Video & Transcript : 'Democrat' :
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MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Minnesota House passes proposed constitutional amendment to boost funding from Permanent School Fund May 4th, 2026
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Costs are rising, budgets are tightening, and with the full effect of the Democrat trifecta being fully
- The governor can talk about cuts to education, but here in the House, Republicans and hopefully Democrats
- Costs are rising, budgets are tightening, and with the full effect of the Democrat trifecta being fully
- Costs are rising, budgets are tightening, and with the full effect of the Democrat trifecta being fully
- Hopefully Democrats are going to say together, we're finding responsible ways to get more resources into
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety - Part 2 - 04/24/26
Judiciary and Public Safety
Transcript Highlights:
- Um, it's modeled in democratic governance, long-term housing stability, and oftentimes we kind of pull
- Um it's modeled in democratic<00:08:56.000><c> governance,</c><00:08:56.600><c> long-term</c><00:08:57.040
- ><c> housing</c> democratic governance, long-term housing democratic governance, long-term housing stability
- increased the legal costs, and in some cases, it introduces risk to the very basic foundations of democratic
- </c><00:14:57.760><c> uh</c> uh foundations of democratic uh uh foundations of democratic uh governance
MO
Missouri 2026 Regular Session
2026 Legislative Session - Day Thirty Seven - Thursday, March 12
Missouri House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- negotiated and added a few other good pieces of legislation with collaboration again, Republicans and Democrats
- Most of the cases you're going to be concerned about are Democrat prosecutors that are elected Democrats
- We're Republicans and Democrats on this side and the other side are very in lockstep on making sure these
- They got a women Democratic governor. They got a women Democratic governor.
- A lot of Republicans flipped to become Democrats because they can't watch their party do this anymore
FL
Florida 2026 5th Special Session
FL House Floor Session - 2025-04-28 (1:00PM Session)
Florida House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- To my fellow Democrats, I am proud to serve with you, and I am prouder of what we are building.
- And I, for one, am thankful that you're going to be leading here in the chamber for the Democrats.
- It had some Democrat—well, one. ...stop in the Senate, which only had two no votes.
- It had some Democrat—well, one of them is now an NPA supporter.
- And there's a current Democrat and a former Democrat that voted yes in that first committee stop.
Summary:
The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several recognitions, including remarks from the new Democratic caucus leader, Senator Berman, who emphasized affordability, education, health care, public safety, and opposition to measures he said would roll back child labor protections, book access, and gun safety laws. The chamber also recognized military leaders from U.S. Army Special Operations Command and an intern from Senator Polsky’s office. No committee reports or executive messages were on the desk at the start.
The Senate then took up and passed several bills, often after substituting House companions and adopting technical amendments. Among the measures approved were the dangerous dogs bill (the Pam Rock Act), local government land regulation, vessel-related voter freedom/boating provisions, blood clot screening and treatment, fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, concealed carry licensing for certain officers and service members, timeshare management firms, disability history and awareness instruction, manufacturing and manufacturing fees, public education on background screening requirements, utility service restrictions, educational opportunities for military children, Medicaid oversight, health facilities authorities, and veterans’ nursing home beds. Several bills were temporarily postponed, including measures on human trafficking, waste management, Bright Futures, Medicaid oversight earlier in the day, mammogram coverage, and others.
Debate on the disability history bill was especially extensive, with senators discussing the use of the word “disability,” the role of bias, and whether the bill fit with broader DEI-related policy debates. The bill’s sponsor and supporters framed it as a first step toward helping students understand and respect people with disabilities, and the chamber opened co-sponsorship before substituting the House version. Other bills drew focused questions about local government costs, impact fees, staffing burdens, grant criteria for small manufacturers, and the scope of utility preemption. Most measures passed on strong votes, including several unanimous votes, with the concealed carry/firearms bill passing 33-3 and the local government land regulation bill passing 26-8.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- greatest honor of my professional life to stand before you as the newly elected leader of the Florida Democratic
- To my fellow Democrats, I am proud to serve with you, and I am prouder of what we are building.
- And I, for one, am thankful that you're going to be leading here in the chamber for the Democrats.
- It had some Democrat—well, one. It had some Democrat—well, one of them is now an NPA support.
- And there's a current Democrat and a former Democrat that voted yes in that first committee stop.
Summary:
The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several recognitions, including remarks from Senator Berman outlining Democratic priorities such as education, health care, environmental protection, and opposition to rollbacks on child labor, book access, and gun safety. The chamber also recognized military guests and an intern before moving to the special order calendar. Several bills were temporarily postponed, including measures on human trafficking, waste management, Bright Futures, Medicaid oversight at one point in the flow, and mammogram coverage, though the Medicaid oversight bill was later taken up and passed.
The Senate passed a series of bills, often after substituting House companions and adopting technical amendments. Among the major measures approved were the dangerous dogs bill (the Pam Rock Act), which tightened penalties and procedures after fatal attacks; a local government land regulation bill that streamlined comp plan review and defined impact-fee circumstances, though members raised concerns about quasi-judicial hearing limits and local costs; a vessel-related bill combining boating safety and voter-freedom provisions; a blood clot screening and treatment bill creating the Emily Adkins Family Protection Act; fleeing and eluding penalties; concealed carry and firearm possession rules for certain officers and service members; timeshare management reforms; and public education on background screening requirements.
The chamber also approved bills on disability history and awareness instruction, manufacturing and a related fee bill, utility service restrictions, educational opportunities for military children, health facilities authorities, and veteran and spouse nursing home beds. The disability instruction bill drew extended debate about the use of the term “disability,” inclusion, and whether the measure was consistent with broader DEI debates; it passed unanimously after emotional testimony from the sponsor and families. The manufacturing and utility bills focused on statewide economic policy and preemption of local restrictions, while the military children bill was presented as a student-driven proposal. Most measures passed with strong bipartisan support, with recorded votes ranging from unanimous to 33-3 on the firearm bill and 26-8 on the land regulation bill.
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
FL House Floor Session - 2025-04-28 (1:00PM Session)
Florida House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- greatest honor of my professional life to stand before you as the newly elected leader of the Florida Democratic
- To my fellow Democrats, I am proud to serve with you, and I am prouder of what we are building.
- And I, for one, am thankful that you're going to be leading here in the chamber for the Democrats.
- It had some Democrat—well, one. It had some Democrat—well, one of them is now an NPA supporter.
- And there's a current Democrat and a former Democrat that voted yes in that first committee stop.
Summary:
The Senate convened with a quorum, prayer, pledge, and several recognitions, including remarks from Senator Berman on Democratic priorities and introductions of military leaders and an intern. The chamber then moved through a long special-order calendar, with many bills substituted to House companions, amended, and passed, while several others were temporarily postponed.
Major measures approved included the dangerous dogs/Pam Rock Act (SB 572/HB 593), which tightened penalties and procedures for dog attacks and passed 36-0; local government land regulation (SB 1080), which was amended to remove agricultural enclave language and passed 26-8; vessel/freedom-related legislation (SB 1388/HB 1137), which passed 35-0; blood clot screening and treatment (SB 890/HB 1421), which added registry and training provisions and passed 36-0; fleeing or eluding law enforcement (SB 468/HB 113), which increased offense levels and passed 36-0; concealed carry/licensing for certain officers and service members (SB 490/HB 383), which passed 33-3; timeshare management (SB 496/HB 897), which clarified governance and annual meeting requirements and passed 36-0; background screening education (SB 614/HB 531), which created a public webpage and passed 36-0; utility service restrictions (SB 1002/HB 1137), which preempted local energy-source restrictions and passed 36-0; Medicaid oversight (SB 1060), which created a joint oversight committee and passed 35-0; health facilities authorities (SB 68), amended to make fentanyl urine screening more discretionary, and passed 36-0; and veterans’ nursing home beds (SB 78/HB 797), which authorized veteran- and spouse-designated beds and passed 36-0.
The chamber also passed disability history and awareness instruction (SB 540/HB 447), a highly personal bill honoring Evan Hartzell that drew extended debate about disability language, inclusion, and education; it passed 35-0 after 35 co-sponsors were added. Manufacturing policy bills SB 600 and SB 602 were approved after amendments to add reporting, ranking metrics, and fee-use restrictions, both passing 35-0. Educational opportunities for military children (SB 1528) passed 36-0 after testimony from student sponsors and senators praising the bill’s origin. Several other bills, including Medicaid oversight, mammograms, Parkinson’s disease, condominium/cooperative associations, waste management, human trafficking, and Bright Futures, were postponed or not taken up during this segment.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House judiciary committee hears HF768 2/20/25
Transcript Highlights:
- The First Amendment is a cornerstone of our constitutional republic and essential to our democratic process
- </c><00:01:25.920><c> process</c><00:01:26.600><c> this</c> essential to our Democratic process this
- essential to our Democratic process this bill<00:01:27.000><c> reaffirms</c><00:01:27.640><c> that</c
- Since we've gone this direction, it's been interesting listening to member commentary from my Democratic
- during the Democratic colleagues during the presentation<00:39:51.119><c> of</c><00:39:51.240><c> this
Summary:
House File 768, sponsored by Vice Chair Hudson, was heard with an author’s amendment (A4) adopted to remove a technical section and put the bill in the intended form. Hudson described the bill as a response to concerns about government monitoring of protected speech, saying it would bar the Minnesota Department of Human Rights from creating or maintaining a database of constitutionally protected speech while preserving the department’s ability to investigate actual discrimination, harassment, threats, or illegal conduct. He emphasized First Amendment protections and argued the state should not track speech simply because it is controversial or unpopular.
The main testimony in support came from Ran Lee of Americans for Prosperity, who echoed the free-speech concerns and said databases of bias incidents can capture lawful speech and create a chilling effect. Representative Rest said she generally supported the free-speech goal but wanted to preserve the Department of Human Rights’ ability to produce biennial reports and analyze de-identified trend data on civil rights incidents, including emerging threats or hateful rhetoric, so lawmakers can respond to patterns without recording individuals’ protected speech. Representative Curran raised concerns that speech trends can relate to public safety and argued that attacks on human rights often begin as speech.
Hudson responded that the Department of Human Rights is not a law enforcement agency and that the bill would not impede criminal investigations. He argued that trying to monitor “trends in thought” would be constitutionally problematic and produce unreliable data, and he distinguished protected speech from criminal conduct. Representative Feist said the department’s existing report already uses aggregate, non-investigative data and suggested there may be room to refine the bill’s language. The bill was laid over for further consideration, with Hudson indicating he was open to continued discussion and possible language changes.
PA
Transcript Highlights:
- House Democrats will caucus. House Democrats will caucus at 10:15.
- formulation, and decision-making of agencies is vital to the enhancement and proper functioning of the democratic
- the faith of the public in government and the public's effectiveness in fulfilling its role in a democratic
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Floor Session Jun 15th, 2026
California Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- At a time when both Democrats and Republicans have said on this floor, the number one issue across California
- In fact, this body, the Democrats on this side, fought to ensure that people who wanted to go back to
- What the Democrats in this body did for the affordability crisis was hold the line and ensure that seniors
- And because of the Senate, the Democrats in the Senate, seniors won't get kicked off of Medi-Cal.
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
- It is my great honor as Democratic leader to be able to read the proclamation in honor of our wonderful
- government, commerce, labor, judiciary, and transportation committees, and was part of the Senate Democratic
- On behalf of our entire Senate and, of course, our Democratic leadership team, we are so honored to have
- , but with volunteers and my immediate family, we hit every door in the district, Republican and Democrat
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Rep. Paul Torkelson departing member remarks 5/18/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- . >> [laughter] It was a lot of Democrats, but I survived. I moved on after transportation.
- But I was the only Republican in the room. >> [laughter] It was a lot of Democrats, but I survived.
- But I was the only Republican in the room. >> [laughter] It was a lot of Democrats, but I survived.
- Yeah, there’s so many staff people that I worked with, partisan, nonpartisan, Republicans, Democrats.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Elections Committee Mar 25th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- And I would say that this rhetoric, in combination with actions taken to undermine our democratic norms
- And so being thoughtful about opportunities for young people to engage in the democratic process, being
- I appreciate your goal to encourage civic engagement and bring people closer to the democratic process
- I appreciate your goal to encourage civic engagement and bring people closer to the democratic process
Summary:
The Assembly Elections Committee met on March 25, 2026, with nine measures on the agenda and three bills taken on consent. The committee approved the consent calendar for AB 1736, AB 1853, and AB 2153. The committee also heard several election-related bills, including AB 1993 on ballot-envelope privacy, AB 1788 on nonprofit disclosure of travel payments for elected officials, AB 1560 on barring people convicted of public corruption from lobbying, AB 1539 on presidential and vice-presidential ballot eligibility certifications, AB 1919 on Santa Cruz Metro local tax initiative procedures, and AB 1562 on county selection of poll workers. The chair also noted membership changes and welcomed new and returning members and staff.
AB 1993 drew the most debate. The author argued it was a common-sense safeguard to prevent voters’ choices from being visible through ballot-envelope holes, citing a Sacramento County incident and public concern about ballot privacy. County election officials, the Secretary of State’s office, and Disability Rights California opposed the bill, saying the holes also serve accessibility and processing functions, that existing voter instructions already address privacy, and that the measure would create implementation problems and an unfunded mandate. After extended discussion, the committee voted the bill out on a 2-6 roll call and it failed.
AB 1788 was supported by the FPPC and the League of Women Voters and passed as amended to Appropriations, with members emphasizing transparency while seeking to avoid unintended coverage of organizations like NCSL and CSG. AB 1560 passed 6-0 despite the Secretary of State’s implementation concerns about how the office would learn of relevant convictions. AB 1539, which would require party representatives to certify presidential and vice-presidential nominees’ constitutional eligibility, passed 7-0 as amended. AB 1919, which would clarify procedures for a Santa Cruz Metro voter initiative to place a transit tax on the ballot, passed 6-2, and AB 1562, which would allow counties to randomly select poll workers, passed 7-1 after discussion about civic engagement, guardrails, and election administration. The committee then completed roll-call adjustments for absent members and adjourned.
CA
Transcript Highlights:
- And I would say that this rhetoric, in combination with actions taken to undermine our democratic norms
- And so being thoughtful about opportunities for young people to engage in the democratic process, being
- I appreciate your goal to encourage civic engagement and bring people closer to the democratic process
- I appreciate your goal to encourage civic engagement and bring people closer to the democratic process
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Floor Session Mar 9th, 2026
Washington House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- The Democrats will caucus immediately.
- The Democrats will caucus at 2:15 sharp. Thank you.
- The Democrats will caucus at 2.15 Sharp. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
- The Democrats will caucus at 2.15 sharp. Thank you. The member from the 20th, Representative Barno.
Keywords:
behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access, mental health funding, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, juice grapes, agriculture, commerce, state regulation, market access, fire safety, insurance incentives, best practices, community protection, voluntary measures, mortgage modification
Summary:
The House convened with a quorum, the flag was escorted by the Muckleshoot Veterans Color Guard, and the day opened with a prayer from Dennis Anderson Sr. The House approved the previous day’s minutes, welcomed representatives from the Urban Native Education Alliance, and then moved through caucuses and Senate messages before taking up a long series of third-reading votes on bills that had returned from the Senate.
Several measures drew debate over Senate amendments. House Bill 1069, concerning bargaining over supplemental retirement benefits for certain public employees, passed 78-17 after supporters said it would help correctional workers and critics said the Senate changes weakened the bill. Second Substitute House Bill 1128, creating a child care workforce standards board, passed 68-27 amid arguments over child care shortages, wages, and affordability. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1155, banning non-compete agreements, passed 62-33; supporters framed it as pro-worker and pro-entrepreneurship, while opponents said contracts should be voluntary and important in business sales.
The House also passed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1187 on ambulance billing and collections (93-2), Substitute House Bill 1390 phasing out the Community Protection Program (51-44), Engrossed House Bill 1501 on housing-related local requirements (58-37), House Bill 291 on bargaining communication rights (92-3), Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2110 on ambulance staffing/training (95-0), Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2165 on impersonating peace officers (66-29), Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2219 on child care regulations and opioid-related safety language (67-28), Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2266 on housing siting and local flexibility (56-39), Substitute House Bill 2350 on notice and accountability for developmental disability services (95-0), Substitute House Bill 2360 allowing schools to keep and administer albuterol with parental-notification changes (79-16), Second Substitute House Bill 2384 on financial transparency for continuing care retirement communities (78-17), Second Substitute House Bill 2429 on behavioral health planning and appropriations (95-0), Substitute House Bill 2496 protecting tribal sacred sites (71-24), and House Bill 2510, on which the House did not concur in Senate amendments. The chamber also granted conference requests on Engrossed Substitute Senate Bills 5998 and 605 and appointed conferees for each.
WY
Wyoming 2026 Regular Session
Joint Conference Committee - SF0028, March 5, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- I'm really lucky in my county; most every time I tested, I have a Republican and Democrat.
- 08.120><c> and</c> time I tested, I have a Republican and time I tested, I have a Republican and Democrat
- </c> Democrat. This has been for years. Democrat. This has been for years.
Summary:
The conference committee met on Senate File 2028, an elections-related bill concerning public logic and accuracy testing of voting equipment. The House explained its changes: extending notice from two to four days, removing language that limited the number of people in the room so the testing could be more open to the public, and adding language about resealing equipment after testing. The Senate side said the bill was largely technical but focused on balancing transparency with security and suggested a middle-ground notice period and a minimum number of people in the room rather than an open-ended crowd size.
County clerks Mary Langford and Julie Freeze testified in support of maintaining strong security and discretion during testing. They said clerks already notify party chairs and candidates through email, social media, and other means, and argued that two days’ notice is workable because election logistics can change at the last minute due to weather, missing materials, or equipment issues. They emphasized that testing should remain public, but that clerks need flexibility to manage room size and protect equipment and chain of custody, especially in smaller or more secure spaces.
Other members discussed whether the bill should be delayed, but witnesses said clerks would continue to make testing publicly available even without the bill and that the Senate version better preserved the balance between visibility and security. The committee ultimately moved to the Senate position, and the conference committee report passed on a roll call vote with all members voting aye, including Representatives Lock, Lucas, and Yen, and Senators Dockter and Erlandson; Senator Keiser was recorded as no.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Press Conference: Public Safety Previews New Weapons Screening at State Capitol - 02/13/26
Transcript Highlights:
- the Minnesota State Capitol, whether they're visiting, working, learning, or participating in our democratic
- c><00:03:34.000><c> our</c> learning, or participating in our learning, or participating in our democratic
- <00:03:34.799><c> process,</c> democratic process, democratic process, can<00:03:36.640><c> do</c><00
Summary:
Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson and State Patrol Colonel Christina Bogoich announced that weapon screening will begin Tuesday at the Minnesota State Capitol, at the start of the 2026 legislative session. They said the change is based on an independent security assessment and the Axtell report’s top recommendation, and is intended as an added layer of protection rather than a weapons ban or a change in state law. Both officials emphasized that the Capitol should remain open, accessible, and welcoming while reducing preventable risks, citing increased threats nationwide and the recent murders of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and Mark Hortman and the shootings of Senator John Hoffman and Yvette Hoffman.
Officials said visitors will enter through four public access points, with all other exterior doors closed to public entry. The primary entrance will be the south ground-level entrance, with additional access through tunnels connecting to the Senate building, State Office Building, Parking Lot C, and the Judicial Center. They said the screening process should take only seconds for most people, with bags scanned separately and additional checks only if needed. Prohibited items will not be stored by the Capitol, and the public was told to plan ahead, carry fewer items, and follow staff instructions. The Capitol will close to the general public at 4:30 p.m. on weekdays unless legislative business is still underway, in which case accommodations will be made.
In questions, officials said people with valid permit-to-carry authorization may still bring a firearm if it is otherwise legal, but they must declare the permit, show government ID, and go through screening. Elected officials are exempt and will have a separate lane, while staff will be screened. They also said the tunnels will be locked with restricted key-card access, and that the Senate is implementing its own screening, with questions about Senate doors referred there. Jacobson said the State Patrol will cover the costs within its existing budget, and that the process will be evaluated and adjusted as needed to keep it efficient and not a deterrent to visitors.
VT
Transcript Highlights:
- An essential component of a democratic society in a republican system of government is accountability
- <00:12:59.839><c> component</c><00:13:00.320><c> of</c><00:13:00.560><c> a</c><00:13:00.720><c> democratic
- </c> An essential component of a democratic An essential component of a democratic society<00:13:01.839
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Environment & Energy Jan 27th, 2026 at 04:00 pm
Environment & Energy
Transcript Highlights:
- Okay, so I think Republicans will go into that room and Democrats. We do have rooms available.
- I think Democrats can go down to B12. Okay. And we should be back within five to ten. Okay.
- But that means Democrats have to bust one, go quickly, walk quickly. All right, thanks.
- And I don't think that the Democrats will caucus.
Keywords:
emissions, climate commitment act, environmental regulation, trade regulation, facility compliance, consumer-owned utilities, clean energy, port districts, market customers, energy transformation, distributed energy, renewable energy, energy resources, sustainability, energy policy, 904, all
MS
Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
MS Senate Floor - 21 January, 2026; 10:00 AM
Mississippi Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Indeed, we are extremely grateful that you have given to these United States of America a democratic
- ><c> of</c><00:11:19.839><c> America</c> States of America States of America a<00:11:22.000><c> democratic
- </c><00:11:22.720><c> form</c><00:11:23.120><c> of</c><00:11:23.440><c> government</c> a democratic form
- of government a democratic form of government through<00:11:25.600><c> which</c><00:11:25.920><c> our
AL
Alabama 2026 Regular Session
Alabama House State Government Committee Jan 14th, 2026
State Government
Transcript Highlights:
- Eighty-nine percent of Republicans and 75% of Democrats and independent voters.
- Republicans<00:12:46.800><c> and</c><00:12:47.040><c> 75%</c><00:12:48.000><c> of</c><00:12:48.240><c> Democrats
- </c><00:12:48.639><c> and</c> Republicans and 75% of Democrats and Republicans and 75% of Democrats and
Keywords:
firearms, possession, Class 1 municipalities, criminal penalties, federal law, stolen firearms, prohibited persons, HB114, Alabama Sunset Law, sunset bill, Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama, dental board, dental licensing, dentist regulation, professional licensing, occupational licensing, healthcare regulation, licensure board, state agency continuation, agency sunset review