Video & Transcript Research : 'block groups'

Page 81 of 500
VA

Virginia 2026 Regular Session

April 23, 2026 - Special Session 1

Virginia House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • The rest of them remain in the block, which are now before you.
  • Does any member desire to remove a resolution from the block?
  • Hearing none, all those in favor of adopting in block the memorial resolutions laid on the Speaker's
  • They will be in the block as well: House Resolution 2053, House Resolution 2054, House Resolution 255
  • Does any member desire to remove a resolution from the block?
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm

Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • While we are pleased to note that there are other groups promoting an Article 5 convention, only our
  • We know how bad this can be because the group that just testified, the Convention of States Project,
  • Will try to block a convention, afraid it might disrupt the status quo they benefit from.
  • Yes, we may face resistance from fringe groups or power holders in D.C.
  • These groups are also trying a new math out where they're trying to count to the 34-state threshold.
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The hearing of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs was opened by Chair Joe McGonagle and Vice Chair Senator Mike Rush, who noted that Chair John Velis was deployed with the Massachusetts National Guard. The chairs explained the hybrid format, three-minute testimony limit, live streaming, and filing deadlines, and said the committee would hear 11 House bills and eight Senate bills dealing with federal and overseas issues. Much of the hearing centered on competing resolutions about Article 5 constitutional conventions, along with related resolutions on D.C. statehood, child labor, Citizens United, and Cambodia. Supporters of H. 4692 and S. 284, a joint resolution to rescind all prior Massachusetts Article 5 convention applications, argued that old resolutions from the 1930s and 1970s could be used to count Massachusetts toward the 34-state threshold for calling a federal constitutional convention. Testifiers from Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, the ACLU, Reproductive Equity Now, labor groups, and others warned that a convention would have no clear rules, could not be reliably limited to specific topics, and could put civil rights, reproductive rights, labor protections, and other constitutional protections at risk. Several speakers also cited a recent federal lawsuit and said the safest course was to remove outdated applications from the books. A large opposing panel testified in support of H. 3888, a resolution calling for a Convention of States to propose amendments limiting federal power, imposing fiscal restraints, and establishing term limits. Supporters argued that Article 5 provides a lawful way to address federal overreach, debt, and congressional stagnation, and said the process would be limited by state applications and ratification by 38 states. Some committee members and witnesses raised concerns about a runaway convention, broad language in the resolution, and whether Congress could or should set rules for such a convention. Representative Gentile also testified in support of several related resolutions on overturning Citizens United, D.C. statehood, and the child labor amendment, while Representative Howard and Representative Tongue supported a Cambodia resolution condemning political oppression and urging free and fair elections. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • I was just thinking, as you were saying that, could HCD or maybe some group even provide jurisdictions
  • But when it's used to block new housing or density, then we're not using it for the purpose.
  • I'm also the co-chair of our firm's Housing Strategy Litigation Group and also an adjunct at UCLA.
  • I've also represented community groups in various fights to rebuff district nominations...
  • I've also represented community groups in various fights to rebuff district nominations which target
Summary: The committee heard a long agenda of housing-related bills, beginning with AB 249, which would require youth-specific coordinated entry assessments for homeless services. The author and supporters from Larkin Street Youth Services and the California Coalition for Youth argued that current vulnerability tools are adult-focused and can disadvantage young people; the bill was described as a developmentally appropriate fix to better connect youth to housing and prevention services. There was no opposition, and the bill passed 7-0 to Human Services. Members then heard AB 239 and AB 1206. AB 239 would create a state-led disaster housing task force, a state disaster housing coordinator, and regular legislative reporting to speed recovery after disasters; it passed 7-0 to Emergency Management. AB 1206 would let local agencies pre-approve plans for single-family and small multifamily homes of up to 10 units to reduce permitting delays and costs; the League of California Cities opposed it unless amended, citing local variation and staffing concerns, but the author and supporters said it would preserve local control and help speed housing production. The bill passed 9-0 to Local Government. The committee also took up AB 57, which would reserve at least 10% of California’s home purchase assistance funds for descendants of formerly enslaved people. Supporters framed it as reparative justice and a way to address longstanding racial disparities in homeownership, while Pacific Legal Foundation argued it likely violated constitutional limits on race-based government action and urged a race-neutral approach. After discussion about reparations criteria and the bill’s intent, it passed 6-0 to Judiciary. The consent calendar, including AB 480, AB 726, and AB 1154, was approved 8-0. Later, AB 282 was heard to allow housing providers to prefer applicants who participate in rental assistance programs, such as Housing Choice Vouchers, despite existing source-of-income discrimination law. Supporters said it would help voucher holders find units and improve affordable housing operations; no opposition testified, and the bill passed 6-1 to Judiciary. AB 1229 followed, restructuring the adult reentry grant program to focus on permanent housing for people leaving prison by moving administration to HCD and using regional administrators; supporters emphasized the link between housing stability and reduced recidivism, and the bill passed 7-0 to Public Safety. The committee then approved AB 670, which would let local governments count preservation of naturally occurring affordable housing toward housing element goals and require better demolition reporting, and AB 750, which would strengthen oversight and reporting for homeless shelters after a prior reporting law saw very low compliance. AB 670 passed 8-0 to Local Government, and AB 750 was presented with testimony from a shelter resident describing abuse and lack of accountability in shelters.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Transportation May 23rd, 2025

Transportation

Transcript Highlights:
  • from the loss of blood, Caesar reached the man, treated him, and proceeded on to encourage another group
  • These vendors pose significant safety risks by blocking traffic, reducing visibility, and creating dangerous
  • I'm with the US Army Ranger Association and I'm, I work with a group of Rangers out of Conroe and Ranger
  • I'm actually the secretary for that group.
  • To the lesser of 120,000 pounds or the sum of the actual group weight limits.
Bills: HB227
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

Senate Chamber Jan 23rd, 2025

New Mexico Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Senator Block. Senator Boone. Senator Brant. Senator Brantley. Senator Campos.
  • President, members of the Senate, I'm going to introduce part of the group that's here with us.
  • I was in Las Vegas, specifically at Highlands, and the gathering of people from so many different groups
  • So they seat the Dona Ana group together, and they'll seat Farmington together and so forth.
  • It's a good group, and it's important to hear from our small business owners in the state of New Mexico
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Legislative Commission on Data Practices 11/20/25

Minnesota House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • <00:54:19.359> who and for individuals who or groups who and for individuals who or groups
  • Newsir. >> You may proceed. >> Madam Chair, members of the group, government is not a caribou. >> If
  • To their credit, they were aggregating the data up to the center point of a block rather than showing
  • So, I do think this is an area that we should, as a group, dive into.
  • group dive into. group dive into.
Keywords: 919, house, all
Summary: The committee approved the October 15, 2025 minutes and then held a broader discussion on current challenges with data retention and government transparency. Judy Randall of the Office of the Legislative Auditor said historical data is essential for post-audits, which often look back three to five years, and that retention decisions must balance audit needs with the burden of separating public and nonpublic data. She described the records-retention panel process as informal and largely based on individual judgment, noting she had objected to a proposed 60-day email retention period and generally uses a three-year guideline, though she said that standard is not grounded in a formal rule. Members discussed whether auditing standards should set retention periods, with Randall saying auditing is a good starting point but other offices, including the attorney general, also have needs, and that some agency discretion is unavoidable because of the gray area between official records and non-records. Representative Elkins raised the related principle of data minimization, arguing that government should not keep data longer than needed and citing a University of Minnesota legacy data warehouse breach as an example of the risks of retaining unnecessary sensitive information. Randall agreed that data no longer needed is a liability and said her office purges workpapers after five years. Representative Scott pressed whether three years is enough for fraud investigations and financial records; Randall responded that a reasonableness standard is needed and that longer retention can produce diminishing returns, though she said she would follow up on whether financial records should be treated differently. Tanya Tacker of the Rum River Special Education Cooperative testified in support of updating Minnesota’s data-retention laws for schools. She said districts want to protect student information and maintain transparency, but the current general retention schedule dates to 1985 and 2000 and does not reflect digital records, modern systems, or the volume of special education data. She urged modernizing the schedule, clarifying what must be kept in paper versus digitized form, aligning state rules with IDEA and other federal requirements, and providing practical guidance and tools. Members praised the specificity of her recommendations. Dr. BB Newman testified that retention failures in St. Anthony Village have made it difficult to obtain routine municipal and police data, with records delayed, missing, or inconsistently produced and no clear explanation of what systems were searched or whether records were destroyed. Newman argued these gaps undermine statutory access rights and force residents into costly litigation, and recommended stronger retention auditing, documentation of destruction, mandatory disclosure of systems searched, and consequences for noncompliance. In response to questions, Senate counsel said there is generally no direct penalty, but affected parties may seek mandamus, Data Practices Act claims, or informal mediation/opinions from the Data Practices Office. The discussion closed with calls for clearer standards and possible legislative updates to improve compliance and transparency.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on State and Local Government - 01/23/25

State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:
  • group homes again throughout<00:12:40.240> all<00:12:40.440> Minnesota throughout all
  • Is that on the chopping block? Thank you for the question, Senator Drazkowski.
  • And, uh, Chair, I think it might be a task force in mind in the future, or a working group.
  • the future thank you or a working group the future thank you or a working group thank<01:28:13.280
  • in which we're alike to a smaller group in which we're alike to a smaller group of<01:44:35.320>
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

EDT DEFER, EDT-EDU, WLA-EDT-EDU, EDT Public Hearings 02-17-2026

Economic Development and Tourism

Transcript Highlights:
  • pig the permit action group. pig the permit action group.
  • We are going to do our work and we will, if nothing else, learn how to, as a group, advisory group, come
  • We are going to do our work and we will, if nothing else, learn how to, as a group, advisory group, come
  • nothing else learn how to as a group nothing else learn how to as a group advisory<01:07:27.839>
  • > process advisory group come through the process advisory group come through the process the<
Keywords: 912, senate, all
Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 2693 relating to capital improvement projects for aerospace infrastructure. Members had no questions, and the recommendation to pass the bill with a defective date of July 1, 2050 was adopted unanimously. The committee then deferred decision making on Senate Bill 26980 relating to transportation and Senate Bill 2374 relating to the blue economy until Thursday, February 19, 2026, in Room 229, pending additional information. In the joint hearing on Senate Bill 2816 relating to state enterprise zones, agencies and organizations including DBEDT, HTDC, Taxation, the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Oceanit, the Hawaii Medical Association, and the Queen’s Health System testified in support or submitted written comments. One public testifier urged expanding enterprise zones around the Kakaako/Cancer Center area and combining them with the foreign trade zone to reduce taxes and attract business. A senator questioned whether the enterprise zone program had ever been comprehensively evaluated, noting DBEDT said it had not done a full study in recent years and cited annual report figures including about $221 million in company revenues and $460,000 in foregone state revenue in 2022. The discussion focused on whether the bill would subsidize existing activity or support new economic development, and on the broader policy question of whether enterprise zones should be used to revitalize depressed areas or to target strategic sectors like health care technology. The committee then heard Senate Bill 2900 relating to sports officials. The Department of Education supported the measure, saying the Attorney General is best positioned to represent employees in temporary restraining order matters and that elevating intentional bodily injury of a sports official to a class B felony would improve safety. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the bill, arguing it would escalate conduct already covered by existing assault statutes and go beyond other protected classes. The Department of the Attorney General recommended narrowing the bill by inserting “substantial” before bodily injury in the criminal section and deleting a section that would make the AG’s office act like plaintiff’s counsel in civil matters, suggesting instead that departments adopt policies to help employees obtain TROs without creating an open-ended civil representation role. Several sports and school-related organizations testified in support, and members discussed whether the bill should be narrowed or coordinated with other measures before further action.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Transportation - 04/09/25

Transportation

Transcript Highlights:
  • Groups such as AATE Minnesota law firms such as Law Tigers, Nicollet Law, and TSR have already donated
  • Groups such as AATE Minnesota law firms such as Law Tigers, Nicollet Law, and TSR have already donated
  • Groups such as AATE Minnesota law firms such as Law Tigers, Nicollet Law, and TSR have already donated
  • Groups such as AATE Minnesota law firms such as Law Tigers, Nicollet Law, and TSR have already donated
  • and they were you know completely block and they were you know completely block the<01:30:51.679
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee 3/3/25

Transportation Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • I also wanted to commend MnDOT for the cost participation working group that you've been convening.
  • I also wanted to commend MnDOT for the cost participation working group that you've been convening.
  • I also wanted to commend MnDOT for the cost participation working group that you've been convening.
  • <01:21:53.040> trucks ...closed and which will block trucks carrying hazardous material and
  • Um, Miss Jenkins, just to clarify, and I might have missed it, could you state what group you're with
Bills: HF192, HF268, HF1214, HF494
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • Uh they have tried to block<00:57:58.160> off<00:57:58.960> you<00:57:59.119> know
  • c><00:57:59.280> certain<00:57:59.599> entrances<00:58:00.079> to block off you
  • know certain entrances to block off you know certain entrances to the<00:58:00.559> building.
  • So we have a small group,<01:04:49.839> a<01:04:50.000> dedicated<01:04:50.559> group
  • group that are that group, a dedicated group that are that are<01:04:51.760> working<01:04:52.000
Keywords: 958, all
Summary: The Interim Joint Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary met without a quorum and heard an update from the Administrative Office of the Courts on the judicial branch budget. AOC Director Zach Ramsey and budget director Carol Henderson outlined the branch’s current funding structure, noting that fiscal year 2026 general fund support is about 2.77% of the state general fund, below the National Center for State Courts’ typical 2% to 4% range. They emphasized Kentucky’s unusual responsibility for courthouse facilities, with the judicial branch directly involved in construction, maintenance, and operations across 229 facilities in all 120 counties. AOC said nearly 91% of its general fund is spent on personnel and other non-discretionary costs, and that the branch has long relied on agency revenue, restricted fund carryforwards, and vacancy credits to balance court operations. Members were told that Senate Bill 25 required a $34.5 million transfer into a reserve account, part of which was used to purchase the Chamberlain Avenue building in Frankfort. AOC reported that only $11.9 million remains in restricted funds, while it projects needing about $13.5 million to cover fiscal year 2026 obligations, not including roughly $9 million in flood-related remediation costs for Hardin and Franklin counties, much of which it expects to recover through insurance and FEMA. Looking ahead to the next biennium, AOC said it will seek full funding of court operations at $341 million annually, a $13.5 million increase to bring current services into the base appropriation rather than relying on reserves. It also previewed additional requests, including a 15% across-the-board pay parity plan for Kentucky Court of Justice personnel, replacement of declining master commissioner fee revenue tied to 141 deputy circuit court clerk positions, funding for technology subscription and case management system costs, JAV audiovisual system upgrades, AEDs and medical kits for courthouses, and other staffing and operational needs. Senator Funky Frommeyer asked whether the 15% salary proposal was included in the $13.5 million increase; AOC said it was not, and that it would be an additional request. No votes or formal actions were taken.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Public Health Apr 21st, 2025

Public Health

Transcript Highlights:
  • I'm assuming this also applies to if you've got a physician's group, a large physician's group that.
  • We're literally a group. What I mean by independent...
  • And so for our group.
  • You have multiple, like work for a group and for themselves?
  • So I signed my billing. rights over to the group.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development Nov 19th, 2025

Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:
  • We've got a great group of folks here, and obviously we do a lot of important work for the budget here
  • We also do have the Community Development Block Grant program. and continue to grow here.
  • We also do have the Community Development Block Grant programs.
Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development met to hear presentations from the Department of Commerce and the Florida Department of Transportation. Jason Mahon of Florida Commerce outlined the state’s economic development strategy, emphasizing Florida’s GDP growth, business formation, and strengths in manufacturing, high-tech, life sciences, defense, and financial services. He described the department’s tools for small business lending, rural investment tax credits, venture capital support, infrastructure and workforce grants, performance-based incentives, and disaster recovery loans, and highlighted examples such as ServiceNow, Williams International, Asteris, and Point Blank Enterprises. Senators asked about grant availability for small businesses, foreign companies relocating to Florida, workforce shortages in manufacturing, and whether additional tools may be needed; Mahon said most small-business support is loan-based and noted ongoing workforce and infrastructure challenges. Jennifer Marshall of FDOT then reviewed major transportation projects and the Moving Florida Forward initiative, describing the state’s large portfolio of active contracts and major congestion-relief projects across Florida. She highlighted early completions and accelerated timelines on projects including the NASA Causeway Bridge, I-95 at US 1 in Volusia County, I-4 congestion relief lanes, the First Coast Expressway, the Howard Frankland Bridge, I-4 interchanges in Central Florida, A1A coastal protection work, I-75 improvements in Southwest Florida, and the I-395 reconstruction in Miami. Senators asked about how express lane projects are selected, whether toll revenues are used for local maintenance and improvements, the status of the Miami I-395 project, and the impact of losing electric-vehicle express lane exemptions. Marshall said FDOT works with local long-range plans and congestion data, and that she would follow up on several specific funding and project questions. Committee members generally praised both agencies for project delivery, cost savings, and coordination with local partners. Senator Mayfield noted the importance of using savings and working with local governments, while Senator Wright commended Commerce’s role in economic development and FDOT’s work on major road projects. The meeting concluded with no further business, and the committee adjourned.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • this donut hole is to empower city managers, ISD superintendents, and local government directors to block
  • her blatant disregard of a council directive, and now the city manager and attorney and mayor are blocking
  • We are a responsible group of financing providers. Our average deal in Texas is about...
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • federal grant programs such as the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the Community Services Block
  • Those were the lowest income, the highest energy burden, and members of vulnerable population groups.
  • The local nonprofits and governments that receive Community Services Block Grant funding rely on the
Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Human Services heard an overview of efforts to streamline access to safety net programs and move toward more automatic, person-centered enrollment. CDSS, DHCS, and CalHHS described current cross-enrollment between Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and CalWORKs, including data showing high overlap among programs and a text-message outreach pilot that increased CalWORKs applications and enrollments but reached only a small share of potentially eligible people. Witnesses emphasized barriers such as differing federal eligibility rules, data-sharing limits, privacy concerns, and the need for better technology, consent management, and stakeholder engagement. Members pressed the administration on how to institutionalize these efforts across administrations and asked for concrete budgetary and regulatory steps to support “no wrong door” enrollment and automatic referrals. The committee also reviewed several chair priorities. On the proposed foster care multi-agency office, CDSS said existing coordination structures already address much of the intended work and asked to verify prior fiscal scoring. On the Employment First Office, CalHHS explained that the office’s $1 million budget was eliminated in the 2024-25 budget as part of deficit reductions, while noting that employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities remains an administration priority through existing departmental coordination. For the food insecurity proposal, CDSS said it could provide technical assistance but would need new data-sharing agreements, could not separately calculate a CFAP participation rate with current data, and would likely need until July 1, 2027, plus ongoing staffing, to complete the requested report. The mandated reporter proposal drew support for reform, with CDSS estimating low-millions in one-time training costs and ongoing costs in the hundreds of thousands. The subcommittee also discussed a guaranteed income proposal. CalHHS suggested drafting new statutory language and considering a county-administered model rather than a state-run competitive grant process to reduce administrative burden, while members and public commenters urged support for AB 661 and a study of a permanent statewide guaranteed income program. Public testimony also supported automatic enrollment, community-supporting mandated reporting reforms, and cash assistance for fire recovery. In the final items, CSD described how local nonprofit partners helped during the Los Angeles fires with food, housing vouchers, transportation, and emergency energy assistance, and explained that LIHEAP and CSBG remain important but limited tools for disaster response. CSD also said recent federal staffing cuts and possible future federal budget threats could affect LIHEAP and CSBG administration, though no immediate service disruptions had occurred and additional LIHEAP funds were expected to be released soon.
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

April 9, 2025 - 08:00 AM

Transcript Highlights:
  • They're blocking out the everyday folk. They're boxing things out. They're causing issues.
  • They're blocking out the everyday folk. They're boxing things out.
  • deregulation that punishes qualified professionals while handing more market control to a smaller group
Summary: The committee first took up a local beverage-license bill for the World Equestrian Center in Marion County. The sponsor described the facility’s size, economic impact, and rapid expansion, and explained that the bill would direct DBPR to issue a special license for qualifying equestrian sports facilities. After questions about whether the carve-out would set a precedent for other businesses, the sponsor said the unique facts of the facility justified the bill. An amendment narrowed the off-premises alcohol authority so the license would allow beer and wine only for off-premises sales, while still allowing on-premises sales of all alcoholic beverages and a standalone bar on the premises. The amendment was adopted, and the bill passed 16-1, with Representative Rayner voting no. The committee then heard PCS for HB 1461, a broad regulatory-reform bill that would repeal continuing education requirements for certain licensed professionals, eliminate several boards/councils/commissions at DBPR and DACS, remove some secondary licenses, and expand licensure pathways. The sponsors argued that most complaints are already handled administratively, that the boards create bureaucracy and cost, and that the bill would improve efficiency without changing initial licensure standards. Members raised concerns about whether DBPR has the subject-matter expertise to replace professional boards, especially for engineering, harbor pilots, electrical work, home inspection, architecture, interior design, and related fields, and about whether removing continuing education could weaken public safety and code compliance. Public testimony on the PCS was mixed but leaned strongly against the bill from affected professions. Opponents from architecture, electrical contracting, home inspection, geology, interior design, real estate, and related groups argued that the boards provide technical expertise, discipline, and updated knowledge tied to changing building codes and safety standards, and that continuing education is important for public protection. Some supporters, including representatives of CPAs and landscape architects, said they appreciated efforts to streamline licensing and reduce anti-competitive barriers but still had concerns about specific provisions. The committee adopted two amendments: one requiring 30 days’ notice for an address change for a prescription sales business, and a second technical amendment. No final vote on the PCS was taken in the portion provided.
US
Transcript Highlights:
  • This set-aside is not an interest group carve-out.
  • Any cut in funding, freeze, or delay. or frankly, any TCU specific funding that is block granted and
  • Our immediate impact that we saw, not only were we on the chopping block right away with the elimination
Summary: The meeting focused on the responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Education towards Native students, highlighting the importance of federal education programs that satisfy treaty obligations to Native communities. Various witnesses testified about the impact of educational policies designed to support Native students who primarily attend public schools. Concerns were voiced over recent proposals that could potentially undermine these programs, citing the role of federal funding in ensuring successful educational outcomes for Native youth. The chair of the committee emphasized the need for continued federal support and attention to the unique educational challenges faced by Indigenous populations.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

State Affairs Mar 26th, 2025

State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • hospitals... ...will affect the view from I-35, and with the I-35 expansion, that view is going to be blocked
  • Or to deal with a large truck blocking their drive-thrus or parking lots during daytime hours.
  • So, when we think about what our customers want, based on significant focus group efforts over the last
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • On this fund, the grants that are going to go to these nonprofit groups, what sort of activities do you
  • There was a lawsuit blocking the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census.
  • There was a lawsuit to block immigration conditions on federal grants for local and state law enforcement
Keywords: 988, house, all
LA
Transcript Highlights:
  • He was blocked out of it. I don't agree with that.
  • And also, from the Florida Women's Republican group, we have Ms. Angel here with us today.
  • And also from the Florida Women's Republican group, we have Ms. Angel here with us today.
Summary: The House Transportation Committee met on May 18, 2026, with a quorum present and first took up Senate Bill 431 by Senator Foil. As amended, the bill requires tow companies handling non-consensual private-property tows to have someone available to release vehicles within 90 minutes on weekends if they want to charge storage fees for Saturday and Sunday. Senator Foil and Louisiana State Police explained the bill was narrowed to address weekend access to towed vehicles while not mandating businesses stay open; if a company does not provide weekend access, it cannot charge weekend storage fees. Committee members asked about how the process would work, and a representative from Riverside Towing opposed the bill, citing safety concerns, the burden on office staff, and the bill’s limited application to private-property tows rather than police-initiated tows. Despite the opposition, the committee adopted a motion to report SB 431 favorably without objection. The committee then considered House Concurrent Resolution 96 by Representative Adams, which urges the Office of Motor Vehicles to provide educational materials on proper roundabout use. Representative Adams said the resolution was intended to help drivers in smaller parishes and growing areas where roundabouts are common but confusing to many motorists. Representative Spell supported the measure, noting similar issues in his district, and Representative Phelps asked whether roundabout instruction is included in driver education. The committee reported HCR 96 favorably without objection. At the end of the meeting, members made brief personal remarks recognizing a new DOTD staff member and a visitor from the Florida Women’s Republican group. The committee then adjourned without objection.