Video & Transcript Research : 'litigation'
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TX
Transcript Highlights:
- We've seen firsthand how gaps in project oversight can lead to serious delays and litigation.
- expectations, accountability, and protect school districts from costly mismanagement and future litigation
- In areas where school districts may be. especially prone to litigation, like San Benito.
Bills:
HB178, HB178, HB1551, HB1939, HB2040, HB2354, HB2674, HB3029, HB3460, HB3631, HB3662, HB5201, HB5381
Keywords:
efficiency audit, political subdivision, tax rate, fiscal management, government accountability, Texas education, public schools, curriculum, social studies, high school graduation requirements, State Board of Education, Education Code, ethnic studies, world history, world geography, U.S. history, government, economics, personal financial literacy, free enterprise
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Texas will be properly paid for the production of those minerals without unnecessary disputes or litigation
- It just kind of streamlines the potential litigation we're looking at.
- make it clear that we recognize that these are other minerals and hopefully this will help avoid litigation
Keywords:
surface estate, well plugging, Railroad Commission, landowner rights, liability, strategic reserve, gas supply, petroleum products, disaster response, Railroad Commission of Texas, energy security, emergency planning, oil and gas waste, environmental regulation, waste management, mining pits, groundwater monitoring, regulation, commercial disposal facilities, environmental standards
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- The vague definitions of due care could invite increased litigation.
- The vague definitions of due care could invite increased litigation.
- account terminations, especially for minors close to the 14-year cutoff; potential challenges and litigation
Summary:
The committee first took up a committee substitute for SB 752, which would require newspapers and television stations to remove online reports later found to be false or defamatory in certain circumstances, and would change when the statute of limitations begins to run. The sponsor said the bill was intended to address lasting harm from false accusations that remain searchable online. Several speakers opposed the measure, arguing it would chill reporting, punish accurate historical coverage, and create vague legal risks for the press. After debate, the committee reported the bill favorably.
The committee then approved CS/SB 846, a bill aimed at preventing immigration service fraud by non-attorneys and misuse of the term "notario." Supporters, including an immigration attorney, said the bill would protect vulnerable immigrants from bad advice and fake legal services. The committee also approved CS/SB 800, which updates battery labeling and recycling requirements to reduce fires caused by discarded batteries; waste and recycling representatives supported it, while a battery industry group warned the bill could effectively ban battery-embedded products. CS/SB 578, dealing with wine container rules and allowing recyclable inserts and boxes up to 5.16 gallons, was also reported favorably.
The committee next approved CS/SB 1734, the Florida Kratom Consumer Protection Act, which sets product standards, labeling rules, age limits, testing, and enforcement provisions. Supporters said it reflects current science and consumer safety needs, while opponents warned it could burden small businesses and overregulate the market. SB 918, which would loosen state child labor restrictions for certain minors and align Florida law more closely with federal standards, drew extensive opposition from advocates, students, and labor groups who said it would increase exploitation and harm education; several senators also raised concerns, but the bill was still reported favorably. The committee also reported favorably SB 854 on unlicensed contractors and deposit fraud, and confirmed several appointments to state boards and commissions. A separate bill on online encryption and child safety, SB 868, was taken up with an amendment and public testimony, but the transcript cuts off before final action on that item.
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
March 20, 2025 - 08:00 AM
Transcript Highlights:
- The economic damages alone rarely justify Travis Creighton: litigation costs, leaving families like mine
- they will be Jordan Dolecy: cross examined by experts and attorneys and goes through five years of litigation
- It is an opportunity to litigate their very tough cases and go through the adversarial process.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
Hearings to examine the nomination of Linda McMahon, of Connecticut, to be Secretary of Education. Feb 13th, 2025 at 09:00 am
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- I know that the access has been temporarily paused due to litigation, but there is a real potential for
- the Higher Education Act to make them more accountable, but But I do believe, and we're still in litigation
- , I say we, I'm trying to change hats now as Senator Moody, but Florida is still in litigation about
Summary:
The committee meeting engaged in discussions focused primarily on educational reform, the influence of federal grants on local education systems, and the growing disparities in wealth and access to quality education. Members expressed concerns about the bureaucracy surrounding federal funding that hampers schools' ability to obtain necessary resources for improvement. Several members highlighted personal anecdotes from constituents, emphasizing the urgent need for reform to help students succeed in both K-12 and higher education environments. The meeting included public testimonies that provided insights into various community perspectives on these pressing issues.
MS
Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
MS Senate Floor - 12 March, 2026; 10:00 AM
Mississippi Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- the other one of the other major changes was an additional reappropriation for the Jackson water litigation
- the other one of the other major changes was an additional reappropriation for the Jackson water litigation
- the other one of the other major changes was an additional reappropriation for the Jackson water litigation
- In addition, there's money in here for the Jackson water litigation.
- In addition, there's money in here for the Jackson water litigation.
Summary:
The Senate convened with a quorum present, opened with prayer and the pledge, and then dispensed with the reading of the journal, committee reports, and bill titles. The chamber also recognized several guests and groups, including the doctor of the day, visitors from Quebec, the Sumrall High School boys soccer team, Starkville public safety officials, and the Hattiesburg High School choral arts program. A resolution honoring the long-standing partnership between Quebec and Mississippi was read and adopted, and Ms. Nathalie Rivard of Quebec addressed the Senate about historical ties and economic cooperation between Quebec and Mississippi.
The Senate then moved through a series of procedural actions on the calendar, including multiple motions to table reconsideration on medical cannabis and ARPA-related bills, and several motions to not concur and invite conference on workforce and budget measures. Among those were Senate Bill 2294, the Mississippi Future Innovators Act, Senate Bill 2288 on workforce training, Senate Bill 2401 on workforce development, Senate Bill 2189 on budget transfers, Senate Bill 2895 on ARPA funds, and Senate Bill 2917 on appropriations transfers. These motions were adopted, sending the measures to conference or otherwise advancing them as noted.
A major portion of the meeting focused on appropriations bills. House Bill 1935, the Education Department appropriation, was explained in detail and adopted after a strike-all amendment; the bill includes funding for the student formula, teacher and assistant pay raises, special education supplements, school attendance officers, testing contracts, early learning coaches, and CTE instructor raises, with offsets from reduced or eliminated line items such as school safety platforms and certain vendor programs. The Senate also adopted strike-all amendments and passed House Bills 1936 and 1937 for Mississippi Public Broadcasting and the Library Commission, and then moved on to House Bill 1933 for the Bureau of Building. The Senate recessed until 2:30 p.m. and announced an appropriations meeting shortly after recess, while leadership noted that many supplemental appropriations bills would be considered later with attention to whether they contained reverse repealers and would go to conference or final passage.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Housing Finance and Policy Committee 3/11/26
Housing Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- Chair Howard: Typically, each litigant bears their own costs in court.
- Representative Nash: So, if each litigant has to bear the cost of that and they lose, they're now going
- bears their own typically each litigant bears their own costs<01:29:45.280>
in <01:29:45.600>< - So, if if each litigant<01:29:51.360>
has <01:29:51.600>to <01:29:51.920>bear <01 - has to bear the cost of that litigant has to bear the cost of that and<01:29:53.199>
they <01:
Keywords:
HF3403, emergency rental assistance, rental aid, homelessness prevention, housing crisis, imminent risk of homelessness, eviction prevention, county aid, Tribal governments, local government aids, general fund appropriation, Minnesota revenue commissioner, poverty level, low-income housing, housing stability, family homeless prevention and assistance, emergency housing assistance, HF2687, single-family homes, corporate landlords
WY
Wyoming 2026 Regular Session
Senate Floor Session-Day 10, February 20, 2026-AM
Wyoming Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- and not having recalibration completed, and then I look at our constitutional obligations and the litigation
- to do is okay, when on at least two occasions in near history and currently it has resulted in litigation
- that's<00:37:18.640>
occurred <00:37:18.960>in <00:37:19.200>that the litigation - that's occurred in that the litigation that's occurred in that same<00:37:20.400>
time <00:37: - resulted in litigation resulted in litigation for<00:38:26.240>
which <00:38:26.400>the
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Gov. Tim Walz's tax bill, HF2437, heard in House Taxes Committee 4/2/25
Transcript Highlights:
- sound because all of these case types that I described, and many others, involve an individual in litigation
- :04:40.799>
IND <01:04:41.119>individual <01:04:42.079>in <01:04:42.279>litigation - <01:04:42.880>
against an IND individual in litigation against an IND individual in litigation - when there's a resource<01:04:58.400>
imbalance <01:04:58.839>in <01:04:59.039>litigation - <01:05:00.039>
it resource imbalance in litigation it resource imbalance in litigation it
Summary:
The committee took up House File 2437, the governor’s proposed tax bill, and first adopted the A25-Z42 amendment to put the bill in the desired shape. Commissioner Paul Marquardt of the Department of Revenue then presented the bill as part of Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan’s budget, describing it as a response to budget pressures that would make the tax system more fair and stable while supporting economic development and jobs.
Marquardt walked through the bill’s major provisions. These included sustainable aviation fuel policy, repeal of K-12 education credit assignment, elimination of the political contribution refund, expansion of the research and development credit, short-line railroad infrastructure modernization, changes to the state airport fund levy, replacement of attachments and appearances with distribution systems, a narrow personal property tax exception for low-income housing tenants, reduced aquatic invasive species aid, and a 34% reduction in PILT payments. He then focused on the sales tax article, saying it would lower the statewide rate by 0.75% while expanding the base to selected professional services such as accounting, banking, brokerage, and legal services, with business-to-business transactions exempt. He said the proposal would be effective for sales and purchases after September 30, 2025, and estimated a first-year rate-cut impact of about $99 million versus $215 million from the service expansion, while arguing that most households would see a net tax cut. He also noted other changes such as landlord penalty adjustments, a 30% reduction in sustainable aviation fuel incentive payments, repeal of local government cannabis aid, and repeal of the tax filing modernization account.
Public testimony began with Kyle Playford of the Financial Planning Association of Minnesota, who strongly opposed the proposed sales tax on professional services, especially financial planning. He argued that financial planning is an essential service for retirement, investment, and long-term financial security, and said the tax would raise costs for consumers, reduce access for middle-class families, small business owners, and retirees, and put Minnesota firms at a competitive disadvantage. The chair then indicated that additional public testimony would continue before member questions.
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
House Education Policy and Administration (02/18/2026)
Education Policy and Administration
Transcript Highlights:
- You're opening yourself up for litigation if you do not."
- You're opening yourself up for litigation if you do not."
- You're opening yourself up for litigation if you do not."
- Now, what my litigation if you do not."
- litigation if I was brought to court. litigation if I was brought to court.
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- contact sent out to people who have had contact lawyers<00:28:25.679>
or <00:28:26.400>litigants - <00:28:26.880>
who <00:28:27.040>have <00:28:27.199>had lawyers or litigants - who have had lawyers or litigants who have had contact<00:28:27.840>
with <00:28:28.080>the - don't know what they're prosay litigants don't know what they're talking<00:53:09.280>
about. - We have preferred litigants. Preferred litigants. That's what we have. Outcomes already decided.
HI
Hawaii 2026 Regular Session
FIN Info Briefing - Tue Jan 6, 2026 @ 9:00 AM HST
Hawaii House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Resources Officer Jennifer Igami, Budget Analyst David Tran, Legislative Analyst Kathy Seio, and Litigation
- So I don't want to and litigation coordinator Laura and litigation coordinator Laura Marshall.<00:59:
- So the difference between criminal prosecution and civil prosecution or civil litigation is that for
- <01:08:08.960>
is <01:08:09.200>that prosecution or civil litigation is that prosecution - or civil litigation is that for<01:08:09.760>
criminal <01:08:10.079>prosecution <01:08
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Environment and Agriculture (04/15/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:57:40.720>
uh <00:57:40.799>in costly path of civil litigation uh in costly path - of civil litigation uh in order<00:57:41.200>
to <00:57:41.520>really <00:57:41.760> - So, we can't really look to the government to maybe litigate the issue.
- But insurance is litigate the issue.
- The background check one isn't—we're not litigating whether or not there should be background checks.
Summary:
The committee first heard Senate Bill 302, which would update New Hampshire’s solid waste facility background-check law so the state can continue to access federal FBI criminal databases for checks on key owners and officers. Senator Howard Pearl and DES Waste Management Director Mike Whimsatt said the bill is the third attempt to correct prior drafting problems that prevented the FBI from accepting the language. They explained that the existing statute has long required background checks for hazardous and solid waste facility applicants because of concerns about organized crime, but the current wording is too ambiguous for federal use. The bill also includes technical corrections, clarifies which company officers must be checked, specifies which DES officials receive the results, and removes the Department of Justice as an unnecessary middleman. Committee members asked about the purpose of the bill, whether family members are covered, who pays the cost, and whether permits have ever been denied; Whimsatt said the applicant still pays, the checks focus on key officers, and at least one permit had been denied in the past due to a felony conviction. The hearing then closed, with one person listed in favor on the blue sheet and no opposition noted online.
The committee then opened Senate Bill 229, which would allow retailers to sell uninspected bison, red deer, and elk meat and remove the sunset on the existing program. Senator Pearl said the bill would expand market opportunities for farmers while keeping labeling and traceability requirements in place, including identifying the meat as uninspected and maintaining records of the source farms. Representative Bixby, who had worked on earlier legislation, explained the current framework in detail: the animals are raised on closed farms, must be fenced, cannot be newly imported, and are subject to annual veterinary herd inspections and recordkeeping. He said the prior bison inspection regime was too burdensome for farmers to maintain, and the current law was intended as a workable compromise. Questions from members focused on how many farms participate, how many animals have been sold, and whether the program posed disease risks; the witness said he did not know the exact numbers, and Bixby said the existing import and fencing rules help prevent chronic wasting disease from entering the state. No vote was taken during the hearing, and the bill was left before the committee for further consideration.
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
JHA Public Hearing - Tue Mar 25, 2025 @ 2:00 PM HST
Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- Rules like that do not violate the due process rights of litigants.
- Rules like that do not violate the due process rights of litigants.
- 04:36.839>
of not violate the due process rights of not violate the due process rights of litigant - 38.760>
is <01:04:39.279>necessary <01:04:40.279>to <01:04:40.440>make litigant - this bill is necessary to make litigant this bill is necessary to make sure<01:04:40.839>
that
Summary:
The House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs heard Senate Bill 1322, SD2, HD1, a comprehensive measure revising Hawaii’s mental health code. The bill would clarify emergency transportation, examination, and hospitalization procedures for people who may be mentally ill or suffering from substance abuse and deemed imminently dangerous, expand notice requirements, allow certain information-sharing for assisted community treatment petitions, and add liability protections for emergency responders and providers. The Department of the Attorney General supported the bill as a collaborative update to the law, while the Department of Health asked for a copy of provider-generated emergency transport documentation within five days for data and planning purposes.
Testimony was sharply divided. Queen’s Health System, Hawaiʻi Pacific Health, HHSC, and the Institute for Human Services supported the measure or parts of it but requested amendments, including clarifying whether a second psychiatric exam is required, restoring a 72-hour rather than 48-hour stabilization window, and adjusting where patients are taken when an MEO cannot be reached. The ACLU of Hawaiʻi strongly opposed the bill, arguing it weakens due process and civil liberties, especially around involuntary commitment, assisted community treatment, emergency transport by police, and reduced procedural safeguards; it urged the committee to hold the bill and consider an interim working group. Louie E.K. of the Hawaiʻi Disability Rights Center also opposed the bill, focusing on immunity from negligence, the use of police for transport, and the reduction of a three-provider review to one in state-hospital treatment orders.
Other testimony included support from an individual who said the bill could improve mental health care delivery amid provider shortages, and a comment from Hawaiʻi Health and Harm Reduction Center warning that the substance use portion of the bill lacks evidence of effectiveness and could be misused. In response to committee questions, the Attorney General’s office said the measure was developed with input from multiple stakeholders, including state agencies, hospitals, the ACLU, HHSC, and IHS, and that it aims to make assisted community treatment more accessible and effective by streamlining the legal process and improving consequences for noncompliance. No vote or final action was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.
HI
Hawaii 2026 Regular Session
JHA Public Hearing - Wed Feb 18, 2026 @ 2:00 PM HST
Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- Um, and then lastly, complaint data helps identify patterns and reduce costly misconduct litigation.
- Um, and then lastly, complaint data helps identify patterns and reduce costly misconduct litigation.
- Um, and then lastly, complaint data helps identify patterns and reduce costly misconduct litigation.
- Um, and then lastly, complaint data helps identify patterns and reduce costly misconduct litigation.
- <00:48:15.839>
um litigation that this bill poses. um litigation that this bill poses. um
Summary:
The committee heard testimony on HB 1790 HD1, which would require law enforcement and oversight agencies to collect and report data on stops, use of force, and complaints to the Hawaii Crime Lab, which would publish incident-level information and annual reports. Supporters, including the Office of the Public Defender, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the ACLU of Hawaii, Hawaii Justice Rising, and the Policing Project, said the bill would improve transparency, help identify disparities, and support better policy and accountability. OHA requested amendments to ensure Hawaiians are identified as a distinct category in the data, and the University of Hawaii’s Ashley Rubin said the Crime Lab would work with agencies to make implementation as seamless as possible. The Department of Law Enforcement supported the bill’s intent but asked for a longer timeline and culturally appropriate methodology, while HPD opposed the bill as written, saying it would require too many new data points, create a significant administrative burden, and rely on subjective perceptions of race and ethnicity; HPD also noted it is piloting an e-citation system that could help with data collection. Committee members questioned HPD about current manual processes and technology options. The chair reported 18 testimonies total: 15 in support, one in opposition, and two with comments, and no vote was taken in the excerpt.
The committee then heard HB 1611 HD1, which would phase down the general excise tax on groceries and nonprescription drugs until a full exemption takes effect in 2034. The Department of Taxation offered technical recommendations, including clearer definitions for groceries and nonprescription drugs and a technical change regarding the county surcharge exemption. Supporters, including the Hawaii Public Health Institute and the Hawaii Food Industry Association, argued the GET on groceries is regressive and worsens food insecurity, especially for low-income households, and said the bill would provide needed relief. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii offered technical concerns, including a possible wholesale-tax enforcement issue once the exemption is fully phased in. The excerpt ends during testimony on HB 1611, with no final committee action shown.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Finance Division I (02/27/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- So we think of cases as active litigation matters, right?
- And by the way, while we're on page 243, fiscal year 2024 actual has this giant litigation cost that's
- So that is our litigation fund. As long as I can remember, the legislature has asked us.
- <04:13:19.520>
these birthday so far as we've litigated these birthday so far as we've litigated - The Civil Rights—I mean the civil litigation sort of folks that come within the judicial Council for
Summary:
The committee held a work session on the Department of Business and Economic Affairs’ budget, with testimony from division leadership on staffing, funding sources, and program changes. Early discussion focused on vacant positions in the agency, including a senior planner tied to FEMA requirements, a federally funded program assistant, a program specialist to be reclassified during a planning reorganization, and two Housing Champions positions that were authorized but not funded in the current biennium and are requested for 2026-27. The witnesses also explained that temporary welcome center positions are filled as funds allow, and that the agency’s requested general fund increase is driven largely by the Division of Travel and Tourism Development and its formula-based funding.
Members then reviewed rest areas, welcome centers, outdoor recreation, economic development, procurement, and workforce opportunity lines. The department said there are 12 rest areas, with 5.8 million foot counts in FY 24, and that welcome centers are generally open year-round, though Sutton is currently closed and staffing relies on a mix of full-time and temporary employees. The outdoor recreation position is federally funded through USDA and supports business outreach, trade shows, and industry promotion. In economic development, the agency said increased dues reflect participation in the Northern Borders Regional Commission, and that a marketing line item is intended to support recruitment and promotion of growth industries such as advanced manufacturing and life sciences. The Apex Accelerator Program was described as a state-federal partnership requiring a state match and providing government contracting assistance to businesses, while the Office of Workforce Opportunity was explained as a federally funded WIOA-related effort administered through multiple agencies and subrecipients.
A major point of discussion was the proposed reduction to the Small Business Development Center, which members said had generated significant public concern. The department described SBDC as a highly effective technical assistance program for new and small businesses, but said the cut was one of the few places it felt it had room to reduce funding. Members asked about federal support and matching requirements for various programs, and the department said less than half of its overall budget is generally funded by the state and that some programs require state match. The committee also discussed travel and tourism marketing and the Joint Promotional Program, with the department saying those funds support broader advertising campaigns and grants to chambers and trade associations for events such as Bike Week, Restaurant Week, and the Seafood Festival. No votes were taken during the work session.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Education Funding (02/07/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- we should be as informed as we can be on this issue, and to that end we need to understand the litigation
- and it would be really helpful to me in order to do all of that to have at least a link to the litigation
- 07:01.680>
the clear in some places perhaps the the clear in some places perhaps the the litigation - that's pending right now litigation that's pending right now would<04:07:04.159>
not <04:07:04.319 - that is directly on point and litigation that is directly on point and it<04:09:41.040>
would
Summary:
The committee first heard HB 659, which would establish the New Hampshire College Graduate Retention Incentive Program. A Department of Revenue Administration analyst explained technical issues in the bill, focusing on whether the incentive is intended to operate as a rebate or a tax credit, how it would be administered, and how it would interact with the business enterprise tax and business profits tax. She said the bill’s language was unclear on the administering agency, effective tax years, caps, and carry-forward treatment, and noted that reducing BET can also reduce the BET credit against BPT, though not on a one-for-one basis. Committee members asked follow-up questions about the BET/BPT interaction, administrative costs, and whether the Department of Business and Economic Affairs would need additional staffing. Andrew Horn then testified in support, saying the bill is meant to address the large number of New Hampshire college graduates who leave the state after graduation by encouraging them to stay and by incentivizing businesses to hire them. The chair closed the hearing on HB 659 after no further public testimony.
The committee then took up HB 770, a bill to establish a program allowing New Hampshire high school students to earn tuition credits at state higher education institutions through community service. Representative Schultz described the bill as a “triple play” intended to increase volunteerism, expand service and internship opportunities for students, and make college more affordable. Ryan Casey, a junior at Bishop Brady High School, testified that the proposal would help students reduce future loan debt while benefiting communities and encouraging young people to attend college in New Hampshire. Committee members asked about eligibility, including why private and preparatory school students were excluded, whether public school students would qualify, whether mandatory service hours would count, and how the bill’s references to education and business eligibility should be read. Schultz said the exclusion of private and prep schools was intended because public school students are more clearly New Hampshire residents, and she noted that mandatory school service hours had been excluded in revisions. The Department of Education then testified that the program would require significant administration, estimating at least three full-time staff, software or tracking systems, and rulemaking to oversee volunteer sites, schools, student eligibility, and tuition credit distribution. No vote was taken in the excerpt, and the hearing remained in testimony phase.
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- And I think we're, as the litigation continues, we see more and more of it heading in that direction.
- And I think we're, as the litigation continues, we see more and more of it heading in that direction.
- continues, we see more and litigation continues, we see more and more<03:18:35.279>
of <03:18: - and that jurists have litigation and that jurists have disagreed<04:08:53.439>
about. - of that litigation, and, um, those laws would remain.
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services (01/20/2026)
Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services
Transcript Highlights:
- It's also a common response time for civil litigation generally.
- It's also a common response time for civil litigation generally.
- It's also a common response time for civil litigation generally.
- It's also a common response time for civil litigation generally.
- issue that can be litigated through that litigation<04:03:02.239>
process <04:03:02.720>both
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Judiciary (02/19/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- piggyback off of the executive order that was signed, and it simply is a means to push as much litigation
- piggyback off of the executive order that was signed, and it simply is a means to push as much litigation
- piggyback off of the executive order that was signed, and it simply is a means to push as much litigation
- piggyback off of the executive order that was signed, and it simply is a means to push as much litigation
- piggyback off of the executive order that was signed, and it simply is a means to push as much litigation
Summary:
The House Judiciary Committee opened a hearing on House Bill 148, with the chair limiting testimony to two minutes and asking for no outbursts so the committee could get through eight bills that day. Representative Kofalt, the prime sponsor, said HB 148 was the same as last year’s HB 396, which passed both chambers but was vetoed by the governor. He explained the bill would allow, but not require, separation by biological sex in bathrooms, locker rooms, houses of correction, and certain athletic competitions, leaving local school boards and administrators discretion to set policies. He argued the bill was meant to address safety and privacy concerns and cited a Milford incident and concerns in several school districts as examples of why local flexibility was needed.
Committee members questioned the lack of a definition of “biological sex” and how the bill would be applied. Kofalt said he did not think a definition was necessary because males and females are generally understood, and he said the bill would give local policymakers latitude to make practical rules. He also said the bill was intended to address situations where people might misuse transgender claims to access spaces inappropriately. In response to questions, he said he was aware of issues in Kearsarge, Milford, and Mascoma school districts and had heard of discomfort in the State House, though he did not know all the details.
Several opponents testified that the bill would discriminate against transgender and non-binary people and create enforcement problems. Executive Councilor Karen Hill said the bill would roll back New Hampshire’s anti-discrimination protections and conflict with the state’s Live Free or Die values. Alice Wade, a trans woman, said she had used women’s restrooms without incident and argued the bill would invite invasive enforcement and harassment. Representative La Selig said the bill was discriminatory and that bathroom concerns were being confused with unrelated harassment by cisgender males. Betsy Harrington supported the bill, citing a girls’ soccer game at Kearsarge that she said was disrupted by a boy playing on a girls’ team. Rosie Emer and her child testified against the bill, saying bathroom restrictions would increase anxiety and risk for trans and non-binary children. Stephen Scaer and Wendy Stallings supported the bill, arguing sex is biologically fixed and that excluding males from female spaces should not require genital inspections. No vote or final committee action was taken in the portion of the hearing provided.