Video & Transcript : 'Fix Our Forests Act' :
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WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Transportation Feb 26th, 2026 at 08:00 am
Transportation
Transcript Highlights:
- This is our technical amendment. Are there any remarks?
- I just wanted to recognize our staff as we passed this budget and the bond bill.
- I want to recognize the number of hours and the effort that they and our partisan staff put in.
- Let's give a round of applause to our staff.
- We will be back tomorrow, so this isn't our final opportunity to thank people, but thank you for that
Committee:
Senate Transportation
Keywords:
transportation budget, transportation appropriations, capital budget, supplemental budget, Washington State Department of Transportation, WSDOT, Washington State Patrol, Department of Licensing, ferries, Puget Sound ferries, tolling, express toll lanes, highway safety, traffic safety, impaired driving, ignition interlock, speed cameras, transit funding, public transit, multimodal transportation
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
County and Municipal Government Feb 18th, 2026 at 03:00 pm
County and Municipal Government
Transcript Highlights:
- Meeting this session, or first part of the session, and thank you, everybody, our visitors here today
- What this does is allow the county commissioners to vote and take our county fair boards from nine members
- But if we live in our district, if we don't live in our district, we cannot register to run in a race
- Representative, so just to clarify what our representative from Tulsa just stated is the word may, I
- Having reached the end of our posted agenda, we stand adjourned.
Committee:
House County and Municipal Government
Keywords:
county officials, residency requirement, dereliction of duty, removal process, government accountability, marijuana tax, public service impact tax, county funding, voter approval, local government, municipal bonds, ballot proposals, voting process, fund allocation, county government, administration, local resources, public institutions, construction, maintenance
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
County and Municipal Government Feb 18th, 2026
County and Municipal Government
Transcript Highlights:
- Meeting this session, or first part of the session, and thank you, everybody, our visitors here today
- Representative, so just to clarify what our representative from Tulsa just stated: the word “may,” I
- But if we live in our district, if we don't live in our district, we cannot register to run in a race
- Having reached the end of our posted agenda, we stand adjourned. I. Zero nay.
- Having reached the end of our posted agenda, we stand adjourned.
Committee:
House County and Municipal Government
Keywords:
county officials, residency requirement, dereliction of duty, removal process, government accountability, marijuana tax, public service impact tax, county funding, voter approval, local government, municipal bonds, ballot proposals, voting process, fund allocation, county government, administration, local resources, public institutions, construction, maintenance
Summary:
The committee considered a series of county, municipal, housing, and public-safety bills. House Bill 3748 would allow county governments to partner with four-year institutions and was reported out after a brief explanation and no questions. House Bill 4203, with a PCS adopted, would let the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission explore guidelines for small-unit multifamily housing of eight units or fewer and four stories or fewer; it passed 5-1. House Bill 3919, also with a PCS, would let county commissioners reduce county fair boards from nine members to five to help achieve quorum; it passed 6-0.
House Bill 3091, with a PCS changing the residency requirement from 80% to 70%, would require county elected officials to maintain a principal residence in the county and occupy it at least 70% of the time. Members discussed whether the bill should use “may” or “shall” and how it would apply in hardship or medical situations; the author said he was open to further language changes. The bill passed 6-0. House Bill 3314, creating a county-option retail sale public safety impact fee on marijuana, also passed 6-0. House Bill 3435, requiring a single-subject rule for municipal bonds so voters can consider bond issues separately, passed 6-0.
House Bill 3913, which would allow municipalities to authorize single-stair apartment buildings up to six stories if they meet modern fire-safety standards, failed on a 2-4 vote after no questions or debate. House Bill 4132 would provide liability protection for local governments that follow recognized cybersecurity frameworks and passed 6-0. House Bill 4303, a collaborative measure extending the deadline for municipalities to publish ordinances from 15 days to 30 days, also passed 6-0. The committee adjourned after completing the posted agenda.
OK
Transcript Highlights:
- Senate Bill 1985 creates the Strategic Pension Protection Act.
- But I want our fiduciaries to make sure that they're...
- Our committee will go back in our committee now.
- We had the Incentive Commission come and say this is our recommendation.
- Enforcement of our current laws and the effect largely.
Committee:
Senate Revenue and Taxation
Keywords:
income tax, tax rates, revenue certification, Oklahoma Tax Commission, state budget, education, tax credit, school choice, private school, tuition assistance, income limits, parental choice, accreditation, insurance, taxation, premium, home office credit, healthcare, teacher tax credit, income tax credit
OK
Transcript Highlights:
- plan when it's fixed at 20 years.
- plan when it's fixed at 20 years.
- Until now, we haven't seen the impact of our... ...our fiscal stability.
- public safety, our schools.
- We'll meet again next Monday after the conclusion of our floor act.
Committee:
Senate Revenue and Taxation
Keywords:
income tax, tax rates, revenue certification, Oklahoma Tax Commission, state budget, education, tax credit, school choice, private school, tuition assistance, income limits, parental choice, accreditation, insurance, taxation, premium, home office credit, healthcare, teacher tax credit, income tax credit
Summary:
The Revenue and Taxation Committee met and considered several bills. Senate Bill 1776, by Senator Pugh, would create a $10,000 refundable tax credit for teachers with seven consecutive years of service, as part of a teacher retention strategy; after questions about the seven-year threshold, it passed 8-3. Senate Bill 1858, by Senator Frix, would create a new TIF district financing option allowing developers, rather than cities or counties, to borrow against projected TIF revenues; the committee adopted an amendment changing a filing provision from “may” to “shall,” and the bill passed 7-4. Senate Bill 1985, by Senator Guthrie, would let state retirement systems consider limited investments in regulated digital assets, capped at 5% and narrowed to large-market-cap assets; the committee added an amendment inserting “in” to clarify the language, and the bill passed 9-2.
The committee then rejected Senate Bill 1302, by Senator Kirt, which would repeal the “path to zero” trigger tied to future income tax cuts; it failed 2-9 after debate over fiscal stability and tax relief. Senate Bill 1809, by Senator Hamilton, would raise the homestead exemption from $1,000 to $5,000; members debated its impact on local governments and school funding, but it passed 9-2. Senate Bill 1401, by Senator Rader, was amended to adjust the insurance premium tax rate from 1.96% to 2.16% and eliminate the home office premium tax credit; the bill was laid over after concerns about its fiscal impact.
Finally, Senate Bill 2053, also by Senator Rader, would allow cities and counties to impose up to a 10% excise tax on medical marijuana dispensaries by local vote, with OTC handling collections and enforcement; supporters framed it as local control and a way to offset public safety costs, while opponents argued it unfairly targeted dispensaries and consumers. The bill passed 7-3. The committee then adjourned and announced it would meet again the following Monday after floor activity.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- That's not our goal.
- Where do people in our position go to raise our children and show them the way if we cannot utilize our
- Where do people in our position go to raise our children and show them the way if we cannot utilize our
- Where do people in our position go to raise our children and show them the way if we cannot utilize our
- Where do people in our position go to raise our children and show them the way if we cannot utilize our
Committee:
Senate Water, Land, Culture and the Arts
Keywords:
Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, state funding, public performances, educational programs, cultural arts funding, historic properties, preservation, inheritance, working group, public-private partnerships, sustainable funding, historic preservation, Hawaii Revised Statutes, construction, state review, burial sites, cultural artifacts, development review, phased review, administrative fees
Summary:
The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 2603, which would designate the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra as the state orchestra of Hawaii. Testimony was uniformly supportive from the Attorney General’s office, the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Retail Merchants of Hawaii, Hawaii Youth Symphony, the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association, and others. Supporters emphasized the bill’s value to arts education, cultural vitality, and the visitor economy. The chair noted there were also many written testimonies submitted, and the bill was left without questions or action in the excerpt.
The committee then took up Senate Bill 2083, which would create a state-owned historic properties preservation plan working group within DNR. The State Historic Preservation Division supported the bill and said it would help create a statewide database and better planning for state-owned historic properties, while noting its current review work is reactive and project-by-project. The committee asked about duplication and existing consultation processes; SHPD said it already reviews state projects under existing law and has in-house architectural staff. The measure was then set aside after brief discussion, with no vote shown in the excerpt.
Next was Senate Bill 2341, which would authorize phased review of certain private-property projects and change SHPD’s review deadlines. SHPD and the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development supported the bill, saying it could encourage more proactive, programmatic review and that the current average review time for simple projects is about 56 days. Several opponents, including Sierra Club of Hawaii, Bianca Isaki, Malama Kane Lua, and Tara Roas, argued phased review would delay projects, create conflict, and weaken historic preservation protections, especially for iwi kūpuna and burial sites. Committee members raised concerns about whether the bill conflicted with prior court decisions and asked SHPD for its view; SHPD said it was not a legal question for them and suggested a programmatic alternative. The bill was not voted on in the excerpt.
Finally, the committee began hearing Senate Bill 2306 on administrative fees for the Bureau of Conveyances. HGEA opposed the measure, focusing on a provision allowing the special fund to be used for qualified contractors, while the Bureau of Conveyances supported the bill as a fee correction that would equalize recording fees between systems. The bureau said specialized technical work sometimes requires outside contracting and that it could consider a contract period; the chair and members discussed the HGEA concern and asked whether the issue could be addressed. No final action was shown in the excerpt.
NM
New Mexico 2026 Regular Session
Senate - Health and Public Affairs Feb 4th, 2026 at 06:25 pm
Senate Health & Public Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- Right now, data about our health, our movements, our bodies, and our.
- Our most personal information is at risk from our own federal government.
- Last year, our revenues exceeded our previous year's revenues because of our community and our supporters
- That outcome serves no one, especially not our children. Our goal is simple.
- work life with our families.
Committee:
Senate Senate Health & Public Affairs
Keywords:
prior authorization, pharmacy benefits manager, PBM, health insurer, prescription drugs, step therapy, formulary, auto-adjudication, electronic portal, appeals, medical necessity, serious mental illness, mental health, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, substance use disorder, addiction treatment, cancer, autoimmune disorder
WA
Transcript Highlights:
- come up and hopefully our inputs go down.
- And the very last issue that I have is our agriculture producers, our farm workers, there's a high rate
- My testimony is on behalf of our association, who selected this bill, 2376, as our top legislative priority
- I think that there's so many different cultural organizations in our different communities across our
- We wring our hands about social media.
Committee:
House Finance
Keywords:
property tax, reform, local government, taxpayer, funding, agriculture, tax exemption, farm machinery, equipment, sales tax, HB 2610, property tax exemption, nonprofit housing, affordable housing, low-income housing, community use, temporary use, charitable property, Washington property tax, Department of Revenue
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Feb 4th, 2026
Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure
Transcript Highlights:
- Our DPW director resigned in 2022.
- I think that the compact, when I look at our state, 25% of our cities and towns border another state,
- I think that the compact, when I look at our state, 25% of our cities and towns border another state,
- I think that the compact, when I look at our state, 25% of our cities and towns border another state,
- I'm here today to voice our strong support for House Bill 4719, an act to create HVAC Construction Supervisor
Keywords:
cosmetology, cosmetologist, beauty industry, hairdresser, esthetician, salon, licensure compact, interstate compact, multistate license, license reciprocity, professional licensure, occupational licensing, workforce mobility, license portability, military spouse, military family, background check, disciplinary action, scope of practice, consumer protection
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Postsecondary Education & Workforce Feb 3rd, 2026 at 01:30 pm
Postsecondary Education & Workforce
Transcript Highlights:
- I think we've got amendments on a number of bills, so I'm going to turn to our professional.
- In my district, agriculture is the lifeblood of our state's rural economy.
- It is our heritage. Specifically, apples hold a special place in that heritage.
- Washington is a global leader in agriculture anchored by our iconic apples.
- Urging a yes vote, I think our first responders do extraordinary work in our communities, and we're so
Committee:
House Postsecondary Education & Workforce
Keywords:
education, scholarship, early childhood, funding, higher education, early education, support, degree seekers, private security, security guard, armed security guard, security company, licensing fees, license renewal, endorsement fee, fingerprints, background check, workforce retention, low-wage workers, public safety
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Community Safety Jan 29th, 2026 at 08:00 am
Community Safety
Transcript Highlights:
- and our society.
- HB 2217 fixes that design flaw. It preserves... HB 2217 fixes that design flaw.
- well as for our community.
- Our officers deserve to be protected in those actions when they want to protect our community.
- Our officers deserve also be protected in those actions when they want to protect our community.
Committee:
House Community Safety
Keywords:
rehabilitation, felony offenses, criminal justice reform, first-time offenders, pathways to rehabilitation, mental health, sentencing alternative, criminal justice, diversion programs, HB 2641, ICE out act, law enforcement hiring, immigration and customs enforcement, ICE officers, former federal employees, sworn officer, police staffing, general authority law enforcement agency, limited authority law enforcement agency, immigration enforcement
NM
Transcript Highlights:
- influencing our fixed-income levels.
- of our members' data.
- It connects education to opportunity in a way that strengthens our youth, our families, and our economy
- that gap of workforce development within our STEM careers in our state?
- But, you know, there is a focus on our rural and our tribal communities.
Committee:
House House Education
Keywords:
educational retirement, annuity adjustments, cost of living, non-compounding payments, retirement benefits, STEM funding, education, innovation, public education, New Mexico, nominating committees, boards of regents, student representation, political party registration, New Mexico constitution, special education, office of special education, deputy secretary, public education department, IEP
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
- We love our veterans.
- also ease the burden on our revenue stream and our existing park users.
- We like our publications.
- Let's move on to our final resolution of the day. I see our 1006.
- I think better of our state, better of our legislature.
Bills:
HB2015 , HB2060 , HB2129 , HB2170 , HB2210 , HB2228 , HB2352 , HB2460 , HB2533 , SB1019 , SB1045 , SB1050 , SB1078 , SB1083 , SB1167 , SB1184 , SCR1006
Committee:
Senate Government
Keywords:
budget procedures, late filing penalty, accounting standards, financial reporting, state appropriations, abortion, educational institutions, health education, state aid, public schools, municipal libraries, annual reporting, state legislation, transparency, government accountability, procurement, foreign adversary, China, state contracts, information technology
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
- Our systems are not secure.
- By our vote of three ayes.
- And this is our Second Amendment.
- They're older than our state.
- That's making our case.
Bills:
SB1003 , SB1006 , SB1029 , SB1037 , SB1038 , SB1039 , SB1040 , SB1053 , SB1057 , SB1060 , SB1061 , SB1068 , SB1069
Committee:
Senate Judiciary and Elections
Keywords:
election, canvass, certification, ballot tabulation, write-in candidates, registration, voting procedures, campaign finance, contribution limits, reporting requirements, political action committees, elections, campaign contributions, candidate committees, posthumous provisions, termination process, Arizona Revised Statutes, voting systems, vote tabulation, election security
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- Senators, I want to take a minute to welcome our newest member to our committee.
- And this bill is really important for our law enforcement, our firefighters, our correctional officers
- And again, this is my attempt to address that, fix that.
- The Community Planning Act was... Under the Community Planning Act.
- Yeah, you want our approval. You're going down to three.
Committee:
Senate Community Affairs
Keywords:
firefighter disability, law enforcement disability, correctional officer disability, correctional probation officer, presumptive disability, workers' compensation, line of duty presumption, heart disease presumption, hypertension presumption, tuberculosis presumption, public safety employees, first responders, physical examination, preemployment exam, medical specialist, Medicare reimbursement, employing agency, Florida Statutes 112.18, Florida Statutes 943.13, occupational disease
Summary:
The committee took up several bills related to public safety, housing, disaster recovery, construction, and land use. SB 330 clarified the heart disease presumption for firefighters, law enforcement, and correctional officers, aligned the definition of heart disease with medical practice, and allowed a transferring law enforcement officer to rely on a prior physical if the new agency does not provide one. An amendment stating the act serves an important state interest was adopted, and the bill passed unanimously after supportive testimony from law enforcement and fire groups. SB 594 expanded local housing assistance eligibility to residents of mobile home communities, including SHIP rental assistance for lot rent and rehabilitation/emergency repair programs for the home itself; it also passed unanimously after support from manufactured housing advocates.
SB 840 revised the hurricane-related land use limits enacted in prior legislation by sunsetting certain temporary restrictions on June 30, 2026, narrowing the affected area from 100 miles to 50 miles from a storm track, and exempting certain planning, water, wastewater, stormwater, and flood-related decisions. The sponsor said the bill was intended to fix unintended consequences of prior hurricane recovery legislation, and the measure was reported favorably on a unanimous vote. SB 526 addressed commercial construction projects by prohibiting “no damages for delay” clauses in public construction contracts, directing the Florida Building Commission to create a uniform commercial permit application, requiring permit fee reductions when private providers are used, and adding mitigation to product approval categories; county representatives raised concerns about implementation and fees, but the bill passed favorably.
The committee also approved SB 504 and SB 506, both by Senator Burgess, creating a framework for code inspector body camera use and a related public records exemption for recordings. Both were described as optional for local governments and were reported favorably without opposition. Finally, the committee considered CS/SB 354, a major “blue ribbon projects” bill creating a framework for very large developments that would reserve at least 60% of land for conservation, agriculture, recreation, utilities, and related uses in exchange for streamlined approval and state preemption over local land use controls. The bill drew extensive testimony both for and against, with supporters emphasizing housing supply and land preservation and opponents warning about local control, sprawl, infrastructure costs, and weak conservation protections. Two amendments were adopted to define reserve areas more specifically and address conservation easements, and the committee reported the bill favorably on a divided vote, with Senator Passidomo voting no.
TX
Keywords:
gender designation, civil penalties, private civil rights, multiple-occupancy spaces, Texas Women's Privacy Act, impact fees, water conservation, reuse projects, developers, builders, local government, infrastructure, water efficiency, law enforcement, confidentiality, personnel files, employee records, misconduct, real property, fraud
NV
Nevada 2025 Regular Session
Assembly Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections May 29th, 2025 at 01:00 pm
Legislative Operations and Elections
Transcript Highlights:
- We have our audience in Carson City.
- That was amended over in our house.
- law reflects our modern age.
- law reflects our modern age.
- Our committee secretary, committee assistant, our committee manager, our policy manager, our legal.
Keywords:
election reform, voter accessibility, conditional ballots, voter registration, mechanical voting systems, election audits, voter access grants, provisional ballot, voting technology, AB562, Nevada, Secretary of State, elections, elections management system, HAVA, Help America Vote Act, automatic voter registration, AVR, election technology, state appropriations
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- We dipped our sheets into the cooler to take it back to our hot metal bunk.
- We do exercise that with our own maintenance staff as well as our inmate labor forces because we have
- Most of our— a lot of our units have conventional systems.
- It's not really a question; I just want to let our committee know that our distinguished presenter also
- Next, we will call our resource witness. Members are... Any questions for our resource witness?
Committee:
House Corrections
Keywords:
mental health, women's health, county jail, depression screening, criminal justice, HB 2854, Pokuaa-Flowers Act, parole, mandatory supervision, electronic monitoring, releasee, parole officer, hospital visit approval, general hospital, law enforcement notification, DSHS, Department of State Health Services, corrections, public safety, liability immunity
AL
Alabama 2025 Regular Session
Alabama Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee Apr 16th, 2025
Finance and Taxation General Fund
Transcript Highlights:
- I want to draw the edge, if you will, that we're fixing to fall off.
- And I had the opportunity to work with our Department of Revenue.
- It seems like our company and product was singled out in those remarks.
- I think that concludes our Thank you. I think that concludes our public hearing.
- So, dilly-dallying is not in our best interest. So, dilly-dallying is not in our vocabulary.
Committee:
Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund
Keywords:
virtual currency, cryptocurrency, tax exemption, state tax law, digital assets, ad valorem tax, tangible personal property, business incentives, economic impact, firefighter, license plate, fees, funds distribution, support programs, memorial, disabled veterans, property tax exemption, debt-to-income ratio, homestead, veterans affairs
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Many of our volunteers deployed to fight the fires, and while our folks voluntarily put their lives on
- Our volunteers are forced to make the decision: do we protect our community or risk losing our jobs?
- hospitals and our schools.
- By passing HB446, you have a chance to do better by our workers, by Texans, and by our state.
- our economy.
Committee:
House S/C on Workforce
Keywords:
heat illness prevention, workplace safety, Texas Workforce Commission, advisory board, employee rights, administrative penalties, training requirements, employee training, occupational health, employer penalties, worker rights, heat illness, volunteer firefighter, volunteer emergency responder, emergency medical services volunteer, EMS volunteer, firefighter, fire department, emergency services, declared disaster