Transcript Highlights:

• negotiations in front of teachers to present what was negotiated, then the equal access would then kick
• APOE does not enter into contract negotiations.
• their negotiation team, and the district's negotiation team.
• The negotiations between the district and the collective bargaining unit...
• The bill does not stop negotiating agreements, period. It does not hurt teachers.

Summary: The committee took up a long agenda of education bills, with several measures passing on bipartisan votes. Early items included SB 1632 on career readiness assessments and college credit pathways, SB 1594 requiring principals to be trained in special education law, SB 2045 establishing 30 minutes of daily recess for younger grades, and SB 1630 allowing districts to count a day of virtual instruction when high school students are taking statewide assessments. Other bills passed addressed school security funds (SB 1251, adding licensed mental health services as an allowable use), teacher association access (SB 1884), library book complaints and penalties (SB 1250), human trafficking survivors’ access to higher education (SB 1262), reduced-price meals moving students into free meal status (SB 1374), high-dosage tutoring for early literacy (SB 1292), and the repeal of the sunset on the Innovative Pathways to Teaching Program (SB 1432). Votes were generally favorable, though SB 1251 and SB 1884 drew the most debate and both passed 8-3, while SB 1250 passed 7-3 and SB 1374 passed 9-1. Several bills generated extended discussion over local control, school safety, and teacher retention. SB 1251 drew concerns that school security funds were being broadened beyond physical security, while supporters argued mental health supports can also improve safety. SB 1884 prompted questions about whether it would open collective bargaining or negotiation meetings to other associations; the author said the intent was to prevent “closed shops” and ensure equal access, while opponents argued equal access already exists and the bill could create confusion. SB 1790, the Protected Learning Environments Act, drew testimony from educator Dr. Elizabeth Pleasant about classroom discipline, teacher burnout, and student behavior; the bill would direct SDE to provide guidance for a three-tier discipline matrix, and it passed 7-2. SB 1481, increasing recess to 40 minutes and prohibiting it as punishment, and SB 1614, limiting adjunct teachers in early grades, also passed after brief discussion. The committee also heard broader policy proposals on federal uncertainty and school leadership. SB 1489 would prepare Oklahoma for a possible federal block grant of IDEA funds, fold some parent-rights and principal-training provisions into state law, and address the cost and backlog of special education dispute resolution; it passed 9-0. SB 1718 proposed an Oklahoma Principal Leadership Development Program for new and early-career principals, with discussion focused on program structure, portability, and stipends. Throughout the meeting, members repeatedly emphasized teacher support, student safety, and the balance between state guidance and local district discretion.

Transcript Highlights:

• BMPs should be developed with negotiated rulemaking, not by rule as required.
• I'll ask both of y'all your opinion. ...as to negotiate a bill, and I'm not—I just want to have some
• idea of where you think those negotiations are going to lead to.
• In these negotiations you mentioned, what is it you're trying to work out, and do you think that they
• We've had a lack of continuity here that's impacted our negotiations.

Bills: SB2037 , SB1757 , SB1758 , SB1759 , HB29

Committee: Senate Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c><00:16:03.440><c> we</c> agreement that we negotiated, we agreement that we negotiated, we included
• We've negotiated years four and five at that fixed cost with that deep discount that we've already negotiated
• </c><00:23:23.360><c> that</c> earlier, we we've negotiated that earlier, we we've negotiated that three-year
• :23:27.679><c> for</c><00:23:28.000><c> years</c> negotiated years an option for years negotiated years
• And then negotiated in the first three.

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Personnel, Public Retirement, and Finance received a presentation from Jim Barnhard, CIO of the Commonwealth Office of Technology, and David Carter, deputy CIO/CISO, on the state’s citizen identity management project. They said the project is intended to streamline citizen logins across agencies, reduce duplicated identity-management costs, improve security by centralizing authentication, and provide a flexible system that can scale with demand. The presenters described major implementation challenges, including integrating with diverse and legacy applications, and said the chosen software-as-a-service vendor was selected because it can connect to many systems and maintain the service in a federally certified cloud environment. The presenters emphasized that the project scope is limited to login, authentication, identity management, and identity proofing, while leaving authorization decisions to the individual applications and agencies. They said the work is being done in phases, beginning with discovery sessions with agencies, then selecting representative applications for onboarding rather than attempting a “big bang” rollout. They also said the vendor agreement includes professional services and knowledge transfer to reduce long-term dependence on outside support, and that the state has already begun outreach to agencies, including initial work with the Finance Cabinet and the Department of Revenue. Members asked about staffing, current spending, future costs, and whether existing systems or contracts could be reduced. The presenters said the project is being supported with existing staff, with no expectation of a large increase in positions, and that the vendor will carry most of the operational load. They said they did not have statewide spending figures with them but could try to gather them, and explained that the negotiated pricing is intended to be all-inclusive, with fixed costs for the first five years and capped increases in years six and seven. They said centralizing identity services should eventually allow the Commonwealth to stand down some duplicated agency-level licensing and reduce overall operational costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Adam Janiac, and I'm a negotiation Adam Janiac, and I'm a negotiation specialist<00:32:20.000><c
• And the same strength for negotiations?
• </c> would be achieved as far as negotiating would be achieved as far as negotiating power<00:56:36.480
• </c> boards are going to be able to negotiate boards are going to be able to negotiate a<00:59:25.200
• </c> constituents is involved in negotiating constituents is involved in negotiating one<01:11:07.840

Bills: HF3422 , HF3461 , HF2904

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Those companies will have negotiated with the banks for lower rates.
• Processors, you say, will do the negotiating.
• Who does the processor or acquirer negotiate with? Right now...
• Right now, that negotiation doesn't take place because those fees...
• We've talked about negotiations with processors and acquirers. It's not free.

Bills: HB245 , HB245 , HB700 , HB2783 , HB3526 , HB3900 , HB4061 , HB4124 , HB4166 , HB4395 , HB4534 , HB4609 , HB4641 , HB4736 , HB4738 , HB4739 , HB4945 , HB5015 , HJR175

Committee: House Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Keywords: property tax, delinquent taxes, ad valorem, penalties, interest cap, military service, retirement, law enforcement, custodial officer, Employees Retirement System, commercial financing, brokers, registration, disclosures, finance, consumer protection, fees, deferred compensation, automatic participation, county employees

Transcript Highlights:

• We had two negotiating teams, so there is an agreement between Democrats and Republicans to organize
• So, with that, um, we had a great negotiating team that came in just this week, and that was Majority
• </c> established in this negotiation established in this negotiation obviously<00:05:07.400><c> um</c
• and negotiated in a respectable way.
• </c><00:37:08.200><c> a</c> negotiations and negotiated in in a negotiations and negotiated in in a respectable

Transcript Highlights:

• So we went ahead and put it in here as optional services while we continue to negotiate with Navitus
• right now and to Senator Boyd's point maybe there's percentage ...negotiating right now, and to Senator
• So having this optional services over here allows you to create leverage as you're negotiating the next
• So we are in the final stages of negotiation with United Health Care on their renewal.
• And we've been able to negotiate very favorable rates and develop good foundations to relationships with

Committee: All ALC-STATE INSURANCE PROGRAMS OVERSIGHT SUBCOMMITTEE

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's a full contract for a three-year period of time is under negotiations.
• I'm pleased to announce that we were... 35 articles in negotiations.
• All issues are being negotiated.
• Floyd, you're recognized to inform us of your current status of negotiation.
• I'm the Port of the Police Benevolence Association chief negotiator.

Summary: The Joint Select Committee on Collective Bargaining met to hear impasse presentations from the Department of Management Services and several bargaining units. The department reported that most articles had been resolved in each of the full-book contracts, with remaining disputes centered largely on wages and a handful of non-economic issues. For the FDLE special agents, security services, law enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol, and Florida State Fire Service units, the state described its wage offers as generally a 2% competitive increase plus a 3% special pay increase, along with various bonuses, retention funds, or career-development funding in some units. The department also said it wanted to keep existing language on work schedules, seniority, grooming, equipment, grievance procedures, and other items, often characterizing its changes as housekeeping or alignment with current practice. The department noted that insurance had been agreed to with no increased employee cost, and it confirmed that correctional officers do receive overtime pay. Representatives for the Florida State Fire Service Association strongly disputed the state’s position, arguing that firefighters should not be required to perform major construction work, that their work schedules and on-call/callback arrangements unfairly suppress overtime, and that wildfire and fire-rescue employees are underpaid and underprotected. They also pressed for better compensation for EMT/paramedic-certified firefighters, additional protective clothing, on-site decontamination and shower/laundry facilities, and stronger cancer-prevention language. The association said the state had not bargained in good faith and urged the committee to support the union’s proposals. The Police Benevolent Association’s Florida Highway Patrol unit focused on wages and a career development plan, saying troopers remain underpaid compared with other states and are leaving for better-paying agencies. It also sought a veteran stipend, broader grooming/tattoo language, safety improvements for high-mileage vehicles, and changes to seniority and inflation-related pay. The PBA law enforcement unit raised similar safety concerns about aging vehicles, sought limits on performance evaluations tied to case presentations, and requested a $7,000 across-the-board wage increase. The security services unit, representing correctional officers, probation officers, and ISS officers, said its main issue was wages and asked for an $8-per-hour starting pay increase, retention bonuses, special pay for death row and close-management staff, added pay for SOTEC officers, and overtime pay for lieutenants and captains who currently receive comp time instead. No votes were taken, no public testimony followed, and the committee adjourned after taking the presentations under advisement.

Transcript Highlights:

• to do another negotiation.
• Really happy with the work that folks did in those negotiated meetings.
• Really happy with the work that folks did in those negotiated meetings.
• We held negotiated rulemakings virtually on June 30th and July 15th.
• Lively, appreciate the fact we did negotiating or negotiated rulemaking on this.

Committee: Senate Agricultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• We knew during the budget negotiations.
• </c> were in those negotiations? were in those negotiations?
• Did she push for it in negotiations?
• <00:17:19.400><c> or</c> negotiations or negotiations or &gt;&gt; I'll<00:17:19.720><c> leave</c><00:
• negotiations to &gt;&gt; I'll leave the negotiations to themselves<00:17:21.400><c> and</c><00:17:21.480

Transcript Highlights:

• It's just going to affect the negotiation. It's going to affect the negotiation about this.
• The negotiation is going to affect the negotiation about this.
• And obviously the negotiations stem from there, or they don't.”
• And I would point out, in the context of subrogation, often that is negotiated.
• In the context of subrogation, often that is negotiated and discounted.

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 61, which would raise aggravated battery on a peace officer from a third-degree to a second-degree felony in cases involving great bodily harm or a deadly weapon. The sponsor and supporters said the bill fixes an inconsistency in current law, where aggravated assault on an officer can be punished more severely than aggravated battery causing serious injury. Law enforcement representatives, the Chiefs Association, CBRC, and chamber representatives testified in support, and the New Mexico Sentencing Commission was noted as having endorsed the bill by a 6-3-4 vote. After questions about proportionality and plea bargaining, the committee voted due pass on HB 61 without objection. The committee then returned to House Bill 99, a medical malpractice reform bill, and several members made conflict-of-interest disclosures before debating amendments. The discussion focused heavily on the patient compensation fund, surcharge setting, and whether an advisory board or the superintendent should control rates. Amendments to segregate future fund money, require surcharges no lower than the advisory board’s recommendation, and create a commission with more actuarial and financial expertise were debated at length; the committee rejected the first two amendments. Members and witnesses argued over whether past undercharging of hospitals and doctors led to insolvency and taxpayer bailouts, and whether the bill should require more transparency and oversight. The committee also debated amendments on punitive damages. One proposal would have delayed punitive damage claims until after substantial discovery; opponents said it would conflict with civil procedure, prolong litigation, and likely be struck down. Another would have tied punitive damages to a multiple of compensatory damages or a percentage of net worth; supporters said that would better deter harmful conduct, while opponents said it would create uncertainty and more discovery. That amendment also failed. A final punitive-damages amendment would have removed caps in cases involving sexual assault or intoxication by a health care provider and protected the first $5 million of an independent provider’s personal assets; it too was rejected after members said it would shield egregious misconduct and go beyond the bill’s purpose.

Transcript Highlights:

• There were about 20 people negotiating this budget.
• There were about 20 people negotiating this budget.
• There were about 20 people negotiating this budget.
• There were about 20 people negotiating this budget.
• There were about 20 people negotiating this budget.

Transcript Highlights:

• They may want to negotiate in New York, depending on the type of coverage.
• Surplus lines policies can negotiate that.
• They're used to negotiating these contracts.
• There is no negotiation.
• We just don't have... have the negotiation ability.

Bills: HB139 , HB1818 , HB1942 , HB1959 , HB2221 , HB2254 , HB2563 , HB2067 , HB2275 , HB3211 , HB139

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: HB 1818, Texas Insurance Code, Texas Department of Insurance, commissioner of insurance, health maintenance organization, HMO, insurer, utilization review, preauthorization, prior authorization, medical necessity review, health care services, medical care, insurance regulation, insurance examination, regulatory oversight, confidential records, public information exception, Chapter 843, Chapter 1301

Transcript Highlights:

• that's what they are negotiating for.
• that's what they are negotiating for.
• that's what they are negotiating for.
• "They are negotiating for.
• "Negotiated in good faith.

Summary: The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation, then approved the prior day’s Journal and moved into motions, resolutions, and budget-related business. Senator Gianaris called up Senate Print 5898A for reconsideration; the Senate voted 59 ayes to restore the bill to the third reading calendar. Several amendments were also received on third-reading bills, and the Finance Committee was called into session while the chamber proceeded with resolutions. The Senate adopted Resolution J.2106 recognizing Second Chance Month and the mental health impacts of incarceration, with Senator Brisport speaking in support and a guest from the community recognized in the chamber. The body also adopted Resolution J.1492 designating May 27, 2026, as Taiwan Heritage Day, with remarks from Senators Sepúlveda, Stavisky, and Liu highlighting Taiwanese contributions to New York and expressing support for Taiwan amid current geopolitical tensions. The Finance Committee then reported several budget bills, including Senate Prints 9003D, 9004D, 9007C, and 9009C, which were moved to third reading. The remainder of the session focused on the supplemental and controversial budget calendars, especially tax and spending provisions. Senators debated the “Protecting Our Wallets” energy rebate, with supporters describing it as a one-time check for eligible taxpayers and critics arguing it was too small and not tied directly to utility bills; the chamber accepted the message of necessity and laid the bills aside. Members also debated extensions and changes to tax provisions affecting corporations, alternative fuel exemptions, Broadway and theatrical production tax credits, charitable deductions for certain 501(c)(3)s, nicotine pouch taxes, a new New York City pied-à-terre tax, and a standardbred horse-racing testing fee. Several senators criticized the budget as raising costs or favoring certain industries, while supporters defended the measures as revenue-raising, affordability, or public-health policies. No final votes on the controversial budget bills are shown in the excerpt beyond procedural rulings, adoption of the resolution calendar, and acceptance of committee reports.

Transcript Highlights:

• So you know what your wage rates are going to be when you negotiate.
• So there have been instances where a single collective bargaining agreement negotiated with a single
• There was a contract, one contractor in Seattle that negotiated a CBA...
• for a certain rate, but because this Seattle contractor negotiated its own CBA that covered Yakima,
• There was a contract, one contractor in Seattle that negotiated a CBA...

Bills: SB5944

Committee: House Labor & Workplace Standards

Keywords: language access, collective bargaining, labor relations, employment rights, worker protections

Transcript Highlights:

• The topics that the tribe and the state can negotiate are outlined in IGRA and include the type of gaming
• IGRA requires states to negotiate in good faith when negotiating requests are made by the tribe.
• public comment on the amendment and then decide whether to send the amendment back for further negotiations
• So you have completed that first part, the compact negotiation with the director.
• We negotiated and signed one of the first tribal-state gaming compacts in 1995.

Summary: The Senate Business, Financial Services and Trade Committee held a public hearing on a proposed tribal gaming compact amendment involving the Lummi Nation and the Washington State Gambling Commission. Tina Griffin, director of the Gambling Commission, explained the compact amendment process under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, the role of the commission and legislative ex officio members, and noted that the proposal had reached tentative agreement and would next go to hearings before the commission and the House. She said the commission and tribe have a long-standing collaborative relationship. Lummi Nation Vice Chairman Terence Adams and other tribal representatives described the tribe’s gaming history and the purpose of the amendment. The proposal would add or update compact provisions for higher table and lottery limits, extension of credit to customers, electronic table games, and conforming definition changes. Tribal representatives said the changes would support tribal governmental services and economic development while maintaining strong regulation and internal controls. Commission staff said similar provisions have already been approved for other tribes and that the tribe would be responsible for setting responsible credit limits and controls, including customer vetting and self-exclusion checks. Senator Hasegawa asked about how credit would work and what oversight would apply, and staff said they would follow up with more detail. Senator Fortunato clarified that the request was for Lummi to receive provisions already available in other tribal compacts. Committee members also asked about the timing of public comment, and staff said it would be taken at the end of the hearing if any was signed up. No public comment was offered, and the chair closed the hearing without any vote or formal action taken by the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• It’s a product of seven days of negotiations between the House and Senate working group that included
• And I will tell you, I helped negotiate a lot of this bill.
• Thank you to the many people who stayed up hours to negotiate this bill.
• And I will tell you, I helped negotiate a lot of this bill.
• Thank you to the many people who stayed up hours to negotiate this bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm specifically talking about the negotiated bargaining agreement that includes negotiated provisions
• They've negotiated with the employer's salary and benefits.
• When that vote takes place on whether or not to ratify that contract with negotiated salaries and negotiated
• I don't know why my parents let me negotiate on my own, but I negotiated an hourly wage.
• I know that you negotiated, I know you said when you were young, you worked at Office Max and you negotiated

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several recognitions before taking up a special order calendar of bills. Early measures included a claims bill for relief to L.E. through the Department of Children and Families, which passed 34-0 after substitution from the House version, and a claims bill for the estate of Mark Legata, which passed 35-0 after the amount was reduced in the substitute. The chamber then approved CS for CS for SB 42 on child protective investigations and specific medical diagnoses, requiring investigators to consider certain medical conditions that can mimic abuse; the sponsor described it as a fix for cases where medical evidence is overlooked, and it passed 34-0. A bill on autism education for teachers was also substituted with the House version, amended to replace the Senate language, and passed 35-0 after supportive remarks from members. The Senate next passed a land-use bill, SB 218, adjusting hurricane-related development restrictions so they continue in storm-damaged counties but expire in unaffected counties in 2026, with debate focused on local control and recovery needs; it passed 36-0. The chamber then approved several other measures with little or no opposition: a probate bill modernizing curators of estates (36-0), a Blue Ribbon Projects bill creating a framework for large planned developments with conservation set-asides, which drew extensive debate over local control, growth management, and the bill’s breadth before being temporarily postponed, a state lotteries update (36-0), a diploma requirements bill allowing Special Olympics participation to substitute for PE and clarifying marching band credit (36-0), and a naturopathic medicine licensure/regulation bill that reestablishes a licensing framework and board, which passed 33-3. The Justice Administrative Commission bill was amended to broaden membership to include a judge or senior judge and passed 37-0. The Senate also passed a public records exemption for certain local administrators and their families (31-5), a clinical laboratory personnel bill easing staffing requirements by aligning more closely with federal CLIA standards (37-0), a dry needling bill clarifying occupational therapists may perform the practice (37-0), a financial disclosures bill revising gift/honoraria reporting and restoring a percentage-based reporting option via amendment (36-0), and a child welfare bill expanding when parental drug abuse can be treated as harm or neglect and allowing earlier court intervention and services (37-0). Later, the chamber took up a bill on ideologies inconsistent with American principles and terrorist organizations. The sponsor said it would prevent enforcement of foreign or religious law over the Constitution, create a due-process process for domestic terrorist designations, and bar public funds from supporting terrorism. Senators raised questions about the lack of a time limit on conduct used for designation and whether conviction is required; an amendment was then offered to remove specific references to Sharia law and the bill’s findings, with the sponsor of the amendment arguing the language stigmatized Muslim constituents and singled out Islam. The transcript cuts off during that amendment debate, so no final action on the bill is shown in the provided text.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm specifically talking about the negotiated bargaining agreement that includes negotiated provisions
• When that vote takes place on whether or not to ratify that contract with negotiated salaries and negotiated
• Senator Smith: Rejecting these bargaining agreements that include negotiated salaries and negotiated
• I don't know why my parents let me negotiate on my own, but I negotiated an hourly wage.
• something higher negotiate something similar either negotiate something higher, negotiate something

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a brief introduction of the doctor of the day before moving to the special order calendar. The chamber first took up several claims bills, including SB 6/HB 6507 for relief of L.E. through the Department of Children and Families, which was described as compensation for severe injuries after DCF returned the child to unsafe parents; the House bill was substituted and passed 34-0. SB 26 for the estate of Mark Legata, involving catastrophic injuries tied to FDOT negligence, was also substituted with the House version and passed 35-0. SB 42/HB 47 on specific medical diagnoses and child protective investigations passed 34-0 after supporters said it would require child protection teams to consider certain medical conditions that can mimic abuse. Later, SB 1002 on child welfare passed 37-0 after sponsors said it clarifies that parental drug abuse can constitute harm or neglect and allow earlier court intervention and services, while not changing parental rights law. The Senate then considered education and health-related measures. SB 206/HB 851 on students with autism spectrum disorder was amended to the House bill and passed 35-0; the sponsor said it expands teacher preparation, requires autism-related training, creates a loan forgiveness program, and adds salary supplements for teachers with autism endorsements. SB 556/HB 453 on high school diploma requirements passed 36-0 and would allow students with disabilities to use Special Olympics participation to satisfy PE requirements, while also fixing a marching band credit issue. SB 688 on naturopathic medicine passed 33-3, reestablishing licensure and regulation of naturopathic doctors. SB 878/HB 1347 on clinical laboratory personnel passed 37-0 to address staffing shortages by aligning Florida more closely with federal CLIA standards. SB 914/HB 867 on dry needling by occupational therapists passed 37-0, clarifying authority for that treatment. SB 530 on state lotteries passed 36-0 with updates to operations, security, and retailer rules. SB 964/HB 6011 on financial disclosures and gifts/honoraria passed 36-0 after an amendment restored a percentage-based reporting option. The chamber also approved several government-administration and public-records measures. SB 326/HB 131 on curators of estates passed 36-0, updating probate rules for temporary court-appointed curators. SB 758/HB 625 on the Justice Administrative Commission passed 37-0 after an amendment broadened the judicial member to a judge or senior judge rather than only a circuit judge. SB 830 on public records passed 31-5, creating exemptions for the personal information of county and city managers and certain family members. The Senate also passed SB 21/HB 218 on land use regulations, which preserves hurricane-recovery restrictions in affected counties while lifting them later for unaffected counties, and the sponsor thanked colleagues for helping address unintended consequences from prior law. SB 354 on Blue Ribbon Projects was debated extensively over concerns about local control, conservation protections, and vague standards; after a late amendment excluding data centers from commercial areas, the bill was temporarily postponed rather than passed. Finally, SB 1632/HB 1471 on ideologies inconsistent with American principles and domestic terrorist designations drew significant debate over references to Sharia law, religious freedom, notice, and due process; one amendment striking Sharia references failed, and a second amendment with broader revisions was under discussion when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and I was happy to have Leader Johnson along with us in those negotiations.
• Um, he stepped back for a negotiations.
• Um, you can tell when you enter into a negotiation what your negotiating partners value the most.
• Um, and for those who did that work, I say good job, Senator. negotiations that happen in the art of
• negotiations that happen in the art of compromise<00:08:20.960><c> um</c><00:08:21.120><c> do</c><00: