Transcript Highlights:

• So that means a direct tax replacement, if the state of Texas would ever wish to do this, would be to
• Texas is going to clean up. There's no state better positioned to benefit.
• you named have longer life expectancies than the state of Texas.
• you named have longer life expectancies than the state of Texas.
• oil and gas—and it's crucial to the state of Texas.

Bills: SB9

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax rate calculation, Tax Code, local government finance, municipality, county, special taxing unit, sales and use tax, property tax cap, tax rollback, tax levy, maintenance and operations, debt rate, disaster relief rate, Texas Legislature, local taxing unit

Summary: The Senate Committee on Local Government met to hear Senate Bill 9, which would lower the voter-approval tax rate for certain local taxing units from 3.5% to 2.5%. Sen. Bettencourt, the bill author, argued the change would continue the state’s property tax reforms begun in 2019, slow local levy growth, and give voters more say over larger tax increases. He and supporters cited data showing property tax levies have grown faster than population plus inflation, and said the bill would help protect taxpayers while preserving the state’s broader investments in school tax relief, water, rural law enforcement, and ambulance funding. Supporters included the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, the Texas Association of Business, the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and the Texas Association of Manufacturers. They said the bill would improve transparency, encourage more disciplined budgeting, and create certainty for homeowners and businesses. They argued that lower tax-rate growth would help attract and retain employers and investment, and that voters would still be able to approve higher rates when needed. Local officials and other opponents said the bill would constrain cities and counties facing rapid growth, inflation, infrastructure needs, and public safety costs. Testimony from county judges, city finance officials, firefighters, and urban county representatives emphasized pressures from jail operations, roads, water, EMS, police and fire staffing, and unfunded mandates. Several witnesses asked for carve-outs or exemptions for public safety and disaster-related costs, warning that a one-size-fits-all cap could force service cuts or shift costs elsewhere. The committee heard extensive questioning but no final vote or disposition on the bill was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's all there's no fees or no cost on the great state of Texas.
• The Texas Future Fund seeks to maximize returns for the state while promoting strategic investments in
• About 90% of restaurants in the state of Texas are considered small businesses, and they're operating
• It's gonna be all over the state of Texas.
• As a resource we have Daniel Harper from uh CFO from the Texas State University System.

Bills: HB104

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, tax rate election, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, de minimis rate, local government, special district, tax increase, tax notice, public hearing, tax code, Health and Safety Code, Texas property taxes, taxing unit, election threshold, two-thirds vote, majority vote, budget approval

Transcript Highlights:

• Last session, the Texas Legislature passed historic reforms to community college funding and education
• SB 2847 simply seeks to afford our Texas public four-year universities the same opportunity to seek a
• I request that you give this bill a favorable report for the benefit of Texas students.
• Good morning, Sarah Keaton with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
• of Texas.

Bills: SB2847, SB3039

Keywords: higher education, bachelor's degree, core curriculum, general education, semester credit hours, credit hours, degree acceleration, time to degree, workforce-aligned credentials, workforce readiness, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, public universities, community colleges, transferability, curriculum reform, academic requirements, degree completion, transfer students, education transparency, academic credit

Transcript Highlights:

• state.
• Um, and I do love the initiative to make Texas healthy again. I do.
• Um, however, since the committee went away, the state of women's healthcare in Texas has drastically
• women's health and preventative healthcare, um, in Texas.
• I'm the director of policy for Everybody Texas. We are the Title 10 grantee for the state.

Bills: HB231

Keywords: HB 231, Texas Water Code, TCEQ, permit exemption, dam, reservoir, erosion control, flood control, floodwater control, sediment control, watershed protection, Natural Resources Conservation Service, NRCS, Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, local sponsor, water appropriation, small dam, water diversion, maintenance, rehabilitation

Transcript Highlights:

• . 30 states already have programs like the Texas Future Fund.
• Uh, so the numbers that I stated are based on our experience investing in Texas.
• Harrison, is that to have an asset for the state of Texas for the benefit of Texas. citizens for the
• And it's not just in my area, it's all over the state of Texas.
• Compared to the total emergency runs for the state of Texas.

Bills: HB104

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, tax rate election, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, de minimis rate, local government, special district, tax increase, tax notice, public hearing, tax code, Health and Safety Code, Texas property taxes, taxing unit, election threshold, two-thirds vote, majority vote, budget approval

Transcript Highlights:

• Today the committee will consider what will be a merger of House File 2783, the House omnibus state government
• We will take up Senate File 3045, the Senate omnibus state government and elections bill, delete the

Bills: SF3045, HF2783, HF1943

Keywords: omnibus, state government, local government, elections, campaign finance, voter registration, absentee voting, election administration, electronic rosters, lobbying, lobbyist disclosure, state budget, appropriations, biennial budget, Minnesota Secretary of State, Minnesota Management and Budget, state personnel, civil service, affirmative action, disability employment

Bills: SF3446, HF3247

Keywords: claims against the state, settlement, appropriations, exoneration, corrections claims, claims, state appropriation, corrections, community service, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It gives the State Superintendent witness and subpoena powers for records.
• We were the fifth or sixth state to do that, but we were the first state to put all nine of Code.org's
• Now, you're going to hear the State Board.
• Now you're going to hear the State Board of Education has decided to do that as a matter of policy.
• Under state law according to the Supreme Court's 1972 ruling in Wisconsin versus Yoder.

Bills: HB298, HB342, HB332, HB344

Keywords: athletic classification, public high schools, English language learners, state education policy, athletic associations, religious instruction, elective credit, released time, public education, school policy, educational intervention, State Superintendent, local boards of education, subpoena, accountability, state control, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas has created.
• The Texas Chapter has approximately 1,200 members, and Texas music supports over 200,000 jobs across
• the state.
• Fully understanding that Texas wants to enact these protections at the state level, we provided feedback
• I think this committee has done really important work for the state of Texas.

Bills: SB1960, SB1730, SB766, SB2342, SB2501, SB2903

Keywords: digital rights, replication, Voice likeness, visual likeness, private causes of action, fee structure, online service providers, postmortem rights, self-defense, stand your ground, castle doctrine, use of force, deadly force, civil immunity, civil liability, tort claims, attorney fees, court costs, lost income, Chapter 9 Penal Code

Transcript Highlights:

• Hi, members, um, Feeding Texas is not against fraud prevention measures.
• In fact, 0 states continue to mandate this practice today.
• In fact, an auditor in Missouri recommended this practice be halted, stating, and I quote, state officials
• , goes from southeast Texas all the way up to Austin, even affects North Texas in Dallas.
• We're OK with video surveillance from the state having that information.

Bills: SB 596, SB 961, SB 1398, SB 1183, SB 1952

Keywords: DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child protective services, foster care, child welfare, Family Code, conservatorship, managing conservator, parental child safety placement, authorization agreement, temporary authorization order, child abuse, child neglect, placement reporting, court-ordered removal, investigation, family preservation, transparency, public reporting, data reporting

Transcript Highlights:

• The reason being is that Texas is a big state, and the solutions to the problems that are encountered
• State, Texas. So we're over in the Beaumont, Lufkin, Nacogdoches area.
• We are one of the child placing agencies in the state, and I've been serving Texas children for a long
• A nonprofit founded in 1965 that provides foster care services in Texas and for other states.
• Building a system that reflects the values and needs of our communities in the state of Texas.

Bills: SB596, SB961, SB1398, SB1183, SB1952

Keywords: DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child protective services, foster care, child welfare, Family Code, conservatorship, managing conservator, parental child safety placement, authorization agreement, temporary authorization order, child abuse, child neglect, placement reporting, court-ordered removal, investigation, family preservation, transparency, public reporting, data reporting

Transcript Highlights:

• With Feeding Texas against the bill, is that correct? That is correct.
• This is evidenced by every single other state that has... ever implemented this.
• In fact, zero states continue to mandate this practice today.
• In fact, an auditor in Missouri recommended this practice be halted, stating, and I quote, "State officials
• It goes from Southeast Texas all the way up to Austin, even affects North Texas and Dallas.

Bills: SB596, SB961, SB1398, SB1183, SB1952

Keywords: DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child protective services, foster care, child welfare, Family Code, conservatorship, managing conservator, parental child safety placement, authorization agreement, temporary authorization order, child abuse, child neglect, placement reporting, court-ordered removal, investigation, family preservation, transparency, public reporting, data reporting

Transcript Highlights:

• There are no safeguards in state statute.
• She is class president and a state officer. She wants to attend Rogers State to study ER nursing.
• House Bill 4105 clarifies the definition of who can be a security guard and who is not a security guard
• Could they be, for instance, out of state?
• of Texas for.

Bills: HB2059, HB3920, HB2992, HB3267, HB4457, HB3800, HB3818, HB4425, HB4427, HB4430, HB4431, HB4333, HB4340, HB4343, HB4344, HB4363, HB4229, HB4230, HB4236, HB4246, HB1979, HB3431, HB3052, HB3047, HB3048, HB4092, HB4302, HB3261, HB3704, HB3312, HB3546, HB3849, HCR1021, HB4105, HB4159, HB4304, HB3835, HB3619, HB4490, HB3710, HB4201, HB3907, HB3748

Keywords: health care, medication, inmates, Oklahoma Health Care Authority, reimbursement, county jails, medical expenses, sales tax exemption, nonprofit organizations, procurement, transplant research, Oklahoma Tax Code, HB2992, Data Center Customer Ratepayer Protection Act of 2026, Corporation Commission, Oklahoma utilities, ratepayer protection, data centers, artificial intelligence computing, AI data centers

Transcript Highlights:

• How much did Hacienda cost this state?
• from the state aviation fund to ADOT to plan, construct, develop, and improve state, county, city, or
• From the state highway fund to the general fund for providing support and maintenance for state agencies
• recruit more military to this state and retire in this state.
• More military to this state to retire in this state, and I'm really, really proud of that too.

Bills: HB4154, HB4155, HB4156, HB4157, HB4158, HB4159, HB4160, HB4161, HB4162, HB4163, HB4164, HB4165, HB4166, HB4167, HB4168, HB4169, SB1847, SB1848, SB1849, SB1850, SB1851, SB1852, SB1853, SB1854, SB1855, SB1856, SB1857, SB1858, SB1859, SB1860, SB1861, SB1862

Keywords: general appropriations act, budget, biennial budget, state spending, fiscal year 2026-2027, appropriations, state agencies, public funding, education funding, health and human services, public safety, transportation, government operations, budget bill, fiscal policy, state finance, spending plan, legislative budget, capital appropriations, operating budget

Transcript Highlights:

• We have many miles in our interstate and also in our state roads, state highway roads, and then it goes
• state highways.
• a state-managed highway.
• Take care of state roads.
• state: it's our school buses.

Bills: SB2

Keywords: SB 2, State Highway Project Bonds, highway funding, transportation bonds, state road fund, motor vehicle fees, vehicle registration fees, electric vehicle fee, EV surcharge, plug-in hybrid fee, weight distance tax, road construction, infrastructure financing, Department of Transportation, State Transportation Commission, bonding authority, county road funds, municipal road funds, transportation improvement program, state highways

Transcript Highlights:

• Of the state general fund for ECCD.
• I just think it's important that we reflect our state.
• What was the additional cost to that to the state? Mr.
• How much that would have cost the state? Mr.
• We see it as an economic advantage for the state.

Bills: SB2

Keywords: SB 2, State Highway Project Bonds, highway funding, transportation bonds, state road fund, motor vehicle fees, vehicle registration fees, electric vehicle fee, EV surcharge, plug-in hybrid fee, weight distance tax, road construction, infrastructure financing, Department of Transportation, State Transportation Commission, bonding authority, county road funds, municipal road funds, transportation improvement program, state highways

Transcript Highlights:

• Members of the committee, as we know, workforce housing is a serious issue in the state.
• that they would like to and that they feel would be successful for the economic development of the state
• This legislation will allow the OCC workers to use state-owned or state-leased vehicles between their
• They all have duties all over the state, but yet OCC has to come back to Oklahoma City to get the car
• to go all over the state.

Bills: HB4409, HB4414, HB4484, HB4486, HB3057, HB2588, HB4434

Keywords: housing, legislative committee, affordable housing, Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency, policy improvement, HB4414, Oklahoma Homebuilder Program, OHFA, single-family housing, homebuilder loans, 0% interest loan, housing finance, workforce housing, Legislative Workforce Housing Committee, housing needs assessment, community housing assessment, disaster recovery housing, federally declared natural disaster, rural housing, urban housing

Bills: HB316, HB549, HB646, HB752, HB824, HB873, HB1129, HB1157, HB1170

Keywords: literacy, adolescent, teacher education, high-dosage tutoring, reading intervention, workforce development, training programs, Bayou Growth Opportunity, funding, employment, skills gap, qualified employer, credential recognition, government growth limit, recurring revenue, state finance, Louisiana Income Tax Elimination Fund, fiscal responsibility, legislative sessions, regular sessions

Transcript Highlights:

• I believe that in the interest of transparency in state government, we should not prevent our state employees
• Members, this is a program to incentivize state employees and state agencies to proactively look for
• But in state government, they tend to focus on what their tasks are.
• Guard, so we put in a fee assessment in there to try and offset that.
• We need to make sure we're looking at what those actuarials state.

Bills: SB1415, SB1714, SB1962, SB26, SB172

Keywords: nondisclosure agreements, state employment, employee rights, transparency, government accountability, employee suggestions, cost savings, state agencies, incentives, performance awards, efficiency, Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act, state procurement, state purchasing, State Purchasing Director, Office of Management and Enterprise Services, OMES, exempt entities, purchasing exemptions, state contracts

Transcript Highlights:

• If you look on page two, that is clarified as a state officer employee.
• Texas teachers in 2022 wanted to tie pension investments to something in a pro-life Texas bill, and then
• another in Texas wanting to finance net zero financing restrictions on banks.
• It says 'subcommittees thereof, judges, justices, and state legislators.' Why strike that?
• Basically, the group worked closely with the state auditor, her office officers, and legal staff.

Bills: HB3057, HB3279, HB4428, HB3420

Keywords: government reporting, information technology, child welfare, environmental policy, state agency compliance, employment restrictions, state officers, prohibited acts, government contracts, public service, public finance, pension, pension fund, retirement system, board of trustees, proxy voting, proxy proposal, shareholder vote, shareholder activism, fiduciary duty