Video & Transcript : 'employee speech' :

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CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Appropriations Committee Aug 13th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • SB 1083, Perez, school employee egregious misconduct, due pass as amended to clarify background check
  • SB 1083, Perez, school employee egregious misconduct, due pass as amended to clarify background check
  • SB 1368, Wahab, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and hearing aid dispensary sunset bill, do
  • SB 1363 Wahab barbering cosmetology sunset bill do pass that's out on an a roll call SB 1368 Wahab speech
Summary: The Assembly Appropriations Committee held its August 13, 2026 suspense-file hearing on Senate bills, with the chair opening by thanking staff and recognizing consultant Jennifer Swenson’s retirement after 30 years in the Legislature. The committee explained that it was weighing the fiscal impact of 293 bills and that some would move forward while others would be held because of cost, duplication, or competing budget priorities. The committee then took up the suspense file in alphabetical order and acted on a large number of measures, sending many to the Assembly floor as due pass or due pass with amendments. Examples included bills on battery recycling, wildfire resilience loans, mobile home park disaster assistance, price gouging, veterans’ property tax exemptions, housing and insurance issues, energy and utility regulation, election procedures, criminal justice, health care, education, housing, environmental protection, and artificial intelligence. Many bills were amended to narrow scope, delay implementation, add reporting requirements, clarify definitions, or reduce costs; others were held in committee. Among the notable actions, several bills were advanced on roll calls while others were held, including measures related to water quality, utility rate information, juvenile detention, CARE Court, and various housing and energy proposals. The committee also moved a number of sunset and technical cleanup bills, and several members requested to be added as principal or joint authors on amended measures. At the end of the hearing, the chair noted that the committee had moved a large number of bills to the Assembly floor, usually with amended language, and that the amended versions would be posted online. The hearing then adjourned.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Ethics and Elections Oct 15th, 2025

Ethics and Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • And this year, there were 38,074 public officers and employees required to file the Form 1 or the Form
  • challenge in federal district court, alleging that the ban violated their First Amendment rights to free speech
  • In their lawsuit, they alleged that the Form 6 requirement was compelled speech in violation of their
  • is important is some of these offices have, you know, you might have a supervisor and one other employee
Summary: The Senate Committee on Ethics and Elections met with a quorum present and heard a presentation from the Florida Commission on Ethics on several proposed legislative changes. The commission asked for changes to the Whistleblower Act to better cover ethics complaints, a public records exemption for commissioners’ and staff members’ sensitive personal information, an expanded gift-disclosure family definition to include foster relationships, and a first-time waiver of fines for late financial disclosure filers. Staff also requested technical fixes, including treating a timely postmarked appeal as filed on time, clarifying Form 6 filing requirements for appointees to elected seats, extending ethics-training requirements to municipal appointees filling unexpired terms, and clarifying where Form 10 gift disclosures are filed. Commission staff reported high electronic filing compliance rates, the rollout of automated fines, and an average of 92 days for completed preliminary investigations in 2025. They also updated the committee on two federal court challenges involving the in-office lobbying ban and the Form 6 requirement for elected municipal officers. The committee then heard from Secretary of State Cord Byrd, who outlined preparations for the 2026 election cycle and several policy proposals. He discussed work with new supervisors of elections, ongoing election-crimes enforcement, cooperation with federal agencies on citizenship verification, and data-sharing agreements with other states. Byrd also proposed a statewide pre-certification audit system with grants for smaller counties, a more streamlined process for checking voter citizenship status after registration, and a modernization fix for voter records affected by randomized driver’s license numbers. Members asked about special elections, election-crimes investigations, returning-citizen voting determinations, chain-of-custody procedures, and interstate data-sharing agreements. Byrd said special election timing is controlled by the governor, the elections-crimes office investigates but does not arrest, returning-citizen applications are resolved within 90 days, and he is confident in current chain-of-custody practices. The committee also considered gubernatorial nominations. By unanimous vote, members approved a block of nominees, then separately took up Joshua Kellum’s nomination to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The committee heard sworn public testimony from Robin Blevins, who urged rejection of Kellum’s appointment and criticized his background and past involvement in FWC-related advocacy. After brief discussion, the committee voted unanimously to approve Kellum’s nomination as well.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Judiciary Committee Apr 22nd, 2025

Transcript Highlights:
  • I have represented employees in the workplace for over 25 years.
  • Carlos Lopez with the California School Employees Association in support. Thank you.
  • It broadens that to cover all transit employees.
  • The courts have held that's protected by free speech. You can't...
  • The courts have held that it's protected by free speech.
Summary: The committee heard several bills, beginning with AB 1521, the Judiciary Committee’s civil law omnibus measure. The bill makes a number of minor, mostly clarifying changes, including repealing obsolete Government Code provisions, allowing juvenile courts to hear petitions to establish records of birth, death, or marriage, requiring notice of probate petitions to the Department of Child Support Services, and correcting typos in existing law. It had no opposition and was moved on a do-pass basis to Appropriations, though it was later placed on call pending additional votes. Members then heard AB 57, which would reserve at least 10% of California’s Home Purchase Assistance Program funds for descendants of formerly enslaved people. The author and supporters framed it as a reparative, race-neutral-by-lineage effort to address historic housing discrimination and the racial wealth gap, while opponents argued it was an unconstitutional racial proxy and should instead be based on individual injury. The bill drew strong support and opposition testimony, was amended, and was approved on a do-pass as amended vote to Appropriations, then placed on call. AB 495, the Family Preparedness Plan Act, was heard next. The bill would expand and standardize caregiving and guardianship tools for families facing immigration-related separation, including broader use of caregiver authorization affidavits, recognition of non-relative extended family caregivers, and a new short-term guardianship process that preserves parental rights. Supporters said it would reduce trauma and help children remain with trusted caregivers; there was no opposition testimony. The committee approved it on a do-pass to Human Services vote and placed it on call. The committee also heard AB 392, which would address non-consensual sharing of sexually explicit media by requiring uploader consent certifications, faster takedown procedures, and civil remedies against uploaders and hosting sites. A survivor testified in support, and members discussed implementation details and possible amendments; the bill was moved on a do-pass as amended basis to Appropriations and placed on call. AB 692, which would prohibit employer “stay-or-pay” debt agreements that require workers to repay training or other costs if they leave or are terminated, also advanced despite opposition from business and industry groups concerned about impacts on signing bonuses and voluntary training programs. It was sent to Appropriations on a do-pass as amended vote and placed on call, along with AB 1234, a wage-claim enforcement bill aimed at reducing Labor Commissioner delays and adding consequences for employers who fail to participate in the process. The committee also heard AB 394, which expands protections for transit workers and allows transit agencies to seek restraining orders against violent riders; it received broad support, some concern about system-wide bans, and was discussed with amendments that preserved judicial discretion.
NH

New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session

House Committee on Housing (02/04/2025)

Housing

Transcript Highlights:
  • [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.]
  • [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.]
  • [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.]
  • [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.]
  • [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.] [No audible speech captured.]
Committee: House Housing
Keywords: 1189, house, all
US

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

US House Floor Proceedings (Tuesday, June 3, 2025)

US Federal House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • The Chair will entertain requests for one-minute speeches. Mo.
  • </c> minute speeches. minute speeches.
  • </c><03:13:43.439><c> health</c> under the federal employee health under the federal employee health
  • </c><04:13:29.199><c> with</c> need to hire and support employees with need to hire and support employees
  • ><07:17:53.760><c> up</c><07:17:53.920><c> with</c> employees are currently putting up with employees
US

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

US House Floor Proceedings (Tuesday, April 29, 2025)

US Federal House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Employees simply received a “we'll get back to you” message when they contacted HR.
  • We need to process their employees.
  • It was a pretty regular occurrence in my various floor speeches.
  • </c> occurrence in my various floor speeches. occurrence in my various floor speeches.
  • The Chair will now entertain requests for one-minute speeches.
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

89th Legislative Session May 31st, 2025

Texas House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • He gave a speech saying that first-year law lawyers at the big firms were making more than the chief
  • This is public school district employees, such as superintendents and assistant superintendents.
  • So I want to—your bill is bracketed basically to a super high-level employee, we'll say?
  • It's high-level employees. This doesn't affect teachers, counselors, anything like that.
  • Before we get to speeches, I rise on a point of order against further consideration of Senate Bill 12
Summary: The House met in a late-session floor session that began with prayer, pledges, quorum, and a series of excused absences and Senate messages reporting action on numerous bills, conference committee appointments, and conference reports. Members also adopted a memorial resolution honoring Mark James Hanna, a Capitol lobbyist and advocate for nurses, and a congratulatory resolution for Rishi Tarumalasetti, an eighth-grade civics bee winner from Katy. The chamber also received and recorded a parliamentary colloquy about an unusual Senate request on SB 293, with the Chair stating the House could not recede from only part of its amendments and could not suspend the rules because the bill had not been returned from the Senate. The bulk of the session was devoted to taking up conference committee reports and related procedural resolutions, especially the state budget. The House adopted a resolution allowing the SB 1 conferees to go outside the normal bounds, then adopted the SB 1 conference report on a 107-21 vote. Debate on the budget centered on public education funding, tax relief, health care, corrections pay, and judicial compensation, with supporters calling it a responsible compromise and opponents arguing it was overly expansive and insufficient on property tax relief. The House also adopted a technical correction resolution tying judicial pay increases in SB 1 to the House version of SB 293, and members discussed at length the relationship between judicial salaries and legislative pensions. The chamber then adopted a long series of conference reports on measures covering topics such as school library review and book challenges (SB 13), SNAP restrictions on sweetened drinks and candy (SB 379), hospital price transparency (SB 331), nursing home accountability (SB 457), school district personnel compensation conflicts (HB 3372), property notice rules (HB 2011), research and development tax credits (SB 2018), and several other bills affecting elections, permits, education, and criminal justice. Most reports passed by wide margins, though some drew significant opposition, especially SB 13 and SB 379. The House also granted several Senate requests for conference committees and introduced additional resolutions to suspend conferee limits on various bills as the session moved toward adjournment.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Common Education REVISED: SB1614 - Added Apr 8th, 2026

Common Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • and maybe you'll agree, are we going to have to hire, would a district have to hire more full-time employees
Summary: The committee took up a series of education-related Senate bills, first accepting untimely filed PCS amendments for SB 1614 and SB 1250 without objection. SB 1734, the Oklahoma Responsible Tech in Schools Act, would prohibit AI tools from being used for instruction in public districts except for educator-directed uses, and it passed 12-0. SB 1630 would allow a school district up to one day or six hours of virtual instruction when students are completing statewide assessments, and it also passed 12-0. SB 1894, using PCS language, caps teacher professional development requirements at 200 hours over five years for teachers with fewer than five years of experience and 150 hours for those with more experience; it passed 11-0. SB 1975 would expand access to AP testing locations and the state’s Horizons online learning platform, and it passed 11-0. SB 1432 removes pilot-program and sunset language from an alternative certification program, and SB 1437 creates the President’s Physical Fitness Act and directs districts to use student fitness results to improve health outcomes; both passed 11-0. SB 1812 requires districts to make K-8 benchmark assessment results available to parents and guardians, and SB 346 modifies the background check process for certain teachers moving to a new district; both passed 11-0. SB 710 would expand the Teach Forward education preparation program to additional providers if funds are available, and SB 1489 concerns special-needs students; both passed 10-0. The committee also approved SB 1614, which creates a teacher induction program for new and emergency-certified teachers, by an 11-0 vote. The committee then considered SB 2045, a recess-related bill that would provide 30 minutes of recess and prohibit recess from being used as punishment. Members asked about possible compromise language with other PE/recess proposals, and the bill passed 11-0. Finally, the committee debated SB 1250, which was described as addressing school library materials and, through amendment, removing the definition of obscene in favor of sexually explicit language. Supporters said it would give districts and superintendents clearer guidance and require local library collection lists to be submitted to the Department of Education; opponents questioned whether the bill was necessary, whether it would require additional staff or create fiscal impacts, and whether stronger repeated-violations language was needed. After discussion, SB 1250 passed 8-2, and the chair noted it was the committee’s last meeting for the year.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Criminal Judiciary Apr 7th, 2026 at 03:00 pm

Criminal Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • This bill is to clean up a little bit of language on our contract employees that are in the OjaA system
  • Salt and batter, as salt and battery, doesn't matter whether you're an employee or a contract employee
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Criminal Judiciary Apr 7th, 2026

Criminal Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • This bill is to clean up a little bit of language on our contract employees that are in the OJA system
  • You know, assault and battery doesn't matter whether you're an employee or a contract employee; it should
Summary: The committee first handled several housekeeping items: SB 1330 was withdrawn, SB 1381 was laid over, and SB 1618 was transferred to rules. It then heard a series of bills, mostly criminal justice, public safety, and regulatory measures, with members repeatedly moving due pass recommendations after brief explanations and little or no debate. SB 1589 would strengthen penalties under Oklahoma’s sweepstakes law and extend coverage to entities profiting from illegal gambling, while not affecting ordinary entertainment games. SB 1441 would make it a crime to fly a drone in the airspace of, or make contact with, designated critical infrastructure facilities such as refineries, power stations, telecommunications sites, and manufacturing facilities, with exceptions for recreational use and authorized law enforcement. SB 1224 would require clemency-related hearing notices to be sent to victims by email as well as mail, and SB 372 was described as a cleanup bill clarifying where firearms may be carried. Other bills addressed theft, domestic violence, expungement, fraud, and impersonation. SB 1232 would create a felony and raise fines for copper theft; SB 1264, after an adopted amendment, expanded the definition of great bodily injury to include concussions, brain bleeds, and injuries affecting more than 10% of the body, making domestic abuse causing such injury a felony. SB 1450 dealt with consistency in fines and fees across counties and prompted discussion about county-by-county obligations and court revenue impacts. SB 2011 would treat assault and battery against OJA contract employees the same as against employees, SB 2030 would delay implementation of the Clean Slate expungement automation initiative to 2027 and backlog processing to 2029 without expanding eligibility, SB 1980 would protect against gift card fraud after an amendment changing the mental state language to “knowingly and willfully,” and SB 1936 would make falsely impersonating a law enforcement officer a D1 felony. The committee reported the bills out with due pass recommendations, with votes recorded on several measures, including unanimous or near-unanimous approvals.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Senate Legislative Session Mar 5th, 2026 at 09:30 am

Oklahoma Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • over their personal property taxes, and they have to make a choice: are they going to pay their employees
  • And that's an incentive for you to do either attract employees or attract more business or do more business
  • the guy that called me two weeks ago, that's gonna have to decide whether he's going to pay his employees
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Senate Legislative Session Mar 5th, 2026

Oklahoma Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • And they have to make a choice of, are they going to pay their employees this year, or are they going
  • Property taxes and they have to make a choice of, are they going to pay their employees this year or
  • certain things, then you can pay a lower rate, and that's an incentive for you to do either attract employees
  • the guy that called me two weeks ago that's going to have to decide whether he's going to pay his employees
Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, roll call, and several floor and gallery introductions recognizing the Doctor of the Day, Nurse of the Day, Mid-America Christian University, the Oklahoma Truckers Association, Leadership Wagoner County, the Broken Arrow Chamber, and an intern. The chamber then took up several bills in general order. Senate Bill 1426, requested by the Department of Human Services, would limit referrals to district attorneys to substantiated findings of abuse of vulnerable adults; it passed unanimously, 44-0. Senate Bill 1531 was presented as a placeholder vehicle for possible future FAA action on drones and unmanned aircraft, with questions focused on why the bill was being kept open and what language might later be added. It passed 33-12. Senate Bill 1561 would allow EMTs to be subject to progressive discipline for drug or other violations instead of automatic license revocation; it passed 46-0. The most extensive debate centered on Senate Bill 1122, which lowers the ad valorem assessment rate for broadband providers from 22.85% to 15% and was described by supporters as a way to create parity, encourage broadband expansion, and keep providers investing in rural Oklahoma. Opponents argued it would give a tax break to large legacy broadband companies, reduce county revenue by an estimated $20 million, and do little for homeowners, farmers, or other taxpayers facing property tax pressure. After extended questioning and debate, the bill passed 28-19. The Senate also laid over SB 1555, heard announcements, and adjourned until Monday, March 9 at 1:30 p.m.
AL

Alabama 2026 Regular Session

Alabama House Ways and Means General Fund Committee Feb 25th, 2026

Ways and Means General Fund

Transcript Highlights:
  • The employees of the Governor Mansion Authority has historically been treated as unclassified employees
  • Unclassified employee status provides that current mansion authority employees are entitled to payment
  • "The Governor Mansion Authority has historically treated employees as unclassified employees.
  • Unclassified employee status provides that current mansion authority employees are entitled to payment
  • "Unclassified employee status provides that current mansion authority employees are entitled to payment
Bills: HB44 , HB400 , HB444 , HB487 , SB249 , SB252 , SB58 , HB44 , HB400 , HB444 , HB487 , SB249 , SB252 , SB58
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Education 3RD REVISED Feb 24th, 2026 at 10:30 am

Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • service, which I am very in favor of if it's a community-provided service, versus an additional employee
  • It's on page 3 in that section D because obviously you know we shouldn't be policing folks' free speech
  • prioritize the development of those leaders so that then they can turn around and pour into the employees
Committee: Senate Education
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Ways & Means Feb 3rd, 2026 at 04:00 pm

Ways & Means

Transcript Highlights:
  • Senate Bill 5905 exempts port employees from the Public Employees' Retirement System if they're covered
  • The first is for Port District employees who are covered by a federal railroad retirement plan, and the
  • second specifies that, pursuant to current law, Port District employees who are covered by a Taft-Hartley
  • It also declares an intent that the legislature did not intend for employees to be covered by two defined
  • Senate Bill 5905, concerning membership in the Public Employees' Retirement System for port workers.
Committee: Senate Ways & Means
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Senate Session Aug 19th, 2025

Texas Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • They pay for our full-time employees who respond to individuals who are in mental health crisis.
  • another bill that would have allowed for sexual harassment to be considered a viable reason for an employee
  • Senate Bill 15 relating to certain files maintained by a law enforcement agency regarding certain employees
Bills: SB 10 , SB 8 , SB 15 , SB 12 , SB 6 , SB 13 , SB 9 , SB 7 , SB 17 , SB 4
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Public Health Apr 28th, 2025

Public Health

Transcript Highlights:
  • In all of those instances, the focus was on the right of the employee to make a living.
  • And again, the courts have been disfavoring them for employees. It's a little different.
  • In recruiting, training, and developing their employees, a non-compete clause is different.
  • employee of their ability to negotiate on favored terms.
  • Health Association, and I just want to make clear, I am not an employee.
Committee: House Public Health