Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, we're gonna, we're gonna let you proceed and we'll have you walk out with the clerk and register
• Please proceed.
• Please proceed. Well, thank you for inviting me to testify today and thank you to Dr.
• Please proceed. Morning, committee members. Uh, my name is Matthew May.
• Please proceed. All right, thank you. Good morning, uh, Chair Meyers, members of the committee.

Bills: HB249

Keywords: real property, ad valorem tax, tax appraisal, property value limitation, real estate taxation, property ownership

Transcript Highlights:

• Please proceed. All right, Commissioner Sid Miller, Texas Department of Agriculture. Thank you, Mr.
• Please proceed. Well, good afternoon. Thank you, Chairman, vice chair of the committee, um.
• Please proceed. Chairman, commissioners, thank you for your time.
• Please proceed. Uh, thank you, Mr. Chair, members of the committee.
• Please proceed. Thank you for this opportunity.

Transcript Highlights:

• The estimated FY27 excess spending exclusions and how much is being excluded from the excess spending
• The estimated FY27 excess spending exclusions and how much is being excluded from the excess spending
• James and it's Excess Spending 101 and explains everything about the uh calculating the excess spending
• Excess spending school budgets.
• Does that count against them on their excess spending? I know it... on their excess spending?

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Please proceed. Thank you, Chair Y. WCE Chair Takui and members of the committee. Happy New Year.
• food and excess fruits and vegetables that it grows to the homeless pantries, which I don't disagree
• food and excess fruits and vegetables that it grows to the homeless pantries, which I don't disagree
• The Oahu Correctional Facility should give excess food and excess fruits and vegetables that it grows
• Please proceed.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Finance held its first informational briefing for 2025, beginning with member introductions and then hearing an economic outlook presentation from Dr. Eugene Tian of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Dr. Tian said Hawaii’s economy was in relatively good shape in several areas, especially construction, which he described as at a historical high, with construction employment above 40,000 monthly and building permit values and contracting tax base both up sharply. He also noted real estate sales had rebounded in 2024, the labor market had stabilized with unemployment around 2.9%, and initial unemployment claims were below 2019 levels. At the same time, he highlighted challenges including inflation running above the national rate, a shrinking labor force, lower employment compared with 2023, and continued weakness in visitor spending and arrivals. He said future growth would likely come from health care, professional services, construction, tourism recovery, and diversified sectors such as renewable energy, aquaculture, creative industries, and technology. Dr. Tian also discussed Hawaii’s economic structure and recovery, saying the state remains more concentrated in a few industries than the U.S. overall, with government and hospitality making up larger shares of the economy. He said non-tourism sectors had recovered, but tourism-related jobs and output were still below pre-pandemic levels, with Maui and the visitor industry still affected by the wildfire and COVID-19 impacts. He projected tourism and non-agricultural wage and salary jobs would not fully recover until 2027, and said population trends remain a concern because of aging, the likelihood of deaths outpacing births in coming years, and reliance on in-migration. After his presentation, the chair said questions would be taken later and the committee took a short break. After the break, Dr. Carano of the Hawaii Executive Director’s office presented a second outlook, saying Hawaii’s economy in 2025 looked better than 2024 overall, though he emphasized substantial uncertainty tied to the incoming federal administration. He said possible changes to tariffs, tax policy, immigration, and federal spending could raise inflation and keep interest rates higher than previously expected, which would affect housing, consumer debt, the dollar, and Hawaii’s visitor industry. He noted that U.S. visitors account for roughly three-quarters of visitor spending in the state, making federal policy especially important. He also said deregulation could be a long-term positive but would not likely have much effect in 2025 or 2026. As an additional risk, he pointed to bird flu and its effect on livestock, poultry, and egg prices. No votes or formal actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair Baker invited Commissioner McKinnon to identify himself and proceed with his testimony.
• Deputy Commissioner McKinnon was asked to identify himself and proceed with his testimony.
• as I mentioned, after March 1st of every year, when we get the labor market report and there are excess
• /c><00:24:22.880> and<00:24:23.279> there<00:24:23.600> are<00:24:23.840> excess
• market uh report and there are excess market uh report and there are excess funds<00:24:24.799><

Bills: HF2440

Keywords: labor market, employment, economic development, funding, data analysis, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• bill does not apply this lower excess bill does not apply this lower excess spending<00:55:46.840
• <00:57:21.480> spending not have hit that excess spending not have hit that excess spending
• excess spending threshold penalty. excess spending threshold penalty.
• <01:04:57.120> spending is spending above the excess spending is spending above the excess
• and they have been paying the excess and they have been paying the excess spending<01:40:46.560>

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Local approval is still required before an event can proceed.
• protection than the NCUA by covering $250,000 per account rather than per member, or by offering excess
• than per member, or by offering excess than per member, or by offering excess share<01:33:52.000
• Please introduce yourself and proceed. Hi. My name is Patrick Feckmire.
• <02:03:28.720> benefiting prizes and the proceeds benefiting prizes and the proceeds benefiting

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Rolls, and proceed. Good afternoon, Madam Chair and committee. My name is Ryan Rolis.
• that the farmer would get loan proceeds that the farmer would get the<00:36:49.839> farmer<00
• Rolls, but the loan proceeds that the farmer would get, the farmer is able to use that for operating
• Um, proceed, commissioner. Thank you, Chair.
• The reason that they're being asked to spend tens of millions of dollars, sometimes in excess of $100

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• > is<00:19:22.520> it<00:19:22.840> Miss<00:19:23.840> thank you want to proceed
• is it Miss thank you want to proceed is it Miss thank you<00:19:25.840> the<00:19:26.000>
• For many years now, I think in excess of 20 years, we've been averaging around 300 new infections of
• of 20 years we've been a aing in excess of 20 years we've been a aing around<00:42:57.880> 300
• Mister, please proceed.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to show you the proceeds of that. We've got a new district organizational structure.
• These are the projects that are actually shovel-ready and will be in excess of that. ...have funding
• These are the projects that are actually shovel-ready and will be in excess of that.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met for an information-only hearing with no votes or formal actions. DOTD Secretary Glenn LaD and Deputy Secretary Beau Black outlined the department’s transformation efforts, emphasizing faster project delivery, improved transparency, and use of technology. They reported major reductions in contractor payment processing time, from roughly 35 days to 15 days or less, and change-order approvals from about 40–45 days to around five days. They also described new tools such as inspection tablets, a project delivery dashboard, e-ticketing, a customer service portal, and a pilot using sensor technology on department vehicles to identify potholes and damaged assets. The department said it is reorganizing district staffing, replacing the old area engineer model with district points of contact for construction, maintenance, and operations, without increasing total staff. Members focused heavily on local maintenance concerns, including potholes, drainage, culverts, mowing, overgrown ditches, and utility-related delays. Several legislators asked how to get quicker responses on routine maintenance and how to distinguish state responsibility from local jurisdiction. DOTD said it would meet with district administrators to address specific problems and clarify jurisdiction, and that the new customer service portal should help track complaints electronically. Members also asked about contractor accountability, utility relocations, and public communication on long-running projects; DOTD said it is improving internal KPIs, coordinating more closely with district staff and public information officers, and considering broader public updates beyond the website. The department also reviewed highway planning and funding. Officials said the Highway Priority Program is being reworked into a more fiscally constrained, staged process that starts earlier in concept development and gives legislators and constituents more feedback before the annual road show. They said the department is using new IDIQ contracting authority to bring in outside help for bridge maintenance and other work, and that bridge maintenance backlogs remain significant. DOTD reported that LTIF 1.0 and 2.0 together cover 91 projects statewide totaling more than $534 million, with over 40 complete, and that LTIF 3.0 adds 39 projects and about $165 million. Combined with other funding sources, the department said its upcoming construction program will include 385 projects worth about $1.73 billion. Legislators generally praised the department’s progress but raised concerns about lingering local problems and the need for clearer communication. Questions were also asked about a barge strike on the Black Bayou Pontoon Bridge, with DOTD saying divers and staff were inspecting the damage and that emergency repairs would likely be needed. After the DOTD update, the new Office of Louisiana Highway Construction, led by Archie Chesson, gave its own update on its first year, describing a small staff, heavy use of consultant and contractor pools, emergency procurement authority, and rapid delivery of rural bridge and roadway projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• We will go ahead and proceed with that, but they're available here at the desk.
• So we did have excess funds, And they were, you know, returned to the government.
• So we did have excess funds in our account. We had drawn them early, which we should not have done.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• secondary documentation to the election worker, and then they will be able to sign the book and then proceed
• about a worry that we're inadvertently signaling private utilities that they can continue to charge excessive
• I assume this study will bring out what the definition of excessive rate is.

Bills: HR118, HR196, HR237, HR285, HCR85, HB442, HB443, SCR5, SCR29, SCR33, SCR63, SB25, SB202, SB319

Keywords: water utility, tax credit, excessive rates, residential service, subcommittee, fallen trees, property damage, insurance, property values, hurricanes, storm damage, local government, homeowners, risk management, committee study, census, military population, Department of Defense, representation, federal funding

Transcript Highlights:

• lease agreements from providing rental arrangements for charitable gaming premises or equipment in excess
• understanding by making it harder for courts to meaningfully consider those sentences and by placing excessive
• I take it Vice Chair LaFleur has authority to proceed with Senator Jackson Andrews' bill.

Summary: The Criminal Justice Committee met on May 12 and took up a series of bills, mostly on juvenile justice, gaming-related background checks, bail/electronic bonds, and corrections policy. Early in the meeting, the committee reported favorably SB 258 on juvenile traffic violations, SB 321 on electronic bonds, SB 134 on limiting certain child sexual abuse material offenses for juveniles under 17 in specific circumstances, HB 75 on promotional play for racetracks as amended, and SB 422 on unsupervised probation for certain fourth-offense impaired driving cases. Later, the committee also advanced SB 440 on the Renaissance District board membership, SB 393 on explosives regulation, SB 487 on charitable gaming rental arrangements, SB 339 and SB 288 on criminal background check procedures in the gaming and related regulatory systems, and SB 325 on excluding certain persons from sports wagering. A major portion of the hearing focused on SB 201, which would change juvenile homicide sentencing procedures, including first- and second-degree murder cases, and how reviewing courts consider parole eligibility and prior death sentences converted to life. Supporters said the bill aligns sentencing with existing Supreme Court precedent and gives courts clearer guidance; opponents from children’s rights and civil liberties groups argued it weakens the “rarest and uncommon” safeguard for juvenile life-without-parole sentences and could expand harsh sentencing beyond constitutional limits. After debate and testimony, the committee adopted an amendment and reported SB 201 favorably by a 7-3 vote, with Representatives Adams, Knox, Moore, and others voting no. The committee also heard SB 523 on clemency and sentencing considerations for defendants who are victims of domestic abuse, human trafficking, or sexual assault. Survivors’ advocates and domestic violence organizations supported the bill’s overall purpose but objected to the mandatory pre-sentence investigation language, warning it could introduce biased information and harm survivors; the Board of Pardons and Parole said its staff and trauma-informed victim assistance coordinators are trained to handle these cases. The committee adopted an amendment narrowing the bill and then reported SB 523 favorably. Finally, SB 320 on DNA detection and crime lab reporting was advanced without opposition, and SB 470 on pregnant women in custody passed after testimony from the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association and discussion of pregnancy testing, bonding options, and prohibiting shackling during delivery and postpartum periods.

Transcript Highlights:

• talking of officers, does any prior bad acts by the officer or any complaints or actual evidence of excessive
• That type of information, as far as excessive force cases, all that stuff is administrative.
• We refer this legislation to that committee to talk about the mannerisms in which we're going to proceed

Bills: HR9, HB709, HB1011, HB1057, HB1186, HB1245, HB1247, SB49, SB425, SB479

Keywords: human rights, individual liberties, Magna Carta, constitutionalism, free speech, Uniform Construction Code, building code, construction code, inspector licensing, building inspectors, plans examiners, public inspector, private inspector, private inspector company, building official, code enforcement, Louisiana Uniform Construction Code Commission, state fire marshal, International Building Code, International Residential Code

Transcript Highlights:

• talking of officers, does any prior bad acts by the officer or any complaints or actual evidence of excessive
• That type of information, as far as excessive force cases, all that stuff is administrative.
• “We refer this legislation to that committee to talk about the mannerisms in which we’re going to proceed

Summary: The committee first deferred Senate Bill 49, which would remove the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education from the list of offices subject to closed party primary elections, after the sponsor said additional amendments were being prepared. It then took up House Bill 1247, which creates a statewide sexual assault nurse examiner coordinator within the Department of Justice to improve access, evidence collection, and coordination for sexual assault survivors. Members adopted a committee amendment package that clarified the coordinating structure, geographic response considerations, reimbursement language, and related public records issues, and the bill was reported favorably as amended with support from health care and law enforcement-related groups. House Bill 1245, also dealing with public records, was amended to protect certain personal identifying information in criminal history records of criminal justice agency employees who serve as witnesses in criminal proceedings. The discussion focused on limiting release of Social Security numbers, home addresses, and dates of birth while preserving disclosure required for court proceedings and impeachment-related purposes. The committee adopted a further amendment narrowing the protection to those PII items in records held by the clerk of court, and the bill was reported favorably as amended. House Bill 1011, allowing jurors to donate per diem compensation to CASA, and House Bill 1186, which standardizes construction code and inspector licensing records while protecting inspectors’ personal information, were also reported favorably. Senate Bill 425, which implements the constitutional mandate for removal by suit of certain elected officials for felony conviction, malfeasance, or gross misconduct, drew the most extended debate. Supporters said it creates a civil process to address serious misconduct when criminal prosecution is unavailable or incomplete, while opponents warned it could be abused for political targeting, duplicate existing remedies, and rely on vague standards. After amendments clarifying the process and standards, the committee voted 10-5 to report the bill favorably as amended. The committee also adopted amendments and reported favorably House Bill 1057, extending absentee-by-mail eligibility for overseas service members from one year to two years, and began discussion of House Bill 709, which would create a rulemaking notification system, a 10-year sunset for certain rules, and an Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the governor’s office.

Transcript Highlights:

• delayed because local governments request that the utility meet additional conditions before they can proceed
• adopted our state constitution that one of the greatest threats to liberty is the accumulation of excessive
• That, in addition to the EV battery, the excessive markups on EV batteries, engines, and transmissions

Bills: SB1113, SB1117, SB1206, SB1460, SB1802, SB1906, SB1917, SB2340, SB2455, SB2680, SB2690, SB705, SB748

Keywords: SB 1113, converter's license, converter license, motor vehicle dealer, auto dealer, vehicle conversion, converted vehicles, direct sales, retail sales, trailer, semitrailer, manufactured trailer, chassis, manufacturer's statement of origin, MSO, Occupations Code, Transportation Code, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, dealer licensing, general distinguishing number

Summary: The committee took up pending business first and reported several bills favorably, including SB 2139, SB 2610, SB 1856, SB 2530, SB 2401, SB 2858, and SB 3016, with most of those measures moving out on committee substitutes and being sent to the local and uncontested calendar or to the full Senate. The committee also heard SB 1906 on expanding Chapter 342E consumer lending rates; supporters argued it would modernize Texas law and expand access to safe, regulated credit, while opponents from Texas Appleseed and AARP warned it would raise costs on already expensive loans and worsen debt burdens. SB 1906 was left pending after testimony. The committee also reconsidered and re-voted SB 1856 after a procedural issue, with the substitute ultimately adopted and the bill reported favorably. The committee then heard SB 1113, which would clarify that certain vehicle converters, including a Texarkana business, do not need an additional dealer license to sell converted vehicles. The bill’s supporters described a long-standing business model and said the new metal license plate rules had created problems, while the Texas Automobile Dealers Association opposed the bill in its current form and said it could be resolved through DMV action or narrower changes. DMV said it was still researching a possible administrative fix, and SB 1113 was left pending. The committee also heard SB 2680, a Public Information Act cleanup bill dealing with emergency deadlines, business-day exclusions, and litigation timing; broadcasters and other open-government advocates argued the issues were already addressed by prior law and court rulings, while the Attorney General’s office said the bill would help with catastrophe notices and timing conflicts. SB 2680 was left pending. Other bills heard included SB 1117, which would allow any Texas-licensed dentist to administer botulinum toxin neuromodulators for aesthetic purposes in the oral and maxillofacial region; the author and dental witnesses said it would clarify scope and improve access, and the bill was left pending. SB 2340 would clarify the Attorney General’s investigative authority over Texas corporations, including pre-suit depositions and sworn written questions; opponents raised due process and separation-of-powers concerns, and the bill was left pending. The committee also heard SB 705 and SB 748, both TDLR cleanup bills, and SB 1206, which would impose timelines and notice requirements on municipalities reviewing transmission projects; SB 1206 was supported by an electric cooperative and left pending. SB 1460, creating an ethics violation registry tied to licensing consequences, drew constitutional and due-process objections from several witnesses and was also left pending. After a recess, the committee heard SB 1802 on landlord duties to repair mobility assistance devices like elevators and ramps in rental housing, with the author describing prolonged outages affecting seniors; the bill was left pending. Finally, SB 2455, creating an Energy Waste Advisory Committee to coordinate efficiency and demand-response programs, drew support from energy-efficiency and environmental witnesses and was left pending, and SB 2690, targeting deceptive business-certification solicitations, was laid out and opened to testimony before the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's also a provision that takes a portion of the excess capital gains, the most volatile portion
• largest donor state, and that if you look at 2022, the last year for which we have records, it's in excess
• So this budget, they get a 25% share of cap-and-trade proceeds.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It also adds the requirement that an excess of funds be rebated to all electric ratepayers.
• Determining excess is just not completely clear to the department.
• It also adds the requirement that an excess of funds be rebated to all electric ratepayers.
• Determining excess is just not completely clear to the department.
• some pleasant surprises with excesses some pleasant surprises with excesses and<03:55:57.439>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 224, which would redirect most money from New Hampshire’s renewable energy fund back to electric ratepayers. The bill sponsor argued the measure would lower energy costs, noting recent utility rate increases and estimating annual savings of roughly $2.5 million to $7.3 million for ratepayers. Supporters said the fund has accumulated money that should be returned to customers rather than used for subsidies, and they emphasized that the state has already rebated similar funds from RGGI for years. Opponents, including Rep. Kat McGee, argued the renewable energy fund is a successful, nonlapsing dedicated fund that supports local clean-energy projects, energy resilience, emissions reductions, and private investment. McGee said the fiscal note overstated the benefit of rebates and understated the loss of investment, claiming the average annual rebate would amount to less than $10 per customer while the program has helped leverage significant private dollars and nearly 10,000 projects. She urged the committee to reject the bill as a poor deal for the state and ratepayers. Committee members questioned the fiscal note, the size of the rebate, whether the bill would set a precedent for other dedicated funds, and whether the program’s incentives amount to picking winners and losers. The Department of Energy testified neutrally, explaining how the renewable energy fund works, including renewable energy credits, alternative compliance payments, and the fund’s use for renewable energy initiatives. No vote was taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, it says, 'This is excess increment, but it's okay if you use excess increment to pay that debt.'"
• you might preliminarily have excess you might preliminarily have excess increment,<00:43:06.600>
• So, it says, 'This is excess pay.
• excess increment to pay that debt.'" excess increment to pay that debt.'"
• try to show that there is no excess try to show that there is no excess increment?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Secretary will unlock the board and senators will proceed to vote.
• Senators will proceed to vote. All senators voted.
• I'll unlock the board, and senators will proceed to vote." Mr.
• President, I'll unlock the board and senators will proceed to vote.
• Secretary will unlock the board, and senators will proceed to vote.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions and moments of silence, including tributes to those affected by the Florida State University shooting and recognition of Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, John Thrasher, student advocacy groups, conservation organizations, and visiting school groups. Members also adopted Senate Resolution 1878 honoring Coach Abdur-Rahim. The chamber then moved into special order business and considered a series of bills, many of them with House companions substituted in and passed by wide margins or unanimously. Among the measures passed were bills updating child care and early learning provider regulation, imposing costs on false swatting reports, extending protections against extraordinary hospital collection actions, expanding hazardous walking conditions for schoolchildren, creating young adult housing support for foster and homeless students, clarifying school choice disclosure requirements under the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program, adjusting interest rules for trust accounts supporting legal aid, revising transportation and traffic enforcement provisions, expanding public records exemptions for certain judicial and health care investigators and appellate clerks, changing municipal water and sewer utility rates in Miami-Dade, strengthening motor vehicle offenses involving impersonation and obscured plates, increasing trespass penalties at certain law-enforcement-controlled sites and large ticketed events, requiring refunds of patient overpayments, authorizing certain stem cell therapies, allowing relatives and direct support professionals to administer insulin in group homes, addressing rideshare impersonation and transit funding rules, and updating the Uniform Commercial Code for digital assets and emerging technologies. Several bills drew notable debate. The trust fund interest bill prompted extended discussion over legal aid funding, bank participation, and whether the measure would reduce support for legal services; it ultimately passed 28-10. The transportation bill was heavily amended, including removal of speed-limit increases and changes to school bus camera enforcement and micromobility rules, and passed 37-0. The Miami-Dade water and sewer rate bill sparked debate over fairness, fiscal impact, and accusations of racism, but passed 36-2. Public records bills protecting agency investigators and JQC employees also drew questions about accountability and transparency before passing. Most other measures passed with little or no opposition, and a few bills were temporarily postponed or set aside.