Transcript Highlights:

• , integral part of our national security, integral part of our national security, and<00:19:15.240
• We've gone through that protocol before.
• We've gone through that protocol before. We've gone through that protocol before.
• He said the city needed to make sure crime scenes and shootings, including those by ICE, were secured
• security security because Because the kids are not all right.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee met to approve the April 7, 2026 minutes and then held a hearing on the economic impact of Operation Metro Surge and related ICE enforcement activity. Testifiers described broad effects on cities, small businesses, workers, and schools, and several speakers voiced support for House File 4477, which would create a targeted state relief program for affected businesses and communities. Metro Cities said member cities reported unexpected burdens on public safety, public works, emergency management, and other local services, and its board adopted a policy supporting state assistance for those costs. Northstar Policy Action presented data arguing the operation contributed to higher unemployment, reduced hours, lost wages, and business losses, including a reported $106 million in lost wages from reduced hours and an estimated $18 million per week in taxpayer costs. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said the city incurred nearly $1 million in direct costs and estimated small businesses lost about $16 million per week, with major drops in foot traffic and sales, especially among immigrant-owned neighborhood businesses. Other testimony emphasized impacts outside the metro area and on specific communities. Georgia Gallardo of Kerkhoven Cattle Butcher said rural small businesses also suffered, citing reduced sales and weekend traffic. The Minnesota Council of Latino Affairs reported that Latino-owned businesses support thousands of jobs and have seen sales declines of 40% to 90%, while WomenVenture and the Minnesota CDFI Coalition said CDFIs were seeing urgent demand for flexible relief and described businesses delaying hiring, reducing hours, or pausing expansion. Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruly said federal agents’ conduct during the surge undermined trust, created public safety concerns, and led to overtime and other local costs, while also noting he supports federal immigration enforcement in principle. Fridley Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Lewis said the district lost 112 students since December, still had 72 not returned, and had to rapidly create a virtual learning option for students who did not feel safe attending in person. Across the hearing, witnesses argued the disruption was statewide, not limited to Minneapolis-St. Paul, and that state relief was needed to prevent business closures, job losses, and longer-term damage to communities.

Transcript Highlights:

• soil, get better crop yields, higher-performing animals that provide more calories and better food security
• Specific sampling protocols: how do we deal with the guidance, how do we make sure everyone is taking
• Um, Oklahoma does have some, uh, sample protocols that are on the DEQ website, uh, that you can look
• Those are drinking water sample protocols that they anticipate the water to be very clean, not have a
• Those are drinking water sample protocols that they anticipate the water to be very clean and not have

Summary: The meeting focused on the use of biosolids on farm and ranch land, with testimony from Oklahoma State University experts, a conservation official, and an engineering representative about the benefits, risks, and regulatory implications. Dr. Lusk described OSU’s long history of soil fertility research and said biosolids can provide nutrients and organic matter, but also may carry contaminants such as PFAS, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and pathogens. He emphasized that many questions remain unanswered, especially about contaminant uptake into soil, crops, livestock, and humans, and said existing EPA and Oklahoma DEQ regulations address some treatment and application standards but may not fully cover PFAS. Dr. Arnell expanded on nutrient management, explaining that biosolids can function similarly to manure as a fertilizer source, especially for nitrogen and phosphorus, but should be tested, incorporated into soil, and applied under permit conditions to reduce runoff and other losses. He said PFAS testing methods are not yet standardized and that more research is needed to determine sampling protocols, movement in soil, and long-term effects. Committee members asked whether farmers and ranchers should be notified of risks, whether PFAS is currently tested, how many counties use biosolids, and what research would be needed for a dissertation-level study. The witnesses generally agreed that landowners should be informed of known risks and uncertainties, but said the science is still developing. Dr. Arnell said a unified testing method is needed before reliable PFAS monitoring can be done, and suggested that a multi-year study would be required to understand soil movement, crop uptake, and livestock impacts. Greg Scott of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission framed the issue as a waste-management problem, noting that human waste streams contain contaminants and that soil type affects how pollutants move; he said sandy soils pose greater movement risks than clay soils and that current best practice is incorporation, careful timing, and avoiding steep or sensitive sites. He also said PFAS are widespread and not naturally occurring in the way some other compounds are, and that liability and cleanup costs are major concerns. Mary Elizabeth Mock of Garver Engineering focused on the practical and financial consequences of a possible moratorium on land application, saying most of Oklahoma’s biosolids are currently land applied and would otherwise have to go to landfills. She warned that many landfills are nearing capacity, tipping fees could rise sharply, and cities such as Tulsa and Norman could face large increases in disposal costs, which would ultimately be borne by ratepayers and taxpayers. She also said septic system maintenance costs could rise if land application options shrink, potentially leading to deferred maintenance and system failures. Mock urged a tiered, data-driven approach to PFAS regulation and said advanced treatment technologies may help in the future, but they are still emerging and expensive. No votes were taken; the session consisted of presentations and member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've had to increase security at our commission meetings, and as well take various security measures
• The Office of Election Crimes and Security is continuing to pursue violations of the Election Code.
• The Office of Election Crimes and Security is continuing to pursue violations of the Election Code.
• I've seen their secure rooms. I know what their security procedures are.
• protocols in place and are following the election code as the legislature has laid out.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Ethics and Elections met with a quorum present and heard a presentation from the Florida Commission on Ethics on several proposed legislative changes. The commission asked for changes to the Whistleblower Act to better cover ethics complaints, a public records exemption for commissioners’ and staff members’ sensitive personal information, an expanded gift-disclosure family definition to include foster relationships, and a first-time waiver of fines for late financial disclosure filers. Staff also requested technical fixes, including treating a timely postmarked appeal as filed on time, clarifying Form 6 filing requirements for appointees to elected seats, extending ethics-training requirements to municipal appointees filling unexpired terms, and clarifying where Form 10 gift disclosures are filed. Commission staff reported high electronic filing compliance rates, the rollout of automated fines, and an average of 92 days for completed preliminary investigations in 2025. They also updated the committee on two federal court challenges involving the in-office lobbying ban and the Form 6 requirement for elected municipal officers. The committee then heard from Secretary of State Cord Byrd, who outlined preparations for the 2026 election cycle and several policy proposals. He discussed work with new supervisors of elections, ongoing election-crimes enforcement, cooperation with federal agencies on citizenship verification, and data-sharing agreements with other states. Byrd also proposed a statewide pre-certification audit system with grants for smaller counties, a more streamlined process for checking voter citizenship status after registration, and a modernization fix for voter records affected by randomized driver’s license numbers. Members asked about special elections, election-crimes investigations, returning-citizen voting determinations, chain-of-custody procedures, and interstate data-sharing agreements. Byrd said special election timing is controlled by the governor, the elections-crimes office investigates but does not arrest, returning-citizen applications are resolved within 90 days, and he is confident in current chain-of-custody practices. The committee also considered gubernatorial nominations. By unanimous vote, members approved a block of nominees, then separately took up Joshua Kellum’s nomination to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The committee heard sworn public testimony from Robin Blevins, who urged rejection of Kellum’s appointment and criticized his background and past involvement in FWC-related advocacy. After brief discussion, the committee voted unanimously to approve Kellum’s nomination as well.

Transcript Highlights:

• I secured permits and followed traffic control. And met all city protocols.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We worked together on Safe Harbor protocol guidelines.
• protocol protocol guidelines<00:03:11.480> the<00:03:11.599> Safe<00:03:11.879> Harbor
• Services Grants evaluation protocol Services Grants evaluation protocol development development
• We co-edited on the Safe Harbor protocol guidelines, which I'm holding up—a couple hundred pages.
• We co-edited on the Safe Harbor protocol guidelines, which I'm holding up—a couple hundred pages.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• better wages shorter hours 1937 securing better wages shorter hours 1937 securing better wages shorter
• I have to take uh concussion protocol I have to take uh concussion protocol I saw that in here you have
• have to be concussion protocols we have to be concussion protocols we have to be tested that we know
• there oh we can do it it ain't protocols there oh we can do it it ain't protocols a lot of folk you
• numbers got all of our social security numbers got all of our social security numbers got all of our

Bills: SB 26, SB 28, SJR 36, SB 616, SB 565, SB 384, SB 28, SB 28, SR 131, SR 168, SR 174, SR 175

Keywords: teacher compensation, education funding, public school educators, teacher retention, teacher designation, lottery, gambling, internet gaming, mobile application, criminal offenses, aquifer, water management, Edwards Aquifer, sustainability, regulatory framework, SB 565, Texas Water Code, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, compliance agreement

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:16:55.920> cameras<00:16:56.639> in<00:16:56.880> every require security
• There was also this language about the health or medical protocol or policy, which already exists.
• But putting it in an emergency, if health or medical or med emergency, health or medical protocol or
• I don't know why it would be in an emergency policy, you know, or emergency or medical protocol.
• Uh, I don't know why it would be in an emergency policy, you know, or emergency or medical protocol.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , and any other relevant state agency to adopt emergency preparedness standards and coordination protocols
• It provides protocols. It also gives coordination standards, which are very important.
• Report, muster points, equipment use, CMS notification, warning system procedures, and active shooter protocols
• We heard that there was an overnight security guard, so my question is, how did an entire dining hall

Bills: HB48, HB 66, HB 68, HB71, HB75, HB164, HB171, HB254, SB 3, SB 18, HB123, HB149, HB117

Keywords: HB 48, Texas alert notification systems, emergency alerts, public warning systems, alert fatigue, notification fatigue, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Department of Public Safety, DPS alerts, emergency management, State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry, STEAR, disaster notifications, weather alerts, Amber Alert, Silver Alert, Blue Alert, missing persons alerts, accessible alerts, hearing impaired

Transcript Highlights:

• would be excluded from delivering fluids and vitamins, especially under physician supervision and protocols
• They perform rapid sequence intubation using sedatives and paralytics to secure airways.
• , we go into people's homes, we treat them, we give them medication, and we relieve them per the protocols
• It's both online medical direction and protocol driven.

Bills: HB1106, HB3284, HB541, HB713, HB1403, HB1586, HB1942, HB2070, HB2844, HB2851, HB3151, HB3749, HB3940, HB3963, HB4454, HB4466, HB4795, HB5154, HB5394, SB1357, HB1052, HB4099, HB4638, HB5147

Keywords: child abuse, neglect, gender identity, sexual orientation, child welfare, marriage, family, Texas Commission, family welfare, marriage support, stability, premarital education, child development, strong families, direct patient care, healthcare, physicians, medical services, insurance regulation, maternal health

Transcript Highlights:

• Secure the chambers.
• Secure the chambers. All unauthorized persons will please leave the chamber.
• And they do that under a protocol that they have with a physician or an advanced nurse practitioner,
• Members, Senate Bill 98 proposes several changes to the state's securities regulations.
• It updates the filing obligations for security issuers under the Florida Invest Local Exemption Law,

Summary: The Senate convened with opening prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several recognitions, including guests from Miami Northwestern Senior High School, Clay County, and others. Senators also observed a moment of silence for Pope Francis. After routine announcements, the chamber moved to the special order calendar and took up a long series of bills, often substituting House companions for Senate bills before final passage. Among the measures approved were bills creating an expedited DNA testing grant program for local law enforcement, adding aggravating factors in capital cases involving gatherings for religious, school, or government activities, requiring state health coverage for fertility preservation services for cancer patients, authorizing indemnification for commuter rail providers, prohibiting abandonment of migrant vessels in Florida waters, and creating new specialty license plates. The Senate also passed bills on Alzheimer’s awareness, relocating the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys to Florida Memorial University, charter schools, sex offender registration, utility worker protections, juvenile justice, student mental health reporting, foster home licensure transfers, water access facilities, Florida Virtual School, school readiness, sexual images involving children, tampering with electronic monitoring devices, certified recovery residences, the FSU Election Law Center, the Office of Faith and Community, and bonuses for county property appraiser employees. Several other bills were temporarily postponed, including measures on social media use by minors, veterans’ nursing homes, Parkinson’s disease, mental health and substance use disorders, education, educator preparation, officers injured in the line of duty, school social workers, and Brownfields. Debate was especially extensive on the Office of Faith and Community bill, where an amendment to bar political activity by office staff was offered but failed 13-23 after arguments over election-related communications and the scope of existing law. The certified recovery residences bill also drew notable debate, with supporters emphasizing housing as essential to recovery and opponents raising concerns about implementation and local control. Most other bills passed with little or no opposition, though a few drew dissenting votes, including the capital aggravating factors bill, charter schools, and the Office of Faith and Community measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• IF THERE ARE BASE LINE ACCEPTABLE PROTOCOLS, PROCEDURES, PRODUCT TYPES.
• THEIR CURRENT PROTOCOLS WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED UNTIL THERE IS AN ADOPTION OF THE RULES SURROUNDING BY
• THE SECURITY, WE HAVE JACKSON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL NORTH, IN NORTH MIAMI BEACH.
• THE SECURITY IN THE BUILDING IS PAID FOR BY NORTH MIAMI BEACH. THAT'S PAID FOR BY US.
• CITIZENS ARE BEING HARASSED BY PRIVATE SECURITY GUARDS.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That great agency is entrusted with the safety and security of the United States of America.
• It must keep our communities safe and secure.
• We must secure our borders, and it must protect all of our rights and freedoms.
• And in that hearing, she repeatedly said that she would follow Department of Justice protocol.
• There is an unmistakable mandate to secure the border.

Keywords: nominations, Deputy Attorney General, Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice, Todd Blanch, Gail Slater, confirmation hearing

Summary: The meeting focused on the nominations of Todd Blanch and Gail Slater for the positions of Deputy Attorney General and Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, respectively. The committee considered the qualifications of both nominees, with opening statements provided by the nominees themselves. There was an evident emphasis on the rigorous vetting process that nominees undergo before their selection, highlighting the importance of the roles within the Department of Justice. Members of the committee engaged in a structured question-and-answer session to further evaluate the nominees' capabilities and fit for the positions they were nominated for, with each member allotted seven minutes to pose questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• We pray for all those who provide security, prepare food, care for this historic building, and for everyone
• The course must cover, but is not limited to, evidence-based treatment protocols for patients of all
• enough to pull their head out of the water to breathe, and we don't want to give a false sense of security

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Jake Smith: We pray for all those who provide security, prepare food, care for this historic building
• The course must cover, but is not limited to, evidence-based treatment protocols for patients of all
• enough to pull their head out of the water to breathe, and we don't want to give a false sense of security

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• However, again, that's between 30% to 70%. also a very specific protocol for monitoring after many children
• the Biden administration administration have proved how harmful regulatory overreach can be to the security
• Justice Scalia used to point out up that our freedoms are not secured by the Bill of Rights.

Bills: SB18, SB19, SB666, SB688, SB707, SB888, SB 18, SB 19

Keywords: municipal libraries, state funding, gender identity, public events, children's literature, SB 19, Texas, political subdivision, local government, county, city, municipality, taxpayer-funded lobbying, lobbying ban, public funds, registered lobbyist, Chapter 305, Government Code, Local Government Code, county association dues

Transcript Highlights:

• There's also a very specific protocol for monitoring after.
• last 4 years of the Biden administration have proved how harmful regulatory overreach can be to the security
• Justice Scalia used to point out that our freedoms are not secured by the Bill of Rights.

Bills: SB 18, SB 19, SB 666, SB 688, SB 707, SB 888

Keywords: municipal libraries, state funding, gender identity, public events, children's literature, SB 19, Texas, political subdivision, local government, county, city, municipality, taxpayer-funded lobbying, lobbying ban, public funds, registered lobbyist, Chapter 305, Government Code, Local Government Code, county association dues

Transcript Highlights:

• These things happen in schools, and there's protocols for dealing with it.
• But what we didn't receive was security positions to man those housing units.
• The difference is that our services obviously are provided behind the fence within a secure perimeter
• And then we also have what's called the secure treatment unit.
• And that would be safe for them to go out on the street, be secure, and make sure that they get to go

Summary: The Justice Budget Committee heard detailed presentations from the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Corrections on staffing, services, and budget needs. DJJ Secretary Hall emphasized that the agency’s main public safety strategy is education, along with prevention and recidivism reduction. He described major staffing improvements after pay increases for probation, detention, residential care, and prevention workers, and outlined DJJ’s mental health, aftercare, and education continuum, including the Florida Scholars Academy and Florida Youth College. He said the new statewide education model is showing early gains in progress monitoring, high school graduation, and postsecondary enrollment, while also noting ongoing operational issues such as IT connectivity, rural staffing gaps, and the need for geographic pay adjustments for teachers. He also discussed detention center replacement plans in Hillsborough, Broward, and Palm Beach, and said DJJ would transition the Broward JAC to a security contractor after the sheriff’s office pulls sworn officers from the site. Members asked about campus performance differences, teacher pay, detention education quality, and concerns about the rollout and leadership of the Scholars Academy. Hall said some campuses face rural access and infrastructure problems, but the blended learning model provides continuity when internet or staffing issues arise. He defended the superintendent’s qualifications and said early problems with inappropriate online content were addressed. Representative Porras raised concerns about educational quality and the superintendent’s past disciplinary history, while Representative Barrera urged more mentorship and fatherhood-focused programming in juvenile facilities. DOC Secretary Dixon said the prison system is under pressure from rising inmate populations, staffing shortages, and overtime costs. He argued that the system needs funded posts for every functioning housing unit, noting that the department has added housing units without enough staff and now relies heavily on overtime, mobile officer deployments, and shift conversions to keep facilities operating safely. He highlighted that many officers are new, that outside-hospital transports have risen sharply, and that mental health units require additional staffing. DOC’s mental health chief described a large and growing treatment system with outpatient, inpatient, intensive outpatient, and court-ordered services, saying about a quarter of the prison population has a diagnosed mental illness. Community corrections staff described treatment programs, employment specialists, mobile probation and reentry units, and a new mental health first aid training initiative. Reentry staff reported expanded substance abuse, education, CTE, chaplaincy, and digital learning programs, including Edovo and a forthcoming Work Bay platform. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Since our industry is very culturally diverse, we have worked hard to secure board directors that are
• And so we had to take measures in order to secure the equipment.
• <00:36:14.560> So<00:36:14.800> now in order to secure the equipment.
• So now in order to secure the equipment.
• Um, we also need some clearer interagency communications and protocols to avoid this kind of stuff.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill also directs DPS to ensure strong encryption and data security protocols in the development
• Um, concerns about security and fraud.
• And that is not safe and it's not secure.
• We offer a, a secure digital wallet.
• Number 2 provides better security. So I think we just talked a little bit about security.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the security deposits when your landlord can enter your unit.
• housing stuff that you guys are doing right now, especially the tenant rights and really helping secure
• housing stuff that you guys are doing right now, especially the tenant rights and really helping secure
• We ensure timely, accurate documentation of missing persons reports following custodian protocols.
• I know there's protocols in place to do that, but sometimes they don't always... ...reach the extended

Summary: The Tribal and State Relations Committee met at Standing Rock with tribal council members, state legislators, and agency representatives to discuss state-tribal coordination and local priorities. Early discussion focused on process concerns, including the short agenda time and the need for better communication, more advance notice, and more relevant state department staff at future meetings. Tribal leaders asked for lists of state tribal liaisons and bills affecting tribes, and state members said they would follow up, share grant and deadline information, and plan another meeting in Bismarck with program experts and agency staff. A major portion of the meeting centered on health, child welfare, law enforcement, housing, infrastructure, and sovereignty issues. Tribal speakers said rural health transformation funding and other state programs often do not fit direct-service tribes or IHS-funded systems, and they raised concerns about Medicaid, ICWA, foster care delays, human service zones, housing shortages, and the placement of Native children off-reservation. They also discussed missing and murdered Indigenous people, search-and-rescue cooperation, cross-deputization, extradition and banishment ordinances, and the need for stronger law enforcement partnerships that respect tribal sovereignty. Other concerns included poor roads, water and sewer needs in Sioux County communities, census accuracy, and the impact of data centers and other development on water and health. Economic development and regulatory issues were also discussed. Standing Rock representatives raised concerns about charitable gaming and e-pull tabs, saying the machines function like Class III gaming and have harmed tribal revenue while spreading into local businesses. They also described problems with county-issued fireworks permits and state/county liquor licensing rules that they said undermine tribal authority within reservation boundaries. In response, legislators said the committee would continue to look at these issues, and one member suggested possible legislation such as limiting e-tabs near tribal lands. The committee also heard from Joseph McNeil of Sage Development Authority about a 235-megawatt wind project on tribal, allotted, and fee land; he said federal permitting delays have stalled the project and asked for state support to help move it forward. The meeting concluded with a presentation from Dave Archambo of Wojou, a nonprofit focused on land regeneration, buffalo, food sovereignty, cultural programming, and youth wellness. He described the organization’s work on buffalo processing, gardening, fishing, hunting, language, and arts programs, and framed it as a response to historical trauma and community healing. The committee then broke for lunch and planned to resume with the Wojou presentation after the recess.