Bills: HB 10 , HB 12 , HB 675

Committee: House Delivery of Government Efficiency

Keywords: public information, government transparency, civil penalty, recordkeeping, election reports

Transcript Highlights:

• At some point after that, the operating agreement is signed or the newly elected board issues shares.

Bills: HB0086

Committee: House Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions

Keywords: county officials, election code, misconduct, removal, government accountability, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> 251, removal of county officers election 251, removal of county officers election code<00:00:54.719
• </c> of the Wyoming election code of 1973. of the Wyoming election code of 1973.
• </c> independently elected county officers. independently elected county officers.
• </c> mention the false post-election audit. mention the false post-election audit.
• </c> elections have changed over the years. elections have changed over the years.

Bills: HB0086

Committee: Senate Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions

Keywords: county officials, election code, misconduct, removal, government accountability, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Committee on Federal and Military Affairs and Elections is called to order.
• As soon as the election, during the election, he voted Republican.
• That's why he's a judge, right? That's why he's neutral.
• This legislature has three times declined to give our elections officials authority to connect elections
• Are elections officials' authority to connect elections equipment to the internet.

Bills: SB1037 , SB1040 , SB1259 , SB1281

Committee: House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections

Keywords: elections, voting systems, vote tabulation, election security, internet connectivity, offline voting, chain of custody, polling place equipment, counting center, central counting center, election management system, EMS gateway, tabulation equipment, secretary of state, certification, decertification, HAVA, Help America Vote Act, ballot images, audit logs

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill would also require election on such citizen-initiated measures to occur on a uniform election
• official's politics instead of going through a judge?
• The Supreme Court's political, we elect them.
• Or an election on a ballot proposition or a long lawsuit?
• In this case, an unnecessary election? James: Yes.

Bills: HB21 , HB211 , HB223

Committee: House Intergovernmental Affairs

Keywords: HB 21, Texas Tax Code, ad valorem tax, property tax, delinquent taxes, tax delinquency, penalty reduction, interest rate, split payment, installment payment, tax relief, county tax collector, taxing unit, property owner, tax collection, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax increase election, supermajority, 60 percent threshold

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, the judge will be able to do that as of right now.
• The judge was able to sanction that lawyer for doing that.
• for assignment as a visiting judge.
• visiting judge.
• It's repeated by elected officials.

Bills: HJR144 , HJR218 , HB40 , HB 101 , HB 112 , HB146 , HB168 , HB214 , HB413 , HB1523 , HB493 , HB521 , HB594 , HB557 , HB305 , HB549 , HB854 , HB 1057 , HB 1052 , HB842 , HB3174 , HB3311 , HB2486 , HB3196 , HB824 , HB 1039 , HB2529 , HB2713 , HB4936 , HB4995 , HB4830 , HB4864 , HB5219 , HB5263 , HB5154 , HB2674 , HB5525 , HB5623 , HB2545 , HB2587 , HB2625 , HB5520 , HB5436 , HB4926 , HB1573 , HB5165 , HB4811 , HB5081 , HB4755 , HB3179 , HB4310 , HB4611 , HB2159 , HB4626 , HB3637 , HB3153 , HB3066 , HB2786 , HB2966 , HB638 , HB640 , HB876 , HB497 , HB5539 , HB4809 , HB5308 , HB4687 , HB4070 , HB4421 , HB4412 , HB3284 , HB3369 , HB3420 , HB3449 , HB4098 , HB4281 , HB4120 , HB4504 , HB4370 , HB 1106 , HB2370 , HB2404 , HB3863 , HB2407 , HB2253 , HB2273 , HB2040 , HB1586 , HB3788 , HB3993 , HB4690 , HB4309 , HB4696 , HB2308 , HB 1142 , HB1533 , HB1621 , HB2242 , HB2012 , HB2193 , HB2442 , HB2464 , HB2348 , HB2313 , HB2289 , HB1942 , HB2011 , HB1629 , HB2993 , HB3592 , HB3824 , HB4076 , HB4535 , HB4623 , HB4773 , HB 1091 , HB5115 , HB5515 , HB3372 , HB5659 , HCR118 , HB 1233 , HB2239 , HB2379 , HB2863 , HB3368 , HB3787 , HB3815 , HB3898 , HB4023 , HB4285 , HB4329 , HB4331 , HB4429 , HB4646 , HB4904 , HB5200 , HB5320 , HB5651 , HB5662 , HB5668 , HB5670 , HB5672 , HB5674 , HB5676 , HB5679 , HB5688 , HCR108

Keywords: regional mobility, transportation authority, local law, constitutional amendment, public projects, Texas energy fund, energy efficiency, retail electric customers, electric generating facilities, business court, civil procedure, litigation, jurisdiction, arbitration, Texas State Guard, task force, professionalization, state missions, critical infrastructure, science park district

Transcript Highlights:

• a district judge if at least 18% of the functions that the judge performs or 18% of the total hours
• for the judge works are judicial functions.
• However, county judges were not included in that legislation.
• county judges to allow a, to allow a constitutional county judge entitled to an annual salary supplement
• To receive the district judge salary enhancement based on years of service as a county judge.

Bills: HB104

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, tax rate election, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, de minimis rate, local government, special district, tax increase, tax notice, public hearing, tax code, Health and Safety Code, Texas property taxes, taxing unit, election threshold, two-thirds vote, majority vote, budget approval

Transcript Highlights:

• Matters and not by elected officials.
• I'm a proud Texas resident, and I believe that we elect our legislature to make allocation decisions

Bills: HB104

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, tax rate election, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, de minimis rate, local government, special district, tax increase, tax notice, public hearing, tax code, Health and Safety Code, Texas property taxes, taxing unit, election threshold, two-thirds vote, majority vote, budget approval

Transcript Highlights:

• Other election levels.
• enough for the 2024 election.
• how we're going to administer this election.
• five seats from elected officials that members of color elected to represent them in Washington, D.C
• Nobody knows who's going to win an election.

Bills: HB4 , HB 4

Keywords: district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, 997, house, all

Bills: HB4 , HB4 , HB4

Keywords: district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These seats are not about who gets elected; they're about who gets to choose who is elected.
• That is it, and who they decide to elect is who they decide to elect.
• And it was Democratic judges, judges who were appointed by...
• Elected or not elected. Do you stand for me or do you stand against me?
• So, in 2012, as discussed earlier when Congressman Veal was elected, a three-judge federal panel ordered

Bills: HB4

Committee: House Congressional Redistricting, Select

Keywords: district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the presiding statutory probate court judge of the state of Texas, elected by both Republican and
• Democratic judges.
• The last time I was elected, it was a majority of them were Republican judges, and they vote me in because
• Thank you, Judge Ms. Any questions for Judge Herman? OK. Um, chair calls Walter Macias.
• Thank you, Judge.

Bills: SB 53

Committee: House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Keywords: voter registration, election procedures, provisional ballot, change of address, residence requirements

Bills: SJR 4

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: term limits, state offices, constitutional amendment, governor, lieutenant governor, election reform

Bills: HB 295

Committee: House S/C on Academic & Career-Oriented Education

Keywords: voter registration, election procedures, change of address, residence verification, electoral process

Transcript Highlights:

• White cards are for information purposes only, and blue cards are for certified designated elected officials
• We're going from six days to seven, and then on the presidential and regular elections from eight to
• voting ballots. ...opening and inspecting the election day voting machines after the election, and verification
• of election results and signing the official election returns.
• We can't conduct elections without them. So that's a different bill.

Bills: SB83 , SB135 , SB143 , SB155 , SB157 , SB202 , SB237 , SB261 , SB276 , SB295 , SB450 , SB465 , SB506 , HB1070

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: human trafficking, trafficking prevention, school safety, public schools, elementary and secondary education, charter schools, mandatory reporting, victim identification, victim services, child trafficking, sex trafficking, labor trafficking, commercial sexual activity, DCFS, Department of Children and Family Services, Louisiana State Police, governor's office of human trafficking prevention, counselor training, mental health professional, administrator training

Transcript Highlights:

• It's our election system.
• And in the more than 2,000 elections that have been held with this election...
• The primary election, the party primary election, is the election that has media focus and attention,
• look at the 1998 election, when you look at the potentially the 2002 election, the 2006 election, the
• Our elections need reform.

Bills: H5001

Committee: Joint Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions

Keywords: election day registration, voter registration, proof of residency, provisional ballot, party affiliation

Summary: The Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions held a public hearing on Initiative Petition 25-12, H.503, an act to implement all-party state primaries. Committee leaders explained the Article 48 process and said the hearing was part of the Legislature’s review before any measure could advance toward the 2026 ballot. The hearing format included subject-matter experts, proponents, opponents, and public testimony, though this excerpt mainly covers the expert and proponent panels. The first expert, Northeastern University political scientist Costas Panagopoulos, described top-two primaries used in states such as California, Washington, Alaska, Louisiana, and Nebraska, and said the research shows only modest or mixed effects. He argued that top-two systems do not reliably reduce polarization, can weaken party gatekeeping, may increase campaign spending and incumbent advantages, and can lead to undervoting when voters do not see a preferred candidate on the ballot. In response to questions, he said turnout effects are mixed and not substantially higher overall. Katie King of the National Conference of State Legislatures then outlined different primary systems, including closed, open, top-two/top-four, nonpartisan, all-comers, and blanket primaries, and reviewed Supreme Court cases holding blanket primaries unconstitutional while upholding Washington’s top-two system. She also noted that changing primary systems would require significant voter education and administrative preparation. The proponent panel, led by Danielle Allen of the Coalition for Healthy Democracy, argued that Massachusetts has too many uncontested elections, low primary participation, and too little accountability, and that all-party primaries would give every voter a meaningful choice in a higher-turnout general election. Supporters said the proposal is tailored to Massachusetts, would keep party endorsements visible on the ballot, and could broaden competition, improve representation, and help independent and minor-party candidates. Jim Henderson, coalition counsel, said the bill is narrowly focused on state-level primaries and was drafted to fit Article 48 requirements. Other proponents, including Kevin Johnson, Kate Kavanaugh, and Spencer Reynolds, echoed that the current system overrepresents a small partisan electorate and that the reform would shift power to voters. Committee members pressed the proponents on turnout evidence, party endorsements, ballot access, the role of fusion-style cross-endorsements, the effect on polarization, and whether the change would actually improve representation or simply move party influence to an earlier stage. No votes or final committee action were taken in the excerpt.

Bills: SB12

Committee: House Public Education

Keywords: election laws, attorney general, prosecution, criminal offenses, law enforcement, criminal prosecution, jurisdiction

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't have to figure out the 40th day from the election.
• We don't have to figure out the 40th day from the election.
• would be recorded in the first quarter report, January 1st through April 30th, before a primary election

Bills: SB2156

Committee: House Government and Veterans Affairs

Keywords: campaign finance, disclosure, political contributions, election transparency, North Dakota Century Code, 908, all

Summary: The committee met to reconsider and further amend Senate Bill 2156, a campaign finance/reporting bill tied to Secretary of State filing requirements and new software implementation. Members and legislative counsel explained that the bill would keep current law in place for 2025, then take effect January 1, 2026, when the new system is expected to be ready. Discussion focused on hard reporting dates, how year-end and quarterly reports would be handled, which entities must disclose balances, and clarifying that some provisions apply to statewide political parties and certain political committees but not to candidates or candidate committees in the same way. Representative Steiner walked through the amendment, describing it as mostly technical and intended to align reporting deadlines with fixed calendar dates, simplify compliance, and preserve existing treatment for some balance disclosures. Members asked about public availability of certain filed information, the meaning of references to beginning and ending balances, and whether the new fines and other provisions would also be delayed until 2026. Legislative counsel said the bill’s effective date would cover the entire act and noted some disclosure questions were not clearly answered in current law. The committee adopted the amendment and then approved Senate Bill 2156 as amended on a do-pass motion. The roll call was unanimous, and the chair adjourned the meeting, noting the changes were intended to help the Secretary of State’s office and candidates transition to the new reporting system.

Transcript Highlights:

• statewide multi-candidate committee, the balance of the campaign fund on the 40th day before the election
• He's judging us from free things. I know. I know. No judgment.

Bills: SB2156

Committee: House Government and Veterans Affairs

Keywords: campaign finance, disclosure, political contributions, election transparency, North Dakota Century Code, 908, all

Summary: The subcommittee met to review amendments to a campaign finance bill, focusing on reporting requirements for ending balances and annual statements. Members and staff worked through whether the language should apply to all multi-candidate committees or only statewide multi-candidate committees, and whether the addition of non-statewide political parties created any unintended change from current law. Dustin Richard from the Secretary of State’s office explained that the draft needed to be tightened to mirror existing law by inserting “statewide” where appropriate, while keeping the new non-statewide political party provisions as intended. The committee also discussed an effective date and application clause. Staff explained that an effective date of January 1, 2026 would align with the new reporting requirements, and that 2025 transactions would still be reported under the old law while 2026 transactions would follow the new rules. Members asked for plain-language clarification about how the application clause would work and whether any statutory cleanup would be needed afterward. A motion was made, seconded, and approved to adopt the amendments, with the motion then rephrased to refer to the “Dustin amendments.” The meeting concluded with scheduling discussion about reconvening later in the week to keep the bill moving before the deadline, followed by adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the sentence that was deleted was: 'in the period 30 days before a primary election and 60 days before
• a special or general election.'
• or any term meaning the same as incumbent or challenger is used in support or opposition to the election
• . through December 31st and January 1st through the 40th day of the special election.
• ... ...contributed over $250 solely to influence a statewide election or an election for the legislative

Bills: SB2156

Committee: House Government and Veterans Affairs

Keywords: campaign finance, disclosure, political contributions, election transparency, North Dakota Century Code, 908, all

Summary: The subcommittee met to review HB 2156, which reorganizes North Dakota campaign finance disclosure law by repealing Chapter 16.1 and moving the provisions into a new Chapter 16.2 with mostly technical cross-reference updates. Legislative Council and the Secretary of State’s office walked through the bill section by section, explaining that most language is carried over from current law, with some cleanup to definitions, reporting requirements, public access rules, and filing procedures. The committee discussed how the new chapter would apply to candidates, candidate committees, political committees, political parties, ballot measure groups, and conduits. Several substantive issues were raised and adjusted during the discussion. Members questioned the open-records language for expenditures and contributions over $250, the use of “deposit” versus “receipt” as the reporting trigger, and whether the 48-hour supplemental reporting deadline should be changed to three calendar days; the group ultimately favored keeping 48 hours and using “deposit” consistently. They also clarified reporting dates, including changing one special-election deadline from 40 days to 39 days, and confirmed that balances of campaign funds would be reported but not made publicly available. The Secretary of State’s office also explained that the bill would make late fees public and that the chapter-wide penalty for willful violations remains a Class A misdemeanor. The main policy change debated at length was the late-filing fee schedule. Members expressed concern that the existing penalties were too low to deter intentional non-filers, and after discussion the committee agreed to increase the final late fee from $100 to $500 while keeping the new public posting of delinquent filers. The committee also reviewed an inflation-adjustment provision for reporting thresholds and the “ultimate true source of funds” language, which was described as existing law being carried into the new chapter. The meeting ended with the understanding that additional drafting changes would be made and that the bill would be ready for further committee action later in the week.