Transcript Highlights:

• SHOULD YOU WAIVE YOUR SPEAKING TIME WE WILL READ YOUR POSITION INTO THE MEETING RECORDS.
• Smith: FINAL QUESTION.
• ONE FINAL QUESTION.
• Gruters: FINAL QUESTION.
• SENATORS, THAT STATEMENT I JUST READ, NOT MY WORDS.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So when we finally get to the end of this, and maybe another four or six years, but when we finally get
• I've read it. I'll read it for the board.
• Yeah, we're finished up unless you want to make a final comment.
• Yeah, we're finished up unless you want to make a final comment.
• I think I read the notes prior to that, but I'm sorry.

Summary: The committee first took up a long-running audit finding involving the City of Daytona Beach’s unexpended building permit fund balance, which has exceeded the statutory cap for several years and was reported at $10.8 million in the latest audit. Mayor Derek Henry and city staff said the city had analyzed the fund, adopted a corrective action plan, waived more than $5.5 million in permit and inspection fees, used some excess funds for a training facility rehabilitation, and is pursuing a $9.4 million City Hall expansion that they say is allowed under a November 2024 Attorney General opinion permitting construction of a building to house the building code enforcement function. Committee members repeatedly questioned whether the city was simply trying to spend down the money, whether the proposed uses were truly lawful, why the balance kept growing despite fee waivers, and where the interest earnings were going. The mayor and deputy city manager said the city’s growth and staffing needs justified the plan, but several members expressed frustration and skepticism. A public commenter also urged accountability and raised concerns about the city’s spending plans and the size of the remaining balance. The committee then received an Auditor General presentation on the Town of Greenville, which found 31 operational audit findings and described pervasive control failures, possible fraud, waste, and abuse. The findings included election paperwork problems that left a council seat vacant, conflicts of interest, late financial disclosure filings, related-party transactions, inadequate meeting notices and minutes, quorum and voting documentation problems, council members’ involvement in day-to-day operations, missing ethics training, budget adoption and monitoring deficiencies, inaccurate accounting records and bank reconciliations, utility billing and rate issues, grant compliance problems tied to an unfinished grocery store project, weak personnel and contracting controls, improper severance and compensation issues, late vendor payments, weak procurement and P-card controls, vehicle-use and property-control weaknesses, poor public records access, and IT access and fraud-policy gaps. Greenville’s mayor and staff said the audit largely reflected the prior administration and that the current council and staff are taking corrective action. They said the town terminated the former manager, adopted seven new policies since the audit began, and is working with the Auditor General to improve procurement, financial controls, inventory management, grant oversight, and ethics compliance. The town attorney said he had alerted federal authorities earlier about concerns, and committee members noted that FDLE has received a criminal referral and is investigating. Several members praised the new leadership’s cooperation but also suggested the town consider consolidation or dissolution if problems persist.

Transcript Highlights:

• I won't, I promise, read this entire page to you all or anything like that, but we did want to provide
• And by December 1st of this year, um, plaintiffs may file objections to that finalized plan.
• Moving to page 4, this is the final page of your brief.
• There's also an eight page final judgment in order, and the actual legal responsibility to develop a
• The summary reads and the court order reads, and the argument of the defendants of the PED is very clear

Transcript Highlights:

• Let's read the committee amendment. Mr.
• Let's read the committee amendment. Mr.
• Let's read the Gowan floor amendment.
• Read-to-read report. Mr.
• reading, and reference of bills.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and guest introductions for Pastor Caden Metcalf and later Doctor of the Day Jane Peterson. Members then approved the journal and took up a motion to reconsider Senate Bill 1827, which passed by division vote 13-12, bringing the bill back for further action. The chamber then resolved into Committee of the Whole to consider several bills on the calendar. In Committee of the Whole, members adopted committee amendments and recommended do pass on SB 1041 (Arizona Trail Fund appropriation), SB 1131 (education-related appropriation and cardiac emergency response plan funding, with a floor amendment adding a placeholder amount), SB 1140 (misdemeanor record expungement/civil rights restoration), SB 1249 (Alzheimer’s disease/state brain appropriation and DHS reporting), SB 1275 (sentencing and imprisonment, with a floor amendment that drew criticism from Sen. Ortiz for limiting judicial discretion and expanding prosecutor control), SB 1517 (Barbering and Cosmetology Board appropriation), and SB 1673 (Crime Victim Notification Fund appropriation). Most committee and floor amendments were adopted on voice vote; SB 1275’s floor amendment was adopted by division, 15-13. The Senate then adopted the Committee of the Whole report and moved to third-reading votes on a series of bills. SB 1161, SB 1209, SB 1598, SB 1118, SB 1399, SB 1563, SB 1564, SB 1629, SB 1754, SB 1041, SB 1131, SB 1140, SB 1249, SB 1517, and SB 1673 all passed, with recorded votes ranging from unanimous to divided; several members explained votes, especially on SB 1598 (community gardens in schools) and SB 1754 (special education parent support and FERPA concerns). The Senate then recessed, accepted a large batch of House bills for first reading and committee reference, heard committee meeting announcements, and adjourned until Monday, March 9, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Keenan, offers an amendment, which the clerk shall read. Amendment number 21 by Mr.
• Section 44 of the bill reads as follows.
• Yes, to read it first. Oh, yes, forgive me. Thank you. 100... Yes, to read it first.
• The ayes have it, and the bill is ordered to a third reading.
• Keenan, offers an order which the clerk shall read.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate took up a major environmental bond bill with amendments covering climate resilience, housing health, plastics reduction, coastal protection, fisheries, and related regulatory issues. Early debate included Senator Keenan’s withdrawn amendment to fund the Massachusetts Healthy Homes Program with $50 million, followed by his adopted amendment banning hotels from providing plastic toiletry packages. Senator Tarr’s amendment to remove the paper bag charge was defeated after extended debate over whether the 10-cent bag assessment functioned as a tax; a related floor speech from Senator Duner argued the fee would burden working families. The chamber also adopted Senator Fernandez’s ocean acidification amendment, which would aggregate ocean monitoring data to support shellfish, water quality, and coastal management, with support from Senators Sear and Driscoll. Other adopted measures included Driscoll’s Houghton’s Pond multi-use trail, Montigny’s New Bedford State Pier redevelopment and harbor oil-recovery provisions, Collins’s Commonwealth Conservation Commission later withdrawn, and several coastal resilience and housing-related amendments. The Senate also approved a series of environmental and public health measures. Senator Moore’s rodenticide restriction amendment was adopted after testimony from animal welfare and conservation groups, with the sponsor describing harms to wildlife, pets, and livestock and noting local municipal support. Senator Lewis’s amendment directing DEP to study the feasibility of banning polystyrene was adopted, as was Senator Mark’s Massachusetts Climate Bank amendment and Senator Edwards’s carbon sequestration amendment expanding attention to salt marshes, seagrasses, and waterways. The chamber adopted amendments on equitable representation, improving indoor air quality, and a Douglas State Forest trust fund that would raise the entry fee from $1 to $2 for maintenance. Several amendments were withdrawn, including Collins’s urban coastal resilience commission and Tarr’s proposed Commonwealth Conservation Commission. Housing and permitting issues were another major theme. Senator Driscoll’s amendment requiring local confirmation before a project is designated a priority housing project was defeated, but his related amendments clarifying the process and requiring consultation with the Housing and Livable Communities Secretary were adopted. The Senate also adopted Crichton’s amendments streamlining permitting for coastal resiliency projects in urban areas and creating a five-year pilot for nature-based solutions, as well as Tarr’s amendment adding dredging and sand placement to general coastal permits. Tarr’s amendment to revise the Salisbury Beach Preservation Trust Fund was adopted, while his later constitutional challenge to a landform-migration provision was withdrawn after he argued it could amount to an uncompensated taking. The session ended with the Senate noting only two amendments remained and then adjourning in memory of Quincy’s former mayor James A. Sheets.

Transcript Highlights:

• Third reading of the bill.
• Third reading of the bill.
• Third reading of the bill.
• Third reading of the bill.
• Third reading of the bill.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House took up a series of Rules Committee reports and adopted multiple orders extending committee reporting deadlines. These included extensions for the Education Committee, Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, Public Service Committee, and Revenue Committee, as well as an order setting March 31, 2026, as the date for a special election to fill the 5th Essex District vacancy. The House also suspended Joint Rule 12 to allow a joint petition concerning survivors and holders of abuse or harassment prevention orders to go to the Judiciary Committee. The Steering, Policy and Scheduling Committee reported several bills for consideration, and the House suspended Rule 7A to advance them. Those bills included a Senate bill amending the charter of the town of Sandwich, a House bill on dark money in local government, a bill on police certification, and a bill providing for recall elections in Dalton. All were ordered to third reading. The House then approved several measures on final passage, including a sick leave bank for Amy Tangway, removal of the residency requirement for the Dalton town manager, and a revenue bond bill for telecommunications facilities in Quincy. On third reading, the House passed several local and special bills to engrossment, including Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day, changes to the police chief appointment process in Fall River, amendments to the Arlington town manager act, and a Bridgewater town manager appointment bill. Senate Bill 2716 on the Rockland charter was amended with text from House Document 4866 and then passed to engrossment. The House later enacted the Amy Tangway sick leave bank bill again after a recess, adopted an order to meet the following Monday at 11 a.m., and adjourned to that informal session.

Transcript Highlights:

• decide if they want to read them all. decide if they want to read them all.
• You can read through those numbers. You can read through those<00:25:02.080> testimonies.
• So submitting the final action.
• :09:57.360> um if you need some nighttime reading um if you need some nighttime reading um you
• I'm trying to read the room here.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• if adopted to permit third reading if adopted to permit third reading and<00:50:21.200> final
• final passage; two, rescind order to third reading; and three, ought to pass with amendment.
• This is doing the third reading final passage. We've suspended to allow with this. Yeah.
• > in<04:39:07.199> the third reading and final passage in the third reading and final passage
• <04:59:53.600> a reading, be by this resolution read a reading, be by this resolution read

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As a librarian, she was a strong advocate for reading, initiating the Reading Is Fundamental program
• The Clerk will read.
• CONSIDERED READ.
• Third reading.
• THIRD READING.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Read the first bill.
• Read the next amendment.
• Read the next amendment.
• Speaker, I move the rules be waived and CS for SB 2B be read a third time by title and placed on final
• But read the bill. Please vote in favor. The question now recurs on final passage of CS for SB 2B.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, pledge, quorum call, approval of the journal, and adoption of the Rules and Ethics Committee’s special order report for the day. The chamber then took up House Bill 1B, the immigration bill, and members were told they would have one opportunity to question the sponsor on both the House version and the anticipated Senate changes. Representative McClure described the bill as a major immigration-enforcement package creating a chief immigration officer housed in the Department of Agriculture, an Office of State Immigration Enforcement, a local law enforcement grant program, a state immigration council, and new penalties and enforcement tools. He also outlined anticipated Senate language, including stronger 287(g) participation requirements, enhanced penalties for unauthorized aliens, a mandatory death penalty provision for certain capital offenses, and additional coordination with federal agencies. The bill drew extensive questioning from Democrats about due process, constitutional issues, school and workplace impacts, and the treatment of people whose immigration status changes over time. Members asked about birthright citizenship, TPS, asylum seekers, pretrial detention standards, the lawful basis for detaining someone based on suspected status, and whether teachers, social workers, school resource officers, and even children could be required to cooperate with immigration enforcement. McClure and Representative Garrison repeatedly said the bill would require cooperation with federal authorities, that status determinations would be handled under existing court procedures, and that the Senate death-penalty language was intended to fit within Hurst by requiring a jury finding beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was an unauthorized alien. They also said the bill did not provide DMV funding, did not address teacher shortages, and included appropriations such as $25 million for the local law enforcement participation incentive program and broader funding for enforcement and training. Several amendments were considered. Representative Chambliss offered an amendment to protect schools, churches, and places of worship from enforcement activity; supporters argued it would preserve trust in sacred and educational spaces, but the amendment failed. Representative Escamani offered an amendment to preserve in-state tuition for Dreamers; supporters emphasized the educational and economic contributions of Dreamers and the hardship of higher tuition, but that amendment also failed. The debate ended with no bill vote in the excerpt, but the House completed the amendment votes and continued consideration of the immigration measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• And finally, finally, finally, this creates the perfect financial tool for drug dealers and tax evaders
• Third reading.
• >> Third<01:38:43.600> reading. >> Third reading. >> Third reading.
• The EU is in the final<03:06:17.840> stages final stages final stages of<03:06:19.680> a
• Third reading.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, July 17, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Take up the bills on the third reading. Read the first bill. Senate Bill 234.
• Please read the bill.
• Please read the bill.
• Please read the bill.
• Please read the bill.

Summary: The Senate convened with an opening prayer, pledge, and several recognitions, including visiting student groups, chambers of commerce, and apprenticeship participants. Senators also observed a moment of silence for a fallen Walton County deputy and later for the late John Pasadoma. The chamber then moved through a long third-reading calendar and special order calendar, with most bills passing overwhelmingly and several amendments adopted along the way. Among the major measures, SB 234 on criminal offenses against law enforcement officers passed 37-0 after debate and an amendment clarifying “good faith” in an officer’s duties; SB 7020 on open government and cybersecurity information passed 37-0; SM 1488 urging Congress to create a U.S. sovereign wealth fund was adopted by voice vote; SB 944 reducing insurance overpayment claim deadlines for psychologists passed 37-0; SB 878 expanding misdemeanor probation treatment provisions to controlled substances passed 36-1; SB 538, the state court system package, passed 37-0; SB 480 on nonprofit agricultural organization medical benefit plans passed 32-4; SB 472 on correctional-facility education credit for licensure passed 37-0; and SB 56 on geoengineering and weather modification passed 28-9 after extensive debate about enforcement, federal preemption, and the bill’s purpose. Later, the Senate passed CS/HB 421 on peer support for first responders 37-0 after substituting the House companion, and SB 164 on vessel accountability advanced with a technical amendment. SB 166 on administrative efficiency in public schools drew the most extended debate and multiple amendments; it changes testing, promotion, teacher evaluation, certification, and facilities rules, and passed 37-0. The chamber also passed SB 282 on warranty association financial requirements 36-0, SB 316 creating series LLCs 35-1, and SB 384 on annexing state-owned lands 36-0. At the end of the day, the Senate waived rules to immediately certify all passed bills to the House, received budget schedule guidance from Appropriations Chair Hooper for SB 2500 and SB 2502, and adjourned until April 9.

Transcript Highlights:

• you finally grow up.
• And finally, Mr.
• And finally,<01:54:32.120> Mr.
• And finally, Mr.
• And finally, Mr.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Can you read that, I'm sorry. TASA, like the midsize.
• Easier to the end user, to the final industry workers in those specific areas.
• For different stages within your process and then even an intermediary before you finalize the final
• Finally, when you've got a final rule adopted, what we've spoken to is you have a very good process for
• And many people won't really understand how to read that legislation, but...

Bills: HB10, HB 12, HB675, HB10, HB12

Keywords: regulatory reform, government efficiency, administrative law, rulemaking, agency deference, judicial review, de novo review, Texas Government Code, Administrative Procedure Act, state agencies, plain language, regulatory burden, regulatory reduction, cost-benefit analysis, fiscal note, public benefits and costs, contested case, rule challenge, Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office, advisory panel

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:16:12.240> civil status is established by a final civil status is established by a final
• That's how I'm reading it.
• That's what that's how I'm reading. not. That's what that's how I'm reading.
• don't know, unless they made a final don't know, unless they made a final decision<00:20:28.799>
• c> So let me just read So let me just read it.<01:07:44.640> Okay.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee work session focused on SB 148 and competing amendments dealing with forfeiture and civil recovery in murder cases. Members compared the “Lynn” and “Burge” amendments and narrowed the remaining disputes to two issues: whether the bill should apply only to first-degree murder or also to second-degree murder and related federal offenses, and whether any civil action could be brought before criminal charges or conviction. The group concluded that the pre-conviction approach created serious practical and constitutional problems, including Fifth Amendment concerns and uncertainty over how a civil case would proceed while a criminal investigation was pending. The discussion then shifted toward limiting the bill to post-conviction remedies. Members agreed that the Department of Justice pre-charge stay language should be removed, that the bill should not try to define “victim” in a way that included the person convicted of the murder, and that the definition should be revised to mean the estate of the victim or the victim’s immediate family, excluding the convicted person. They also agreed to delete language about “after right to appeal has been exhausted,” to correct a typo on page one, and to remove a section dealing with pre-conviction probate-style procedures and third-party notice issues. The committee also discussed how to handle third parties such as insurers, publishers, and innocent purchasers. Members concluded that third parties acting in good faith should not be liable if they make payments or transfer property without notice, but if they receive notice they should not disburse funds. They noted that existing post-conviction civil recovery language already allows victims to sue within three years, making the earlier pre-conviction mechanism unnecessary. The meeting ended with the members saying they had reached a deal on the revised language and would bring the updated amendment forward for further processing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Read the bill.
• Read the next bill.
• Read the next bill.
• Read the next bill.
• Read the bill.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several guest and staff introductions. The chamber then took up returning messages from the House and acted on multiple bills, with votes recorded on each. Senate Bill 628 on transportation facility designations was concurred in as amended and passed 31-4 after discussion about naming roads for deceased individuals and an exception for President Trump. The House amendment to the Live Local affordable housing package, CS/CS/HB 1389, was also concurred in and passed 35-0; Senator Claudio explained it as the fourth iteration of the Live Local Act, including new provisions allowing certain affordable housing on qualifying religious property, extending some timelines, and removing accessory dwelling unit language. CS/CS/HB 1451 on utility services was concurred in and passed 30-6 after questions about phasing out surcharges and reporting requirements. The chamber also substituted CS/CS/HB 1279 for SB 7038 and adopted an education amendment package before passing the bill 36-1, while several other measures were temporarily postponed. The Senate then considered CS/CS/SB 484 on data centers and concurred in the House amendment 383-957, passing the bill 31-6. Senator Avila said the amendment strengthened ratepayer protections, required a PSC tariff filing, and directed an OPAGA study on large-scale data centers. Several senators pressed concerns about the removal of the Senate’s nondisclosure agreement prohibition, the possibility of delayed public awareness of data center projects, and whether costs could be shifted to other ratepayers; Avila responded that the amendment preserved local land-use authority and that ratepayer costs could not be borne by the general body of ratepayers. Debate reflected a split between senators who supported the bill as a needed regulatory framework and those who objected to the transparency changes and the loss of the Senate’s original NDA language. Later, the Senate took up land use and development regulations, substituting CS/CS/CS/HB 399 for SB 208. An amendment by Senator Jones to remove language affecting a Fontainebleau Hotel water park project in Miami Beach failed 17-20 after debate over local control and preemption. Senator McLean’s amendments then added a sunset date and other changes, and Senator Claudio’s amendment preserved Miami-Dade’s urban development boundary supermajority protections and related planning provisions. The chamber then began extended debate on Senator Martin’s amendment creating a process for property owners to challenge rural boundary designations and seek compensation or removal from the designation without going to court; supporters framed it as a property-rights and due-process measure, while opponents argued it would undermine local planning, impose costs on taxpayers, and weaken voter-approved rural boundaries in Orange and Seminole counties. The transcript ends amid that debate, with no final vote shown on the rural boundary amendment in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• A young woman finally brave enough to speak about her pain and a mother finally watching her daughter
• To review substantive changes before a final action is taken.
• Finally, A-2218... Importantly, free speech is lost.
• When you read that, would you read this to also cover...
• When you read that, would you read this to also cover pro-life women's resource centers who provide many

Keywords: 1146, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I read two days ago that The Hill did a poll and suggested that 71% of Trump voters do not support the
• I read two days ago that The Hill did a poll and suggested that 71% of Trump voters do not support the
• Why didn't you read that back to them? They seem to have many of the same concerns that you have.
• Why didn't you read that back to them? They seem to have many of the same concerns that you have.
• Why didn't you read that back to them? They seem to have many of the same concerns that you have.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To make sure that we get their final clearance once they approve it.
• Yes, our office fully expects that we will have the admin money through our final program of BEAD.
• I'm not going to read all of these to you, but I will point out a couple of them.
• I won't read all of them, but I will mention a couple. I will mention a couple.
• And then the final item is $7 million for statewide purchasing modernization.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Please listen to the reading of others.
• Um but but [laughter] the HCR174 read.
• To the third reading of the bill.
• And third reading is ordered.
• Members, our final bill on our action Members, our final bill on our action calendar<00:15:30.000>

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with a moment of silence and the Pledge of Allegiance, then suspended rules to introduce 16 House bills by number only. The bills were referred to committees, and H.790, the House Committee on Appropriations Budget Adjustment Act, was placed on the calendar for notice the next legislative day. The chamber also read JRH7, a joint resolution supporting the existing U.S.-Denmark treaty relating to Greenland and opposing American efforts to secure sovereignty over the island; it was referred to the Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs. HCR 162, congratulating the 2025 Colchester High School Lakers Division 2 championship football team, was read and celebrated, with the team and coaches recognized in the chamber. Members also marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day with remarks tied to HCR 174 and a moment of silence. On the action calendar, the House passed H.508, approving amendments to the Burlington city charter. It then took up H.532, which removes a Vermont statutory provision allowing mandatory retirement of college professors at age 70 so state law aligns with federal age-discrimination law; the committee reported it ought to pass by a 10-1 vote, and the House ordered third reading. The final action item, S.23 on the use of synthetic media in elections, was postponed for one legislative day at the request of the House Government Operations and Military Affairs Committee. The meeting also included several announcements: the Rural Caucus and Older Vermonters Caucus scheduled upcoming meetings, House Democrats noted a caucus and a visit from Congresswoman Becca Balint, House Republicans announced a caucus after adjournment, and House Progressives said they were not caucusing that week. The House then adjourned until Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at 3:30 p.m.