Transcript Highlights:

• It is published at that link below, and I think if you join the online version of this presentation,
• And I think if you join the online version of this presentation, I think you can click on that link and
• He's online. Yes. A quick question, and I apologize.
• That's what this handout is, but we make this available online as well.
• Online demonstrations were held in February with four vendors, of which only Oracle and Workday offer

Committee: Joint Information Technology Committee

Summary: The Information Technology Committee approved the March 26 minutes and received a series of reports from NDIT on major IT projects, the annual report, mainframe modernization, and cybersecurity services. The project portfolio was reported at 116 major projects with a baseline cost of $546 million, overall under budget but modestly behind schedule. Several projects that had been in variance status last quarter were said to have closed, including HHS bed management, vital records modernization, and DOT roadway capital planning. New startup reports were mostly HHS efforts tied to refugee data management, technical debt cleanup, and legacy application decommissioning, while closeouts included HHS, OMB, DPI, and DOT projects with mixed budget and schedule results. In the annual report discussion, NDIT described its service-fund financials, peer-state rate comparisons, records management reporting, and customer satisfaction efforts. Members asked about how revenues and grants flow through the service fund, how NDIT charges agencies for services, and whether customer satisfaction or CSAT scores are tracked and could be reported more regularly. NDIT said it does track service-team CSAT and survey data, and committee members encouraged more regular reporting of those metrics. The committee also discussed application portfolio management, statewide IT planning, and whether agencies should slow new system replacements while the state pursues an ERP system. The mainframe update focused on the state’s ongoing effort to retire legacy systems by about 2030. NDIT and HHS said the work is being managed as a tech-debt program, but progress is slowed by data cleanup, integration complexity, staff retirements, vendor capacity, and federal requirements. Members asked whether there is a coordinated commitment and whether additional vendor support or consultants are needed; NDIT said it is working jointly with HHS and is seeking an RFP to help accelerate modernization. The cybersecurity presentation then shifted to statewide maturity assessments and services. NDIT said it provides endpoint protection, vulnerability scanning, security awareness training, threat briefings, and penetration testing, and that assessments are based on CIS controls. Members raised concerns about low participation in the self-assessment process, the lack of mandatory reporting or audit authority, and whether insurance incentives through Enderf or possible State Auditor involvement could improve compliance. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Electricity prices have gone up since then. ...so you might note a representative that as costs go up
• HB 2481 proposes to amend the existing sales tax holiday in Texas by increasing the price threshold for
• From January of 2021 to December of 2024, Texas experienced a 20.5% increase in the prices of goods and
• The $100 price threshold for tax-exempt items has remained unchanged since 2007.
• And that's going to be more important as we go forward because prices keep going up, but also, as you

Bills: HB511 , HB972 , HB 1035 , HB2481 , HB2723 , HB2742 , HB2894 , HB2962 , HB3077 , HB3093 , HB3307 , HB3684 , HJR67 , HJR72

Committee: House Ways & Means

Keywords: ad valorem taxation, caregiver exemption, Medicaid, long-term services, tax relief, assisted living, housing support, property tax exemption, caregiver support, residence homestead, tax exemption, unpaid caregiver, state tax code, property tax, caregiver, waiting list, intellectual disability, developmental disability, ad valorem tax, family support

Transcript Highlights:

• So if you're playing The Price Is Right, you know, he lost.
• prices, both new and used, where coming out of the pandemic we saw huge increases in those prices.
• And even though prices have come down a little bit or are coming down, fuel prices are lower, really
• Prices are usually rising, incomes are rising, the price of milk will go up, you know, so... ...but is
• Yeah, the housing prices are going up a little.

Summary: The committee was convened to review Idaho’s economic outlook and general fund revenue projections for fiscal years 2025-2028, with members instructed to submit “homework” revenue estimates by noon the next day so staff could compile committee averages and medians for deliberations and a final recommendation to JFAC. Opening remarks emphasized the committee’s constitutional charge, the use of the binder materials and online packet, and that the committee would meet again the next day to discuss and vote on the revenue projection recommendation. Staff and agency presentations focused on the state’s budget and revenue picture. Legislative Services Office staff described structural imbalance concerns, noting that statutory spending changes and earmarked sales tax distributions have crowded out flexibility, while cash reserves remain substantial. The Division of Financial Management’s economist explained the official revenue forecast, including revised treatment of sales tax and tax relief fund accruals, and said the forecast largely held steady overall even as corporate and individual income tax categories shifted. She also discussed the impact of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act on SALT deductions and said recent corporate collections had rebounded sharply, suggesting timing and behavior changes rather than a broad economic downturn. Outside economists and labor experts painted a generally stable to positive economic picture. Zions Bank’s economist said the Federal Reserve is likely near the end of major rate cuts, long-term rates and mortgage rates remain elevated, tariffs have risen sharply, but inflation has not yet shown broad tariff-driven acceleration; he described the national labor market as slowing but not contracting and said 2026 could be a rebuilding year. The Idaho Department of Labor reported that Idaho’s unemployment remains historically low, job growth is steady, wage growth is moderating from overheated pandemic-era levels, and the state’s labor market remains healthier and more balanced than the national picture. The committee also heard from Idaho Power’s economist, who began a presentation on broader economic conditions and utility-related demand trends before the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Earlier this year, CARB announced that HVIP had ...increase in truck prices.
• There really is no standard pricing information.
• SB 1213 would require OEMs of medium- and heavy-duty trucks to disclose baseline pricing in order to
• You can go online and look at it.
• You can go online and look at it.

Summary: The committee heard a series of Senate bills on environmental, climate, recycling, wildfire, outdoor access, and clean transportation policy. SB 958 would clarify CEQA treatment of impacts tied solely to increased building height, and SB 1230 would increase penalties and create CalRecycle support tools for repeat commercial illegal dumping. SB 1341 would revise how processing fees are calculated for bag-in-a-box wine under California’s recycling program. All three measures received due-pass recommendations to Appropriations, with roll calls showing majority support and the bills left open for absent members. Members then took up SB 1300, which would create a more permanent legislative role in California’s international climate cooperation and establish a climate secretariat at UC; SB 1370, which would codify and streamline wildfire fuel-reduction permitting with added safeguards, geographic and size limits, and pesticide-related amendments; and SB 1260/1268, which would codify the Outdoors for All initiative and the Deputy Secretary for Access position at the Natural Resources Agency. Each drew support from environmental, utility, business, and local-government witnesses, while SB 1370 also drew opposition from environmental and advocacy groups concerned about reduced CEQA review and herbicide use. The committee discussed amendments at length, especially on SB 1370, and all three measures advanced with due-pass recommendations. The committee also heard SB 1213, the Clean Truck Transparency Act, requiring baseline pricing disclosure for medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission trucks tied to state incentives and directing agencies to explore alternative financing. Support came from clean-air, business, and environmental groups, and the trucking/manufacturing opposition moved to neutral after amendments; the bill advanced on a due-pass vote. Finally, SB 1075, the Clean Air Promise, sought to strengthen AB 617 implementation and clarify community emission reduction planning, but it generated substantial opposition from air districts, business groups, and others over enforceability, funding, and the distinction between formal SERPs and community L-SERPs. The author described additional pending amendments to narrow L-SERP provisions, and the bill also received a due-pass recommendation to Appropriations.

Transcript Highlights:

• So if the price of gold went up between the time you put money on your Glint card and you bought your
• But while those prices fluctuate, gold and silver are recognized as a way to store value, right?
• But to answer your question, that price will fluctuate, and the controller or his designee would set
• that price on an ongoing basis based on the market.
• The price you pay is not the same price as the price you get when you take it back, unless the value.

Bills: SB524 , SB782 , HB42 , HB 1056 , HB2894 , HB3033 , HB3474 , HB3594 , HB4738 , HB5246 , HB42

Committee: Senate Finance

Summary: The committee heard Senator Flores lay out the committee substitute for HB 2894, which would expand state reimbursement eligibility for local governments disproportionately affected by the disabled veterans homestead exemption. Flores said the bill would add certain municipalities in Bell, Coryell, and Lampasas counties if lost ad valorem tax revenue equals or exceeds 10% of general revenue, while existing recipients would remain under the current 2% threshold. Lampasas and Bell County officials and the City of Killeen testified in support, describing significant revenue losses and urging adequate funding. One witness, Howard Avery, argued any reimbursement should be counted as property tax revenue for voter-approval rate purposes to avoid a windfall. The committee later adopted the substitute and reported the bill favorably, with one nay. The committee also heard SB 782, which would create a temporary severance tax exemption for restimulated inactive oil and gas wells, intended to encourage investment in mature wells. The Comptroller explained the revised fiscal note as effectively zero because the wells are currently marginal and not generating meaningful tax revenue, while industry witnesses said the bill could extend well life, support local economies, and reduce orphan-well liabilities. Public testimony was supportive, and the bill was left pending. Members then heard HB 3033, a DPS-related grant program funded by voluntary $3 donations on driver’s license and ID applications to support nonprofits aiding injured or fallen DPS officers and their families, including memorial highway signs. The DPS Officers Association supported the bill, citing existing foundation assistance and the need for a steady funding stream. The committee later reported the bill favorably. The committee also considered SB 524, which would permanently extend the franchise tax and fee exemption for qualifying veteran-owned businesses for their first five years; testimony from a veteran business owner and veterans advocates supported the measure, and the committee adopted the substitute and reported it favorably. Additional measures were laid out and left pending or voted out: HB 3594, a local San Antonio retiree health care fund bill with agreed changes for contributions, spouse benefits, and remarriage rules, was supported by stakeholders and reported favorably; HB 4738 would repeal small administrative fees tied to certain loans and was reported favorably; HB 42 on HEAF funding and HB 5246 on the Texas Space Commission were heard and left pending. The committee also reported HB 3474, a cleanup bill for the Pension Review Board’s investment performance review schedule, and HB 2802, the Austin firefighter retirement fund bill, both favorably. Finally, the committee took up HB 1056, which would allow gold and silver held in the Texas Bullion Depository to function as legal tender through debit-card transactions. Supporters framed it as a way to use hard assets and expand financial options, while bankers and some senators raised major operational, consumer-protection, tax, and constitutional questions; the bill remained under discussion as testimony began.

Transcript Highlights:

• Price. Mr. Roberts. Mr. Sessions. Mr. Shelnutt. Mr. Singleton. Mr. Smitherman. Mr. Stewart. Mr.
• Price. Mr. Roberts. Mr. Sessions. Mr. Shelnutt. Mr. Shelnutt. Mr. Singleton. Mr. Smitherman. Mr.
• But when we talk about cost of living, it's already... prices are being living, it's already prices are
• We expect prices to go up as we go along.
• Well, about the food prices. You want to talk about food? Do you know how much eggs are now?

Bills: SJR 12 , SJR 37 , SB 7 , SB 8 , SB 16 , SB 27 , SB 108 , SB 125 , SB 207 , SB 251 , SB 318 , SB 371 , SB 379 , SB 396 , SB 406 , SB 472 , SB 503 , SB 533 , SB 578 , SB 599 , SB 608 , SB 617 , SB 621 , SB 689 , SB 707 , SB 763 , SB 836 , SB 854 , SB 856 , SB 857 , SB 875 , SB 878 , SB 906 , SB 922 , SB 942 , SB 965 , SB 985 , SB 988 , SB 1021 , SB 1059 , SB 1084 , SB 1098 , SB 1185 , SB 1188 , SB 1202 , SB 1207 , SB 1307 , SB 1321 , SB 1330 , SB 1366 , SB 1388 , SB 1396 , SB 1453 , SB 1484 , SB 1497 , SB 1498 , SB 1535 , SB 1563 , SB 1596 , SB 1610 , SB 1619 , SB 1737 , SB 1738 , SB 1741 , SB 1816 , SB 1822 , SB 1841 , SB 1939 , SB 2188 , SJR 36 , SJR 12 , SJR 37 , SJR 81 , SJR 50 , SCR 22 , SCR 12 , SCR 39 , SB 875 , SB 318 , SB 707 , SB 765 , SB 62 , SB 666 , SB 888 , SB 687 , SB 847 , SB 1248 , SB 504 , SB 857 , SB 305 , SB 296 , SB 284 , SB 1497 , SB 1498 , SB 241 , SB 304 , SB 621 , SB 1023 , SB 371 , SB 204 , SB 609 , SB 670 , SB 850 , SB 854 , SB 413 , SB 1346 , SB 1033 , SB 1220 , SB 1073 , SB 810 , SB 1539 , SB 447 , SB 406 , SB 985 , SB 965 , SB 1119 , SB 1505 , SB 1215 , SB 1302 , SB 856 , SB 583 , SB 673 , SB 681 , SB 1172 , SB 608 , SB 955 , SB 957 , SB 1021 , SB 1120 , SB 251 , SB 541 , SB 1737 , SB 266 , SB 1415 , SB 125 , SB 599 , SB 1330 , SB 53 , SB 1352 , SB 785 , SB 472 , SB 1450 , SB 1502 , SB 1566 , SB 414 , SB 1062 , SB 578 , SB 711 , SB 746 , SB 942 , SB 1404 , SB 1448 , SB 1738 , SB 108 , SB 8 , SB 507 , SB 533 , SB 689 , SB 1026 , SB 1349 , SB 1355 , SB 1433 , SB 1434 , SB 1596 , SB 1403 , SB 763 , SB 667 , SB 1059 , SB 617 , SB 1567 , SB 503 , SB 16 , SB 310 , SB 311 , SB 396 , SB 505 , SB 1209 , SB 1210 , SB 1470 , SB 264 , SB 1029 , SB 1185 , SB 1358 , SB 1364 , SB 1569 , SB 1376 , SB 1228 , SB 519 , SB 878 , SB 1350 , SB 462 , SB 1535 , SB 827 , SB 1585 , SB 207 , SB 1207 , SB 1619 , SB 1396 , SB 920 , SB 1484 , SB 1273 , SB 1741 , SB 7 , SB 927 , SB 1227 , SB 1229 , SB 1353 , SB 1366 , SB 1464 , SB 1709 , SB 1729 , SB 1733 , SB 1744 , SB 1772 , SB 1816 , SB 1841 , SB 2188 , SB 1147 , SB 879 , SB 1008 , SB 1536 , SB 2016 , SB 1453 , SB 1173 , SB 1163 , SB 996 , SB 27 , SB 568 , SB 1370 , SB 1321 , SB 1101 , SB 906 , SB 860 , SB 1563 , SB 993 , SB 693 , SB 1610 , SB 1537 , SB 836 , SB 1332 , SB 1307 , SB 963 , SB 493 , SB 922 , SB 984 , SB 1084 , SB 619 , SB 1098 , SB 1122 , SB 455 , SB 522 , SB 1057 , SB 1239 , SB 1254 , SB 1255 , SB 1259 , SB 1341 , SB 1664 , SB 1877 , SB 464 , SB 1277 , SB 32 , SB 732 , SB 660 , SB 731 , SB 921 , SB 268 , SB 1822 , SB 1188 , SB 1939 , SB 1589 , SB 397 , SB 1388 , SB 2230 , SB 1058 , SB 1036 , SB 1267 , SB 2112 , SB 1930 , SB 532 , SB 1035 , SB 2155 , SB 508 , SB 29 , SB 292 , SB 291 , SB 901 , SB 1333 , SB 1436 , SB 1494 , SB 964 , SB 779 , SB 1378 , SB 2312 , SB 1719 , SB 1386 , SB 287 , SB 2143 , SB 1245 , SB 261 , SB 1247 , SB 1948 , SB 2406 , SB 2407 , SB 1882 , SB 1197 , SB 1814 , SB 618 , SB 38 , SJR 37 , SB 108 , SB 207 , SB 251 , SB 472 , SB 503 , SB 599 , SB 621 , SB 856 , SB 1021 , SB 1185 , SB 1207 , SB 1330 , SB 1497 , SB 1535 , SB 1619 , SB 8 , SB 16 , SB 371 , SB 396 , SB 533 , SB 965 , SR 338 , SR 350 , SB 2076 , SB 1498 , SB 8 , SB 16 , SB 318 , SB 371 , SB 396 , SB 533 , SB 707 , SB 875 , SB 965 , SB 2076

Transcript Highlights:

• I'll note that dynamic pricing is not a new concept.
• Dynamic pricing is not a new concept.
• Through online e-commerce marketplaces.
• Speaker, and members, this is an important bill that will protect our students online from online harassment
• from online harassment.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:33:37.559><c> and</c> million is I think the asking price and million is I think the asking price
• </c> provided that we do have an online provided that we do have an online reporting<00:52:57.680><c>
• They have to pay for the infrastructure, but the land is covered in their price.
• They have to pay for the infrastructure, but the land is covered in their price.
• They have to pay for the infrastructure, but the land is covered in their price.

Committee: House Agriculture & Food Systems

Transcript Highlights:

• print ad that goes with this at no cost that will list all of the notices that had been published online
• It was $3 for that, so I'm probably going to tell them because they do online banking now.
• It's online. Okay. Is there an objection to adopting that amendment? Okay.
• Amendment set number 3898 is being passed out and made available online.
• The solution to affordability is increasing housing supply, not restricting prices.

Summary: The committee met on April 15 at 5:13 p.m. with a quorum present and took up several local and municipal bills out of order to accommodate members’ travel. HB 87, which would increase the per diem for the Livingston Parish Gas Utility District No. 1 board, was presented as a local bill with no opposition and was reported favorably without objection. HB 481, dealing with the cost of publishing official proceedings and public notices, drew extensive testimony from the Louisiana Press Association, the Police Jury Association, and committee members. Supporters said a prior agreement intended a 15% to 20% reduction in notice costs, but a calculation error would instead produce roughly a 40% reduction, threatening small newspapers; opponents questioned the process and impact on local governments. The committee ultimately voted 10-5 to send HB 481 to the floor, with members urging further negotiation and possible amendment. HB 573, a major New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board governance bill by Rep. Hilferty, was amended in committee and then supported by Mayor Helena Moreno and several council members as a way to shift more oversight and accountability to the New Orleans City Council. Supporters argued the current structure diffuses responsibility and that local elected officials need more direct authority over operations, contracts, and transparency. Dr. Tracy Washington of the Louisiana Justice Institute opposed the bill, warning that transferring control could worsen financial strain, blur accountability, and raise equity and human-rights concerns for vulnerable residents. Despite the opposition, the committee voted to report HB 573 favorably to the floor. The committee also advanced HB 162, allowing the Jefferson Place/Bocage crime prevention and improvement district to impose a fee after local approval, and HB 368, which raises penalties for unauthorized demolition in New Orleans historic districts to the greater of $50,000 or 15% of assessed value. Both were reported favorably after brief discussion. HB 441, a cleanup bill clarifying that New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board employees remain in city civil service rather than state civil service, was also sent to the floor without objection. Finally, HB 257, concerning the powers and duties of the police chief of the city of Central, was amended to require consultation with the city attorney before discipline or dismissal and to delay effectiveness until January 1, 2027; after debate over due process and the chief’s authority, the committee voted to report it favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• So newspaper publication is a mix of paper and online publication.
• So we do have a full online elementary program, middle school, high school.
• We are fully online.
• We are fully online.
• So we have online manuals.

Committee: Joint Legislative Task Force on Government Efficiency

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> or online? or online? Gary. Gary. Gary.
• &gt;&gt; Anyone<01:40:53.440><c> online?</c> &gt;&gt; Anyone online? &gt;&gt; Anyone online?
• Okay.<01:47:48.560><c> Online.</c> Okay. Online. Okay. Online.
• So everybody show your fives. >> Any online? >> Two and three online.
• </c> Okay, let's see what's online. Okay, let's see what's online.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our analyses are also shared with everyone online and on our website.
• These factors include stock market and asset price volatility and declines, particularly those affecting
• An electronic copy of the agenda is available online at the Assembly Appropriations Committee website
• AB 710, Irwin, electricity pricing and advanced metering, do pass out with the Republicans not voting

Summary: The Assembly Appropriations Committee met on January 22, 2026, for its regular order hearing and suspense-file hearing. In regular order, the committee approved consent-calendar bills AB 683, AB 763, AB 1126, and AB 1278 on unanimous due-pass motions, and AB 34 and AB 442 on a second unanimous due-pass motion. The committee then heard and advanced several bills, including AB 35, which would create an APA exemption for Proposition 4-funded programs to speed implementation of water, wildfire, energy-storage, and grid-support projects; AB 748, establishing pre-approved housing programs for local agencies; AB 939, allowing immediate transfer of certain affordable homeownership units to qualified nonprofit housing organizations; AB 643, adding a narrow organic-waste-derived agricultural fertilizer product to SB 1383 procurement options; and AB 96, removing the high school diploma requirement for certified Medi-Cal peer support specialists. Testimony on these bills was largely supportive, with sponsors and coalition representatives emphasizing reduced delays, lower costs, and improved housing, environmental, or behavioral-health outcomes. The Department of Finance offered general budget comments but no bill-specific positions. The committee voted the bills out, with AB 643 and AB 96 receiving no recorded opposition in the transcript and AB 939 passing with some members noting support and interest in coauthoring. The committee also received a presentation-only discussion of AB 1091, a proposal to authorize eight-letter specialty license plates, which the author said could generate revenue for rural programs such as the Williamson Act; the bill was not acted on at that time. After public comment, the committee moved to the suspense-file hearing on 53 bills. Using a substituted motion for due-pass and due-pass-with-amendments items, the committee held some bills and advanced many others, often with amendments that narrowed scope, deleted provisions, or required reports or studies. Bills held in committee included AB 405, AB 298, AB 333, AB 296, AB 1091, AB 1241, and AB 577, among others. The committee reported moving 43 bills to the Assembly floor, with several on A roll calls and others on B roll calls or with amendments, and noted that amendment language would be posted later online.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we think there's an opportunity to address this part of consumers the consumers price by re-examining
• Looking ahead, we know Texas will continue growing, and reliable energy transmission at an affordable price
• Looking at what the load was and making sure you had enough dispatchable generation online to serve that
• which means that in order to serve the load on some days you had to have some wind or some solar online

Committee: House State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Price. Senator Wheat. Representative Boriak. Representative Fontaineau present.
• Moved by Senator Price, without objection.
• Price? Yeah, thank you. Mr. Chairman. Rep. Murray, I just want you to know. Oh. Mr. Chairman, Rep.
• Thank you, Senator Price. Mr. Secretary?
• "Okay, we have a motion by Senator Price to approve the statewide flood control program without objection

Summary: The Joint Committee on Transportation, Highways, and Public Works met on March 9, 2026, with a quorum present and approved the March 3 minutes without objection. The committee welcomed new members and then took up four priority program items: the statewide flood control program, the airport construction and development priority program, the port construction and development priority program, and the state highway priority program. Department of Transportation and Development staff explained that the highway packet reflected about $1.2 billion in total investment, including roughly $913 million scheduled for construction in the coming fiscal year, and included written justifications for projects discussed at road show hearings but not included in the program. Each of the four programs was approved without objection. The committee then heard a presentation from Amtrak on Louisiana service and the Mardi Gras route between New Orleans and Mobile. Amtrak reported that the new state-supported service, launched in August 2025, had exceeded its first-year ridership projection of 76,000 and had already carried more than 78,000 riders by late February, with strong customer satisfaction and high load factors. The presentation also described Louisiana’s broader Amtrak network, station ridership patterns, fares, and planned capital improvements funded through state matches and federal CRISI grants to improve rail fluidity and shorten travel times over time. Members focused heavily on rail crossing safety, asking about recent accidents and what was being done to reduce them. Amtrak said the crossings involved were generally equipped with gates and lights and that it was working with Operation Lifesaver, Norfolk Southern, and CSX on additional public safety messaging. Members also discussed the practical appeal of the service and asked a follow-up question about an emergency notification app used for railroad crossings. The meeting concluded with a motion by Vice Chair Carter to adjourn, adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• But let's start now with Mary Long online, and Lisa Hoffman, if you are not signed on, please join immediately
• The reason these incentives work is that they lower the price of healthy foods relative to unhealthy
• Melissa Knox: In contrast, this bill does not change relative prices or expand access, so it's unlikely
• Let's go online to Matthew Brunig. He's not on Zoom. Oh, he's not. Then let's go to Suki Samra.
• Prices have risen approximately 21% since 2020, while wages have increased only about 4% during the same

Bills: SB6007 , SB6186 , SB6212

Committee: Senate Human Services

Keywords: assessment practices, public policy, children, youth, families, evaluation, outcomes, SNAP, nutrition, public health, food access, unhealthy foods, benefit program, assistance, pilot program, state support, public welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill by Representative Riser, functions and powers of state banks, price thresholds, 300.
• House Bill by Representative Jordan: prohibiting surveillance-based price discrimination on fair and
• House Bill by Speaker Britson, Mike Johnson Broadband Cable Price Notice Act; written notice; method
• certain charging of different prices, provide for exceptions, preferred vendors, 831.
• certain charging of different prices, provide for exceptions, preferred vendors, 831.

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and then received and processed multiple resignation notices and special-election proclamations for vacant seats. The chamber later recognized and swore in newly elected members Doyle Boudreaux, Reese Broussard, Chassity Verrett-Martinez, and Edwin Murray after no objections were raised to their qualifications. The House also appointed committees to notify the Senate and the governor that it was ready to conduct business for the 2026 regular session, and it adopted the proposed standing committee meeting schedule and referred prefiled bills to committee without objection. The bulk of the meeting was devoted to the introduction and reading of a very large number of House bills and resolutions across many subject areas. Measures included the annual appropriations bill, a proposed constitutional convention, carbon dioxide sequestration and pipeline permitting, retirement-system changes, criminal justice and public safety proposals, education and workforce measures, local government and district creation bills, insurance and liability reforms, and numerous commemorative resolutions. Several prefiled bills were withdrawn, and many introduced measures were assigned to committees or allowed to lie over under the rules. The House then entered a joint session with the Senate for the governor’s address. Governor Jeff Landry outlined his administration’s priorities and praised recent legislative actions on taxes, insurance reform, transportation, education, and fiscal discipline. He urged support for Amendment 3 on teacher pay and retirement, called for further workforce and health initiatives, defended insurance and transportation reforms, and pressed for judicial reform, especially in Orleans Parish, citing the death of Jacob Carter and failures in electronic monitoring as examples. He also promoted replacing the vehicle inspection sticker with a QR code system and highlighted economic growth, lower taxes, and infrastructure investments. The joint session also included a presentation of the colors by the Louisiana National Guard and a Distinguished Flying Cross ceremony for Technical Sergeant Adam W. Brister, recognizing his 2018 rescue mission in Alaska. After the governor’s remarks and the military honor presentation, the joint session concluded and the House resumed introducing additional bills, continuing to file measures on topics such as health care, education, ethics, elections, local districts, and constitutional amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• Keithley, Murphy, Overcast, Price, Taylor, Van Schoiack, Warwick, Williams.
• communications and notices about the assessment process and, you know, where it's at and their rights in it online
• . ...assessment process and, you know, where it's at and their rights in it online through email as opposed
• And when we talk about pricing people out of their homes, that can happen really quickly when you get
• Louis, I mean, housing prices outpaced CPI over since the 1960s significantly.

Committee: House Special Committee on Property Tax Reform

Summary: The Special Committee on Property Tax Reform heard public testimony on House Bills 3253 and 3254, presented by Representatives Steinhoff and Jobe. The bills would expand assessor training and continuing education requirements, require physical inspections for large assessment increases on commercial property as well as residential property, allow greater use of technology and remote imagery in assessments, create optional electronic notices and communications for taxpayers, and move toward setting property tax levies by subclass with a small-parcel exception. The bill also included provisions to raise the per-parcel reimbursement floor for assessors, reimburse local governments for revenue losses tied to SB 190 and SB 3, provide payment options during appeals, and require counties to offer installment payment options for property taxes. The sponsors said the proposal was built from bipartisan committee discussions and statewide listening sessions, and they emphasized assessor professionalism, taxpayer flexibility, and fairness in the assessment process. Committee members asked about assessor training, the fiscal note, the parcel reimbursement formula, and how the subclass levy system would work in small jurisdictions. Witnesses from the Missouri Special Districts Association and school administrators generally supported the concepts of better assessor training, more resources, and taxpayer payment flexibility, while also warning about implementation burdens and the fiscal impact of state backfill for SB 190 and SB 3. Testimony also focused on the accuracy of ratio studies and the fairness of moving to subclass-based levies. Some members argued the current system can shift tax burdens unfairly between residential, commercial, and agricultural property owners, while others cautioned that the new structure could create winners and losers depending on local assessment practices. A representative from the State Tax Commission clarified that commissioners do receive training, corrected the parcel reimbursement discussion to note the first 20,000 parcels are treated differently under current law, and said the commission already provides assessor training. No votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after public testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• The price of gas is going up. It is volatile. ...of gas. The price of gas is going up.
• This raises the price for us as constituents driving during those times.
• We're all for lower gas prices. We're all for lower taxes.
• And We're all for lower gas prices.
• keep our prices just as low as we can.

Committee: House House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee took up several energy, transportation, and land-use bills. HB 2428, dealing with county and ADEQ authority to issue voluntary permits certifying emission reduction credits for mobile and non-road sources, received neutral testimony from ADEQ and support from Maricopa County; the committee adopted the Griffin amendment and passed the bill 10-0 with a due pass recommendation. HB 2145, which expands who may request certain gasoline fuel reformulation actions and is contingent on EPA approval, also passed on a 5-4 vote after brief staff explanation and no amendment. The committee then considered HB 2331, a strike-everything amendment requiring electric utilities to ensure 85% of generating capacity serving retail load comes from “reliable resources” by 2030. Supporters, including the sponsor and Arizona Free Enterprise Club, argued it would protect affordability and grid reliability by favoring dispatchable power; opponents, including the Sierra Club and Rural Arizona Action, said it would effectively favor fossil fuels, raise costs, and limit cleaner resources. The committee adopted the amendment and passed the bill 6-4. HB 2795, which would bar counties from using zoning to block small modular reactors once federal permitting conditions are met, drew strong support from the sponsor and industry advocates who framed it as pro-property-rights and pro-nuclear, and opposition from county, city, and environmental groups who raised preemption, local control, safety, waste, and siting concerns; it passed 6-4. The committee also passed HB 2340, which allows the Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee to evaluate proposed generating facilities along with transmission lines, on a 5-4 vote. HB 2400, an emergency measure to suspend the motor vehicle fuel tax in Areas A and C during part of the year and replace the lost revenue through state highway funding, drew opposition from cities and counties over transportation funding impacts but support from the sponsor and some members focused on gas affordability; the Griffin amendment was adopted and the bill passed 6-4. Finally, HB 2401 was introduced as a requirement for ADEQ to conduct a biennial review of available fuel formulations and their air-quality impacts in Areas A and C, but the transcript ends before testimony or action on that bill is completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• in December. ...the TurboTaxes, the online providers of the world, starting in December.
• That's another reason we need to get this done as soon as possible, because TurboTax and all the online
• That's another reason we need to get this done as soon as possible, because TurboTax and all the online
• I think, because it's a $441.3 million price tag where we don't have certainty of how we're going to
• price tag of the other bill.

Summary: The joint House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees met to hear identical conformity bills, HB 2153 and SB 1106, which would align Arizona tax law with the federal Internal Revenue Code as of Jan. 1, 2026, including some retroactive provisions for tax year 2025. Staff explained that the bills would exclude three federal provisions: the higher federal SALT deduction, the new senior deduction as written in H.R. 1, and the deduction for interest on new car loans. They would instead include a $6,000 retirement-income deduction for taxpayers age 60 and older, a $6,000 Roth IRA contribution deduction, a higher dependent tax credit, and a deduction for child and dependent care expenses above the federal credit. JLBC estimated the package would reduce general fund income tax revenue by about $441.3 million in FY 2026. Members also discussed that the Department of Revenue’s forms had been issued assuming full conformity, and staff and supporters argued the bills were needed quickly to avoid confusion and amended returns during filing season. Committee members and sponsors largely framed the bills as tax relief and a way to provide certainty for taxpayers and preparers. Supporters said the package would help families, seniors, and workers, and noted that the Arizona version was negotiated to keep the overall tax relief roughly comparable to full conformity while shifting benefits away from the SALT deduction and toward child credits, retirement income, and child care. The sponsors also criticized the governor’s executive action and urged prompt passage so taxpayers would know how to file. Opponents argued the bills would reduce state revenue, worsen the budget outlook, and disproportionately benefit higher-income taxpayers and corporations. Several witnesses and members also raised concerns about the child care deduction, the retirement-income deduction, and the business expensing provisions, while supporters responded that the bill was designed to help working families and encourage saving and investment. Public testimony was mixed. The Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Arizona Free Enterprise Club supported the bills, emphasizing early conformity, filing certainty, and reduced confusion for taxpayers and software providers. Opponents included Save Our Schools Arizona, the Arizona Center for Economic Progress, Opportunity Arizona, and several individuals, who argued the package would deepen budget problems and favor the wealthy. One witness objected to a federal school-choice-related provision she said was being tied to the bill, though committee members said the measure before them was a tax conformity bill and not a school finance bill. The hearing included extended debate over the fiscal impact, the governor’s prior requests for some of the same tax changes, and whether taxpayers would need to file amended returns if the legislature later changed course. The transcript ends during testimony from NFIB, with no final committee vote or action shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• And without having a consistent pricing policy and consistent pricing across similar careers, then we
• So, pricing is almost never the answer.
• ><c> consistent</c><00:46:42.520><c> pricing</c> pricing policy and consistent pricing pricing policy
• </c> so pricing is almost never Okay. so pricing is almost never Okay.
• 46:58.480><c> may</c><00:46:58.640><c> be</c> significantly that pricing may be significantly that pricing