Video & Transcript Research : 'emergency powers'

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HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

PBS Public Hearing - Fri Mar 20, 2026 @ 10:30 AM HST

Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:
  • of of the governor's emergency powers.
  • governor's emergency powers. governor's emergency powers.
  • those other emergency powers that all those other emergency powers that that that that some<00:28:21.760
  • So, I'd ask powers are during emergency.
  • I will termination of emergency powers.
Bills: SB2109, SB2151
Summary: The committee on Public Safety met on March 20, 2026, and the chair opened by noting severe rain and flooding conditions in Hawaii and said the committee would proceed with the hearing but defer decision-making until the next meeting on March 25. The first measure discussed was SB 2109, an omnibus bill on emergency preparedness communications. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support, including from state agencies and advocacy groups such as the Disability and Communications Access Board, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Legal Clinic, the Hawaii Coalition for Immigrant Rights, and others. Supporters emphasized the need for funding and planning for multilingual emergency materials and language access, citing current evacuation notices that were not available in languages such as Ilokano or Tongan. The chair stated that action on SB 2109 would be deferred until March 25. The committee then heard SB 2151, relating to emergency management and changes to the governor’s emergency authority. Testimony was mixed but heavily focused on concerns about executive power. Earthjustice supported the bill with amendments, saying it should narrow extraordinary emergency powers, add definitions for emergency and disaster, preserve transparency under the Uniform Information Practices Act, and lower the legislative threshold to terminate an emergency proclamation from two-thirds to a simple majority. Other supporters, including the League of Women Voters of Hawaii and some individuals, also backed reform. Opponents, including Hawaii Emergency Management Agency and numerous individuals, argued the bill still gave the governor too much power, used overly broad disaster definitions, and did not sufficiently protect constitutional rights; several urged major amendments or repeal of portions of Chapter 127A. Some opponents specifically objected to the two-thirds termination standard and to provisions they said could enable compulsory immunizations or other mandates. Members questioned Earthjustice about whether the bill would suspend constitutional rights. Earthjustice responded that the bill would not authorize constitutional violations, but would allow suspension of laws enacted by the legislature, and pointed to existing statutory procedures for individuals to challenge emergency proclamations. The witness described a Mauna Kea case in which a three-judge panel granted relief to an individual under the current statute, and explained that the process could potentially affect a broader proclamation if allowed to run to completion. The hearing continued with additional testimony and questions, but no final vote or committee action on SB 2151 was taken during this portion of the meeting.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • Senate Bill 311 relating to the writ power. of the Texas Supreme Court.
  • The rep power of the Texas Supreme court. And I move final passage.
  • The legislature was left with no role in a prolonged emergency.
  • Responding to emergencies together like what happened in Uvalde.
  • But that's writ power. I'm talking about rulings or... or such.
Summary: The meeting focused on several crucial pieces of legislation, notably Senate Joint Resolution 40, which proposed a constitutional amendment to clarify the powers of the governor, the legislature, and the Supreme Court during emergencies. Senator Birdwell presented the resolution, emphasizing the need for legislative involvement during prolonged crises. It garnered broad support, passing with 29 votes in favor and only 1 against. Following this, Senate Bill 871, considered the enabling legislation, was also moved for discussion, with the aim of reinforcing the legislature's authority during emergencies while establishing clear guidelines for the governor's powers.
AL

Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama House Urban and Rural Development Committee Apr 9th, 2025

Urban and Rural Development

TX

Texas 89th Regular

State Affairs Apr 23rd, 2025

State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • So, I'm ruling that these powers previously were unconstitutional.
  • that power is exclusively theirs, except in very limited circumstances?
  • of Texans without power for weeks due to high wind damages to power lines.
  • This bill. allows non-profit water supply corporations to sell excess power generation back to the power
  • This one bill talked about using power for our own use, but also selling that excess power to, among
TX

Texas 89th Regular

State Affairs Apr 23rd, 2025

State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • I'm following disaster emergency declarations and the emergency powers of the governor and the legislature
  • The governor declared an emergency at some point.
  • This is the second piece of the reforms to the Emergency Powers Act.
  • Emergency powers are designated as the response for acts of terror, warfare, and situations where citizen
  • powers intact, except that he cannot suspend the Disaster Act itself, the Emergency Act, or a provision
AL

Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama House Urban and Rural Development Committee Feb 12th, 2025

Urban and Rural Development

Transcript Highlights:
  • What this does is modernize counties' authority to coordinate emergency aid resources.
  • This legislation proposes specific updates to align Alabama law with present-day Emergency Management
Bills: HB68, HB140, HB168
OK
Transcript Highlights:
  • Is there a wrong that you have suffered that is beyond the power of forgiveness?
  • It's a power that always rests in the hands of the one who has been wronged.
  • When they feel most powerless, they actually have an Incredible power, a power that even the most wrongly
  • Pray Lord, we only discover the power to forgive as we recognize that we too have been forgiven for a
  • Thank you for the power of your forgiveness at work in us And through us, and bless each member, and
Bills: HR1052, SB2184, SB171
OK
Transcript Highlights:
  • of 2025, took speedy action during his school bus ride home when the driver suffered a medical... emergency
  • in her face that something was wrong and he called 911 and stayed with her the entire time of the emergency
  • Schools thanks Kane Lee for his quick action and praised him for his bravery during the medical emergency
Bills: HR1052, SB2184, SB171
TX

Texas 89th Regular

State Affairs (Part I) Mar 27th, 2025

State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • Our current medical emergency exception was codified in 2011.
  • And then second, does the definition of medical emergency apply to this circumstance?
  • Texas pro-life laws protected women in medical emergency situations before, during, and after the Roe
  • But also their mothers, and he clarified the exemptions around life-threatening emergency situations.
  • emergency is an exception to our state's general ban on abortion.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • A week later, I was back in the emergency room in worsening pain.
  • That's Senator Parker's bill about the powers.
  • The ballot box is raw power.
  • and the powers implicated in them.
  • On the other hand, emergency powers are designated as... as the appropriate response for acts of terror
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Criminal Jurisprudence Apr 8th, 2025

Criminal Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:
  • A lot of times, the person may have been hospitalized on an emergency basis because of their symptoms
  • The Constitution should protect the least of us from a power...
  • Powerful government that has every, or should have every opportunity to crush the little guy.
  • The first thing, you said something that's powerful. I'm trying to remember your words.
  • You said such a powerful piece of evidence that it should...
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence May 12th, 2025

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:
  • But laws protecting his rights always allowed him to refuse necessary emergency decisions.
  • SB1164 amends the emergency detainer process in Texas to enable this non-criminal remedy.
  • Section 3 of the Texas Constitution, which outlines the full scope of the Texas Supreme Court's writ powers
  • They declared a national emergency in the family court system, citing widespread allegations of civil
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs Mar 26th, 2025

Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • The last thing I want to do is try to usurp or alter the power of my sheriff.
  • , known as a notification of emergency detention.
  • One of the forms that we use is the Notification of Emergency Detention.
  • With that, we have the knowledge, and we know what to write on the limited Notification of Emergency
  • Once we complete the Notification of Emergency Detention. We then request a copy of it.