Transcript Highlights:

• Division um the Licensing<00:08:02.080> Division<00:08:02.479> we<00:08:02.639> work
• <00:08:03.360> um<00:08:03.520> in Licensing Division we work um in Licensing Division
• <00:08:31.199> around of goes on um in the division around of goes on um in the division around
• <00:25:57.880> as<00:25:58.000> well division as well division as well um<00:25:59.279>
• > program Integrity um Division and does program Integrity um Division and does some<00:52:32.520>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• >> Select committee on gaming. >> Select committee on gaming.
• >> Senate file 17 sponsored by Select >> Senate file 17 sponsored by Select Federal<
• Division. All of you in favor, please stand. Okay, members, you may be seated.
• <01:36:49.199> Division.
• Division. All of you in Chairs in doubt. Division.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that includes things like site selection, permit streamlining, navigating regulatory hurdles, identifying
• And then, I know that there are many applicants and the process is very selective, can you kind of go
• through how you end up selecting and then if there are obviously many that are not. not selected, how
• We're looking at what kind of site selection data have they provided.
• For us, if the money was frozen and then the site was relocated, or the site... selection was reopened

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Should you select to waive your speaking time, your position will be included in the committee meeting
• it is a cleaner way of, or, you know, a more humane way of actually taking animals by being more selective
• The Division of Law Enforcement's Boating and Waterways section is leading a multi-year effort to reduce
• new timeline into our emergency and migration response protocols, and are working closely with the Division

Summary: The Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee first considered the appointment of Joshua Kellam to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Kellam described his background with Garcia Companies, emphasized his conservation interests and land stewardship work, and addressed concerns about his development ties, the commission’s composition, the recent black bear hunt vote, and a prior Yes on 2 campaign supported by the Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Supporters said he is a conservation-minded landowner and good steward of large acreage, while opponents argued the commission is already overrepresented by developers and lacks scientific or conservation expertise. After debate, the committee voted to recommend his confirmation, with Senators Smith and Arrington voting no and the rest of the members present voting yes. The committee then received an FWC implementation update on recently enacted boating and waterways legislation. FWC staff reviewed five laws: the Boater Freedom Act (SB 1388), Vessel Accountability (SB 164), Lucy’s Law/Boating Safety (HB 289), Disposition of Migrant Vessels (SB 830), and Water Access Facilities (HB 735). The presentation covered new rules on vessel stops, safety decals, Springs Protection Zones, derelict and at-risk vessel enforcement, long-term anchoring permits, tougher boating penalties, removal of migrant vessels, and grants for boating access infrastructure. Staff said rulemaking and officer training were underway, with some provisions already effective and others scheduled to take effect later in 2025 or January 2026. Members asked follow-up questions about derelict vessel cost recovery and the new Springs Protection Zone standard. FWC explained that responsible owners must reimburse removal costs and can lose vessel registration privileges if they do not pay. On Springs Protection Zones, staff said the new law raises the threshold from any harm to significant harm and requires vessel activity to be the predominant cause, with subject matter experts and partner agencies helping make that determination. Senator Smith questioned whether the higher standard makes protections harder to establish and asked about Silver Glen Springs; FWC said that proposal was paused and would be revisited under the new criteria. The committee took no further action and adjourned after the presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• and I are the administrative leads of the engineering program, and we have a tribal transportation division
• but I think it can be modeled statewide, and we've been pretty effective with the people that we selected
• The two officers selected were not DREs, drug recognition experts.
• The goal of getting the ignition interlocks... division unit.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee met in Yakima to focus on tribal traffic safety, with members and Yakima Nation leaders emphasizing the importance of safety, the right to travel, and continued partnership on U.S. 97 corridor improvements. Yakima Nation Vice Chair Christopher Wallachie and engineering staff described the Tribal Traffic Safety Committee, the U.S. 97 safety project, heritage connectivity trails, roundabout construction, and the use of federal grants and advanced sensing technology to identify hazards before crashes occur. They highlighted collaboration with WSDOT, the Traffic Safety Commission, the University of Washington, and other regional partners, and explained that the goal is to move from reactive crash response to proactive risk reduction. The Yakima Nation engineering team and AI Vision presented the MUST sensor project, which uses compact AI-enabled devices to collect traffic counts, speeds, near-miss events, roadway conditions, and pedestrian activity, with data transmitted to a dashboard and used for real-time warnings and longer-term planning. Committee members asked about speed tracking, driver behavior, enforcement, and partnerships with WSDOT and counties. Yakima Nation staff said the relationship with WSDOT has improved over time, especially after community outreach on proposed roundabouts, and that the tribe now supports several roundabout projects and broader safety coordination. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission then presented statewide fatality trends and tribal traffic safety data. Mark McKekney said 2024 showed a roughly 10% decrease in fatalities statewide, though recent years remain among the highest in decades. He noted that race and ethnicity data are only available for people who die in crashes, and that many American Indian and Alaska Native fatalities involve passengers, pedestrians, or bicyclists rather than drivers. Penny Rerick outlined tribal traffic safety coordinator grants and other state-funded tribal projects, including work with Yakama Nation, Colville, Kalispel, Makah, Port Gamble S'Klallam, Muckleshoot, Lower Elwha, and Puyallup, stressing that flexible state funding helps fill gaps left by federal programs and supports community-led solutions. The final presentation covered impaired driving enforcement and ignition interlock compliance in Yakima County. Yakima Police Chief Sean Boyle said the city created a DUI enforcement and education officer program that helped reduce serious injury and fatal impaired-driving crashes, supported by state funding and social media outreach. Yakima County District Court’s Nick Bazan described a supervision program for DUI offenders and interlock compliance, reporting more than 1,000 DUI convictions in 2024-25 and about 3,800 noncompliant interlock users countywide. He said the court is using a two-pronged approach—pretrial assistance for indigent clients and post-conviction accountability and case planning—to improve compliance and reduce impaired driving. The committee expressed support for the work, noted the progress made, and adjourned the work session after thanking presenters for their updates.

Transcript Highlights:

• They implemented selective hearing practices, used their backup trial divisions to create supplemental
• cases were assigned to this temporary division.
• created division.
• Cases went to this newly created division at the beginning.
• The average caseload grew from 11,500 cases per judge to 14,000 cases per division.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, by way of where we are and the process to date, I introduced SB 4 in our select committee on Monday
• Ultimately, we voted on SB 4, and it was reported out of the Senate Select Committee on Congressional
• In the aftermath, the Senate and House formed select committees to ascertain the facts of the disaster
• Members, during the invited testimony, the Texas Division of Emergency Management and Chief Nym Kidd
• The Texas Division of Emergency Management, Chief Nym Kidd testified that under existing statute, the

Summary: The Senate opened with a quorum call, invocation, and approval of the previous day’s journal, then observed a moment of silence after Senator Eckhardt referenced a mass shooting in Austin. The chamber also agreed to postpone reading and referral of bills until later in the day. Early procedural business included a motion not to print Senate Bill 3, which was adopted without objection. Later, Senator Mendez raised a parliamentary inquiry about moving flood relief bills to the top of the calendar, but the presiding officer said the order of business was up to the chair. The main floor action centered on Senate Bill 4, the congressional redistricting bill. Senator King laid out the bill, describing it as the companion to the House version, based on 2020 census data, and arguing it was legal, race-blind, more compact, and likely to elect more Republicans. Senators asked extensive questions about the process, public hearings, and the map’s effects on districts and communities. The Senate voted to suspend the regular order of business and the three-day rule, then passed SB 4 to engrossment and finally passed it, with the recorded votes showing 19 yeas and 2 nays. The Senate also took up Senate Bill 6, relating to abortion and civil liability for the manufacture and provision of abortion-inducing drugs. Senator Hughes argued the bill was needed to stop illegal abortion pills being mailed into Texas and harming women and unborn children. The Senate suspended the regular order of business and the three-day rule, passed the bill to engrossment, and then finally passed it, with the recorded votes showing 18 yeas, 10 nays, and one present not voting. A lengthy discussion followed on the committee substitute for Senate Bill 14, which would standardize law enforcement personnel and departmental files statewide. Senator King said the bill codifies a TCOLE model policy and limits public access to personnel files to substantiated misconduct, commendations, and evaluations, while keeping other records available through other legal processes. Senators Eckhardt, West, Hinojosa, and others questioned how the bill would affect transparency, meet-and-confer agreements, civilian review boards, and access to unsubstantiated complaints. An amendment by Senator Hinojosa of Dallas to narrow the bill to unfounded complaints failed, and SB 14 was then passed to engrossment on a vote of 18 yeas and 10 nays. The final major item was Senate Bill 1, the natural disaster omnibus bill responding to the July flooding. Senator Perry said the bill addresses camp and RV park safety, evacuation plans, emergency rooftop access, lines of succession for local emergency management, annual drills, volunteer management, drone restrictions over disaster areas, small-business recovery loans, and a statewide data hub for flood and weather monitoring. Senators Menendez, Eckhardt, and Kolkhorst asked about autopsies, volunteer background checks, liability, warning systems, floodplain mitigation, and coordination with FEMA and local governments. Perry said the bill focuses on preparation, response, and recovery, while broader prevention and mitigation issues may be addressed later. The transcript ends during this extended discussion, before final action on SB 1 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:08:35.600> committee<01:08:35.839> on well, your select committee on well, your
• And this is a corresponding increase in revenue to our business division alone.
• And this is a corresponding increase in revenue to our business division alone.
• In fiscal year business division alone.
• <01:15:50.800> alone 25, uh the business division alone 25, uh the business division alone

Bills: SF0028, SF0030, SF0031, SF0032

Keywords: voting, elections, electronic voting systems, transparency, public testing, voter registration, qualified elector, residency requirements, voting rights, mortgage modification, priority, electronic signatures, real property, financial covenants, 911 services, emergency response, grant funding, next generation technology, government accountability, public safety

Transcript Highlights:

• We have three different divisions.
• We have a division dedicated to Ambulance Service and Medical Response Unit issues, a division dedicated
• The law required the appointment of a deputy director to each of those divisions.
• Each division also has its own advisory council. They were all required to meet by January 31st.
• <00:54:11.240> eight of such a program we selected eight of such a program we selected eight

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Free speech is not a selective right.
• Politics may seem divisive or seen as a hobby horse to some, but for too many young Texans who have grown
• Politics may seem divisive or seen as a hobby horse to some, but for too many young Texans who have grown

Summary: Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT) held an advocacy day at the Texas Capitol with more than 300 young Texans and allies to press lawmakers on education policy. Speakers framed the event around student visibility in policymaking and criticized recent Texas actions on school vouchers, book bans, and legislation affecting LGBTQ students and classroom content. Representative Donna Howard briefly attended and voiced support for students having a seat at the table, citing a prior effort to add a student to a school board as an example of the kind of participation SEAT is seeking. Several student speakers described how voucher expansion threatens public schools and argued that public education is being underfunded and undermined rather than failing on its own. Others focused on LGBTQ inclusion, saying bills such as SB 12 and SB 13 would erase queer students’ experiences and make schools less safe and welcoming. One speaker also condemned book bans and censorship, arguing that students need access to diverse books and honest, inclusive education to think critically and feel represented. SEAT executive director Cameron Samuels closed by describing the group’s earlier organizing against book bans and internet restrictions and by connecting that work to broader demands for public schools, student rights, and safety. The event did not include any legislative vote or formal committee action; it was an advocacy press conference aimed at influencing lawmakers during the session.

Transcript Highlights:

• We use a peer review process from outside peer reviewers and select projects for the funding.
• This bill would take away the council's authority to make project selections and turn it into a body
• Further, it risks politicizing a project selection process that has worked best when it is driven by
• We use a peer review process from outside peer reviewers and select projects for the funding.
• <00:41:03.359> and authority to make project selections and authority to make project selections

Bills: HF3898, HF3957, HF4372, HF4350, HF3692, HF4085

Keywords: pesticides, wild rice, environmental protection, agriculture, water quality, pollinators, training, management plan, fertilizer research, education grants, Minnesota Agricultural Council, technology transfer, agricultural productivity, HF4372, Minnesota agriculture, meat processing, meat processing training, retention incentive grants, grant extension, project deadline extension

Transcript Highlights:

• I serve as the Central Division president for HNTB Corporation.
• design-build contracts, uh, currently limited in statute, and it is further limited by Tech Dot's project selection
• Cost and the other thing you have to look at most of the design build projects time they select the uh
• start selecting the contractors or the teams to build uh and time that you're actually turning dirt

Bills: SB 35, SB 1113, SB 1365, SB 1394, SB 2243, SB 2245, SB 2589, SB 2199, SB 2200

Keywords: transportation, TxDOT, Texas Department of Transportation, road projects, highways, infrastructure, bridge construction, interchanges, corridor improvements, road widening, railroad grade separation, sound barrier, unified transportation program, legislative notice, project prioritization, capital projects, state highway system, Farm-to-Market Roads, San Antonio, Harris County

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the assistant director of the Labor Standards Division. To the question: Thank you, Chair.
• Standards Division. Standards Division.
• Division. There will be division called. Roll will be taken.
• > division<01:17:25.600> called Okay.
• Wait, this is division, right? Okay. Wait, this is division, right?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• confirmation, a slate of appointees that are vetted and ready to serve in the position that they were selected
• Dorfman who's one of my constituents and has been appointed to serve on the 11th Business Court Division
• It's been different for every division, so I was very fortunate, Chief Justice.
• My name is Maria Lynn Bernard, and I am a. on the Texas Business Court, the Fourth Division.
• You represent the employer division and we have the labor division.

Keywords: Texas Water Fund, water management, infrastructure funding, local governments, workforce development, community colleges, educational programs, sustainability

Summary: The meeting focused on several crucial issues, including the Texas Water Fund and its implications for development in the state. Various members highlighted the critical need for effective management of water resources, discussing the role of the Water Development Board and their strategies for outreach to local governments. The committee engaged in a thorough examination of funding projects and the sustainable financing necessary for communities facing challenges in meeting their infrastructure needs. Additionally, there was notable discussion regarding promoting workforce development and the alignment of educational programs with the demands of the job market as indicated by recent trends in community colleges.

Transcript Highlights:

• We selected one MCO specifically for foster care, given that their medical, fragile...
• director for the Division of Administration and Finance, both in the department.
• <00:31:59.360> director<00:31:59.799> for the uh assistant division director for the
• uh assistant division director for the<00:32:00.480> division<00:32:00.840> of<00:32:01.080
• > administration<00:32:01.639> and the division of administration and the division of administration

Keywords: Due to a technical issue in the room, the quality of the stream will be diminished. We apologize for the inconvenience. Meeting start 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:02:00 SB 61 Discussion Only 00:03:25 SB 13 Discussion Only 00:07:19 SJR 25 Discussion 00:25:33 SJR 25 Vote 00:28:40 SB 61 Discussion Only 00:29:44, 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 61, relating to swimming pools, but initially had no representative from the governor’s office or cabinet available to explain the fiscal estimate. Senators questioned why the executive branch’s estimate was $4.25 million to $8.5 million while the committee’s internal fiscal note showed little or no impact. When Department for Public Health staff later joined, they explained their estimate was based on a roughly $85,000 cost for a large outbreak investigation, using a 2014 outbreak as a benchmark, and said the bill could increase workload and outside laboratory costs if private swimming pools became more common as rental properties. They reported 822 waterborne cases in 2024, with 8 tied to private swimming pools, and later corrected an earlier figure to 14 private-pool-related investigations over five years. Senators pressed on the discrepancy between those numbers and the projected 50 to 100 incidents, and staff said the higher figure was a ballpark estimate. The discussion also clarified that private pools are generally excluded by definition, while pools held out for rent may be treated as public pools under current definitions. No vote on SB 61 was taken in the portion provided. The committee then heard Senate Bill 13, concerning the reprocurement of managed care organizations for Medicaid. Department for Medicaid Services officials said the bill would require work on a new RFP, system changes, and oversight improvements, and estimated the cost at $2.8 million based on prior procurement spending of about $2.5 million in 2018-2019, with a 10% growth adjustment. They explained that the work is administrative and therefore matched at 50/50 federal-state funding, not the 80/20 rate used for benefits, and said the expense would be incurred whether the bill passed or not if the state proceeded with an RFP. Senators discussed possible savings from reducing the number of MCOs from five to three, but agency staff said those savings were hard to quantify and that provider and member disruption could create offsetting costs. The committee later moved on to Senate Joint Resolution 25, which would ask the Revenue Department to report on the cost of issuing farmers a wallet-sized tax-exempt card instead of a paper certificate. The resolution was adopted by roll call, with all members present voting aye, and it was reported favorably to the floor.

Transcript Highlights:

• And with me here today is the real expert, Bruce Canure, head of our municipal property division.
• We employ 70 people based in Merrimack, and I'm a Manchester resident in Senator Lang's division.
• <01:12:00.640> So,<01:12:01.120> nice Senator Long's uh uh division.
• So, nice Senator Long's uh uh division.
• I think an example is once the select I think an example is once the select board<01:34:53.360><

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A division has been requested. Members, take your seats. This will be a division vote.
• Hold up—request for division. Oh, we did; apparently we had a request for a division.
• This is a division vote.
• The division has been called. Members, take your seats. This will be a division vote.
• Speaker, and I ask for a division vote. Well, we're already on a division vote.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He's responsible for the response division. he's running the other division.
• So we eliminated the executive division. I'm the executive division now.
• divisions.
• division.
• You know, we went from seven divisions down to three divisions.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard an update on the Northwest Louisiana earthquake cluster. Laura Sori of the Department of Conservation and Energy said the agency has inspected Class II injection wells within 12 miles of the earthquakes, found no permit violations, and is requiring monthly reporting of daily injection data. LSU and Tulane researchers explained that the swarm includes about 50 earthquakes detected by USGS since December 2025, including a 4.9 magnitude event on March 5, and that better monitoring is needed because Louisiana has very limited seismic station coverage. Dr. Cynthia Ebinger said her temporary array has detected more small quakes than USGS, that the pattern looks more like a swarm than normal aftershocks, and that the data suggest pressure changes in the subsurface, though no definitive cause was identified. Keith Hall of LSU described how other states responded to suspected induced seismicity with more monitoring, more frequent reporting, injection limits or moratoria, and “traffic light” systems that escalate regulatory responses as seismicity increases. Members asked about depths, fault locations, possible links to injection or fracking, and whether more monitoring and data-sharing should be pursued; several speakers said Louisiana likely needs a denser monitoring network and more structured data collection. A Texas geoscientist, William Berger, also testified that Texas uses large-scale data analysis and AI to study injection-related seismicity and argued for secure sharing of operator data to improve forecasting and risk management. The committee then took testimony on UAV and drone incursions over Barksdale Air Force Base. GOSEP said the incident was logged in WebEOC and the common operating picture, but that Barksdale did not request direct GOSEP resources and that the matter was handled through law enforcement channels. Louisiana State Police and the FBI said they were limited in what they could disclose, but confirmed multiple drone sightings on the morning and evening of March 9 and continued monitoring for several days. State Police said they have created a task force with the Police Chiefs Association, Sheriffs Association, GOSEP, and LSP, and that officers are receiving FBI-related training to help detect and, where authorized, mitigate drones. Members discussed whether the activity was nefarious, what counts as an incursion, and the need for better public education about drone restrictions near military and critical infrastructure sites. No formal action was taken, but members said the issue will continue to be tracked alongside pending legislation. Finally, the committee received a one-year update on the merger of GOSEP with the Louisiana National Guard and Military Department. Major General Thomas Freelieu and Brigadier General Jason Maffus said the merger has reduced GOSEP from seven divisions to three, shifted administrative functions to the Military Department, and produced about $10.5 million in first-year cost avoidance. They said the agency has modernized its common operating picture, returned staff to in-person work, and continued statewide preparedness exercises. Freelieu highlighted Guard missions including cyber expansion, the new Air National Guard cyber squadron at Jackson Barracks, modernization of the 159th Fighter Wing, and ongoing support for homeland security missions in New Orleans and Washington, D.C. Maffus said GOSEP’s core mission remains emergency preparedness, response, and recovery, and that the merger is intended to make state support to parishes faster and more efficient.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a member of the Halifax Select Board and Planning Board.
• Okay, let us now go to Select Board member Lenny Mills. To our tech people, yes, Mr.
• We all report a select analysis. Thank you.
• This is a divisive strategy. Let us be clear.
• This is causing a very divisive issue among the town and in our community.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government held a long public hearing focused mainly on two sets of issues: proposals to amend or repeal the MBTA Communities Act, and bills to allow local rent stabilization. Committee chairs opened by explaining the hearing would be tightly managed because of the very large number of speakers, with testimony limited to two minutes per person and written testimony still accepted by email. Members and witnesses were called in a mix of in-person and virtual order throughout the hearing. On the MBTA Communities Act, several legislators and local officials argued the law is too rigid and should be revised to account for local conditions. Speakers from small, rural, or infrastructure-limited communities such as Hanson, Halifax, Marshfield, Winthrop, Dracut, Carver, Rehoboth, and others said the law’s one-size-fits-all approach does not fit towns with limited water, sewer, transit access, or buildable land. Some filed bills would repeal the law, exempt certain communities, or create appeals processes based on infrastructure, environmental, or historical constraints. Supporters of the law’s changes emphasized local control and the need to avoid forcing development where communities believe it is impractical or inconsistent with town character. A large portion of the hearing was devoted to rent stabilization legislation, especially S. 1447 and related House bills. Supporters included legislators, city councilors, tenant advocates, labor leaders, housing nonprofits, public health organizations, and residents who described sharp rent increases, displacement, homelessness risk, and the strain on working families, seniors, students, and people with disabilities. They argued local-option rent stabilization would let municipalities cap excessive increases and prevent no-fault evictions while preserving flexibility for local conditions. Opponents, including small landlords and property owners, said rent control would discourage investment, worsen housing quality, burden responsible owners, and drive small landlords out of the market. Some witnesses also supported a Cape Cod/Island transfer fee bill and a suburban infrastructure fund, arguing those would provide local revenue for housing or roads. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Disabilities Department, Health and Human Services, the de-vector of the delivery division related division
• department, health, the human services district division, Medicaid, Medicaid, a long-term care advisory
• The department shall annually select schools.
• On General File, he fought that bill, was the only no vote, and then I think killed it on Select File
• Collaboration over division, and results over rhetoric.

Bills: LB764, LB815A, LB839, LB888, LB955, LB972A, LB1029, LB1087, LB1091, LB1126A, LB1181A, LB1237A, LB1261A, LB304A, LB762, LB889, LB929, LB966, LB1022, LB1187, LR508

Keywords: law enforcement, correctional services, Department of Correctional Services, corrections officers, state prison employees, peace officer, certification, police standards, training academy, Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, Nebraska Police Standards Advisory Council, criminal justice, correctional staff, conditional officer, law enforcement authority, public safety, LB815A, LB815, appropriation, appropriations bill