Video & Transcript Research : 'free expression'

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TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • I applaud Texas A&M Systems for recognizing this opportunity and for... expressing their strong support
  • Ladies and gentlemen of the committee, this bill is a student choice and a free market bill.
  • Ladies and gentlemen of the committee, this bill is a student choice and a free market bill.
  • Free college application time periods are not uncommon.
  • Appreciate that... those applications are in those two months Free college application time periods are
Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 met with a large agenda and repeatedly recessed for floor activity and other committee conflicts. The committee heard and left pending several higher education bills, including SB 2361 to transfer University of Houston-Victoria from the University of Houston System to the Texas A&M System and rename it Texas A&M University Victoria; testimony from university officials, local leaders, and industry representatives strongly supported the move as a way to better align degree programs with regional workforce needs in engineering, agriculture, and STEM. SB 530, which would align Texas accreditation statutes with federal rules allowing institutions to choose among nationally recognized accreditors, also received supportive testimony and was left pending. SB 1085, allowing Sul Ross satellite campuses to offer lower-division coursework toward bachelor’s degrees, was laid out and left pending as well. The committee also took up a series of education policy bills. SB 1241 would expand the standardized tests Texas public universities may accept for admission beyond the SAT and ACT, with supporters from the Classic Learning Test, homeschool advocates, and student-choice groups arguing it would increase access and competition; it was left pending. SB 769 would require a TEA/Higher Education Coordinating Board report on barriers faced by students with disabilities in higher education, and testimony from The Arc of Texas and others emphasized the need for better data and accessibility; the bill was left pending. SB 2231 would designate the second week of October as Free College Application Week, and SB 1878 would modernize terminology and support workforce-oriented programs at the Josie School; both were laid out and left pending. The committee reported several bills favorably after adopting committee substitutes. SB 605, concerning charter school expansion applications while under conservatorship or a management team, passed on a 9-0 vote. SB 1871, SB 1873, and SB 1874, all related to school discipline and teacher immunity/placement review provisions, were adopted and reported favorably, with members noting the need for further discussion on some language. SB 762, dealing with flag displays in public schools, passed on a 7-1 vote. SB 1962, relating to public school accountability and challenges to school system operations, passed 7-1 after a corrected vote. SB 1750, replacing a $60 million statewide charter facilities cap with an attendance-growth-based allotment, passed 7-1 with one member voting present not voting. SB 2252, supporting kindergarten readiness and early literacy/numeracy, SB 2253, concerning educator preparation and certification, SB 2365, on student use of wireless devices during instructional time, and SB 1924, restoring local peace officer citation authority for school offenses and adding reporting and parent-notification requirements, were also reported favorably. The committee additionally heard SB 37 on higher education governance and compliance oversight, which passed 7-1 after a substitute that refined curriculum review, governing board authority, faculty senate rules, and a new compliance office within the Higher Education Coordinating Board.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

WAL Public Hearing - Thu Mar 19, 2026 @ 9:00 AM HST

Water & Land

Transcript Highlights:
  • adaptation instead, unless there's a concern that perhaps the subject is not the same as what is expressed
  • There's a concern that perhaps the subject is not the same as what is expressed in the title.
Summary: The Committee on Water and Land heard testimony on SB 5253 SD2 relating to conservation and SB 2401 relating to regional shoreline mitigation district, with the chair emphasizing short testimony limits and the need to finish before session. On SB 5253, DLNR said it stood on its written testimony and answered questions about the bill’s proposed nonprofit endangered species sanctuary. Members asked whether existing entities or agreements, such as land trusts, private landowners, and DLNR safe harbor agreements, could accomplish similar conservation goals without creating a new entity. DLNR said similar work already exists, but it was not aware of a comparable sanctuary model in the state. A member also questioned language suggesting for-profit businesses in the sanctuary, and DLNR said the intent appeared to be sales of outreach or similar materials, though it agreed that such activities could be handled by a nonprofit. The bulk of the hearing focused on SB 2401, which would create a regional shoreline adaptation/mitigation framework. The Department of the Attorney General said it had concerns about inconsistent use of the terms “mitigation” and “adaptation,” warning of possible title-subject issues. DLNR said it was neutral on the terminology and more concerned with the substance, and noted that the bill would not waive permits; any plan would still require environmental review and applicable state and county permits. DLNR also supported OHA’s recommendation to consider impacts on Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices during regional planning, and said the bill’s language on temporary shoreline protection measures could help address the gap between emergency permits and longer-term planning while avoiding a hardening-only approach. The Office of Planning supported the regional planning concept but noted it is not a regulatory agency and would need to work with DLNR and the Land Board. OHA supported the bill’s planning-based approach but recommended amendments to require assessment of impacts on Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices during plan development and to clarify that environmental review would still apply at the project level. Testifiers from the Ka‘anapali Steering Committee strongly supported the bill, saying it would provide a regional framework for ongoing erosion problems while preserving full regulatory authority and normal permitting, and they proposed amendments to standardize terminology, create a limited pathway for temporary shoreline protection, and address ownership and maintenance responsibilities. Members discussed the meaning of “mitigation” versus “adaptation,” the scope of shoreline hardening, and whether the bill would help the legislature take a broader, more holistic view of shoreline decisions. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

CPC Public Hearing - Wed Feb 18, 2026 @ 2:00 PM HST

Consumer Protection & Commerce

Transcript Highlights:
  • It's going to be a huge impact on so many thousands of people, as has just been expressed.
  • So, you know, we're not been expressed.
  • Supreme Court case, Free Speech Coalition Incorporated v.
  • <02:14:38.320> Is<02:14:38.480> that certain kinds of free speech.
  • Is that certain kinds of free speech.
Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 20, which would create a lava zone insurance subsidy/fund. The Insurance Division opposed the bill, arguing that lava zones 1 and 2 are the highest-risk areas, that a subsidy would not reduce the underlying risk or loss costs, that it could invite similar subsidy requests for other hazards, and that the bill may conflict with HICV by diverting funds from the CRF. Members discussed the lack of authorized homeowners insurance in those lava zones, the role of HPIA and the surplus market, and the difference between the proposed lava-zone subsidy and the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund. The chair noted 37 submitted testimonies in support and one in opposition, and the committee then moved on without taking a vote on HB 20 in the portion provided. The committee then took up HB 2612, relating to mortgages, which would clarify that a mortgage does not exist independently of the debt it secures and is not independently enforceable from that debt. The Hawaii Credit Union League and Hawaii Financial Services Association opposed the bill, while several individuals testified in support, arguing it would restore Hawaii’s long-standing lien-state rule and prevent so-called “zombie mortgages” after the Hawaii Supreme Court’s White decision. Supporters said the bill would protect borrowers from delayed foreclosures and predatory lending practices, while opponents and the Insurance Division emphasized that foreclosure actions still require proof of standing and possession of the note, and that lenders generally pursue foreclosure without seeking deficiency judgments. Committee members questioned the Insurance Division about how the current market works, whether lenders could wait out the statute of limitations and then foreclose only on the mortgage, and whether equitable tolling or later defaults could allow refiling. The division said it is still trying to attract authorized insurers back into the lava-zone market, but has seen little progress. No vote or final action on HB 2612 was taken in the excerpt provided.
NV
Transcript Highlights:
  • Additionally, it directs the Secretary of State to issue free digital ID cards upon request, though the
  • Additionally, it directs the Secretary of State to issue free digital ID cards upon requests, though
  • for this committee, this bill appropriates $548,528 to the Department of Motor Vehicles to provide free
  • Or if we need to allocate additional money for free identification, if we need to allocate additional
  • Birth certificates should be free.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • several other bills very well that are part of our overarching priority to eliminate dangerous gun-free
  • have ever taken place since we started tracking them in 19- and 50 have occurred in dangerous gun-free
TX

Texas 89th Regular

State Affairs (Part I) Apr 10th, 2025

State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • several other bills very well that are part of our overarching priority to eliminate dangerous gun-free
  • shootings that have ever taken place since we started tracking them in 1950 have occurred in dangerous gun-free
Summary: The Senate State Affairs Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 1065, which would require government property contracts to prohibit contractors from barring licensed handgun holders from carrying firearms on leased or owned public property, with civil penalties and attorney general enforcement for violations. Senator Hall and invited witnesses from the Texas State Rifle Association, NRA, and Texas Gun Rights argued the bill would close a loophole exposed by the State Fair of Texas gun ban and protect law-abiding Texans’ self-defense rights. Opponents, including Moms Demand Action/Everytown, said the bill would undermine event organizers’ ability to set site-specific safety rules and could increase liability and insurance costs. Public testimony was then closed and the bill was left pending. The committee next took up Senate Bill 2742, which would create civil penalties for independent school districts and officials who use public resources for electioneering, waive immunity defenses, and expand attorney general enforcement. Senator Hagan-Bood said current law bans the conduct but lacks meaningful penalties, making injunctions the only remedy. No public testimony was heard, and the bill was left pending. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 2743, also by Senator Hagan-Bood, which would allow a court to disqualify local prosecutors who refuse to prosecute election offenses and appoint the attorney general to handle the case, with a committee substitute adjusting the removal process through an adjacent-county judge. Opponents from the Texas Civil Rights Project argued the bill would undermine prosecutorial discretion and was vague and open to abuse, while a Harris County election official described past instances where alleged voter fraud cases were not pursued. After testimony, public comment was closed and SB 2743 was left pending.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Education May 19th, 2026

Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • But it was a lot of bullying that had been going around, and I just want to express to you that bullying
  • could ruin children. ...right now, but the scars are there, and it could ruin children, and I want to express
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Education May 14th, 2026

Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • And so last week in this committee, you know, Senator Jackson expressed some concerns about what would
Summary: The Senate Education Committee met with four members present and took up a long agenda of education-related bills. Early items included SCR 65, which would create a K-12 student success task force to study statewide career and academic pathway advising; the committee adopted a substantive amendment adding designees and then reported the resolution favorably. The committee also reported favorably on SCR 119, honoring Coach D.D. Breaux, after brief remarks about her LSU gymnastics legacy and the request that LSU study naming its gymnastics training facility in her honor. Several bills affecting school operations and student support were heard and reported favorably, including HB 434 on probationary school bus driver employment and superintendent authority over dismissal; HB 484 expanding scholarship benefits for children and spouses of fallen or disabled firefighters and police officers; HB 749 and HB 1059 on savings accounts and TOPS math eligibility alignment; HB 218 adding food insecurity questions to student questionnaires, which was amended and reported favorably; HB 325 expanding TOPS Tech eligibility through dual enrollment and part-time use; HB 476 requiring Safe Haven law postings in middle and high school restrooms; HB 1249 clarifying access to school-based health centers, with an amendment adopted; HB 1242 allowing more than one early learning center license at the same location under certain circumstances; HB 632 improving data protections and functionality for LA First; and HB 352 on behavioral health services for public school students, which was amended to address IEP and dispute-process concerns before being reported favorably. Two bills drew extended debate over transparency, privacy, and school autonomy. HB 608 would create confidentiality for intercollegiate athletics revenue-sharing documents; LSU representatives argued the bill was needed to protect student-athletes and competitive information, while PAR and the Louisiana Press Association opposed it as an improper secrecy carve-out for state-generated revenue. Despite the opposition, the committee reported HB 608 favorably. HB 1112, which would exempt BESE-approved non-public pre-K programs from certain licensure and safety requirements and adjust related definitions, was amended and then heard with testimony from the Pelican Institute in support, arguing it corrects overreach from prior law and protects private school autonomy and parental choice.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Judiciary Apr 29th, 2026

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • Feel free to add anything to that. Actually, Urbanly really should have taken that, please.
  • House Concurrent Resolution 11 by Representative Mike Johnson expresses support for the continued operations
  • If they were held late in the evenings, that may be a better opportunity for people to go and express
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

State Affairs May 12th, 2025

State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • The court in that case found that the free exercise of free speech clauses of the First Amendment protect
  • to life in a free and diverse republic.
  • Bremerton case from 2022, holding that the Free Exercise Clause and the Free Speech Clause of the First
  • The religious expression was brief, quiet, personal, and private.
  • The prayers occurred during free time outside of official duties.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

State Affairs May 12th, 2025

State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • The court in that case found that the free exercise and free speech clauses of the First Amendment protect
  • to life in a free and diverse republic."
  • Bremerton case from 2022, holding that the Free Exercise Clause and the Free Speech Clause of the First
  • The religious expression was brief, quiet, personal, and private.
  • The prayers occurred during free time, outside of official duties.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Public Education Apr 22nd, 2025

Public Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • On behalf of our district, I want to express our appreciation to Representative Hunter for bringing House
  • And with those $3 billion, that would free up GR revenue to invest.
  • It is a Dallas ISD issue, where nine out of ten kids are on free and reduced lunch.
  • It frees up the GR money. ...don't have to go out and take on debt servicing and the interest that comes
  • I'm here to express our concerns with the bill, which would reduce the required instructional time in
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Public Education Apr 22nd, 2025

Public Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • , which was previously heard relating to prohibiting certain food additives from being included in free
  • Bill 1290 by Harris-Davila, relating to prohibiting certain food additives from being included in free
  • The committee offers a substitute that expands the list of prohibited food additives in free and reduced-price
  • currently exists, defines bullying as exploiting an imbalance of power through written or verbal expression
  • It's based on a certain perception of Jews that may be expressed as hatred towards Jews.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Judiciary Apr 22nd, 2026

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • I have to hire representation to combat the free services that are advertised.
  • services, but I'm not offered those free services.
  • I'm not trying to quell free speech, but I... I was Representative Edmondson.
  • So the kids out there came to me, and they said, “Look, we need free expression.”
  • So the kids out there came to me, and they said, “Look, we need free expression.”