Video & Transcript : 'employee speech' :

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WV

West Virginia 2026 Regular Session

Senate in Session Mar 13th, 2026 at 10:19 am

West Virginia Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • And, you know, we always talk, if one of us in here gives the remarks or a speech at a school or at an
  • Future employees within these departments will be part of the classified exempt system and...
  • Future employees within these departments will be part of the classified exempt system and exempt from
  • In general, this bill exempts employees from the departments of health, health facilities, and human
  • It does not affect current employees unless they have a change in status, which includes moving to a
Keywords: 994, senate, all
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
  • pornographic content, and the Supreme Court has already determined that this is not violating free speech
  • Madam Chair, members of the committee, Mike Stabiel from the Free Speech Coalition, the trade association
  • This bill comes from a constituent who is going through a divorce, and the spouse was an employee of
  • the court now is that the court was basest, I'm not sure if there's a typo there, and favored the employee
  • There and favored the employee.
Summary: The Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee heard and advanced several House bills dealing with criminal law, victims’ rights, and court fees. HB 2131 would remove the financial-gain requirement from weapons and explosives trafficking and make trafficking three or more weapons or explosives in one offense ineligible for probation, pardon, commutation, or early release until the sentence is served; it passed 6-1. HB 2132 lowered the fentanyl trafficking threshold from 200 grams to 100 grams and adjusted related sentencing language; supporters said it would help law enforcement and prosecutors, while opponents argued it would sweep in heavy users and lacked data on current enforcement; it passed 4-3. HB 2223 requires sex offenders seeking a name change to notify prosecutors and victims, and to register under the new name if granted; it passed 6-1. The committee also passed HB 2411, which creates the crime of coerced abortion for secretly or forcibly administering an abortion-inducing drug with intent to cause an abortion, as a class 2 felony. Supporters described cases of covert or forced abortion drug use and said existing laws do not clearly cover situations where the drug is given but no death occurs; opponents argued current assault, manslaughter, homicide, and food-contamination statutes already address the conduct and that the bill is unnecessary. HB 2043, which adds unborn children to the felony-murder statute, also passed 4-3 after testimony from prosecutors and advocates on both sides; supporters called it a cleanup measure, while opponents warned it advances fetal personhood and could have broader reproductive-health consequences. HB 2046, requiring victims to be notified of pre-hearings in probation review proceedings for certain sex offenders, passed unanimously after emotional testimony from a victim’s family and county prosecutors. The committee then approved HB 2666, which increases penalties for sexual extortion involving 15-, 16-, and 17-year-olds when the offender is an adult and knew or should have known the victim’s age. Finally, HB 2265, which eliminates court-imposed fees and assessments on criminal defendants for public defense, jury trials, and appeals, passed 7-0 despite county opposition over lost revenue and shifting costs to taxpayers. The last bill, HB 2133, would require commercial websites hosting sexual material to verify the age and consent of depicted persons, retain records, and treat synthetic depictions like AI-generated images similarly to existing revenge-porn laws; it drew support from adult-industry representatives on some implementation issues but also significant constitutional and privacy concerns, and the committee adopted an amendment before passing the bill as amended.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Civil Rights & Judiciary Feb 24th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • On social media, for example, our employees were threatened with bombing or shooting.
  • Now, some people may believe that the legislation chills the First Amendment right to free speech, but
  • They put our employees and their families in harm's way.
  • Now, some people may believe that the legislation chills the First Amendment right to free speech, but
  • They put our employees and their families in harm's way.
Summary: The committee heard Substitute Senate Bill 5520, which revises Washington’s wrongful conviction compensation law. Staff said the bill changes the proof standard for filing claims, expands treatment of Alford pleas, requires the Attorney General to concede qualifying claims in most cases, includes civil detention in compensation calculations, changes attorney fee provisions, and extends filing deadlines. The prime sponsor and supporters from the Washington Innocence Project and exonerees said the bill would reduce unnecessary relitigation and improve access to compensation, while one witness argued it would broaden eligibility and state costs. The bill was not acted on in the excerpt, but testimony was taken and questions focused on the term “actually innocent.” The committee then heard Senate Bill 5536 on property division in dissolution and legal separation cases, which would direct courts to consider real-estate sale costs, homelessness risk, and housing needs when dividing property and liabilities, and would clarify enforcement of real property orders. The sponsor said the bill is meant to make property divisions more equitable when one spouse must keep and later sell the family home. No public testimony was taken on the bill in the excerpt. In executive session, the committee considered Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5925 on Attorney General civil investigative demands. Members debated and voted on many amendments; most Republican-sponsored amendments were rejected, but Amendment 279, limiting use by the Criminal Justice Division, and Amendment 273, requiring consultation with local law enforcement in matters that may involve criminal violations, were adopted. The committee then passed the bill out with a do pass as amended recommendation by a 7-5 vote. The committee also heard and advanced Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6002 on automated license plate readers, adopting a striker and then passing the bill out 7-5 as amended, with members emphasizing privacy protections, retention limits, and limited law-enforcement uses while some members urged broader operational flexibility. Later, the committee took brief public testimony on Gross Substitute Senate Bill 6086, which would let Administrative Office of the Courts security staff conduct threat assessments and expand Supreme Court bailiff authority; witnesses described rising threats to judges and court personnel. It also heard Senate Bill 5868 to add one superior court judge each in Skagit and Yakima counties, with local officials citing caseload growth and budget strain. Senate Joint Memorial 8006, urging restoration and expansion of the limited license legal technician program, drew support from a paralegal and victim advocate who said it would improve access to justice for domestic violence survivors. Finally, the committee considered Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5993 on medical debt interest rates, which would lower the interest cap on new medical debt and prohibit interest in certain circumstances; the bill was moved out of committee with a do pass recommendation in the excerpt.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Education Feb 18th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • Facebook, and they noted that surveillance harms privacy essential to free speech.
  • determined in Patelby, Facebook, and they noted that surveillance harms privacy essential to free speech
  • In the event a school nurse or other school employee administers epinephrine that is not school-supplied
  • ... ...protections that I didn't describe, if a school nurse or other school employee administers epinephrine
  • , but school district contractors, are those employees or contractors called upon to comply with provisions
Summary: The House Education Committee heard several bills related to special education records, artificial intelligence in schools, financial aid access, educator preparation, school health, and student mobile device use. Substitute Senate Bill 6268 would require OSPI to keep an online public record of final special education community complaint decisions for 20 years; the sponsor and several parents, attorneys, and open-government advocates said the records help families, schools, and researchers understand past decisions and remedies, while no one testified in opposition. Substitute Senate Bill 5956 would limit school use of automated decision systems, school surveillance technology, biometric data, and facial recognition in student discipline and safety contexts; the sponsor and supporters said it would prevent harmful false positives and discriminatory impacts, while an industry witness warned the bill could unintentionally reduce school safety by limiting emergency facial-recognition uses. Committee discussion focused on the bill’s scope, especially whether it affects classroom grading or only discipline-related decisions, and staff noted the bill does not require teacher training. The committee also heard Substitute Senate Bill 5841, which would add financial-aid application data to the High School and Beyond Plan platform and require students to receive information about the Washington Opportunity Scholarship Program. The sponsor said the bill would make aid status more transparent and easier to track, especially for families facing language or access barriers, and a student advocate testified in support; a committee member raised concerns about privacy for immigrant and DACA students, and the sponsor said the portal would be opt-in and guided by privacy protections. Senate Bill 6278 would codify and update Professional Educator Standards Board review of teacher and principal preparation programs, including program standards, educator role standards, evidence, and input from P-12 partners, while allowing field placement plans to be submitted on a less frequent schedule; PESB staff said the bill largely reflects current practice and adds flexibility. Substitute Senate Bill 5240 would expand who may administer epinephrine in schools and allow use of any available epinephrine when a student with a prescription on file has anaphylaxis; school nurses supported broader access to stock epinephrine but warned against using one student’s medication for another and raised legal and ethical concerns, while the sponsor emphasized faster response in emergencies. Finally, Substitute Senate Bill 5346 would direct OSPI to study and report on school mobile-device restrictions and update digital citizenship resources to include research and best practices on student phone use. Staff said OSPI already has some guidance, but the bill would create formal legislative reports and expand the state’s digital citizenship materials. The committee began taking testimony on that bill as the hearing time ran short, and the chair noted there were ten people signed in to testify.
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

February 13, 2025 - 09:00 AM

Transcript Highlights:
  • important to note that all of the administrative functions within the AAA SMP are distributed to employees
  • To fast forward a little bit within this particular video, the employee has the ability to look at To
  • And if they are a school employee, whether they're at a district school or a private school, that would
  • And if they are a school employee, whether they're at a district school or a private school, that would
  • “Behavioral therapy, to have options locally within your county that would offer speech language services
Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee met to continue reviewing how Family Empowerment Scholarship students are funded through the FEFP and the role of scholarship funding organizations. Staff gave a statutory overview of parent, SFO, and Department of Education responsibilities, including application deadlines, eligibility verification, quarterly payment timing, cross-checks to prevent duplicate funding, and the 99% district FEFP limitation for certain awards. The committee then heard demonstrations from Step Up for Students and AAA Scholarship Foundation showing their parent portals, application workflows, reimbursement systems, school enrollment/invoice processes, and marketplace tools for tuition, tutoring, and approved goods and services. Step Up reported major growth since HB 1, saying its scholarship population expanded from about 260,000 to more than 440,000 students, with application processing averaging about 10 days. It also highlighted faster tuition, provider, and reimbursement payments, multilingual support in English and Spanish, and resources such as videos and a call center. Members asked about support for Creole speakers, optional Florida ID numbers, student identifiers, marketplace pricing, tutor qualifications, background screening, and how awards differ from funded status. Step Up said it does not currently support Creole, does not do background screenings for tutors, sets no marketplace prices itself, and uses a unique internal student ID separate from the state ID. AAA demonstrated its revised software for the 2025-26 school year, including an eligibility screener, household and student application steps, messaging with staff, reimbursement requests, and administrative review and payment batching. AAA said the new system is custom-built, more transparent about award value versus available balance, and designed to better handle quarterly funding for UA students. Members questioned AAA and Step Up about student ID numbers, public-school cross-checks, fraud controls, school fee schedules, whether schools must participate, and reimbursement timing. Both organizations said they report quarterly to DOE, receive public-school cross-checks, and recover funds when students return to public school; AAA said its average reimbursement turnaround is about 14 business days, while Step Up said its reimbursement approvals have improved significantly. The committee also requested follow-up information, including one-pagers, data on income levels and demographics, and additional details on forecasting and system costs.
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

House Legislative Session Day 13 (1-23-26) - Resumed

Kentucky House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • fundamentally anti-democratic, and I cannot support that any more than I could age-based restrictions on free speech
  • I could age-based restrictions<00:19:40.559><c> on</c><00:19:40.880><c> free</c><00:19:41.120><c> speech
  • ><00:19:41.679><c> or</c><00:19:41.919><c> the</c><00:19:42.080><c> free</c> restrictions on free speech
  • or the free restrictions on free speech or the free exercise<00:19:42.799><c> of</c><00:19:43.039><c
  • House Bill 483, Representative Brancher, an act relating to the purchase of firearms by state employees
NH

New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session

Senate Judiciary (02/13/2025)

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • Right, and then this building—at my business—I am going to also follow this law, and employees decide
  • In my opinion, it was a little hard not to laugh during the sponsor's speech.
  • Where is the chance transgender employees are supposed to go?
  • I lose my freedom of speech. I lose my right to participate in my own government.
  • I lose my freedom of speech. I lose my right to participate in my own government.
Committee: Senate Judiciary
Keywords: 1191, senate, all
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

03/25/2026 - Senate Education

Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • So I would just say that in Arizona law, all school employees are mandated reporters.
  • Employees and law enforcement officers of any incident involving life-threatening violence as outlined
  • I'm going to call an audible because last committee I had a stuffy speech.
  • I'm going to call an audible because last committee I had a stuffy speech.
  • I'm a speech before I do, I want to ask Mr. Russ if he has any final comments.
Committee: Senate Education
US

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

US House Floor Proceedings (Monday, September 8, 2025)

US Federal House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • The Speaker: The Chair will entertain requests for one-minute speeches.
  • ARMED FORCES ELIGIBLE FOR PRE-SEPARATION COUNSELING AND VETERANS BECOMING SUPPLY CHAIN EMPLOYEES AND
  • The bill requires the creation of a veteran-to-supply-chain-employee action plan, which will identify
  • The Chair will now entertain requests for one-minute speeches.
  • REQUESTS FOR ONE-MINUTE SPEECHES.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Floor Session May 26th, 2026

California House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Courts have long recognized the importance of speech, and often speech that may be anonymous, and this
  • Assembly Bill 1564 by Assembly Member Arons, an act relating to employee-employer relations.
  • Employees face the same burden when workplaces do not formally recognize Eid.
  • AI so that employee organizations are... staying with assembly member Koloza.
  • AI so that employee organizations are Notice of the proposed use of generative AI so that employee organizations
Keywords: 988, house, all
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Committee on the Judiciary Jun 21st, 2026 at 10:00 am

Joint Committee on the Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • My name is Janet Fitzgerald, and I'm both a speech-language pathologist and a communication strategist
  • However, I can no longer work as a speech-language pathologist because many or most of the rooms in the
  • And that's such a shame because speech-language pathologists are in great need today.
  • My name is Janet Fitzgerald, and I'm both a speech-language pathologist and a communication strategist
  • And that's such a shame because speech language pathologists are in great need today.
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The Joint Committee on the Judiciary held a lengthy public hearing on a wide range of civil rights, immigration, hate crimes, and reparations bills. Chair Edwards and Chair Day opened with strict testimony rules, including two-minute limits, written testimony options, and decorum requirements. Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell testified in strong support of S. 1126/H. 1920, the Combating Hate in the Commonwealth bill, saying Massachusetts needs stronger tools to address rising hate and bias incidents. Her Civil Rights Division chief explained that the bill would give the division civil investigative demand/subpoena power, expand civil rights enforcement, close loopholes in the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act, add protected classes to the hate crimes law, and require better hate-crime data reporting. The committee also heard support for H. 1954 on access to counsel in immigration proceedings, H. 4684 on law enforcement identification and public trust, and H. 1927 to exonerate individuals accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts. Several bills focused on discrimination and civil rights enforcement. Supporters of S. 1248 on organizational standing said fair housing nonprofits need explicit authority to bring discrimination complaints in their own names, especially as federal protections are under attack. On H. 1246, advocates urged adding sex and gender as protected classes in the hate crimes statute, arguing women are not protected under current state law. H. 1820 drew testimony for protections against height and weight discrimination. H. 1995 would regularize sentencing for hate crimes by requiring diversity awareness training for both convictions and continuances without a finding, and H. 1056/H. 1589 would broaden hate-crime victim standing and require restitution to be used to repair harm. H. 1886 would clarify that defense-based social service staff are exempt from mandated reporter obligations when working under attorney-client privilege. The committee also heard testimony on H. 1889/S. 1064, a bill to eliminate disparate impact. Environmental justice advocates, fair housing attorneys, and community members argued that neutral policies can still produce discriminatory outcomes and that Massachusetts should allow state-court claims and a private right of action to address them. Committee members raised concerns about litigation floodgates, punitive damages, and the scope of protected classes, while supporters said the bill would mainly target systemic harms and injunctive relief. Additional testimony supported H. 1922/S. 119, the Fair Investment Act, which would create civil rights protections in venture capital and other investment settings for founders and investors, especially women and minority entrepreneurs. The hearing also included testimony on H. 1683, the Sex Trade Survivor Act, which would expand vacatur and expungement relief for trafficking survivors, remove archaic offenses from the code, and create an interagency commission; supporters emphasized reducing barriers to housing, employment, and reentry. Finally, the committee heard extensive support for H. 1753/S. 1181, establishing a commission to study reparations in Massachusetts. Testifiers described the state’s history of slavery, redlining, and ongoing racial disparities, and urged the committee to report the bill favorably. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • systems, which streamline government efficiencies and operations and improve efficiencies for state employees
  • which offers a lot of options as of now, but it does not offer the option of an individual state employee
  • </c><00:05:22.360><c> designating</c> individual state employee designating individual state employee
  • </c><00:40:49.599><c> sounds</c> the floor if you save that speech sounds the floor if you save that
  • speech sounds good<00:40:50.720><c> thank</c><00:40:50.839><c> you</c><00:40:51.040><c> chairman</c><
Summary: The Senate State and Local Government Committee met and first considered Senate Bill 4, sponsored by Sen. Bledsoe, which would create a risk-based AI governance framework for state government and address AI-generated misinformation in campaigns and elections. The sponsor said the bill came from the AI task force and is intended to promote transparency, accountability, and responsible use of AI while distinguishing between internal and external systems. The committee took a roll call vote and reported the bill out 7-0. The committee then heard Senate Bill 58, sponsored by Sen. Webb, which would allow Kentucky Retirement System benefits to be designated to a Special Needs Trust for a beneficiary. Webb said the bill would help families of special-needs children preserve benefits for supplemental needs such as adaptive equipment, technology, and medical or dental care not covered by government programs. He said retirement systems had provided no-impact letters, and the bill passed 7-0. Members also approved Senate Bill 117, which would let cities adjust incentive payments for training by appointed and elected city officials and remove the statutory minimum from ordinance requirements, and Senate Bill 121, which would authorize county judges to contract with rescue groups to deal with wild horse herds in rural areas. SB 117 passed 10-0 and SB 121 passed 10-0. The committee then took up Senate Bill 71, as amended by a committee substitute, dealing with local library board appointments. Sen. Boswell said the bill was a compromise but that he preferred removing KDLA from the process entirely; library representatives opposed the committee substitute and said they wanted KDLA out of the selection process. Several senators expressed conditional support but said they wanted further changes, and the committee adopted the substitute and reported the bill out after a roll call vote with 10 yeas and 1 pass, with members noting they expected further floor amendments.
WY

Wyoming 2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session-Day 5, February 13, 2026-PM

Wyoming House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Are you trying to change the number of employees or not add employees?
  • </c> two full-time equivalent employees. two full-time equivalent employees.
  • and and and terminate two employee and and and terminate two employees<00:15:58.560><c> in</c><00:15
  • </c><00:16:10.160><c> Just</c> of employees or not add employees?
  • Just of employees or not add employees?
Keywords: 916, all
ID

Idaho 2026 Regular Session

Agenda Feb 17th, 2026

Commerce and Human Resources

Transcript Highlights:
  • I mentioned in my original speech that the size of houses has actually gone up to over 2,100 square feet
  • I mentioned in my original speech that the size of houses has actually gone up to over 2,100 square feet
  • I'm Bob Fick, a volunteer for the Retired Public Employees of Idaho.
  • impact on both the potential future rate contribution rate increases on government entities and their employees
  • The reason I'm here today is that I am representing a group called Retired Public Employees of Idaho.
Keywords: 989, all
US

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

US House Floor Proceedings (Tuesday, December 2, 2025)

US Federal House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • These are employees of small businesses.
  • These are employees of small businesses.
  • These are employees of small businesses.
  • I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill, and I yield back. employees, or self-employed. employees, or
  • ,</c> of the world, but under 20 employees, of the world, but under 20 employees, that's<05:47:24.958
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Education Committee Apr 22nd, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • CTA believes that all educator employees should have access to paid short-term disability benefits.
  • I think AB 1750 allows employees like my sister the focus to recover.”
  • Obviously, the law allows for school employees to take advantage of this policy.
  • Employees.
  • So that includes two deputy positions as well as three associate positions, an employee.
Summary: The committee heard several education-related bills, with the most extensive discussion focused on AB 2189, AB 2615, AB 2496, AB 1750, and AB 1644. AB 2189 would create an $800,000 grant program through the State Council on Developmental Disabilities to support a statewide parent network for special education advocacy and training. Supporters said families need stronger coordination and information to navigate special education, while an opponent argued the bill could duplicate existing family-led organizations. The bill passed 6-0 and was sent to Appropriations, held on call for add-on votes. AB 2615, a cleanup bill to AB 715 on antisemitism and instructional materials, drew the most controversy. The authors said it was intended to clarify prior commitments by removing references to professional responsibility standards, refining the “factually accurate” language, and clarifying how discriminatory materials are handled. Supporters said it would help protect students from discrimination, while many educators, civil rights groups, and other organizations opposed it unless amended, warning that the factual-accuracy language could chill teaching and be applied too broadly. The committee chair and members raised concerns about implementation but ultimately supported moving the bill forward; it passed 5-0 and was held on call. AB 2496 would streamline school accountability reporting by making the California School Dashboard the primary transparency tool, phasing out the School Accountability Report Card over time, and making mid-year LCAP reporting optional. Supporters said this would reduce duplication and administrative burden while preserving access to key data; opponents worried families could lose the simplicity and accessibility of the current SARC and that the mid-year update still serves an important purpose. The bill was approved 3-0 and held on call. AB 1750, which would extend full salary for an additional five months for school employees who exhaust sick leave due to illness or injury, was supported as a dignity and retention measure but opposed by administrators over staffing and cost concerns; it passed 4-0 and was held on call. AB 1644 would require a bell-to-bell smartphone ban in TK-8 and recommend it for high school, with exceptions for instructional and safety needs; supporters said phones are harming attention and learning, while opponents argued districts had just adopted local policies and needed more flexibility. The transcript ends during discussion of that bill.
CO

Colorado 2026 Regular Session

Colorado House 2026 Legislative Day 072 Mar 27th, 2026

Colorado House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • ><c> because</c><02:46:06.960><c> we</c> it's not compelled speech because we it's not compelled speech
  • </c><02:59:11.840><c> scheduling,</c> um it talks about employee scheduling, um it talks about employee
  • </c> be able to to use on with an employee be able to to use on with an employee that<03:00:11.720><c
  • </c> about surveillance, you know, employee about surveillance, you know, employee surveillance<03:00
  • </c><03:00:51.680><c> who</c> effectively terminate an employee who effectively terminate an employee
Keywords: 981, all
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Senate and Governmental May 20th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • I know that disclosures follow the First Amendment, but when you start regulating the type of speech
  • Any limitation upon speech opens you up, with a criminal penalty, to First Amendment issues.
  • She did the commencement speech.
  • I know there's been reports and testimony of employees writing their own contracts and all that.
  • However, no matter how good a government employee is doing their job, we still have to have oversight
Summary: The Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee met on May 20, 2026, with a quorum present and no minutes available for approval. The committee first heard HB 181, which would let the legislative auditor review income tax data to verify eligibility for Medicaid and, at LDH’s request, SNAP. The auditor said the work would be limited to internal data testing under sharing agreements and not disclosed to third parties. After questions about privacy and duplication, the bill was reported favorably to the floor without objection. The committee then took up HB 906 on presidential preference primaries and party nominating petitions. The Secretary of State and bill author said the measure would let major parties decide whether unaffiliated voters may participate in their primaries, with 180 days’ notice to the state, and would keep party rules consistent within presidential years so elections can be programmed properly. Several senators raised concerns that the bill would disenfranchise no-party voters and give parties too much control, but supporters said both major parties had approved the approach. The committee voted 4-3 to report the bill favorably. Members also advanced HB 398, which would require the judiciary to use the federal GSA meal per diem rate instead of the current higher state judicial rate; HB 1052, which strengthens confidentiality protections for child abuse investigations handled by child advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams; HB 1245, which protects witness criminal history records from unintended public release in clerk of court records; HB 202, which requires state civil service or hiring agencies to notify applicants when a vacancy is filled or they are rejected; HB 540, which requires disclosure of paid digital election advertising; HB 9, designating stuffed shrimp as a Louisiana specialty; HB 1057, extending the validity of absentee-by-mail applications for military voters from one year to two; HB 225, proposing a constitutional amendment to limit governors to two lifetime terms; HB 177, allowing retired court reporters to contract with former public employers; and HB 459, requiring disclosure when campaign materials use AI, with amendments adopted after discussion of First Amendment and campaign finance concerns. The committee also rejected an amendment to HB 1057 that would have expanded Sunday early voting in certain parishes. After the bills, the committee held confirmation hearings for James Kelly and Charles Wilkinson to the Board of Supervisors of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, both of whom described education and workforce development backgrounds and were favorably received.
MO

Missouri 2026 Regular Session

2026 Legislative Session - Day Forty Nine - Thursday, April 9

Missouri House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • It was further clarified to make sure that that would be protected speech, criticizing Israel and what
  • complaints would be reported as well as the anti-Semitic ones. ...to make sure that it is protected speech
  • I have to just say the last little speech from the gentleman from Taney, I do think, throws gasoline
  • utilizing context and other relevant factors into such educational institutions' student, faculty, and employee
Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, approval of the previous House Journal by a 101-0 vote, and numerous special guest introductions, including student groups, robotics teams, artists, and a choir. Committee reports from Fiscal Review recommended passage of several bills, including HB 1869, HB 2387/HB 2480, HB 2061, HB 2481, and HB 2885. The chamber then took up Senate changes to HB 2016, a bill addressing anti-Semitism in educational institutions. Supporters said the Senate amendments clarified that schools should consider context, protected criticism of Israel, added charter schools, and required reporting of all Title VI complaints; opponents argued the bill was redundant, could chill speech, and did not match the state’s broader anti-discrimination rhetoric. After a successful previous-question motion, the House adopted the Senate substitute 101-19 and then gave final passage to the bill 100-17. Several third-reading bills followed. HB 2481, dealing with SNAP and Medicaid-related verification and program restrictions, drew sharp debate over fraud prevention versus added bureaucracy and harm to low-income Missourians; it passed 95-44. HB 1869, creating a process to repair veteran gravestones damaged by natural causes, passed 137-2. HB 2927, requiring written settlement demands in bad-faith liability claims to remain open for 90 days and reference the statute, passed 90-50. HB 2387/HB 2480, reinstating the presidential primary and moving it to the first Tuesday in March, passed 116-23. HB 2885, redirecting the final $1 million from boat registration fees to fund the water patrol, passed 112-27. HB 2517, a real estate wholesaler disclosure bill, passed 130-6. HB 3107 was moved to the informal calendar. Debate also began on HB 1730, which would legalize firearm suppressors in Missouri; supporters framed it as a freedom, hearing-protection, and economic bill, while opponents warned it would make gun violence harder to detect and could aid criminals, but no final vote on that bill appears in the transcript.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Intellectual Freedom Protection Act created, HF3101 3/26/26

Minnesota House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • These are government actors, and the government shouldn't be in a position of compelling speech or ideological
  • We are a nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the free speech rights of all Americans
  • Barnett, which prohibits compelled speech in academic freedom cases, and including Sweezy v.
  • We believe it promotes equality by ensuring students, employees, and other individuals are not required
Keywords: 1183, house