Transcript Highlights:

• The first step is a study.
• The first step is a study.
• Pranace if you're more comfortable, but my understanding is it studies nuclear waste generation, storage
• <01:02:29.760> nuclear<01:02:30.160> waste<01:02:30.520> generation, Studies nuclear
• nuclear waste. Thank you, Senator. nuclear waste. Thank you, Senator.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, um, although I do object to your characterizing my questions as grilling, we'll leave that in the
• 87 separate county attorneys, all of whom could bring charges even if they do object to your characterizing
• my do object to your characterizing my questions<02:31:04.479> as<02:31:04.800> grilling,<

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those detail wasteful spending.
• That doesn't mean we should sit back and let waste and abuse take place.
• But here in New Mexico, we have no idea what that level of waste and fraud is.
• There's a lot more that we can find here that is wasteful spending.
• We have over about 300 active cases of fraud, waste, and abuse.

Transcript Highlights:

• The CEC study will examine safety, waste management, system costs, reliability, siting, public health
• If we're going to do a study on nuclear energy, let's do it right.
• It matters what specifically you direct the Energy Commission to study, especially when that study could
• So that will be part of the study.
• Unfortunately, I think there is no energy source that is free of waste.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Californians Against Waste.
• from Rethink Waste.
• I am the Executive Director of Rethink Waste.
• In my view, it's important to continue to reduce the source of hazardous waste before it enters the waste
• stream, ...continue to reduce the source of hazardous waste before it enters the waste stream, and this

Summary: The committee heard several environmental and consumer-safety bills. AB 405, the Fashion Act, would require fashion companies to disclose and manage toxic chemicals in their supply chains; supporters said it would reduce worker and consumer exposure and align with existing industry frameworks, while retailers and business groups argued it would duplicate existing laws and raise costs. After questions about DTSC workload, international standards, and affordability, the bill was moved on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Natural Resources and held on call with three votes. AB 762 would ban the sale and distribution of disposable vape devices; supporters emphasized battery-fire risks, recycling contamination, and waste impacts, while cannabis and convenience-store interests warned it would push consumers to illicit markets and harm legal businesses. The bill passed on a due-pass motion to Business and Professions with three votes and was held on call. The committee also adopted the consent calendar with six votes. AB 794 would direct California to keep in place the federal PFAS drinking-water standard if federal protections are weakened, with supporters citing health risks and the need for certainty, and water agencies opposing the emergency-rulemaking authority and potential costs. Members debated whether the bill was too broad and whether federal funds would cover implementation; the bill passed on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Appropriations with four votes and was held open. AB 1148, the Safer Food Packaging Act, would restrict certain chemicals in food packaging; supporters cited cancer and reproductive-health concerns, while chemical, beverage, and manufacturing groups argued the bill should go through existing regulatory processes and that some chemicals lacked feasible alternatives. The author said she would remove antimony trioxide later in the process after hearing opposition concerns; the bill passed on a due-pass motion to Judiciary with four votes and was held open. Finally, AB 1338 would allow local air districts to recover costs for implementing fence-line air monitoring at metal shredding facilities, building on prior legislation and local air district efforts in AB 617 communities. The author said the bill would preserve local control and improve efficiency, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District testified in support. The transcript ends as the district witness begins testimony, with no vote yet taken on AB 1338.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I disagree with the senator from Jesse's characterization of this bill.
• So I disagree with the senator from Jesse's characterization of this bill.
• I know you've seen a lot of correspondents from folks that have quoted a study done by the Mason Dixon
• uh that have correspondents from folks uh that have quoted<00:32:50.080> a<00:32:50.480> study
• done by the Mason Dixon quoted a study done by the Mason Dixon organization<00:32:53.279> on<

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the pledge, and roll call, establishing a quorum with 33 members present. The chamber approved the prior journal, excused absent senators, welcomed viewers, and received House messages announcing passage of House Bill 253, House Bill 436508, and House Concurrent Resolution 44 for concurrence. New filings were also reported: Senate Bill 197 on economic development and Senate Joint Resolution 99 designating the Destiny Brewer Memorial Highway in Martin County. The main floor action centered on Senate Bill 72, a measure on recruitment and retention of health care professionals and declaring an emergency. The bill’s sponsor argued it would protect health care workers’ conscience rights, improve recruitment and retention, and address provider shortages and corporate pressures in medicine, while emphasizing that emergency care would still be required under federal law. Supporters said the bill would protect providers from being forced to participate in procedures that violate their moral or religious beliefs and cited examples from other states and physicians who had left practices over conscience concerns. Opponents argued the bill’s language was too broad and could allow denial of non-emergency care based on vague moral, ethical, or religious objections, potentially harming patients in health care deserts and sending the wrong message about caring for all people. One senator raised a hypothetical about racial discrimination under the bill’s definitions, while supporters responded that the bill was intended to protect providers and patients and that existing professional ethics and hospital policies would prevent abuse. Additional supporters said the measure would not deny basic care and would help keep physicians in the state. The bill was still under debate at the end of the excerpt, with questions and responses continuing; no final vote or disposition on Senate Bill 72 is shown in the transcript provided. Other bills reported from second reading were referred to the Rules Committee for further action, and Senate Bill 69 was passed over and retained its place on the orders of the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair Switzinski, what we've been informed is that we would have to complete a study, and that study
• diversion program where we're completing a feasibility study to collect all the food waste... waste
• partnership on waste and energy.
• I think that having facilities to burn these waste trees...
• It's kind of a waste, fraud, and abuse measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• normally in these situations, there's one person who's committed an act of negligence, and I would characterize
• Would you characterize those two people in that the same way?

Bills: SB2030, SB1926, SB2170, SB2151, SB2166, SB1213, SB1381, SB1824, SB1876, SB1728, SB1582, SB1286, SB1386, SB1708, SB1618

Keywords: expungement, record sealing, criminal records, clean slate, automatic expungement, expedited expungement, criminal history, OSBI, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, deferred judgment, delayed sentence, pardon, pardon and parole board, law enforcement records, sealed records, arrest records, conviction records, reclassification of felony to misdemeanor, reentry, second chance

Transcript Highlights:

• data and even knowing they weren't going to get it and then appeal, and, you know, we don't want to waste
• 51.240> to appeal and and you know we don't want to appeal and and you know we don't want to waste
• > everybody's<00:15:52.360> time<00:15:52.560> on<00:15:52.759> frivolous waste
• everybody's time on frivolous waste everybody's time on frivolous stuff<00:15:53.720> so<00:15
• Hudson: Some degree of monitoring of speech, of trends in thought, I think, is a way to fairly characterize

Bills: HF414, HF768, HF359

Keywords: data practices, filing fee, government transparency, complaints, public access, free speech, human rights, censorship, protected speech, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, real property, partition, eminent domain, transfer on death deeds, property rights, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The prior requirement that you referenced is a part of that same allocation. study.
• So what is your plan for completing the study on the single market clearing price for this year?
• biennium. waste, fraud, and abuse in the last two years?
• Opportunities for efficiencies, but no waste fraud or abuse how big is your agency? Total budget?
• Or they have their own water well, frankly, and septic tank system for waste water. Whatnot.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that we prioritize how we process waste that we prioritize how we process waste and<00:32:02.880
• , their solid waste diversion.
• 70% um in terms of their organic waste 70% um in terms of their organic waste their<00:33:24.360
• Those are my recommendations. biodegradable and organic waste from HRS biodegradable and organic waste
• Food donation and use of organic waste Food donation and use of organic waste for<00:46:18.000><

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection heard testimony on a series of energy, transportation, climate, and waste bills. HB 977 would provide additional funding to the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority for low-interest financing of rooftop solar and storage for underserved ratepayers; HB 1295 would require state and county agencies to use federal energy tax credits; HB 1051 concerns energy efficiency portfolio standards; HB 1019 addresses long-duration clean energy storage; HB 344 concerns EV charging infrastructure at state facilities; HB 733 would change EV parking requirements; HB 242 creates a working group on EV battery reuse and recycling; HB 1022 expands access to energy industry information reporting; HB 1017 repeals the greenhouse gas sequestration task force; HB 787 asks for a feasibility study on a Buy Clean program; and HB 751 sets composting goals. Testimony was largely supportive across the bills, with some agencies standing on written testimony or offering comments, and a few measures drawing opposition or concerns, including HB 751 from county agencies and HB 242 from Redwood Materials requesting inclusion of a specialized battery recycler on the working group. Members asked several questions, including about EV charging siting, whether bike parking and showers should be considered in EV facility planning, how often EV charging stalls are relocated to other sites, and whether Hawaiʻi has in-state capacity to prepare EV batteries for shipping and recycling. On HB 751, the committee discussed county diversion rates and Maui’s composting capacity, with the Department of Health noting Maui’s diversion decline was tied to closure of the EKO co-composting facility at Central Maui landfill and that reestablishment was planned. On HB 242, Redwood Materials explained it handles lithium-ion batteries, including work related to the Maui wildfire response, and said a full in-state recycling chain is unlikely, though local facilities can safely prepare batteries for shipment. In decision-making, the committee voted to pass all of the measures with amendments. For HB 977, the committee noted a recommended appropriation of $50 million and made technical amendments. HB 1295, HB 1051, HB 1019, HB 344, HB 733, HB 242, HB 1022, HB 1017, and HB 787 were all advanced with technical or substantive amendments, including changes to dates, appropriations, and working group membership. For HB 344, the committee accepted DAGS’s suggestion to make HSEO the expending entity and adjusted the appropriation to one year. For HB 242, the committee added a battery storage industry member, included stationary storage as a consideration, and extended the reporting date to 2027. HB 787 was advanced with a request that the Climate Commission and State Procurement Office work together on more specific amendments if the bill continues moving forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair. county uh hazardous waste facilities county uh hazardous waste facilities that<00:35:02.079>
• <00:35:50.560> picide appropriation to the waste picide appropriation to the waste picide
• 48.559> that multiple studies have shown that multiple studies have shown that exposing<00:59:
• These are not, and case study after case study proves they aren't. Thank you.
• These are not, and case study after case study proves they aren't. Thank you.

Bills: HF3965, HF3704, HF3260, HF3718

Keywords: pesticide, agriculture, environmental protection, health risks, chemical safety, local agriculture, insecticides, pollinators, seeds, environmental health, neonicotinoids, systemic insecticides, civil penalties, pest management, land trends, report, appropriation, farmers, veterinary medicine, veterinary technology

Transcript Highlights:

• Second, excessive warnings also lead to users ignoring them, as studies have shown users experience warning
• Studies have found that 40% of users will not wait for a three-second delay for a website.
• We do disagree with the bill's characterization of those areas as being on the same level as bathrooms
• According to one study, about 43% of young adults have seen self-harm content on Instagram.
• I mean, it's a waste of a couple hours, but that's it.

Summary: The committee first heard AB 56, which would require social media platforms to display a warning label about potential mental health harms from prolonged use, with amendments shortening the initial warning and allowing immediate access to the platform. The author and supporters, including a parent who lost a daughter to suicide and a therapist, argued that social media contributes to teen anxiety, self-harm, and other harms and that families need clearer public health information. Opponents from tech and civil liberties groups argued the bill would be ineffective, burdensome, and likely unconstitutional, saying it would create warning fatigue and should be replaced by more targeted tools and digital literacy measures. Several members discussed emergency access concerns, language access, and whether the warning should be more actionable; the bill was moved on a 9-0 vote to the Judiciary Committee. The committee then took up AB 358, which would amend CalECPA to allow law enforcement, with the victim’s consent, to inspect certain abandoned tracking or surveillance devices found in a victim’s home, vehicle, or personal property without first obtaining a warrant. The author and a San Diego prosecutor said the bill is narrowly tailored to devices used solely for spying and is intended to help stalking and domestic violence survivors act quickly before evidence is lost. Opponents from EFF and the ACLU warned the bill would weaken warrant protections, create a loophole around CalECPA, and reduce transparency and accountability. Members debated Fourth Amendment issues, abandonment, and the practical need for rapid access; the bill passed the committee on a 9-0 vote to Appropriations. The committee also heard AB 1137, which builds on last year’s CSAM reporting law by allowing any user to report child sexual abuse material, requiring clearer reporting mechanisms, adding human review in some cases, and mandating third-party audits and public reporting. Supporters, including survivor advocates and a parent of a child victim, said the bill would reduce the burden on survivors and improve removal of abusive content. Tech industry opponents said they support the goal but objected to the human-review mandate, public audit disclosures, and enforcement provisions, arguing they could create security risks and compliance burdens. Members generally supported the bill’s intent but raised questions about audit frequency and human review; the bill was moved on call with seven votes at the time of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• and the credibility of the study.
• Previous study and then a new study begins while the previous year study is still under going protest
• So we're doing a study.
• Property value study, but you were valid in the previous two studies. At least, okay.
• We may have to study for the coming study, and we won't know for sure until after protests.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's already Alabama law for transporters of hazardous waste. So this isn't a radical concept.
• So a study was done and it was caused by chemical fallout from that plant.
• So<00:21:04.720> a<00:21:04.960> study<00:21:05.280> was<00:21:05.440> done
• What in this bill then ensures that that study is going to be done?
• <00:28:29.039> until uh in actually doing the studies until uh in actually doing the studies

Bills: SB71, SB71

Keywords: environmental regulation, federal standards, scientific evidence, water quality, administrative law, income tax, tax exemption, Alabama tax code, Section 40-18-3, civilian employees, Department of Defense, DoD, Armed Forces, military pay, combat zone, deployment, National Guard, Reserve components, emergency response, federal employees

Transcript Highlights:

• And so those studies take time.
• And these studies are very large and complicated.
• And you have to do a study on each home?
• We did that study. in 22 and implemented them in 23 and our study previous to that the 10-year CI was
• I know on our water and waste water, we did go up.

Bills: HB602, HB1322, HB1930, HB2225, HB2304, HB2494, HB3275, HB3810, HB3919

Keywords: affordable housing, land use, zoning, urban planning, community development, housing crisis, mixed-use development, sustainability, municipal utility district, board of directors, qualifications, land ownership, Texas, taxation, residency, municipal approval, subdivision plans, local governance, plats, local government

Transcript Highlights:

• state and why lowering tax rates long term is the mechanism, because I don't know what was in your study
• I suspect New Jersey was not in your study, or Illinois.
• Not in your study, or Illinois, I'm just guessing, okay, because they have the top two highest tax rates
• Like Senator Cook's characterization of taxes as teamwork.

Bills: SB9

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax rate calculation, Tax Code, local government finance, municipality, county, special taxing unit, sales and use tax, property tax cap, tax rollback, tax levy, maintenance and operations, debt rate, disaster relief rate, Texas Legislature, local taxing unit

Summary: The Senate Committee on Local Government met to hear Senate Bill 9, which would lower the voter-approval tax rate for certain local taxing units from 3.5% to 2.5%. Sen. Bettencourt, the bill author, argued the change would continue the state’s property tax reforms begun in 2019, slow local levy growth, and give voters more say over larger tax increases. He and supporters cited data showing property tax levies have grown faster than population plus inflation, and said the bill would help protect taxpayers while preserving the state’s broader investments in school tax relief, water, rural law enforcement, and ambulance funding. Supporters included the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, the Texas Association of Business, the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and the Texas Association of Manufacturers. They said the bill would improve transparency, encourage more disciplined budgeting, and create certainty for homeowners and businesses. They argued that lower tax-rate growth would help attract and retain employers and investment, and that voters would still be able to approve higher rates when needed. Local officials and other opponents said the bill would constrain cities and counties facing rapid growth, inflation, infrastructure needs, and public safety costs. Testimony from county judges, city finance officials, firefighters, and urban county representatives emphasized pressures from jail operations, roads, water, EMS, police and fire staffing, and unfunded mandates. Several witnesses asked for carve-outs or exemptions for public safety and disaster-related costs, warning that a one-size-fits-all cap could force service cuts or shift costs elsewhere. The committee heard extensive questioning but no final vote or disposition on the bill was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're also requesting $330,000 for a sea level rise adaptation feasibility study to protect the habitat
• But my question is, I support the study, you know, that you talk about in terms of the study, to see
• And to characterize the leaving of this industry in that region, we know... ...because they couldn't

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee heard the administration’s spending plan for Proposition 4’s climate smart agriculture and biodiversity chapters, along with related trailer bill language. CDFA outlined proposed funding for existing programs such as SWEEP, Healthy Soils, Urban Agriculture, and invasive species work, plus new or phased-in programs including year-round and mobile farmers’ markets, tribal food sovereignty, and regional farm equipment sharing. The Department of Conservation described funding for the California Farmland Conservancy Program and Working Lands and Riparian Corridors Program, while the Department of Finance and LAO discussed pending allocations and generally found the overall approach reasonable, though LAO suggested the Legislature may want more statutory guidance and reporting, especially for new programs. Members focused on implementation details, equity, and accountability. Questions covered how programs would serve vulnerable and disadvantaged communities, whether new solicitations would be reopened for previously oversubscribed grants, how outcomes are tracked, and how to structure guidance for new programs such as farm equipment sharing. The chair emphasized that the Legislature wants clearer direction on program design and noted that AB 2313 should guide implementation of the regional farm equipment sharing allocation. The committee also discussed the administration’s request to directly appropriate bond funds to departments and to exempt bond program guidelines from the Administrative Procedures Act; LAO supported the APA exemption with possible legislative guardrails for public notice and comment. The committee then heard on the farm-to-school proposal, with CDFA requesting $24.9 million General Fund for incubator grants, technical assistance, and network support. CDFA said the program has reached nearly half of California schoolchildren and has shown strong demand and positive evaluation results. LAO supported the core program but recommended rejecting the $3 million technical assistance component as too broad and suggested the Legislature consider using Proposition 98 for some of the funding. Members debated that point, with some expressing concern about using General Fund dollars for a new discretionary request during a tight budget year. The biodiversity and nature-based solutions chapter included funding for the Wildlife Conservation Board, state conservancies, and tribal nature-based solutions. WCB described major recent investments and proposed projects tied to 30 by 30, habitat restoration, tribal partnerships, and public access. Members raised concerns about long-term stewardship, the size of the WCB allocation, and whether the Legislature should receive more detail on how funds will be distributed. The committee also heard requests for Bolsa Chica wetlands maintenance and Rincon Island decommissioning funding from the State Lands Commission, with members questioning long-term liability, remediation costs, and the role of private oil operators. No votes were taken, and the hearing ended with public comment from stakeholders largely supporting the APA exemption, farm-to-school funding, biodiversity investments, and related conservation programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of Health and Human Services, which studies physician workforce and needs.
• We are what Director Landsberg characterized as being in the bottom quartile financially.
• information is used for research purposes only, such as linking records for population and longitudinal studies
• But then the results of those studies must be de-identified before they're published.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:07:39.199> solid purposes of ownership of a waste solid purposes of ownership of a waste
• Welcome back. uh solid waste facilities. That is uh solid waste facilities.
• management statute, it talks about the solid waste instead of hazardous waste.
• management statute, it talks about the solid waste instead of hazardous waste.
• solid waste instead of hazardous waste. solid waste instead of hazardous waste.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 302, which would update New Hampshire’s solid waste facility background-check law so the state can continue to access federal FBI criminal databases for checks on key owners and officers. Senator Howard Pearl and DES Waste Management Director Mike Whimsatt said the bill is the third attempt to correct prior drafting problems that prevented the FBI from accepting the language. They explained that the existing statute has long required background checks for hazardous and solid waste facility applicants because of concerns about organized crime, but the current wording is too ambiguous for federal use. The bill also includes technical corrections, clarifies which company officers must be checked, specifies which DES officials receive the results, and removes the Department of Justice as an unnecessary middleman. Committee members asked about the purpose of the bill, whether family members are covered, who pays the cost, and whether permits have ever been denied; Whimsatt said the applicant still pays, the checks focus on key officers, and at least one permit had been denied in the past due to a felony conviction. The hearing then closed, with one person listed in favor on the blue sheet and no opposition noted online. The committee then opened Senate Bill 229, which would allow retailers to sell uninspected bison, red deer, and elk meat and remove the sunset on the existing program. Senator Pearl said the bill would expand market opportunities for farmers while keeping labeling and traceability requirements in place, including identifying the meat as uninspected and maintaining records of the source farms. Representative Bixby, who had worked on earlier legislation, explained the current framework in detail: the animals are raised on closed farms, must be fenced, cannot be newly imported, and are subject to annual veterinary herd inspections and recordkeeping. He said the prior bison inspection regime was too burdensome for farmers to maintain, and the current law was intended as a workable compromise. Questions from members focused on how many farms participate, how many animals have been sold, and whether the program posed disease risks; the witness said he did not know the exact numbers, and Bixby said the existing import and fencing rules help prevent chronic wasting disease from entering the state. No vote was taken during the hearing, and the bill was left before the committee for further consideration.