Transcript Highlights:

• You’ll see, uh, to generate resources like I mentioned for resiliency and mitigation.
• , to look at the health and well-being of the general population from keiki to kupuna.
• So I mean, as a general rule, not just these four, but as a general rule, isn't it better to wrap things
• > isn't these four but as a general rule isn't these four but as a general rule isn't it<00:32
• adjustments for the various non-general adjustments for the various non-general fund<00:42:02.319

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• debate for the six judges, any general debate for the six judges, any general debate<00:04:50.800
• <00:09:22.160> of practiced before three generations of practiced before three generations
• with members of the General Assembly. with members of the General Assembly.
• > General<00:37:53.359> Assembly Members of the General General Assembly Members of the General
• general rankings for judges. general rankings for judges.

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• on February 19, 2026, or Senate Bill 2500, filed during the 2026 regular session, related to the General
• on February 19, 2026, or Senate Bill 2500, filed during the 2026 regular session, related to the General
• Representative McClure, House Bill 5003E, a bill to be entitled an act implementing the 2026 through 2027 General
• Representative McClure, House Bill 5003E, a bill to be entitled an act implementing the 2026 through 2027 General
• Representative McClure, House Bill 5003E, a bill to be entitled an act implementing the 2026 through 2027 General

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Account for the loss of the county local option gross receipts tax distributed over the course of the
• No further distributions from this appropriation if the municipality.
• Receives a disagreement or otherwise revenue, it's supposed to hold them harmless from distribution.
• The total cost of this appropriation is 42.4 million from General Fund and includes 62.7 for House Bill
• It does not impact the general fund. The money comes from the Public Project Revolving Fund.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So it started at 30, distributed to 10, and now it's up at 22.
• Madam Chair, members of the committee, Jason Espinoza, here on behalf of the Associated General Contractors
• We have some of the multiple-discipline programs like Associated General Contractors and ABC.
• In terms of the, say, geographic distribution of the apprentices, what percentage are in metro areas?
• However, because of investment, it's grown despite distributions.

Keywords: 996, all

Summary: The House Labor, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee met to hear House Bill 7, sponsored by Representative Garrett and Representative Cates, which would continue and support apprenticeship and workforce training funding. The sponsors and the Department of Workforce Solutions described strong growth in apprenticeship participation, especially in the building trades, and said the fund has helped expand programs while maintaining high retention and employment outcomes. They emphasized that the bill would provide predictable, sustained investment in skilled labor needed for construction, infrastructure, and other growing sectors. Supportive testimony came from contractors, chambers of commerce, trade unions, and a small business owner, all of whom said apprenticeship funding is essential to meeting workforce shortages and keeping workers in New Mexico. Committee members asked about program demographics, geographic distribution, rural participation, reentry and high school dropout data, and how apprenticeships connect to displaced workers from energy and industrial closures. The secretary explained that the department uses Rapid Response and economic transition programs for layoffs and closures, and also surveys current energy workers to gauge retraining interest. Several members praised the bill’s return on investment and retention of workers in the state, while Representative de Rassas suggested adding more public transparency and performance metrics. Representative Ortiz asked about future funding after 2031 and whether the program could scale with more money. After discussion, Representative Hall moved a do pass, Representative de Rassas seconded, and the committee approved House Bill 7 with no opposition. The chair also announced upcoming committee meetings and asked members to consent to sharing contact information for committee purposes.

Transcript Highlights:

• organizations including the General organizations including the General Assembly.
• <00:14:10.720> donated<00:14:11.480> his and he generously donated his and he generously
• General and Housing? General and Housing?
• by the Attorney General. by the Attorney General.
• consultation The Attorney General, in consultation The Attorney General, in consultation with

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with a devotional by former member Jason Lorber, who spoke humorously about the difference between asking questions and making statements, urging members to be direct and add value in deliberation. The chamber then took up several resolutions: JRH 11, urging Congress to enact the National Infrastructure Bank Act of 2025, was read and referred to the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development; JRS 51, setting weekend adjournment for May 1, 2026, was adopted in concurrence; and H.C.R. 261 was read, recognizing May 2026 as Older Americans Month and designating May 6, 2026 as Age Strong Vermont Day. Members also used announcements to welcome guests and highlight events, including the Age Strong Vermont initiative, a former member’s return, visitors connected to psychedelic medicine advocacy, an art social, fisheries and trout-in-the-classroom guests, a legislative intern, and a reminder about the May 16 NAMI walk. The House then took up Senate Bill 230, an omnibus labor measure relating to fair employment practices. The committee explanation described technical clarifications to parental and family leave for full-time teachers, expansion of protections for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, removal of outdated statutory language on mandatory retirement for tenured faculty, and clarification that elected and appointed municipal officers are not employees for minimum wage and overtime purposes. The main new policy in section 3B would prohibit non-compete agreements for non-exempt employees, with an exception for collective bargaining agreements, and would restrict certain non-compete and related clauses in health care provider contracts while preserving continuity of care and excluding non-clinical business support services. The committee reported extensive testimony and voted 11-0-0 to recommend the bill favorably with amendment; the House agreed to propose the amendment to the Senate and ordered third reading. The House also began consideration of Senate Bill 179, updating Vermont’s Uniform Disclaimer of Property Interests Act. The committee presentation explained that the bill would eliminate the current 9-month deadline for disclaimers, reflecting changes in federal tax law and the much larger modern estate and gift tax exclusion, and would modernize the statute in several ways. Proposed changes include clearer rules for jointly held property, allowing pre-death disclaimers, authorizing trustees and parents in limited circumstances to disclaim on behalf of trusts or minor children, permitting disclaimers by proxy for infirm persons, clarifying partial disclaimers and entity disclaimers, improving delivery rules for non-real-estate property, and specifying that a disclaimer is not a transfer for transfer-tax purposes. The bill was described as a response to outdated law in light of an impending large intergenerational wealth transfer, and the House proceeded with second reading discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the lead-up to the 2024 general election, the Office of the Attorney General was made aware of multiple
• The Attorney General may prosecute to the Attorney General shall.
• And upon request of the Attorney General, the local prosecuting attorney... ...to the Attorney General
• appropriations act are prohibited from being distributed.
• That's correct insofar as the general principle goes.

Summary: The Senate began with a quorum call, prayer, approval of the previous journal, and messages from the House, then moved through several recognitions and resolutions honoring visiting groups. Members adopted resolutions recognizing the Texas chapters of Blue Star Mothers of America, Fine Arts Education Day, Donate Life Texas Day, Baha’i Capitol Day, County Government Day, Jack County Day, Crockett County Day, and a recognition of Navy Petty Officer Simon Urbanik for service during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The chamber also heard remarks from visiting doctors, students, county officials, and community groups, with multiple senators speaking in support of military families, arts education, organ donation, and local government service. The Senate then took up Committee Substitute Senate Bill 2779, relating to the allocation and use of certain hotel occupancy tax revenues. Senator Birdwell said the bill would stop local governments from conditioning HOT funds on race- or class-based priorities and would require Galveston to transfer the full state rebate for beach cleaning and maintenance to its park board. After questions, the Senate suspended the rules, passed the bill to engrossment, suspended the three-day rule, and finally passed it, though the final vote showed significant opposition. The chamber also passed Committee Substitute Senate Bill 2322, described as a cleanup bill removing the compelling-factor test for dispatchable generation from the Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology, and Innovation Act. A major debate centered on Committee Substitute Senate Bill 2253, which would phase out uncertified teachers in core classrooms and strengthen educator certification requirements. Senator Creighton argued the bill responds to a teacher pipeline crisis, adds parent notification, creates multiple preparation pathways, and provides financial incentives for certification; Senator West and Senator Sparks pressed for rural flexibility and implementation details. An amendment from Senator Gutierrez to add a teacher student-loan repayment program failed on a 11-17 vote, while other technical and fiscal amendments were adopted. The bill then passed to engrossment, the three-day rule was suspended, and it was finally passed. The Senate also passed Committee Substitute Senate Bill 2371, updating skimmer-reporting rules to cover electronic terminals beyond fuel pumps, and Committee Substitute Senate Bill 2351, relating to the construction of certain concrete plants under a standard permit. Senate Bill 619, a conscience-protection bill for health care workers, drew extended questioning from Senators Cook, Eckhardt, and Menendez about patient abandonment, scope, and whether it could allow refusals of legal services such as vaccines, antibiotics, contraception, or personal care; despite those concerns, the Senate suspended the rules and passed the bill to engrossment. Finally, the chamber began consideration of Committee Substitute Senate Bill 1169, which would allow public entities to form public utility agencies to cooperate on water and wastewater projects without eminent domain or cross-collateralization, with Senator Hinojosa explaining it as a tool for small and rural communities facing utility infrastructure problems.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the distribution of malt beverages by licensed manufacturers, introduced by Senator Rahm Hinsdale
• A disclosure is required when a person publishes or distributes synthetic media about a candidate that
• publishes or distributes synthetic media about<00:20:30.960> a<00:20:31.280> candidate
• A person that produces or distributes the synthetic media, uh, constituting parody is also exempt from
• And finally, Section 2042 gives authority to the attorney general and any state's attorney to conduct

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• generation? generation?
• actually a generator that's contributing to<00:20:42.799> the<00:20:42.960> distributed
• <00:23:59.840> power generation facility is to generate power generation facility is to generate
• generation? generation?
• hydro genera generation facility sites. hydro genera generation facility sites.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But it is generally accepted knowledge that water rates have generally lagged behind actual operating
• funds—general fund transfers.
• I generated a few as I read through your presentations.
• So to clarify, you can do general fund transfer... ...you go into that, but nothing from the general
• Are being squeezed, and just in general.

Summary: During the meeting, legislative members discussed the practice of municipalities diverting water and sewer revenues to their general funds, which impacts infrastructure maintenance and project delays. Vice Chair Sparks proposed limiting public testimony to two minutes, which was adopted without objection. The committee heard from various witnesses, including Perry Fowler from the Texas Water Infrastructure Network, who emphasized that utility revenues should primarily support water services and that transfers should be transparent and justified. He noted that many utilities face financial pressures that could hinder infrastructure projects. Larry French from the Texas Public Policy Foundation highlighted the significant financial impact of water loss and general fund transfers, estimating the annual loss at $1.5 billion. He argued that these transfers can create disincentives for municipalities to address water loss issues. Brian Butcher, Assistant City Manager of Sugar Land, defended the city's cost allocation model for general fund transfers, asserting that they are necessary for equitable service provision and operational efficiency. The committee also discussed the implications of rising construction costs and the need for better procurement processes to ensure effective use of taxpayer dollars. The second part of the meeting focused on the New World Screwworm and the state's preparedness to manage potential infestations. Dudley Hoskins from the USDA outlined the federal response efforts and the importance of collaboration with state agencies. He emphasized the need for ongoing surveillance and the production of sterile flies to combat the pest. Dr. Philip Kaufman from Texas A&M discussed the historical context of the screwworm and the challenges posed by its potential reintroduction, urging proactive management strategies among livestock producers. The committee acknowledged the need for increased resources and research to effectively address the threat of the screwworm.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a momentous occasion for everyone in my generation on the police department who has been waiting
• Employ a general counsel that also advises the consortium to receive gifts, grants, or donations for
• Generally speaking, these funds are the last resort, with the exception of emergency funds, and so we
• The Houston Food Bank is the largest food bank in the nation by... ...distribution.
• or water distribution.

Bills: HB104, HB2434, HB2529, HB2688, HB3161, HB3486, HB3487, HB3745, HB4044, HB4226, HB4945, HB104

Keywords: Texas Future Fund, investment review board, economic stabilization, innovative technology, national defense, retirement, service credit, Employees Retirement System of Texas, employee benefits, pension reform, salary supplement, county judges, judicial functions, state law, government compensation, public retirement systems, municipality pensions, firefighters, police officers, retirement age

Transcript Highlights:

• for over the years is SNAP distribution for over the years is SNAP distribution twice<00:10:20.160
• Again, you are so generous with your time and your talent. Thank you for being here today.
• of your time and giver so generously of your time and your<00:29:24.559> talent.
• Enforcement by Texas Attorney General.
• Enforcement by the Texas Attorney General and civil penalties. Kind of interesting.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee approved the minutes unanimously and then heard extended testimony from Senator Jimmy Higdon, who reflected on Kentucky’s 2011 childhood obesity task force and said the state’s childhood obesity problem has worsened since then. He described prior recommendations from that task force, including more physical education, nutrition education, classroom-based physical activity, complete streets, bike lanes, sidewalks, and safe routes to school. Higdon also argued that government programs have contributed to obesity and drug abuse, focusing especially on SNAP and Medicaid, and said he has long advocated for a waiver to distribute SNAP benefits twice a month rather than once a month. Higdon said SNAP fraud and abuse are significant, claiming some recipients sell benefits and some retailers bend the rules on eligible purchases. He also said spreading benefits through the month could help families keep fresh food in the home and stabilize grocery store business, especially in food deserts and rural areas. In response to questions, he said he would not support allowing hot prepared foods under SNAP, though he said a grocery-store produce incentive similar to the farmers market match could be beneficial if structured separately. He also said the WIC program is a model for how SNAP could be better administered. Members thanked Higdon for his service and discussed whether the issue is food insecurity or poor nutrition. Senator Douglas emphasized adding stronger guardrails to nutrition-related programs, and Representative Proctor asked about the challenges of operating grocery stores in rural areas and food deserts. Higdon said independent grocers face thin margins, competition, and cyclical market pressures, and that SNAP distribution patterns can worsen those challenges. After Higdon’s testimony, the committee heard from Ann Cressilious, a registered dietitian with the Kentucky Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, who began a presentation on the profession and on efforts to improve nutrition and access to nutrition information in Kentucky.

Transcript Highlights:

• To my left is Tom Valardi, one of the assistant attorneys general at the AG's office.
• A venue is generally, and I'll keep it in a short definition, where a case can be heard.
• Um, a venue is generally, court's venue.
• I've not seen a case distribution?
• or the dispensing of the distribution or the dispensing of the<02:21:16.880> drugs.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:26:20.400> funds that include a request for general funds that include a request for general
• 2 almost $2.5 billion uh in general 2 almost $2.5 billion uh in general funds<00:26:27.600> and
• thankfully, the general assembly's thankfully, the general assembly's allocation<00:33:11.200> got
• Uh, these are not general fund bonds.
• Uh from funds other than general fund.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:11 Approval of Minutes 00:02:00 Information Items 00:02:25 CPE Special Report 00:03:26 Review of Executive Branch Agency Plans 00:31:48 A. Attorney General 00:32:10 B. Court of Justice 00:36:41 C. Cabinet for Economic Development 00:50:44 D. Kentucky Public Pensions Authority 00:56:06 E. Board Discussion of Planning Issues 01:05:12, 958, all

Summary: The Capital Planning Advisory Board opened its fourth meeting, confirmed a quorum, approved the prior meeting’s minutes by unanimous voice vote, and then heard information items and agency presentations. The main substantive presentation came from the Council on Postsecondary Education, which outlined its capital planning recommendations for the 2026–28 biennium. CPE staff described the role of Kentucky’s research and education network (Kron), including connectivity to cloud services, Internet2, identity services, and new local AI/inferencing capacity, and argued that the network is now essential to higher education, health care, and extension services. They said the network’s recent upgrades were driven by privacy, security, redundancy, and the need to support modern research and AI workloads at lower cost than commercial providers. CPE also presented its broader higher-education capital request: $700 million for asset preservation and $1.73 billion for new construction, for a total recommendation of about $2.4 billion. Staff said they do not plan to recommend IT projects or equipment in this cycle, despite reviewing 48 IT submissions totaling nearly $1.4 billion and equipment requests totaling $322.6 million. For asset preservation, they said the recommended allocation method would remain based on each institution’s share of Category 1 and 2 square footage, and they noted that the state’s prior facility assessment is now 12 years old, with deferred maintenance still estimated in the $7–9 billion range. For new construction, they said the requests are heavily focused on STEM and health-related facilities that are difficult to retrofit into older buildings. Board members asked about how asset-preservation amounts were determined, including why Northern Kentucky University’s request was much larger than its prior allocation. CPE staff responded that campus size, building age, and institutional prioritization affect the requests, and that schools are asked to submit more projects than are likely to be funded. The board then moved on to an Attorney General capital plan overview, where senior counsel Will Schroeder began describing the office’s technology needs and the office’s prior reliance on a 2020 appropriation to replace legacy systems and improve security.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:05:07.919> fund additional costs to the general fund additional costs to the general fund
• these costs back into the general fund.
• <00:08:38.320> So costs back into the general fund. So costs back into the general fund.
• I'll start on line 133: net general fund. The PUC has $3.8 million of general fund spending.
• :56.320> low-income it's distribution is to low-income it's distribution is to low-income motans

Bills: HF2438

Keywords: transportation finance, transportation policy, MnDOT, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Department of Public Safety, Metropolitan Council, highway funding, trunk highway fund, county state-aid highway fund, municipal state-aid street fund, state aid roads, local roads, bridge funding, road construction, transit funding, passenger rail, freight rail, aviation, airport development, safe routes to school

Transcript Highlights:

• There are some who would like us to use new general fund monies.
• There are some who would like us to use new general fund monies.
• I don't see that. like us to use new general fund monies.
• But any of the training must be approved by the Auditor General.
• This bill favors our next generation. Let's pass this bill. This bill favors our next generation.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, guest introductions, and recognition of Arizona School Board Association members and local school board representatives visiting the Capitol for Advocacy Day. Members also honored the House Doctor of the Day, Dr. Heather Serran, and approved the journal and attendance. The chamber then moved through a large number of Senate messages and House calendar items, including committee assignments and first and second readings of many bills. A major floor action was the unanimous adoption of SCR 1054 honoring former Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, followed by remarks remembering his public service and consumer-protection work. The House also agreed to return SB 1278 to the Senate for reconsideration and referred several House bills to an additional Committee of the Whole for further amendment. In Committee of the Whole, members considered and advanced numerous bills, including HB 2055, 2150, 2426, 2456, 2457, 2728, 2755, 2918, and 2923, with several floor amendments adopted. HB 2728 drew the most debate over Department of Economic Security continuation and added policy changes affecting SNAP, unemployment, and eligibility verification; after a divided question and recorded vote, it received a do-pass recommendation by 32-25. The House also advanced HB 2134, 2142, 2289, 2290, 2331, 2379, 2397, 4026, and 4033 in later Committee of the Whole sessions, with discussion focused on school safety funding and governance, school board training, HOA disclosure reforms, tax sourcing clarity, and bond disclosure language. Several bills were retained on the calendar, including HB 4041, HB 2444, HB 4018, and HB 4070. In final third-reading votes, HB 2053, HB 2327, and HB 2416 passed; HB 2175 and HB 2492 failed; and HB 2805, which would make school board races partisan, was under debate at the end of the transcript amid strong arguments both for and against increasing partisanship in school board elections.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, you generously gave us new FTEs for those programs.
• One is for the Attorney General. The other is for the Department of CTE. Each grant is $250,000.
• The Attorney General, for instance, would use these grants for UAS grants for local law enforcement areas
• You may be... ...division based off the federal grant grants that they receive and then distribute.
• And once they receive new distributions for each of those federal energy and weatherization programs,

Bills: SB2018

Keywords: funding, commerce, autonomous technology, workforce development, economic growth, grant programs, 908, all

Summary: The committee took up Senate Bill 2018, the Department of Commerce budget, and walked through the long sheet and a series of proposed changes. Members discussed restoring a vacant workforce FTE that Commerce said it could fill soon, monitoring federal funding delays but reporting no known cuts, and adjusting several one-time items including Operation Intern, the North Dakota Development Fund, the Global Talent Office, and tourism-related funding. The chair also proposed separating tourism marketing and Good Life funding again, rather than combining them, and members raised concerns about ensuring tourism dollars are used only for tourism purposes. A number of program amounts were reviewed or adjusted in discussion, including UAS grants, Vantus/Beyond Visual Line of Sight funding, Grand Sky, Grand Farm autonomous agriculture grants, base enhancement grants, Native American small business grants, regional workforce impact grants, technical skills training grants, and tribal college workforce grants. Commerce officials explained that some grant language would be changed to require competitive RFP processes, and they clarified that the housing opportunity and community property improvement items were handled in other bills or programs. The committee also discussed apprenticeship efforts across state agencies and Commerce’s role in workforce development. The committee reviewed carryover and exemption language for prior appropriations, including federal weatherization and energy funds, and Commerce said three one-time FTE tied to those federal programs should become ongoing because the federal dollars continue over several years. A motion to add $1.5 million for the North Dakota Safety Council failed for lack of a second. The committee then planned to return the next day to continue work on Commerce and take up the CTE budget, including a pending amendment related to CTE’s possible move from the 15th floor of the Capitol.

Transcript Highlights:

• day at every level of government, including at the cabinet from the Secretary. to the Army Corps General
• It's not exactly a one to one science, but it's pretty it's it's generalized. and so they I can't go
• And so the life cycle of the fly is relatively short, so generally. early speaking about 21 days.
• And so. simple plans out there for the general public, that's gonna be available. Yeah, absolutely.
• But the general public can help treat and control.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Have different revenue sources, such as other state agencies contribute, of course, the general fund.
• Of course, we have the general fund, federal fund, but we also have a county-supported Medicaid fund.
• . the program in general.
• Then you'll see the bottom chart there, distribution of income taxpayers.
• I'm General Counsel for the Public Education Department.

Transcript Highlights:

• as I've been commissioner for a while now, there's a cost for us to do business and we either get general
• You have a Dollar General another.
• You have a Dollar General opening<00:04:21.359> in<00:04:21.600> your<00:04:21.840>
• Our distribution is was up our history.
• <00:43:23.359> Uh generally. Did if anyone want Okay. Uh generally.

Bills: HF2446

Keywords: agriculture finance, broadband development, Department of Agriculture, Board of Animal Health, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, Office of Broadband Development, food safety, food handler license, cottage food, home processed food, livestock dealer, meat packing company, milk marketer, milk marketing license, grain buyer, grain storage, beginning farmer, emerging farmer, farm down payment assistance, livestock investment grant