Video & Transcript Research : 'general court'

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DE

Delaware 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Judiciary Committee Meeting Jun 17th, 2026

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • ...of the court, and so we are one court.
  • to Superior Court.
  • If the bill is changed and it starts in Family Court, it will stay in Family Court...
  • Family Court judge decides it needs to go to Superior Court.
  • a family court judge decides, it needs to go to Superior Court.
Bills: HB372, HB414
Summary: The House Judiciary Committee met and heard three bills. HB 372 would reorganize Justice of the Peace Court resources by shifting the number of judges and court locations among counties, consolidating overnight operations into a single 24-hour court in Kent County, and adjusting staffing to address workload and efficiency concerns. Chief Judge Alan Davis said the change responds to increased civil filings, automated enforcement, and staffing shortages, and that a Sussex County pilot closing a 24-hour facility had worked without major issues. Some members raised concerns about impacts on Sussex and Kent County, bail processing, and local response times, while public comment included one supporter. The committee voted to release HB 372. The committee then considered SB 324, which amends Delaware’s permit-to-purchase law to allow constable agencies, including those serving institutions like Delaware Tech, to purchase handguns for newly hired constables without duplicative background checks. Sponsor Representative Cook said the bill aligns constable procurement with existing law-enforcement exemptions while preserving gun-safety requirements. Public testimony included support from Delaware Tech and comments urging broader fixes to the permit-to-purchase law, including exemptions for retired officers with federal 218 credentials and clarification on firearms returned from manufacturers, gunsmiths, or police departments. The committee voted to release SB 324. Finally, the committee heard HB 414, which clarifies that the Superior Court’s exclusive jurisdiction over certain destructive-weapon offenses applies only to adults, while juvenile cases would still begin in Family Court. Sponsor Representative Romer said the bill preserves the Family Court’s role in handling youth cases and allows referral to Superior Court when appropriate. The Department of Justice said it still believes Superior Court is the proper venue for these serious charges, while the Office of Defense Services supported keeping youth cases in Family Court first, arguing that rehabilitation and juvenile-specific dispositions are more appropriate. After public comment, the committee voted to release HB 414, and the meeting adjourned.
DE

Delaware 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Judiciary Committee Meeting Jun 17th, 2026

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • When our courthouses aren't seen as safe places, people won't show up for court.
  • The United States Supreme Court has said that the free and uninterrupted functioning of our courts is
  • The United States Supreme Court has said that the free and uninterrupted functioning of our courts is
  • The courts weighed in.
  • The courts weighed in.
Bills: HB372, HB414
Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on public safety, courts, and family law. House Bill 141, with House Amendment 1, would require the Department of Safety and Homeland Security to create a firearm responsibilities notice for firearm purchasers through licensed dealers, covering Delaware gun laws, safe storage, lost/stolen reporting, straw purchases, suicide prevention, and other safety responsibilities. Testimony from the NRA, Delaware State Sportsmen’s Association, Moms Demand Action, the Coalition for Safer Delaware, and Delaware State Police was uniformly supportive, emphasizing education, standardized dealer practices, and potential evidence for straw-purchase prosecutions. No committee questions were raised, and the bill was moved forward after public comment. House Bill 326 would create a new offense for theft by impersonating a family member, aimed at scams involving spoofed calls, texts, or online messages that pressure victims to send money. The sponsor described the bill as a response to increasingly sophisticated fraud enabled by artificial intelligence, and noted that a House amendment removed an original mandatory minimum jail term, leaving sentencing to the courts. No public testimony was offered on the bill. House Substitute 1 for House Bill 150 would prohibit civil arrests inside courthouses and certain Department of Labor proceedings, with the sponsor arguing that such arrests deter people from coming to court or seeking protection; the bill would allow criminal arrests and civil arrests only with advance written notice. No testimony was taken on that measure. Senate Bill 284, the First State Emergency Responders Act, would create a narrowly tailored offense for intentionally approaching within 25 feet of first responders at emergency scenes after crossing a barrier or ignoring warnings, if done to interfere, threaten, or harass. Supporters, including police, fire service, and sportsmen’s groups, said it would protect responders and preserve emergency operations, while the Office of Defense Services opposed it on First Amendment and overbreadth grounds, arguing existing laws already cover much of the conduct. Senate Bill 304 would amend Delaware’s safe school zone law to allow private schools to use trained, vetted sentries or similar security arrangements; supporters said it would give smaller private schools an affordable safety option, while the sponsor said the bill needed more work and should not move forward yet. The committee also heard Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 314, which would clarify how courts handle evidence that a sexual assault complainant previously made a false allegation; DOJ and ODS said the substitute reflects a consensus approach, and YWCA Delaware supported it as a survivor-protective reform. Finally, Senate Bill 343 would expand methods for serving child support respondents in Family Court by authorizing service through certified mail and carriers such as USPS, UPS, and FedEx, addressing cases where people avoid in-person service using doorbell cameras and other technology. The Division of Child Support Services supported the bill as a practical update that would improve timeliness while preserving proof-of-delivery safeguards. At the end of the meeting, a motion was made and seconded, and the chair adjourned the session.
AL
Transcript Highlights:
  • </c> more than generous with your time. more than generous with your time.
  • Because of what you all have done, the... neutral map that the court drew, neutral map that the court
  • </c> going to make us comply with court going to make us comply with court orders. orders. orders.
  • The court<00:14:10.640><c> was</c><00:14:10.760><c> very</c><00:14:11.040><c> specific</c> court was
  • </c> High Court? High Court?
Bills: HB1
AL
Transcript Highlights:
  • </c> pending before the federal court. pending before the federal court.
  • . courts. courts.
  • Supreme Court rejected. Now, we here Supreme Court rejected.
  • </c> court case. court case.
  • </c> on generations on generations generations.
Bills: HB1
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions Mar 3rd, 2026

Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions

Transcript Highlights:
  • to court, directly.
  • Exemption W says communications between a member of the General Court or such member's employee, agent
  • Exemption W says communications between a member of the general court or such members employee, agent
  • Court without the office's enforcement... ...the involuntary cooperation of the General Court without
  • Court.
Bills: H5004
Summary: The Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions held a public hearing on Initiative Petition 25-14, H 5-004, “an act to improve access to public records.” Chairs Cindy Friedman and Alice Peisch outlined the Article 48 process and explained that the committee was hearing expert testimony, then proponents, then opponents, before any public testimony. The first expert, Will Clark of the National Conference of State Legislatures, gave a general overview of public records laws across the states, emphasizing that all states have some form of open-records law but that exemptions, timelines, fees, and coverage of legislatures vary widely. He discussed legislative exemptions, legislative privilege, and court cases showing that outcomes often turn on the exact language of state constitutions, statutes, and chamber rules. Rebecca Murray, General Counsel for the Secretary of the Commonwealth, testified about Massachusetts public records administration, saying requests and appeals have risen sharply since the 2017 law update, with state agency requests increasing from 22,572 in 2017 to 47,776 in 2025 and appeals reaching a record 4,051 cases in 2025. She said the initiative would extend the law to the General Court and the Governor’s office and add exemptions for those branches, while warning that the volume and complexity of requests could require more resources. The proponents, led by Jesse Littlewood of the Coalition for Healthy Democracy, Scotia Hila of Act on Mass, and Auditor Diana DiZoglio, argued that Massachusetts is an outlier for exempting the legislature and governor from public records law and that the proposal would create needed accountability without exposing personal constituent communications or internal deliberations. They said the measure would make records such as committee votes, final bill drafts, amendments, expenditures, attendance records, minutes, and public testimony available, while preserving exemptions for constituent services, draft legislation, internal staff communications, and policy development discussions. DiZoglio emphasized that the initiative is aimed at basic administrative and financial records, citing her own difficulty obtaining receipts, contracts, and procurement documents, and said the public should be able to see how taxpayer dollars are spent. Committee members questioned the witnesses extensively about the scope of exemptions, constituent privacy, legislative privilege, and whether the measure could reach communications with nonprofits or lobbying-type interactions; proponents responded that privacy and constituent-service exemptions were intended to remain in place, though some members pressed for clearer statutory language. The hearing also included a contentious exchange over whether the initiative could affect legislative communications and whether the Senate had already taken a position against the measure. Some members raised concerns about separation of powers, legislative privilege, and the possibility of exposing constituent communications or internal deliberations, while proponents argued that the initiative was narrowly tailored and that any legal disputes could be resolved in court. No votes or formal actions were taken at the hearing. The committee concluded the testimony portion after hearing from the proponents and their questions, with the matter left pending for further consideration.
AL
Transcript Highlights:
  • </c> appeal a court ruling. appeal a court ruling.
  • </c> a court ruling. a court ruling.
  • </c> the general election. the general election.
  • The court... cutoff of 6 months prior to a general cutoff of 6 months prior to a general election.<01
  • </c> the general election. the general election.
Bills: SB1
AL

Alabama 2026 Regular Session

Alabama Senate Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development Committee Special Session 2026 May 5th, 2026

Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:
  • </c> to use courts to rig the game. to use courts to rig the game.
  • General said.
  • </c> general election. general election. Mhm. Mhm. Mhm.
  • the Supreme Court It is also the court the Supreme Court who<00:54:17.640><c> came</c><00:54:17.880>
  • <c> the</c><00:54:43.480><c> court</c> initially or had the court initially or had the court uh<00:54
Bills: SB1
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions Mar 3rd, 2026

Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions

Transcript Highlights:
  • Supreme Court.
  • Exemption W says communications between a member of the General Court or such member's employee, agent
  • We should settle legal disagreements in court. This is not the courts.
  • The involuntary cooperation of the General Court without the office's enforcement of the amended public
  • Court.
Bills: H5004
Summary: The Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions held a public hearing on initiative petition 25-14, H5-004, “an act to improve access to public records,” which would extend Massachusetts public records requirements to the General Court and the Governor’s office. The committee first heard from two subject-matter experts: William Clark of the National Conference of State Legislatures, who gave an overview of how public records laws and legislative exemptions vary by state and discussed legislative privilege and court cases, and Rebecca Murray of the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office, who described Massachusetts public records trends, including sharp increases in requests, appeals, and fee/time-extension petitions since the 2016 law update. Murray said the proposal would add the legislature and governor to the law and create two new exemptions specific to those offices, while also noting resource pressures on the public records system. The proponents, led by Jesse Littlewood of the Coalition for Healthy Democracy, argued the measure would close a major accountability gap by applying the same public records rules that already cover cities and towns to the state legislature and governor. They said the proposal is limited and includes carve-outs for personal information, constituent services, internal staff communications, draft legislation, policy development discussions, and communications among legislators, while making final decisions, expenditures, committee votes, and other administrative records public. Auditor Diana DiZoglio, speaking for the campaign, said the public should be able to see basic records such as receipts, contracts, invoices, and budget documents, and argued that transparency would improve trust and help her own efforts to audit legislative spending. Committee members questioned the witnesses extensively about the scope of the exemptions, especially whether constituent communications, lobbying-style communications, and sensitive casework would remain protected. Proponents said constituent service communications and deliberative legislative discussions would be exempt, but some members pressed for clearer statutory language and raised concerns about legislative privilege, separation of powers, and whether the initiative could be used to alter internal legislative rules. No vote was taken at the hearing; it was an informational and testimonial session only.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

S/C on Juvenile Justice Apr 23rd, 2025

S/C on Juvenile Justice

Transcript Highlights:
  • We have one county court law judge that does a lot of juvenile work. He has a specialty court.
  • He's in county court law number two. Our county court law number one doesn't do any juvenile work.
  • Otherwise, we would've just made it easy and put... ...courts of law judges.
  • As Judge Phillips mentioned, our county court law judge number two has a specialty court known as Passage
  • Back in 2018, I testified before the Texas Supreme Court and the Criminal Court of Appeals for the establishment
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Jurisprudence Mar 26th, 2025

Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:
  • We think possibly the Attorney General could do it administratively without utilizing the court.
  • We think possibly the Attorney General could do it administratively without utilizing the court system
  • Generally then, Senate Bill 387 would require the judge of a constitutional county court or county court
  • Generally then, Senate Bill 1839 would require the clerk of the transferring court to deliver the original
  • So it's not produced in the court in which the proceeding is, but it is in another court.
Summary: The Senate Committee on Jurisprudence heard several family-law and probate bills. Senate Bill 2052 would codify a rebuttable presumption that a parent acts in the best interest of a child and require clear and convincing evidence to overcome that presumption in disputes involving non-parents; the author and several witnesses supported the bill as a clarification of existing case law, while one witness suggested refining the modification language. Public testimony was closed and the bill was left pending. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1923, which would allow child support to follow a child placed temporarily with kin or fictive kin under a parental child safety placement or authorization agreement; the bill’s author and a grandparent caregiver testified in support, while one witness suggested the Attorney General could handle the change administratively. That bill was also left pending. Senate Bill 1838 would standardize fee schedules and compensation rules for attorneys ad litem and related court-appointed counsel in DFPS child-protection cases. The author said the bill would clarify unclear current law, and witnesses from the Texas Indigent Defense Commission and family-defense bar supported it, though one asked that expert-witness expenses be expressly included. Senate Bill 387 would raise the bond requirement for county judges handling guardianship proceedings to at least $500,000; the author described it as a refiling of a prior bill that passed unanimously but was vetoed, and a statutory probate judge testified in support. Senate Bill 1839 would require original or paper wills to be delivered to the transferee court when probate proceedings are transferred; the committee substitute broadened the delivery methods, and the district clerk witness supported the change. All three bills were left pending. The committee also took up Senate Bill 1536, which had previously been voted out with the wrong committee substitute; members reconsidered the vote, adopted the corrected substitute, and then voted 3-0 to report the bill favorably to the full Senate, with local and contested calendar certification. Finally, Senate Bill 1940 would create a transfer-on-death mechanism for manufactured homes classified as personal property, similar to existing tools for real property and vehicles; the author and an estate-planning attorney testified that it would streamline transfers and reduce probate costs. A non-substantive committee substitute was still being prepared, and the bill was left pending.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • We leave it up to the courts.
  • Possibly the attorney general could do it administratively without utilizing the court system.
  • Generally then, Senate Bill 387. would require the judge of a constitutional county court or county court
  • in court and then we're transferring will that cannot be produced in court.
  • So it's not produced in the court in which the proceeding is, but it is in another court.
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Committee on the Judiciary Apr 7th, 2026

Joint Committee on the Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • Former Massachusetts Supreme Court justices have called Chapter 183A the primitive, first-generation
  • Community courts, Dorchester District Court, and Roxbury District Court were the first district courts
  • Community courts, Dorchester District Court, Roxbury District Court, they were the first district courts
  • The trial courts have indicated that over 600 people were arrested at court in 2025.
  • If the court is no longer a place where the rule of law prevails, it is no longer a court.
Summary: The Joint Committee on the Judiciary held a late-file hearing on several bills. Early testimony focused on H.4876, a bill to strengthen supports for survivors of abuse, including limits on abusers’ legal standing after death, survivor notification when an abuser dies, expanded coercive control definitions, stronger privacy protections, and survivor education and resource programs. A representative testified on behalf of a constituent who could not appear publicly, describing how a lifetime restraining order and a family death exposed gaps in current law and arguing that an abuser should not be treated as next of kin for legal purposes. The committee also heard H.5111, which would strengthen the Massachusetts Antitrust Act. Representative sponsors and the Attorney General’s antitrust chief said the bill would let the state enforce antitrust law even when federal authorities are involved, expand jurisdiction over multistate conduct affecting Massachusetts, increase penalties, clarify that invitations to conspire are violations, codify labor-market protections, remove limits affecting some housing transactions, and extend the statute of limitations. Senators and the AG’s office said the bill is needed because federal enforcement is weakening. The committee also took testimony on S.2976, a related constitutional-rights bill creating a state cause of action for violations by federal officers; supporters said it would fill a gap in remedies and preserve qualified immunity defenses. Other bills drew support from advocacy groups and individuals. H.4783, which would reaffirm the rights of people experiencing homelessness, was backed by the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless as a response to encampment bans and criminalization of basic survival activities. H.4826, dealing with condominium owners’ rights, drew testimony that Chapter 183A is outdated and leaves owners with too little access to information and too few nonjudicial remedies, with examples of unresolved water and repair problems in condo communities. H.5244, to repeal archaic laws criminalizing pregnancy, was supported by reproductive justice advocates who said the remaining statute is being used to punish pregnancy loss and should be repealed. A large portion of the hearing was devoted to H.5116, naming the Dorchester Division of the Boston Municipal Court the Judge Leslie E. Harris Courthouse. Rep. Chris Worrell, Senators Collins and Miranda, District Attorney Kevin Hayden, community leaders, legal professionals, and members of Judge Harris’s family described him as a compassionate, community-rooted jurist and mentor who advanced second chances, diversity, and youth support. No votes were taken during the hearing; the chairs repeatedly invited written testimony and noted the committee’s reporting deadline for House bills.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Judiciary Apr 9th, 2026

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • And those that do generally have these drug courts already in specialty courts.
  • was in court that day.
  • reporter is in court taking the oral record of what is happening in court.
  • But we're talking about a certified court reporter being required to be in court.
  • Court.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Apr 30th, 2025

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:
  • Members, there have been different courts that have routinely applied.
  • This bill only allows the Attorney General to seek them. Subject to that, Mr.
  • What am I going to say to me in the court? Oh, she's here. OK.
  • Generally, the court will follow up with rules that are consistent with our statute and honestly has
  • So if you filed it in court, it would say, no, I'll go to arbitration.
OK
Transcript Highlights:
  • so happy to see all the young pages in here because this is really going to be a bill for that generation
  • This bill really modernizes how we do collections in our criminal courts.
  • ...that would be challenged and sent to the appellate courts, where the appellate court would make a
  • And a court, a judge, does something against this. What happens?
  • be useful in the appellate court.
Summary: The committee first announced that House Bills 3568 and 3891 and H.J.R. 1019 would be laid over and not heard that day. It then took up a series of bills, adopting PCS versions where offered and generally moving them forward with do-pass recommendations. House Bill 3015 would allow Oklahomans to add a driver’s license to a digital wallet and use it as an optional credential; members questioned why legislation was needed now versus the 2019 digital ID effort and whether the state would work directly with Apple and Google rather than a third-party vendor. The bill passed 10-0. Other measures included House Bill 314, which adds a DOC electronic monitoring ineligibility item; House Bill 3567, which increases transparency in campaign fund use and was amended to correct a citation; House Bill 3749, which lets county clerks, county court clerks, and county commissioners retain outside counsel; House Bill 4229, which narrows when schools may declare emergencies for contracts when facilities are unusable; and House Bill 4237, which modernizes collection of criminal court fees, fines, and costs. Each of these bills advanced, with HB 3749 drawing the most discussion over whether it duplicates district attorney services and whether county commissioners would be approving their own outside-counsel contracts. The committee also advanced House Bill 4253, a union-related bill that the author said he was carrying as a vehicle and would substantially revise before final passage; members discussed federal labor-law concerns and the bill passed 10-0. House Joint Resolution 1046 would exempt homeowners from property tax for a year if a residence is uninhabitable for six months after a disaster; members debated the impact on local tax bases and whether existing ad valorem refund mechanisms should be used instead, and it passed 10-0. House Joint Resolution 1084, which states that Oklahoma and U.S. constitutional standards govern courtroom matters and no court should enforce incompatible religious law, passed 8-2 after questions about whether it addressed a current problem. Finally, House Bill 3411 on biosolids and PFAS testing would require DEQ testing and disclosure to landowners and authorize treatment protocols; it passed 9-1. The meeting ended with notice that the next rules meeting was moved to Thursday at 11:30 in a different room due to technical difficulties.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Apr 2nd, 2025

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:
  • The Supreme Court has recently spoken on this, and the Supreme Court was very clear.
  • House Bill 1366 relates to justices and judges of state courts, judicial officers, and certain court
  • I can tell you right now, 10 years into family court, I walk into court now, and it's no longer, 'Mr.
  • Right now, courts like Judge Amado Abascal's 365th District Court in Maverick County are drowning in
  • Generally, yes.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Apr 2nd, 2025

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:
  • . courts, the Supreme Court of Texas and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
  • When the Court of Criminal Appeals and the Court of Supreme Court disagree.
  • Today when you have specialty courts, probate courts, civil courts, you have a court that answers. or
  • courts.
  • . court and the Texas Supreme Court disagrees with the Court of Criminal Appeals constitutional interpretation
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Finance May 21st, 2026

Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • , Court of Appeals, District Courts, Juvenile and Family Courts, and other courts.
  • courts of appeal, $59.6 million for district courts, and $4.8 million for other courts and programs.
  • of Appeals, District Courts, Juvenile and Family Courts, and other courts.
  • courts of appeal, $59.6 million for district courts, and $4.8 million for other courts and programs.
  • and judges of the Court of Appeal, district courts, juvenile and family courts, and other courts, adding