Transcript Highlights:

• Obviously, Tarrant County is here. Harris County testified earlier.
• I'm from Tarrant County.
• Last year, we had as many people die in Tarrant County Jail as Harris County, with many fewer in the
• to Harris County.
• When the county says it's a big thing, we're all worried about all these fires and everything else, but

Bills: HB2814, HB4477, HB5084, HB5108, HB5127, HB5383, HB5611, HB5663, HB5664, SB1563, HB2668, HB3841, HB4114

Keywords: juvenile justice, release documents, children, identification, Texas Juvenile Justice Department, civil service, staffing requirements, local government, positions exemption, Texas legislation, fireworks, Lunar New Year, retail permits, public safety, Texas law, holiday sales, HB 5108, deaths in custody, custodial death, jail death

Transcript Highlights:

• You're a county commissioner for Webb County, is that correct?
• And this, I believe, was done through history for when all the counties were small counties.
• We're trying to provide for our county taxpayers.
• You see the county auditor.
• I know Dallas and Denton County, which are a little larger, actually, very large counties, do have that

Bills: HB2814, HB4477, HB5084, HB5108, HB5127, HB5383, HB5611, HB5663, HB5664, SB1563, HB2668, HB3841, HB4114

Keywords: juvenile justice, release documents, children, identification, Texas Juvenile Justice Department, civil service, staffing requirements, local government, positions exemption, Texas legislation, fireworks, Lunar New Year, retail permits, public safety, Texas law, holiday sales, HB 5108, deaths in custody, custodial death, jail death

Transcript Highlights:

• Galveston County knows all too well.
• of Galveston County. what they needed to do or not do with their county treasurer, in other words, not
• Amendment in Galveston County where other counties were trying to tell us what to do. Correct.
• The county judge.
• I'm County Commissioner in Johnson County.

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

Keywords: Texas Water Code, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, water permit, water appropriation, dam permit exemption, reservoir, flood control, floodwater control, erosion control, sediment control, watershed protection, flood prevention, Natural Resources Conservation Service, NRCS, USDA, local sponsor, district, authority, water infrastructure

Transcript Highlights:

• the Electoral College. his meeting date to the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December. code
• code was in compliance with federal law before federal law changed and so senator 688 fixes this by
• This came to Senator Cole, of course, from Burleson County. you know quite a bit of litigation that's
• In addition the current law I'll be silent on the ability of the Attorney General to defend a county
• Here, let your county clerk. I did, okay. Slide. to power it off. That works every time.

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

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

Transcript Highlights:

• :12.720> of House Bill 317 by Representative Travis: firefighter distinctive license plate; fire
• Firefighter distinctive<00:03:06.560> license<00:03:06.959> plate<00:03:07.760> fire
• <00:03:08.080> chaplain distinctive license plate fire chaplain distinctive license plate
• fire chaplain included<00:03:09.120> penalty<00:03:09.599> for<00:03:09.840> violations
• <00:11:26.880> our the M Morgan County area this year. our the M Morgan County area this year

Bills: HB247, HB317, HB318, HB253, HB271, HB135, HB247, HB317, HB318, HB253, HB271, HB135

Keywords: Gulf of America, name change, state compliance, educational materials, local resources, historical reference, age verification, parental consent, consumer protection, app store regulations, data privacy, Internet filters, digital safety, minors protection, civil liability, device manufacturers, obscenity, aircraft tax, aviation tax, sales tax exemption

Transcript Highlights:

• Election integrity activists in Dallas, Fort Worth, Williamson County, and Bexar County all oppose this
• Election integrity activists in Dallas, Fort Worth, Williamson County, and Bexar County all oppose this
• This is a ballot in May of '22 in Williamson County.
• And in Harris County, Dallas County, there's a thousand precincts. That tape would be miles long.
• We have this in Dallas County.

Bills: HB223

Keywords: municipal budget, county budget, local government finance, spending cap, expenditure limit, inflation plus population growth, taxpayer impact statement, budget transparency, property tax, fees, Legislative Budget Board, voter approval, disaster spending, fiscal restraint, Texas Local Government Code, city budget, county expenditures

Summary: The Committee on State Affairs heard several House bills, with most measures left pending after testimony and later taken up in a batch of votes. Early in the meeting, HB 5624 on liability protections for motocross/off-road vehicle tracks, HB 223 on requiring competitive procurement for municipal lobbying contracts, HB 3709 on post-election audit procedures, and HB 5081 on protecting personal information of judicial officers and court staff were all discussed and left pending after testimony. Witnesses on HB 223 supported greater transparency in municipal lobbying contracts. HB 3709 drew sharp opposition from an election integrity advocate who argued the bill would reduce precinct-level granularity and make it harder to detect ballot errors, while a Secretary of State resource witness said the bill would simplify and standardize the audit process by location. HB 5081 received strong support from court administration and a district judge who described prior threats and an attack tied to publicly available personal information. The committee also heard HB 3546 on allowing school districts to move elections to November, HB 493 on barring certain felony offenders from serving as poll watchers, HB 5115 on increasing penalties for election fraud and related conduct, HB 4081 on trade secret filing procedures, HB 3909 on limiting restrictions on wireless devices at polling places, HB 2702 on limiting gubernatorial closure authority for certain veterans organizations during pandemics, HB 119 on foreign adversary lobbying, and HB 5138 on the Attorney General’s authority to prosecute election crimes. Several of these bills were explained with committee substitutes and then left pending before final action. Testimony on HB 493 and HB 5115 came from an election integrity advocate who supported both bills, saying the poll watcher restriction was appropriately narrowed and that the election fraud bill would help address invalid votes and refusal to count valid votes. Later, the committee took up pending business and voted out a large number of bills, generally along party lines or with broad support. HB 186 on minors’ social media use, HB 229, HB 2885, HB 3909 as substituted, HB 4285, HB 1661, HB 2820, HB 3181, HB 4157, HB 223, HB 521, HB 640, HB 1234, HB 2253, HB 2294, HB 3053, HB 3697 as substituted, HB 4281, HB 4463, HB 4995, HB 5081 as substituted, HB 5624 as substituted, HB 119 as substituted, HB 3225, HB 5138 as substituted, HB 5115, HB 481 as substituted, HB 3546, HB 493, and HB 4145 were reported favorably to the full Senate, with several also placed on the local and uncontested calendar. The committee also adopted committee substitutes for multiple bills, including HB 3909, HB 5081, HB 5624, HB 119, HB 5138, and HB 481. At the end, the chair noted another committee meeting would likely be needed before deadlines, possibly on a weekend, and recessed the committee subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• We built a new, uh, county courthouse.
• judge because I think he knows the code all too well.
• Sexual assault and indecency is already illegal in every room in every county.
• We heard from rural county judges who told me.
• Those judges were from Tom Greene County, Mason, Bernard, Sanseba, and McCullough.

Bills: SB 10, SB 8, SB 15, SB 12, SB 6, SB 13, SB 9, SB 7, SB 17, SB 4

Keywords: sex designation, restroom access, civil penalties, private civil right of action, women's privacy, law enforcement, department file, employee records, misconduct, confidentiality, Texas occupations code, election laws, attorney general, prosecution, criminal offenses, criminal prosecution, jurisdiction, hemp, consumable hemp, hemp-derived cannabinoids

Transcript Highlights:

• And then they have my favorite, my most favorite century code back in there that we killed on 1250 and

Bills: HB1053

Keywords: North Dakota highway system, state roads, road mileage cap, transportation code, Department of Transportation, DOT, highway mileage limit, road classification, county roads, township roads, state highway network, Century Code section 24-01-01.2, infrastructure, public roads, transportation policy, 908, all

Summary: The committee took up House Bill 1298 and first discussed an amendment from Senator Paulson that would add variable electronic speed limit signs to the bill while leaving the 80-mile-an-hour provision unchanged. Members said the signs would be used on interstates I-29 and I-94 in selected problem areas, based on weather or accident conditions, and that the proposal would not require a fiscal note. The discussion then broadened to Senator Rummel’s concerns about related bills, especially 2243, 1250, and 1229. He argued that the House changes were removing municipal authority to double fines, lowering or eliminating points for serious traffic violations, and undoing prior Senate positions. Several members said they were willing to use HB 1298 as the vehicle to restore the earlier fine and point provisions, including the 29 violations previously assigned three points, and to avoid concurring with the House versions. Members did not take final action on the amendments or the bill. Instead, they agreed more work was needed and asked Legislative Council to prepare a combined amendment and options for the next meeting. The committee recessed and scheduled further discussion for the next morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• of County Election Officials.
• Especially for Collin County.
• Judges in this county, I'm not going to say which county, were instructed how to do that.
• This is a Dallas County recount.
• And I don't like people from Travis County living in Travis County driving to Hayes County to vote.

Bills: HB1968, HB2279, HB2739, HB2803, HB3909, HB3918, HB4253, HB4475, HB5115, HB5430

Keywords: election services, contracting, political subdivisions, county elections, election code, voter registration, citizenship status, election law, cancellation, disqualification, Texas Election Code, voter identification, registration, election integrity, identification documents, election, watcher, polling place, removal, Texas Elections Code

Summary: The committee first voted out two previously heard Senate bills without amendment: SB 688, relating to the date of the meeting of presidential electors, and SB 914, relating to authorizing certain cities to change the date of their general election for officers. Both motions passed on 8-0 votes with one member absent. The committee then heard HB 3909, which would change the current prohibition on wireless device use from a 100-foot boundary around a voting station to only inside the room where voting is taking place, with a committee substitute also adding state-prescribed signage. The author and supporters said the change would reduce confusion and make enforcement easier for election workers, while opponents argued the existing 100-foot rule helps prevent electioneering, recording, and possible technical interference with election equipment. The bill was left pending. Members also heard HB 1968, which would repeal a provision that requires counties to provide election services to certain political subdivisions in odd-numbered years but not even-numbered years, making county-provided election services consistent across years. Supporters said it would improve consistency for smaller cities and school districts, while opponents warned it could strain county equipment and staffing during heavy election cycles. The bill was left pending. HB 2279 would require voter registrars to remove a person from the rolls if the person swears under oath during jury service that they are not a U.S. citizen; supporters said this would streamline removal of ineligible voters, while opponents raised concerns about mistaken identity and loss of due process. The bill was left pending. Finally, the committee heard HB 2803, which would require a presiding judge to give a poll watcher a signed statement explaining any removal from service. Supporters said this would improve documentation and accountability, and one witness asked for clarification that improper removal would remain a criminal offense; the author said he would consider a floor amendment and further discussion. The committee also heard HB 4253, which would create a more uniform voter-roll maintenance process based on inactivity, sending confirmation notices to voters who have not voted in the prior 25 months and eventually removing those who do not respond after multiple election cycles. Supporters said it would clean up outdated records and help keep voters registered where they actually live, while opponents argued it could wrongly remove eligible voters who simply do not vote regularly. HB 4253 was left pending as well.

Transcript Highlights:

• My county, Scott County, is doing amazing work with their PSAP program.
• My county, Scott County, is doing amazing work with their PSAP program.
• And I am never get this fired up in committee.
• Our counties want to implement this. They know that it is important.
• We do need some of these fixes for the counties.

Bills: HF4382, HF2929

Keywords: child care, day care, child care center, family child care, family day care, group family day care, licensed child care, licensing modernization, early childhood education, preschool, infant care, toddler care, school-age care, drop-in child care, night care, sick care, community-based child care, provider training, staff ratios, group size

Transcript Highlights:

• Of Burnet County residents, 29% are either uninsured or dependent on Medicaid.
• County.
• , which Senator Nichols represents, along with Lamar County and Hopkins County.
• I believe both the City and the county have.
• Okay, fire it. You want to fire it? Go. Go ahead, give me a number. Yeah, 1331. 1331.

Bills: SB1331, SB1375, SB1443, SB1578, SB2251, SB2519, SB2553, SB2655, SB2764, SB2907, SB3030, SB3033, SB3035, SB3036, SB3037, SB3043, SB3047, SB3050, SB3051, SB3056, SB3057, SB3063, HB9, HB467, HB331, HB1244, HB1399, HB2559, HB2730, HB3307, HJR1, HJR99, SB3048, SB3052, SB3053, SJR78, HB1327, HB2723, HB9, HJR1

Keywords: civil service, firefighters, police officers, municipalities, local government, repeal, voter petition, health care, provider participation, continuation programs, population-based regulation, health care provider participation, Medicaid, hospital funding, voluntary compliance, mandatory payments, public health, healthcare program, county participation, nonpublic hospitals

Transcript Highlights:

• The Liberty County Commissioner's Court passed a resolution of support.
• Harris County. We moved to Hockley. So you're still in the Hockley area?
• When a county elects to adopt an LPPF, it's necessary for the...
• county commissioners.
• Yeah, well, it's color-coded the wrong way.

Bills: HB9, HJR1, SB1331, SB1375, SB1443, SB1578, SB2251, SB2519, SB2553, SB2655, SB2764, SB2907, SB3030, SB3033, SB3035, SB3036, SB3037, SB3043, SB3047, SB3050, SB3051, SB3056, SB3057, SB3063, HB9, HB467, HB331, HB1244, HB1399, HB2559, HB2730, HB3307, HJR1, HJR99, SB3048, SB3052, SB3053, SJR78, HB1327, HB2723

Keywords: HB 9, Texas Tax Code, property tax, ad valorem tax, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, truth in taxation, local government finance, municipality, county, special taxing unit, sales and use tax, sales tax revenue, tax rate calculation, tax levy, maintenance and operations, debt rate, unused increment rate, disaster relief rate, taxing unit

Transcript Highlights:

• Like, in my home county, Cherokee County, with a population of 53,000, to find out how many different
• If they can consolidate in my home county, then Harris County is more than those populations.
• The cities and counties go later, and some of them, like Harris County, don't even put their tax bills
• Yes, but it's by county if I remember correctly.
• Just know them because they're very similar to counties.

Bills: HB17, HB23

Keywords: property tax, school funding, enrollment changes, inflation adjustment, tax rate notice, property tax exemption, ad valorem tax, Texas Tax Code, nonprofit corporation, charitable organization, educational nonprofit, scientific nonprofit, agriculture support, youth programs, community education, county population threshold, large county, local government revenue, leasehold interest, possessory interest

Transcript Highlights:

• When Texas called for the recent floods in Kerr County at the Guadalupe River, Carrollton Fire Rescue
• : Dallas County, Denton County, and Collin County.
• or Lubbock County.
• I'm in Ector County, Texas, Odessa. We are not a blue county.
• There have been tons of them—Harris County, Hays County, tons of them.

Bills: HB17, HB23, SB 10

Keywords: property tax, school funding, enrollment changes, inflation adjustment, tax rate notice, property tax exemption, ad valorem tax, Texas Tax Code, nonprofit corporation, charitable organization, educational nonprofit, scientific nonprofit, agriculture support, youth programs, community education, county population threshold, large county, local government revenue, leasehold interest, possessory interest

Transcript Highlights:

• For portable fire extinguishers and all employees receive documented annual fire safety training approved
• by the state fire marshal.
• Well, I guess no, I mean he was registered to vote in McLean County but paying taxes in Cleveland County
• My understanding is that it was a specific parcel that crossed the county lines Which county line?
• I can tell you People that own land in three different counties but pay taxes in all three of those counties

Bills: HB1823, HB3031, HB3369, HB3378, HB3429, HB3624, HB3657, HB3880, HB4215, HB4476

Keywords: housing finance, Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency, publication requirements, housing policy, state regulations, HB3369, food truck, food truck fire suppression, mobile food establishment, mobile food preparation vehicle, mobile food vendor, automatic fire extinguishing system, fire suppression, fire extinguisher, Class K extinguisher, NFPA 10, State Fire Marshal, Oklahoma Liquefied Petroleum Gas Administration, Oklahoma Liquefied Petroleum Gas Board, liquefied petroleum gas

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill would allow this finding to be entered under any Penal Code offense.
• I'm here representing Dallas County District Attorney John Cruse.
• If proven, an affirmative finding on any offense in the Penal Code.
• or not fire?
• break down their door, and then the police returned fire.

Bills: HB115, HB 115, HB507, HB1765, HB1847, HB2046, HB2239, HB2328, HB2309, HB2417, HB2728, HB2794, HB3206, HB3566, HB3694, HB3744, HB4254, HB4697, HB4733, HB4915, HB5465, HB2813

Keywords: public funds, lobbying, political subdivision, government spending, transparency, HB 115, taxpayer-funded lobbying, local government lobbying, county association dues, municipal lobbying, lobbyist registration, Chapter 305, Government Code Section 556.0056, Local Government Code Section 89.002, county government, city government, injunctive relief, attorney's fees, state association of counties, sheriffs association

Transcript Highlights:

• Is it in the code?
• County Judge, the District Attorney, the District Clerk, and the County Treasurer.
• My name is Dolores Ortega-Carter and I am the County Treasurer for Travis County.
• The statute requires a county treasurer to sit on the County Bail Bond Board, and as a member of the
• The Travis County Bail Bond Board has fewer license applications than any other of the county boards.

Bills: HB 115, HB507, HB1765, HB1847, HB2046, HB2239, HB2328, HB2309, HB2417, HB2728, HB2794, HB3206, HB3566, HB3694, HB3744, HB4254, HB4697, HB4733, HB4915, HB5465, HB2813, HB115

Keywords: habeas corpus, postconviction, criminal procedure, indigent defense, scientific evidence, legal representation, judicial power, capital felony, criminal law, death penalty, attorney qualification, training standards, law enforcement, no-knock warrant, search warrant, peace officer, attorney workload, criminal justice, caseload limits, fair representation

Transcript Highlights:

• Y'all ever heard of V-coding?
• districts, fire districts, mosquito districts...
• of the County Court of Law.
• I knew Bruce Elephant, who was the former Travis County clerk.
• I feel that each polling location I've worked, whether it's been in Travis County, Harris County or in

Bills: SB6, SB7, SB8, SB11, SB12, SB13, SB15, SB 6, SB 7, SB 8, SB 11, SB 12, SB 13, SB 15, SB 17

Keywords: SB 6, Woman and Child Protection Act, abortion, abortion-inducing drugs, medication abortion, mifepristone, misoprostol, pro-life, pro-choice, Texas abortion law, civil liability, qui tam, private enforcement, bounty hunter law, attorney general, parens patriae, abortion litigation, anti-SLAPP, Texas Citizens Participation Act, fee shifting

Transcript Highlights:

• McElroy and her family were driving from their home in Fort Worth to my parents' house in Johnson County
• HB 3053 adds Section 2.280.005 to the local government code, prohibiting cities and counties from adopting
• Does the county have the ability to postpone it without a governor's disaster declaration?
• Does this current code create a huge gap between the election day and the 73rd day?
• I'm the EMS Chief for Williamson County.

Bills: HB223

Keywords: municipal budget, county budget, local government finance, spending cap, expenditure limit, inflation plus population growth, taxpayer impact statement, budget transparency, property tax, fees, Legislative Budget Board, voter approval, disaster spending, fiscal restraint, Texas Local Government Code, city budget, county expenditures, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Election integrity activists in Dallas, Fort Worth, Williamson County, and Bexar County all oppose this
• This is a ballot from May of '22 in Williamson County.
• No, and the code says that you are to ensure the accuracy.
• And in Harris County and Dallas County, there are a thousand precincts; that tape would be miles long
• We have this in Dallas County.

Bills: HB223

Keywords: municipal budget, county budget, local government finance, spending cap, expenditure limit, inflation plus population growth, taxpayer impact statement, budget transparency, property tax, fees, Legislative Budget Board, voter approval, disaster spending, fiscal restraint, Texas Local Government Code, city budget, county expenditures, 1185, senate, all