Transcript Highlights:

• We educate more first-year students from Massachusetts than the top eight private universities in the
• It's a type of pavement that does allow water to drop through the top course of pavement.
• It's again the top course. That does not have any issues with snow and ice.
• I promise you it will be at the top of my pile. I will turn it around quickly.
• So I don't think that we know the answer to that question off the top of our head.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held a hearing at UMass Amherst on Governor Healey’s fiscal year 2027 budget, focusing on energy/environment-related transportation issues and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The chairs and members opened with thanks to UMass, university leadership, court officers, and legislative staff, and Chancellor Javier Reyes highlighted UMass Amherst’s research, workforce, sustainability, and transportation contributions, including energy research, transit operations, and partnerships with MassDOT. The hearing then moved to MassDOT and MBTA testimony on the administration’s transportation funding package, including House 2, the FY26 Fair Share supplemental, and a proposed four-year Chapter 90 authorization. MassDOT officials described the budget as part of a broader multi-year transportation investment strategy, citing funding for operations, snow and ice removal, regional transit authorities, the MBTA, the Merit Rating Board, sustainable aviation fuel credits, micro-transit and last-mile grants, unpaved road improvements, bridge and pavement work, and housing-related transportation infrastructure. They emphasized workforce expansion, capital delivery capacity, safety improvements, and local aid, including the new lane-mile-based Chapter 90 formula intended to benefit rural communities. Officials also discussed major projects and programs such as Grant Central, culvert and unpaved road grants, work zone speed cameras, congestion hotspot fixes, the Sagamore and Bourne Bridge projects, and MBTA operating support and safety upgrades. Testimony from the MBTA and rail/transit staff focused on improved ridership, service frequency, accessibility, and safety, including progress on the Green Line Train Protection System, reduced delays, expanded bus and commuter rail service, and the South Coast rail extension. Regional transit authorities reported increased ridership and described new fare-free, connectivity, and community transit grants. Aeronautics testimony covered airport capital work, drone and data programs, sustainable aviation fuel efforts, and workforce development in aviation maintenance. Committee members then asked questions, especially about Western Massachusetts priorities, Chapter 90 funding, bridge repairs, snow and ice costs, Cape Cod bridges, Buzzard’s Bay rail, and Compass Rail/West-East Rail. Officials said several federal rail grants were moving forward, that Sagamore Bridge procurement would begin soon, and that the administration remained committed to pursuing federal funding and multi-year transportation investments.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:51:01.560> one score very well if not like the top one score very well if not like the
• one, so the group remains in of the top one, so the group remains in the<00:57:25.480> top<00
• position as a group and that's the top position as a group and that's what<00:57:27.720> the<
• So, uh to put these up to the top is the one with the most highest priority makes a lot of sense cuz
• It would just move them for eligibility for funding up to the top position.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The top map is our large-scale regional water supply systems and their coverage.
• The top map is our large scale of regional water supply systems in their coverage.
• I do not know the percentage off the top of my head, but we can certainly get that for you.
• I do not know the percentage off the top of my head, but we can certainly get that for you. Great.
• You know, and then the consumption rates on top of that will definitely vary. E2S.

Summary: The Water Topics Overview Committee met with a quorum and received updates from the Department of Water Resources and the State Water Commission, followed by presentations from Deloitte on two legislative studies required by House Bill 1020. Director Reese Haas reviewed major project and budget updates, including the Northwest Area Water Supply and Southwest Pipeline projects, Resources Trust Fund balances, carryover spending, project prioritization, bid conditions, regional water system coverage, and department process improvements. Members also discussed how the commission prioritizes projects, maintenance expectations, and the impact of limited municipal water supply funding. No formal committee action was taken during the DWR update; the commission’s municipal funding decisions were described as pending its April 8 meeting. Deloitte then presented the cost-share policy study, which found that under current policy and forecasted revenues, North Dakota faces an estimated $1.3 billion shortfall over 14 years, with a near-term gap of about $1.8 billion through 2031. The firm outlined seven recommended options, including tighter definitions and a 25% cost share for eligible replacement projects, caps and financing strategies for the Mouse River and Red River Valley projects, aligning cost share with commission priority guidance, delaying lower-priority projects, using available lines of credit, and adjusting reimbursement timing for revolving loan funds. Committee members questioned inflation assumptions, affordability, user fees, and the use of legacy fund earnings for bonding, but no decisions were made. In the governance and finance study, Deloitte said final recommendations are still being refined, with a final report due May 29. The study examined the Southwest Pipeline, NAWS, and Red River Valley systems using governance and finance criteria such as decision authority, transparency, affordability, risk, and access to funding. For Southwest, Deloitte outlined options ranging from improved state-authority coordination to transferring ownership to the Southwest Water Authority; for NAWS, options focused on strengthening the authority’s role and potentially transitioning operations and maintenance; and for Red River, options ranged from enhanced facilitation to formal state oversight or state ownership. Members asked follow-up questions about ownership transfer, capital repayment streams, and why NAWS was not considered for transfer, and Deloitte said NAWS’s limited organizational maturity made that option less viable in the near term.

Transcript Highlights:

• low, he said they would do what they did last year: have everybody leave and submit a form with their top
• I've, lacking a better idea, I'm just going to go start at the top of the list. Is that okay?
• <00:03:29.760> Is<00:03:29.880> that go start at the top of the list.
• Is that go start at the top of the list. Is that okay?<00:03:30.959> Um okay? Um okay?
• So we do top six or something? Top five? Top six? Something like that in a ranking.

Keywords: 916, all

Summary: The chairman opened by explaining that the committee would hear proposed interim topics and then rank them by written submissions rather than debating them one by one. The Public Service Commission presented two topics: an educational session on small water utilities, citing maintenance needs, water-quality compliance, and difficulty accessing capital, and a review of civil penalties for pipeline safety violations because Wyoming’s statutory penalties are far below federal levels and could affect compliance and funding. Members and outside presenters then outlined a range of additional topics. Representative Campbell proposed work on fire protection districts and EMS districts, focusing on financial stability, mill levies, and possible county authority to combine districts and levies. He also raised public records at meetings, corporate filing fees, and fraudulent corporate filings. The Community College Commission proposed updating annexation statutes so communities can join community college districts more easily, especially where current mill-levy rules create funding issues. Senator Crago supported the fraudulent corporate filings topic and noted related technology-based solutions and overlap with blockchain issues. Other proposals included CPA “Pathways” licensing changes to address a shortage of accountants, a review of public meetings and public records laws, continuation of the electricity study with emphasis on grid reliability and large-load capacity constraints, and a broader review of the public meetings and records act. Ashley Harpstreith of the Wyoming Association of Municipalities supported extending municipal audit deadlines and described a statewide shortage of auditors and CPAs. Healthy Wyoming proposed studying health coverage options for low-income working adults, including state-sponsored or cooperative models. Representative Chestek proposed making most nonpartisan county offices elected on a nonpartisan basis. No votes or final selections were taken in the portion provided; the committee mainly heard testimony and discussed whether topics should be assigned to this committee or another one.

Transcript Highlights:

• On top of that, uh, we face uh, roughly a $10 million one-time closure-related costs.
• Facility safety and staff retention have been top priorities during the transition.
• Facility safety and staff retention have been top priorities during the transition.
• Facility safety and staff retention have been top priorities during the transition.
• Programming continuity remains a top Programming continuity remains a top priority<00:13:15.760>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that contract is with the HVAC provider and I believe that's off the top of my head.
• And I'm trying to pull that out of the top of my head, and I can't get there.
• I look at Los Alamos. school district and say, okay, so they're at the top of the world.
• Why are they at the top of the world? Well, because three-quarters of the parents are PhDs.
• I don't have that number off the top of my head.

Transcript Highlights:

• board at the top of page three. board at the top of page three.
• takes us to the top of page five. takes us to the top of page five.
• takes<00:21:03.039> us<00:21:03.200> to<00:21:03.440> the<00:21:03.600> top
• Madame Chair, that takes us to the top Madame Chair, that takes us to the top of<00:21:04.080>
• That brings us to the top of page eight.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The conference committee met late on Friday evening to discuss the Public Safety and Judiciary budget agreement, beginning with a brief exchange among members about concerns that the executive branch had been delaying the committee’s work by waiting to approve legislative decisions. Members emphasized that the legislature should retain its independence while still allowing normal collaboration with the governor’s office. The committee then moved through several outstanding policy items and adopted them without opposition, including the A38 amendment addressing data-sharing concerns involving disability-related information, a study of firefighting services by the state fire marshal, and an A46 amendment governing access to unredacted portable recording system data in collision investigations, with guardrails on disclosure and use. The committee next reviewed the spreadsheet and budget targets. Fiscal staff explained the judiciary side of the agreement, including funding for court operating costs, a one-time Justice Partner Access Program appropriation, forensic exam rate increases, guardian ad litem funding, public defense, human rights, the competency attainment board, the cannabis expungement board, and fee increases for civil filings and motions. On the public safety side, staff described the target as well as the discretionary items funded, including nonprofit security grants, BCA staffing changes, fire marshal initiatives, a 10-year arson statute of limitations, prosecutor training grants, legal representation for children, E911 funding for critical infrastructure, Philando Castile Training Fund support, corrections-related savings from the Stillwater phased closure and sentence-to-serve elimination, a mandatory minimums task force, a victims of crime account transfer, a decommissioning study, in-service use-of-force training, and extensions of several expiring appropriations. The committee also noted a correction to a spreadsheet label related to the Stillwater closure item. After the spreadsheet walkthrough, the committee took testimony from Chief Justice Natalie Hudson and State Court Administrator Jeff Shorban on behalf of the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Hudson thanked the committee for its work and said the agreement covers some unavoidable costs, including insurance, lease expenses, forensic examiner pay, and the new access system, but argued it does not adequately address the judiciary’s most urgent problem: staffing and judicial compensation. She said court employees are leaving for better-paying jobs, judicial salaries are frozen for two years, and applicant pools for judgeships have declined, especially in greater Minnesota. She also said the judicial branch was not meaningfully consulted on the budget target and urged lawmakers to recognize the courts as a constitutional obligation rather than a discretionary program.

Transcript Highlights:

• of page four insert is at the top of page four insert section<00:33:17.760> 13<00:33:18.919><
• It would be an additional amount on top of that. Senator, thank you.
• <01:23:28.719> of daughter bought her house at the top of daughter bought her house at the
• Okay, so the top of the second page of the FN report says based on Education Trust Fund revenue will
• in fin in in the budget okay so the top in fin in in the budget okay so the top of<02:10:45.679>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• On top of all that, current elk issues in northwest Minnesota, the DNR is also working on relocating
• all<00:04:58.120> that<00:04:58.560> current<00:04:58.840> elk 2026 on top
• On top of the current payment shortfall, if it's the state's position to maintain or grow current wolf
• Turkey lasers serve as a way to layer on top of gold-standard, robust biosecurity measures.
• The other way to do it would be to put a plastic film on top of the paper for the barrier.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• c><00:40:48.839> taxpayers<00:40:49.839> I<00:40:49.960> would to skim off the top
• legislation uh no cost to this piece of legislation uh and<00:43:01.920> on<00:43:02.119> top
• of that I think it's pretty and on top of that I think it's pretty safe<00:43:04.079> to<00:43
• <00:58:12.720> but<00:58:12.880> the the extra concrete on the top but the the extra
• concrete on the top but the whole<00:58:13.359> base<00:58:14.160> and<00:58:14.280>

Bills: HF198, HF269, HF185, HF303, HF305, HF189

Keywords: HF198, shared time pupils, shared-time enrollment, nonpublic school, private school, public school, career and technical education, CTE, secondary credit, school funding, state aid, education finance, Minnesota Statutes 126C.01, compulsory attendance, school district, education policy, HF269, Spicer, Minnesota bonding bill, capital investment

Transcript Highlights:

• top top priority<00:42:24.359> um<00:42:24.640> thank<00:42:24.800> you<00:42:24.920
• That is one of the top five lethality indicators for survivors of domestic violence.
• That is one of the top five lethality indicators for survivors of domestic violence.
• deemed unsafe that is one of the top deemed unsafe that is one of the top five<00:55:12.000>
• <01:18:07.239> two wanted to point out that the top two wanted to point out that the top two

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several Human Services measures focused on Medicaid access, long-term care benefits, home health reimbursement, SNAP administration, trauma-informed child welfare, and child abuse reporting. HP 702 would increase funding for Medicaid in-home services if federal matching funds are secured, and testimony from disability advocates supported the measure as needed to help people with disabilities cover medical expenses. HB 1477, described as a correction to a prior session’s mistake, would clarify that the monthly needs allowance for certain long-term care residents does not replace state supplemental payments and would raise the ceiling by $25 to fix the prior issue and by an additional $20 as a new benefit; DHS supported it with amendments, and the committee indicated it would amend accordingly. HB 713 would fund a DHS rate study for home health services, with the Healthcare Association of Hawaii strongly supporting it and describing rising labor costs, losses on Medicaid patients, and access concerns if agencies cannot keep serving Medicaid clients. HB 1099 would appropriate emergency funds to DHS after a USDA penalty tied to SNAP response times, with supporters including Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawaii Public Health Institute, and others arguing the money should be reinvested in staffing and systems to improve access and avoid further penalties. HB 1079 would direct the Office of Wellness and Resilience and DHS to create trauma-informed assessments and training for Child Welfare Services staff; testimony from state offices and advocacy groups supported it, citing the Mālama ʻOhana Working Group, staff burnout, and the need for a sustainable train-the-trainer model. Finally, HB 239 would narrow when failure to provide a child’s needs constitutes abuse or neglect, but DHS raised concerns that the current wording could broaden abuse findings and leave families in poverty without a clear safety net, while the Honolulu prosecutor’s office opposed it, warning it could weaken mandatory reporting and hinder investigations of child abuse. No formal votes were taken in the portion provided, though the chair said HB 1477 would be amended and several measures were left open for further questions and testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• keeps<00:11:52.920> UCLA<00:11:53.920> is<00:11:54.079> a<00:11:54.399> top
• bruan community and keeps UCLA is a top bruan community and keeps UCLA is a top Public<00:11:55.360
• , drawing the top tier of his new administration from poolside cocktail hour at Mar-a-Lago and setting
• , drawing the top tier of his new administration from poolside cocktail hour at Mar-a-Lago and setting
• , drawing the top tier of his new administration from poolside cocktail hour at Mar-a-Lago and setting

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Best to pull on top of a... from anywhere.
• Best to pull on top of a mountain because that gets it first, being so tall.
• So on top of a mountain, nobody has planted a crop, nobody has driven a car.

Bills: HB248, HB311

Keywords: weather modification, atmospheric pollution, chemical dispersion, environmental law, public health, improvement districts, assessment collection, property taxes, local governance, foreclosure procedures, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Kelsey Vela with the Legislative Budget Board and I'll be starting at the top of page 22. for DPS.
• There's more on top.
• We can go over everything that's already in there or what's going to be on top.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, the numbers you can tell by the top: it says his name on the top of one and my name on the top of
• So, the numbers you can tell by the top: it says his name on the top of one and my name on the top of
• So, the numbers you can tell by the top: it says his name on the top of one and my name on the top of
• So, the numbers you can tell by the top: it says his name on the top of one and my name on the top of
• So, the numbers you can tell by the top: it says his name on the top of one and my name on the top of

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You don't know off the top of your head? No.
• I mean, just stacked on top of one another. Pipelines share rights-of-way everywhere in this state.
• You don't know off the top of your head? No.
• I mean, just stacked on top of one another. Pipelines share rights-of-way everywhere in this state.
• I mean, just stacked on top of one another. Pipelines share right-of-ways everywhere in this state.

Summary: The committee took up public comment on a package of similar local-option bills related to carbon capture and sequestration, including House Bills 5, 6, 497, 498, 501, and 504. The bills would let parishes, or in some cases specific parishes such as Rapides and Livingston, decide by local vote whether Class VI wells, CO2 sequestration, and related pipeline infrastructure could be permitted. The chair grouped the bills together for testimony, adopted a three-minute public comment rule, and noted that the bills were not yet under consideration for a vote during the public-comment portion. Supporters, including Speaker Pro Tem Mike Johnson, parish officials, local activists, and residents, argued that communities affected by carbon capture projects should have a direct voice through local option elections. They said the bills were about self-determination, local control, and allowing residents to decide whether the risks are worth the benefits. Several speakers said their parishes had passed resolutions opposing carbon capture or asking for local choice, while others emphasized concerns about eminent domain, aquifer protection, lack of public understanding, and the need for more information about project impacts and financial benefits. Some supporters also said a local vote would force industry to engage more directly with communities and could improve transparency. Opponents, including representatives of the Department of Conservation and Energy, the Louisiana Chemistry Association, the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, and the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, warned that the bills would create uncertainty, undermine Louisiana’s primacy over Class VI permitting, and invite litigation under federal preemption and the Supremacy Clause. They said the state already has a strict permitting process with public input and technical review, and that allowing parish-by-parish approval could delay or block billions of dollars in investment, jobs, and export-related projects. The department testified that if the state adopted a local-option referendum system, EPA could determine Louisiana was not implementing the program consistently and could move to remove primacy. No committee vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• You can even set it on top of the paper you're not reading if you want. All right, there you go.
• I don't have that number off the top of my head, but it's an important point to make that water agencies
• I don't have that number off the top of my head, but it's important point to make that water agencies
• We passed SB 840, which put certain things in the top tier, and it put certain things in the bottom tier
• ASIC, TIRCP, and LC-TOP.

Summary: The hearing focused on the governor’s May Revision proposals for transportation, natural resources, climate, and related programs, with the Department of Finance and the LAO presenting competing views on the state’s fiscal condition. Finance said the budget remains balanced over two years, with major climate-bond, water, parks, transportation, DMV, and agriculture proposals, while the LAO argued the state still has a structural deficit and should reject or defer many new discretionary spending items, preserve reserves, and be cautious about ongoing commitments. The LAO specifically questioned the timing and scale of new spending for programs such as Clean California, Healthy Rivers and Landscapes, and the Golden Gate Fields acquisition, and urged more clarity on future obligations and revenue scenarios, including for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. A major portion of the hearing was devoted to the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes proposal for Bay-Delta water quality implementation. Secretary Wade Crowfoot and Finance described it as an enforceable, science-based alternative to a more traditional regulatory approach, with the state’s $25 million request intended to support early implementation, monitoring, habitat restoration, and environmental flows. The LAO countered that the Water Board has not yet adopted the updated Bay-Delta plan, that the proposal may be premature, and that the Legislature should wait for more information on the state’s total funding commitment and the program’s long-term costs. Several members expressed support for the program as a way to reduce conflict and protect water reliability, while others echoed concerns about timing and fiscal exposure. The committee also examined the proposed $125 million Proposition 4 contribution toward acquiring the Golden Gate Fields property for a shoreline park and habitat project. State officials said the acquisition is a time-sensitive, once-in-a-generation opportunity, with an appraised value of $175 million and additional philanthropic and local funding expected to close the gap. Members questioned whether the project had gone through the usual competitive process, whether the site is the best use of scarce park bond dollars, and how public access, habitat, and disadvantaged-community priorities would be protected. The discussion ended without a vote, and the committee moved on to transportation items including Clean California litter abatement, the Games Route Network, homeless encampment coordinators, and DMV modernization and field office proposals, with LAO recommending rejection or delay on several of those requests as well.

Transcript Highlights:

• of laid out the situation we are in right now, and I wanted to just make sure I acknowledge at the top
• So what that means is you're seeing a price spike on top of the global fundamentals.
• Then you get layered on top of that the impact of the Iran conflict.
• What you can see here on the top is California branded versus unbranded.
• So this isn't, this isn't, you know, this is on top of what they need to operate.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy held a hearing on the impact of the Iran conflict and global oil supply disruption on California fuel markets. Committee members and administration witnesses from the California Energy Commission and the Division of Petroleum Market Oversight described California’s heavy reliance on imported crude and refined products, the state’s shrinking refining base, current inventory levels, and how global supply tightness is affecting gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel prices. CEC officials said near-term supply looked adequate for roughly the next six weeks, but warned that continued disruption would likely raise prices further and increase competition for imports. DPMO said the conflict is a real supply shock, but also emphasized a separate, longstanding problem of unusually high California retail gasoline prices, especially among major branded stations. Witnesses and members debated the causes of high prices and the state’s longer-term fuel strategy. Professor Severin Borenstein argued that much of the price gap beyond taxes and environmental costs comes from a “mystery gasoline surcharge” downstream of refineries, while also noting that California’s shrinking number of refineries creates market-power and supply-resilience concerns. Western States Petroleum Association CEO Jody Mueller argued that state policies have weakened California’s refining system and made it more vulnerable to global shocks, urging the state to protect remaining refining capacity and improve infrastructure for imports. United Steelworkers Local 675 Vice President Norman Rogers stressed the need for safe, reliable refinery operations and adequate staffing. Several members pressed witnesses on whether California should rely more on imports, how to manage inventories and port/storage capacity, and whether the state needs clearer authority and better data collection to coordinate fuel policy. Discussion also covered branded versus unbranded gasoline pricing, the role of California fuel specifications, and whether a floating gas tax or other policy tools could buffer consumers from global price spikes. No formal votes or committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't know that information off the top of my head, but I'm happy to get that for you.
• McNamara: We're not even in the top 50 of the Abilene City's water users.
• And I know top of mind for us for not just Texas, but everyone in the country right now.
• So I think historically, like it's a low percentage, I don't know right off the top of my head.
• We're on top of the plain. It's trillions of gallons of water. It does have gypsum.

Summary: The Committee on State Affairs convened to discuss data centers and their impact on Texas's energy infrastructure. The meeting featured testimony from key representatives of the Public Utility Commission (PUC) and ERCOT, who outlined the evolving landscape of energy generation and the challenges posed by the rapid growth of data centers. Notably, ERCOT reported over 450,000 MW of generation resources planned for connection, with a significant portion attributed to data centers, which now represent around 87% of new large load interconnection requests. The committee explored proposed changes to the interconnection process, including a new 'batch study' approach aimed at streamlining the approval of multiple projects simultaneously. This change is intended to address the challenges of managing numerous simultaneous requests and to provide more certainty for developers regarding their energy needs. Testimonies emphasized the importance of ensuring that the costs of infrastructure upgrades are borne by the data centers rather than residential ratepayers, with discussions around the financial commitments required from developers. Several data center developers also provided testimony, highlighting the economic benefits of their projects, including job creation and increased local revenues. They expressed concerns about the potential for a moratorium on future growth due to the new interconnection rules and emphasized the need for a collaborative approach to address water usage and environmental impacts. The committee plans to continue discussions on these topics in future hearings, with a focus on balancing economic growth with energy reliability and resource management.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I may, if you'll notice as you're testifying in the top, I think right-hand side of your screen..
• way it passed was that the Republicans teamed up with LBJ and pushed the Civil Rights Act over the top
• way it passed was that the Republicans teamed up with LBJ and pushed the Civil Rights Act over the top
• Fair elections are how the best ideas and the best candidates rise to the top, not just the ones with
• So if you want to divide any district or split any congressional district, 23 would be on the top of

Summary: The Senate Special Committee on Congressional Redistricting met virtually for its West Texas regional hearing, established a quorum, and explained that the hearing was part of a series of statewide information-gathering sessions before any map was filed. The chair outlined the Zoom procedures, the two-minute testimony limit, and the availability of written comments through the committee’s public portal. Senators also discussed the logistics and transparency of the process, including the expectation that any proposed map or amendment would be made public once filed and that additional hearings would follow. Senator Blanco, whose district includes West Texas and the border region, said the area’s communities of interest should be kept together and warned against repeating the loss of representation that followed the last redistricting cycle. Senators Alvarado, Hinojosa, Miles, and others debated the value of virtual hearings versus in-person hearings, the number of people who had testified, and whether the committee could subpoena witnesses after the regional hearings ended. The chair said he was awaiting legal guidance and would consider a subpoena motion at a formal meeting the next day. A lengthy exchange also occurred over the tone of public testimony and the chair’s view that some comments directed at Republicans and the president had been offensive or historically inaccurate. Invited witnesses and public commenters largely opposed mid-decade redistricting and argued that any new map should reflect population growth, especially among Latino and other minority communities, and comply with the Voting Rights Act. Nina Perales of MALDEF said the hearings were not meaningful without a draft map and testified that Texas has a long history of discriminatory redistricting; senators questioned her about litigation, DOJ’s July 7 letter, and the 2021 congressional map. Tania Chavez Camacho, Luis Figueroa, and several El Paso residents emphasized that maps should preserve communities of interest, avoid cracking and packing, and be transparent and participatory. A smaller number of witnesses supported redistricting, including one El Paso resident who said the current districting leaves the area underrepresented and another who argued that some communities want to return to a map closer to the earlier District 16 configuration. Several witnesses also criticized the DOJ letter as inconsistent with the state’s position that the 2021 maps were drawn race-blind, while others said the current process was too rushed and lacked sufficient public input.