ethics and Elections Committee.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education heard a presentation from the Governor’s Office on the proposed education budget, which totals $32.5 billion overall and includes no tuition or fee increases for Florida residents. Officials highlighted major funding for financial aid and scholarships, including Bright Futures, Benacquisto, veteran-related scholarships, EASE, Open Door, law enforcement/first responder programs, and workforce initiatives. They also emphasized increases for workforce education, Florida College System operations, nursing pipeline and line funds, and university operations, performance funding, and faculty recruitment and retention. Committee members asked questions about the Ocoee Scholarship, the proposed post-secondary Guardian program, and how university recruitment and retention funds would be used; officials said the Ocoee Scholarship remains funded at current levels, the Guardian program would offer flexible campus safety options, and the university funds would be distributed to institutions for faculty recruitment and retention without additional directives. The committee then heard from a series of appointees and reappointees to boards of trustees for state colleges and universities, who described their backgrounds and priorities. Testimony consistently focused on affordability, workforce alignment, nursing and allied health programs, dual enrollment, adult learners, and local economic needs. Several trustees highlighted strong nursing NCLEX pass rates, expansion of campuses or programs, and efforts to tailor education to regional workforce demands such as health care, construction, law enforcement, aviation, and hospitality. One appointee from Miami-Dade College emphasized helping adult students return and complete degrees by easing credit transfer and admissions barriers. After hearing from the appointees, the committee took up the full slate of confirmations as a block. A motion was made and the roll was called; the confirmations were approved favorably, with members voting yes and no opposition recorded. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Special Committee on Property Tax Reform will now come to order.
• Qualifier that I feel like should be highlighted is that primary residency.
• And I feel like that primary... ...death.
• , the primary home.
• , the primary home.

Committee: House Special Committee on Property Tax Reform

Transcript Highlights:

• Prior to your election in CD7, who was elected to that position?
• election on November 4th and then possibly a runoff in January, then a primary right there in March.
• Now that he's not running for reelection, he's... ...calling for a special election, per se, of interference
• We should have called a special election much sooner, but it didn't happen and now we have no one to
• It was bad enough when the governor delayed the special election in this district to maintain a slim

Committee: House Congressional Redistricting, Select

Transcript Highlights:

• And K.L., congratulations on your primary win.
• Wyoming had a primary election yesterday, and he was successful in his effort in that.
• And if you think the primary night that I'm thinking of, my very first primary is, I was asked to discuss
• That is a sea change in the thinking, and I went from my first primary to my latest primary, and I'm
• So it's a very specialized discipline.

Summary: The committee met for its final meeting and approved the June 16 minutes. The main focus was policy development for advanced nuclear energy, including used fuel disposition, community engagement, and Wyoming’s legislative framework for nuclear development. Rod McCullum of the Nuclear Energy Institute briefed members on DOE’s “innovation campus” initiative for used nuclear fuel, explaining that DOE has narrowed responses to five states—Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Idaho, and Louisiana—and is seeking host agreements by September 30. He said the effort likely requires both federal and state legislation, and industry disputes DOE’s proposal to restart the nuclear waste fee, arguing the Nuclear Waste Fund should instead be used through appropriations for disposal-related work. He also answered questions about Yucca Mountain’s failure, deep seabed disposal, and international approaches to spent fuel, emphasizing consent-based siting and collaboration with states, localities, and tribes. Envoy Public Labs/GAIN presenters Chase Blazer and Austin Blanche described state-led community engagement models for advanced nuclear projects. They highlighted examples from Kentucky, Indiana, New York, Illinois, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, and Connecticut, noting that successful siting depends on early public education, local government support, workforce planning, and, in some cases, state funding for early site permitting. Committee members asked how broad engagement should be, whether it should be countywide or regional, and how small modular reactors differ in public outreach; the presenters said the approach should match the project footprint and local concerns, but that even SMRs still require broad education and stakeholder involvement. Wyoming Senator K.L. Case and Wyoming Energy Futures CEO Rita Meyer then described Wyoming’s legislative history and TerraPower’s Natrium project in Kemmerer. They reviewed Wyoming’s earlier 1995 high-level waste law, which effectively froze nuclear development until reforms in 2022 allowed on-site storage of waste from an active in-state reactor and removed much of the state-level permitting burden. Meyer said the project is now in construction, with a sodium-cooled fast reactor and molten-salt storage system, but faces major supply-chain challenges—especially HALEU fuel—and relies on private investment plus a federal ARDP grant rather than state dollars. Members asked about water supply, investor motives, supply-chain bottlenecks, and state revenue; the presenters said water comes from a PacifiCorp surface-water contract, investors are seeking long-term returns, and Wyoming expects benefits through property and sales taxes and a per-megawatt-hour fee rather than direct state investment.

Transcript Highlights:

• We will take up to two primary witnesses in support and up to two primary witnesses in opposition for
• How about any primary witnesses in opposition? Any opposition at all?
• Any primary witnesses in opposition to this measure? Seeing no one.
• Any primary witnesses in opposition? Please come to the desk. Seeing no one.
• Any primary witnesses in opposition? I don't know if we need them, but...

Committee: House Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Barry said he was here yesterday for election law and that it is kind of weird to be on
• The Consumer Advocate has a special interest group: it's the retail residential ratepayers.
• consumer Advocate has a special interest consumer Advocate has a special interest group<00:44:20.880
• Democrats love to extract special favors for the solar industry or big wind.
• </c> be accountable to New Hampshire elected be accountable to New Hampshire elected officials<04:04:

Summary: The hearing focused on House Bill 610, which would fold the Office of the Consumer Advocate into the Department of Energy rather than fully eliminate consumer advocacy functions. The prime sponsor argued the current office is small, funded by a special assessment on ratepayers, and duplicative of DOE work. He said moving the function to DOE would streamline energy policy review, reduce bureaucracy, and better focus the larger agency on lowering residential energy costs. He also disputed claims that the Consumer Advocate is independent, saying the office is appointed through a political process similar to DOE leadership. Committee members and the sponsor discussed whether the bill would actually relocate existing positions or replace them, and whether the Department of Energy would absorb the cost of the transferred staff. The sponsor said the fiscal note shows roughly a million-dollar reduction in both revenue assessment and spending, and that the bill would effectively reduce the office from five positions to three. He also defended his cost estimates for energy-code-related housing impacts and said the Consumer Advocate has sometimes supported policies he считает increase costs, such as energy-efficiency measures and building code changes. He argued the office should focus more on energy supply and generation, including natural gas and nuclear, rather than efficiency alone. Representative Wendy Thomas testified in opposition, saying the Consumer Advocate is an important, fair, and impartial voice for ratepayers and warning that the bill was fiscally irresponsible because the incumbent could still be owed salary and benefits if the office were repealed. She also said the bill’s drafting was confusing and that the Consumer Advocate’s role is to push back on utilities on behalf of consumers. Other members raised questions about whether the DOE would simply inherit the same political appointment structure and whether the bill would meaningfully lower bills. No vote was taken in the excerpt; the chair indicated additional testimony would follow, and the Department of Energy was present to answer questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next order of business is introduction of special guests. Introduction of special guests.
• I would like to give them a special welcome, as well as a... ...would like to give them a special welcome
• Introduction of a special guest. Proceed.
• And it seems like every time, since the election was called like it was, we have a lot of focus on elections
• And it seems like every time, since the election was called like it was, we have a lot of focus on elections

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then approved the House Journal for the 35th day by a 115-1 roll call vote. Members spent much of the opening portion introducing a large number of special guests and visiting groups, including university alumni and students, ambulance and first responder personnel, hospice and behavioral health advocates, public administrators, educators, transportation stakeholders, and other community leaders recognized for service or advocacy work. The chamber then received committee reports recommending passage of several measures, including House Bills 1625, 2383, 3035, 3205, and Senate Bill 888, along with committee substitutes for some of those bills. The House proceeded to third reading and passage on a long series of bills. Among the major measures were HB 2774, a fuel-source bill limiting state and local governments from dictating bids or purchases based solely on fuel source, which passed 138-5; HB 2383, addressing copper theft and related telecommunications equipment crimes, which passed 130-5; and HB 3205, regulating litigation funding and requiring disclosures, which passed 144-1. Several bills drew extended debate. A combined bill on statutes of limitation and child sexual abuse claims, House Committee Substitute for HBs 1664, 1610, 1645, and 2182, passed 98-12 with 39 present after members debated both the abuse-related provisions and a separate reduction in the personal injury statute of limitations. HB 3146, dealing with ballot summary statements and the initiative petition process, passed 90-55 after sharp disagreement over whether it protected voters or undermined judicial review. Other measures passed with broad support, including HB 2146 on hospital investment options (143-1), HB 1756 establishing June’s Week to recognize rare pediatric diseases and families affected by them, HB 1783 on public health contracting (138-6), HB 2099 on expedited removal of squatters (136-1), HB 2896 loosening residency restrictions for university board appointments (111-17), HB 2505/2044 giving grandparents priority in certain custody cases (144-0), HB 1625 increasing penalties for drug trafficking (137-2), HB 2302 removing barriers to employment for people leaving incarceration (142-0), HB 3035 setting depreciation rules for vehicle tax valuation (100-43), HB 1870 updating debt collection and garnishment laws (137-9), HB 2335 giving school districts more flexibility over teacher training schedules (146-2), and HB 1827 allowing occupational therapists to certify disabled parking credentials (145-0).

Transcript Highlights:

• Same with every one of those special districts. There are locally elected.
• Your county commissioners are elected. Many of those special district supervisors are elected.
• You already have the control of that by who you elect to those special elections, and you should show
• to those<00:44:48.079><c> special</c><00:44:48.400><c> elections</c><00:44:49.040><c> and</c><00:44:
• 49.280><c> you</c><00:44:49.440><c> should</c> those special elections and you should those special elections

Bills: SF0061 , SF0098 , SF0110

Committee: Senate Revenue

Transcript Highlights:

• The primary purpose of student isolation, irrespective of how the space is labeled.
• What would not be allowed would be rooms that are for the primary purpose of isolation.
• enrollments between 2,000 and 5,000 students, at least three members of the school board must be elected
• I spoke with many special ed school teachers and also districts.
• The teachers, special ed teachers, are asking for a last resort to be able to do that.

Summary: The House Education Committee met in executive session on several bills, beginning with House Bill 1795 on restraint and isolation in schools. Staff described the proposed substitute as prohibiting mechanical, chemical, and certain physical restraints, limiting planned use of restraint to cases with written medical necessity and parental consent, and revising the definition of serious harm. Members debated amendments clarifying that serious harm can include harm to another person, barring construction of rooms designed primarily for student isolation, and adding a null-and-void clause. The committee adopted the first two amendments but rejected the null-and-void amendment, then advanced the bill as amended. The final roll call on HB 1795 was 10 ayes, 7 nays, and 2 excused, and it was reported do pass as amended. The committee then considered Second Substitute House Bill 1634, which would create a statewide technical assistance and training framework for student behavioral health, coordinated by OSPI and ESDs with behavioral health agencies and community partners. A second proposed substitute removed some implementation requirements, narrowed the bill to coordination and access to services, added family-focused consultation and planning language, and removed certain reporting and needs-assessment provisions. A null-and-void amendment was offered but failed. Supporters said the bill would provide schools with flexible technical assistance rather than mandates, while opponents raised concerns about fiscal impact and unfunded obligations. The committee approved the bill on a 12-5 vote with 2 excused and reported it do pass. The committee also received staff briefings on House Bill 1662, which would require several education-related agencies and entities to transition to separate administrative services and operational independence on a delayed timeline, and House Bill 1683, which would adjust school board director-district election requirements and thresholds. No amendments were noted on HB 1683, and the committee did not reach final action on either of those bills before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Firefighters are not asking for special treatment.
• None of us were elected, were required.
• University unions are not special interests.
• University unions are not special interests.
• And the special magistrate voted in, or in, The special magistrate voted in toward the unions' terms,

Summary: The committee took up several bills and confirmations. It reported favorably SB 332, as amended, on a narrow public-meetings/public-records exemption for legal strategy and settlement communications during the pre-suit period in Burt Harris claims; SB 464, requiring K-12 schools to formally observe Veterans Day; SB 984, clarifying firefighter cancer/death-benefit provisions and related prevention language; SB 576, expanding and codifying the local government cybersecurity protection program under Florida Digital Service; SB 964, revising how certain gifts and honoraria are reported to the Commission on Ethics; SB 1612, requiring local governments to accept electronic payments with exceptions and a delayed effective date; SB 830, creating public-records exemptions for certain local government administrators and their families; SB 1096, clarifying the filing deadline for Florida Civil Rights Act complaints; and SB 1656, designating the SS American Victory as Florida’s official state flagship. The committee also considered a large confirmation package. Jeffrey Aaron’s appointment to the Public Employees Relations Commission was discussed separately after Senator Polsky raised concerns about his political connections and prior work; the committee still recommended him favorably. The remaining appointees on tabs 12 through 30 were also recommended favorably in one vote. The longest and most contentious item was SB 1296, with a committee substitute, on the Public Employees Relations Commission and public-sector unions. The PCS would change union certification/recertification rules, require a recent showing-of-interest form, create different voting thresholds for public safety and non-public safety employee organizations, limit paid union leave for non-public safety unions unless reimbursed, require equal access to certain employer communication spaces, and speed up impasse procedures for legislatively funded salary increases. Senators raised constitutional concerns, especially about the single-subject rule and collective-bargaining rights, and many speakers opposed the bill as union-busting and harmful to teachers, bus drivers, nurses, utility workers, and other public employees. Supporters argued it would improve accountability, ensure genuine member support, and prevent taxpayer-funded union activity. The committee continued debate on SB 1296 after extensive testimony, but the transcript ends before a final vote on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• So they're governmental agencies, but they're also elected locally, and as all local elected officials
• law, and they passed the local election law that caused some problems.
• When they passed the local election law, that caused some problems.
• That is one of the reasons, and the primary reason, that we are exempt from that anti-donation clause
• So they said it's not in the budget is the primary answer and correct answer, but they have maybe...

Committee: House House Agriculture, Acequias And Water Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• provide</c><00:33:51.120><c> for</c> in primary elections and to provide for in primary elections and
• runoff</c> primary election or primary runoff primary election or primary runoff election<00:34:06.159
• election and subsequent a primary election and subsequent primary<00:34:24.399><c> runoff.
• amend</c> primary runoff. off election to amend primary runoff. off election to amend section<00:34:26.399
• that I had won that special election.

Summary: The Senate first recognized the Montgomery Academy boys basketball team for winning the 2026 Class 3A state championship, their second straight title. Senator Barfoot introduced the team and read a resolution commending the players, coaches, and school community for the 66-39 win over Southside Selma, noting standout performances by Braden Gordon, Mason Ellis, and Jarrett Friendley. Coach Jeremy Aant and school head John Williams thanked the Senate and emphasized the team’s selflessness, teamwork, academic standards, service, and leadership development. The Senate applauded the team, added all senators to the resolution, and arranged for a picture and challenge coins for the players. After the recognition, the Senate came to order, established a quorum, excused absent senators, and adopted the previous day’s journal. Committee reports followed. The Committee on State Government Affairs reported House Bill 541 favorably with one amendment; the bill would create the Safeguard Alabama Voter Engagement Act, requiring party registration for primary voting, restricting crossover voting, retaining voter history as a public record, revising voter registration forms, and requiring parties to publish candidate qualifications. The bill was ordered to a second reading and placed on the calendar. The Committee on Local Legislation reported House Bills 630, 631, and 632 favorably, all relating to Etowah County, including changes to tax exemptions and personnel board membership. These bills were also sent to second reading and the calendar. The Senate then took up Senate Joint Resolution 117, commending Dylan Nut for winning the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic, and added all members as co-sponsors. During discussion, one senator used the opportunity to speak at length about a separate concern involving alleged unlicensed real estate solicitation and the need for legislation to protect citizens from property-related scams; he also discussed the calendar process and other bills. The floor later included extended informal remarks about fishing and a separate discussion of a proposal to designate Miss America as an official state ambassador, with support expressed for a possible stipend amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• The orange lines are primary elections. The blue lines are general elections.
• The orange lines are primary elections. The blue lines are general elections.
• primary elections—because they're less salient.
• in general election years, or I mean in primary elections because they're less salient.
• It varies by election. General elections are higher than primary elections.

Summary: The committee held a work session on voting rights in the United States and Washington, beginning with testimony from Marissa Wright of Campaign Legal Center and David Montes of the ACLU of Washington. They described the federal Voting Rights Act’s main protections—preclearance, vote suppression, and vote dilution—and argued that Supreme Court decisions such as Shelby County v. Holder and Brnovich have weakened those tools. They said Washington should consider stronger state-level protections, including a preclearance program and broader safeguards against discriminatory voting practices. Members asked about Washington’s history of discrimination, voter roll purges, noncitizen registration, and remedies under the Washington Voting Rights Act, including ranked-choice voting and district-based systems. The committee then heard from the Office of Equity and several commissions, which described their roles in advising state government and working with communities. They focused on the immigration sub-cabinet created under Executive Order 2509, saying it is intended to improve coordination across agencies, the legislature, the courts, and community organizations on issues such as data privacy, language access, health care, education, and accountability under the Keep Washington Working Act. Members asked about the use of NGOs, accountability for KWW violations, and the sub-cabinet’s goals, and the panel said the effort is meant to help government respond more quickly and collaboratively while centering immigrant, disability, LGBTQ, and other communities. The final panel was from the University of Washington Elections Database Project, which presented data on vote-by-mail ballot challenges, cures, and rejections from 2020 to 2024. They reported that about 1.5% of ballots are signature-challenged in most elections, roughly 60% of challenged ballots are cured, and overall rejection rates are about 1% in general elections and 1.5% in primaries. The researchers said voters of color, younger voters, and some tribal-area voters experience higher rejection rates, and that differences appear tied to signature mismatch, language access, ballot timing, and familiarity with the system. In the last panel, Maria Fernandez and Vicki Frausto of EIA described voter education and civic engagement work in Yakima County and Sunnyside, including concerns about intimidation, language barriers, signature mismatch, and at-large election systems; they said stronger Washington Voting Rights Act protections would help communities elect candidates of choice. No votes were taken during the work session.