Transcript Highlights:

• We saw newspaper articles, social media, Facebook posts advocating against the ballot measure.
• </c><00:05:33.759><c> posts</c> articles, social media, Facebook posts articles, social media, Facebook
• We have two external locks on the lock locking the election media V drive.
• </c> always instituted in our election media always instituted in our election media is<01:34:10.560>
• That's the election media. We never send those through the mail.

Keywords: Discussion of BR 25 (2026 RS) 04:15 Presentation on voting systems by ES&S 48:14 Presentation on voting systems by Hart InterCivic and Harp Enterprises 01:13:07, 958, all

Summary: The committee met to approve the October 21 minutes and then took up BR 25 for the 2026 regular session, a proposal relating to prohibited uses of tax dollars and public resources. The sponsors said the bill is intended to strengthen existing law by adding civil and criminal penalties for taxpayer-funded advocacy on ballot questions, especially in light of controversies during the 2024 election over school officials and districts using public resources to oppose a constitutional amendment. They also described related concerns about school districts hiring third-party lobbyists and public relations firms, particularly in Fayette County, and said the proposal was meant to keep tax dollars focused on public services rather than political persuasion. Committee members raised several concerns about scope and drafting. Some asked whether the bill should specifically mention schools, school boards, and school employees, and the sponsors said they would add that language. Others questioned whether the measure would also affect local government lobbying through groups like KLC and KCO, and the sponsors said they intended to focus narrowly on schools while exempting certain advocacy organizations and internal government lobbyists. Members also asked whether public employees could still speak as private individuals, and the sponsors said yes. Several members suggested splitting the lobbying and ballot-advocacy issues into separate bills, and the sponsors said they would consider that. Members also pressed for clarification on how the bill would apply in practice, including whether it would cover legal challenges to petition drives or only advocacy after a question is on the ballot. Counsel for the sponsors said the bill would not cover some petition-related litigation as drafted, though they believed it should. The sponsors and supporters argued the proposal was needed to give the existing prohibition real enforcement, while some members warned that the language could unintentionally limit legitimate public representation or be too broad if not carefully drafted. No final vote was taken during the discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• There seems to be broad agreement that social media is operating so as to create.
• AB 728 does nothing to regulate these influences on social media or online sales.
• I do think there is an issue with social media.
• I think we can all agree in the room that social media has created a problem for anyone.
• And I would again stress that while there's a lot of deflections of social media companies, and social

Committee: House Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And also I want to thank House IT and media, who has been here with us all along the way.
• :24.720><c> um</c> also I want to thank um House IT and um also I want to thank um House IT and um media
• :02:26.080><c> here</c><00:02:26.480><c> with</c><00:02:26.720><c> us</c><00:02:26.879><c> all</c> media
• who has been here with us all media who has been here with us all along<00:02:27.360><c> the</c><00:
• :51:38.160><c> no</c><00:51:38.480><c> additional</c> the media and offered no additional the media and

Committee: House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• worked on together I mean and I see it happening to my kids right now you know when you see social media
• attention and social media clout than on representing their constituents and addressing real issues.
• They're empowered to continue their harassment through social media platforms, posts, text messages,
• one-fifth reporting almost constant social media use.
• I serve as the Teen Representative on the Organization for Social Media Safety Board of Directors.

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• similar to those that you see for campaign finance, in that they're printed at the bottom of a piece of media
• In the case of deepfakes, it states something like, 'This media has content created by AI in it.'
• legislation as of right now, although that is just purely off of a hunch with Hollywood and their media

Committee: House House Artificial Intelligence & Innovation Committee of Reference

Summary: The Arizona House Advanced Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Committee met for an informational presentation from Adam Cook Hook of the National Conference of State Legislatures on recent AI policy trends across the states. He described how legislatures are creating AI-focused committees, task forces, inventories, and impact assessments, and how states are also using AI in government operations and procurement. He noted that all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and D.C. introduced AI bills in 2025, with NCSL tracking more than 1,200 measures and nearly 200 enactments across 45 states. Much of the discussion focused on deepfakes, elections, and synthetic media. Hook said 26 states have enacted laws regulating AI in political messaging, usually through disclosure requirements, while some states have prohibitions near elections. He also discussed laws addressing sexually explicit deepfakes, nonconsensual intimate images, and protections for performers’ name, image, and likeness. Members asked about the best state models for protecting AI-generated likenesses and how parody and satire affect such laws; Hook said courts have struck down some deepfake laws as overbroad, especially where they lacked parody exceptions or allowed broad private rights of action. Hook also highlighted broader AI legislation in healthcare, education, workforce training, and public-private innovation efforts, including regulatory sandboxes and state-run AI tools. He summarized comprehensive AI laws in Colorado, Utah, California, and Texas, and flagged legal issues such as privacy, copyright, bias, liability, and transparency. Committee members asked about the growth of AI policy, the role of NCSL, and practical uses of AI in government; Hook said interest has grown rapidly since public release of tools like ChatGPT and that NCSL is still adapting its internal AI work. No bills were heard or voted on, and the meeting ended with the chair thanking the presenter and adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• It deals with something I've never heard of, never seen it on social media or anywhere else.
• Not to eavesdrop or anything, but I've been reading a lot about this on social media.
• I've been reading a lot about this on social media, and I know of an experiment where they tried to cook

Committee: House Agriculture

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There are a lot of people who email, who write in, who express their concerns over social media about
• mosquito abatement. ...who express their concerns over social media about mosquito-based abatement districts
• Quick reminder to any of the media that we may have here, knowing that there's an ongoing question about

Committee: House Local Government

Summary: The committee met on January 28, 2006, approved prior minutes, and then considered several RS introductions. RS 33076, dealing with mosquito abatement districts, would allow property owners to opt out of spraying by request to county commissioners and add penalties for noncompliance; members raised questions about notice, whether the opt-out affected taxes or only spraying, and whether the bill could hinder abatement, but the motion to introduce passed. RS 33014 would consolidate solid waste regulation under DEQ rather than health districts, with the sponsor saying it would improve consistency and could save money; members asked about fiscal effects, DEQ authority, EPA involvement, and whether the bill affected haulers, and it was introduced. The committee also heard RS 32909-C-2, which would raise the state reimbursement rate for housing state inmates in county jails from the current $55/$75 structure to a flat $80, citing a gap between county costs and state payments; members requested county-by-county impact data and the motion to introduce passed. Finally, RS 32985 would preempt local anti-discrimination ordinances that go beyond state law, with the sponsor arguing it would protect religious freedom and reduce regulatory burdens on businesses; opponents argued it would override local control and asked for data on economic impacts. The bill was introduced on a 14-2 roll call vote, and the committee noted it would be heard later in the Juden Rules Room.

Transcript Highlights:

• recognize her for her exceptional work law and policy awareness with over 2 million followers on. social media
• And if you want to follow her on social media, attorney Martinez, thank you. 687 The chair recognizes
• The Texas Legislative Black Caucus will meet up on adjournment in the speaker's media room.

Transcript Highlights:

• With over 2 million followers on social media, she has taken on the challenge of educating the public
• If you want to follow her on social media, attorney Martinez, thank you. The chair recognizes Mr.
• Members The Texas Legislative Black Caucus will meet up on adjournment in the speaker's media room.

Transcript Highlights:

• recognize her for her exceptional work law and policy awareness with over 2 million followers on. social media
• And if you want to follow her on social media, attorney Martinez, thank you. 584 The chair recognizes
• The Texas Legislative Black Caucus will meet up on adjournment in the speaker's media room.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• An award-winning educator, media critic, and social justice leader, their work centers on the intersections
• of race, gender, and identity, An award-winning educator, media critic, and social justice leader.
• Black, Fat, Fem, and author of Black Fat Fem, revealing the power of visibility, queer voices, and media
• Scott, who is a trailblazing media maven and founder of LoveBScott.com, one of the world's largest LGBTQ
• + media brands that educates, energizes, and celebrates bold LGBTQ+ narratives while reaching millions

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, prayer, and the Pledge of Allegiance, then spent much of the session on floor recognitions and Pride Month observances. Members welcomed guests and honorees including APICA fellowship participants, the El Dorado Roses, retiring Loma Linda University Health president Dr. Richard Hart and incoming leader Dr. Anthony Hilliard, and Scripps National Spelling Bee champion Shrey Parique. The chamber also heard several personal and community tributes tied to LGBTQ+ Pride Month, including a long series of introductions of Pride honorees from across the state. The main legislative item was SR 116 recognizing June 2026 as LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Senators Cervantes, Weber Pierson, Becker, Menjivar, Arreguín, Wahab, Ochoa Bogh, Wiener, and Laird, among others, spoke in support, emphasizing the history of Stonewall and other LGBTQ+ resistance movements, the contributions of Black, Latino, Jewish, women, and Asian American LGBTQ communities, and the need to oppose ongoing discrimination, violence, and attacks on transgender people. The resolution was adopted after a roll call vote of 28-0, and the Senate then proceeded to honor a large slate of Pride honorees from multiple districts and organizations. The Senate also adopted SCR 166 designating Soju Day, with support highlighting Korean American culture and soju as a symbol of hospitality and cross-cultural exchange. SCR 155, naming the State Route 52/Interstate 805 interchange in San Diego County the Officer Kirk Leeland Johnson Memorial Interchange, also passed unanimously after remarks honoring Johnson’s military and police service and the long effort by his partner to secure the memorial. In addition, the Senate confirmed Laura Capps to the Board of State and Community Corrections by a 27-9 vote and confirmed Danielle Munoz to the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology by a 28-0 vote. The body also approved several Joint Rule 62(a) suspensions to allow committee hearings on short notice, moved AB 2294 to the inactive file, and sent SB 1189 back to the Assembly for further action. The session concluded with adjournment in memory motions for Judith Helene Ware, Huntley Gordon, and Adolfo Franceschi Colon, followed by announcements that the Senate would reconvene on June 25, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• that our number of reports went up quite significantly because so did our calls to the hotline as the media
• And the media efforts received over 6 million impressions.
• I saw we just posted it again on our social media, so you can see it if you want.
• It is then followed up by significant media outcry, public outcry, community outcry, of what is the child
• We see significant media outcry. We see frontline staff fired.

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on the Department of Child Safety

Summary: The Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on the Department of Child Safety met to review child welfare reforms developed after prior oversight hearings on the deaths of Emily Pike, Zariah Dodd, and Rebecca Baptiste. Committee members and the chair described a series of stakeholder meetings with tribes, DCS, law enforcement, county attorneys, schools, and other advocates that produced several bills aimed at improving communication, reporting, investigations, and court decision-making. The chair said SB 1125, creating a tribal-DCS memorandum of understanding, had already been signed, and highlighted HB 1126 on school records access, HB 1127 on mandatory reporting by people with direct knowledge, HB 1174 on hotline case history and review of prior reports, HB 1175 on photo documentation of children in care, HB 1496 on allowing attorneys to share more safety information with judges, and HB 1631 requiring advanced forensic interviews within 72 hours in sexual abuse cases, with some exceptions. DCS Director Catherine Patak presented agency data showing nearly 160,000 hotline calls in 2025, about 43,000 investigations, and a relatively steady out-of-home care population that ended the year at 7,077 children. She said about 3,000 children were reunified, 1,300 adopted, and 800 entered guardianship, while 1,100 young adults received transition services. She also reported 534 new foster homes licensed, a 50% reimbursement increase for older youth caregivers, a 40% decrease in youth missing from care since September 2024, and a 30% reduction in fatalities of children in care since 2024. Patak discussed the annual fatality review process, noting that 52 of 123 alleged fatality or near-fatality reports had prior DCS involvement, and described agency responses such as health plans for children with complex medical needs, a diabetes training app, expanded LifeSet services, fentanyl and safe-sleep prevention campaigns, staffing realignment, retention efforts, and improved coordination with law enforcement and tribes. Members asked about group home notification rules, the distinction between “missing” and “runaway,” behavioral health needs driving children back into care, training under Jacob’s Law, and whether best practices exist for placing sexually abused youth with appropriate staff. Patak said DCS is updating rules to remove “runaway” and “AWOL” in favor of “missing,” and that the agency is considering whether the statute’s immediate-or-24-hour reporting language should be clarified. She also said DCS does not currently have a specific staffing requirement tied to a child’s sex in group homes, but would look into practices in other states. The committee then heard from Malcolm Hightower of Casey Family Programs, who said Arizona is generally in the middle of the pack nationally: slightly higher than average in foster care entries and congregate care use, but near the national average on screening, substantiation, recurrence, re-entry, and maltreatment fatalities. He praised Arizona’s kin placement rate, said congregate care remains a challenge, and noted that neglect definitions and poverty-related removals remain an area of policy discussion. Finally, K.C. Melsick of Collaborative Safety described the organization’s safety-science approach to systemic critical incident reviews, arguing that child welfare systems should move away from blame and toward learning from near-misses and system failures. Members discussed applying similar methods across state agencies, and the committee adjourned after members and witnesses emphasized continued collaboration and further reforms in the interim and next session.

Transcript Highlights:

• that our number of reports went up quite significantly because so did our calls to the hotline as the media
• And the media efforts received over 6 million impressions.
• I saw we just posted it again on our social media, so you can see it if you want.
• It is then followed up by significant media outcry, public outcry, community outcry, of what is the child
• We see significant media outcry. We see frontline staff fired.

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on the Department of Child Safety

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We needed to talk about the Christians in Nigeria because the media is not talking about it because there's
• been a lot of social media gaslighting saying that there is no problem specific to Christians.
• This was a tragic moment that everybody saw live on TV, social media.
• acknowledge the fact that members, a few days ago, President Trump shared one of the most racist social media
• specifically his effort to engage our younger population in getting off their phones and off of social media

Transcript Highlights:

• information that's out there because clearly, you know, things that are being misconstrued on a national media
• You may be referring to a pump that was reflected in social media.
• You may be referring to a pump that was reflected in social media back in the fall about vandalism at
• because, you know, as much as you may hate it or like it or whatever, I mean, there's so much on social media
• Because, you know, the more that's played out on social media, the more people will come and want to

Committee: All ALC-GAME & FISH/STATE POLICE

Summary: The committee first heard from Arkansas State Police leadership about the agency’s role in federal immigration enforcement. Colonel Mike Hager said State Police has completed 287(g) training for all but 12 officers and is authorized to assist ICE in limited circumstances, but is not an immigration enforcement agency. He emphasized that troopers only make immigration-related notifications after lawful stops or arrests for other offenses, and that the agency uses discretion and chain-of-command approval for any planned operation. Members asked about how immigration status is determined, whether stops are tracked, whether local agencies are participating, and whether there are costs or reimbursement mechanisms; Hager said the agency began tracking encounters in September and had 48 detentions since then, most tied to other criminal violations such as DWIs or domestic violence. He also said there were no current planned immigration operations beyond assisting federal partners. The committee then received an update from Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Director Doug Schoenrock on wildlife management areas, waterfowl habitat, and related infrastructure. He reported that most moist-soil units and green tree reservoirs were flooded or near normal, with one new pump not yet operational and a vandalized Ed Gordon/Point Remove pump back in service since December. He also said the Lake Conway dam and water-control work were progressing, with a public meeting scheduled at Mayflower High School. Questions followed about dock removal notices, maintenance on other water-control structures, and a recent fatal boating accident at Baumito WMA, which Schoenrock described as a high-speed collision in flooded timber and said the agency was working on a safety memorial effort with the victim’s widow. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on duck season, drought conditions, and criticism of the Flyway Federation’s push to restrict hunting over standing corn. Schoenrock said Arkansas remains the nation’s top duck-hunting destination, but drought and warm weather have reduced water availability and caused ducks to move north; he cited survey numbers showing 1.4 million ducks in the state at the end of December but a much lower January count. He argued that standing corn is legal and that federal habitat and water policy, not Arkansas law, drives long-term duck populations. Members raised concerns about changing migration patterns, the role of private clubs, federal regulation, and the possible effects of wind turbines and solar panels on waterfowl; Schoenrock and Commissioner Chris Caldwell said the commission is studying those issues, including a University of Arkansas at Monticello project on avoidance behavior, and that no immediate regulatory changes were announced. The committee took no formal vote and adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• They made claims of racial discrimination against MDE, leading to sympathetic stories in the media in
• In fact, in an April 2025 media interview, Joe Thompson, the federal prosecutor who handled Feeding Our
• That's the backdrop for the December of 2021 media Meeting I attended with some people who represented
• These scammers tried to run the same scheme on me that they used to try and fool the media, the courts
• I should have known that these fraudsters who were lying not just to me, but to courts, but to the media

Committee: House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• would also not be able to host spirit nights or book fairs for schools, which help fund their library media
• We are both trained media specialists that hold certification in this state, so we carefully curate selections
• Of the 175 books removed across the state, 164 of those—that's 94%—were removed from media centers, and
• aren't tampering, harassing, or retaliating against people in the court system, especially with the media
• and social media rhetoric against judges and their assistants.

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Summary: The committee first considered the appointment of Michelle Whitworth to the Florida Commission on Offender Review. Whitworth described her 30 years of criminal justice experience, and the committee voted to recommend her confirmation favorably. The committee then took up SB 1692 on material harmful to minors, adopting a delete-all amendment that shifted the focus to K-12 instructional materials and objections by parents or residents. Supporters argued it would create clearer standards and protect children from pornographic content, while opponents warned it would worsen book bans and remove consideration of literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. After extensive debate and public testimony, the bill as amended was reported favorably. The committee also reported favorably on several criminal justice and public safety bills. SB 1422 increased penalties for certain drone-related offenses near critical infrastructure and for weaponized drones; SB 1360 clarified xylazine’s veterinary use while creating stronger trafficking penalties; and SB 1732 increased penalties for animal cruelty involving minors and for contributing to a minor’s delinquency. SB 776 added an aggravating factor for the assassination or attempted assassination of a head of state, and SB 984 added aggravating factors for capital felonies committed where people are gathered for religious, school, or government activities. SB 1640 made domestic violence lethality assessment forms confidential, and SB 1268 updated FDLE operations and increased reimbursement for retired police dogs. All of these bills were reported favorably after brief debate and mostly supportive testimony. Later, the committee approved SB 1084 on sexual cyber harassment, with a strike-all amendment addressing digitally forged intimate images and extending prosecution time limits. SB 1654 updated sexual offender and predator registration rules, including definitions of residence and online reporting for in-state travel, though one witness raised concerns about vague language and employer privacy. SB 1774 created a rebuttable presumption in certain second-degree murder cases when the victim had a controlled substance in their system, drawing criticism that it could devalue victims who used drugs. Finally, SB 1838 strengthened protections for court officials against tampering, harassment, and retaliation, with an amendment adding magistrates, hearing officers, and related staff; defense attorneys warned the tampering language could inadvertently reach zealous advocacy. Each of these measures was ultimately reported favorably, and the meeting ended with adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I'd just like to point out what I was quickly able to pull from local media headlines about what's
• the defund the police movement, whether it's some of the rhetoric that we've seen come out on social media
• out whether it's<00:09:32.560><c> on</c><00:09:32.800><c> social</c> it's on social it's on social media
• <00:09:36.440><c> fir</c><00:09:36.920><c> in</c><00:09:37.040><c> a</c><00:09:37.160><c> form</c> media
• or whether it's in a fir in a form media or whether it's in a fir in a form of<00:09:37.640><c> the<

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Nationally, reading scores started going down as social media started going up.
• The social media platforms exploded, and reading scores started dropping.
• Again, we're trying to do a lot of social media and visiting... ...do a lot of social media and visiting
• what had happened... ...and talk to them about what had happened at home; it was already on social media

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We were able to distribute the text of the letter, including on social media, and we will work in coming
• </c><00:34:18.720><c> and</c> um uh including on uh social media and um uh including on uh social media
• there was a photo of that it on in<00:43:17.920><c> in</c><00:43:18.160><c> the</c><00:43:18.319><c> media
• </c><00:43:19.599><c> Um,</c><00:43:20.160><c> and</c><00:43:20.400><c> then</c> in in the media somewhere
• Um, and then in in the media somewhere.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met to review its mission and to discuss recent work on a letter sent to the governor and legislative leaders regarding COVID vaccine safety and related scientific references. Members said the letter, which included 31 cited sources, had been delivered to the governor’s office, the Speaker’s office, and the Senate President’s office, and a press release had been issued. Several members defended the letter’s sourcing and urged the public to read the materials and evaluate the evidence themselves, while also acknowledging questions about the trustworthiness of some cited articles. A major portion of the meeting focused on a research assistant’s effort to use AI tools to help reconstruct and verify the committee’s 2024 COVID report with citations. She reported mixed results from Copilot and Gemini, noting that the tools often produced broad or incomplete outputs and that she would need to break the report into smaller sections and ask for more specific source types. Members advised using more precise prompts and emphasized that any AI output would still need human verification. The committee said it hoped to produce a revised, fully footnoted 2024 report by early September. The chair then outlined the committee’s fall agenda, saying it would examine long COVID treatment, the patient bill of rights as it relates to COVID vaccinations and death reporting, standards of care and professional judgment by New Hampshire health care providers, and oversight of federal COVID-related funding such as CARES Act education relief dollars. He also referenced a recent fraud case involving misuse of COVID funds and suggested the committee may ask the DOJ for information. The committee will not meet in July or August and plans to resume in September and October, with a final report targeted for the end of October. The chair also introduced a recent DNI/Tulsi Gabbard press release about U.S.-funded biolabs overseas, which members discussed as a possible transparency issue relevant to future pandemic policy.