Transcript Highlights:

• So there's no, what's the word I'm looking for, they're not influenced by anybody's testimony or anything
• Whether it's drug abuse, whether it's child abuse of all sorts, whether it's housing insecurity, whatever
• provided the data, I don't know that it exists, but when we see so many unhoused people and people with drug
• commissions that the state might have, but I do wonder why the House doesn't have the ability to influence

Bills: HJR6 , HJR7 , HB120 , HB60 , HB151 , HR1 , HM13 , SB40 , SB104

Committee: House House Judiciary

Keywords: constitutional amendment, legislative sessions, veto override, New Mexico legislature, session length, legislative session, even-numbered years, New Mexico Constitution, student behavior, physical restraint, seclusion, public schools, training, de-escalation, student safety, behavior interventions, criminal offenses, peace officer, Victims of Crime Act, law enforcement

Transcript Highlights:

• They're not influenced by anybody's testimony or anything like that, which is really the victim's right
• They also one day were kids, and they also at some point faced trauma, whether it's drug abuse, whether
• I don't know that it exists, but when we see so many unhoused people and people with drug use disorders
• But I do wonder why the House doesn't have the ability to influence that process.

Bills: HJR6 , HJR7 , HB120 , HB60 , HB151 , HR1 , HM13 , SB40 , SB104

Committee: House House Judiciary

Summary: The committee first heard two related House Joint Resolutions sponsored by Representative McQueen. H.J.R. 6 would equalize the legislature’s 60-day and 30-day sessions into two 45-day sessions, remove the germaneness requirement from the second session of a biennium, and clarify veto-override language. H.J.R. 7 would keep the current 60-day and 30-day session lengths but make the same germaneness and veto-override changes. Supporters argued the measures would modernize the legislature, improve internal control of the agenda, and make the flow of work more efficient; opponents warned of more bills, lobbying fatigue, and reduced public participation. Both resolutions were moved on due pass and passed the committee 8-0. The committee then heard House Bill 120 on limiting student restraint and seclusion in schools. The sponsor and LESC staff said the bill arose from a stakeholder working group and would clarify definitions, prohibit dangerous practices such as mechanical, chemical, and prone restraint, require training and school safety plans, improve reporting to parents and the Public Education Department, and strengthen oversight. Testimony from educators, disability advocates, parents, and state officials strongly supported the bill, describing harmful and sometimes underreported restraint and seclusion incidents and emphasizing the need for clearer rules and de-escalation training. Some members raised concerns about implementation, definitions, teacher safety, and whether the data were sufficient; the sponsor and staff said the bill was meant to give teachers tools and minimum standards, not to require intervention in every situation. The bill passed on a due pass motion 9-1. Next, the committee considered House Bill 60, which would add certain crimes against peace officers to the Victims of Crime Act so officers injured in the line of duty would receive the same notification, participation, and restitution-related rights as other victims. The sponsor and the district attorney supporting the bill said it was a public safety measure with negligible cost and would also extend protections to affected family members. Support came from law enforcement, business, and public safety groups. Members asked about whether the officer must know the assailant is a peace officer, how the rights would work if the officer is also a witness, and how restitution interacts with workers’ compensation; the sponsor said the bill applies when the officer is acting in the lawful discharge of duties and the defendant knows the person is an officer. The committee passed HB 60 unanimously, 11-0. Finally, the committee began hearing House Bill 151, a committee substitute on the childhood sexual abuse statute of limitations. The sponsor said the bill, called the Survivor’s Justice measure, would extend the time for survivors to file claims from age 24 to age 58, add public actors to the bill’s scope, and create an administrative compensation fund supported by an appropriation, with $12.5 million already in the budget and a request for another $12.5 million. The sponsor explained that the change reflects the average age at which survivors come forward and that the bill is part of a long-running effort to address childhood sexual abuse claims.

Transcript Highlights:

• So if you really want to influence rates and change rates, which you have done, right, you've gone from
• So the plan was hatched to administer 3,000 units of heparin, a powerful blood-thinning drug, and rush
• should have taken the time in the middle of the night to look at those labels before pushing that drug
• The likability of the person who is either asserting the claim or defending the claim can also influence

Committee: House Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• And so does drug abuse, too. And it only gets noticed when a rich kid dies of a drug overdose.
• And so does drug abuse, too. families. And so does drug abuse, too.
• And when people are under the influence of drugs and alcohol, they don't want anyone to have access to
• </c> And when people are under the influence And when people are under the influence of<03:23:41.600>
• 43.279><c> don't</c><03:23:43.439><c> want</c> of drugs and alcohol, they don't want of drugs and alcohol

Committee: Senate Children and Family Law

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a well-established standard practice to review risks, benefits, side effects, drug indications,
• What you haven't heard is that the prescriptions that are prescribed, that are psychotropic drugs, are
• What you haven't heard is that the prescriptions that are prescribed, that are psychotropic drugs, are
• Representative Weber continued: “Psychotropic drugs are the ones that we're talking about in this bill
• uh prescribed to psychotropic drugs uh prescribed to their<04:39:03.639><c> children</c><04:39:04.639

Transcript Highlights:

• Though his presence will be missed, I am confident his memory will live on through the people he influenced
• ><01:12:24.560><c> the</c><01:12:24.719><c> people</c><01:12:24.880><c> he</c><01:12:25.120><c> influenced
• </c> live on through the people he influenced live on through the people he influenced and<01:12:26.080
• Holy God, may the words of our mouths, those we speak, those we write, the ones we use to influence,
• Amen. we use to influence, those we wield to we use to influence, those we wield to disagree, disagree

Bills: HB1522 , HB1917 , HB3937 , HR600

Keywords: Federal Retirement Fairness Act, FERS, federal retirement, creditable service, temporary employees, temporary federal service, Postal Service, USPS, Office of Personnel Management, OPM, retirement buyback, annuity, pension, civil service retirement, federal workforce, government employees, Members of Congress, retirement benefits, Great Lakes, fishery management

Transcript Highlights:

• very complex to try to estimate the economic impact of ACEs because there are multiple interacting influences
• So the effects of these multiple interacting influences make it very difficult to do causal attribution
• the function of an executive order, well, obviously the president does have a lot of, you know, influence
• So just like, you know, the drug scenario, we have a lot of controls on drugs, but it seems like drugs
• Grooming behaviors are influenced by the age, gender, and supervision status of the victim and may take

Summary: The committee met to approve prior minutes and then heard a presentation from Dr. Ramona Danielson on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), focusing on the economic and public-system impacts in North Dakota. She explained that ACEs are a population-level measure, not a diagnostic tool for individuals, and said higher ACE exposure is consistently associated with more chronic illness, mental health challenges, child welfare involvement, justice-system contact, and reduced workforce participation. She emphasized that precise dollar estimates are difficult because of the many interacting factors across a person’s life course, but said the direction of the impact is clear and that evidence-based prevention and protective factors can reduce harm. Members asked about definitions of a “healthy family,” same-sex couples, divorce, substance abuse, historical trends in ACEs, and the role of positive childhood experiences and home visiting. The committee then heard from Allison Mahoney and Missy Barranco about evidence-based home visiting programs in North Dakota, including Healthy Families, Early Head Start, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Parents as Teachers. They described home visiting as voluntary, relationship-based, and tailored to family needs, with referrals coming from hospitals, WIC, human service zones, pregnancy navigators, self-referrals, and other community sources. A parent, Abby, shared that home visiting helped her family after premature births and NICU stays by providing support with postpartum mental health, breastfeeding, developmental screenings, referrals, and parenting guidance. The presenters said the programs are funded through a mix of federal MIECHV/Title IV-E dollars, Medicaid targeted case management, state and tribal funds, philanthropy, charitable gaming, and grants, and they noted that current funding is fragmented and insufficient to serve all eligible families statewide. Members discussed whether the state should expand or better fund these services and how to improve outreach and referrals. Later, the committee received a memorandum on artificial intelligence and sexual exploitation, followed by a presentation from a BCI special agent on how AI is already affecting child exploitation investigations in North Dakota. The memo and testimony described AI-generated child sexual abuse material, deepfakes, sextortion, and risks posed by chatbots, along with relevant federal and state law and recent executive orders. The agent said North Dakota saw 2,698 cyber tips in 2025, the highest on record, and that investigators are increasingly encountering AI-assisted exploitation that is harder to detect and verify. Members discussed the need for child-safety protections, the limits of executive orders, and broader concerns about AI undermining critical thinking and spreading misinformation. No votes were taken on the AI materials during the portion provided, and the committee recessed briefly after the report.

Transcript Highlights:

• When somebody needs a drug to get off of a drug, it's still something that they need.
• To the lobby corps, yes, I know it's your job to influence our decisions on behalf of your clients.
• Marshal Service in Jacksonville, worked on the big first Colombian drug kingpin that was ever extradited
• We live in an age where there are TikTok accounts and Twitter accounts that have way too much influence
• And it's unsettling that these types of online personalities have so much influence, where you see Medicaid

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:32:36.039><c> of</c><00:32:36.200><c> black</c> the depth breadth and influence of black the
• depth breadth and influence of black musical<00:32:37.360><c> expression</c><00:32:38.360><c> project
• we are more television Association uh we are more The<00:53:08.240><c> Corner</c><00:53:08.559><c> Drug
• </c><00:53:08.799><c> Store</c><00:53:09.079><c> the</c><00:53:09.160><c> corner</c> The Corner Drug
• Store the corner The Corner Drug Store the corner hardware<00:53:09.880><c> store</c><00:53:10.280><c

Bills: HF1679 , HF1019 , HF2321 , HF1740 , HF2278

Committee: House Legacy Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• And I would just say it sent us into a trajectory that was a major influence on why some of the fairs
• And I would just say it sent us into a trajectory that was a major influence on why some of the fairs
• He was also suspended for the Medina Spirit overdose, and the horse failed a drug test when it was going

Committee: Senate Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• Right now across the U.S., one tactic that is being used is what are called social influence principles
• These social influence principles were originally developed by an Arizona State researcher for use in
• I mean, I understand the complexities of the drug cases and that sort of thing because those had long

Bills: HB1982 , HB2156

Committee: House Community Safety

Keywords: Indian rights, treaty rights, convictions, tribal members, criminal justice reform, Attorney General, AG investigators, limited authority peace officer, peace officer certification, economic crimes, financial crimes, white-collar crime, fraud investigation, search warrant service, electronic service, business records, law enforcement authority, criminal background check, training requirements, Washington RCW

Transcript Highlights:

• Right now across the U.S., one tactic that is being used is what are called social influence principles
• These social influence principles were originally developed by an Arizona State researcher to use in
• I mean, I understand the complexities of the drug cases and that sort of thing because those had long

Summary: The committee opened with a work session on effective interrogation techniques, hearing from two remote experts, retired homicide detective Matt Jones and former federal agent Mark Fallon. Both argued for science-based, information-gathering interviewing over confrontational or deception-based tactics, emphasizing rapport, open-ended questioning, corroboration, and avoiding coercion, especially with vulnerable interviewees. They said these methods improve reliability, reduce false confessions and wrongful convictions, and better withstand court scrutiny. Members asked for source materials and raised concerns about how friendly or minimization-style questioning could affect victims; the witnesses said they would provide research and noted that some common tactics can be problematic in sexual assault cases. No votes were taken in the work session. The committee then held a hearing on House Bill 1982, which would expand Washington’s existing process for vacating convictions tied to treaty rights. Staff explained that current law mainly covers pre-1975 fishing convictions, while the bill would extend relief to convictions involving treaty fishing, hunting, gathering, and pasturing rights, remove the date limit, include local ordinances, authorize the Office of Public Defense to provide direct representation and consultation, and create a tribal liaison position. The prime sponsor and tribal leaders testified in support, describing the bill as a way to correct historical wrongs and remove barriers to jobs, housing, and other opportunities. The Office of Public Defense said it supports the bill but needs statutory authority and a hub to identify and process cases; an Attorney General’s Office tribal liaison also supported the concept and suggested clarifying amendments. Some members questioned the scope of the affected population, costs, and whether the legislature could vacate the convictions directly, while others raised concerns about competing resource demands and the need for judicial action case by case. No final action was taken. Finally, the committee began hearing House Bill 2156, which would expand the Attorney General’s Office investigators’ authority in limited circumstances. Staff said the bill would let AGO investigators exercise only the authority of the entity granting concurrent jurisdiction, allow them to serve business search warrants only when authorized by a judicial officer, and clarify that they cannot detain, arrest, or carry weapons. The bill sponsor said it would reduce delays in economic-crime cases by allowing investigators to serve electronic warrants themselves instead of relying on local officers. Opponents from the sheriffs and police chiefs association and a retired veteran argued the bill blurs the line between investigation and prosecution, lacks sufficient oversight, and could create constitutional and training concerns. AGO representatives responded that the bill is narrowly focused, that most investigators are retired law enforcement, and that it would mainly streamline service of electronic warrants in cases such as organized retail theft and wage theft. The hearing was still in progress when the transcript ended, and no vote was recorded on this bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• To what extent does where they're placed influence their behavior?
• Having drugs, engaging in violence, you're going to get returned.
• So I'm just curious about how that influences behavior both in the institution and back in the community

Summary: The Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration met on January 12 and heard a presentation from Department of Correction officials and UMass Chan researchers on DOC’s objective point-based classification system. DOC described how the system, in place since 2007, uses standardized criteria to assign custody levels and is intended to balance public safety with reintegration. Officials reviewed the system’s initial and reclassification tools, the role of trained classification staff, and the use of non-discretionary restrictions and discretionary overrides. They said the current population is about 16% maximum security, 74% medium, and 10% minimum/pre-release, and that discretionary overrides remain within national guidance levels. UMass Chan presented findings from a multi-year NIJ-funded study using historical DOC data from 2019 to 2022, focused mainly on male reclassification cases. Researchers said the scored custody level predicted institutional misconduct well, with stronger separation between minimum, medium, and maximum groups. They reported violent misconduct in the sample was under 5% over the follow-up period, while general misconduct ranged from about 30% to 45%. When DOC’s override-informed final custody levels were analyzed, predictive accuracy declined somewhat, and researchers said the reduction was driven primarily by non-discretionary restrictions rather than discretionary overrides. They noted that removing the non-discretionary restrictions, especially Code C civil-commitment-related restrictions, improved the model’s performance. Commission members and guests questioned whether the system overclassifies people into medium security, whether the low minimum-security rate reflects infrastructure and risk tolerance differences from other states, and how much historical practice and subjective judgment still affect placement. DOC officials said the restrictions are designed around safety concerns such as flight risk, serious legal issues, and medical needs, and that the system has been revised over time through revalidation. UMass researchers said there is no compelling evidence that release from minimum security is necessary for successful community outcomes once risk level is accounted for, and they emphasized that comparisons with other states are difficult because Massachusetts’ correctional structure is different. The commission asked members to submit follow-up questions for additional data, and a public commenter argued that the data suggest overclassification to medium security harms incarcerated people.

Transcript Highlights:

• And sought to counter and minimize the influence and access that China could gain from control over spectrum
• If I'm able to get confirmed, we'll have influence on that. Actually, we don't need you.
• We hopefully are starting the process of not buying Chinese drugs for our military.

Committees: Senate Subcommittee on Cybersecurity , Senate Subcommittee on Personnel

Keywords: Steven Feinberg, Deputy Secretary of Defense, national security, budget cuts, military readiness, global threats, Department of Defense

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on the nomination of Steven Feinberg as Deputy Secretary of Defense. The committee emphasized the urgent need for strong leadership in response to a complex array of global threats posed by adversarial coalitions, including China, Russia, and Iran. The discussions highlighted concerns regarding budget cuts and personnel reductions within the Department of Defense, showcasing the challenges posed by the current economic context and the pressing need to maintain military readiness and capabilities. Various members expressed their apprehensions about how impending layoffs and budget reductions would impact the defense workforce and national security.

Transcript Highlights:

• Page 67, and actually 69, it's dealing with the drug abuse and treatment and the mental health grants
• What about these other programs, community alcohol safety, alcohol and drug abuse prevention?
• We do administer the community alcohol safety and the alcohol and drug abuse prevention programs.
• And then we send that back out to the provider to provide those drug court or those drug and alcohol
• Yes, ma'am, that specific alcohol and drug abuse prevention is primarily federally funded. Okay.

Committee: All JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations and took executive recommendations on several Department of Human Services divisions, including Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health Services; Children and Family Services; County Operations; Developmental Disability Services; and Medical Services, with most divisions showing little or no significant change in total appropriations. Staff and agency witnesses repeatedly explained that many large appropriations are maintained for flexibility, federal matching requirements, or contingency needs, even when actual spending is much lower than the authorized amount. Members also raised concerns about staffing vacancies, long-vacant budgeted positions, and the use of excess appropriation authority across DHS. In Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health, members questioned federal funding levels for mental health and substance abuse grants, the status of senior centers and Meals on Wheels, the Medicaid tobacco settlement program, community alcohol safety grants, and the veterans mental health grant. Agency officials said federal block grants are largely committed, that senior center funding had been delayed by shutdown timing but was now back on track, that the tobacco settlement program had been moved internally within DHS, and that the veterans mental health appropriation remains unfunded. Senators also criticized the adequacy of support for seniors and asked for more detail on how transportation, meal services, and local contributions are funded. In Children and Family Services, members asked about rising appropriation levels, foster care and adoption subsidies, professional fees, the number of children in foster care, and the Children’s Trust Fund. DHS said increases reflect added flexibility for residential treatment, adoption subsidies, and prevention services, while the foster care population has remained fairly steady at about 3,400 children. The Children’s Trust Fund was described as supporting primary prevention programs such as Baby and Me and community schools, and members asked whether it could be administratively combined with other efforts. Questions also covered TANF subgrants, with DHS explaining that it had reduced outside subgrants after discovering over-obligation and was rebuilding reserves. In County Operations, members focused on the summer EBT program, SNAP employment and training, the farmer’s market program, and the state’s TANF reserve position. DHS said summer EBT is still being funded through temporary appropriations because it is a newer program, SNAP employment and training is largely federally funded and may expand under a pending policy change, and TANF reserves were drawn down after prior over-obligation but are now being stabilized. In Developmental Disability Services, members asked about vacancies, human development center staffing, facility construction funds, and the Booneville work program, and DHS said the program has reopened and staffing recruitment continues. In Medical Services, members asked about FMAP, the Our Kids B CHIP program, school-based Medicaid reimbursements, nursing home distress funds, and several large appropriation lines that far exceed actual spending; DHS said these are maintained for claims payment, nursing home receivership contingencies, and other flexibility needs. Each division reviewed was adopted by executive recommendation after questions concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don’t take cases where my client is sitting in front of me drugged out in the conference room.
• No, I’ve had to fire people who could pay me a lot of money because they’re on drugs.
• from foster youth that the staff was using drugs, bringing drugs into placements, and exposing vulnerable
• The same is true for group home drug testing and group home safety.
• foster homes and employees, and mandating that drug screening results be submitted to the department

Committee: House House Government Committee of Reference

Summary: The Committee on Government met for a presentation-only hearing focused on the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) and related child welfare system issues; no bills were heard or voted on. Chair Blackman opened by stressing that the hearing was for fact-finding and data, not personal attacks, and Director Catherine Patak then presented DCS data on hotline volume, investigations, reunifications, adoptions, guardianships, extended foster care, and placement patterns. She said DCS investigated more than 43,000 cases in 2025, kept the out-of-home population relatively steady, and emphasized that Arizona places a high share of children with kin. She also highlighted a mismatch between the age of children entering care and the availability of foster homes willing to take older youth, and said behavioral health capacity, not DCS alone, is a major constraint. Patak discussed kinship supports, foster care reimbursement increases, the Family First Prevention Services Act, missing youth, congregate care reduction, and the department’s procurement process for group home beds. Members asked about kinship caregiver support, behavioral health access, reunification services, parental-rights terminations, Auditor General findings on notices and documentation, licensing and reimbursement rates, and why some relatives are not approved as placements. Patak said DCS is working on policy guidance, supervisor training, and improved supports, but that provider capacity and other system partners limit what DCS can do. Representative Gillette then gave a lengthy presentation focused on system design, procurement, funding flows, and congregate care. He argued that DCS, DES, and Access are structurally intertwined, that DCS’s procurement carve-out and capitated funding model create incentives tied to bed space and volume, and that fragmented oversight diffuses accountability. He cited budget figures, contract amendments, and audit concerns to argue that the system is overreliant on congregate care and that decision-making, medical referrals, and placement processes are too vague or too centralized in ways that can harm children and families. Gillette said his findings were based on contracts, interviews, and public records, and he indicated some material would be referred to special counsel. He also raised concerns about placement decisions, due process, and demographic disparities in congregate care outcomes. The chair cut off further questioning of Gillette for time and announced the committee would move on to the next presenter, Vice Chair Fink, with attorneys and other speakers to follow.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don’t take cases where my client is sitting in front of me drugged out in the conference room.
• I’ve had to fire people who could pay me a lot of money because they’re on drugs.
• from foster youth that staff were using drugs, bringing drugs into placements, and exposing vulnerable
• The same is true for— The same is true for group home drug testing and group home safety.
• But when a group home staff member is accused of bringing drugs into a congregate care setting, that

Committees: House Government , House House Government Committee of Reference

Transcript Highlights:

• Utilization pharmaceutical drugs is also a big cost driver there, but medical costs seem to be a big
• And you talk about AI being a big influence in the economy, and Idaho's economy is based a lot on ag.
• point out is we are not economists, so we are not looking at those kinds of soft factors that may influence
• So that influences the model and how the numbers are calculated.
• And again, it's not necessarily adjusted or tempered for any sort of soft influences.

Summary: The committee was convened to review Idaho’s economic outlook and general fund revenue projections for fiscal years 2025-2028, with members instructed to submit “homework” revenue estimates by noon the next day so staff could compile committee averages and medians for deliberations and a final recommendation to JFAC. Opening remarks emphasized the committee’s constitutional charge, the use of the binder materials and online packet, and that the committee would meet again the next day to discuss and vote on the revenue projection recommendation. Staff and agency presentations focused on the state’s budget and revenue picture. Legislative Services Office staff described structural imbalance concerns, noting that statutory spending changes and earmarked sales tax distributions have crowded out flexibility, while cash reserves remain substantial. The Division of Financial Management’s economist explained the official revenue forecast, including revised treatment of sales tax and tax relief fund accruals, and said the forecast largely held steady overall even as corporate and individual income tax categories shifted. She also discussed the impact of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act on SALT deductions and said recent corporate collections had rebounded sharply, suggesting timing and behavior changes rather than a broad economic downturn. Outside economists and labor experts painted a generally stable to positive economic picture. Zions Bank’s economist said the Federal Reserve is likely near the end of major rate cuts, long-term rates and mortgage rates remain elevated, tariffs have risen sharply, but inflation has not yet shown broad tariff-driven acceleration; he described the national labor market as slowing but not contracting and said 2026 could be a rebuilding year. The Idaho Department of Labor reported that Idaho’s unemployment remains historically low, job growth is steady, wage growth is moderating from overheated pandemic-era levels, and the state’s labor market remains healthier and more balanced than the national picture. The committee also heard from Idaho Power’s economist, who began a presentation on broader economic conditions and utility-related demand trends before the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• having traveled from such a small town in Falmouth, Kentucky, to lift up your name in a place of such influence
• When he entered prison, he was not a drug addict. He is now a drug addict in prison.
• When he entered prison he was not a drug When he entered prison he was not a drug addict.<01:05:13.000
• c> He</c><01:05:13.120><c> is</c><01:05:13.280><c> now</c><01:05:13.640><c> a</c><01:05:13.720><c> drug
• He is now a drug addict in addict. He is now a drug addict in prison. prison. prison.

Summary: The Senate convened with an invocation and Pledge of Allegiance, then established a quorum, approved the prior journal, and excused absent members. The chamber received second readings of several bills and resolutions, including measures on ad valorem taxes, planning and zoning, tax-dollar restrictions, provisional medical licensing, Medicaid oversight, environmental regulations, municipal financial reporting, nuclear workforce development, and county law libraries. Committee reports advanced bills on economic development, education, judiciary, and veterans/public protection, and the body also received a list of newly filed bills and resolutions covering topics such as rural revitalization, athletics, SNAP eligibility, diaper tax exemption, domestic violence, middle school math, pedestrian bridges, constitutional amendments, education, and several honorary resolutions. The Senate then took up House Bill 314, which would reorganize the Kentucky Communications Network Authority (Kentucky Wired) by moving it under the Commonwealth Office of Technology, restructuring its board, and adding members representing cities and counties. Supporters said the bill was an administrative change, not a funding measure, intended to focus the network on students, teachers, and public users while awaiting an audit. Critics argued the project has been a costly taxpayer burden and called for stronger oversight. The bill passed final passage 32-6. The chamber also passed Senate Bill 157, which aligns Kentucky law with federal mortgage rules so that certain rate buy-down payments do not count against borrower fee caps, with supporters saying it would help housing affordability and reduce costs for borrowers. Senate Bill 214 also passed unanimously; it allows the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to accept non-federal funding for grants without routing those funds through the Department of Finance. The Senate later adopted several resolutions, including Senate Resolution 61 recognizing Links Incorporated Day, Senate Resolution 114 commemorating the 80th Southern Legislative Conference, and Senate Resolution 118 honoring Joseph H. Mattingly Jr. Additional remarks highlighted a Black History Celebration event and a lengthy floor speech criticizing the Kentucky Hospital Association’s reserves and urging investigation, followed by consideration of Senate Resolution 55 on Profound Autism Day in Kentucky.

Transcript Highlights:

• Shooters are taking a host of drugs, and in some cases they're broadcasting what they're about to do
• On several of these drugs that are commonly used on children, a recent expose disclosed the...
• ON SEVERAL OF THESE DRUGS THAT ARE COMMONLY USED ON CHILDREN A RECENT EXPOSE DISCLOSED THE The majority
• of mass shootings have been perpetrated by individuals taking these drugs.
• I also have a pharmacist with about 30 years of experience who sent me the warnings on these SRI drugs