Transcript Highlights:

• We do have block summer practica. Again, some practica are paid.
• Madam Chair, Senator Block, I do not know.
• Madam Chair, Senator Block, excellent question.
• We will start with Senator Block and go the opposite way. Again, three minutes.
• Regarding Senator Block, anything that drives access, I'm in favor of. How do we do that?

Committee: House Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• The Judiciary witness responded that they are looking at a technological solution to block a search for
• When asked whether the current technology can block the one defendant in a multi-defendant case, the
• ><00:09:34.360><c> a</c><00:09:34.560><c> search</c><00:09:35.000><c> for</c> feasibility is to uh block
• a search for feasibility is to uh block a search for a<00:09:35.959><c> defendant</c><00:09:36.480><
• uh a party this solution of blocking uh a party from<00:10:19.839><c> from</c><00:10:20.000><c> being

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard testimony on several bills covering criminal justice, elections, and wildfire-related settlement funding. HB 103 would raise the age cutoff for life-without-parole eligibility from 18 to 21; supporters included the Public Defender and others, while prosecutors and some others opposed it. HB 11 would allow civil claims against people or businesses profiting from sexual exploitation or sex trafficking; it drew mostly support but was not ready for a vote and was deferred for further questions. HB 132 would expand a state-initiated expungement pilot to include possession of any Schedule V substance; the Public Defender, ACLU, and oversight groups supported it, with one opponent, and committee questions focused on what substances and how many cases would be affected. HB 145 would require the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center to transmit expungement orders to the Judiciary to implement Act 159; the Judiciary and Public Defender supported it, and members discussed technical issues involving multiple defendants and multiple charges. HB 369, a campaign finance housekeeping bill on excess cash contributions, and HB 408, which aligns voter registration-by-mail deadlines with current law, both received support and no opposition of note. The committee also heard HB 1175, which creates appropriations and a trust fund for Maui wildfire settlement claims; the Attorney General’s office, Maui County Council, and Tax Foundation supported it, while one senator said he would vote no because of concerns about House leadership. HB 386, which conforms drug possession thresholds for methamphetamine, heroin, morphine, and cocaine, was supported by law enforcement and prosecutors. HB 134 would require electronic filing of nomination papers; the Elections Office supported it but asked that any convenience fee be authorized in statute, while one witness opposed it over security and cost concerns. After testimony and questions, the committee took up decision-making and passed HB 103 with amendments, deferred HB 11, and passed HB 132, HB 145, HB 369, HB 408, HB 1175, HB 386, and HB 134, with HB 134 amended to clarify no additional charge for electronic filing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair, Representative Block, it's a great question.
• Go ahead, Representative Block. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, committee.
• Representative Block. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Representative.
• “Representative Block. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Representative.
• Representative Block, absolutely.

Committee: House House Consumer & Public Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Looking at these four blocks, are you able to either provide an estimate for how much money, what, as
• So these four blocks essentially make up some of the high-level objectives, rather, or mission of the
• </c> difficult to guess so these four blocks difficult to guess so these four blocks essentially<00:11
• We got any waivers in to try to block grant and streamline this process.
• for states, and there are federally defined specific purposes for the use of this block grant.

Summary: The committee held a Division 3 budget work session focused on the Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Economic Stability. Karen Hebert, the division director, and Nathan White, DHHS chief financial officer, walked members through the governor’s operating budget pages and a briefing book, explaining that the division was consolidated in 2018 and serves programs aimed at financial stability, poverty reduction, child care access, and related supports. Members repeatedly asked for clearer breakdowns of general fund spending, historical growth since consolidation, and how the division’s broad mission areas map onto specific budget lines. A major portion of the discussion centered on the Bureau of Child Development and Head Start collaboration and the child care subsidy program. Hebert said the child care scholarship/subsidy helps low- and moderate-income families access daycare so parents can work, attend school, or receive treatment, and that eligibility is based on state median income up to 85%. She reported a 45% increase in utilization, 4,032 children receiving daycare support as of the end of January, and about 15% of eligible children being served. She also described the quality improvement system “Granite Steps for Quality,” with 160 providers enrolled out of 717 licensed programs, and noted that 1,200 child care professionals added credentials in the last year. Members pressed for cost-benefit information, asking for data on how much the state pays, how many providers and children are served, and whether the department could quantify unmet need. The witnesses said some projects were funded with short-term ARPA child care dollars and that detailed cost data for specific examples, such as the Gorm Community Learning Center expansion, would need to be looked up. They also explained that the child care fund is a federal block grant with required spending set-asides of 9% for quality, 3% for infants and toddlers, and up to 5% for administration, and that unused funds remain available. The committee also reviewed slide 10’s accounting units, including that the Child Care Workforce Fund is 100% general funds and was created as a priority item under HB 2 from the 2024 session, while some other child care-related units are 100% federal funds.

Transcript Highlights:

• So real quick, on the roadmap to the future, it's comprised basically of six what we call building blocks
• So real quick, on the roadmap to the future, it's comprised basically of six what we call building blocks
• So, just real quick, the six building blocks address agency readiness.
• Because when the doors are left open, the cars don't drive, and they block traffic.
• When we talk about robotaxis and having them every block in downtown, that would increase congestion

Summary: The committee held a work session on autonomous vehicles, beginning with an overview from the Washington State Transportation Commission on the state’s five-year AV work group. The commission described its 2018 legislative mandate, the 35-member executive committee and seven subcommittees, and the resulting 29 recommendations and “roadmap to the future.” The presentation emphasized six policy “building blocks” for Washington: agency readiness, public outreach, equity, safety, testing and pilots, and a path to deployment. It also noted current Washington law requires AV testing companies to self-certify with the Department of Licensing, carry $5 million in liability insurance, report collisions and violations, and notify local law enforcement before testing; three companies are currently certified. State regulators from California and Arizona then outlined their AV frameworks. California described its long-running permit system for testing with and without a safety driver and for commercial deployment, its current rulemaking to expand use cases to heavy-duty trucks and passenger shuttles, and new requirements for mileage, operational assessments, and more detailed crash and incident reporting. California also said it is creating a new enforcement tool allowing citations to be issued to manufacturers for moving violations by AVs. Arizona described its executive-order-based approach, later codified by statute, which allows testing and driverless operations through self-certification, law enforcement interaction plans, quarterly meetings with companies, and reporting of crashes or near misses; Arizona also said it tracks crashes monthly and has not recorded fatalities attributed to AVs. Industry representatives from Waymo, Zoox, and the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association argued that AVs can improve safety, accessibility, and mobility while creating jobs. They described extensive sensor systems, community outreach, first-responder engagement, and current operations in multiple cities. Waymo cited more than 127 million rider-only miles and said its data show large reductions in injury-causing and pedestrian crashes; Zoox said it operates in Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Seattle and stressed its purpose-built electric robotaxi and local jobs; AVIA said its members have driven more than 145 million autonomous miles and that 26 states now expressly authorize driverless operations. Members asked about public education, crash and fatality tracking, enforcement, weather, school zones, first-responder interactions, and labor impacts. Labor and public-safety witnesses from the Teamsters, firefighters, and driver unions opposed commercial AV deployment without stronger safeguards. They argued Washington should not be an unregulated testing ground, especially for heavy trucks and hazardous materials, and warned of job losses for drivers, taxi and rideshare workers, and related occupations. Firefighters and driver representatives raised concerns about AVs interfering with emergency scenes, blocking responders, and creating risks in dynamic roadway incidents. Committee members also asked for comparisons to human-driven vehicles, data on citations and crashes, and more information on how AVs interact with pedestrians, first responders, and workers.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Block. Senator Block: Here. Senator Block. Senator Boone. Senator Brandt. Senator Brantley.
• Senator Block. Thank you, Mr. Thank you, Mr. President.
• Senator Block. Aye. Senators have voted.
• Senator Block. Thank you, Mr. President.
• Senator Block. Senator Block votes no. Senator Boone. No. Senator Boone votes no. Senator Brant.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, prayer, pledges, and a series of announcements recognizing visiting groups and guests, including Pecos High School’s boys cross-country champions, School-Based Health Care Day, Route 66 Centennial activities, New Mexico Highlands University, an honorary lieutenant governor and shadow senator, and Bernalillo County officials. The chamber also received House messages on several bills and a gubernatorial message authorizing consideration of Senate Bill 130, which would change insurance and pharmacy rules related to cholesterol treatment and screening. Committee reports were adopted on several measures, including Senate Bill 183, Senate Bills 211 and 222, Senate Bill 254, Senate Bill 235 as a committee substitute, Senate Bill 40 as a Judiciary Committee substitute, and Senate Bill 104. The Senate then moved to third reading and took up Senate Bill 30, which repeals the state’s abortion reporting requirement. The bill drew extensive debate: supporters argued the reporting law is outdated, unnecessary, and creates privacy and safety risks for providers, while opponents said the data is needed for transparency, public health oversight, and accountability, and objected to the loss of reporting on a sensitive issue. After a roll call vote, Senate Bill 30 passed 24-15. The Senate next passed Senate Bill 43 unanimously, updating parole board procedures, including evidence-based practices, reimbursement for closed hearings, and scheduling protections for homicide victims’ families. It also passed Senate Finance Committee substitute for Senate Bill 35 unanimously, creating judgeships in the First and Second Judicial Districts. Debate then began on Senate Bill 193, which would increase transfers from the Irrigation Works Construction Fund to the acequia community ditch infrastructure fund from $2.5 million to $5 million; the sponsor explained the increase as necessary to meet growing statewide acequia needs, while senators raised concerns about existing fund balances and whether the higher transfer was justified.

Transcript Highlights:

• The reality is if we tried to block every time that there might be a lawsuit, we would all need to sit
• The reality is if we tried to block every time that there might be a lawsuit, we would all need to sit
• The reality is if we tried to block every time that there might be a lawsuit, we would all need to sit
• The reality is if we tried to block every time that there might be a lawsuit, we would all need to sit
• The reality is if we tried to block every time that there might be a lawsuit, we would all need to sit

Transcript Highlights:

• As a result, double parking, blocking bike lanes, unsafe loading behaviors, and more have become more
• Double parking and illegal stopping reduce traffic speeds, increase congestion, block transit and bike
• When crosswalks, bike lanes, and loading areas and no-stopping zones are blocked, that results not just
• When curbs are chaotic and loading zones are constantly blocked or misused, and when delivery pickups
• In cities like Oakland, we see firsthand how abandoned debris creates fire hazards, blocks sidewalks,

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• federal Department of Education goes away, and the state would still receive that funding and the block
• There wasn't the only state in the country that has been authorized any sort of block grant is Iowa,
• and they just received that block grant.
• But because of the precedent now set with Iowa receiving this block grant, that states are in position
• You can learn math through playing with Legos and blocks.

Bills: SB1632 , SB1594 , SB2045 , SB1251 , SB1884 , SB1250 , SB1630 , SB1262 , SB1374 , SB1292 , SB1432 , SB1199 , SB1790 , SB1481 , SB1614 , SB1734 , SB1437 , SB1489 , SB1718 , SB1778

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Which I think really hurts non-profit businesses, and it's always been a big block.
• Representative Block, thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, guys, for the presentation. Good.
• But Representative Block has a question. Yes, thank you. Very quickly. Thank you, Madam Chair.
• Is that an endorsement, Representative Block? Thank you, Madam Chair.
• I'll sponsor it, only if **Representative Block** joins.

Committee: House New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Sadly, I walked three blocks, but Marquise Mason, California, and I'm on a voter's strong support.
• But far more often, big money in politics is blocking legislation.
• And so we can't measure how much damage is being done in America by the blocking of good legislation
• And so we can't measure how much damage is being done in America by the blocking of good legislation
• We've blocked a local government from saying, 'We think we can do it.

Summary: The Assembly Elections Committee met on July 2, 2025, with a quorum present and took up eight agenda items, including four consent bills. The committee first approved the consent calendar, which included SB 280, SB 621, SB 851, and SB 852, all moving forward without objection. The committee then heard several bills from Senator Umberg focused on election administration and campaign finance, along with SB 408 on voter-roll maintenance. SB 249 would require county board of education elections to be consolidated with the statewide general election. Supporters, including the League of Women Voters, argued this would increase turnout and make those elections more representative; opponents, including Orange County education officials, argued it would override local control, increase costs, and add ballot fatigue. The bill passed 5-2 and was re-referred to the Committee on Education. SB 398 would make it a crime to pay or offer contingent payments or other valuable consideration to induce voting or voter registration, closing what supporters described as a loophole involving lotteries and incentives. It passed 5-0 as amended and was re-referred to the Committee on Public Safety. SB 42 would remove the state ban on public financing for campaigns in general law cities and counties, allowing local voters to decide whether to adopt such systems. Supporters from Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, and many local advocates said it would broaden participation and reduce the influence of big money; opponents raised concerns about taxpayer funding, guardrails, and local oversight. The bill passed 5-2 and was re-referred to Appropriations. Finally, SB 408 would require election officials to use U.S. Postal Service change-of-address data to help maintain voter rolls; supporters said it would improve accuracy and trust in elections, while one commenter questioned reliance on postal data. The bill passed unanimously 6-0 and was re-referred to Appropriations. The committee then completed the remaining roll calls and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Allegedly, Facebook also built censorship tools to block certain content from Chinese users, according
• Senator Rubio asked him directly, was there any pressure from the Chinese government to block his account
• Was there any pressure to block his account? account. The General Counsel, Mr. Stretch, no senator.
• We identify all traffic that are currently blocked in China and we, Facebook, block them.
• And Zuckerberg responded, I'm quoting, because Facebook has been blocked in China since 2009, we are

Committee: Senate Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism

Keywords: Meta, Facebook, whistleblower, regulation, China, user data, artificial intelligence, testimony, Congress

Summary: The meeting of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism focused on oversight of Meta's foreign relations and representations to Congress. An essential witness, Sarah Wynne-Williams, a former executive at Facebook, provided testimony outlining significant concerns about the company's practices and its complicity in aiding oppressive regimes. The atmosphere was charged, with ongoing debates about the regulation of big tech companies and the ethical implications of their policies. The committee explored topics such as user data management, whistleblower retaliation, and the need for legislative measures to protect users and enhance accountability in the tech sector. A notable point of contention was Facebook's alleged cooperation with the Chinese government regarding the dissemination of user data and AI tools, leading to serious ethical implications.

Transcript Highlights:

• said it like four times, but you know, you got to make sure you're dressed to the tee, Representative Block
• member_14063), Martinez (member_12610), Lujan (member_13031), Sariñana (member_12748), and Senator Block
• House Bill 170, introduced by Representatives Block (member_14069), Lord (member_13875), and Duncan (
• member_14063), as well as Senators Lanier (member_22669) and Block (member_14069), an act relating to
• House Joint Resolution 6, introduced by Representatives Stefani Lord (member_13875), John Block (member

Transcript Highlights:

• However, the safety concern that I'm thinking about is when someone is being blocked intentionally by
• That being said, for an individual blocking the way, I think certainly 48 inches makes it harder for
• That being said, for an individual blocking the way, I think certainly 48 inches makes it harder for
• same as their height, so just to put that into perspective for whether or not one individual could block
• ... ...to issue model code for point access block residential buildings, what we're talking about here

Committee: Senate Housing and Human Services

Summary: The Senate Committee on Housing and Human Services met with a quorum, adopted the June 16, 2026 minutes, and then unanimously adopted S-1 substitutes for House Bills 5570 and 5571. The chair said the committee would take testimony and likely not move to final passage that day, in order to allow more discussion and questions. The bills, as substituted, would allow local governments to permit certain multifamily buildings up to four stories to be built or converted with a single staircase, subject to conditions such as limits on units per floor, floor size, and existing fire safety requirements. A sunset provision was described as ending the statute once LARA adopts corresponding building code rules. Representatives Fairbairn and Wooden testified in support, saying the bills are intended to address Michigan’s housing shortage by making smaller infill and “missing middle” projects more feasible and less costly. They argued the current two-stair requirement drives up costs, makes land assembly harder, and limits development on narrow or irregular lots. Senators asked about stair width, emergency safety, the choice of four stories instead of six, and why the American Institute of Architects opposed the approach; the sponsors said the 48-inch stair width was intended to allow two-way movement, four stories was a compromise aligned with expected code changes, and the architects preferred rulemaking over statutory change. Supportive testimony came from Pew Charitable Trusts, which said research from New York City, Seattle, and other places found fire death rates in modern single-stair buildings to be indistinguishable from other multifamily buildings, and that modern safety features such as sprinklers, alarms, and fire-rated construction make these buildings safe. A developer from Ann Arbor and the Michigan Home Builders Association said the reform would improve floor-plan efficiency, reduce wasted circulation space, lower construction costs, and help smaller projects pencil out. Abundant Housing Michigan also supported the bills, estimating they could reduce apartment construction costs by nearly 13%. The clerk read in numerous written cards in support from business, housing, municipal, and advocacy groups, while the Michigan Association of Fire Chiefs and the Michigan Professional Firefighters Union were listed as neutral. The committee adjourned without further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• ordinances and practices are inconsistent with state ADU law, resulting in barriers that delay or block
• ordinances and practices are inconsistent with state ADU law, resulting in barriers that delay or block
• This is a street where the RVs go more than six blocks straight, just RVs on top of RVs, on top of RVs
• And even though RVs, and we've had, I live in Fullerton, we've had, you know, the three blocks of them
• The truth is, for some, you know, the three blocks of them as well.

Summary: The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee met with a quorum and announced that SB 340 would be moved to a later hearing. The consent calendar included HR 44, SB 233, and SB 410, which were later approved. The committee then heard several housing-related bills, with testimony largely focused on streamlining accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules, regional planning, and homelessness response. SB 9 would require local agencies to submit ADU ordinances to HCD within 60 days and respond to HCD findings within 30 days, or the ordinance would become null and void and state standards would apply. Supporters, including California YIMBY, Casita Coalition, UnidosUS, Housing Action Coalition, and Power California, argued the bill would strengthen enforcement of existing ADU law and reduce local barriers. The bill passed 7-0 with two abstentions and was sent to the Assembly Local Government Committee. SB 486 would exempt UC and CSU projects from having to analyze a no-project alternative under CEQA while requiring the universities to share enrollment forecasting data and participate in regional sustainable communities planning. It passed 9-0 and was referred to the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. SB 748, as amended, would expand funding and authority for safe parking sites and related services for people living in RVs or vehicles, using encampment resolution funding and requiring reporting by the California Interagency Council on Homelessness. The City of Compton, the Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association, and the League of California Cities supported the measure, emphasizing public health, neighborhood safety, and humane alternatives to displacement. The committee members discussed the limits of current encampment cleanup approaches and the need for services and temporary shelter; the bill passed 11-0 and was sent to the Assembly Human Services Committee. SB 543, a cleanup bill for ADU and junior ADU law, clarified review timelines, size standards, and consistency with existing ADU statutes; it also passed unanimously and was referred to the Assembly Local Government Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill recognizes realities and asks manufacturers to turn on those filters in order to block harmful
• I hope you all have questions because we actually blocked... I'm sorry, that's the other bill.
• They stated that the filters on the device that blocked pornographic material at the user end was the
• while still blocking access to children.
• You can limit screen time, you can block access to certain downloads on any apps that you want, and these

Bills: SB186 , SB187

Committee: Senate Children and Youth Health

Keywords: internet filtering, child protection, obscene content, civil liability, manufacturers, app store, app store provider, app developer, mobile app, age verification, parental consent, minor safety, child online safety, parental controls, age gating, digital privacy, data protection, in-app purchases, online consumer protection, deceptive trade practice

Transcript Highlights:

• We trust in your steadfast love when our adversaries' arrogance becomes a stumbling block both to our
• adversaries arrogance becomes<00:06:09.520><c> a</c><00:06:09.680><c> stumbling</c><00:06:10.199><c> block
• /c><00:06:10.599><c> both</c><00:06:10.800><c> to</c><00:06:11.039><c> our</c> becomes a stumbling block
• both to our becomes a stumbling block both to our faith<00:06:11.720><c> and</c><00:06:11.880><c> our

Transcript Highlights:

• provides detailed estimates for school districts on state funding from the K-12 education resource block
• the... ...review of the differences between the evidence-based model and the K-12 education resource block
• through the block grant.
• This full amount will now be reimbursed outside of the block grant based on districts' actual salaries
• </c><00:43:14.000><c> grant</c> the education resource block grant the education resource block grant

Committee: Joint Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration

Transcript Highlights:

• many bipartisan amendments which were blocked with no explanation at all.
• </c> hear why those ideas were all blocked hear why those ideas were all blocked but<03:58:58.760><c>
• </c> she can tell us who decided to block she can tell us who decided to block dozens<03:59:54.960><c
• They blocked 6,000 amendments over the last two years.
• Speaker Johnson even shut out his own members; 57% of their own party's amendments were blocked.

Bills: SCR3 , SCR2 , SCR1 , HCR1 , HR6 , HR5 , HR4 , HR3 , HR2 , HR1

Keywords: SCR3, resolution, state law, legislative approval, concurrent resolution, honoring, lying in state, Capitol, James Earl Carter, United States President, electoral votes, 2025 election, presidential election, Congress, inauguration, committee, ceremonies, joint committee, ceremony, authorization

Transcript Highlights:

• Seeing none, we'll take them up as a block.
• And with that, is there a motion to confirm as a block vote?
• I'd like to pull Thomas Zachary Smith out of the block. Thank you.
• We will pull trustee Thomas Zachary Smith from the block.
• Please call the roll on the block minus one individual.

Bills: S1570 , S1376

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education

Keywords: missing persons, special needs, autism, search-and-rescue, Florida, voluntary program, funding, genetic counseling, education grants, state universities, faculty recruitment, student financial assistance