Transcript Highlights:

• me if I'm wrong, is that SOS is still not providing the voter rolls and therefore the DOJ has sued Arizona

Summary: The Joint Legislative Budget Committee approved the minutes from its January 29, 2026 meeting and then took up a request involving surplus funds from the FY 2026 special election appropriation for the vacant U.S. Congressional District 7 seat. JLBC staff explained that the election cost less than expected, leaving $2.49 million available for transfer to the Secretary of State’s operating budget. The proposed use included $500,000 for 2026 primary and general election costs, $240,000 for physical security at Secretary of State events from March through June 2026, and $1.7 million for county-related expenses, including the state’s share of the voter registration database. Staff said the Secretary of State had originally requested more, but the proposal excluded some amounts for prior security costs and future database replacement planning. Committee members questioned the physical security spending, asking what it covered and whether it was for personnel, hardware, or other measures. The Secretary of State’s representative said the details were sensitive for security reasons, but described it as a mix of physical presence, preventative measures, and security-related equipment at public events. Members also raised concerns about the state’s voter rolls, DOJ litigation, and the cost of ongoing legal disputes, asking for more information on meetings and litigation expenses. The representative said the office was in communication with federal officials and that the transfer itself would not be used for litigation. The Vice Chair moved a favorable review of the item with three provisions: monthly expenditure reporting to JLBC staff beginning April 15, 2026 through December 2026; a prohibition on using the transferred funds for litigation; and a prohibition on using the funds for contracts with individuals. The discussion also noted that the committee’s review is advisory and does not necessarily prevent the agency from spending funds, though members said future budget decisions could take the agency’s actions into account.

Transcript Highlights:

• we bring in and the defined capacity in California does serve our neighboring states in Nevada and Arizona
• similar in the next few slides, is PAD 5, which includes California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona
• pipeline, the contemplation right now is for a pipeline to be built from the Gulf Coast all the way to Arizona
• Because I know that when you cross the line and go into Arizona or wherever you're going, the price is

Summary: The Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications held an oversight hearing on managing the transportation fuels transition, fuel pricing, and supply reliability. Chair Allen opened by discussing prior legislation, including SB 1322 and special session measures, that expanded reporting to the California Energy Commission (CEC) and gave the state tools to study gasoline costs, refinery margins, inventories, and potential supply disruptions. He framed the hearing around refinery closures, rising imports, global conflict affecting crude markets, and the need to balance affordability, reliability, and the state’s long-term clean-fuels transition. CEC Vice Chair Siva Gunda, CDTFA Chief Deputy Director Gentian Droboniku, and DPMO Director Ty Miller presented data showing California’s growing dependence on imported crude and refined products, declining in-state refining capacity, and stable-to-tight inventories that are being supported by higher imports. They said the new transparency laws have improved understanding of the market and pointed to the proposed Gateway Pipeline, marine imports, and distribution constraints as important supply issues. CDTFA and DPMO emphasized that retail margins, especially for branded gasoline, have widened significantly, with large price gaps between branded stations and hypermarts/unbranded stations, and that some of the recent price increases were tied to the Iran conflict while earlier spikes were more consistent with localized market behavior and possible price gouging. DPMO also said it is investigating high-priced branded stations, monitoring algorithmic pricing under AB 325, and continuing to analyze diesel spot-market transparency. The CEC and CARB also discussed the Transportation Fuels Transition Plan and the SB 237 assessment, describing them as efforts to plan for a managed decline in fossil fuel demand while protecting workers, communities, and consumers. They said California’s climate goals remain centered on an 85% greenhouse gas reduction by 2045, with continued use of liquid fuels expected but with lower-carbon alternatives, more efficient vehicles, and alternative fuels playing a larger role. Committee members focused heavily on workforce impacts, the need for concrete transition planning, and whether the agencies could provide a clearer picture of what California’s fuel system will look like under the state’s long-term goals. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• special education reimbursement in the way that the bill is suggesting, we could take, for example, Arizona
• 54.160><c> example</c> suggesting, we could take for example suggesting, we could take for example Arizona
• 00:56:57.359><c> to</c><00:56:58.400><c> uh</c><00:56:58.720><c> last</c><00:56:59.200><c> in</c> Arizona
• who is the second to uh last in Arizona who is the second to uh last in the<00:57:00.079><c> funding

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• here after I'm long gone, please know that Florida faces incredible competition from Alabama, Texas, Arizona
• after, I'm long gone, please know that Florida faces incredible competition from Alabama, Texas, Arizona
• Arizona Casell, can you explain how the bill helps families looking for specialized educational environments
• Arizona Casell, can you explain how the bill helps families looking for specialized educational environments

Keywords: 998, house, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for two service members killed in the Middle East, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a quorum present. Members adopted the special order report and then began taking up the special order calendar. The first major measure was HB 7031, the annual tax package, which included a hunting, fishing, and camping sales tax holiday, a back-to-school holiday moved earlier in the summer, property tax changes for mobile home parks and other exemptions, reductions in pari-mutuel taxes and fees, extensions and expansions of several tax credit programs, vacation-rental tax collection changes, and a full decoupling from federal tax changes in the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The bill drew questions about the fiscal impact of decoupling and the firearm-accessories holiday; supporters emphasized fiscal caution, housing and home-hardening provisions, and family tax relief, while opponents objected to the firearm-related tax break. HB 7031 passed 105-2. The House then passed CS/CS/CS HB 1177 on Space Florida and spaceport operations, which updates business development rules, board membership, and creates a strategic spaceport hub designation. CS/CS HB 639/CS SB 246 on specialty license plates also passed after a strike-all amendment that added several new plates, revised the Fraternal Order of Police plate, and tightened financial and nonprofit requirements for plate sponsors. CS HB 697 on drug prices and coverage passed after debate on pharmacy benefit manager reforms requiring equal reimbursement, prohibiting forced losses on drugs, and allowing consolidated appeals. CS/CS HB 1263 on the Office of Insurance Regulation passed with an amendment clarifying fingerprinting provisions, and CS/CS HB 527 passed with a human-review requirement for insurance claim denials so AI cannot be the sole basis for denying or reducing claims. Additional bills approved included CS HB 1449, which limits use of the statewide provider and health plan claim dispute resolution program when a claim is already in the federal process and, by amendment, narrows the bill to out-of-network emergency services and claims of $50,000 or less; CS HB 93, requiring surgical smoke evacuation systems in hospitals and surgical centers, which passed overwhelmingly after emotional bipartisan praise for the sponsor’s multi-session effort; and CS HB 1217, which prohibits governmental entities from adopting net-zero greenhouse gas policies, after Democrats argued it would preempt local climate and resilience efforts and Republicans argued it protects energy reliability and affordability. The House also passed CS/CS HB 1461 establishing a framework for licensing and regulating advanced nuclear reactors, with supporters framing it as a step toward reliable, affordable, cleaner energy. Later, CS HB 1229 on residential homes for medically or technologically dependent children was explained as creating a licensure program for medically complex children’s homes and was rolled over for final passage as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• threats against the people of Texas, where there is more Medicaid fraud than Minnesota, or Florida, or Arizona
• /c><00:48:19.119><c> or</c><00:48:19.440><c> Florida</c><00:48:20.160><c> or</c><00:48:20.720><c> Arizona
• </c><00:48:21.520><c> or</c> than Minnesota or Florida or Arizona or than Minnesota or Florida or Arizona

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• states that do have this at this time are South Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, New York, Utah, Arizona
• Pennsylvania, New Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, New York,<00:36:10.800><c> Utah,</c><00:36:12.000><c> Arizona
• </c><00:36:15.040><c> And</c> York, Utah, Arizona, and Nebraska.
• And York, Utah, Arizona, and Nebraska.

Bills: HB187, HB341, HB4, HB175, HB326, HB187, HB341, HB4, HB175, HB326

Keywords: HB187, court fees, docket fee, sheriff's fund, sheriff's office, jail operations, law enforcement, county sheriff, court filing fees, Alabama Code 12-19-312, solicitor's fund, clerk's fund, forensic services trust fund, budget flexibility, public safety, municipal court, district court, circuit court, cosmetology, makeup application

Transcript Highlights:

• activities the Secretary has been leading on to protect producers both in Texas, across New Mexico, Arizona
• Wildlife Services here in APHIS, and we're working with our partners in the states—Texas, New Mexico, Arizona
• -Mexico border in New Mexico, Arizona, and California. That concludes my testimony this morning.
• -Mexico border in New Mexico, Arizona, and California. That concludes my testimony this morning.

Summary: The joint hearing focused on preparedness for the New World screwworm threat and brought together the House Committees on Culture, Recreation, and Tourism and Agriculture and Livestock. USDA officials, Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, and Texas Animal Health Commission leadership described the pest as a serious risk to livestock, wildlife, rural economies, and beef prices, and emphasized coordination among federal, state, industry, and Mexican partners. Witnesses repeatedly stressed that Texas is currently seeing no confirmed U.S. detections, but that recent confirmed cases in northern Mexico, including Nuevo León, remain a concern because of their proximity to the border. USDA testimony outlined current surveillance and response efforts, including more than 120 screw worm-specific traps along the Texas border and neighboring states, thousands of additional dual-purpose traps, wildlife inspections, weekly coordination with Mexico’s Senasica, and a new USDA New World Screwworm Directorate. Officials said the existing Panama sterile fly facility is maxed out at about 100 million flies per week, while a dispersal facility in Tampico is helping move flies farther north in Mexico. They also described plans for a retrofitted sterile fly facility in Metapa, Mexico, expected to come online in 2026, and a new domestic production facility at Moore Air Base, with phase one targeted for late 2026 or early 2027 and phase two adding substantially more capacity later. Members pressed USDA on timelines, production capacity, the reliability of Mexican reporting, the risk from wildlife, and whether modular or mobile facilities could be deployed faster. USDA said it is also exploring innovative technologies, including a genetically engineered sterile male fly, but that such tools still require EPA review and field validation. Commissioner Miller highlighted Texas biosecurity efforts, five permanent inspection stations, cooperation with FDA and EPA on treatments such as Exzolt, and other pest issues affecting Texas agriculture. He also noted research into fly bait and private-sector efforts to speed sterile fly production. Texas Animal Health Commission officials described extensive state preparedness work, including weekly coordination calls, field response trainings, outreach to producers and veterinarians, and a Texas Screwworm Response Team. They said Texas has trained more than 100 inspectors and other personnel, with additional trainings planned, and that the state is expanding its cattle fever tick rider program. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the hearing; the main action was the exchange of testimony and questions about readiness, surveillance, and facility timelines.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I just came back yesterday. from a trip down to Chambliss, Arizona, where they were having the National
• And Representative Hernandez, to your point, for example, Arizona is 100% tribal gaming.
• My mother was a nurse on an Indian reservation in Tucson, Arizona, and we would see this a lot.
• these casinos just recently, just to have a good night out, all the license plates are from Texas, Arizona

Transcript Highlights:

• Arizona was developed because of water.
• Look at the central Arizona project that brings water from the Colorado River, from Lake Mead to Lake
• I see it each and every day where, you know, my kids want to run off to Arizona, where water has developed
• to Phoenix in the middle of January and golf, uh, the quality of life has changed dramatically in Arizona

Transcript Highlights:

• Wants to attend Central Arizona College to study Polysci.

Bills: HR1037, HR1043, SB1491, SB1451, SB1286, SB1581, SB1521, SB201, SB1290, SB169, SB1377, SB1991, SB1346, SB1509, SB1928, SB2028, SB2071, SB2110, SB2117, SB2127, SB2134, SB722, SB3

Keywords: National Poetry Month, poetry, education, cultural celebration, arts and humanities, child abuse, prevention, community support, family safety, child welfare, presidential electors, vacancies, oath of office, political party, elections, voter registration, election integrity, Secretary of State, cancellation of registration, gender neutrality

Transcript Highlights:

• Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Yoshi and his entire family were forced into Gila River camp in the Arizona

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and then moved through several privileges of the floor. Guests and student groups were welcomed, including students from Flore High School’s Law Academy and a fourth-grade class from Holy Spirit School. Senator Blakespear also introduced Brigadier General Nick Brown, commanding general of Marine Corps Installation West and Camp Pendleton, highlighting his military service and leadership. On the floor, the Senate took up Governor’s appointments. Andrew Rakestra’s appointment to the Board of Environmental Safety was confirmed on a 28-0 vote, and Indira Cameron Banks’s appointment to the Civil Rights Council was also confirmed, 28-8. Senators then announced upcoming budget subcommittee meetings on resources, health and human services, judicial branch funding, and state administration. The chamber also heard adjourn-in-memory tributes. Senator Archuleta honored Yoshi Nakamura, a World War II veteran, educator, artist, and community activist whose life included service in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and decades of teaching in Whittier and at Rio Hondo College. Senator Blakespear honored Dr. Rosemary George Strayley, a Peace Corps pioneer and global advocate for education, women, and girls who worked with international organizations and co-founded Run Women Run. The Senate expressed condolences and recognition for both Californians. The session concluded with the desk cleared and the Senate announcing its next meeting date, then recessing until later in the day for an adjournment motion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Yoshi and his entire family were forced into Gila River camp in the Arizona

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For what purpose does the gentleman from Arizona seek recognition?
• Former Chandler, Arizona Mayor Ky Payne.
• He was born in 1929 to a hardworking family in Texas and came to Arizona in the 1940s.
• For what purpose does the gentleman from Arizona seek recognition? >> Mr.
• For what purpose does the gentlewoman from Arizona seek recognition? Mr.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In Arizona, they went from a median income EFA to a universal.
• These are the things that have caused states like Arizona to face bankruptcy.
• </c><03:13:10.880><c> the</c><03:13:11.120><c> fact</c> Arizona to face bankruptcy. the fact Arizona
• And four, we heard about Arizona and near bankruptcy. Well, I'll tell you the truth.
• And four, we heard about Arizona um you.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Tonight we're going to the homecoming football game at Centennial, and it's going to be Senator Kunesh

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Yoshi and his entire family were forced into Gila River camp in the Arizona

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, offered prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognized several guests, including students from Florence High School’s Law Academy, a fourth-grade class from Holy Spirit School, and Brigadier General Nick Brown of Marine Corps Installation West/Camp Pendleton. The chamber also handled routine business, including a motion to remove AB 1389 (Rubio) from the inactive file. The main floor action was on two gubernatorial appointments. Andrew Rakestra was confirmed to the Board of Environmental Safety by a vote of 28-0, and Indira Cameron Banks was confirmed to the Civil Rights Council by a vote of 28-8. Senators also announced upcoming budget subcommittee meetings on resources/environmental protection/energy, health and human services, judicial branch funding and court facilities, and state administration/general government. The Senate then took up adjourn-in-memory tributes. Senator Archuleta honored Yoshi Nakamura, a World War II veteran, educator, artist, and community activist whose life included service in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and decades of teaching in Whittier and at Rio Hondo College. Senator Blakespear honored Dr. Rosemary George Strayley, a longtime international development and women’s rights advocate who served in the Peace Corps, worked with major global institutions, and co-founded Run Women Run. The Senate expressed condolences and agreed to memorialize both individuals.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we have opportunities and have had opportunities, uh, as we've seen in, in, uh, Arizona and in Florida

Transcript Highlights:

• We are competing with those offices directly, including states like Arizona and many others that have

Bills: HB 1240, HB1353, HCR76, HCR90

Keywords: border region, infrastructure, economic development, government operations, education, international cooperation, infrastructure investment, bond issuance, state agencies, shrimp industry, federal regulations, foreign imports, economic impact, public health, Gulf Coast communities, Texas-Israel relations, Israel, Jerusalem, trade office, foreign relations

Transcript Highlights:

• after Tennessee has already... ...legislation after Tennessee has already passed one that includes Arizona

Bills: HB248, HB311

Keywords: weather modification, atmospheric pollution, chemical dispersion, environmental law, public health, improvement districts, assessment collection, property taxes, local governance, foreclosure procedures, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:36:33.359><c> We</c><00:36:33.599><c> have</c><00:36:33.760><c> not</c> as in Arizona for example
• We have not as in Arizona for example.
• And in Arizona, they have 30 Senate districts.
• They send it by region.<01:19:53.440><c> And</c><01:19:53.600><c> in</c><01:19:53.840><c> Arizona,</c
• And in Arizona, they have 30 region. And in Arizona, they have 30 Senate<01:19:55.840><c> districts.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all