Transcript Highlights:

• I am the commander of the Department of Alabama American Legion.
• I was also the prior commander of the Air Force Doctrine and Policy Center.
• The issue that I understand from Commander Reene is very important.
• The Commanding General said, "Get your gear and get up here."
• After that, I was a deputy commander of Sump Camp Air Force Base. I know a lot.

Bills: HB154, HB153, HB180, SB70

Keywords: veterans affairs, Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs, State Board of Veterans Affairs, commissioner, governor appointment, board advisory, veteran service organizations, veterans homes, veterans cemeteries, veteran service officers, district managers, state veterans home trust fund, veterans benefits, military veterans, disabled veterans, elderly veterans, active-duty service members, state agency reorganization, executive authority, governance reform

Transcript Highlights:

• Now I know that this has been a systemic problem for years.
• My name is Commander Marable.
• My name is Deputy Commander Michelle London Marable.
• I want to thank you, Colonel, Commander, and Deputy Commander.
• Carry on, Commander. Thank you. Thank you.

Summary: The Committee on Government convened, took roll, introduced members and staff, and heard an Auditor General presentation on a special audit of the Arizona Department of Child Safety’s handling of non-criminal child abuse and neglect reports. The audit found that while DCS generally met initial contact timeframes in most cases, 123 of 125 sampled cases had at least one policy noncompliance issue, including failures to properly notify alleged perpetrators of rights and allegations, incomplete or undocumented investigative steps and safety plans, and investigations that exceeded required timeframes. The Auditor General said DCS agreed with the findings and would implement the recommendations; members asked about sample size, staffing, turnover, and whether the problems were systemic and documentation-related. The chair also gave an opening statement emphasizing oversight of DCS and the committee’s intent to focus on systemic issues and child safety. The committee then considered House Bill 262, which authorizes a memorial for the Buffalo Soldiers at Wesley Boland Plaza. Several supporters testified about the historical significance of the Buffalo Soldiers and the importance of recognizing their contributions in Arizona. Members from both parties spoke in support, and HB 262 passed unanimously with a due pass recommendation. The committee next heard House Bill 2018, which would prohibit DCS from entering into agreements with health care institutions that allow or require payment in exchange for reports of child abuse or neglect. The sponsor and supporters argued the bill was needed to prevent financial incentives from influencing reporting and to protect parents’ rights, while some testimony described alleged overreporting and harmful removals tied to hospital reporting arrangements. Members debated whether there was a sufficient paper trail for such payments and whether the issue was limited to one hospital or broader; the sponsor said DCS had not provided requested data and that subpoena power might be needed. After a recess and further discussion, HB 2018 passed on a 4-3 vote and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:35:56.320><c> Um,</c> incidences of violence from men. Um, incidences of violence from men.
• That's the prison<00:51:34.160><c> system.
• It leads to harassment, security incidents, and lawsuits.
• Um, I was going to go through the incident at Liberty Hotel.
• >> Yes, I believe that they are both in the court system. >> Thank you.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But that school system would have to make that decision.
• I could just say that maybe that school system... could just say that maybe that school system decides
• Well, we have school systems... funds used.
• to be displayed. the Ten Commandments is to be displayed.
• Save it for the Ten Commandments, silver, gold. Um, I'm going to... Commandments, silver, gold.

Bills: SB211, HB96, SB215, SB257, SB13, SB13

Keywords: school safety, local law enforcement, superintendent, complaints, school bus regulations, National Signing Day, athletic scholarships, military enlistment, postsecondary education, apprenticeship programs, high school students, educational commitments, education intervention, State Superintendent, local boards, provisional release, subpoena authority, compliance, educational operation control, fundraising

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> us fund our student information system us fund our student information system that<00:08:53.040>
• </c> have internet content management system have internet content management system that<00:10:09.120
• It's a new pay system, and now we're allowed to... so the previous pay system was relied on a veterans
• ><00:35:12.880><c> Cadet</c><00:35:13.200><c> Command</c><00:35:13.520><c> 7th</c> a former commander
• of Cadet Command 7th a former commander of Cadet Command 7th Brigade,<00:35:14.160><c> which</c><00:

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee heard an Office of Education Technology presentation on the Kentucky Education Technology System (KTS) and a request to increase its annual budget from $15.4 million to $30 million, including an additional $14.6 million. The witness described KTS as a statewide service model that provides districts with student information and financial systems, internet bandwidth, regional support, cybersecurity, online registration, learning management and email services, and collaborative instructional technology support. He argued the state’s centralized purchasing saves districts 40% to 60% compared with buying services individually, and said federal internet discounts and district matching funds create a strong return on investment. He also said KTS has faced long-term funding cuts, has not received a cost-of-living increase since 1992, and is now at a “breaking point” where some services may have to be shifted to districts at higher cost. The request was broken into six main items: restoring funding for the computer science and information technology academy; strengthening cybersecurity defenses in response to sharply rising attacks on K-12 systems; funding online registration through Infinite Campus; stabilizing ongoing support costs for Infinite Campus; providing cost-of-living increases for KTS services; and increasing the KTS financial assistance sent to districts, which requires local matching funds. Members asked about the current appropriation, and the witness said it is $15.4 million. One member praised the office’s work and support for districts, while another noted the district had been an early adopter of one-to-one technology. The committee then received an overview of the KRS 156 salary schedule and step-and-rank system for state-operated career and technical education staff at area technology centers. Officials explained that salaries are set under statute and regulation based on years of service and educational rank, with annual calculations tied to statewide teacher salary averages and retroactive adjustments to July 1. They said the current ABR request is $325,000 over the biennium to cover step and rank increases. The presentation noted that KRS 156 salaries are generally comparable to local districts but are less competitive with business and industry, making recruitment and retention difficult, especially for instructors coming from the trades. Members agreed that trade instructors are underpaid relative to the market and said the issue deserves further review, with department officials indicating they are considering possible statutory revisions and a delayed implementation in a future biennium.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I'm also very careful about following the chain of command.
• And my question is, wouldn't that compromise the chain of command?
• So, I mean, I don't believe that this violates a chain of command.
• I believe in chain of command as a public administrator.
• I think that will benefit a lot of our kids and the school system.

Summary: The Education Administration Subcommittee heard and advanced six bills. The first, PCS/HB 1073 by Rep. Koster, would give individual school board members timely, free access to district documents and budget information, require agendas and supporting materials to be kept as public records, and prohibit school districts from requiring or incentivizing nondisclosure agreements. Testimony from a Volusia County school board member and a former educator described difficulty obtaining records and concerns about NDAs; some members raised chain-of-command concerns, while others argued the bill was needed for transparency. The bill passed 15-3. The committee then approved HB 4049, a local bill for Jacksonville/Duval County that changes how the Duval County School Board’s attorney is selected, and OGSR/HB 7021, which extends and clarifies the public-records exemption for education examination and assessment instruments through 2031. HB 4049 passed 17-1 after debate over whether the board should use the city’s general counsel process; HB 7021 passed unanimously with no debate. Members also approved CS/HB 753 on school counselors, which removes certain certification barriers while keeping degree and counseling requirements in place and allows districts to choose whether to require the removed certificates. Supporters said the bill could help address counselor shortages and free counselors to focus on students; it passed 18-0. Finally, HB 157 created a School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program for D- and F-rated schools, using high-performing current or retired teachers as mentors with stipends funded from an existing allocation. Members discussed mentor limits, funding, and oversight, but the bill passed unanimously, 18-0. The meeting adjourned after committee members recognized visiting officials and students.

Transcript Highlights:

• command post for Cal Fire in the event of large fires.
• , repairing and updating electrical systems, and repairing and replacing roofs at many of the key sites
• As with any new fee system, the dust needs to settle and work out the kinks.
• that recently replaced the department's labor-intensive paper-based system.
• We are transitioning away from a weight-based system to a payment-by-count system, and there's an administrative

Summary: The subcommittee heard presentations on the administration’s Proposition 4 spending plans for extreme heat mitigation and outdoor access, then took up SB 54 implementation, SB 707 textile producer responsibility, and recovery needs related to the Los Angeles fires at state parks. For the extreme heat chapter, agencies described funding for the Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program, urban greening, urban forestry, fairground upgrades, and technical assistance for community-based climate programs. Witnesses emphasized that these are existing programs with strong demand, that technical assistance is important for reaching disadvantaged and tribal communities, and that the proposed funding would expand outreach and implementation capacity. Members asked for more detail on where funds have gone geographically, examples of successful projects, tree-planting totals, and how fairgrounds could better support fire staging and emergency preparedness. The LAO said the timing of the administration’s proposed funding generally made sense because the programs are already established, and no votes were taken. For outdoor access, State Parks, Fish and Wildlife, and Natural Resources described funding for new parks in underserved communities, deferred maintenance, state lands access, and several new or pending programs. State Parks said the park development program would fund roughly 48 projects and that deferred maintenance funding would address high-priority health, safety, and access needs. Fish and Wildlife said its lands program would improve visitor amenities and access on properties that often lack basic facilities. The Natural Resources Agency also outlined three newer outdoor-access proposals: expanding recreation in disadvantaged communities, enhancing natural resource values and trail access, and a nature/climate/education facilities grant program. The LAO distinguished between existing programs, which are ready to move forward, and the newer proposals, where the Legislature may want more input before funds are allocated. Members also raised concerns about park police vacancies, the need to track outcomes for accessibility investments, and whether Prop. 4 could help with wildfire-related recovery at state parks. CalRecycle then presented on SB 54, the plastics and packaging producer responsibility law, and members pressed hard on the delay in regulations. CalRecycle said it has held workshops, formed an advisory committee, selected the producer responsibility organization, and completed required baseline and covered-material reports, but needs more time to address complex comments and novel features such as source reduction and eco-modulated fees. Members expressed frustration that a statutory deadline was missed and asked for a concrete timeline; CalRecycle said it expects regulations in place by 2026, ahead of the PRO’s January 1, 2027 plan deadline. Finance said the Beverage Container Recycling Fund is currently healthy enough to support short-term loans for implementation. The committee also reviewed SB 707, the textile EPR law, which would create the nation’s first textile producer responsibility program; staff said the proposal would add positions and loan authority, and members noted the statutory deadlines for PRO approval, needs assessment, and later regulations. The hearing ended with discussion of the January Los Angeles fires’ damage to Topanga State Park and Will Rogers State Historic Park, where State Parks described extensive losses, emergency response work, and ongoing damage assessment. Members asked about FEMA eligibility, state funding sources, and community engagement in rebuilding, and the department said it is still assessing costs and will work with the public on reimagining the parks.

Transcript Highlights:

• He Commanded the USS Maryland and was the first commander of Task Force 69 for the US Sixth Fleet in
• Command of the job is nothing short of extraordinary and a joy to behold.
• Notice Paul specifically used the word 'command.'
• Notice Paul specifically used the word 'command.'
• Notice Paul specifically used the word 'command.'

Bills: HCR1026, SB1130, SB1134, SB1131, SB1132, SB1133, SB1142, HR1049

Keywords: light pollution, bird mortality, migration, energy conservation, wildlife protection, University Hospitals Authority, funding, behavioral health, appropriation, adolescent health, emergency legislation, Oklahoma State University, Medical Authority, human performance, pharmaceutical expansion, emergency funding, juvenile justice, youth services, pandemic relief, healthcare

Transcript Highlights:

• The system, but it is broadening who is eligible. Follow up. Thank you.
• Guard to be able to pursue certification through the career tech system.
• To the commander that's actually face to face with the soldier or the airman versus a commander that's
• For instance, in a company, you've got a company commander who's a captain.
• To our already strapped LC system. I jumped the gun on your questions.

Bills: HB2947, HB3257, HB3264, HB3834, HB3940, HB3944, HB3979, HB4003, HB4118, HB4326, HB4346, HB4421

Keywords: behavioral health, Medicaid expansion, clinical interns, mental health services, licensing requirements, veterans, disability benefits, federal law, Oklahoma Statutes, military service, criminal justice, minimum sentences, parole eligibility, violent crimes, Oklahoma statutes, HB3834, Oklahoma Breakthrough Therapy Act, ibogaine, ibogaine-based therapeutics, ibogaine analogs

Transcript Highlights:

• It’s no surprise to anybody the incidents of wildfire...” “...the incidents of wildfire is simply going
• The idea of some centralized command, if my previous comments are true, a more decentralized, flexible
• Let’s understand that we have an unstable federal funding system and we’re kind of on our own.
• I've also worked on post-fire recovery in Oregon where there is no equivalent program or system in place
• Building recovery systems after disaster strikes is slow and incredibly hard on landowners.

Bills: HB2131, HB2221, HJM4009, HB2619

Keywords: sea lion, predation control, salmon preservation, fishing industry, voluntary donations, ungulate, wildlife conservation, ecosystem management, population sustainability, environmental impact, wildfire, federal response, community protection, natural resources, firefighter safety, agriculture, regulations, farming, compliance, economic impact

Transcript Highlights:

• The system is now open. Senators, vote. The system is now open. Senators, vote.
• The system is now open. Senators, vote. The system is closed.
• The system is now open. Senators, vote. The system is now open. Senators, vote.
• The system is now open.
• The system is now open. Senators, proceed to vote. Systems closed.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Witnesses, please be sure to register using the electronic witness registration. system accessible on
• Command is one of the principles of war. The original bill tasked DPS with it.
• But when you've got the unity of command, the guy that commands each of those entities, in fact, the
• You know, I truly believe in the unity of command.
• What is it, unified command of the study into the governor's office? I think that your concern...

Bills: SB825

Keywords: illegal immigration, economic impact, environmental impact, financial impact, annual study, Texas, government report, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Marine Corps League, with Commandant Andrew McCormick.
• </c><00:21:04.480><c> this</c> Martin is our uh Commander this Martin is our uh Commander this year<00
• </c> Stuart Stuart mednik as their Commander Stuart Stuart mednik as their Commander the<00:21:14.640
• <00:21:25.640><c> Andrew</c> commandant Andrew commandant Andrew McCormick<00:21:28.120><c> and</c><00
• system system um<00:40:28.280><c> we</c><00:40:28.560><c> propose</c><00:40:28.960><c> that</c><00:40

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• health system.
• That's a fourth system.
• did in the juvenile justice system and in the child welfare system.
• than in the system.
• justice system.

Transcript Highlights:

• sees just isolated too often the system sees just isolated incidents<01:42:13.280><c> uh</c><01:42:13.360
• system.
• system.
• system.
• </c> the system. the system.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And my concern is that in the VA system, it is a very deadline-driven and very form-driven system...
• ...is that in the VA system, it is a very deadline-driven and very form-driven system where an incorrect
• Chair, State Commander, question.
• I disagree with you, Commander.
• It's verifiable in the system.

Summary: The committee first took up SB 1803, which would regulate non-accredited veterans benefits claims assistance by prohibiting unrecognized agents or attorneys from preparing or prosecuting claims, limiting compensation practices, requiring written disclosures and cancellation rights, and making violations subject to Attorney General enforcement. Supporters, including the sponsor and several veterans, said the bill would create needed guardrails against predatory actors while preserving veterans’ choice to use free or paid help. Opponents and some neutral testimony, including a VA-accredited attorney and representatives of the VFW and American Legion, argued the bill still lacked sufficient protections, raised federal preemption concerns, and should require VA accreditation instead. After debate over fees, back pay, and the availability of free services, the committee adopted an amendment and gave SB 1803 a do pass recommendation by a 5-2 vote. The committee then heard SB 1232, a strike-everything amendment dealing with outdoor advertising signs in military airport and ancillary military facility overlay zoning districts. The bill would allow signs on property with a military compatibility permit in areas otherwise treated as residential under a zoning designation, which the sponsor and property representatives said was needed to resolve an ADOT permitting loophole for a specific parcel near Luke Air Force Base and the Northern Parkway. Members questioned whether the change was narrowly tailored, whether other properties could be affected, and whether ADOT and federal highway beautification rules would be satisfied. After the amendment was adopted, the committee approved SB 1232 on a 4-3 vote, with several members saying they would reserve the right to change their votes on the floor. Finally, the committee began hearing SB 1511, which would prohibit operation of a commercial motor vehicle in Arizona unless the operator can prove lawful presence in the United States and would allow impoundment if proof is not provided. The sponsor introduced the bill with a lengthy explanation of commercial driver licensing history and concerns about non-domiciled and limited-term CDLs, contrasting them with Canadian and Mexican commercial licensing arrangements. The transcript cuts off before testimony, questions, or any action on SB 1511.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now I know that this has been a systemic problem for years.
• My name is Commander Marble.
• My name is Deputy Commander Michelle London Marable.
• I want to thank you, Colonel, Commander, and Deputy Commander.
• Carry on, command. Thank you. Thank you.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Eligible, and it's all based on their point system.
• To an extent, it's really just a rename in the system, but it is broadening who is eligible.
• It's really just a rename in the system, but it is broadening who is eligible.
• It takes that to the commander that's actually face-to-face with the soldier or the airman versus a commander
• For instance, in a company, you've got a company commander who's a captain.

Summary: The committee considered and advanced a series of bills, beginning with House Bill 3834, which creates a revolving fund at the Department of Health for ibogaine research. The author said the measure is limited to clinical trials, has support from several tribal nations, and would not have an immediate fiscal impact, though retirement-related costs were discussed as roughly $1 million based on prior estimates. HB 3834 passed 20-0. House Bill 3940, updating Oklahoma Military Department provisions, National Guard retirement benefits, and some Uniform Code of Military Justice language, also passed after questions about the same estimated retirement cost and the effect of changing the date for implementation; it passed 21-1. Members then approved House Bill 4346, with an amendment aimed at addressing fraud concerns in agricultural sales tax exemptions. The bill would extend reciprocity to holders of ag sales tax exemption cards from Texas and other surrounding states, allowing them to use those exemptions in Oklahoma border communities. Opponents argued the change would place too much burden on retailers to verify out-of-state cards and could increase liability, but supporters said it would help rural businesses. The bill passed 17-4. House Bill 2947, allowing clinical interns and accredited behavioral health graduate programs to bill Medicaid for supervised services, passed 21-0, and House Bill 3257, extending state benefits for 100% disabled veterans to those similarly disabled due to negligence at a VA hospital, also passed 21-0. The committee next passed House Bill 3264, which adds domestic abuse by strangulation to the list of 85% crimes. Supporters emphasized the seriousness of strangulation and its connection to later homicide risk, while questions focused on prison population growth and costs; the bill passed 21-0. House Bill 4326, dealing with Oklahoma Promise homeschool language and the definition of certified classroom personnel, was amended to remove unrelated T-SET restructuring language and then passed 19-2. House Bill 4421, “Leo’s Law,” which requires fentanyl testing in child welfare drug screens when fentanyl use is suspected, drew emotional testimony about a child’s death and had its fiscal estimate discussed as dropping from $125 million to about $16 million; it passed 22-0. Finally, the committee approved House Bill 3944, a State Finance Act cleanup and modernization measure, after questions about reporting dates and public finance oversight, and House Bill 3979, which raises financing caps under the Oklahoma Economic Development Finance Pool, after an amendment to add an effective date and emergency clause; both passed 21-0. House Bill 4118, updating the family caregiver tax credit and raising the maximum credit while keeping the annual cap unchanged, passed 20-1. The meeting ended with thanks to members and staff and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have been minimizing our judicial system in many, many ways.
• is already set up for a political-based system, I'm sorry, a party-based system, as opposed to a nonpartisan
• system.
• is already set up for a political-based system, I'm sorry, a party-based system, as opposed to a nonpartisan
• system.

Bills: HB2109, HB2168, HB2198, HB2226, HB2415, HB2440, HB2665, HB2805, HB2811, HB2825, HB2857, HB2874, HB2966, HB4067, HB4117, HCR2001, HCR2016, HCR2051

Keywords: distracted driving, portable wireless communication devices, motorcycles, traffic safety, civil penalties, public nuisance, nuisance abatement, abatement action, injunction, superior court, attorney general, county attorney, city attorney, board of supervisors, obscenity, obscene materials, adult materials, pornography, schools, parks

Transcript Highlights:

• So anti-commandeering is a better word than nullification. Thank you. Mr.
• Commandeering local law enforcement. You said something similar.
• We're commandeering you. It's not just that.
• A driver of this is the market position of some larger hospital systems.
• So, again, to the extent that you are allowing a system to...

Summary: The committee first met in executive session and approved HB 2468 and HB 2481. HB 2481 was amended to replace earlier federal-style language with the governor’s recommended definitions and executive-order language, then rolled into a committee substitute and passed out of committee on a 9-3 vote. The discussion on HB 2481 centered on SNAP-related definitions and whether the revised language would affect federal waivers or change food-stamp purchasing rules; the sponsor said it would not. The committee then moved to regular session. The main public hearing was on HB 3070, the Second Amendment Preservation Act. Representative Hardwick said the bill was revised to remove language the Eighth Circuit had found problematic, while keeping Missouri’s anti-commandeering approach and prohibitions on state or local participation in certain federal gun-control actions, such as firearm registries, tracking, and confiscation from law-abiding citizens. Members questioned whether the bill would interfere with task forces, federal cooperation, courthouses, FFL paperwork, or local officers sharing information with federal agents. Hardwick and supporters said it would not affect Missouri enforcement of state gun laws or cooperation on other crimes, and that the bill was intended to stop Missouri officers from being used to enforce specific federal gun-control measures. Supporters from the Missouri Firearms Coalition and a gun-rights advocate backed the bill and emphasized civil penalties and anti-commandeering protections, while an opponent from Moms Demand Action argued it would handcuff police, weaken interstate trafficking enforcement, and create a dangerous patchwork of enforcement. No vote was taken on HB 3070 in the hearing. The committee also heard HB 388, which would prohibit certain anti-competitive health-care contracting practices, including anti-steering, anti-tiering, gag clauses, and most-favored-nation clauses. The sponsor and supporting witnesses described the bill as an anti-consolidation measure intended to improve price transparency, preserve competition, and help consumers and insurers steer patients toward lower-cost providers. They said the bill would apply to both providers and insurers and would not be anti-hospital or anti-payer. Members asked about effects on rural access to care, 340B pricing, physician-owned referral arrangements, and whether the bill would actually lower consumer costs. Supporters said the goal was to give payers more negotiating leverage and ultimately benefit patients through more competitive pricing, but no action was taken during the hearing.