Transcript Highlights:

• It basically designates Port Aransas as the fishing capital of Texas. Any questions, members?

Bills: SB2959, HB3096, HCR29, HCR56, HCR12, HCR55, HCR74, HCR78, HCR116, HCR117, HCR6, HCR50, HCR107, HCR80, HCR58, HCR70, HCR71, HCR72, HCR75, HCR93, HCR12, HCR6

Keywords: firearm safety, awareness month, public safety, responsible ownership, storage, recreational use, profound autism, awareness day, caregiver, disabilities, support, counseling, mental health, awareness, support services, community health, necrotizing enterocolitis, premature infants, breastfeeding, health awareness

Transcript Highlights:

• Allen. Aye. Mr. Bennett. Aye. Mr. Black... Mr. Allen. Aye. Mr. Bennett. Aye. Mr. Blackman. Aye. Mr.
• Allen: Aye. Mr. Bennett: Aye. Mr. Blackmon: Aye. Mr. Bright: No. Mr. Campsen: Aye. Mr.
• Senator from Greenville, Senator Allen. Mr.
• Allen. Mr. Allen votes no. Mr. Bennett. Aye. Mr. Blackmon. Aye. Mr. Bright. Not voting. Mr.
• Senator Allen, what purpose do you rise? Senator will yield for questions. Yes, sir.

Keywords: 977, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In fact, I, in 20 years ago, brought then Commandant Thad Allen. to meet with several of our colleagues
• We need shore-side infrastructure, including icebreaker home ports, new MH-60 helicopters, more C-130s
• This includes new ports, fiber optic cable, radar and power plants.
• There's a deepwater port.
• We're trying to get a strategic port built in Nome, Alaska.

Keywords: Greenland, acquisition, national security, Arctic, geopolitical, China, Russia, icebreakers, trade routes

Summary: The meeting convened by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation focused on the potential acquisition of Greenland by the United States. This issue, first raised by President Trump in 2019, has gained renewed significance amidst shifting global dynamics and the strategic importance of Greenland in relation to transatlantic trade routes and national security. The members discussed the geopolitical implications of Greenland's position, especially given the increasing influence of China and Russia in the Arctic region. Notably, the urgency to address military presence and icebreaker capabilities in the Arctic was a major point of contention, with a call for a new fleet to counter foreign dominance in the area.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, what about the port authority in Beaumont?
• The Chair calls Lenita Robinson, Eric Ross, Ebony Rayne Eatman, and Deborah Allen for our next panel.
• The Chair calls Deborah Allen.
• I show you registered to testify as Deborah Allen on behalf of yourself on the revised congressional
• My name is Deborah Allen. I am not a Democrat, an Independent, or a Republican. I'm a human being.

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Windstorm insurance alone in Port Aransas ISD costs us $1,526 per student.
• We operate up and down from Chairman Dutton's area for the Port of Houston.
• And Port Aransas had to merge into Flower Bluff? Is that correct? Yes.
• And Port Aransas has been impacted by that, correct? Yes.
• You said right now, 10% of insurance is impacting Port Aransas, correct?

Bills: HB2, HB2

Keywords: public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace

Transcript Highlights:

• In addition, Laredo is the largest land port in North America, and every one of your districts relies
• As I briefly touched on, Senator, this land port is so important for every single senatorial district
• those districts because 60% or 70% of the supply chain in the United States passes through Laredo's port
• Call forward Brian Sledge, Monique Norman, Gregory Ellis, and Allen Day. You should just sit close.
• Yes, Allen Day, General Manager, Brazos Valley Groundwater Conservation District, voting or testifying

Summary: The committee met with limited attendance at first, then took up a series of water, agriculture, and rural affairs measures. HB 3898 would allow the Texas Water Development Board to provide financial assistance for brackish water desalination projects in certain border counties and related nonprofit suppliers even if the projects are not in the state water plan. Supporters said it is needed to address severe water shortages in places like Webb County and to support future planning; opponents, including the Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts, argued it bypasses the regional and state water planning process. The bill was left pending after testimony. The committee also heard HB 5339, which would create a higher-education grant program for regenerative agriculture research. A rancher testified that regenerative methods improved soil health, water retention, and farm viability, while a senator noted existing university research but said better coordination could help. Public testimony was closed and the bill was left pending. Members then heard HB 1523, a temporary prohibition on TCEQ issuing Austin a Class 5 injection well permit for an aquifer storage and recovery project in Bastrop and Lee counties until December 2027. Local officials from Bastrop supported the pause, citing unanswered questions about water treatment, recovery rates, and impacts on the aquifer, while Austin Water opposed the substitute, saying the project is central to its long-term water plan and that stakeholder talks were already underway. TCEQ explained its ASR permitting process and said public participation is possible but not always used in the current authorization process. The bill was left pending. HB 5659, concerning the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District and requiring majority city-council approval before certain water sales or interbasin transfers, drew testimony from district officials who said the change could interfere with existing contracts and district authority, but the chair emphasized the need for local buy-in and said the stakeholders had reached a workable compromise; testimony was closed and the bill was left pending. The committee also heard HB 1690, which would expand notice requirements for groundwater export permits so neighboring landowners and potentially affected aquifer areas are informed by certified mail and publication. The sponsor tied the bill to impacts from the Vista Ridge project, and no one testified against it; it was left pending. HB 3333 would prohibit TCEQ from issuing new wastewater discharge permits directly into the Devils River in Val Verde County. The sponsor and a conservation witness said the bill protects one of Texas’s most pristine rivers and reflects a local stakeholder agreement, while TCEQ said it can ensure water quality but acknowledged the river’s unique sensitivity; the bill was left pending. The committee also heard HCR 108 urging continuation of the U.S.-Mexico tomato suspension agreement, with supporters warning of major Texas job and consumer-price impacts if it ends, and HCR 76 urging federal action on imported shrimp, citing public health and industry concerns; both were left pending. Additional measures heard and left pending included HB 4158 on compensation for Texana Groundwater Conservation District directors, HB 654 creating a dismissal path for certain first-time deer hunting violations after self-reporting and hunter education, HB 4530 requiring Texas Water Development Board review of groundwater rights placed in the Texas Water Trust, HB 2128 directing a study of rural versus urban firefighting and rescue disparities, and HB 278 requiring groundwater districts and management areas to track progress toward desired future conditions over shorter intervals. On HB 278, witnesses split over whether the bill’s interim tracking would improve accountability or create new triggers that could be used against local districts, but no final vote was taken and the bill was left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• "Be it a toll road, a port, anything else, to a municipality for its general purposes."
• Is Allen here? All right, and then Oscar Slot Boom from Houston. Oscar? Yes. I may pronounce that.
• The first one is Senate Bill 1745, and this has to do with the Cedar Port navigation. Okay.
• Okay, 1745 has to do with the actual Cedar Port navigation district. But that's all worked out.
• and the Port of Houston.

Bills: SB39, SB2129, SB2141, SB2246, SB2323, SB2439, SB2722

Keywords: commercial motor vehicle, truck liability, motor carrier, trucking, civil liability, respondeat superior, negligent entrustment, negligent maintenance, negligent loading, negligent repair, bifurcated trial, exemplary damages, punitive damages, personal injury, collision, employer liability, vicarious liability, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Texas tort reform, commercial truck accident

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee reconvened on SB 2722, as substituted by Senator Bettencourt, which would redirect a portion of Harris County Toll Road Authority surplus revenues to the City of Houston and impose audit and tax-rate penalty provisions. Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz and Fire Chief Thomas Munoz testified in support, arguing that Houston bears a large share of toll-road public safety burdens, citing thousands of police and fire responses on toll-road property and the need for compensation for emergency services. Bill King, testifying neutrally, said the toll authority generates large excess revenues and urged stronger oversight and clearer controls on how the money is spent. Opponents, including Harris County officials, business and neighborhood representatives, and toll-road critics, argued the bill would divert transportation dollars, create a precedent for taking toll revenues for general municipal use, and could worsen project delivery and incentives; several also questioned the accuracy and interpretation of the revenue figures and the lack of comparable audit requirements for the city. The committee took extensive testimony but left SB 2722 pending without a vote. The committee then heard SB 2129, which would increase fines for motorists who disregard railroad crossing gates or flaggers, and SB 2323, which would redact railroad crew members’ personal information from public accident reports. Both bills were presented as safety measures, with railroad labor testimony in support, and both were left pending after brief public testimony. The committee also heard SB 2141, a Zaffirini bill concerning specialty license plates for judges, with the substitute aimed at reducing security risks by changing how judges are identified on plates; it too was left pending. Finally, the committee heard SB 2439, another Zaffirini bill, described as a TDLR cleanup measure related to ATV and off-highway vehicle safety certification. The bill would abolish the current training and certification program, which supporters said was burdensome and underused given the small number of approved instructors statewide. With no significant opposition on the record, the committee closed testimony and left SB 2439 pending as well.

Transcript Highlights:

• H.R. 633 in memory of former State Senator and Representative Carl Allen Parker of Port Arthur by Representative
• Johnson: My dad Jake Johnson served in the House in the 60s, and his best friend was Carl Parker from Port
• He got passed lots of infrastructure in Port Arthur, including expanding the port.
• She loved people and they never left Port Arthur.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Brown relating to ports. Representative Brown relating to ports.
• inland port grant program.
• Excluding ports for what?
• Coastal ports, which we have one that's a commercial port that's Balabatry. So... Thank you.
• Excluding ports for what? coastal >> Sorry. Excluding ports for what?

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 3493 by Alma Allen relates to certain training requirements for individuals who care for children
• HCR 117 by Todd Hunter designates Port Aransas as the Official Fishing Capital of Texas for a 10-year

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Allen. Thank you, Mr. Acting President. Senator Allen. Thank you, Mr. Acting President.
• Senator Allen. Thank you, Mr. President.
• Senator Allen. Thank you, Mr. President, members.
• Senator Allen moved final passage of House Bill 58.
• Senator Allen: Thank you, Mr. President, members.

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ENERGY, CHEMICAL, FINANCIAL, CONSTRUCTION, MANUFACTURING, TEXTILE, IDOLS, SHIPPING, SHIPBUILDING IN THE PORT
• NEXT UP WE HAVE ALLEN. GOOD AFTERNOON. WELCOME. YOU ARE RECOGNIZED FOR THREE-MINUTE.
• >>GOOD AFTERNOON MY NAME IS ALLEN I'M STANDING HERE TODAY ALL THE WAY FROM SOUTH FLORIDA TO URGE YOU

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Forecast Council, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Agriculture, the Washington Public Ports
• of ports from around the state.
• we add in all of the soybeans, wheat, and corn also coming from other parts of the U.S. through our ports
• So if we could have Tristan Allen, Tim Cook, and Alyssa Taparo come on up, and we will enjoy hearing
• For example, we publish tsunami maritime response and mitigation strategies for key ports and marinas

Summary: The committee held a work session focused on the effects of tariffs on Washington’s economy, agriculture, and small businesses, followed by updates on emergency management, cybersecurity, disaster resilience, tsunami preparedness, and World Cup security planning. Office of Financial Management economist Abdelamintrawe Trieri said tariff increases are expected to raise prices, reduce output and employment, and lower state revenue over a four-year horizon, with the hardest-hit sectors including aerospace, food and beverage manufacturing, and agriculture. Members asked about updated tariff scenarios, crop-specific impacts, inflation versus deflation in different goods, and whether some manufacturing sectors could benefit; staff said updated numbers would need to be rerun as tariff rates changed. Washington Department of Agriculture representative Ryan Hamm described how tariffs raise costs for farm inputs such as equipment, parts, packaging, and fertilizer, while also affecting exports of key commodities like wheat, potatoes, apples, cherries, dairy, and wine. He said some sectors support tariffs on competing imports, but retaliation and market restrictions have hurt exports, especially to China and, in the wine sector, Canada. Department of Commerce representative Andrea Chartock outlined export assistance, business finance, recruitment, and industry-sector development programs, and proposed expanding tariff-resilience support through market diversification, supply-chain optimization, and efforts to attract investment and federal funding. She also noted uncertainty around delayed federal STEP funding for small business export assistance. Emergency Management Division Director Robert Ezell warned that federal disaster and mitigation funding is becoming less reliable, citing the denied bomb cyclone disaster declaration, delays in FEMA grant processing, and possible restructuring of FEMA that could shift more responsibility to states. He said Washington may need stronger state-funded public assistance, individual assistance, and mitigation programs, along with broader coordination among state agencies and local governments. Cybersecurity staff described state efforts to support local governments through the Cybersecurity Advisory Committee, threat intelligence sharing, vulnerability assessments, and a proposed volunteer incident response team, while noting the loss of MS-ISAC funding and the importance of continued state matching funds for cybersecurity grants. Hazard mitigation and tsunami staff emphasized the need for sustained investment in flood, wildfire, earthquake, lahar, and tsunami resilience, including vertical evacuation structures and language-access outreach. Ezell also briefed the committee on World Cup security preparations and federal grants for counter-unmanned aircraft systems, explaining that the state can buy mitigation capabilities but current authority to use them remains largely federal; the committee asked follow-up questions about fan zones, training, and the meaning of drone mitigation. No votes were taken, and the meeting ended with adjournment after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• 2988, the Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act, introduced by Representative Rick Allen
• by Retirement Savings Act, introduced by Representative<00:09:25.680> Rick<00:09:25.920> Allen
• Rick Allen, chairman of the<00:09:27.279> Subcommittee<00:09:27.839> on<00:09:28.080><
• this good bill, Representative Allen. this good bill, Representative Allen.
• Based at the Port Chester Carver Center, home to many other worthwhile efforts, Troop 400 serves boys

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, January 15, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:02:47.519> The won't belabor the port point here.
• The won't belabor the port point here.
• <01:30:20.400> Representative<01:30:21.040> Allen. >> Perryman. Nay.
• Representative Allen. >> Perryman. Nay. Representative Allen. >> No. >> No.
• >> Allen. Nay. Representative Buck. >> Allen. Nay. Representative Buck.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Allen, Mr. Barfoot, Mr. Beasley, Mr. Bell, Mr. Butler, Mr. Carley, Mr. Chambliss, Mr.
• Allen, Mr. Barfoot, Mr. Beasley, Mr. Bell, Mr. Butler, Mr. Carley, Mr. Chambliss, Mr.
• Patricia Sims to the Alabama State Port Patricia Sims to the Alabama State Port Authority<00:19:
• Allen, Mr. Barfoot, Mr. Beasley, Mr. Bell, Mr. Butler, Mr. Carley, Mr. Chambliss, Mr.
• Allen, Mr. Barfoot, Mr. Beasley, Mr. Bell, Mr. Butler, Mr. Carley, Mr. Chambliss, Mr.

Keywords: 920, all

Summary: The Alabama Senate convened with prayer, the pledge, and a roll call establishing a quorum. The chamber approved routine motions to excuse absent senators, dispense with the previous day’s journal, and allow introduction of bills and committee reports throughout the day. The Senate also received several House messages referring bills to committee, including local constitutional amendments for Limestone, Blount, and Mobile counties, a human cloning bill, a Fair Campaign Practices Act bill, a public education bill, a court fees bill, and a physician assistance bill. Committee reports were then taken up. The Finance and Taxation General Fund, Confirmations, State Governmental Affairs, County and Municipal Government, Education Policy, Banking and Insurance, Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development, Transportation and Energy, and Local Legislation committees all reported a number of bills favorably, many with amendments or substitutes. Several measures were advanced to the calendar for the next legislative day, and the Senate confirmed multiple appointments, including Eileen Meyer and Tiffany Martin to the Alabama Board of Midwifery, Jennifer Ag, Jerry Gross, and Edgar Hower II to the University of West Alabama Board of Trustees, Patricia Sims, Tony Cochran, and Sandy Stimson to the Alabama State Port Authority Board of Directors. The Senate then adopted a special order calendar under Senate Resolution 34, setting the order of business for the 10th legislative day. The main floor debate centered on House Bill 161, the App Store Accountability Act, which was described as a child-protection measure requiring parental permission, age verification by app stores, accurate app age ratings, and limits on minors entering contracts through app downloads. Senators speaking in support said the bill was needed to protect children from harmful online content and preserve parental control, and they discussed an amendment clarifying the meaning of “act” and preserving compliance with other state age-verification laws. The debate was ongoing in the portion provided, and no final vote on HB 161 appears in this excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Jason Port and I'm here today representing Janklow from Orlando and come in strong opposition
• So this agency bill requires sea ports to support shipbuilding projects evaluated by FDOT.
• First, we have David Allen with Uber Technologies waiving in support. Up next, we have Joseph.
• This bill specifically integrates ports and necessary charging infrastructure in Florida's existing transportation
• This bill now specifically includes Florida ports and charging systems as qualifying projects for funding

Transcript Highlights:

• This experience has also been replicated by the Black Ball Ferry Line between Port Angeles and Victoria
• , B.C., working with our Port Angeles High School students.
• Go to Allen. Thank you. Mr. Davis. Let's go to Mr. Davis. We hear you very clearly. Thank you.
• Washington home ports more than half of the North Pacific's large fishing vessels.
• Washington home ports more than half of the North Pacific's large fishing vessels.

Summary: The House Education Committee received status updates on career and technical education (CTE), including OSPI’s work under 2024 legislation on allied health pathways and a statewide CTE task force, an update from Core Plus Maritime, and findings from an Education Northwest longitudinal study of Washington CTE access and outcomes. OSPI described development of allied health guidance such as a home care aide to nursing assistant bridge, model curricula, updated course equivalency frameworks, and coordination with health agencies and employers. It also reviewed Core Plus framework work, task force expansion under later legislation, and the timeline for recommendations due in November 2026. Committee members asked about health profession outreach, equitable access for rural districts, data updates, and employer support for local programs; OSPI said it continues to work with agency and industry partners and that local labor-market alignment varies by region. Core Plus Maritime presenters described expanding maritime career exploration into middle school through low-cost ROV curriculum, student visits to ferries and vessels, Sea Scouts partnerships, and ship-based safety and welding experiences. Industry representatives from the Northwest Marine Trade Association, American Seafoods, and Vigor Marine Group emphasized the maritime sector’s economic importance, aging workforce, and need for hands-on training to build the pipeline for family-wage jobs. A teacher from South Kitsap High School said the program gives students a clear pathway and has helped connect them to careers in shipyards, fishing, and related trades. Vigor also noted support for a student welding competition and equipment donations for a Rainier Beach shop. Dr. Sam Riggs of Education Northwest presented a longitudinal study using state data from 2013-14 through 2023-24. The study found CTE access has been relatively steady statewide, but offerings vary by school size, locale, and income, with rural and lower-income schools generally offering fewer pathways. Participation is high: nearly all students earn at least some CTE credit, and more students are accumulating multiple credits over time, though fewer go deep within a single pathway. Students who earned more CTE credits, especially within pathways such as agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and construction, were more likely to graduate on time and later had stronger postsecondary certificate attainment and earnings. Riggs recommended addressing local barriers to participation, considering whether the CTE graduation requirement should better encourage depth while preserving flexibility, and aligning offerings more closely with labor-market needs. Committee members asked about COVID-era trends, student motivation, early workforce entry, delivery settings such as skill centers, and how to interpret the comparison groups used in the analysis.

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 74 by Morales of Maverick relates to the creation of the Puerto Verde Port Authority District, providing
• between two contiguous school districts referred to the Committee on Public Education, HB 4619 by Allen
• HB 4620 by Allen relating to the program accessibility for female inmates at the Texas Department of
• Manuel relating to the compensation the commissioners of the Port of Beaumont Navigation District of

Transcript Highlights:

• Paul Port Authority, who will give an overview of the project. Welcome to the committee.
• Paul Port Authority.
• Paul Port Authority acquired that property in 2019.

Bills: HF1143, HF1548, HF1340, HF2549, HF2559, HF1673, HF2740, HF2507, HF2461, HF2381, HF2695

Keywords: education funding, unemployment aid, special education, Minnesota statutes, appropriations, housing, redevelopment, local government, trust funds, community development, HF1340, housing infrastructure bonds, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, MHFA, affordable housing, supportive housing, permanent housing, adaptive reuse, area median income, AMI