Transcript Highlights:

• The State Water Board is charged with protecting public trust resources and balancing beneficial uses
• The Land Trust, founded in 1971, has a mission focused on Mount Diablo and the entire mountain range
• And pumpers can obtain judicial review of a GSP by filing a reverse validation action.
• One of the things about a judicial...
• The speaker said that the process is quasi-judicial, and that there is no inconsistency in objecting

Summary: The committee heard several water, wildlife, conservation, and local government bills. AB 362, by Assembly Member Ramos, would add tribal water uses as a statewide beneficial use and strengthen tribal consultation in water planning; tribal representatives and conservation groups supported it as a long-overdue correction, while water agencies, business groups, and agricultural interests raised concerns about CEQA, regulatory uncertainty, and impacts on existing water planning. The bill was moved on a due pass motion to Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials, with some members noting ongoing stakeholder discussions and one abstention. AB 1089, by Assembly Member Carrillo, would expand local permitting authority under the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act to include commercial and industrial projects. The author and the City of Adelanto argued it would speed housing and economic development in the high desert while preserving the overall conservation framework, but environmental groups opposed it as premature and potentially weakening protections for Joshua trees. The committee approved the bill on a due pass motion to Appropriations. AB 1024, by Assembly Member Harabedian, would require a regional black bear mitigation plan for the San Gabriel Valley and related areas; Sierra Madre officials described rising bear intrusions and the need for state help, and the bill passed to Appropriations. AB 846, by Assembly Member Connolly, would streamline permitting for local wildfire preparedness and vegetation management projects in local responsibility areas by creating a faster review process at Fish and Wildlife and improving mapping coordination with Cal Fire. Local government, fire service, and agricultural witnesses supported the bill as a common-sense wildfire prevention measure, and it passed to Natural Resources with no opposition. AB 263, by Assembly Member Rogers, would extend emergency minimum-flow regulations for the Scott and Shasta Rivers for five years or until permanent rules are adopted; supporters said it protects salmon recovery, tribal subsistence, and the fishing economy during a transition period, while opponents argued it bypasses normal regulatory process and harms farmers. The committee approved it on a due pass as amended motion to Appropriations, with one abstention and two no votes. AB 1044, by Assembly Member Bains, would create a new Tulare County groundwater sustainability agency for undistricted lands after other local agencies split off; the bill passed to Local Government. AB 1426, by Assembly Member Arambula, began testimony on creating a Diablo Range Conservation Program to fund habitat protection and restoration across the range.

Transcript Highlights:

• admissions of guilt that can be used against that employee in a civil criminal administrative or judicial
• County Sheriff's Office in conjunction with the city attorney and the chief judge, judge of the 13th Judicial
• But this is a good bill to a good start and everybody's in favor of it within this 13th, the Judicial
• All would like to thank the trust for her sharing her story.
• Even in addition in even in a shifting judicial climate.

Transcript Highlights:

• cultural transformation of that leadership team because they will not be effective if they cannot trust
• one another, if they don't know how to work with one another, and if their direct reports don't trust
• Chana Newell from the Oregon Judicial Department, to give us a 101, and I may ask you to talk faster
• I'm with the Oregon Judicial Department. I'm in the government relations team. Vice Chair.
• I'm with the Oregon Judicial Department. I'm in the government relations team.

Summary: The joint Senate and House Behavioral Health committee met for informational presentations on the Oregon State Hospital and civil commitment, followed by a planned tour of the hospital. Oregon Health Authority and Oregon State Hospital leaders reported that Sean Murphy will become the next permanent superintendent on July 13, with Sarah Castle to follow as permanent chief nursing officer on July 20. They described recent leadership turnover, a major organizational restructure, and efforts to build a culture of safety, transparency, and accountability. Officials said the hospital regained Joint Commission accreditation and CMS compliance, and they highlighted daily safety huddles, incident review processes, stronger escalation procedures, and improved management of seclusion and restraint. Committee members pressed hospital leaders on past prolonged seclusion practices, falls, staffing, and the need for better public reporting; OHA said it is building a public dashboard of key safety and workforce metrics. The committee then heard a civil commitment overview from the Oregon Judicial Department. The presenter explained that civil commitment is a separate legal process from criminal cases, usually beginning with a hospital hold, investigation, court review, appointed counsel, and a hearing within five days. She summarized changes made in House Bill 2005, including revised standards for danger to self, danger to others, and basic-needs commitments, plus a second 14-day diversion option. She cautioned that the new law has only been in effect since January and that it is too early to draw firm conclusions from the data, though there has been a recent uptick in commitments and a decrease in diversions. Testimony from NAMI Oregon and a forensic psychiatrist emphasized that Oregon still relies too heavily on jails and state hospitals because community services, housing, and outpatient supports are insufficient. They argued that the state needs more less-restrictive alternatives, including better use of assisted outpatient treatment or outpatient civil commitment, and more supported housing so people do not cycle between homelessness, incarceration, and hospitalization. A family member described a relative remaining psychotic in jail for more than 120 days before ending up back at the state hospital, urging faster intervention and better collaboration among courts, counties, hospitals, and state agencies. Committee members and witnesses also discussed workforce shortages, the expansion of secure residential treatment beds, and the need for broader system reforms beyond the hospital itself.

Transcript Highlights:

• So at any rate, just wanted to comment that we should be judicious and make sure we’re addressing specific
• So at any rate, just wanted to comment that we should be judicious and make sure we’re addressing specific
• So at any rate, just wanted to comment that we should be judicious and make sure we’re addressing specific
• And it’s just going to lessen the trust in the systems on all that.
• And it's just going to lessen the trust in the systems on all that.

Committee: House Conservation and Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• I trust they will forgive us for not thanking them enough and pray they will gain greater rewards for
• tribal interests could only watch in anger and frustration as this process continued with no viable judicial
• address the 16% revenue shortfall have, to date, been fruitless, furthering suspicion that the state's judicial
• In 2000, as all of the attempts to negotiate were unsuccessful and as the Administrative and Judicial
• We have used gaming revenues to establish education, health, and housing trust funds for the long term

Committee: House House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Stephen's judicial service has strengthened his already robust understanding of how agricultural policy
• The last three checks he ever signed hang on my judicial chamber's wall.
• The United States, as you know, has legal trust in treaty obligations to try to federal agencies have
• So could, I just want to start, could you start by explaining your understanding of this trust and treaty
• court rules what that law means, would your advice then be to the department to follow the order or judicial

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee

Keywords: USDA, nominations, Judge Vaden, Tyler Clarkson, agriculture policy, rural America, tariffs, farmer advocacy

Summary: The meeting focused on the nominations of Judge Stephen Alexander Vaden for Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Mr. Tyler Clarkson for General Counsel at the USDA. Members expressed concerns regarding the challenges farmers and ranchers face, especially in navigating the impacts of recent tariffs imposed by the President. Significant attention was given to how these nominations could influence agriculture policy and support rural communities amidst economic uncertainty. The committee emphasized the necessity for strong leadership in the USDA to advocate for farmer needs and ensure the proper implementation of assistance programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, in 2021, the Environmental Health Trust won a landmark case resulting in the U.S.
• 23.800><c> Health</c> Uh in 2021, uh the Environmental Health Uh in 2021, uh the Environmental Health Trust
• ><c> landmark</c><00:02:26.040><c> case</c><00:02:26.400><c> resulting</c><00:02:27.000><c> in</c> Trust
• won a landmark case resulting in Trust won a landmark case resulting in the<00:02:27.240><c> US</c><
• judicial judicial uh,<00:17:57.160><c> body.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's laid out even though it would be judicially preempted.
• So it's laid out even though it would be judicially preempted.
• So it's laid out even though it would be judicially preempted.
• Trust me, we have people who look into these things. I don't know how to speak legalese.
• me we have people who look it we trust me we have people who look into<00:32:50.320><c> these</c><00

Summary: The Senate VMAP Committee met with a quorum and heard three bills. Senate Bill 144, sponsored by Senator Danny Carroll, would require destruction of firearms used in homicides and allow destruction of certain defaced, hazardous, unsafe, or owner-requested firearms, while prohibiting agencies from intentionally damaging firearms before transfer and requiring written agency policies. Senator Tichenor asked about lost auction revenue; KSP said it could not track homicide weapons separately, that auctions bring in about $1.2 million annually, and that most proceeds support Kentucky Homeland Security. Senators Boswell and others said they generally oppose destroying firearms but supported moving the bill forward; the bill passed favorably with no nays. House Bill 191, sponsored by Representative Aaron Thompson and presented with state and veterans’ officials, would align Kentucky law with federal changes to allow additional burials in state veteran cemeteries for certain National Guard and Reserve veterans, their spouses, and dependents who were not previously eligible. Testimony explained the bill would cover veterans who served in reserve components without Title 10 activation, including those who assisted during floods, fires, and tornadoes, and clarified eligibility rules for spouses and children. Senators asked about minimum service and dependent eligibility, and the committee passed the bill favorably and unanimously. Senate Bill 198, sponsored by Senator David Yates, addressed protection of veterans’ benefits by regulating third-party claims consultants. The committee adopted a substitute adding definitions and accreditation-related provisions, and Yates said the bill was intended to curb abusive fee practices and direct penalties to the special license plate fund for veterans. He explained the bill’s fee limits, including a cap tied to three times the monthly increase in benefits and an overall ceiling, while senators questioned whether the cap might discourage good actors and how the dollar limits would work. A veteran witness, Bob Casher, supported the bill and urged more public information on free claims assistance; the committee held further action while allowing guest comments, and the discussion focused on balancing consumer protection with access to legitimate consultants.

Transcript Highlights:

• branch we audit uh private judicial branch we audit uh private nonprofit<00:09:18.720><c> organizations
• We also have jurisdiction to audit the judicial branch, higher education, including the University of
• </c><00:15:44.839><c> branch</c><00:15:45.839><c> higher</c> audit the judicial branch higher audit the
• judicial branch higher education<00:15:46.759><c> including</c><00:15:47.120><c> the</c><00:15:47.279
• fund and then also in the general trust fund and then also in the general fund<00:53:06.559><c> so</

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• And I don't really want to just leave it to the companies to basically say and trust them that... ...
• leave it to the companies to basically say and trust them that there's going to be some that there's
• This is a common-sense measure to enhance public trust in Prop 65.
• This is a common-sense measure to enhance public trust in Prop 65.
• It would add to the existing statutory criteria for judicial approval.

Committee: House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• my 25th or sixth year in public education here in Rochester, it comes from a lack of relationship, trust
• ,</c><00:09:40.560><c> and</c> from a lack of relationship, trust, and from a lack of relationship, trust
• some trust in the system,<00:29:52.480><c> acknowledging</c><00:29:53.039><c> the</c><00:29:53.200><
• That race is now the most expensive judicial race in American history.
• I deeply appreciate the work that is done within the judicial branch on these matters as well.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill by Representative for Title 47, ad valorem tax, extend eligibility for certain trusts for
• House Bill by Representative for Title 47, ad valorem tax, extend eligibility for certain trusts for
• Judicial.
• Something else to be aware of is that one public trust, three economic development agencies, and four

Summary: The House met with a quorum present, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and then took up introductions of several resolutions and bills. Resolutions introduced included measures to recognize Funeral Directors’ Day, commend the crew of Eve, recognize Crime Stoppers of Greater New Orleans, honor Nurse Practitioner Day, and express condolences for several deceased public figures and former members. Several resolutions were adopted immediately by suspension of the rules, including condolences resolutions and commendations for Bernardo de Gálvez, Codafield Day, Drew Brees, the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association, and support for continued National Guard operations at Camp Beauregard. The House also received multiple bills and committee reports. Introduced bills included appropriations measures to pay consent judgments, a property tax exemption bill for certain trusts involving property owners age 65 or older, a nursing medication administration bill, and a prisoner transfer notification bill referred to the Committee on Justice. Committee reports were read showing numerous House bills reported favorably or with amendments from Civil Law and Transportation. No floor votes on those bills were taken in the transcript, and many items were noted as lying over. During personal privilege remarks, members discussed PILOT (payments in lieu of taxes) data and transparency, with concerns about foregone revenue and local taxing authorities. The chamber also recognized visiting 7th grade students from Trinity Episcopal School and held a moment of silence honoring the life and legacy of Reverend Jesse Jackson. Announcements were made for upcoming committee meetings, an ethics training after adjournment, and a Bible study event. The House then agreed to adjourn until 2:00 p.m. the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1591, housing trust fund appropriation.
• SB 1573, judicial determinations, religious sectarian laws.
• SB 1590, housing trust fund and claim property. ATT and government. SB 1595.
• SB 1590, housing trust fund and claim property. ATT and government.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, confirmed attendance, approved the journal, and welcomed several guests in the gallery, including a veteran and House candidate, a former legislative district chair, and two district guests attending in support of future highway-naming testimony. The chamber also extended well wishes to Senator Farnsworth’s wife, who was reported hospitalized, and announced a temporary committee replacement appointment for Senator Fernandez on the Education Committee. The bulk of the meeting consisted of reading House messages and introducing numerous bills for first reading and committee referral, covering a wide range of topics including transportation, taxation, education, health care, housing, water, public safety, elections, immigration, behavioral health, and appropriations. The Senate also placed many measures on second reading, including bills on school budgets, civics instruction, campaign finance, voter registration, housing, tax deductions, and public safety-related issues. Committee meeting announcements were made for the following day. The chamber then considered a gubernatorial nomination and, on a voice vote, confirmed James McCain to the Arizona Board of Regents for a term ending January 19, 2032. After a recess and return, additional bills were introduced and referred, including measures on corporal punishment in schools, homeless shelter funding, child care waiting lists, community gardens, solar energy requirements, insurance claims assistance, firearms regulation, and crime victim notification funding. The Senate adjourned at the end of the session until Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at 1:15 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> this administration to get a judicial this administration to get a judicial warrant<05:54:07.680
• </c><06:45:30.878><c> or</c> now, instead of restoring trust or now, instead of restoring trust or lowering
• The Trump administration's argument appears to be, trust us.
• But that is not good enough trust us.
• , court oversight, which I do trust, and congressional oversight, which, yes, I do trust since I'm involved

Bills: HB7567 , SCR33 , SB1318 , HR1224

Keywords: agriculture, food security, farm programs, sustainability, conservation, nutrition assistance, budget resolution, fiscal responsibility, government funding, budgetary levels, congressional budget, foreign intelligence, digital currency, privacy, surveillance, FISA, civil liberties, rules resolution, special rule, House Rules Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• We all want a system that delivers justice we can trust.
• individual may assert an actual or threatened violation of the section as a claim or defense in a judicial
• For the record, Leanna Garcia, on behalf of the Arizona Judicial Council, in respectful opposition to
• Leanna Garcia, on behalf of the Arizona Judicial Council, in respectful opposition to this bill, said
• of that legislation, the legislature directed the courts to balance their workload to ensure that judicial

Summary: The Judiciary and Elections Committee approved the January 21, 2026 minutes and held SB 1208. It then heard SB 1211, which would allow victims of felony aggravated harassment involving domestic violence to seek a lifetime injunction against a convicted defendant. Supporters from victim advocacy organizations and a survivor described the bill as an important safety measure that would reduce repeated court appearances and trauma. The committee voted 7-0 to give SB 1211 a do pass recommendation. The committee next considered SB 1239, which removes the statute of limitations for failing to register as a sex offender or providing false registration information. The sponsor said the bill closes a public-safety loophole and was requested by DPS, while opponents argued existing warrant procedures already address the issue and raised due process concerns. After discussion, the committee voted 4-3 to recommend SB 1239 do pass. SB 1240 would exclude probationers convicted of dangerous crimes against children from the probation incentive payment formula. The sponsor tied the bill to a recent child sexual assault case and said the change would keep those cases separate from probation performance incentives; defense attorneys warned it could discourage treatment and push more people into prison. The committee voted 4-3 to recommend SB 1240 do pass. The committee also heard and approved SB 1095, as amended, which bans gender transition procedures and referrals for minors and restricts public funding and facilities for such care; supporters called it necessary child protection, while opponents said it was discriminatory. The committee then heard SB 1243 and SB 1244, both related to court-ordered mental health treatment. SB 1243 adds notice to guardians and lets them seek continued treatment, while SB 1244 creates a continuing court-ordered treatment process after repeated annual reviews. Supporters, including family members of seriously mentally ill patients, said the bills would close gaps and prevent dangerous lapses in care; opponents raised due process concerns and warned about expanded involuntary treatment. Both bills received do pass recommendations, with SB 1243 passing 7-0 and SB 1244 passing after amendment and roll call vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• The public trust is very important because it is OHA's North Star, right?
• That's what the global settlement was on from 1978 to 2012 in unpaid public trust land revenues.
• All of that revenue helps our Native trust fund.
• We oversee the land portfolio for the trust.
• We oversee the land portfolio for the trust.

Summary: The joint hearing of the Water and Land, Hawaiian Affairs, and Housing committees on January 29, 2025 focused on SB 534, with the chairs outlining hearing procedures, public testimony limits, and plans to allow extended presentations from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) and the Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA) before moving to other testifiers. The hearing was presented as a public, transparent discussion of OHA’s plans for Kakaʻako Makai, with committee members noting that decision-making would follow if time permitted. OHA testified in strong support of SB 534. The chair of OHA’s Board of Trustees said the bill was a novel proposal for the legislature and emphasized that OHA was bringing together a broad coalition of partners and stakeholders, including representatives from construction, hospitality, education, law enforcement, civil service, and schools, as well as longtime community advocates who have opposed development in Kakaʻako Makai. OHA’s presentation reviewed the history of the area, the creation and role of HCDA, prior master plans, the 2012 land conveyance to OHA, and the argument that OHA has not been able to realize the full economic value of the lands because desired entitlements were not secured. OHA linked the bill to its constitutional mission to improve conditions for Native Hawaiians and argued that the state’s housing crisis makes additional development, including residential use, especially important. A major theme of the testimony was housing. OHA argued that Hawaiʻi faces severe affordability pressures, out-migration, and workforce shortages, and said that residential development in Kakaʻako Makai would help address those needs while also supporting the value of the trust lands. The presentation described HCDA’s authority over zoning and development in Kakaʻako, the existing reserved housing requirements, and the need for a master plan that could move forward if SB 534 becomes law. No votes or final committee action were taken in the portion of the hearing provided; the discussion remained in the presentation and testimony phase.

Transcript Highlights:

• It can solve cold cases using CODIS, and it strengthens public trust in our criminal legal system.
• And so I know that this bill will not open the floodgates or further strain an overburdened judicial
• We believe that this change will actually reduce state prosecutorial and judicial costs.
• Then the time for filing a claim is expanded from three to six years from the pardon grant or judicial
• Pope had used his position of trust to abuse and be able to perpetrate his crimes.

Summary: The committee heard several public hearings on criminal justice and victim-related bills. SB 6087 would expand existing liability protections for donations of children’s items to include religious organizations and add strollers and car seats to the definition of children’s items; the sponsor said it would make it easier to donate usable baby equipment, and the Washington State Board of Health said it supported the goal but noted rulemaking and funding concerns under the original version. SB 5934 would change the standard for post-conviction DNA testing so courts must grant testing unless the state shows by clear and convincing evidence that the results could not demonstrate a likelihood of innocence; the Innocence Project and a DNA exoneree supported it as a way to reduce years of litigation, while prosecutors and sheriffs/police chiefs opposed it as a burden shift that could increase frivolous motions and strain lab and attorney resources. SB 5520 would revise Washington’s wrongful-conviction compensation law by broadening definitions, extending filing deadlines, removing the waiver requirement, and making other process changes; the sponsor and Innocence Project said it would reduce barriers and better fulfill the state’s promise to exonerees, and a DNA exoneree described years of litigation just to access compensation. The committee also heard SB 6017, which would expand victim-centered and trauma-informed protections. The bill would allow a court to appoint a representative to ask questions of victims when a defendant represents themself, extend forensic exam consent to minors 13 and older in non-fatal strangulation cases, add female genital mutilation survivors to protections similar to the Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights, and reauthorize and broaden the Safe Advisory Group’s mandate. Survivors, advocates, the Attorney General’s Office, and the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy strongly supported the bill, describing courtroom questioning by self-represented defendants as retraumatizing and urging broader access to services for FGM survivors; defense advocates raised constitutional concerns about limiting a pro se defendant’s right to personally question witnesses and said the bill could be vulnerable to challenge without narrower guardrails. The hearing drew extensive survivor testimony, and the chair noted 108 people signed in support and one opposed. Finally, the committee heard SB 5890, which would create an alternative reckless-driving offense for driving more than 30 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. The sponsor, a former firefighter, framed the bill as an accountability measure aimed at preventing severe crashes caused by extreme speeding. A committee member asked about officer discretion in emergencies, and the sponsor said the bill targets excessive speed while acknowledging that some situations may still be problematic. A preliminary fiscal note had been received.

Transcript Highlights:

• from the Drug Pricing Fund, which is funded by the Board of Pharmacy, to the insurance regulatory trust
• The final substantial changes on page 14, adding a judicial conduct obligation.
• This bill will hold judges to judicial conduct.
• the amendment, which you find on page three, where we're adding the language that the business or trust
• The funding would also train law enforcement and judicial officials, helping them respond to MMIP cases

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, roll call, and a quorum present, then moved through a series of conference committee appointments and reconsideration motions. Senator Axtman successfully moved to reconsider House Bill 1160, which had previously failed, and the chamber later passed it. HB 1160 creates a statewide bell-to-bell policy restricting personal electronic devices during instructional time; supporters argued it would reduce distractions, improve mental health and academic outcomes, and help teachers, while opponents raised local control concerns. The bill passed 42-4. The Senate also passed several other measures, including HB 1247 on protecting student victims of sexual offenses, HB 1489 consolidating civil protection orders into one chapter, HB 1032 making municipal courts courts of record and updating related procedures, HB 1487 authorizing a Minot facility for the Highway Patrol and Bureau of Criminal Investigation with a line of credit and emergency clause, HB 1469 requiring annual online statements of interest for public officials, HB 1199 creating the Missing and Indigenous People Task Force and related MMIP initiatives, HB 1169 regulating paid veterans benefits claim assistance with consumer protections, HB 1209 directing a foreign adversary threat assessment, and HB 3018 as amended to study water, wetlands, and taxation of inundated lands. Most of these passed with strong bipartisan support, though HB 1169 drew substantial debate over veterans’ service options and HB 1209 passed on a narrower 40-7 vote. The chamber rejected or declined several other measures. HB 1455, which would have required the Indian Affairs Commission to review introduced legislation for tribal implications, failed 7-40 after concerns about an unfunded mandate and duplicative duties. HB 1259, which would have put North Dakota on year-round daylight saving time, was defeated 15-32 after debate over time zones, construction, recreation, and whether the issue should be left to future legislatures. HB 1555, dealing with statements of ownership for foreign organizations of concern, also failed 3-44. The Senate then moved to announcements and committee scheduling for later meetings and conference committees.

Transcript Highlights:

• It involves being the largest supplier and manager of water in 17 states. of upholding trust responsibilities
• Neither the legislative branch nor the judicial branch is typically a contracting agency.
• Those are executive decisions, not legislative or judicial ones typically, is that right?
• We're working on the North Dakota Trust Lands Completion Act, which would allow tribes in our state to
• Are you involved, or do you have any assets held in blind trusts? No. No. Thank you.

Committee: Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee

Keywords: nuclear energy, permitting process, energy production, public lands, national parks, uranium imports, legislative bills, infrastructure development

Summary: The committee meeting was dominated by discussions on a variety of legislative bills including major topics such as nuclear energy advancement, the effects of regulatory hurdles on energy production, and proposals to improve national park staffing and maintenance. Members expressed concerns over the federal government's handling of uranium imports and the necessity for maintaining a robust domestic nuclear supply chain. Efforts to streamline permitting processes to facilitate more efficient energy project development were also a focal point, alongside public testimony from stakeholders in the energy and environmental sectors. The meeting highlighted the urgent need for infrastructure development to meet rising energy demands while addressing climate change impacts.

Transcript Highlights:

• floor debate, or pending votes creates at minimum the appearance of impropriety and risks undermining trust
• Wyoming Senate remains committed to transparency, ethical conduct, and the preservation of public trust
• to any privilege, or personal advantage to any executive<00:25:05.200><c> or</c><00:25:05.520><c> judicial
• c><00:25:06.080><c> officer</c><00:25:07.039><c> or</c><00:25:07.360><c> member</c> executive or judicial
• officer or member executive or judicial officer or member of<00:25:07.760><c> the</c><00:25:08.000><

Summary: The Rules Committee met to consider a proposed Senate Rule 15-9 prohibiting campaign contributions in Senate-controlled areas of the Capitol, prompted by concerns about lobbyists and others distributing checks to legislators while legislation is pending. The chair read a leadership statement condemning campaign contributions during session when donors’ interests are under consideration, saying such conduct creates at least the appearance of impropriety and undermines public trust. The initial draft would bar soliciting, offering, delivering, accepting, or receiving campaign contributions in Senate-controlled spaces such as the chamber, gallery, floor, corridors, lounge, lobby areas, and committee rooms. Senator Barlo raised concerns about defining the Senate’s authority and the scope of the prohibited areas, asking whether the rule would apply year-round, during interim meetings, or to online donations received while in the building. Other members responded that the Senate could only regulate areas under its control and that the rule should focus on the Capitol building itself, where fundraising should not occur. The chair noted that many other states have similar restrictions, and members discussed whether the rule should also cover campaign contributions during legislative session, not just inside the building. Senators Guru, Rothfus, and Biteman generally supported a stronger rule aimed at preventing vote buying and preserving the integrity of the institution, while acknowledging the need to refine language for enforcement and scope. The committee reviewed examples from Alaska and Wyoming’s constitutional bribery language, and staff and members proposed revised wording that would prohibit any person from knowingly soliciting, offering, delivering, accepting, or receiving campaign contributions in the state capital complex at any time, and separately prohibit senators from knowingly soliciting or knowingly accepting contributions by affirmative act during regular or special session. The discussion ended with no final vote taken, and members indicated they would continue working on the language with staff.