Transcript Highlights:

• Replicating this calculation work on a larger scale would have required more substantial resources and
• Districts are required to have staffing ratios of 17 to 1 in grades K through 3 or less.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee subcommittee heard a State Auditor’s Office performance audit on the accuracy and reliability of OSPI’s school apportionment system. Auditors said the system, which calculates and distributes K-12 funding using multiple feeder systems and a core apportionment engine, is outdated, unstable, inefficient, and at high risk of failure. They reported weak controls over data input, documentation, oversight, and staffing, and said OSPI relies heavily on manual workarounds, a few knowledgeable staff, and vendor support. In limited testing of three districts, the auditors found the system calculated funding correctly for the 2023-24 school year, but they identified nine small input discrepancies tied to differences between budget materials and state law, which they said could compound into larger dollar amounts. The auditors recommended replacing or modernizing the system and noted that delays in doing so prolong risk. OSPI largely agreed that the current platform needs replacement and said it has been working toward a new system for years. Agency officials clarified that the Legislature requested a feasibility study in 2022, that the study found the system at risk of catastrophic failure, and that funding for a replacement is now in the state IT pool subject to OCIO/OFM gate reviews. OSPI disputed the audit’s characterization of the rounding and budget-law discrepancies, saying the issue was an agency rule and implementation choice, not an error that caused under- or over-allocation. Officials also said the current system is too old to easily absorb future formula changes, but that the planned replacement should be flexible enough to handle a new funding model if the Legislature adopts one. Committee members asked about the amount and timing of the $16 million project funding, whether smaller districts face greater risk, how many times data is entered, and whether the funding formula should be simplified. Auditors and OSPI both emphasized that formula simplification is a policy question for the Legislature, not the audit. Public testimony came from one online witness, who urged full implementation of the audit recommendations and modernization of the system. The subcommittee took no formal vote and adjourned after the presentations and testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• What we need now is alignment, consistency, and support equal to the scale of the opportunity.
• Eligible project types include grade separation, lane widening, and also new road construction.

Summary: The Committee on Agriculture convened, took roll, and heard Senate Bill 58 by Senator Harrow, which would create regulation for companion animal cremation. Harrow described a case involving mishandled pet remains and said the bill would require written service descriptions, prohibit false or misleading statements, require certification with returned remains, authorize Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services rulemaking, and impose civil penalties for violations. With no questions or public opposition, the committee voted the bill favorably. The committee then heard presentations on robotics in agriculture and aquaculture. Dr. Nathan Boyd of UF/IFAS discussed the rapid growth of agricultural robotics, including AI-driven weed detection, targeted spraying, autonomous tractors, and harvesting technology, emphasizing reduced pesticide use, lower input costs, and labor-saving automation. Dr. Nicole Kirchoff of Live Advantage Bait and Adrian Johnson of the Florida Shellfish Aquaculture Association highlighted aquaculture’s economic and environmental value, Florida’s strong position in the industry, and challenges including hurricane losses, lack of insurance, land-use instability, capital access, and water quality. They urged support for working waterfronts, risk mitigation, and policies to help the sector commercialize and expand. The committee also heard from dairy producers Kevin Lusher and Jacob Larson. Lusher described his family’s dairy and artisan cheese business, noting reliance on USDA grants, rising costs, labor shortages, and regulatory burdens, and asked for more grant support, marketing for Fresh From Florida products, and permanent funding for Farmers Feeding Florida. Larson discussed the broader dairy market, declining herd sizes due to efficiency gains, high production costs in Florida, and competition from out-of-state processing, suggesting incentives for local processing and supply management. Finally, FDOT Chief Planner Wayway Schen presented on arterial and local road funding programs, including ART, ARTW, SCOP, SCRAP, CIGP, and TRIP, and said rural road needs remain significant, with more than $16 billion in unfunded or partially funded project needs. The committee adjourned after brief discussion and thanks to the presenters.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's like asking students to grade their own test.
• fielded many questions from voters about electronic equipment, including the tabulators, how they scale

Bills: HB3097, HB3691, SB108, SB827, SB1541, SB1862, SB2166, SB2216

Keywords: Texas elections, Election Code, uniform election date, November election, local elections, political subdivisions, general election date, election administration, municipal utility district, county elections, local government, ballot scheduling, candidate filing, voter turnout, election calendar, HB 3097, early voting, electronic application, mail-in ballot, voting accessibility

Transcript Highlights:

• TO BE LIBERTY'S LAST CHAMPION AND WE OFTEN ARE THE LONE VOICE STANDING UP FOR THE PEOPLE WHEN THE SCALES
• RAY CHARLES, CAB CALLOWAY, ELLA FITZGERALD LIONEL HAMPTON AND MANY MORE GRADES PLAYED OR LODGED ON SOUTH

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's time to scale it back, time to talk to everybody.
• at the finances of Fleet Landing with the benefit of my experience and saw it's got an investment-grade

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several insurance, financial regulation, and public safety bills. The most extensive discussion centered on SB 1656, a major Office of Insurance Regulation bill covering reciprocal insurers, rate transparency, data calls, cybersecurity notification, and stronger oversight of continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs). The sponsor and OIR described the bill as aimed at transparency and preventing insolvencies, especially after recent CCRC failures. CCRC residents and industry representatives testified both in support and in opposition, with supporters emphasizing resident protection and opponents warning about liens, reserve requirements, management-company regulation, and higher costs. After debate and assurances that problematic provisions would be refined, the committee adopted a delete-all amendment and then reported the bill favorably. The committee also passed SB 1658, which creates a public records framework for the uniform mitigation verification of inspection form database while protecting policyholders’ personal information; a clarifying amendment was adopted before the bill was reported favorably. SB 1612 on financial institutions was approved after a substitute amendment restored current limits on credit union investments and kept only reimbursement, not salary, authority for certain board members and officers. SB 1740, an insurance bill intended to reduce premiums and insurer insolvency risk, was amended to prioritize rate-decrease filings and prohibit claim denials based solely on AI, then reported favorably. Two public-safety bills also moved forward. SB 1212 on firefighter health and safety would update OSHA-related protections, address toxic exposure in gear, encourage safer replacement equipment, and support best practices and mental health resources; an amendment refined terminology and added related provisions, and the bill was reported favorably. SB 1184 on residual market insurers was amended to preserve existing consumer protections and disclosure rules for excess and surplus lines and to clarify Citizens-related appointment requirements before being reported favorably. Throughout the meeting, members repeatedly noted ongoing stakeholder negotiations and intent to refine several bills further in later committee stops.

Transcript Highlights:

• that's what the hearing is all about is to get that kind of feedback on how this would work. ...in scale
• I joined the GT program in first grade, sparking my dream of achieving great things.
• Jason only realized that he did not have legal status when he was in the fifth grade.
• But with that, it's always a question of whether we will listen to each other on any grade issue.
• They have to compete, make the grades, and probably, in some cases, make better grades and have better

Bills: SB1798, SB1835, SB1319, SB2942, SB2928, SB784, SB1049

Keywords: higher education, tuition rates, financial support, immigration status, Texas law, SB 1835, resident tuition, nonresident students, scholarship students, public higher education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Education Code Section 54.213, tuition waiver, in-state tuition, out-of-state students, higher education finance, enrollment cap, capacity limit, workforce development area, nonimmigrant visa

Transcript Highlights:

• He goes to Manzano Day School in the fifth grade. Harrison Connor is 11 years old.
• He goes to Manzano Day School in the fifth grade.
• For this bond sale, in order to have scale, right, they need $222 million for the projects that are on
• height and number of stories, allowing residential apartments in commercial zones, allowing small-scale
• height and number of stories, allowing residential apartments in commercial zones, allowing small-scale

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Strengthen guidance and implement grade.
• students from across the state grade students from across the state located<01:09:44.719> in<
• I got good<01:42:14.080> grades.
• Um in fact, I was fortunate good grades.
• <01:42:23.600> in where I actually got better grades in where I actually got better grades

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Education Finance Committee met on March 3, 2026, approved the minutes from February 26, and then held a lengthy informational hearing on the Minnesota Department of Education’s funding and internal allocation of resources. House fiscal staff walked members through several spreadsheets showing federal, non-general fund, and general fund administrative spending, noting the data was filtered from SWIFT and was not exact. The chair said the discussion was intended to help members understand how MDE is funded and how those funds are used internally, in advance of later budget decisions and a separate upcoming hearing on the Perpich Center. Commissioner Willie Jett opened by describing MDE’s mission, statewide reach, and FY 2026 budget of about $14.1 billion, most of which flows directly to districts and charter schools for instruction, special education, transportation, nutrition, and operations. He emphasized transparency, accountability, and the department’s role in implementing laws, distributing aid, and supporting schools and students across urban, suburban, and rural communities. He also noted the department serves more than 873,000 pre-K through 12 students in 2,264 schools. Deputy Commissioner Maren Holden outlined the Office of American Indian Education, the Office of General Counsel, and the Office of Inspector General, highlighting support for American Indian students, legal and rulemaking work, special education dispute resolution, fraud prevention, and student maltreatment investigations. Assistant Commissioner Dr. McCari Traum described the Office of Equity and Engagement, including equity and inclusion training, safe and supportive schools work, public engagement, family outreach, and fraud-prevention coordination. Assistant Commissioner Darren Cordy reviewed nutrition programs, special education services, and the charter center, including free school meals, commodity food distribution, IDEA compliance, and charter school support. Assistant Commissioner Bobby Bernham then described the Office of Teaching and Learning, including early education, academic standards, instruction and assessment, state library services, expanded learning, and literacy work. He highlighted early childhood alignment efforts, standards development across core subjects, professional learning, and library grants. No votes were taken beyond approval of the prior minutes, and the meeting remained informational, with members expected to ask questions after the presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• of US EPA UCMR3 testing back in 2014, Easton had previously tested for PFAS at a parts-per-trillion scale
• In 2019, during routine well testing at a parts-per-trillion scale, we were shocked to learn that we
• and data collection will allow for targeted interventions that improve health outcomes on a broad scale
• and data collection will allow for targeted interventions that improve health outcomes on a broad scale
• Just like the water cycle I learned about in third grade, once PFAS are made, these chemicals get into

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Health held a lengthy hearing to take testimony on a wide range of bills related to environmental health, PFAS, medical device chemicals, food access, lead poisoning, air quality, oral health, and school food additives. Chair Driscoll and Chair Decker emphasized that the hearing was for testimony only, no decisions would be made that day, and that written testimony could still be submitted. They also noted the high volume of speakers and asked witnesses to keep remarks brief. A major portion of the hearing focused on PFAS-related legislation, including bills to restrict PFAS in products and food packaging and to create a PFAS remediation trust fund. Municipal officials and advocates described the high costs of PFAS cleanup, especially for drinking water systems, citing Easton’s multimillion-dollar treatment investments and rate increases. Testimony from legislators and advocates argued that Massachusetts should act despite federal uncertainty, and that the state should stop PFAS at the source rather than leaving municipalities and residents to pay for remediation. The committee also heard strong support for a bill banning DEHP in medical devices, with physicians, nurses, and a bill sponsor saying the chemical can leach from IV bags and tubing and that safer alternatives already exist. The committee also heard testimony on bills to establish statewide food truck permitting, with food truck owners and a senator describing the current system as costly, duplicative, and inconsistent across municipalities. Another set of witnesses supported the “Bean New Deal,” which would expand plant-based food options in public institutions, senior nutrition programs, and WIC, citing health, equity, and cost savings. On lead poisoning, housing advocates and a representative backed bills to expand lead-safe housing requirements to all rental units, arguing the current law contributes to discrimination against families with children and leaves too much pre-1978 housing uncertified. The committee also heard support for an outdoor air pollution bill that would create an advisory committee, identify pollution hotspots, expand monitoring, and set reduction targets, with testimony from environmental justice groups, pediatricians, and legislators describing disproportionate asthma and other health harms in overburdened communities. Later testimony addressed oral health bills to create dental therapists and allow dental hygienists to administer nitrous oxide, with supporters saying the measures would expand access, reduce costs, and help underserved patients. The committee also heard testimony on a bill to prohibit harmful food dyes in competitive school foods, with parents describing behavioral and health concerns tied to synthetic dyes. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• you that fear often creeps in and the armor of this world feels too heavy and useless against the scale
• Senate Bill 1856, relating to kindergarten through grade 12 education.
• obviously, and this amendment would require that if a school provides instruction to students in any of grades
• amending section 41-812-75, and vice statute, before being managed, relating to kindergarten through grade
• We expanded it to cover more grades.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:14:01.320> Um<00:14:02.320> that pavement or grading on a site.
• Um that pavement or grading on a site.
• So, just to give you a sense of scale, as Miss Mino said, it is in the millions of dollars.
• ,<01:50:53.040> as just to give you a sense of scale, as just to give you a sense of scale
• <04:51:15.200> storage<04:51:15.600> in role of large-scale storage in role of large-scale

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• must be transported safely and efficiently from where it is produced to where it is needed for large-scale
• And efficiently from where it is produced to where it is needed for large-scale deployment, pipelines
• We don't count large-scale hydro toward a new portfolio standard.
• Given the massive scale of capital investment that's being forecasted, I think it makes sense to look
• SB 913 would give these clean, small-scale resources a long-term pathway to participate in the state's

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And Lady Justice demands that those scales are tipped one way or the other, but only after everybody
• We're requiring child labor law posters and wage notices to be written at an eighth-grade reading level
• ...hardship should not be to exhaust our kids, force them to choose between paychecks and passing grades
• the sports—football, wrestling, and baseball—and still keep all that up and still be able to do my grades
• You know, wrap over to our... keeping all that up and still being able to do my grades, again, I was

Summary: The House opened with prayer, a moment of silence for fallen Oviedo Officer Jimmy Serrano-Torres, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of Chief Joseph Tuminelli as law enforcement officer of the day. The Rules and Ethics Committee report setting the special order calendar was adopted, and the Speaker announced schedule changes for the following week, including canceling the floor session on Monday and starting Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. The main floor action centered on CS/HB 7033, the House tax package. Sponsor Rep. Duggan described broad tax changes, including reducing the state sales tax rate from 6% to 5.25%, exempting certain bullion sales, repealing the aviation fuel tax, delaying the natural gas fuel tax, changing corporate income tax treatment for charitable trusts, reducing the pari-mutuel tax on card rooms, and major changes to tourist development tax (TDT) use. The bill would redirect most TDT revenue toward property tax relief, dissolve tourist development councils, and include related property tax and local tax administration changes. Several amendments were debated: a Driscoll amendment to preserve local TDT flexibility failed; Duggan’s amendment giving local governments 25% discretion over TDT revenues was adopted; Eskamani’s combined-reporting amendment failed; and a Duggan amendment requiring audit certification of compliance with the TDT/property tax relief provisions was adopted. After debate, CS/HB 7033 passed 78-29. The House then took up CS/CS/HB 1221 on local option taxes, which was presented as a companion-style measure to give local governments more flexibility while redirecting TDT revenues toward property tax relief. Supporters argued the bill would provide immediate relief to property owners and restore accountability in local tax use, while opponents warned it would undermine tourism funding, infrastructure, and local services. An amendment allowing local governments to retain 25% of TDT revenues for general purposes was adopted, and the bill passed 62-45 after floor debate. The final item shown was the reading of CS/CS/HJR 1257, a proposed constitutional amendment related to property tax exemptions and assessment limits, but the transcript cuts off before debate or action on that measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• At this scale or any scale that the information and the data that a groundwater district has?
• It's at these large-scale withdrawals like this one. Again, we support economic growth.
• Now we're in compliance of more than 95%. at scale, without regulation, and it works.
• The only thing missing from tonight's hearing was a second grade class.
• And if something of scale happens somewhere else, they may not work. And that's a scary thing.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• eligible owner-occupants and investor owners to address habitability concerns in the properties, scaling
• that MEPA review process, it came to light that the MBTA plans to cut off pedestrian access at the grade
• Communities Act, and the closest bus stops, less than a half mile away, were on the other side of this at-grade

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate took up a major environmental bond bill with amendments covering climate resilience, housing health, plastics reduction, coastal protection, fisheries, and related regulatory issues. Early debate included Senator Keenan’s withdrawn amendment to fund the Massachusetts Healthy Homes Program with $50 million, followed by his adopted amendment banning hotels from providing plastic toiletry packages. Senator Tarr’s amendment to remove the paper bag charge was defeated after extended debate over whether the 10-cent bag assessment functioned as a tax; a related floor speech from Senator Duner argued the fee would burden working families. The chamber also adopted Senator Fernandez’s ocean acidification amendment, which would aggregate ocean monitoring data to support shellfish, water quality, and coastal management, with support from Senators Sear and Driscoll. Other adopted measures included Driscoll’s Houghton’s Pond multi-use trail, Montigny’s New Bedford State Pier redevelopment and harbor oil-recovery provisions, Collins’s Commonwealth Conservation Commission later withdrawn, and several coastal resilience and housing-related amendments. The Senate also approved a series of environmental and public health measures. Senator Moore’s rodenticide restriction amendment was adopted after testimony from animal welfare and conservation groups, with the sponsor describing harms to wildlife, pets, and livestock and noting local municipal support. Senator Lewis’s amendment directing DEP to study the feasibility of banning polystyrene was adopted, as was Senator Mark’s Massachusetts Climate Bank amendment and Senator Edwards’s carbon sequestration amendment expanding attention to salt marshes, seagrasses, and waterways. The chamber adopted amendments on equitable representation, improving indoor air quality, and a Douglas State Forest trust fund that would raise the entry fee from $1 to $2 for maintenance. Several amendments were withdrawn, including Collins’s urban coastal resilience commission and Tarr’s proposed Commonwealth Conservation Commission. Housing and permitting issues were another major theme. Senator Driscoll’s amendment requiring local confirmation before a project is designated a priority housing project was defeated, but his related amendments clarifying the process and requiring consultation with the Housing and Livable Communities Secretary were adopted. The Senate also adopted Crichton’s amendments streamlining permitting for coastal resiliency projects in urban areas and creating a five-year pilot for nature-based solutions, as well as Tarr’s amendment adding dredging and sand placement to general coastal permits. Tarr’s amendment to revise the Salisbury Beach Preservation Trust Fund was adopted, while his later constitutional challenge to a landform-migration provision was withdrawn after he argued it could amount to an uncompensated taking. The session ended with the Senate noting only two amendments remained and then adjourning in memory of Quincy’s former mayor James A. Sheets.

Transcript Highlights:

• First, if you want students to be able to read by 3rd grade, so they don't flunk, well, when they're
• not playing on the iPad all day Are ready to learn and they're less likely to have to flunk third grade
• It goes to the scale, the magnitude, and the importance of a general appropriation bill.

Bills: HB3418, HB3985, HB3463, HB3002, HB4303, HB3919, HB3416, HB3417, HB3415, HB2206, HB3414, HB3265, HB3310, HB3413, HB4486, HB1219, SR39, SB1177, HB3298, HB2696, HB3941, HB3970, HB3264, HB3321, HB2650, HB3497, HB3980, HB3981, HB4421, HB3177, HB3322, HB3499, HB3500, HB3845, HB3742, HB3622, HB1250, HB2710, HB3831, HB4408, HB1002, HB3008, HB3086, HB3595, HB3678, HB4107, HB3695, HB3315, HB3590, HB3006, HB3151, HB2959, HB2398, HB3026, HB3467, HB4268, HB3372, HB2210, HB4359, HB4427

Keywords: public works, bidding procedures, construction contracts, transparency, public trust, electronic bidding, school districts, property rights, public nuisance, compensation claims, government enforcement, Oklahoma Safe Neighborhoods Act, municipal audit, state auditor, local government, financial transparency, gasoline tax allocations, counties, county officers, education

Transcript Highlights:

• football or whatever it is is the only thing that keeps them attending school trying to get good grades
• But that's interrupted around 9th or 10th grade now because those same kids that would have been having
• And so as I weigh these two harms, I look on that scale: which decision moves us closer to godly wisdom

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, journal approval, and a long series of guest introductions, including honorary pages, veterans, child care advocates, and other visitors. The chamber then took up Senate Resolution 63 designating March 13, 2026, as Veterans Visibility Day. Senators spoke at length about honoring everyday veterans, those who served and returned home, and families of those who did not. The resolution was adopted 33-0, with one absent vote, and the remarks of the sponsor were ordered printed in the journal appendix. The Senate also adopted Senate Resolution 64 opposing China’s misuse of U.N. Resolution 2758 and reaffirming support for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations. Members described it as an annual expression of support for Taiwan and urged the congressional delegation to stand with Taiwan. The resolution was adopted by voice vote. The chamber then passed House Bill 4007 on industrial access roads, increasing annual funding and project limits for the program, and House Bill 4010 creating an airport hangar grant pilot program funded with $75 million; both bills passed 33-0 and were made effective by the Senate. A major debate centered on House Bill 4012, which would reduce regulatory burdens on utilities and add conditions for transmission projects and PSC approvals. Supporters argued it would protect West Virginia landowners and ratepayers from subsidizing out-of-state projects, while opponents warned about federal preemption and said the bill could hinder beneficial transmission development. After amendment, the bill passed 29-5 and was made effective from passage. The Senate also passed House Bill 4025, moving certain health-related employees into the classified exempt system; House Bill 487 creating a West Virginia-Ireland Education Alliance; House Bill 4106 allowing constitutional carry for 18- to 20-year-olds; House Bill 4176 allowing youth and handicapped hunters to harvest buck deer or doe during special hunts; House Bill 4191 expanding child care support and changing reimbursement rules; House Bill 4345 requiring digitization and transfer of missing persons records to the Fusion Center; and House Bill 4418 creating a Tax Efficiency Act for voluntary electronic B&O tax filing. Most of these measures passed with strong margins, though House Bill 4106 and House Bill 4191 drew notable debate and narrower votes. The most extended and divided discussion came on House Bill 4425, which repealed the one-time high school transfer athletic eligibility protection. Supporters said the current rule had led to recruiting, competitive imbalance, and harm to smaller schools, while opponents argued it punished children and restricted parental choice, especially in academic or safety-related transfers. After extensive debate, the bill passed 31-3. The Senate then moved on to House Bill 4198 and House Bill 4245 by unanimous consent actions, and the transcript ended amid continued debate on school transfer policy and related concerns about fairness, parental authority, and student welfare.

Transcript Highlights:

• Knows what a passing grade is when you hire an employee, which is essentially what we're doing.
• And so, I've been upset for years at some of the low passing grades. And so I hope that.
• funding local junior projects through the COGs seems to have largely achieved its goal of reducing large-scale

Transcript Highlights:

• So it is a large-scale operation. Thank you. Thank you, Senator. And any other questions, members?
• He loved video games, pickleball, football, and just being with his sixth-grade friends.
• She will never get to go to UT, which was her dream starting in third grade.

Bills: SB476, SB664, SB745, SB826, SB989, SB1080, SB1171, SB1320, SB1437, SB1727, SB1809, SB2289, SB2320

Keywords: education, funding, school infrastructure, public schools, teacher support, intoxication manslaughter, criminal penalties, ignition interlock devices, youth offenders, vehicular homicide, Texas courts, judicial officers, associate judge, magistrate, master, referee, hearing officer, court administration, Government Code Chapter 54, Government Code Chapter 54A

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several criminal justice bills, with most of the discussion focused on oilfield theft, DWI enforcement, juvenile justice, reentry licensing, jail transparency, and court/judicial standards. SB 1320 would create a DPS oilfield theft unit headquartered in the Permian Basin; supporters from industry, law enforcement, and a district attorney described increasingly sophisticated, organized theft tied to cartels and multi-jurisdictional criminal networks, while DPS said it currently has only two officers working the issue. The committee voted SB 1320 out unanimously and placed it on the local and uncontested calendar. SB 826, which would enhance DWI committed in a school zone to a state jail felony, also passed unanimously after brief explanation and no testimony. SB 1171, adding juvenile justice OIG peace officers to Schedule C salary, was reported favorably on a committee substitute, and SB 1080, which would allow incarcerated people to obtain occupational licenses effective upon release, also passed on a committee substitute after testimony from formerly incarcerated advocates and reentry supporters. The committee also considered several bills aimed at tougher DWI penalties. SB 476 would increase intoxication manslaughter penalties when the offender violates an ignition interlock restriction; the bill was supported by the author, victims’ family members, Galveston officials, and law enforcement, but opposed by the Texas Civil Rights Project, which argued treatment and prevention would be more effective. After discussion about possible amendments, the bill was left pending. SB 745 would create a new first-degree felony option for intoxication manslaughter involving multiple deaths, and it was reported favorably after testimony from a prosecutor supporting the need for a stronger sentencing option. SB 2320 would broadly increase penalties for DWI offenses, including first-time DWI, DWI with an open container, high-BAC DWI, and repeat offenses; it was supported by a grieving family member and a sheriff, and the committee voted it out favorably. On juvenile justice, SB 1727 would expand tools to address assaults on staff at Texas Juvenile Justice Department facilities by lowering the age for transfer to adult prison in some cases, allowing earlier transfer of determinate-sentence youth, and restricting release when a criminal case is pending. Juvenile probation officials supported the bill as a public safety and victim-rights measure, while the Texas Civil Rights Project opposed it, arguing it would send children to inappropriate adult facilities and conflict with juvenile justice principles; the bill was left pending. SB 1437 would expand the juvenile justice do-not-hire registry to include non-certified positions, and it passed unanimously after supporters said it would help close loopholes that allow predators to move between child-serving jobs. SB 2289, requiring counties that house inmates out of state to report that information and any deaths to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, also passed unanimously. Finally, SB 989, requiring criminal background checks for court personnel who determine bail, and SB 664, establishing statewide qualifications and oversight for magistrates and associate judges, were explained and discussed as transparency and public-safety measures, with SB 989 reported favorably and SB 664 under committee consideration at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm thinking about the scale of operation, and if it actually will reach rural New Mexico, I guess.
• because it does appear many times... ...his amendment is because it does appear many times as if the scales

Bills: HB145, HB164, HR1, HB20, HB65, HB66, HB80, HB306, SB29, SB37, HB99, HB206, HB213, HB270, SB104, SB193, HB38, HB254, HB256, SB58, SB64, HJM1, HM7, HM17, HM4, HM22, HM23, HM24, HM26, HM2, HM16, HM32, HM13, HM47, HM20, HM51, HM1, HM31, HM35, HM36, HM46, HM53, HM54, HM39, HM29, HM43, HM59, HM11, HM14, HM21, HM34, HM50, HB253

Keywords: high-wage jobs, tax credit, job creation, New Mexico, economic development, lobbying, transparency, public records, government oversight, accountability, House Resolution 1, HR1, House investigatory subcommittee, special committee, legislative investigation, subpoena power, public corruption, criminal activity, Zorro ranch, Santa Fe County