Video & Transcript : 'open primary' :

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OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Agriculture and Wildlife Feb 16th, 2026 at 10:00 am

Agriculture and Wildlife

Transcript Highlights:
  • Chairman, would it be ok if Lucille were to give a brief opening statement. Yes, you're recognized.
  • Senate Bill 2152 specifies that the open season for blackberry shall include a muzzle loader and archery
  • He comes up with ideas, but on every one of these, he's got an open door policy.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Agriculture and Wildlife Feb 16th, 2026

Agriculture and Wildlife

Transcript Highlights:
  • Chairman, would it be okay if Lucille were to give a brief opening statement?
  • Senate Bill 2152 specifies that the open season for black bears shall include a muzzleloader and archery
  • But on every one of these, he's got an open-door policy.
Summary: The committee took up several agriculture and wildlife-related bills. Senate Bill 1550, presented by Senator Axson, would give county commissioners more authority to issue burn bans during drought conditions and provide liability protection for those decisions; it passed 13-0. Senate Bill 2065, presented by Senator Bullard with help from Lucille Morehouse, would designate several native pollinators and recognize the importance of pollinators to agriculture and food production; it passed 12-0. Senate Bill 2152, by Senator Kern, would allow the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation to move black bear muzzleloader and archery season earlier, starting no earlier than September 1; it passed 12-0. Senate Bill 2159, by Senator Peterson, would designate wheat as the state crop; it passed 12-0. Senate Bill 2172, also by Senator Peterson, would prohibit future ownership, sale, trade, or breeding of primates while allowing existing lawful owners to register and comply with rules, with exceptions for sanctuaries, research, veterinary, law enforcement, and zoo settings; it passed 11-0. The committee also heard Senate Bill 2110 from Senator Murdoch, which would allow farmers to sell ungraded eggs. Members raised concerns about the low egg limit and asked about sales to restaurants and urban farms; the author said he would work on the number and other details. The bill passed 11-0. Senate Bill 2111, also by Senator Murdoch, would remove the orange-clothing requirement for hunters on private hunt reserves or private hunt facilities; it passed 12-0. Finally, Senator Guthrie presented Senate Bill 2114, as amended by committee substitute, to make it unlawful to knowingly, recklessly, or negligently allow a dog to harass wildlife on property without permission, while excluding lawful hunting, livestock protection dogs, and brief accidental crossings. Members discussed dog hunting, property rights, and possible GPS or collar language; the chairman struck the title to allow further work on the bill. The measure passed 12-1. The meeting then adjourned after the chair noted the committee would continue with more bills in future meetings.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Delivery of Government Efficiency Mar 19th, 2025

Delivery of Government Efficiency

Transcript Highlights:
  • We need more open government, not less. We need more access, not less.
  • Yeah, so the Attorney General for the open meeting. I'm sorry, I didn't know. Open Meetings Act.
  • Open Meetings Act with the Attorney General? Okay, that answers that question. Thank you.
  • How many open positions do you have currently?
  • open positions.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

House and Governmental Affairs May 12th, 2026

House and Governmental Affairs

TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • The floor is now open for public testimony.
  • Ahead and open up public testimony.
  • The state pays for primary election days.
  • We'll open public testimony on Senate Bill 901. The chair calls Kevin Hale.
  • He voted in the Republican primary for his friend.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • We'll open testimony on Senate Bill 618. The chair calls Marcia Strickler, Dr.
  • I'm not talking about, "Well, we just opened the polls late by 20 minutes."
  • We'll open public testimony on Senate Bill 618 and the chair.
  • This thing was open 24 hours.
  • Let me open up with just a simple question to think about.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

House and Governmental Affairs Apr 8th, 2026

House and Governmental Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • party primary.
  • I think it's going to lead to confusion if we would have to do a closed primary and an open primary at
  • we stand right now, will be done as an open primary, I think there are going to be some concerns about
  • ... ...will be done as an open primary.
  • , 15 other offices that are open primary in that same period is just going to cost too much money and
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Elections Apr 24th, 2025

Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • So would you be open to the idea? Maybe we can talk a little bit more about whether you'd be open.
  • Open to a committee sub that would say 17.
  • Texas has two primary ways of registering to vote.
  • Are you open to looking at more ideas?
  • Are you open to adding that in here?
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Education Pre-K - 12 Jan 20th, 2026

Education Pre-K - 12

Transcript Highlights:
  • So as a veteran, does it offend you that a school is open on Veterans Day?
  • Do you find it offensive that a school is open? Because right now they have a choice.
  • So as a veteran, does it offend you that a school is open on Veterans Day?
  • Do you find it offensive that a school is open? Because right now they have a choice.
  • I mean, before opening day, it was pretty long. Always prepared. Mr. Chair, may I follow up?”
Summary: The Education Pre-K through 12 Committee considered and reported favorably several bills. SB 1036 on school counselors was amended to clarify certification exemptions and passed, with support focused on addressing counselor shortages and student mental health needs. SB 1136 on dental screenings for K-12 students was converted by delete-all amendment to place the screening definition in the School Health Services Act and to require written parent notice and exemption procedures; it passed with support from PTA and other advocates. SB 920 on mathematics education passed after discussion of applied algebra courses tied to career pathways, while preserving Algebra I standards, end-of-course testing, graduation requirements, and university admission eligibility. SB 178 on athletics and public K-12 schools also passed after amendment adding a $15,000 annual cap on coach-provided personal support per team and discussion of guardrails to prevent recruiting abuses; members emphasized the role coaches play in supporting students. SB 1216 on public school personnel compensation passed with broad support for giving districts more flexibility on pay, cost-of-living adjustments, and advanced degree compensation. The committee also approved SPB 7022, a public records exemption bill extending protections for examination and assessment instruments to 2031 and clarifying coverage for district and school materials. SB 464 on observance of Veterans Day in K-12 schools passed after debate over whether schools should be closed or use the day for programs, with supporters arguing for statewide consistency and honoring veterans. Finally, SB 538 on physical education passed after a delete-all amendment establishing standardized extracurricular participation rules for public, private, virtual, and home education students, addressing coach compensation at the district level, and clarifying participation limits across schools. The committee recessed briefly for Senator Avila’s arrival, postponed SB 430, and adjourned after recording one additional favorable vote on SB 1036.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Common Education Feb 11th, 2026 at 03:00 pm

Common Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • We are now reinstating the existing language, which was from the Open Enrollment Act and Senate Bill
  • At that point, please open the rules Zimba won't change the vote.
  • Seeing none, please just open the They choose to change their vote.
  • Please open the rows. He won't want to change the vote. If not, please close the rows.
  • Sign of debate, please open the ros. Does anybody care to change a vote?
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Common Education Feb 11th, 2026

Common Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • open the roll for voting, please?
  • This bill does require that we open it up that way.
  • Seeing none, please open the rolls. Any debate? Seeing none, please open the rolls.
  • Please open the rolls. Thank you.
  • Senior debate, please open the rolls. Seeing no debate, please open the rolls.
Summary: The committee first took up HB 4274, with a PCS accepted without objection. The bill concerns military students and military school choice, restoring language from the Open Enrollment Act, removing a six-month residency requirement for military families, and addressing early enrollment administration. After brief discussion, the committee voted 10-0 to report the bill out as due pass. HB 3076, authored by Rep. Lepak, would create a new alternative certification pathway for teachers to help address the teacher shortage by allowing third-party certifiers outside the traditional higher-education route. Members asked about accreditation, existing pilot language, and how this differs from emergency or adjunct certification. The author said the bill is intended as an additional route for career changers, with examples from other states and a model that includes follow-up support after hiring. The committee also discussed adding mentor-teacher language, and the bill passed 10-2 as due pass. The committee then considered HB 4358, which would limit screen time for K-5 students to one hour per day, with the author noting possible changes for class-based use, testing, and virtual schools. HB 3312, with a PCS, would require schools to offer firearm safety education in grades K-12, while allowing parents to opt their students out; it passed 9-2. HB 3288, also with a PCS, would increase physical activity for school-age children and prohibit withholding recess or physical education from pre-K through 5th grade as punishment; it passed 11-0. Finally, HB 3885, with a PCS, would impose mandatory disciplinary actions for third- through fifth-grade students who assault or attempt to assault teachers or school employees. The author said the bill is aimed at improving teacher safety and retention, while still allowing in-school suspension and case-by-case superintendent discretion. Members discussed whether schools already have such authority and whether suspension is always the best response. The bill passed 8-3 as due pass. HB 4277 and HB 4173 were laid over.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Governmental Oversight and Accountability Jan 20th, 2026

Governmental Oversight and Accountability

Transcript Highlights:
  • One of my primary roles as an embedded clinician is to provide immediate crisis response to our telecommunications
Bills: S0774, S7028, S7024, S7026
Summary: The Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability met and first heard Senate Bill 774, which would extend workers’ compensation medical benefits for employment-related mental or nervous injuries to 911 public safety telecommunicators, even without a physical injury. The sponsor and several dispatchers, a clinician, and communications directors testified in support, describing repeated exposure to traumatic calls, chronic understaffing, and the need for mental health treatment and retention support. Senator DiCeglie and Chair Mayfield praised dispatchers’ work, and the bill was reported favorably by committee vote, with Senator McClain later recorded as voting yes on the bill. The committee then took up SPB 7028, a retirement bill that sets Florida Retirement System employer contribution rates beginning July 1, 2026, leaves the 3% employee contribution unchanged, allows certain elected officers to receive a DROP payout under specified conditions, and provides a 1.5% alternative cost-of-living adjustment for eligible special risk retirees. Firefighters, police, sheriffs, and chiefs’ groups spoke in support, emphasizing recruitment and retention. The committee voted to submit the proposal as a committee bill and reported it favorably. Finally, the committee considered SPB 7024 and SPB 7026, both open-government-related bills. SPB 7024 would repeal the current public records and public meeting exemption for cybersecurity information and consolidate agency-specific cybersecurity exemptions into one agency-wide exemption. SPB 7026 would repeal the current public records exemption for trade secrets held by an agency and similarly consolidate specific trade secret exemptions into one agency-wide exemption. Neither bill drew testimony or debate, and both were submitted as committee bills and reported favorably. The meeting then adjourned.
OK
Summary: The House convened, took the roll, offered an invocation, led the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognized the nurse of the day, Stephanie Cooper. Members also adopted motions related to a multi-day adjournment request and received several guest introductions, including students, athletes, family members, and constituents in the galleries. The chamber then considered and passed several bills. HB 2936 clarified that certain offenders may not adopt children, including in surrogacy-related situations; it passed 71-0. HB 2967 exempted certain vehicle title transfers between guardians and children or grandparents and grandchildren from motor vehicle excise tax; it passed 69-10. HB 3627 added the State Committee of Blind Vendors to the list of public bodies allowed to meet by video or teleconference and passed 70-2, with the emergency clause also approved. HB 3721 created a survivor-benefit option for children of unmarried public safety officers who die before retirement after qualifying for benefits; it passed 77-3, and the emergency clause was adopted. Additional measures passed included HB 4132, a data protection bill, by 77-0; HB 4303, extending the deadline for municipalities to publish ordinances, by 70-0; HB 4478, raising the daily deposit threshold for school activity funds from $100 to $500 while requiring weekly deposits, by 73-5; HB 4322, removing the requirement that a funeral director in charge also be a licensed embalmer/director, by 61-17; and HB 4227, protecting the legal rights of child sexual abuse victims, which was amended with cleanup language and then passed with no recorded nays. The House then adjourned until Monday, March 23 at 1:30 p.m.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

JDC Public Hearing 02-06-2026

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • <c> are</c> presidential preference primaries are presidential preference primaries are threatened<00
  • Currently, these primaries primaries.
  • </c> presidential primaries is 0. presidential primaries is 0.
  • </c> practice of the presidential primaries. practice of the presidential primaries.
  • </c> primaries at this point? primaries at this point?
Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard testimony on several bills. SB 2444 would raise the real property exemption amount for attachment or execution, which the Attorney General said could create vague retroactivity language and litigation risk; the committee noted the exemption had last been adjusted around 1978. SB 2446 would add a seventh associate judge to the Intermediate Court of Appeals. Judiciary staff testified in opposition, saying recent internal restructuring and a pending vacancy had improved output and that it would be prudent to wait and see the effect before adding another judge. The Public Defender supported the goal of faster appellate resolution but said it would defer to the court’s assessment and had no objection to revisiting the issue later. The committee also discussed current appellate timelines, with staff saying at least 225 days is built into the process before a case reaches a merit panel, and that a two-year delay from panel assignment was realistic under the current structure. The committee then heard SB 2450, which would establish a presidential preference primary for the 2028 cycle. The Chief Election Officer said the election would cost about $4 million, less if combined with the regular primary. Several opponents argued the bill would add bureaucracy, duplicate or undermine party-run processes, and waste taxpayer money; one speaker estimated the total cost could be closer to $6 million when county costs are included. Supporters and committee members discussed that the measure would not require parties to use the results and that Hawaii remains one of the few states still using caucuses. The committee also asked whether counties could staff the election and whether the results would be useful given Hawaii’s current primary timing. SB 2453 would require the Office of Elections to include a notice with each ballot that a digital and printed voter information guide is available, with the notice in 32-point font as a separate insert. The Chief Election Officer said the insert would cost about $90,000 and asked for an effective date of January 1, 2027 because mailing preparations for the primary would already be underway. The Disability and Communications Access Board, League of Women Voters, National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii, and others supported the bill. The committee also began hearing SB 2461, which would have the Office of Elections prepare a questionnaire for candidates and publish responses online and in the voter guide; the Chief Election Officer said the office did not think it should be the agency to shape campaign questions, though he said it could work if the questions were specified in statute. Finally, the committee heard SB 2457, which would require a criminal conviction before seized property could be forfeited. The Attorney General and Honolulu Police Department opposed the bill, arguing it would prolong cases, increase storage costs, and make forfeiture less effective against crime, especially where owners flee, die, or hide assets through shell companies. The Public Defender strongly supported the measure, saying forfeiture should be tied to convictions and that people challenging forfeiture often lack counsel. The Honolulu Prosecutor also opposed the bill, but said it supported transparency, due process, and even a right to counsel; it argued conviction-only forfeiture would fail in cases involving fugitives, deceased suspects, or hidden ownership structures. The committee questioned what would happen to property if an owner could not be found, and the prosecutor said the outcome would depend on the type of property and could involve abandonment or interpleader proceedings.
NV

Nevada 2025 Regular Session

Assembly Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections May 29th, 2025 at 01:00 pm

Legislative Operations and Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • We have the numbers from the 2024 primary.
  • We will open up testimony for Senate Bill 422.
  • This bill opens the door to more fraud, the ease of obtaining fake driver's licenses, Opens the door
  • So now open the work session on Senate Bill 74.
  • AVH will open up the phone line for public comment.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Education K-16 (Part II) May 8th, 2025

Education K-16

Transcript Highlights:
  • Is there any, we will now open public testimony on House Bill 1022.
  • Uh, we will be opening public testimony. Is there anyone, I believe there's invited testimony.
  • The chairman will now open public testimony on House Bill 210 sponsored by Senator Hinojosa.
  • Hearing none, we will now open public testimony on House Bill 3114.
  • They We will now open public testimony on House Bill 1458. The chair calls up Melody there.
Bills: HB6, HB120, HB210
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Postsecondary Education Apr 7th, 2026 at 10:30 am

Postsecondary Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • Seeing no debate, staff, please open the queue for a vote.
  • Seeing none, please open the vote.
  • Seeing no debate, staff, please open the vote.
  • In a second, we will open the vote. Close the vote. Declare the vote.
  • Seeing none, please staff open. The vote. Declare the vote. I nay.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Postsecondary Education Apr 7th, 2026

Postsecondary Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • Seeing no debate, staff, please open the vote. The vote is open.
  • Please open the vote. Close the vote.
  • Seeing none, please staff open the vote. Declare the vote: six aye, three nay.
  • Open the vote. Declare the vote: nine aye, zero nays.
  • Seeing no debate, staff please open the vote.
Summary: The Postsecondary Education Committee considered a series of higher education and career-tech bills, with members asking mostly clarifying questions about eligibility, implementation, and alignment with existing law. House Bill 1477, requested by the State Regents, would limit concurrent enrollment to students age 21 or under; it passed 6-0. Senate Bill 1593 updated language on the Oklahoma State University Board of Trustees to reflect current practice and passed 6-0. Senate Bill 1725 addressed expressive activities on public campuses by allowing security fees for students or student groups, but not based on the content of expression, and also directed free speech training through the Oklahoma Free Speech Committee; it passed 7-2. Senate Bill 1670, a State Chamber priority bill, aimed to strengthen startup ecosystems, venture capital, and industry-embedded research to help move university research into private-sector jobs, and it passed 9-0. The committee also advanced Senate Bill 1726, which would establish a baseline training course for graduate student instructors at colleges and universities. Supporters said it would standardize instruction across institutions and help ensure a consistent level of preparation for graduate instructors teaching undergraduates; it passed 7-2. Senate Bill 1633 would align Oklahoma statute with federal law following a consent judgment regarding tuition eligibility for individuals not lawfully present in the United States; members discussed how “lawfully present” would apply to DACA recipients and others with federal immigration status, and the bill passed 6-3. Senate Bill 1735, a cleanup measure shifting certain oversight of technology center career tech schools more directly under the State Board of Career and Technology Education, passed 9-0. Later, the committee approved Senate Bill 1480, a pilot program for paid apprenticeships for 16-year-old students within career tech settings, despite questions about why a pilot was needed when career techs were already prepared to do similar work; it passed 9-0. Finally, an amendment to Senate Bill 1632 changed “shall” to “may” and allowed the State Board of Regents to use workforce assessments such as WorkKeys to award some entry-level college credit for students who score highly, especially those returning to community college or seeking an associate degree; after discussion about the limits of the credit, the amended measure passed 9-0. The meeting concluded with thanks to members as the committee’s final meeting.