Transcript Highlights:

• SJR 1, if approved by the Texas voters, again, the voters will have a say on this, would amend Article
• And I'm, I'm betting that they're going to It would amend Article 1 of our state constitution to expel
• , for a secondary offense committed in a different county under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Article
• Article 1, section 9, clause 1.
• That is why bail is protected by Article 1 of the Texas Constitution as well as by the Code of Criminal

Bills: SB9 , SB1047 , SB1048 , SJR17 , SJR49 , SB40 , SJR1 , SJR5 , SB 9 , SB 40 , SJR 1

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Bills: SCR4 , SCR18 , SCR43 , SB227 , SB269 , SB330 , SB434 , SB437 , SB438 , SB463 , SB528 , SB584 , SB604 , SB663 , SB668 , SB682 , SB747 , SB841 , SB912 , SB968 , SB1013 , SB1020 , SB1044 , SB1137 , SB1138 , SB1143 , SB1164 , SB1169 , SB1200 , SB1236 , SB1244 , SB1299 , SB1325 , SB1335 , SB1369 , SB1410 , SB1418 , SB1422 , SB1455 , SB1468 , SB1495 , SB1534 , SB1579 , SB1580 , SB1612 , SB1624 , SB1667 , SB1734 , SB1745 , SB1746 , SB1760 , SB1784 , SB1860 , SB1862 , SB1864 , SB1896 , SB1898 , SB1920 , SB1940 , SB1952 , SB1998 , SB1999 , SB2004 , SB2032 , SB2052 , SB2068 , SB2073 , SB2121 , SB2127 , SB2141 , SB2145 , SB2161 , SB2167 , SB2196 , SB2207 , SB2216 , SB2246 , SB2323 , SB2332 , SB2395 , SB2429 , SB2431 , SB2439 , SB2443 , SB2581 , SB2601 , SB2629 , SB2702 , SB2705 , SB2717 , SB2798 , SB2873 , SB2881 , SB2964 , SB3034 , SCR4 , SCR38 , SB39 , SB227 , SB240 , SB330 , SB401 , SB407 , SB467 , SB506 , SB512 , SB527 , SB584 , SB618 , SB619 , SB636 , SB648 , SB663 , SB715 , SB732 , SB758 , SB801 , SB843 , SB847 , SB870 , SB957 , SB1013 , SB1020 , SB1065 , SB1152 , SB1164 , SB1181 , SB1183 , SB1257 , SB1283 , SB1299 , SB1325 , SB1349 , SB1395 , SB1433 , SB1455 , SB1490 , SB1558 , SB1574 , SB1624 , SB1626 , SB1640 , SB1717 , SB1718 , SB1727 , SB1734 , SB1756 , SB1757 , SB1789 , SB1832 , SB1845 , SB1868 , SB1920 , SB1924 , SB1964 , SB2004 , SB2018 , SB2031 , SB2037 , SB2052 , SB2073 , SB2075 , SB2080 , SB2111 , SB2117 , SB2154 , SB2161 , SB2196 , SB2206 , SB2253 , SB2268 , SB2322 , SB2323 , SB2349 , SB2533 , SB2540 , SB2570 , SB2623 , SB2626 , SB2658 , SB2660 , SB2692 , SB2705 , SB2717 , SB2722 , SB2742 , SB2743 , SB2753 , SB2788 , SB2877 , SB2900 , SB2920 , SB3031 , SB5 , SB260 , SB1786 , SB1 , HJR4 , HB135 , HB 1109 , SJR36 , SJR50 , SJR63 , SJR84 , SJR59 , SCR12 , SCR39 , SCR38 , SCR4 , SCR18 , SCR43 , SCR46 , SCR48 , SCR19 , SB2023 , SB1257 , SB240 , SB1727 , SB870 , SB618 , SB62 , SB666 , SB847 , SB284 , SB854 , SB1073 , SB810 , SB1505 , SB583 , SB1502 , SB507 , SB1026 , SB1349 , SB1433 , SB1434 , SB1376 , SB1585 , SB1772 , SB2016 , SB1163 , SB619 , SB1122 , SB732 , SB731 , SB397 , SB508 , SB1436 , SB287 , SB261 , SB1882 , SB393 , SB1791 , SB529 , SB209 , SB2429 , SB1999 , SB511 , SB2309 , SB510 , SB1860 , SB2037 , SB1924 , SB2253 , SB2018 , SB2206 , SB1299 , SB841 , SB668 , SB584 , SB1085 , SB2431 , SB1490 , SB1868 , SB2314 , SB434 , SB2046 , SB1667 , SB2127 , SB1975 , SB1760 , SB1734 , SB1335 , SB2246 , SB2439 , SB1624 , SB1244 , SB1468 , SB2717 , SB1612 , SB1262 , SB604 , SB2395 , SB1832 , SB1745 , SB1746 , SB2207 , SB1784 , SB1524 , SB528 , SB437 , SB269 , SB1137 , SB968 , SB636 , SB747 , SB1325 , SB1455 , SB2056 , SB1940 , SB2052 , SB1579 , SB2068 , SB3034 , SB1920 , SB1558 , SB1236 , SB1044 , SB884 , SB463 , SB227 , SB517 , SB1200 , SB1410 , SB1626 , SB1845 , SB1863 , SB2216 , SB2681 , SB1717 , SB2141 , SB2323 , SB2200 , SB2332 , SB2199 , SB1757 , SB2050 , SB1138 , SB2458 , SB1864 , SB2201 , SB1862 , SB1055 , SB2660 , SB1898 , SB2662 , SB2161 , SB2964 , SB2881 , SB1065 , SB801 , SB2743 , SB2533 , SB2073 , SB3014 , SB3013 , SB2702 , SB2629 , SB2443 , SB2349 , SB2167 , SB2145 , SB2121 , SB758 , SB648 , SB647 , SB512 , SB438 , SB1721 , SB2268 , SB1495 , SB2705 , SB2366 , SB1422 , SB1369 , SB1013 , SB682 , SB2692 , SB2570 , SB2797 , SB2111 , SB1896 , SB1164 , SB1020 , SB663 , SB2371 , SB1152 , SB2196 , SB2383 , SB2581 , SB2798 , SB330 , SB646 , SB843 , SB1998 , SB1418 , SB2788 , SB1169 , SB2873 , SB1754 , SB1534 , SB1718 , SB2779 , SB2004 , SB1143 , SB1756 , SB912 , SB2119 , SB2032 , SB527 , SB1580 , SB1952 , SB2601 , SB2322 , SB2448 , SB1777 , SB1283 , SB407 , SB2392 , SB2076 , SB2786 , SB3031 , SB2877 , SB2876 , SB2284 , SB2225 , SB1540 , SB2920 , SB2929 , SB1395 , SB1972 , SB2540 , SB1183 , SB2742 , SB2595 , SB2217 , SB2117 , SB715 , SB2330 , SB1964 , SB1383 , SB500 , SB1640 , SB39 , SB2001 , SB2080 , SB2722 , SB506 , SB2514 , SB2623 , SB2658 , SB1574 , SB2900 , SB2753 , SB2398 , SB401 , SB1241 , SB2927 , SB2173 , SB2538 , SB898 , SB467 , SB1449 , SB2529 , SB1531 , SB2846 , SB2476 , SB2031 , SB986 , SB1181 , SB2075 , SB2154 , SB2864 , SB31 , SB2880 , SB1359 , SB2386 , SB771 , SB2844 , SB2550 , SB1351 , SB1423 , SB1931 , SB2245 , SB2589 , SB2707 , SB2807 , SB2351 , SB410 , SB659 , SB816 , SB2776 , SB2693 , SB2580 , SB1980 , SB1886 , SB1234 , SB739 , SB482 , SB456 , SB127 , SB1666 , SB2843 , SB2801 , SB800 , SB2055 , SB784 , SB2986 , SB735 , SB1012 , SB324 , SB2926 , SB2938 , SB2007 , SB2138 , SB1242 , SB843 , SB1152 , SB1164 , SB1299 , SB1349 , SB1868 , SB2037 , SB2349 , SB2788 , SB39 , SB1183 , SB1717 , SB1832 , SB2743 , SR429 , SR432 , SCR38 , SB39 , SB240 , SB618 , SB870 , SB1183 , SB1257 , SB1717 , SB1727 , SB1832 , SB2743 , SB2 , SB3058 , SB3059 , HB6 , HB14 , HB43 , HB 100 , HB136 , HB149 , HB204 , HB206 , HB307 , HB467 , HB685 , HB 1130 , HB1393 , HB1644 , HB2027 , HB2118 , HB2176 , HB2468 , HB2488 , HB2525 , HB2596 , HB2890 , HB2894 , HB3077 , HB3114 , HB3204 , SCR4 , SCR18 , SCR43 , SB269 , SB330 , SB434 , SB437 , SB438 , SB463 , SB528 , SB604 , SB663 , SB668 , SB682 , SB747 , SB841 , SB912 , SB968 , SB1020 , SB1044 , SB1138 , SB1143 , SB1236 , SB1244 , SB1325 , SB1335 , SB1369 , SB1418 , SB1422 , SB1455 , SB1468 , SB1495 , SB1534 , SB1579 , SB1580 , SB1612 , SB1624 , SB1667 , SB1734 , SB1745 , SB1746 , SB1760 , SB1784 , SB1860 , SB1862 , SB1864 , SB1896 , SB1898 , SB1920 , SB1940 , SB1952 , SB1998 , SB2032 , SB2052 , SB2068 , SB2073 , SB2121 , SB2127 , SB2141 , SB2145 , SB2161 , SB2167 , SB2196 , SB2207 , SB2216 , SB2246 , SB2323 , SB2332 , SB2395 , SB2431 , SB2439 , SB2443 , SB2581 , SB2601 , SB2629 , SB2702 , SB2705 , SB2798 , SB2873 , SB2881 , SB2964 , SB3034 , SB227 , SB584 , SB1013 , SB1137 , SB1169 , SB1200 , SB1299 , SB1410 , SB1999 , SB2004 , SB2429 , SB2717 , SB3058 , SB3059 , HB6 , HB14 , HB43 , HB 100 , HB136 , HB149 , HB204 , HB206 , HB307 , HB467 , HB685 , HB 1130 , HB1393 , HB1644 , HB2027 , HB2118 , HB2176 , HB2468 , HB2488 , HB2525 , HB2596 , HB2890 , HB2894 , HB3077 , HB3114 , HB3204

Keywords: Pflugerville, Trail Capital, health and wellness, outdoor recreation, community connectivity, patriotism, town designation, community engagement, Trophy Club, Texas Town of Patriotism, Port Aransas, Mustang Island, Fishing Capital of Texas, Texas fishing, coastal tourism, charter fishing, deep-sea fishing, bay fishing, pier fishing, angling

Transcript Highlights:

• Nothing in this article its designation.
• Did you look at this article?
• </c> 18B ends with "Nothing in this article 18B ends with "Nothing in this article shall<01:06:55.520
• </c> Did you look at this article? Did you look at this article?
• ><c> taxation</c> Article 12, protection in taxation Article 12, protection in taxation reciprocal.

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• And in it, there's these two sections specifically in Article 3, which is the legislative portion of
• So Article 3, Section 21, you know, I'm not even going to thumb through, basically states that we're
• Back in 2017, our predecessors in the 99th Assembly passed a bill that was Article 5 of the U.S.
• Article 5 in the U.S.
• Article 5, Convention of States process. ...oppose amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have not finalized the LST article, but we will appreciate your doing that before we do.
• We have not finalized the LST LST<00:59:13.920><c> article,</c><00:59:14.880><c> but</c><00:59:15.480
• ><c> um</c> LST article, but um LST article, but um we<00:59:16.360><c> will</c><00:59:16.720><c> appreciate
• Um, Senator Hauschild, in working with others, will be bringing us a metals article to be considered
• </c> um will be bringing us a metals article um will be bringing us a metals article to<01:08:48.560>

Committee: Senate Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• the chief election official who gets his authority from the New Hampshire Constitution, part two, article
• Um, you know, if they do this by a petition warrant article, you know, can I say that this has to be
• within the first two or three or whatever warrant articles that they work on?
• Chair, a vote to reorder the warrant articles at a town meeting shall be by a simple majority vote.
• Chair, 13 articles less than two hours. Well, that was my time meeting. >> All right. All right.

Committee: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• piece deletes article two.
• title of article one because there'll be only one article remaining once the amendment is adopted.
• </c> to strike a title to an article. to strike a title to an article.
• ,</c> header, I suppose, for the article, header, I suppose, for the article, right?
• </c> deleted that article two. deleted that article two.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• As Article 4, Section B of the Taiwan Relations Act stipulates that wherever the laws of the United States
• As<00:13:43.560><c> Article</c><00:13:43.920><c> 4</c><00:13:44.200><c> Section</c><00:13:44.680><c>
• B</c><00:13:45.080><c> of</c><00:13:45.200><c> the</c><00:13:45.320><c> Taiwan</c> As Article 4, Section

Transcript Highlights:

• And lastly, there's an interesting article that came out today.
• And lastly, there's an interesting article that came out today.
• And lastly, there's an interesting article that came out today.

Summary: The Environment and Energy committee met for executive session on four bills. Staff briefed House Bill 2416, which would replace Climate Commitment Act no-cost allowances for the Spokane waste-to-energy facility with a separate regulatory scheme requiring emissions reductions, reporting to Ecology and Commerce, and enforcement provisions; members discussed whether emissions accounting included biogenic emissions and confirmed the reduction measures would need to occur on-site. House Bill 2537 would direct Ecology to recommend a future allowance schedule for emissions-intensive, trade-exposed facilities and require biennial reporting and periodic plans, while House Bill 2575 would reduce several Energy Independence Act and state energy strategy reporting requirements for utilities and Commerce. House Bill 2322, as amended in a proposed substitute, would delay alternative jet fuel tax incentives until July 1, 2031, remove capacity thresholds, tie eligibility to life-cycle rather than direct emissions, and drop a Clean Fuels Program carbon-intensity change. During executive action, the committee debated the policy impacts of the waste-to-energy bill, with supporters saying the Spokane facility is unique and needs a separate framework, and opponents arguing it would create costly disincentives and raise ratepayer costs. The EITE bill drew support from members who said it would help identify facility-specific decarbonization options, while opponents warned about competitiveness, job losses, and industry leaving the state. The reporting-reduction bill was described as a streamlining measure that would save utilities money and remove duplicative or outdated reports. The alternative jet fuel substitute was presented as a clarification and simplification of the incentive structure, and members praised the changes. All four measures were reported out of committee with due pass recommendations. House Bill 2416 and House Bill 2537 each passed on 12-9 votes, House Bill 2575 passed unanimously by voice vote, and the proposed substitute for House Bill 2322 also passed unanimously by voice vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Article 3 establishes it, yes.
• Article 3, Sections 10 and 11. Section 10 actually talks about the quorum.
• Article 3 of the Constitution, Sections 10 and 11, address quorum and also the Applicable punishment

Bills: HB18

Committee: House Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• But projects do not always mean warrant articles.
• stipulates that the warrant article language<02:16:41.200><c> is</c><02:16:41.599><c> not</c><02:16:
• The one thing I do want to make sure to clarify is that questions on warrant articles: warrant articles
• The one thing I do want to make sure to clarify is that questions on warrant articles: warrant articles
• Warrant articles are amendable, not necessarily the wording, but amounts, percentages are amendable.

Committee: House Municipal and County Government

Transcript Highlights:

• So I think what the article is talking about is it's possible that if we have a...
• But what the team is doing now, based on the article, it was well written.
• My point is that the article is nuanced. I'm not saying that we can't handle nuance.
• So we're zero for two on the two things that I've read in this article so far.
• I did not read that article.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I think what the article is talking about is it's possible that if we have a...
• My point is that the article is nuanced. I'm not saying that we can't handle nuance.
• So we're zero for two on the two things that I've read in this article so far.
• So in this, I don’t know if, Judge, if you’ve read this article, the individual...
• I did not read that article.

Summary: The joint Senate Public Safety and Transportation hearing focused on DUI, impaired driving, speeding, distracted driving, road design, and the broader traffic safety system in California. Chairs Jesse Arreguín and Dave Cortese said the purpose was to inform upcoming legislation and noted that no bills would be acted on at the hearing. They emphasized the scale of the problem, including thousands of fatal and serious injury crashes each year, and framed the discussion around a Safe System approach that combines infrastructure, enforcement, education, and technology. The first panel covered current DUI law and traffic safety research. Thomas Nozowitz of the Committee on Revision of the Penal Code outlined California’s DUI penalty structure, including escalating misdemeanor and felony penalties, license suspensions, ignition interlock devices, Watson advisories, and homicide-related offenses such as vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and Watson murder. Stephanie Doherty of the Office of Traffic Safety described statewide crash trends, the role of alcohol, drugs, and speeding in fatalities, and state efforts such as the Safe System approach, safety corridors, and grant funding for impaired-driving countermeasures. Dr. Julia Griswold of UC Berkeley SafeTREC presented research favoring systemic interventions like self-explaining roads, safer speed limits, speed safety cameras, intelligent speed assistance, ignition interlocks, sobriety checkpoints, and treatment for chronic offenders, while noting that first-time DUI offenders account for a large share of fatal crashes. Members pressed the panelists on first-offense DUI treatment, ignition interlocks, speed governors, diversion, and whether tougher sanctions or vehicle technology would better reduce recidivism. Several senators raised concerns about repeat offenders, alcohol-use disorder, and the need for earlier intervention, while others questioned the effectiveness and cost of in-car devices. The panel also discussed data gaps and the need for better reporting and coordination between courts and DMV. The second panel, with DMV Director Steve Gordon and Judge Lisa Rodriguez, explained how administrative and court processes work in parallel: DMV receives court abstracts and can impose administrative per se suspensions quickly, while courts handle criminal cases, probation, and sentencing on a slower timeline. Both witnesses said the system is complex and paper-heavy but improving, and they acknowledged the need for better integration, clearer statutes, faster reporting, and more timely license actions to keep impaired drivers off the road.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I think what the article is talking about is it's possible that if we have a...
• But what the team is doing now, based on, I mean, in the article, it was well written.
• My point is that the article is nuanced. I'm not saying that we can't handle nuance.
• So we're zero for two on the two things that I've read in this article so far.
• I did not read that article.

Summary: The joint Senate Public Safety and Transportation hearing focused on DUI, impaired driving, traffic violence, speed management, and how criminal and administrative systems interact. Chairs Jesse Arreguín and Dave Cortese said the hearing was intended to inform upcoming legislation and noted that no bills would be acted on that day. They emphasized the scale of roadway deaths and serious injuries, the need for a holistic Safe System approach, and the importance of hearing from law enforcement, researchers, victims’ advocates, judges, and DMV officials. The first panel reviewed current DUI law and research. Thomas Nozowitz of the Committee on Revision of the Penal Code outlined California’s DUI penalties, including escalating misdemeanor and felony consequences, ignition interlock device requirements, license suspensions, Watson advisories, and homicide-related offenses. Stephanie Doherty of the Office of Traffic Safety described statewide crash trends, the role of alcohol, drugs, speed, and vulnerable road users, and the state’s Safe System and safety corridor efforts. Dr. Julia Griswold of UC Berkeley presented research supporting systemic interventions such as self-explaining roads, safer speed limits, speed safety cameras, ignition interlocks, sobriety checkpoints, and treatment for chronic offenders; she also noted that many DUI fatalities involve first-time offenders and that punitive measures alone have limited effect on high-risk drivers. Members pressed witnesses on ignition interlocks, speed governors, DUI treatment, diversion, and whether current penalties are strong enough. Several senators, including Archuleta and Blakespear, argued for stronger immediate consequences and better use of in-car technology, while witnesses said chronic offenders often need treatment and that some existing programs may be underused or inconsistently effective. The discussion also touched on data gaps, the need to distinguish alcohol- from drug-involved crashes, and the possibility of allowing diversion for some first-time DUI cases while preserving consequences for repeat offenses. The second panel addressed DMV and court processes. DMV Director Steve Gordon said the department handles mandatory, court-ordered, and administrative actions, and that recent process changes have reduced DMV hearing delays from roughly 170 days to under 70 days in many cases. Judge Lisa Rodriguez explained that county-by-county court practices, case filing delays, sentencing timelines, and paper or mixed electronic systems can slow reporting to DMV, especially for misdemeanors and felonies. She said courts are reviewing reporting requirements, training, and case-management coding to improve transmission of DUI orders, while DMV said it is open to simplification and better coordination but is constrained by aging systems and the motor vehicle account’s financial limits. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Under the Constitution, Article I, Section 13, you cannot interfere with private contracts.
• It's found in Article 3, Section 39, sub-9.
• It does say, though, in Article 3, ...try to spread that revenue out.
• It complies and satisfies Article 3, Section 39B2.
• We've seen some news articles about the ongoing struggles that the school district in St.

Committees: House Emerging Issues , House Emerging Issues and Professional Registration

Summary: The committee first met in executive session on several House bills related to transgender health care and sports participation, with Representative Thomas speaking in strong opposition. Thomas argued the bills were not supported by medical science, would criminalize doctors and parents following mainstream medical guidance, and were being driven by campaign politics rather than Missouri testimony or need. The committee adopted House Committee Substitutes and voted do pass on House Bills 2033, 1608, 1672, and 1854 by a vote of 9-4, and then voted do pass on House Bills 1663, 1607, and 1973 by the same 9-4 margin. The committee then held a public hearing on House Bills 2404 and 2172, which would bar political subdivisions from using deed restrictions to prevent former public school buildings from being sold or leased to charter schools and would give public entities a right of first refusal on unused school property. The sponsors and charter school supporters said the bills would help repurpose vacant buildings for educational use, while St. Louis Public Schools and AFT opposed them, arguing local school boards should control their property and that existing restrictions were lawful and sometimes necessary. Kansas City Public Schools testified that the issue was less pressing there and that it already had a robust repurposing process, though charter advocates described difficulty obtaining former school facilities. No vote was taken in the hearing. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2989, a major proposal to legalize and regulate video lottery terminals. Representative Hardwick said the bill would eliminate gray machines, create a licensed and taxed system for bars, VFWs, and similar establishments, and direct revenue to education, veterans, and enforcement. Supporters said the bill would clarify the law and provide a regulated alternative to existing unlicensed gaming, while opponents argued it was unconstitutional, would expand gambling, and should instead focus on enforcement against illegal machines. Members questioned details such as age verification, surveillance retention, municipal opt-in/opt-out timing, the definition of amusement devices, the felony penalty, and the need for a new gaming bureau; Hardwick said he was open to changes in a committee substitute. The hearing ended without a vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• But in the copyright framework and in the AI Act, there are Articles 3 and 4 on opt-out.
• But under Article 4, when it's used for commercial purposes, as a right holder, you can opt out.
• But under Article 4, when it's used for commercial purposes, as a right holder, you can opt out.
• If they do take people's data, whether it's voices, whether it's song lyrics, books, news articles, or
• It generated all fingerprints for every Wikipedia article.

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee and Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee held an informational hearing at Stanford on the intersection of artificial intelligence, copyright, transparency, and California’s creative economy. Chairs and members emphasized that the hearing was not on a specific bill and would not include a vote, but was intended to gather information ahead of the next legislative session. Opening remarks stressed the tension between protecting artists’ intellectual property and allowing AI innovation to continue in California, with several members noting the state’s outsized role in both the tech and entertainment sectors. The first panel featured Professor Pamela Samuelson and Stanford researcher Rishi Bommasani. Samuelson reviewed the current copyright litigation landscape, including dozens of lawsuits against generative AI companies, and explained that fair use will likely be central, especially the market-effects factor. She said state action is constrained by federal copyright preemption, but transparency, privacy, and deepfake-related regulation may still be possible. Bommasani described widespread opacity around training data among major California AI companies, discussed AB 2013 and the EU AI Act as transparency models, and warned that disclosure rules face enforcement and design challenges. Members asked about market dilution theories, open-source models, user data, machine unlearning, and what California can do without conflicting with federal law. The second panel included SAG-AFTRA board member Jason George, Animation Guild president Danny Lynn, and OpenAI copyright counsel Mark Gray. George and Lynn argued that AI training on performers’ and artists’ work without consent or compensation is already harming careers, devaluing creative labor, and enabling digital replicas and style imitation; both supported stronger transparency so rights holders can identify when their work is used and negotiate licenses. Gray said AI is increasingly being used as a productivity tool and pointed to growing partnerships between AI companies and publishers, studios, and record labels, while acknowledging concerns about deepfakes and specific harmful uses. Committee members pressed him on labeling AI-generated content, training-data disclosure, and how to protect creators while still encouraging innovation. No formal action or vote was taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then there are two other provisions within article one that I just want to point out on the side
• one that I just want to within article one that I just want to point<00:08:32.959><c> out</c><00:08:
• c> Starting</c><00:12:51.839><c> on</c> Madam Chair and members, I'll take us through the policy articles
• R28 to R31 is a House-only article, and this article would allow housing and redevelopment authorities
• R28 to R31 is a House-only article, and this article would allow housing and redevelopment authorities

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm hoping, Madam Chair, to an article that was in the paper about the Environment Department stopping
• Apparently there was an article in the Santa Fe New Mexican that we had not funded them adequately, and
• If you read the article, it's that we didn't.
• You know, it was a little more complicated than the article said.
• I Found an article. I put it on social media channels.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, that I would direct to you because there was the news article…” “…on February 2, 2026, in the
• And I want to go back to the article that Senator Laird talked about, that February... Thank you.
• And in the article it talks about the fact that now this is a fear that's instilled in, I'm sure not
• In particular, the San Francisco Chronicle article, which I appreciate the engagement.
• , whether it's through conversations... ...through visits, whether it's through articles, whether it's

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules first established quorum and took up several routine items, including two governor’s appointments to the Court Reporters Board, references of bills to committees, and floor acknowledgments. Heather Lynn Gonzalez’s appointment was approved 3-1, Allison Salton-Sall’s appointment was approved 4-0, and the other routine items were approved 4-0. The committee then heard testimony on two Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation appointments, Kathleen Ratliff and Joseph Tuggle, both associate directors in the Division of Adult Institutions. Senators focused heavily on the California model, staff safety, prison violence, sexual abuse prevention, retaliation concerns, and visitation. Ratliff and Tuggle said the California model is meant to balance rehabilitation with safety, that CDCR has improved communication and training, and that incidents such as the pepper-spray event at Central California Women’s Facility led to discipline, investigations, retraining, and policy review. They also described PREA reporting systems, anti-retaliation protections, statewide visiting meetings, and efforts to make visiting more family-centered and consistent. Public commenters largely supported both nominees, citing their work on rehabilitation, reentry, and sexual abuse response. The committee unanimously voted 4-0 to send both Ratliff and Tuggle to the Senate floor for confirmation. It then heard from Jason Johnson, nominated as CDCR Undersecretary of Operations. Senators questioned him about parole supervision, public safety, contraband, prison rape prevention, workplace culture, whistleblower retaliation, and repeated allegations in late-filed opposition letters. Johnson said parole risk is assessed through established scoring and supervision levels, that sex offenders are subject to GPS monitoring and treatment, and that operations use investigations, training, and collaboration with law enforcement to address contraband and misconduct. He emphasized rehabilitation, culture change, accountability, and his commitment to staff and public safety, while acknowledging criticism and the difficulty of leading a large institution. No vote on Johnson was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• ... ...you know, that I would direct to you because there was the news article on February 2nd, 2026,
• And I want to go back to the article that Senator Laird talked about, that February 2nd report.
• And in the article it talks about the fact that now this is a fear that's instilled in, I'm sure not
• In particular, the San Francisco Chronicle article, which I appreciate the engagement.
• , whether it's through conversations... ...through visits, whether it's through articles, whether it's

Committee: Senate Rules