Transcript Highlights:

• I also want to ask you about what happened in Congress, where a woman was using the bathroom, and a member
• of Congress accused that woman of not being a woman.
• of Congress accused that woman of not being a woman.
• They want bodies, as evidenced by the testimony we've heard to Congress, where people said they heard
• There's a veteran who testified to Congress whose testimony is worth repeating here.

Summary: The Senate met in multiple Committee of the Whole sessions and later took third-reading votes on several measures, with the day dominated by election administration bills, immigration-related bills, public safety measures, and a series of bills affecting transgender youth and health care. The chamber also heard ceremonial remarks recognizing Lutheran Day at the Capitol, introduced the Doctor of the Day, and handled routine appointments, messages, and committee reports. Several bills were retained on the calendar, including SB 1431 and SCR 1005. Among the major policy items, senators debated and advanced SB 1049 on spousal maintenance, SB 1053 on concealed weapons permits, SB 1415 on insurance adjuster license eligibility, SB 1015 on health care actions related to gender transition procedures and provider liability, SB 1095 on gender transition care for minors, and SCR 1006 on school-related sex and privacy requirements. Members opposing the transgender-related bills argued they were discriminatory, harmful to youth, and an intrusion into family and medical decisions; supporters said the measures protected children, parental rights, privacy, and medical judgment. The chamber also considered election and campaign finance measures including SB 1003, SB 1006, SB 1037, SB 1040, SB 1057, SB 1168, SB 1237, SCR 1002, SCR 1010, SCR 1013, and SCR 1014, with debate centering on transparency, ballot procedures, voter registration, and disclosure thresholds. Additional bills addressed immigration enforcement and foreign influence concerns, including SB 1055, SB 1058, SB 1093, SB 1152, SB 1289, and SB 1308. Supporters framed these as public safety, election integrity, or enforcement measures, while opponents warned they would chill reporting to police, harm asylum seekers and immigrants, or expand punitive government power. The Senate adopted Committee of the Whole reports and assigned bills accordingly throughout the day, and several measures later received third-reading passage votes, including SB 1049, SB 1053, SB 1415, SB 1015, and SB 1095, with recorded roll-call outcomes and transmission of passed bills to the House.

Transcript Highlights:

• There is a separate um effort uh—there's a bill in Congress to regulate super PACs the way regular PACs
• There is a separate um effort uh—there's a bill in Congress to regulate super PACs the way regular PACs
• There is a separate um effort uh—there's a bill in Congress to regulate super PACs the way regular PACs
• So they are calculated a little bit differently, which is why Congress intentionally exempted dental
• </c><00:37:12.880><c> intentionally</c> which is why Congress intentionally which is why Congress intentionally

Bills: SB2004 , SB2039 , SB2042 , SB2043 , SB2044 , SB2132

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection

Summary: The Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee opened its first hearing of the year with remarks from Chair Jared Kohole outlining hearing procedures, a two-minute testimony limit, rules for remote testimony and decorum, and a revised testimony-publication pilot that keeps 96-hour notice but returns to a standard 24-hour testimony deadline. He then moved through the agenda, beginning with SB 2004 on outdoor advertising, which would increase penalties for violations of billboard and outdoor advertising laws. Testimony on that measure was limited; Henry Curtis of Life of the Land was first up, and written support was noted from Hawaiian Electric and the Outdoor Circle. The committee then heard SB 2039 on election campaign finance, which would prohibit certain business entities from engaging in campaign finance activities. The Attorney General’s office offered comments and did not take a formal position at the hearing. Several proponents testified in support, including Josh Frost, Tom Moore of the Center for American Progress, Hapa/Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action, and Common Cause Hawaiʻi, all arguing the bill would curb corporate and dark-money influence and return elections to the people. Moore distinguished between regulating corporate “rights” and limiting corporate “powers,” and said the state can redefine the powers it grants corporations. In questions, Senator McKelvey asked whether the bill could be expanded to include unions; the Attorney General said he would need to get back with legal analysis, while Moore said his preferred approach would include all entities and that leaving out nonprofits or unions would create problems. Members also discussed whether the bill would affect PACs, and Moore explained that the proposal would prohibit corporate and dark-money flows into PACs while leaving individual political giving and existing political committees in place. The committee then moved on to the next measure. SB 2042, relating to insurance, was heard next. The bill would reduce the unimpaired minimum capital and surplus required of class 4 sponsored captive insurance companies under certain circumstances. The DCCA Insurance Division said it stood on its written testimony, and the Hawaii Captive Insurance Council testified in support, describing the change as a narrow, risk-based adjustment that would not affect the commissioner’s authority where actual risk resides and would help keep Hawaii competitive. The committee noted additional written support and proceeded without a vote or final action in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• But the Supreme Court narrowly rested that on the fact that the 14th Amendment gives Congress the power
• And elections are, while they may be called in terms of the date for federal elections by the Congress
• , elections are actually run... ...terms of the date for federal elections by the Congress, elections
• The department and Congress have established and implemented policies and programs, The department and
• Congress have established and implemented policies and programs to prevent and eliminate domestic abuse

Committee: Joint Judiciary

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several bills. SB 479 would let Berkeley, Long Beach, and Pasadena use multidisciplinary homeless response teams and share specified information across departments; the author and a Berkeley official said current state confidentiality rules prevent effective coordination, and the bill passed 9-0 to Senate Appropriations. SB 46 would bar a person who has served two terms as President from appearing on the California ballot for a third term; supporters argued California has authority to enforce constitutional qualifications, while Senator Niello questioned whether the bill was needed, and it passed 6-1 to Senate Appropriations. SB 99 would improve coordination between civilian and military authorities on military protective orders and restraining orders; the Department of Defense supported it, the ACLU raised due process concerns about MPOs, and the bill passed 6-0 as amended to Senate Appropriations. SB 719 would extend the sunset on Department of Technology reporting on state agency use of high-risk automated decision systems from 2029 to 2032; there was no opposition and it passed 6-0 to Senate Appropriations. The committee also took up SB 300, which would strengthen California’s new AI chatbot law by requiring operators to prevent minors from being exposed to sexually explicit material or facilitation of such content. Supporters said new evidence shows current protections are insufficient and that the bill is needed now to address harms to children; industry groups opposed the bill as premature, arguing SB 243 had just taken effect and that the new standard could create strict-liability-like exposure and uncertainty. After extensive questioning, the bill passed 9-0 to Senate Appropriations. SB 381 would give adult adoptees and descendants access to original birth certificates and create a nonbinding contact preference form for birth parents; many adoptees and birth parents testified in support, while some members raised privacy concerns for birth parents. The bill passed 13-0 to the Senate Health Committee, with the author noting amendments would be taken in Health rather than Judiciary. At the end of the hearing, the committee shifted chairs and began SB 33, which would eliminate the sunset on the existing public works contractor claim-resolution process so agencies must continue to respond to claims, pay undisputed amounts, and use early dispute resolution. The author and sponsor said the process has reduced litigation and helped contractors and workers, and the bill was just being introduced when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Congress, sometimes you see those hearings on C-SPAN, and they'll have a few invited testimonies, and
• Now, in the federal Congress, you can't do that.
• Coming from this Congress, that's saying something.
• Congress thinks that by forcing kids and teenagers to remain ignorant of their own bodily functions,
• I really wish members of this Congress would hold themselves to such a standard. Thank you.

Bills: HB186 , HB201 , HB229 , HB796 , HB1506 , HB2702 , HB2885 , HB3225 , HB3909 , HB4285 , HB5138

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• And our friends in Congress could certainly So far, but it certainly could be.
• And our friends in Congress could certainly take that into account in calculating Social Security payments
• same provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, ignoring benefits that the federal government and Congress
• In the One Big Beautiful Bill, Congress now made it permanent—permanent 100% expensing at the federal
• Florida Congress now made it permanent, permanent 100% expensing at the federal level.

Bills: S0006 , S0026 , S0206 , S0532 , S0576 , S1012 , S1110 , S1178 , S1192 , S1758 , S1760 , S7046 , S7048

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Summary: The Appropriations Committee met and considered a large agenda of bills, reporting several measures favorably. Early action included SB 6, a settled claim bill involving the Department of Children and Families and the estate of Leila Estrada and Sapphire Williams, which was approved for $3.8 million. The committee also passed a cybersecurity internships bill creating a Department of Commerce program with Cyber Florida, and SB 532, which lets clerks of court retain the full amount of certain excess revenue and clarifies foreclosure-sale procedures. Veterans housing measures, CS for CS for SB 1602 and SB 1604, were approved to create a pilot program and a related trust fund for vacancy relief and risk mitigation for veteran housing. The committee also favorably reported SB 1110 on Medicaid and insurance coverage for orthotics and prosthetics, with emotional testimony from a student and family describing the high cost and importance of activity-specific prosthetics. Members also approved CS for CS for SB 1012 after adopting an amendment that removed inmate emergency and specialty medical service compensation provisions while retaining changes to the contractor-operated institutions inmate welfare trust fund. Another bill, CS for CS for SB 1614, was narrowed by a delete-all amendment to focus on limiting the use of excess fees for new building construction by local governments. All of these measures were reported favorably after brief debate, with some support testimony submitted in writing or waived. The most extensive discussion centered on CS for CS for SB 17, a major Medicaid and public assistance overhaul. The bill would create a Joint Legislative Committee on Medicaid Oversight, allow the Legislature to retain its own actuary, tighten Medicaid program oversight, update encounter-data reporting, set performance standards for managed care plans, revise pharmacy benefit manager rules, and require DCF to implement SNAP fraud-reduction and payment-accuracy reforms, including photo IDs on EBT cards and updated work requirements. It also would direct agencies to seek federal waivers for Medicaid work requirements for able-bodied adults and expanded behavioral health services. After lengthy questioning and testimony, the committee adopted amendments adding a transitional medical benefits glide path for people who gain employment and later lose Medicaid eligibility, and exempting hospice patients with six months or less to live. Supporters argued the bill would improve accountability, reduce fraud, and save money, while opponents warned it would create administrative burdens, increase paperwork, and cause eligible people to lose coverage or food assistance. The committee ultimately reported the bill favorably as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Congress is proposing to cut $880 billion, mostly from Medicaid.
• We cannot rely on Congress. We cannot rely on Trump and Musk to support us.
• </c><00:33:31.840><c> we</c><00:33:32.039><c> cannot</c> we cannot rely on Congress we cannot we cannot
• rely on Congress we cannot rely<00:33:33.320><c> on</c><00:33:33.639><c> Trump</c><00:33:34.200><c>
• recognizes the importance that Congress recognizes the importance of<00:35:51.480><c> our</c><00:35:

Transcript Highlights:

• The richest man in the world, who is unelected and is not overseen by Congress, which has completely
• The richest man in the world, who is unelected and is not overseen by Congress, which has completely
• The richest man in the world, who is unelected and is not overseen by Congress, which has completely
• The richest man in the world, who is unelected and is not overseen by Congress, which has completely
• The richest man in the world, who is unelected and is not overseen by Congress, which has completely

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• Congress made that choice deliberately, and this bill would do at the state level what Congress has expressly
• Congress made that choice deliberately, and this bill would do at the state level what Congress has expressly
• Congress made that choice deliberately, and this bill would do at the state level what Congress has expressly
• Congress made that choice deliberately, and this bill would do at the state level what Congress has expressly
• level what Congress has expressively level what Congress has expressively forbidden<01:19:40.719><c>

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:52:20.960><c> and</c> remedies is a matter for Congress and remedies is a matter for Congress
• ><c> the</c><00:52:51.280><c> exclusive</c> Congress made federal law the exclusive Congress made federal
• </c> against federal employees, but Congress against federal employees, but Congress wrote<00:52:57.360
• Congress left this door open on purpose. All right.
• Congress has the Section 8, Clause 4.

Transcript Highlights:

• the legislature, is that instead of a House bill, this might make more sense as a resolution to Congress
• Some delegates wanted Congress to choose the president. Others wanted a direct vote of the people.
• legislature, is this, instead of as a House bill, this might make more sense as a resolution to Congress
• Some delegates wanted Congress to choose the president. Others wanted a direct vote of the people.
• Speaker, the Democratic Congress. Madam Whip, Representative Cruz. Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• Barnard was elected, the people of the United States Congress... Ms. Barnard was elected.
• The people of the United States Congress have adopted the 19th Amendment, and so now citizen women in

Bills: HB3183 , HB2999 , HB3787 , HB3499 , HJR1023

Committee: House Rules

Keywords: electric utilities, grid congestion, transmission technology, advanced power flow controllers, dynamic line rating, energy efficiency, nondisclosure agreements, public officials, transparency, government accountability, utility infrastructure, election, qualified elector, municipal office, school board, registration requirements, HB3499, special judge, special judges, court jurisdiction

Transcript Highlights:

• Bernard was elected, the people of the United States Congress Ms. Bernard was elected.
• The people of the United States Congress have adopted the 19th Amendment, and so now citizen women in

Bills: HB3183 , HB2999 , HB3787 , HB3499 , HJR1023

Committee: House Rules

Summary: The committee heard several measures and adopted PCS versions as working drafts before taking action. H.J.R. 1023, the biennial workers’ compensation fee schedule resolution, was presented as a vehicle to keep the schedule alive while the updated rates were still pending from the federal side due to the shutdown; it passed 8-0. House Bill 2999, which would prohibit requiring public officials to sign nondisclosure agreements, drew discussion about whether it should be broadened to cover litigation outcomes and other government transparency issues. The author agreed to strike the title and continue working on the language, and the bill passed 8-0 with the title stricken. House Bill 3788, as amended in PCS-2, would require officeholders to be U.S. citizens; members questioned whether the bill should also bar non-citizens from certain appointments, with examples raised about local boards and temporary appointments. The author said the intent was to focus on elected office, the Election Board assistant secretary said the bill reflected that intent, and the committee voted 9-1 to report it do pass, with the title still stricken for further work. The committee also advanced House Bill 3499, which allows special judges to hear applications for title matters, on a 10-0 vote. House Bill 3183, described by its author as a cost-saving measure related to electrical transmission infrastructure and protecting ratepayers from large loads, also passed 10-0. Throughout the meeting, members frequently used motions to adopt PCS drafts, move bills, and strike titles where language was still being refined before floor consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• committee meets here to rip and divide their communities, to rob them and their kids of their voices in Congress
• Democrats have said repeatedly, especially the members of Congress who came here, who have spoken publicly

Committee: House Congressional Redistricting, Select

Transcript Highlights:

• And I appreciate that we have a president right now and a majority in Congress that is taking a hard
• that is taking a hard look and Congress that is taking a hard look and making<00:21:38.760><c> the</
• Article 1, Section 8, Clause 2 or 3 that gives Congress the power to borrow money.
• President Trump, President Biden, Congress of both Republican majority and Democrat majority.
• <c> both</c><00:30:01.040><c> Republican</c> Biden, Congress of both Republican Biden, Congress of both

Bills: HF3650 , HF1791 , HF3489 , HF4231 , HF4232 , HF4269 , HF4270 , HF3490

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Keywords: student career pathways, education framework, experiential learning, employer engagement, career technical education, career and technical education, CTE, postsecondary scholarship, postsecondary grant, school district funding, cooperative unit, Minnesota high school, apprenticeship, certificate program, tuition assistance, workforce training, military transition, education finance, student aid, career pathways

Transcript Highlights:

• What I think we really need to understand, and what this is urging, is that Congress, those that are
• </c><00:58:07.599><c> That's</c> testified in front of Congress.
• That's testified in front of Congress.
• Then<00:58:17.040><c> it's</c><00:58:17.280><c> on</c><00:58:17.440><c> Congress</c><00:58:17.760><c>
• </c> Then it's on Congress to provide those. Then it's on Congress to provide those.

Bills: SF0025 , SF0027 , SF0043 , SF0066

Committee: Senate Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• If you're okay with that, maybe a little bit of guidance and a letter sent to our members of Congress
• Because I think Congress needs to be giving more money to environmental management for our region for
• Hopefully our members of Congress are also really leaning on environmental management and plan on...
• That's inherent in our independence and why we provide that unique voice to Congress and the Secretary
• And if they reject the safety recommendation, they have to go explain to Congress their reasoning.

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation from the Environment Department on PFAS contamination in private wells in La Cienega, Santa Fe County. Staff said the plume likely came from historic use of firefighting foam associated with airport and National Guard fire-training activities, with possible additional contribution from septic systems and consumer products. They described the contamination as affecting about 200 private wells, the short-term response of providing residential filters through a $2 million legislative appropriation, and ongoing work to define the plume’s full extent, identify responsible parties, and consider longer-term regional water solutions. Members asked about filter costs, replacement schedules, disposal of used cartridges, follow-up testing, health studies, and whether cleanup or containment had begun; the department said cleanup would follow once the plume is fully mapped and that DOH is soliciting interest in a blood study. The committee also discussed the need to track disposal of PFAS filters and the possibility of broader statewide capacity for similar work. The committee then took up abandoned uranium mine cleanup. NMED and EMNRD staff reviewed the new uranium mine reclamation program created by HB 164, the state dashboard tracking sites, and the FY26 appropriation of $20 million for neglected contaminated sites, of which $12 million is being used for neglected uranium mines and the remainder for other contaminated sites. They said six contractors were hired, three priority sites in Grant County are moving forward quickly, and additional sites are being prepared for possible FY27 work. Members pressed for details on how funds are spent, why the revolving fund remains unfunded, how federal, state, tribal, and landowner requirements are coordinated, where contaminated material will be moved, and whether cleanup could also address homes built with contaminated materials. Staff said the work is governed by multiple regulatory layers, that the state is seeking an additional $25 million for FY27-FY28 plus a time extension, and that partnerships with tribes would require longer-term agreements. The committee also discussed federal cleanup efforts and the new Good Samaritan law, with members urging stronger advocacy for New Mexico sites, including tribal lands, and asking whether the Attorney General should pursue legal action against federal parties responsible for legacy contamination. Staff explained that some sites are already covered by settlement funds tied to responsible parties, while neglected sites are those with no responsible party and no other cleanup program. The committee then heard from EMNRD on Class VI carbon sequestration primacy. Staff said New Mexico currently has no operating Class VI wells, about 27 Class II acid-gas injection wells are operating, and only a small number might be candidates for conversion. They explained that the state’s primacy application would require more public outreach than federal rules alone, and that cost estimates for post-injection site care are based on long planning horizons, with some costs borne by operators and some by the state after closure. No votes were taken on the substantive items discussed; the committee approved the prior meeting minutes and took a brief recess between presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Public investment in education had been addressed by the Continental Congress in the 1787 Northwest Ordinance
• And George Washington discussed in his 1796 address to Congress what he called the creation of a military
• Public investment and education had been addressed by the Continental Congress in the 1787 Northwest
• And George Washington discussed in his 1796 address to Congress what he called a creation of a military
• We expect that it will take at least two years to finalize the exchange after, if and after Congress

Summary: The committee heard a presentation from University of Idaho representatives on the university’s land-grant mission and its role in federalism, followed by detailed overviews of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Natural Resources. Speakers described the Morrill, Hatch, and Smith-Lever Acts, the university’s history, and examples of research, extension, and workforce training in agriculture, engineering, law, forestry, fire science, and youth programs such as 4-H. They highlighted facilities and programs including research stations, the Idaho Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, the deep soil ecotron, the Wildland Fire Center, the experimental forest, and the policy analysis group, while also noting the impact of federal and state funding delays and cuts on staffing and research capacity. Committee members asked about several current issues, including quagga mussels, screw worm, chronic wasting disease, and the effects of funding cuts. University officials said they were not actively researching some of those wildlife and livestock disease issues but were willing to help if capacity and funding allowed. They also said budget reductions had caused real losses, including layoffs and reduced programs, and that federal grant delays had disrupted research timelines. The committee also raised questions about conflicts of interest and university employees’ outside work; the university said it has annual conflict-of-interest and conflict-of-commitment training and review procedures. The committee then heard from Bonneville County Sheriff Sam Hulse and the Idaho Sheriffs Association on the federal 287(g) immigration partnership program. Hulse argued that participation should remain voluntary and locally controlled, describing the different 287(g) models, the training and liability concerns, and the distinction between local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement. He said Idaho agencies already cooperate with ICE in other ways and that mandatory participation could create staffing, legal, and community-trust problems. Members asked about costs, liability, detention standards, and whether deputies lose local control under task force arrangements; Hulse said the answer depends on the specific model and operation, and he emphasized the need for local discretion. Later, the committee took testimony on the long-running bighorn sheep and domestic sheep conflict affecting western Idaho grazing allotments. Idaho Wool Growers representatives and affected ranchers described the history of state legislation, federal litigation, and the closure of grazing areas after bighorn sheep transplants, which they said cut livestock operations in half and caused major financial and personal hardship. They argued that the state and federal agencies had not lived up to assurances that permittees would be held harmless, and they urged continued attention to the issue. No formal votes or committee actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those dollars are appropriated by Congress to the Corps of Engineers.
• So on any given year, I may not know what Congress from his federal partners.
• But that's a project when it was originally fully funded by Congress.
• But that's a project when it was originally fully funded by Congress.
• Quote unquote, fully funded by Congress in the BBA 18 bill.

Summary: The committee met for an informational hearing focused largely on the state capital outlay process and House Bill 2. Roger Husser and Matt Baker of the Division of Administration/Facility Planning and Control described how the office prepares and administers the capital outlay bill, said the bill has grown substantially over five years, and argued that recent changes in culture, staffing, project management, cash-flow analysis, and use of third-party support have more than doubled project expenditures and improved delivery. Members asked about the use and cost of third-party project managers, delegation of smaller projects to agencies, hiring difficulties, and whether the changes represented better interpretation of existing law versus statutory changes. Husser said some statutes were amended, some internal customs were removed, and the office would provide a list of those changes. He also explained that the office is trying to move away from overly rigid practices and toward faster project completion while still following public-bid and oversight rules. A major portion of the discussion centered on the size and structure of the capital outlay bill, especially the gap between Priority 1 cash capacity and the much larger Priority 5 backlog. Husser said the current annual Priority 1 limit is tied to construction inflation and is about $574 million, with additional surplus funds also available, but that the bill contains far more Priority 5 funding than can realistically move in a five-year plan. He and members discussed dormant projects, scope creep, legacy projects that have sat in the bill for years, and the problem of false expectations for non-state entities. Proposed solutions included limiting Priority 5 to five times Priority 1, requiring annual re-endorsement by members, setting district or project caps for non-state projects, requiring time limits and reporting for grant-like non-state projects, placing matches in escrow, requiring design readiness before submission, and consolidating the many existing reporting requirements into one clearer report. Members also discussed bundling multiple projects under one agency project, which the House had begun piloting for LSU, UL Lafayette, Southern, and DOTD, and which Husser said could improve flexibility, reduce overappropriation, and better reflect actual spending. Baker then explained cash-flow management and the commitment process, saying FPC now analyzes projects annually to estimate what can actually be spent in the next fiscal year and uses commitments to allow projects to proceed when future-year funding is expected. He said overappropriations can result from poor cash-flow estimates, delays, dormant projects, or projects coming in under budget, and that the office is already reworking cash-flow assumptions and reappropriating savings where possible. Members also raised concerns about change orders and low bids; staff said project managers review change orders closely, require concurrence on non-state projects, and sometimes reduce scope to keep projects within budget. After FPC’s presentation, the committee heard the beginning of Louisiana Economic Development’s capital outlay discussion, where LED explained that its projects generally fall into three categories, including the Economic Development Awards Program and Site Readiness Program, both used to support targeted economic development and job creation.

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2007, the Colorado Water Congress presented Senator Ent the Wayne Aspinall Water Leader of the Year
• In 2007, the Colorado Water Congress<00:39:04.560><c> presented</c><00:39:04.960><c> Senator</c><00:39
• :05.280><c> Ins</c><00:39:05.680><c> the</c><00:39:05.839><c> Wayne</c> Congress presented Senator Ins
• the Wayne Congress presented Senator Ins the Wayne Aspenol<00:39:06.960><c> Water</c><00:39:07.200><
• </c><01:42:30.000><c> and</c> those lands and urges Congress and those lands and urges Congress and federal

Transcript Highlights:

• In Congress, occasionally you'll see, you know, 400 co-sponsors, and then the next time there was, you
• It's never made it out of Congress as an officially recognized flag. Nothing else.
• occasionally you'll see um um congress occasionally you'll see um you<00:32:52.399><c> know</c><00:32
• </c><00:33:09.919><c> as</c><00:33:10.240><c> a</c><00:33:11.200><c> officially</c> out of the Congress
• as a officially out of the Congress as a officially recognized<00:33:12.480><c> flag.

Committee: House Legislative Administration

Summary: The committee met in work session to consider amendments to House Bill 1332, which concerns Gold Star-related flag displays. Members discussed two proposed amendments: one would allow the governor to choose to honor Gold Star families by ordering display of the Gold Star flag at the State House and at the State Veterans Cemetery, and another would define the flags covered by the bill as those officially recognized by the federal government. Members debated whether the language should be mandatory or permissive, whether the State House display would trigger broader flag-flying requirements, and whether the veterans cemetery language was necessary. Testimony noted that the Gold Star flag is federally recognized, while the Honor and Remember flag has not been officially recognized by Congress. The committee also took up House Bill 1097, dealing with historic road signs and the committee referral for that bill. Representative Janet Wall explained an amendment changing the bill’s referral from the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee to the Joint Historic Committee, saying the historic committee is better suited to handle issues involving historic signs and artifacts. She described the Joint Historic Committee’s broader jurisdiction after a prior statutory combination of committees, and members discussed whether that committee has authority beyond the State House complex. Supporters said the change would provide more appropriate oversight and public input on controversial historic markers; one member opposed legislative involvement in removing markers, arguing the issue should remain with existing historical and transportation entities. The amendment was discussed favorably, and members indicated they liked it. No final votes were taken in the portion provided. The committee appeared to set aside the Gold Star amendments for further consideration and moved on after discussion of the historic-signs amendment, with members noting the need to review the written amendment text before acting.