Transcript Highlights:

• Just very quickly, it's a short timeline of sequence of events that led to the creation of the Traffic
• Just very quickly, it's a short timeline of sequence of events that led to the creation of the Traffic
• But those are the events that are typically not, basically never, being reported.
• And we went to numerous events within the reservation, both tribal We went to numerous events within
• the reservation, both tribal events and non-Indian events, to gain what the people wanted, what their

Committee: Senate Transportation

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee met in Yakima and focused on tribal traffic safety, with an emphasis on the Yakama Nation’s transportation safety efforts and partnerships. Yakama Nation leaders and engineering staff described ongoing work on U.S. 97 corridor safety improvements, heritage connectivity trails, roundabouts, and the use of advanced traffic sensing technology through a University of Washington spin-off, AI Vision. The technology, called MUST, was presented as a way to collect speed, volume, pedestrian, roadway-condition, and near-miss data, support real-time warnings, and help create a digital twin and virtual traffic management center to move from reactive crash response to proactive risk reduction. Committee members asked about speed tracking, driver behavior, enforcement, and agency coordination, and Yakama representatives said the work depends on a multi-pronged approach involving engineering, policy, and enforcement, with strong coordination among the tribe, WSDOT, the Traffic Safety Commission, counties, and universities. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission then presented statewide fatality trends and tribal traffic safety data. Staff said 2024 saw about a 10% drop in statewide traffic fatalities after several years of increases, but recent years remain among the highest in decades. They noted that among American Indian and Alaska Native fatalities, many victims were pedestrians, passengers, or bicyclists rather than drivers, and that restraint nonuse and alcohol impairment were significant factors. The commission also highlighted that many AI/AN fatalities occur off tribal lands, while many fatalities on tribal lands involve non-tribal members. Penny Rerick described tribal traffic safety coordinators as a proven countermeasure and outlined current and planned tribal projects funded through federal and state dollars, including work with Yakama Nation, Colville, Kalispel, Makah, Port Gamble S’Klallam, Muckleshoot, Lower Elwha, Puyallup, and others. She said state proviso funding is being used flexibly for equipment, education, pedestrian safety, and local planning, and committee members asked staff to provide data on total requests versus funded amounts. The final presentation highlighted Yakima-area impaired driving enforcement and ignition interlock compliance efforts. Yakima Police Chief Sean Boyle said the city created a DUI enforcement and education officer program, later expanded with state support, to reduce serious injury and fatal crashes; he reported more than 1,100 contacts, 222 DUI-related arrests or stops, extensive outreach, and a 12-month period without an impaired-driving fatality in the city. Nick Bazan of Yakima County District Court described a DUI supervision and ignition interlock compliance pilot that targets both pre-conviction and post-conviction barriers, including indigent support, case planning, and evidence-based supervision. He said the county had more than 1,000 DUI convictions in 2024-25 and roughly 3,800 noncompliant ignition interlock users, and that 51% of roadway fatalities involved an impaired driver. The committee praised the work, noted the importance of sharing best practices statewide, and then adjourned the work session.

Transcript Highlights:

• We just did an event yesterday. We gave $10,000 scholarships to students from the region.
• We go to all the community events. We're sponsoring the high school activities.
• Now, we make exceptions for this. I mean, it frequently happens.
• Now, we make exceptions for these. I mean, it frequently happens.
• So there are exceptions to this. it. There's no sense digging that all back up again.

Committee: Joint Energy Development and Transmission Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Except maybe one or two.
• In any event, I think that one of the reasons that cities might not apply for Attorney General opinions
• These are tragic events, occurrences that happen in Texas, not just Ohio, but happen to Texans on a daily
• Island, too, I wanted to... ...talk about are the exceptions to the Texas Tort Claims Act, some of which
• Island, too, I wanted to talk about are the exceptions to the Texas Tort Claims Act, some of which are

Committee: House Governmental Oversight, Select

Transcript Highlights:

• and the seriousness of the event.
• We have academic counselors, they're exceptional.
• Brannan, how often does... an event like this happen?
• You really find an exception to the innocent until proven guilty.
• Again, they are the exception to that. It's not a mandate.

Bills: HB6 , HB27 , HB 123 , HB210 , HB213 , HB222 , HB610 , HB 1085 , HB1481 , HB6 , HB27 , HB123 , HB210 , HB213 , HB222

Committee: House Public Education

Keywords: mental health, telehealth, public schools, discipline management, behavioral interventions, financial literacy, high school education, curriculum requirements, economics, personal finance, HB 123, kindergarten readiness, early literacy, early numeracy, reading screening, math screening, foundational literacy, foundational numeracy, dyslexia screening, reading intervention

Transcript Highlights:

• In that event, the proceeds from that tax would not be subject to Prop. 35.
• In the event that the federal government does not approve that, and the state is unable to achieve an
• “No, there’s no exceptions. It applies. It’s...” “Right? Or is there a limit on them as well?”
• “No, there’s no exceptions. It applies.
• The request for us to extend that tax, and in that event, we are also requesting the federal government

Summary: The Senate Budget and Fiscal Review subcommittee heard four budget trailer bills: AB 110, AB 122, AB 125, and AB 177. AB 110 was described as a budget bill junior identifying budget-related legislation. AB 122 would extend sales tax to electronically delivered or remotely accessed prewritten software, extend and later limit business tax credits, reduce the annual LLC/LLP/LP tax for first-year businesses for three years, and impose a 100% tax on certain federal anti-weaponization fund settlements. AB 125 would renew the managed care organization (MCO) tax for three years beginning in 2027 to support Medi-Cal and targeted provider rate increases. AB 177 would require the Department of Finance to return by March 1, 2027 with options for assessing large employers for the Medi-Cal costs of employees enrolled in the program, including at least one employer-paid premium option for firms with 250 or more employees, and would appropriate $1,000 General Fund for implementation. Administration witnesses said AB 122 modernizes the tax system and helps create general fund revenue, while AB 125 is needed to preserve Medi-Cal financing and targeted rate increases under new federal constraints from H.R. 1 and to avoid a budget hole if the MCO tax expires. On AB 177, Finance said the bill is only a study and does not itself impose a tax, but would direct the administration to develop options for future consideration. Supportive members argued the package is part of a balanced approach to address the structural deficit, protect health care and other safety-net programs, and ensure large corporations pay more of their share. They also said AB 177 is a necessary step toward asking large employers to help cover public health care costs for workers who rely on Medi-Cal. Opponents, led by Vice Chair Niello and several other Republicans, argued the state does not have a revenue shortage but a spending problem, warning that the proposals would raise costs on consumers and businesses, discourage innovation, and expand taxes beyond their intended scope. They criticized AB 122 as potentially taxing labor-like services and limiting research and development credits, and said AB 125 would increase premiums for commercial enrollees and employers. On AB 177, they questioned the lack of definitions and specifics, saying the bill is too vague and could eventually burden employers, including hospitals and part-time workers, without clear standards. No votes were taken in the portion of the hearing provided; the committee heard testimony and questions before public comment and later action.

Transcript Highlights:

• For county jails, every custodial death requires an investigation with no exceptions.
• instances when an inmate's death does not indicate wrongdoing, nor does it fall within the two exceptions
• Unexpected events such as cardiac arrest or cancer can and do occur.
• Many of these natural deaths result directly from events or failures in the jail's provision of care.
• It’s a lights-out process; it doesn't require interaction with the jailer except for placing the sample

Bills: SB614 , SB872 , SB1199 , SB1212 , SB1278 , SB1573 , SB1588 , SB1602 , SB1660 , SB1704 , SB1723 , SB1833 , SB1858 , SB1946 , SB2009 , SB2146 , SB2177 , SB2373 , SB2460 , SB2785

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Transcript Highlights:

• Not really a big event as to how it happened or why it happened.
• Not really a big event as to how it happened or why it happened.
• I don't have much to say about it except to tell you what it is.
• So we’re posting all of our bidding events out online.
• There are some exceptions, too, that I did not cover around these guidelines as well.

Summary: The committee received several informational reports from NDIT and DPI. Justin Data reviewed the quarterly major IT project portfolio, noting the portfolio was slightly under budget and behind schedule overall, with three red schedule items: Bed Management System and Vital Records were essentially complete and being closed out, and the Roadway Capital Planning Project was delayed by vendor bug fixes after testing. He also summarized recent project startups and closeouts, including the Victim Notification System, Medicaid data exchange, Highway Patrol’s motor carrier permit system, and several completed HHS and RIMS projects. Members asked for follow-up on ADA compliance work, the public-facing RIO website, and the state’s mainframe retirement timeline, and staff agreed to provide updates later. Craig Falkley reported on coordination of services with political subdivisions and higher education, including StageNet, cybersecurity, radio/911 services, and PeopleSoft coordination. He also explained distributed ledger technology as a tool for transparency and fraud prevention, but said it is not widely used in state government and suggested the report be modernized to focus more broadly on emerging technologies such as AI and cybersecurity. The committee generally agreed that the topic should be updated. Chris Gurgan presented the mandatory cybersecurity incident reporting program created by HB 1314, explaining how agencies and political subdivisions report incidents through NDIT’s website or service desk. He said 77 incidents had been reported since 2021, 47 met the statutory definition, and most were phishing-related; most reported incidents were resolved, with one recent ransomware matter still open. He also reviewed notable incidents since the last report, including the PowerSchool compromise, a SimpleHelp intrusion at a school district, a court intrusion, a WSUS vulnerability, a business email compromise, and a recent ransomware incident involving a non-state critical infrastructure entity. Members asked about recovery of stolen funds, early warning signs, smishing, training, MFA, conditional access, and cybersecurity maturity assessments; Gurgan said the state uses MFA and conditional access, provides awareness training to state employees, and would return with more information on maturity assessments. Tony Ambrose then updated the committee on the K-12 student information system bridge project. He said district implementation of Infinite Campus had begun statewide, but the data migration vendor originally selected was terminated for poor performance and replaced by Aurora Educational Technology, which had experience with similar statewide migrations. He also said DPI is migrating special education data from Tynet into Infinite Campus, and that some SLDS-based tools such as e-transcripts and Choice Ready may not function exactly as they do now at July 1, requiring interim or alternative solutions. Members raised concerns about summer school disruptions, the timing of the cutover, and whether the new system would support existing reporting and transcript functions; DPI said it was working on identity, authentication, data-sharing agreements, and post-go-live integrations, and would continue to refine the plan beyond June 30.

Transcript Highlights:

• We all use, we none of us use the metric system in our measurements, except for two liters of soda.
• We all use, we none of us using the metric system in our measurements, except for two liters of soda.
• at the Somerville Public Library to a virtual event out of concern for the safety and privacy of our
• We have heard from parents and youth that they are terrified to go to public events, support spaces,
• And without a spouse, I would have no protection, except now that I live in Massachusetts.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity

Summary: The committee hearing focused on a package of Massachusetts privacy and technology bills, especially measures to ban the sale of location data, establish a comprehensive consumer data privacy law, and regulate biometric recognition and surveillance pricing. Chairs and sponsors argued that self-regulation has failed, that data brokers and large tech companies routinely collect and monetize sensitive information, and that state action is needed because federal protections are weak or absent. Several speakers tied the bills to reproductive health, gender-affirming care, domestic violence, children’s data, and other sensitive uses of location and biometric information. Supporters included legislators and advocates who backed H. 86/S. 197 (Location Shield), H. 78/S. 45/H. 104/S. 29 (comprehensive privacy bills), H. 99/S. 47 (surveillance pricing in grocery stores), and H. 36/S. 36 (biometric recognition accountability). They emphasized data minimization, bans on selling sensitive data, consumer rights to access, delete, and opt out, and in some cases a private right of action. Several witnesses said Massachusetts should lead or align with other states, while others argued that stronger protections are needed because data can be weaponized by stalkers, anti-abortion actors, abusive partners, insurers, or law enforcement. Industry and coalition witnesses urged the committee to favor a more standardized, interoperable framework modeled on laws already adopted in other states, warning that novel definitions, data-minimization rules, and private rights of action could create compliance burdens, confusion, and costs for businesses, including small businesses. They argued that entity-level exemptions for sectors already covered by federal laws like HIPAA or GLBA promote consistency, and that Attorney General enforcement is preferable to private lawsuits. Committee members questioned witnesses on patchwork concerns, the scope of exemptions, and whether the proposed bills would harm or help consumers and small businesses. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing; written testimony was noted as due later, and the committee continued taking testimony from multiple panels and virtual witnesses.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the event of a network failure, it may be necessary to reschedule the hearing or schedule a meeting
• </c><00:41:11.800><c> reminder</c> These events were a powerful reminder These events were a powerful
• </c> uh the potential for catastrophic events uh the potential for catastrophic events and<00:46:00.200
• </c> case of an extreme storm event offshore. case of an extreme storm event offshore.
• I don't get paid for nothing except when we get a request from the council.

Bills: HCR13 , HCR61 , HCR136 , HCR185 , HCR155 , HCR68 , HCR174 , HCR178 , HCR179 , HCR91 , HCR103 , HCR115 , HCR199 , HR15 , HR128 , HR175 , HR147 , HR62 , HR164 , HR168 , HR169 , HR83 , HR95 , HR107 , HR189

Committee: House Water & Land

Summary: The Committee on Water and Land met on March 31, 2026, and heard testimony on several resolutions. HCR 13/HR 50, which asks DLNR to work with DOE and the Public Charter School Commission on a student coral stewardship program, drew comments from DLNR, which said it stood on written testimony and had proposed amendments, and from supporters in the room. HCR 61, urging investment in reforestation policies, workforce, nursery capacity, and related support for public and private lands, received strong support from DLNR and multiple testifiers, including members of a reforestation policy hui, a resident, and others who emphasized watershed protection, flood and fire resilience, and the need to upgrade nursery infrastructure and staffing. Committee members asked questions about nursery modernization, staffing, island-specific needs, and whether reforestation could reduce wildfire impacts; the DLNR witness said all islands need investment, with especially large opportunities on Hawaiʻi Island, and that healthier forests improve resilience though they cannot eliminate climate-related risks. The committee then heard HCR 136/HR 128 on wildland-urban interface safety standards for Maui plantation towns, but no one testified. It also heard HCR 185/HR 175, which urges denial of permits for ICE detention-related warehouses; Chris Coffey of Immua Alliance testified in support, saying migrant survivors of exploitation are harmed when ICE detains people and that Hawaii would not be the first place to take such action, citing examples from other states and cities. In questioning, members explored whether a local facility would keep people closer to families and services or instead increase local detention; Coffey said detention generally cuts off access to services and can intensify fear, and that a local facility could incentivize more detention and make survivors less likely to come forward. Finally, the committee heard HCR 155/HR 147 supporting the Hawaii Water Safety Coalition’s Hawaii Water Safety Act. Testifiers included Allison Shapera, who described the statewide water safety plan, Hawaii’s high drowning rate, the economic and human costs of drownings, and her personal loss of her daughter in a preventable drowning; Kirsten Hermstead and Kalani Vierra of the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association said the plan’s recommendations need legislative recognition to help with implementation and grant funding; and Jessamine Town Horner testified by Zoom as a co-founder and bereaved family advocate. The transcript provided does not show any votes or final committee actions on the measures discussed.

Transcript Highlights:

• But in any event, they're out getting copies of the bill.
• It was a phrase, 'except as required under state or federal law.'
• There's no exception for important public issues. There's no journalistic exception.
• Because I'm looking at these exceptions, and these exceptions to me are just way too broad.
• And it's an exception.

Bills: SB40 , SB104 , SB136 , SB164 , HB99 , HB38 , HB165 , HB127 , HB72 , HB151 , SB40 , SB104 , SB136 , SB164

Committees: Senate Senate Judiciary , Senate House Judiciary

Keywords: SB40, Driver Privacy and Safety Act, automated license plate reader, ALPR, license plate reader, vehicle surveillance, privacy, data sharing, law enforcement data, immigration enforcement, reproductive health care, gender-affirming care, civil liberties, surveillance, public records, Inspection of Public Records Act, New Mexico State Police, Department of Public Safety, data sovereignty, vehicle tracking

Transcript Highlights:

• It creates clear field trip supervision rules, stipulating that except for certain conditions, a staff
• trip supervision rules,<00:03:45.600><c> stipulating</c><00:03:46.360><c> that</c><00:03:46.640><c> except
• </c><00:03:47.000><c> for</c> rules, stipulating that except for rules, stipulating that except for certain
• It's not a one-time event.
• Learning about who they are, going to their events, super fun to be a part of their lives outside of

Transcript Highlights:

• And then it actually goes further and provides an exception: except that the Commission may, upon appropriate
• discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service or partial discontinuance, etc. ...and provides an exception
• : except that the Commission may, upon appropriate requests being made, authorize temporary or emergency
• And, consistent with what Senator Taves had asked, in the event that service was discontinued and they
• But in the event there was a violation and it did look like the potential to be in excess of 10% in this

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• She's doing an exceptional job. She's currently the president of the Peoria School Board.
• These two exceptional leaders run the nationally recognized Phoenix police... Standing, Josh.
• These two exceptional leaders run the nationally recognized Phoenix police.
• Before this next event starts, we will see you over in the House.
• Before this next event starts, we will see you over in the House.

Transcript Highlights:

• That all those present voted in the affirmative except those voting in the negative by a show of hands
• I know it's a small community, except there are still those small communities that do believe that, Mr
• And all those present voted in the affirmative, except those voting in the negative, by a show of hands
• Now, with that, the city of Las Cruces also has air races, and we'll have a one-day event.
• Roswell, I think, is about a five-day event. I was there, plus some of the training things.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've all lived through the historic events of the past few months in the state of Minnesota.
• Everyone except elected Republicans. It is not too late to join us.
• </c><00:08:16.560><c> Everyone</c><00:08:18.000><c> except</c> and secret police.
• Everyone except and secret police. Everyone except elected<00:08:19.039><c> Republicans.
• </c> exceptions are right in the bill. exceptions are right in the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• such as the societies exhibitions events such as the societies exhibitions events such as the Sakura
• today is the petroleum and events today is the petroleum and events today is the petroleum and convenience
• to the internet phone that allows access to the internet phone that allows access to the internet except
• when approved by his or her except when approved by his or her except when approved by his or her probation
• legislative offical icy exceptional legislative offical icy exceptional legislative offical icy today

Transcript Highlights:

• Except as amended by this proclamation, the joint proclamation filed January 27, 2025, is ratified and
• Federal regulations so that in the event that someone else becomes the Secretary of State, Secretary
• that someone else becomes the federal regulations so that in the event that someone else becomes the
• It is what makes us exceptional as a nation and as a society.
• And what has changed since then, except an attitude... ...towards immigrants. Thank you, Mr.

Summary: The Senate opened with a prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the reading of an amended joint proclamation expanding the Legislature’s immigration agenda. The proclamation added items calling for financial penalties for government officials, enhanced criminal penalties for offenses committed by illegal aliens, and programs and appropriations to support law enforcement in enforcing federal immigration law. The chamber then took up the special order calendar, beginning with Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 2B, the immigration bill. Most of the meeting was devoted to debate and questions on the strike-all amendment to SB 2B. Sponsor Senator Gruters described the bill as a broad immigration enforcement package aligned with President Trump’s agenda. He said it would require greater cooperation with federal immigration authorities, strengthen participation in the 287(g) program, create a chief immigration officer and council, authorize financial penalties for noncompliance, provide bonuses for officers assisting ICE, and direct information-sharing with federal agencies. He also said the bill would bar DHSMV from issuing licenses or ID cards to unauthorized aliens and would end in-state tuition waivers for undocumented students. Senators Polsky, Pizzo, Smith, Jones, Berman, Osgood, and others questioned the scope of the bill, whether it would affect schools, churches, cities, nonprofits, and green-card holders, and how the 287(g) provisions would work in practice. Gruters repeatedly said the operational focus was on jails and detention facilities, not street-level enforcement. A major point of controversy was the bill’s proposed mandatory death penalty for unauthorized aliens convicted of certain capital offenses. Senator Fine said the covered crimes were the most serious capital felonies, including murder, child sexual battery, destructive-device offenses causing death, and certain trafficking offenses, and argued the provision was intended to withstand constitutional challenge. Senator Pizzo raised Eighth Amendment concerns and questioned whether the bill could mandate death sentences. The tuition waiver provisions also drew extended debate: Fine said the state would save about $41 million by ending discounted tuition for undocumented students, while Democrats argued the savings would not return to general revenue and that the policy would harm students who are already enrolled. Fine and Gruters said green-card holders would not be affected and that the bill targeted only students in the country illegally. The discussion also covered appropriations and implementation. Senator Smith asked about the bill’s large funding levels, and Fine broke down the spending as including $375 million for the chief immigration officer, $100 million in grants to local law enforcement, $29 million for the new Office of State Immigration Enforcement, and $10 million for an unauthorized-alien transport program. Gruters said the funds would reimburse local governments and help address staffing shortages, while critics questioned the lack of benchmarks and the fiscal impact. No final vote or disposition on the bill appears in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• fund except for that SIPRA<00:14:15.840><c> fund</c><00:14:16.120><c> we</c><00:14:16.240><c> all</c
• The bill also outlines what is not surveillance pricing and includes a narrow exception for discounts
• </c><00:26:16.560><c> for</c> includes a narrow exception for includes a narrow exception for discounts
• So, we get taken advantage of at a non-profit sporting event.
• And so, this non-profit sporting event.

Bills: HF3794 , HF3408

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill before you today makes an exception to this prohibition for this proposal.
• Last year, I had a wealth event when our company was acquired.
• There are some exceptions to these requirements.
• an industrial injury, but repeated exposure to traumatic events is not.
• The exclusion for the rule on repeat exposure to the traumatic events.

Bills: SB6346 , SB6347 , SB6147 , SB6246 , SB5940 , SB5882 , SB6223 , SJR8206 , SB5762 , SB5828

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: millionaires tax, wealth tax, income tax, state revenue, tax reform, Washington estate tax, estate tax, inheritance tax, death tax, probate, decedent, gross estate, taxable estate, exclusion amount, tax rate, estate planning, heirs, beneficiaries, RCW 83.100, Department of Revenue

Transcript Highlights:

• So something that we need the urgency of an event and all of that already the urgency of the Los Angeles
• when fire does happen, are we prepared, how do we keep it from resulting in kind of catastrophic events
• So preventing those 10% of the incidents during high wind events is really the crux of the problem for
• Except for right now, potted plant exception is being considered.
• Yeah, I wanted to first concur on just exceptional, too. panel, so thank you.