Transcript Highlights:

• In the interest of time, I might consolidate, but I did want to highlight a few aspects of an article
• As highlighted in this article, our students are increasingly taking notice of CTE.
• According to a recent article in The Hill, absenteeism often stems from students feeling they are already

Transcript Highlights:

• We've seen since then, this mother that came and visited me, you know, a host of news articles about
• We've seen since then, this mother that came and visited me, you know, a host of news articles about
• fentanyl's being mixed in with other substances. ...came and visited me, you know, a host of news articles

Summary: The Health and Human Services Committee heard and passed several bills. HB 293 would codify the Office of Faith and Community in the Executive Office of the Governor, create a liaison and advisory council, and was supported by faith-based and nonprofit groups; some members questioned possible duplication with existing services and the source of any future funding, but the bill passed 24-0. CS/HB 547 would create an exception to the 30-day notice requirement before hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers sell medical debt when the debt buyer agrees not to use interest, fees, or extraordinary collection actions and must return charity-care-eligible debt; it passed unanimously after brief support testimony. CS/HB 1553 would require reporting of uterine fibroid data to the Department of Health to create a de-identified public database and reauthorize funding for implementation; it also passed 24-0, with members noting the earlier database mandate had not been carried out. The committee then took up CS/HB 1195, “Gage’s Law,” which would require hospitals and hospital-based emergency departments to test for fentanyl in urine drug screens for suspected overdose or poisoning cases. The bill was presented as a response to overdose deaths and the need to better detect fentanyl, and emotional testimony from a parent described a son’s death after a hospital did not test for fentanyl. Members from both parties spoke in strong support, emphasizing stigma, the need for better treatment and data, and the potential to save lives; the bill passed 24-0. CS/HB 47 on child care and early learning providers would streamline inspections, speed background screening, offer free online training/testing, update definitions, protect certain family child care homes from insurance issues, and create a license-exempt category for employer-provided child care; after questions about parent notice, database listing, background checks, and insurance, an amendment was adopted and the bill passed 24-0 as amended. Finally, CS/HB 647 would allow advanced practice registered nurses to sign death certificates in hospice settings, addressing delays that can leave families waiting to complete burial arrangements. Support testimony came from advocacy and hospice groups, and members cited the bill’s importance for families and religious burial timelines. The bill passed 23-0. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The motion that was going to be offered pursuant to article 4, section 13 of the Minnesota Constitution
• 09.279><c> to</c> that was going to be offered pursuant to that was going to be offered pursuant to article
• 10.480><c> 13</c><00:09:10.839><c> of</c><00:09:10.959><c> the</c><00:09:11.040><c> Minnesota</c> Article

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2024, Lexington passed an article to prohibit SGARs on all town-owned land.
• That article passed 157 to 1.
• In 2024, Lexington passed an article to prohibit SGARs on all town-owned land.
• That article passed 157 to 1.
• This year at town meeting, we passed the article that is now H. 4133. That article passed 166 to 3.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources

Summary: The Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources held a hybrid hearing on a large slate of bills focused on pesticides, pollinators, rodenticides, mosquito control, invasive species, and local authority over pesticide regulation. Chair Becca Rausch set strict two-minute testimony limits due to the very large number of speakers. Early testimony from Senator Moore and Representative Hawkins strongly supported a bill to restrict second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, citing harms to wildlife, pets, and public health, and noting that California has already adopted a similar model. Testimony also supported a Lowell home rule petition to allow the city to prohibit or restrict these rodenticides, with local officials describing documented raptor poisonings and municipal efforts to phase out use on city property. A major portion of the hearing focused on pollinator protection and neonicotinoid-treated seeds. Witnesses from environmental groups, conservation organizations, academics, and beekeepers argued that neonics harm bees and other beneficial insects, contaminate soil and water, and provide little or no economic benefit in most corn and soybean fields. Several speakers pointed to New York, Vermont, and Quebec as models for restricting treated seeds, and one panel cited research showing only a small percentage of fields benefit economically from the treatments. Support was also voiced for a bill establishing an ecologically based mosquito management program, with advocates criticizing aerial and truck spraying and urging non-chemical, locally tailored approaches. Other testimony supported bills to reform the pesticide board and pesticide regulation process, to give vulnerable municipalities more local control over pesticide use, to protect schoolchildren from pesticides on school grounds, and to respond to invasive species through a centralized state office, coordinator, strategic plan, and trust fund. Many speakers, including representatives from Mass Audubon, MSPCA, the Xerces Society, the Sierra Club, watershed groups, and local wildlife rehabilitators, described impacts on hawks, owls, pets, fish, and broader ecosystems. No votes were taken during the hearing, and committee members generally asked few questions, with the hearing remaining in testimony mode throughout.

Transcript Highlights:

• While Representative Kelty was up here just a minute ago, somebody texted me articles of multiple people
• While Representative Kelty was up here just a minute ago, somebody texted me articles of multiple people
• While Representative Kelty was up here just a minute ago, somebody texted me articles of multiple people
• 27.440><c> the</c> I'm going to let you read the read the I'm going to let you read the read the articles
• . articles. articles.

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2023, there was an article where you talked about how your map was better than Livingston's map and
• But so let's go back to this article. I want to go back... Back to this article.
• I want to go back to this article in 2023 that you were talking about and why you think your map was
• I looked at this article, and you were very enthused about your map.
• And I heard uh somebody say, I think I saw an article, maybe you said it, you believe that we can have

Transcript Highlights:

• Administrative Code Chapter 33-07-06 was not repealed in 2011 when North Dakota Administrative Code Article
• And then under Section 6, single-service and single-use articles are amended to clarify what they must
• Here today to request your consideration of updates to Article 33.19 of the Administrative Code, which
• Specifically, we're looking to amend Article 67-10 related to school construction loan application and
• All right, first proposal is to amend Article 67-10 related to school construction and loan application

Summary: The committee first approved the December 3 minutes, then heard a request from the Board of Clinical Laboratory Practice to amend its proposed rule on exempt test methods to add certain closed-system DNA/RNA tests, including rhinovirus. After testimony explaining that the board had considered late comments from BioMérieux and wanted the rule record to reflect that review, the committee agreed to a limited amendment and passed the motion unanimously. The Department of Agriculture then outlined broad rule updates affecting dairy, eggs, poultry, pesticides, animal health, environmental mitigation, and the Egg Product Utilization Commission. The commissioner said the changes mostly clarified existing requirements, updated references, and reduced some burdens, such as easing dairy hauler training/licensing timing and clarifying out-of-state grade A milk language. Members asked about dairy industry decline, the APUC scoring system, and the rationale for the milk-hauler and out-of-state milk provisions. The State Board of Dental Examiners presented extensive rule changes tied to recent legislation and workforce issues, including a new professional health program for dentists, expanded duties for assistants and hygienists, broader local anesthetic authority for hygienists, and fee increases to fund the program and cover administrative costs. Testimony from Dr. Edward May strongly supported the professional health program based on his own recovery experience. The committee also heard from Game and Fish on rules easing some guide/outfitter experience requirements, allowing electronic exams, and modifying boating safety equipment rules, with no public comment and no fiscal impact. Later, Health and Human Services received approval for an extension to update tattoo/body art rules and a separate motion to repeal an obsolete nurse aide training chapter. HHS also described nursing facility rule updates, lodging sanitation revisions, and related clarifications on licensing, safety, pest control, and fire requirements. The Department of Environmental Quality received an extension for septic-system installer rules, and also presented rules for above-ground storage tanks and water/wastewater operator certification, including new fees and third-party testing options. The Industrial Commission’s oil and gas division described multiple rule changes, some withdrawn after comments, including drilling unit flexibility, site stability, wildfire authority, and streamlined transport/reporting procedures. Finally, DPI began presenting several rule packages, including school construction loan limits, school bus standards, cooperative agreements, special education rules for public charter schools, and new math curriculum and intervention requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, there’s already, within this article, 1B, there’s already a record keeping section, section 4.
• But then line 22, an employer who is not in compliance with the provisions of this article within 14
• That is the article in the Administrative Procedure Act for contested cases.
• that if you don't utilize E-Verify, you're going to be subject to all of the penalties under this article
• And then it talks about, for purposes of this article, proof of legal status or authorization to work

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• the other hand, you've got the rights of religious organizations that are expressly protected under Article
• 1, Section 11 of the Washington State Constitution and Article 1 of the United States Constitution.
• Amendment right to freedom of expression, of religion, and, in the state constitution, of course, Article
• judge, to have the Attorney General's office be able to seize your papers is a direct violation of Article
• Direct violation of Article I, Section 7 of our state's Constitution and the Fourth Amendment to the

Bills: HB2720 , HB2073 , HB2487 , SB5816 , SB5919 , SB5995 , SB5831 , SB6134 , SB6136 , SB6137 , HB2689 , SB5922 , SB5944 , SB5957 , SB5988 , SB5994 , SB6011 , SB6065 , SB6103 , SB6151 , SB6244 , SB5420 , SB5868 , SB6044 , SB6132 , SJM8002

Summary: The House took up a series of Senate bills and moved most of them quickly to third reading and final passage, often suspending the rules and adopting committee amendments without objection. Early action included Senate Bill 5944, which addresses compensation for interpreters working for L&I when appointments are canceled or missed; it passed 86-10. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5837, dealing with guardianship and supported decision-making, drew debate over a new right to counsel in guardianship cases and concerns about expanding civil legal obligations, but it passed 73-23. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6197, a plumbers enforcement/discipline measure tied to task force work on wages and the underground economy, passed unanimously. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6019, fixing a loophole in home care worker parity law, also passed unanimously, as did Senate Bill 6011, which extends authority for Court of Appeals bailiffs to assess threats against judges and staff, though members noted concerns about access to non-conviction data. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6058, aimed at improving Labor and Industries’ ability to address wage theft complaints and backlog, passed 96-0 after House amendments. Substitute Senate Bill 5923, allowing an island hospital in Skagit County to become a critical access hospital, passed 96-0 amid support for rural health care. Senate Bill 5994, which changes how timber tax revenue is distributed so school districts are not penalized when levies fail, also passed 96-0. Substitute Senate Bill 6076, streamlining public utility district procurement and raising spending thresholds, passed 95-1 after a capital budget amendment. The House then moved to second reading of Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5925, a major bill expanding the Attorney General’s authority to issue civil investigative demands in constitutional and discrimination-related matters. The bill prompted extensive debate over civil liberties, due process, and the potential for government overreach. Amendment 2160, which would have required clear and convincing evidence before a CID could issue, was rejected 38-48. Amendment 2149, creating a right to cure before a CID, was also rejected. Amendment 2150, requiring assistant attorney general approval and a reasonable suspicion standard, failed 38-48. Amendment 2151, requiring the Attorney General personally to approve CIDs in writing, failed as well. However, several narrowing amendments were adopted, including limits on scope and relevance (2288), a prohibition on CIDs to federal agencies (2289), a ban on sharing CID-derived information for criminal law enforcement purposes (2290), and a requirement that the Attorney General’s office consult with other agencies in certain overlapping investigations (2154 was rejected, but later amendments continued). Other proposed protections, such as fee-shifting for successful CID challenges and reimbursement when a CID produces no action, were debated at length but not adopted in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Moving to page three, the last item in Article 2 is again a spreadsheet item that the House has not agreed
• Moving on to Article 2 on page three, the House has not agreed to include the direct admissions Senate-only
• Moving to page three, the last item in Article 2 is again a spreadsheet item that the House has not agreed
• Moving on to Article 2 on page three, the House has not agreed to include the direct admissions Senate-only
• Moving to page three, the last item in Article 2 is again a spreadsheet item that the House has not agreed

Transcript Highlights:

• In compliance with Article 4, Part 2, Section 9 of the Constitution of Arizona, I am directed by the
• In compliance with Article 4, Part 2, Section 9 of the Constitution of Arizona, I am directed by the

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then completed roll call, approved the prior journal, and welcomed several guest groups to the gallery, including CSG West and NCSL visitors, Tucson Electric Power/UniSource Native BRG members, Pascua Yaqui constituents, Marcos de Niza High School students, and guests from Payson. Members also observed a moment of silence for former Attorney General Mark Brnovich. Senator Hatathlie read a proclamation honoring the life and service of Amaya Curley, a Navajo woman and Navy veteran, and the chamber recessed for presentation of an Arizona state flag flown in her memory, with her family present. The President Pro Tem announced extended deadlines for opening Senate folders and for Senate bill intro set preparation, and the Senate received House messages regarding adjournment. The chamber voted to accede to the House request to adjourn after Thursday, January 15, 2026, until Tuesday, January 20, 2026. No substantive bill debate occurred; instead, the body moved a large number of measures to second reading, including election, education, health care, firearms, immigration-related reporting, cryptocurrency, transportation, and various memorial and appropriation bills. Committee and caucus announcements were made for Thursday, January 15, including Rules Committee and both party caucuses. The Senate then adopted a motion to adjourn until Thursday, January 15, 2026, at 10 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• President, in compliance with Article 4, Part 2, Section 9 of the Constitution of Arizona, I am directed
• President, in compliance with Article 4, Part 2, Section 9 of the Constitution of Arizona, I am directed

Transcript Highlights:

• I, Greg Abbott, Governor of the State of Texas, by the authority vested in me by Article 3, Sections
• 5, 5a, and 40, and Article 4, Section 8a of the Texas Constitution, do hereby call Special Session Number

Transcript Highlights:

• Also, the article that I had given to you with regards to the investigation done by the Miami Herald,
• The fact that what we saw in that article even happened at all was, and the response was, we really,

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice met to review its proposed fiscal year 2025-2026 budget, totaling about $7.6 billion. The chair highlighted funding for the Department of Corrections, including health services, food inflation, and prison population growth; the Department of Juvenile Justice for residential beds and higher food/medical costs; FDLE for a law enforcement apprenticeship program and officer wellness services; justice administration for court-appointed attorney rates and VOCA shortfalls; major IT projects; and court operations, including funding for 29 new judges. Members asked about where the new judgeships would go and whether staffing would accompany them, and staff said the judge positions would be listed later in a conforming bill and that associated court staff were included, but not additional state attorney or public defender staffing. Several members also asked whether the budget addressed pay and staffing shortages in state attorneys’ and public defenders’ offices, and staff said those decisions had not yet been finalized. The committee then heard public testimony from several speakers who urged more funding for prison safety, medical care, and oversight. Speakers described personal experiences involving deaths or serious harm in correctional facilities and jails, alleging inadequate medical treatment, excessive force, isolation, and failures to investigate. One speaker said her son died after being beaten and denied timely medical care in a correctional facility; another said her son was not receiving adequate health care at Charlotte Correctional; and another described her brother’s death in the Marion County Jail after repeated tasing and pepper spraying. The committee adopted a motion allowing staff to make technical adjustments and then approved the committee’s budget proposal as a recommendation to the full Senate Appropriations Committee. The committee also took up CS for CS SB 48 on alternative judicial procedures and foreclosure sales. Senator Garcia offered an amendment to standardize judicial sales, increase transparency, limit preferences in bidding, preserve public notice requirements, restrict plaintiff credit bids to the amount of the judgment unless a deposit is posted, and prevent deviations from statutory timelines and procedures from being hidden in court orders. Garcia said the bill was intended to close loopholes and protect homeowners, especially condominium owners, from unfair foreclosure practices. A representative for Auction.com said similar laws have been used in other states and offered to provide data. After debate, the amendment was adopted, and the bill passed the committee favorably on a roll call vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the tax provisions of part two, Article the tax provisions of part two, Article five<04:03:39.320
• It inserts a variety of new terms and phrases into that article.
• In the almost 242 years since Article 1 In the almost 242 years since Article 1 was<06:27:32.440><c>
• </c> sentences of Article 11. sentences of Article 11.
• How a recount would be done for, say, a warrant article.

Transcript Highlights:

• I believe there was an Attorney General's review of that proposed article that basically said that Massachusetts
• The Select Board then voted to send another article back to town meeting to ask then to have home rule
• I voted against sending the article back to town meeting on a couple of occasions, and I believe this
• include the library deed, the constitution of the West Acton Citizens Library Association, newspaper articles
• Association newspaper articles and town documents at the time.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government

Summary: The committee opened its hearing with procedural remarks, including a strict three-minute testimony limit, livestream instructions, and a July 1 deadline for written testimony. Chairs Lewis and Rauch then heard testimony on a wide range of municipal home rule petitions and related bills, with many local officials and advocates being taken out of order because of the large turnout. A major topic was firefighter residency. Representatives of the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts and Sen. Keenan supported H. 2260/S. 1449, which would replace the current 15-mile residency rule for non-civil-service fire departments with a negotiable standard, generally allowing residency within 15 miles and permitting expansion through collective bargaining. Supporters said the change would improve recruitment and retention amid the housing crisis and create parity with civil-service departments. Acton Fire Chief Anita Arnhum and Sen. Senna also backed H. 4168 for Acton, making similar arguments about recruitment, paramedics, and the need for local flexibility. The committee also heard strong support for charter overhaul petitions for Somerville and Lynn. Somerville officials, including Rep. Barber, Mayor Ballantyne, Councilor Jake Wilson, and charter committee member Beverly Schwartz, described a years-long public process to replace an 1890s-era charter with a modern document emphasizing transparency, public participation, clearer governance, and a possible change to the mayor’s term length. Lynn Mayor Nicholson similarly supported a charter update to modernize city operations and financial procedures. Cambridge-related charter and procurement reforms were also briefly endorsed by Rep. Cabral. Other bills discussed included a proposal by Sen. Eldridge and Rep. Scarsdale to create a state grant program for municipal sustainability directors, and regional school finance bills supported by Rep. Lanatra and Jason Frazier to expand special education reserve funds and create a regional school assessment reserve fund. Acton witnesses also supported library governance changes and a checkout bag charge proposal. The committee heard sharply divided testimony on Quincy’s H. 3897, a 50-year lease extension for Quarry Hills/Granite Links: Quincy officials and business supporters praised the public-private partnership and future investment potential, while residents argued the lease was too long, should be competitively bid, and deserved more oversight and auditing. The hearing also included testimony on Boston trash truck noise restrictions and a PEG access/cable funds bill supported by Mass Access, as well as a Southwick petition to elect part of the Conservation Commission, which one select board member opposed as contrary to current law and good governance.

Transcript Highlights:

• That is a figure that was put into an article. I assume that article came from us.
• So I will say the only number that I dispute in that article is a $450 million figure, because I think
• Again, I know that some of this is probably coming from a single article that’s written in the last couple
• That particular article said that we have spent 5.8 billion of the 6.5 billion from the EPRO for six

Summary: The committee took up four bills before moving to a broader discussion of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Trust Fund. SB 434, which would prohibit counties from increasing a home’s assessed value because the owner installed wind mitigation measures, was presented as a homeowner protection measure and reported favorably. CS/SB 110, clarifying that certain 98-year-or-longer residential leaseholders remain eligible for the homestead exemption even if the lease ends at death, was also reported favorably without opposition. SB 856, requiring online real estate listing platforms to display estimated ad valorem taxes using prescribed calculation methods and not the current owner’s tax bill, drew supportive testimony from property appraisers, Zillow, and local government groups; members emphasized transparency for buyers, especially first-time homebuyers, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then spent most of the meeting on SPB 7040, which would recreate and extend the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund through December 31, 2027. Supporters, including the Division of Emergency Management, argued the fund is needed for hurricanes, flooding, other disasters, and rapid response operations, and said the extension preserves legislative oversight that would otherwise lapse. Opponents from advocacy and policy groups argued the fund has been used too broadly, especially for immigration-related detention and enforcement activities, and criticized the lack of tighter guardrails and transparency. They cited deaths in detention facilities, the use of emergency dollars for non-disaster purposes, and concerns about political favoritism and public accountability. Director Kevin Guthrie testified at length in support of the extension, explaining that the fund is used for natural, man-made, and technological emergencies, that reimbursements from federal and other sources are returned to the fund, and that the state has used it for hurricanes, flooding, civil unrest, international evacuations, and immigration-related operations under Operation Vigilant Sentry. He said the division has sought federal reimbursement for some expenses and that the fund helps the state respond quickly when emergencies arise. Members questioned the size of the fund, the amount spent on immigration-related activities, the status of federal reimbursements, and whether lawmakers should have more oversight or unannounced access to detention facilities. The bill discussion remained ongoing in the portion provided, with no final vote on SPB 7040 shown in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• The VA has been widely published in news articles.
• So those are two of the biggest, but there's been numerous articles published in Military Times and other
• </c> of the biggest, but there's been of the biggest, but there's been numerous<00:09:19.519><c> articles
• c><00:09:20.080><c> published</c><00:09:20.560><c> in</c><00:09:20.800><c> Military</c> numerous articles
• published in Military numerous articles published in Military Times<00:09:21.760><c> and</c><00:09:22.000

Committee: House Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Protection

Transcript Highlights:

• on to the second and last bill of our agenda today, and this is SB 2152, proposing an amendment to article
• This proposes an amendment to article 6, section 3 of the Hawaii State Constitution to increase the mandatory
• This proposes an amendment<00:37:58.160><c> to</c><00:37:58.320><c> article</c><00:37:58.640><c> 6</c
• section</c><00:37:59.280><c> 3</c><00:37:59.440><c> of</c><00:37:59.520><c> the</c> amendment to article
• 6 section 3 of the amendment to article 6 section 3 of the Hawaii<00:37:59.920><c> state</c><00:38:00.160

Bills: SB2055 , SB2152

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard SB 2055, which would create a Civil Rights Commission helpline for reports of harms from federal deployments in Hawaii and require annual reporting and a public hearing. The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission supported the concept but said the bill should be broadened to cover civil rights and human rights violations more generally, and recommended using existing 211/Aloha United Way infrastructure. Testimony was largely in support, with a few opponents. Members focused on whether the proposed line was really a 24-hour legal hotline or a reporting/referral mechanism, what jurisdiction the commission would have over federal employees, and the estimated costs. The committee chair indicated the bill would move forward with amendments, including adopting HCRC recommendations and adding appropriations for Aloha United Way, database/website development, and staffing. The committee then heard SB 2152, a proposed constitutional amendment to raise the mandatory retirement age for state judges and justices from 70 to 75. Judge Robert D.S. Kim, the Office of the Public Defender, Earthjustice, Community Alliance on Prisons, the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, United Public Workers, the League of Women Voters, ILWU Local 142, CARES, and others testified in support, arguing that experienced judges improve stability, reduce vacancies, and preserve institutional knowledge. Opponents or skeptical comments were limited, but one member questioned whether the measure was just a temporary fix rather than a broader solution to judicial succession and mentoring. Members also asked about existing retention and fitness safeguards, including Judicial Selection Commission retention hearings and the Commission on Judicial Conduct’s ability to investigate complaints about a judge’s physical or mental ability to serve. The discussion noted that the measure would still leave those processes in place. No final vote on SB 2152 was taken in the portion provided, but the committee appeared to be moving toward decision-making after questions concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• of the issues that I'm not on that committee, but I was familiar with the hearing and I read some articles
• that were sent to me, and there seems to be a large problem, especially pronounced in an article that
• of the issues that I'm not on that committee, but I was familiar with the hearing and I read some articles
• And there seems to be a large, the problem was especially pronounced the article that I read was in Austin
• And there were a lot of The problem was especially pronounced a article that I read was in Austin, Texas

Committees: House Transportation , House Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight