Video & Transcript Research : 'Preston Griffith'
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UT
Utah 2025 Regular Session
Health and Human Services Interim Committee - November 19, 2025
Health and Human Services Interim Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- And Amy Griffiths, that? Perfect. Have a seat and state your name, and welcome to our committee.
- And joining me is Chief Amy Griffiths with the Division of Prison Operations.
- Joining me is Chief Amy Griffiths with the Division of Prison Operations.
- I have invited Chief Griffiths to detail the response to the recommendations and will also be prepared
- Amy Griffiths, UDC Chief of Prison Operations. Could you pull up, Mike, just a little bit closer?
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure
Transcript Highlights:
- We have Preston. Thank you, Sean, for your testimony. Thank you.
- We have Preston Osmond from the United Musicians and Allied Workers.
- My name is Preston Osmond.
- Thank you, Preston. Any questions from the committee? See, no questions.
Summary:
The committee opened a hearing of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure and reviewed a broad agenda including credit card fees, event ticketing, music therapy licensure, senior psychologist licensure, CPA pathways, school mental health licensure, and a bill regulating alternative healing therapies. The chairs explained hearing logistics, including three-minute testimony limits and submission of written testimony, and noted that more than 70 people had signed up to testify. Legislators and advocates were heard out of order throughout the day.
A major portion of the hearing focused on credit card surcharge and interchange legislation. Restaurant owners, the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, NFIB, and other small-business witnesses supported bills allowing merchants to add convenience fees and, in one proposal, preventing card companies from charging fees on tax and tip portions of transactions. They argued that swipe fees are a major and growing cost, especially for restaurants, and that Massachusetts is one of only two states that bars surcharges. Opponents from the Cooperative Credit Union Association, the Electronic Payment Coalition, and the Electronic Transactions Association warned that the proposals would create compliance burdens, fragment the payment system, raise legal preemption issues, and disrupt a system they described as efficient and secure.
The committee also heard competing testimony on ticket transferability and ticket resale. Supporters, including the National Consumers League and Sports Fans Coalition, said bills on ticket transferability would protect consumers who cannot attend events and would increase competition and savings in the secondary market. Opponents, including United Musicians and Allied Workers and theater owners, argued that mandatory transferability would weaken artists’ and venues’ ability to prevent scalping and predatory resale, and that some ticket sellers should be exempt from the broader ticketing regulations. Separate testimony supported music therapy licensure, senior psychologist licensure, and new CPA education pathways, with witnesses saying these measures would expand access to care and strengthen the workforce while maintaining professional standards. The hearing also drew extensive opposition to S.261 on alternative healing therapies, with practitioners and clients arguing it would overregulate spiritual and holistic practices and was not an effective response to human trafficking concerns.
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
House Legislative Session Day 41 (3-6-26)
Kentucky House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- I also want to acknowledge the hard work of Damon Preston on this bill from DPA.
- hard work I also want to acknowledge the hard work of<00:33:13.600>
Damon <00:33:13.920>Preston - of Damon Preston on this bill from DPA. of Damon Preston on this bill from DPA.
Summary:
The House convened, received the invocation and Pledge of Allegiance, established a quorum, excused absent members, and approved the journal. The clerk also announced Senate passage of Senate Bills 59, 137, 177, and 199 and requested concurrence. The chamber then moved into second reading, reporting a slate of bills and resolutions on health care, energy, child welfare, Medicaid, workplace violence, and coal/energy assessment, before proceeding to third reading and passage of several measures.
A major focus was House Bill 542 on eminent domain. The sponsor described it as a transparency measure to improve communication with property owners, require better notice, prohibit misleading statements, allow owner-paid appraisals to be used throughout negotiations, and account for agricultural improvements and access. Members discussed the bill’s intent to treat property owners fairly and reduce court costs; the House adopted House Committee Substitute 1 and passed the bill 89-0. House Bill 565 on fire protection was presented as technical cleanup to clarify enforcement authority for local fire appeal boards created last year, and it passed 91-0.
The House also passed House Bill 611 on domestic relations, which creates a 10-year interpersonal protective order for certain felony assault convictions involving family members, unmarried couples, or dating partners, and updates domestic violence data reporting requirements; the committee substitute was adopted and the bill passed 91-0. House Bill 657 on professional licensing background checks was explained as giving five licensure boards authority to obtain FBI ORI numbers so they can receive fingerprint background checks and comply with interstate compacts; it passed 91-0. House Bill 762 on legal representation was amended on the floor to avoid excluding appellate attorneys, then passed 91-0; it was described as clarifying Department of Public Advocacy representation and related salary provisions.
The House also passed House Bill 108 on solid waste management, which its sponsor said closes a loophole allowing residual waste landfills to be sited in a different county from the industry without local input; it passed 79-8. House Bill 67 on schools, a cleanup measure to prior legislation requiring traceable communication systems for school employees, was introduced with a committee substitute and discussed as clarifying definitions and exemptions while preserving protections for students; the transcript cuts off before the final vote on that bill.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- The Chair calls June Nguyen, Braden Preston, and Lauren Pena. Thank you. Oh, God.
- Brayden Preston, we show you as Brayden Preston testifying on behalf of yourself, and you are against
- My name is Brayden Preston. I am testifying in opposition to the bill.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Ways and Means (02/05/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- Next, I have Alicia Preston. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee.
- Preston thank you Mr chairman and Preston thank you Mr chairman and members<01:48:32.159>
of <01 - Next I have Alicia Preston. Thank you. Any questions? Seeing none, thank you very much.
- Next I have Alicia Preston. Hello again. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the committee.
- I'm Alicia Preston.
Summary:
The committee first held a public hearing and then an executive session on HB 650, a housekeeping-style bill from the Joint Committee on Dedicated Funds. Testimony explained that the bill would remove references to two already-repealed dedicated funds, split the state parks dedicated fund so Cannon Mountain winter activities would be tracked separately from the rest of the parks system, and place a $1 million cap on the robotics education fund so excess money would revert to the general fund. Supporters said the changes were mainly administrative but would improve accounting and avoid timing issues; committee members asked about a typographical error in the bill text and whether the measure was more than housekeeping. The committee later voted 16-0 to recommend HB 650 ought to pass, and then placed it on the consent calendar.
The committee also opened a public hearing on HB 585, which would revise the property tax exemption for religious organizations. Representative John Janigian, the sponsor, said the bill was intended to help small churches and other religious groups that own parsonages or worship buildings but no longer have a resident pastor, allowing them to rent space or use property for church purposes without losing the exemption so long as the money is used for church operations, maintenance, or outreach. He described his Salem church’s parsonage being taxed after it was no longer occupied by a pastor, and said the bill would prevent similar burdens on small congregations. Former Representative Betty Gay testified in support, describing prior assessor actions in Salem that taxed church land and buildings very aggressively, while a Municipal Association representative testified in opposition. Committee members raised questions about how terms such as “regularly recognized and constituted denomination” would be defined, whether the bill could be applied consistently to larger denominations with multiple parishes, and whether legislative research should review past treatment of similar cases.
NY
New York 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Standing Committee on Higher Education - 05/05/2026
Higher Education
Transcript Highlights:
- Seconded by Senator Griffith. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? All those in favor? Aye. Opposed?
- Moved by Senator Griffith. Is there a second? Seconded by Senator Oberacker. All those opposed?
Summary:
The Senate Higher Education Committee met on May 5 and considered 12 bills, with most measures relating to higher education administration, student services, and professional licensing. The committee advanced a rural teacher loan repayment program for teachers serving underserved rural areas, a SUNY/CUNY mental health staffing requirement, a bill allowing SED access to patient or client records in professional misconduct cases, an AI-in-therapy regulation bill, cross-profession supervision for certain mental health professionals, an extension of limited permits for social workers, continuing education requirements for acupuncturists, and updated supervision rules for physical therapy assistants. One bill reorganizing SUNY police was held for further negotiations with SUNY, SUNY police, and stakeholders.
Two Article 7, Section 2, subdivision E motions for committee consideration were taken up. Senator Rose’s bill to withhold financial aid from SUNY or CUNY institutions that permit organizations designated as terrorist organizations was defeated after several senators voted no or without recommendation. Senator Kanzanari Fitzpatrick’s bill requiring anti-Semitism awareness training, incident reporting, and compliance with state reporting rules for higher education institutions was approved and sent to the Codes Committee, with some senators voting without recommendation because they viewed the subject as already covered by existing law.
The committee also reported Senator Rivera’s nurse practitioner conformity bill to the floor, and several other bills were reported either to the floor or to Finance depending on their fiscal impact. Most measures were approved without opposition, though some senators voted without recommendation on bills they said overlapped with existing statutes or prior legislation. The meeting adjourned at 10:52 a.m.
MD
Transcript Highlights:
- Delegate Woods and Delegate Griffith are going to be carrying this tradition on.
- Delegate Woods and Delegate Griffith<00:19:49.600>
are <00:19:49.720>going <00:19:49.880 - >
to <00:19:49.960>be <00:19:50.080>carrying <00:19:50.360>this Griffith - are going to be carrying this Griffith are going to be carrying this tradition<00:19:50.960>
on.
Summary:
The House met on February 24, 2026, with 110 members initially present and later 126 present after additional quorum calls. The chamber handled routine introductions and referrals, including House bills 1629-1631 and Introductory House Bond Initiatives 60 and 61, and received Senate Bill 9 and Supplemental Budget Number One, both of which were read and referred to the appropriate committees. The supplemental budget was submitted as an amendment to the fiscal 2027 budget and referred to Appropriations.
The House then took up third reading and final passage on several bills. House Bills 311 (public schools, individuals with disabilities, accessibility, and emergency planning), 359 (property tax credit for urban agricultural property alterations), 396 (residential child care programs and training), 430 (family child care providers and reserve component members), 735 (earned income tax credit assistance program implementation delay and study), and 851 (Maryland Statewide Independent Living Council legal status) all passed, with HB 396 receiving four negative votes and the others passing overwhelmingly or unanimously. House Bill 805, the Building Homes Act, also passed after brief floor questions about whether the tax credit would apply to nonprofits and what safeguards existed; the sponsor explained it was an enabling bill and that local governments could set their own requirements.
The floor session included several personal and guest recognitions, including visitors in the gallery, a doctor of the day, a birthday recognition, Women in Construction Week, African Advocacy Day, District 16 night, and a foster youth shadow day announcement. Members also discussed the addition of children’s books in the lounge and thanked the pages for their work. Committee and subcommittee announcements followed, and the House recessed until Monday, March 9, at 8:00 p.m. legislative day February 25.
MO
Missouri 2026 Regular Session
Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Task Force May 5th, 2026 at 09:00 am
Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Task Force
MO
Missouri 2026 Regular Session
Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Task Force May 5th, 2026
Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Task Force
Transcript Highlights:
- Representatives Collins, Griffith, and Laubinger. Here. Senators Black. Here. May. Thank you. Here.
- Representatives Collins, Griffith, and Laubinger. Aye. Senators. Aye. May. No. Black? Aye. May? No.
Summary:
The Task Force on Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment met to confirm quorum, review its recent work, and reorganize leadership. The chair explained that the task force’s prior reports had been cumulative: the first surveyed Missouri’s substance use disorder system and spending, the second identified objectives, and the third focused on transportation and housing. For the coming year, the chair suggested revisiting the task force’s existing goals and asking state departments how successful those efforts have been, with possible summer hearings and a meeting with the governor’s office to align priorities.
Members then considered nominations for chair. Senator Joe Nicola and Representative Del Taylor were nominated, and after roll call Senator Nicola was elected chair for the remainder of the year by a 6-4 vote. Representative Taylor was then nominated and selected by acclamation as vice chair. During discussion, members noted the work involved in collecting data and drafting reports, thanked staff and policy support teams, and emphasized that the state still has significant substance abuse challenges despite progress.
Before adjournment, members suggested improving public notice for meetings so more community members and people working on the ground can participate in hearings. The new chair said he would work with staff to schedule summer hearings and gather input from departments and the governor’s office. The meeting then adjourned.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Please, the Chair calls Steve Swanson, Rachel Preston, and Monty Ekster. Thank you. Thank you.
- Rachel Preston.
- Okay, we're gonna show Rachel Preston, registered on behalf of herself, registered on the.
Bills:
HB8
Keywords:
HB 8, Texas public school accountability, school accountability, public school transparency, STAAR, state assessments, instructionally supportive assessment program, Student Success Tool, Texas Education Agency, TEA, accountability ratings, A-F ratings, through-year assessment, benchmark testing, norm-referenced assessment, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plan, school district performance, campus turnaround
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- witnesses registered, so I'm going to call the first three: Rodney Holmes, Brian Dolan, and Melinda Preston
- The chair calls Melinda Preston. Thank you for being here.
- We show you registered as Melinda Preston on behalf of yourself and that you will be testifying for the
Keywords:
affordable housing, land use, zoning, urban planning, community development, housing crisis, mixed-use development, sustainability, municipal utility district, board of directors, qualifications, land ownership, Texas, taxation, residency, municipal approval, subdivision plans, local governance, plats, local government
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- Senate File 548, you got Jeff Nebar and Rebecca Preston. You came in from where? The West Valley?
- Necker here and Rebecca Preston, so go ahead. The floor is yours. Thank you so much, Mr.
- got Mr neckar here and Rebecca Preston got Mr neckar here and Rebecca Preston so<01:31:41.080>
- Rebecca Preston, will you please, for the record, state your name?
- Yes, my name is Rebecca Preston. Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee.
Summary:
The committee heard a presentation from DHS on its early intensive developmental and behavioral intervention (EIDBI) study and related licensing proposal. Christy Grom explained that EIDBI is a Medical Assistance state plan service for children and young adults under 21 with autism or related conditions, and that DHS’s multi-phase evaluation included standards review, community engagement, and a comparison with other states. She said the service is important but that DHS identified gaps in oversight, including stretched clinical supervision, providers affiliated with many centers, out-of-state providers, and rapid growth in enrollment that has outpaced current monitoring capacity.
DHS’s main recommendation was to create a provisional license for EIDBI in Chapter 245A as an immediate step, with later work toward full licensing standards. The proposal would let DHS identify controlling individuals, disqualify ineligible people, investigate maltreatment, suspend or revoke licenses, require background studies and qualifications before service delivery, move EIDBI providers into a higher-risk category for revalidation, and make DHS the lead investigative agency for maltreatment. DHS also recommended statutory standards for supervision, caseloads, training, and documentation, while emphasizing the need to balance oversight with continued access to services. Grom said the provisional licensure proposal is part of the governor’s budget and that DHS hopes to begin implementation in 2025, with a possible full license start date in 2028.
Testifiers then spoke in support of EIDBI while urging the committee to preserve access and include more community input. Ana Hagi Muhammad, a parent of three autistic children and a Somali community advocate, said EIDBI has been beneficial for her family and that community organizations serving Somali families have not been sufficiently engaged in DHS’s process. Ana Muhammad, a Black mother of a young autistic child, said ABA has helped her son with communication, self-regulation, and independence, and asked that discussions reflect the diversity of family experiences. Committee members asked testifiers to keep remarks brief and to identify which modality they use, and the chair indicated the committee would continue hearing from additional testifiers before further discussion.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Rachel Preston is, yes. Yes, that's right. Okay.
- I show you registered as Rachel Preston, testifying on behalf of yourself.
- Miss Preston, Mr. Chairman, committee members, my name is Rachel Preston.
- Chairman, committee members, my name is Rachel Preston.
- All right, we'll begin with Rachel Preston. You may begin two minutes.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Public Service Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on Public Service
Transcript Highlights:
- And Jessica Ledger and Nolan Griffiths. And one more, we have Graham Broberg. Thank you.
- with our treasurer, Jessica Ledger, who works at the State Police Crime Lab, board member Nolan Griffiths
- My name is Nolan Griffiths.
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Public Service held its 15th hearing of the 194th General Court, focused on retirement group classifications for a range of public safety and related employees. Much of the testimony centered on bills affecting Barnstable County dispatchers and 911 telecommunicators, who argued they should remain in or be moved to Group 2 because their work is highly stressful, life-or-death in nature, and historically had been treated that way. Speakers said the proposed changes would largely grandfather in current employees, would not add costs in some cases, and were needed to correct outdated statutory language and PERAC rulings that had created uncertainty for workers nearing retirement or already retired. Similar support was offered for bills to reclassify 911 dispatchers statewide from Group 1 to Group 2, with testimony from dispatch supervisors, sheriffs, and police associations describing chronic stress, PTSD, staffing shortages, and retention problems.
The committee also heard testimony on several other retirement-related bills. Representatives of Massport and campus police supported measures to align retirement benefits for Massport police and public higher education police with other law enforcement groups, arguing they perform comparable duties and face similar risks. The Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association also backed a bill to ease post-retirement earning restrictions for retired police and firefighters so they can continue consulting, training, or advising without penalty. MOSES testified in favor of bills moving certain state employees into Group 2, including forensic scientists at the State Police Crime Lab, DCR aerial foresters, and Department of Correction construction coordinators, citing hazardous work environments and physical danger. Department of Fire Services compliance officers likewise sought Group 4 classification, describing exposure to toxins, fatal fire scenes, and cancer risks.
No votes were taken during the hearing. The committee heard extensive testimony from affected employees, union and association representatives, and public safety officials, all urging favorable reports on the bills. At the end of the hearing, the chairs thanked witnesses and staff, and the committee adjourned after a motion and second.
NY
New York 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Standing Committee on Transportation - 05/19/2026
Transportation
Transcript Highlights:
- Senator Griffith. EWR. The bill is reported. Next bill: S 9749 by Senator Crounse?
- Okay, is Senator Griffith. And your name as well. Senator Petra. EWR. Senator Gallup.
Summary:
The Senate Transportation Committee held its final meeting of the 2026 session, with Chair Jeremy Cooney noting quorum and thanking staff and members. The committee considered a large agenda of transportation-related bills, including measures on school construction notice from NYC DOT, inspection station disclosures, electronic signatures for vehicle registration forms, sex trafficking awareness and prevention, passenger notification after sexual assault incidents involving transportation network companies, hazardous materials rail notifications, ATV seasonal use, highway dedications, disabled-person license plates, a DMV study of inspection stations and fees, lighting requirements for e-bikes and e-scooters, school speed zone cameras in New Rochelle, work zone safety instruction for new drivers, removal of registration stickers in favor of electronic certificates, complete streets considerations, hands-free device rules for bus/taxi/livery drivers, bans on virtual reality headsets while driving, early registration renewal for deployed service members, and road salt distribution requirements.
Most bills were reported from committee by voice vote, often with bipartisan support. Several members offered brief comments supporting bills aimed at public safety, worker protection, distracted driving prevention, and trafficking awareness. Senator Gallivan opposed the bill eliminating registration stickers, citing concerns that the stickers help law enforcement quickly identify registered vehicles; that bill was referred to Finance. The committee also referred the road salt bill and the supplemental rail-worker protection bill to Finance, while some other measures were referred onward to Codes or Consumer Protection.
The meeting closed after the supplemental rail-worker protection bill was added at the end of the agenda and reported with bipartisan support. Overall, the session emphasized transportation safety, worker protections, and administrative updates to vehicle and highway law.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- Griffith, Mr. Hunt, and Mr. Massik.
- Macarios and then Griffith, Hunt, and Massik.
- >
Hunt <00:26:16.240>and Macarios and then Griffith Hunt and Macarios and then Griffith - Let's go to Bill Griffith, Greg Hunt, and Holly Massik. Mr.
- Bill Griffith: I'm representing Mall of America.
Keywords:
individual income tax, retirement contributions, tax corrections, annuity contracts, tax year attribution, tax credit, economic development, community investment, data disclosure, Minnesota regulations, tax increment financing, municipal authority, job creation, transferred increment, public hearing, nonresident employees, income tax exemption, Minnesota taxation, employment duties, tax withholding
WY
Wyoming 2026 Regular Session
Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration, June 25, 2026 - AM
Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration
Transcript Highlights:
- Griffith, would you introduce yourself? >> Oh, I’m sorry.
- Michael Griffith, school finance consultant uh with uh Picas Odn Associates.
- Griffith. >> Sure. >> You say South Dakota 600,000. It says 592 million on your slide. >> Oh, wow.
- Griffith? So, it'd be interesting to me how Utah uses those earmarks, the $50...
- Griffith for your efforts, and we'll move on to technology at this point.
FL
Florida 2026 4th Special Session
February 12, 2026 - 09:15 AM
Transcript Highlights:
- Chair: Vice Chair Griffiths, you're recognized. Vice Chair Griffiths: Thank you, Mr.
- Clerk: Representative Griffith? Representative Griffith: Yes. Clerk: Representative Harris?
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Braden Preston, uh, Lauren Pena. To who you missing. Lauren Pena. Oh, you serious? All right, um.
- Thank you for being here, Braden Preston.
- We show you as Braden Preston testifying on behalf on behalf of yourself, and you are against SB 8.
- My name is Braden Preston. I'm testifying in opposition.
FL
Florida 2026 4th Special Session
February 16, 2026 - 11:30 AM
Transcript Highlights:
- I'M GOING TO PASS THE GAVEL OVER TO REP GRIFFITHS. 52 >> Rep. Griffitts: Thank you, Chair Shoaf.
- Griffiths, you outlined a lot of good accountability measures in here.
Summary:
The Transportation Economic Budget Subcommittee met with a quorum and heard four measures. First, the committee considered PCS for HB 1177, which originally addressed ad valorem tax exemptions for defense and aerospace operations and contract procedures for Space Florida. An amendment removed the tax exemption portion for later consideration in the tax package, and the bill then passed favorably after brief discussion about Florida’s competitiveness in the space industry.
The committee next took up a conforming budget bill on documentary stamp taxes, which redirects a portion of doc stamp revenue from general revenue to the State Transportation Trust Fund. The sponsor said the change restores a $60 million transportation funding stream with a corresponding general revenue reduction, while maintaining a net zero fiscal impact overall. Members asked about why the funding was being restored and how the money would be used, and the bill passed favorably.
Members then heard PCB 26-02, which re-creates the Emergency Preparedness Response Fund and adds restrictions and oversight. The proposal limits the fund to state appropriations for natural emergencies, requires legislative consultation for extended emergencies, keeps revenue in the fund, sends federal reimbursements to general revenue, adds quarterly reporting and inventory/accounting requirements, and sunsets the fund in 2030 unless reenacted. Testimony and debate focused on accountability, disaster response readiness, and concerns about prior uses of the fund; the PCB passed favorably.
Finally, the committee considered HB 953, which strengthens oversight of commercial driving schools by authorizing county tax collectors to enforce related statutes and inspections. The sponsor said the bill responds to fraud and misrepresentation in the industry and would help protect driver licensing integrity, especially in South Florida. After supportive testimony from the Miami-Dade Tax Collector’s Office and a lobbyist, the bill passed favorably. The meeting then adjourned.