Video & Transcript Research : 'legislative advocacy'
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TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Today, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas congregates for its annual advocacy day.
- But the truth is, we cannot be legislated out of existence.
- We told our stories in the press and elevated student voices in advocacy organizations.
- We told our stories in the press and elevated student voices in advocacy organizations.
- We told our stories in the press and elevated student voices in advocacy organizations.
Keywords:
student advocacy, SB12, SB13, public education policy, youth engagement, marginalized communities, legislative representation
Summary:
Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT) held an advocacy event at the Texas Capitol focused on youth participation in policymaking and opposition to recent education-related legislation. Speakers, including student organizers and SEAT leaders, argued that students should have a direct voice in decisions affecting public schools, curriculum, and school governance. Representative Donna Howard briefly attended to support the group, praised their advocacy, and referenced the idea that if young people are not given a seat at the table, they should “bring your own chair.”
Several student speakers criticized the newly passed school vouchers bill as a threat to public education and said it would divert resources from public schools. Others opposed bills such as Senate Bill 12 and Senate Bill 13, describing them as harmful to LGBTQ+ students and inclusive education. One speaker also condemned book bans and library censorship, arguing that students need access to diverse books and truthful, inclusive curricula. The speakers framed these issues as matters of student rights, belonging, and free expression.
SEAT executive director Cameron Samuels closed by describing the organization’s history of student-led activism against book bans and exclusion from school policymaking. Samuels said the group had distributed challenged books, pursued legal action over blocked internet resources, and delivered a Student Bill of Rights to superintendents and legislators. The event ended without any formal legislative vote or committee action, serving instead as a press conference and advocacy rally urging lawmakers to listen to students.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- We come before you today in humility, seeking your divine guidance, and bless. upon this legislative
- May they walk in integrity, govern with wisdom, and legislate with justice and righteousness. hearts
- Center which when legislation creating Texas Tech Technological College was passed in 1923.
- Representative Dutton began his first legislative session.
- And then we passed legislation, Senate Bill 6, I think. Right, and that was in 21, actually.
Bills:
SJR1, SB9, SB40, SJR36, SJR1, SJR5, SB9, SB40, SJR1, SB9, SB40, SR62, SR92, SR95, SR108, SR110, SR111, SR113, SR114, SR117, SR120, SB314, SB314
Keywords:
bail denial, illegal aliens, felony offenses, constitutional amendment, law enforcement, bail reform, defendants, pretrial detention, public safety, criminal justice, charitable bail organizations, bail bonds, public funds, political subdivision, injunctive relief, taxpayer rights, bail, criminal justice reform, El Paso, economic development
TX
Texas 89th 2nd C.S.
Trade, Workforce & Economic Development Mar 19th, 2025
Trade, Workforce & Economic Development
Transcript Highlights:
- During the spring break, can you come to visit with us, see how the legislative process goes.
- Uh, Texas Legislative Action Committee on House Bill 517.
- Texas Legislative Action Committee or TELAC supports the intent and goals of this bill.
- And in fact, if you're a legislator or a politician or someone that campaigns for office, and you, uh
- Solely to protect the young from ideas or images that a legislative body thinks unsuitable for them,
Bills:
HB 186
Keywords:
public funds, lobbying activities, political subdivisions, government expenditure, transparency, local government, political subdivision, county, city, municipality, special district, taxpayer-funded lobbying, lobbying restriction, registered lobbyist, government association, county association dues, Texas Legislature, injunctive relief, attorney's fees, Chapter 556
HI
Hawaii 2026 Regular Session
LMG Public Hearing - Wed Feb 18, 2026 @ 2:00PM HST
Legislative Management
Transcript Highlights:
- Welcome to the House Committee on Legislative Management. It is Wednesday, February 18th.
- 00:17:33.600><c> Bureau</c><00:17:34.160><c> with</c> Legislative Reference Bureau with Legislative Reference
- The Legislative Reference Bureau with comments.
- </c> The Legislative Reference Bureau with comments.
- </c><00:27:39.679><c> We're</c> Legislative Reference Bureau. We're Legislative Reference Bureau.
Keywords:
child welfare, advocacy, oversight, independent office, foster care, child advocate, child safety, nepotism, ethics, government transparency, accountability, legislative standards, electronic voting, legislative transparency, Hawaii House, voting system, appropriation, lawmaker safety, political violence, confidentiality
Summary:
The House Committee on Legislative Management heard testimony on several measures. HB 1805, relating to child welfare, drew support from the University of Hawaii and concerns from the Attorney General about the bill’s definition of state agency and possible separation-of-powers and supremacy clause issues. During decision-making, the committee opted to move the child advocate function to the Attorney General’s office, accepted the Attorney General’s suggested scope and jurisdiction amendments, set the salary at 90% of the Department of Health deputy director’s salary, and passed the bill with amendments.
HB 2110, relating to nepotism, received support from the Hawaii State Ethics Commission, which said the bill would apply the rule consistently and noted the existing good-cause exception process. The committee later deferred the bill, saying existing House rules on nepotism were already strict and that the proposal would be duplicative in statute. HB 2180, relating to voting boards, had no oral testimony in the room during the hearing, but the committee later amended it into a blank appropriations vehicle for the House of Representatives and passed it with amendments.
HB 2184, relating to lawmaker safety, drew concerns from the Campaign Spending Commission that the bill would require redaction of address information and could create implementation issues, and the Attorney General noted missing language regarding appointed officials and an internal cross-reference issue. The committee adopted amendments to address those concerns and passed the bill with amendments. HB 2219, relating to disclosure of privileged communications to the Ombudsman, was clarified by the Ombudsman’s office as not requiring disclosure of privileged material, only preserving privilege if such material is voluntarily provided; the bill passed with amendments. HB 2469, relating to a regular session review working group, received testimony from the State Procurement Office, the Legislative Reference Bureau, and others in support and opposition, and the committee passed it with amendments after changing references and funding language.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- This legislation clarifies the definition of contraband to include property linked to serious crimes.
- "This legislation clarifies the definition of contraband to include property linked to serious crimes
- And thank you, Representative Cook, for filing this legislation.
- This is not at all what legislators intended when they originally passed the law, This is not at all
- what legislators intended when they originally passed the law, and for various reasons, that standard
Bills:
HB115
Keywords:
public funds, lobbying, political subdivision, government spending, transparency, HB 115, taxpayer-funded lobbying, local government lobbying, county association dues, municipal lobbying, lobbyist registration, Chapter 305, Government Code Section 556.0056, Local Government Code Section 89.002, county government, city government, injunctive relief, attorney's fees, state association of counties, sheriffs association
Summary:
The Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence reconvened with a quorum present and announced it would likely not vote that night because of confusion over the bill list; members were told a definitive list would be circulated the next morning and a formal meeting would be scheduled later. The chair then heard a series of bills, generally taking testimony and leaving each pending without action. House Bill 1847 would set maximum caseload standards for private attorneys handling indigent criminal appointments through the Texas Indigent Defense Commission; House Bill 2417 would expand compensation eligibility for some wrongfully imprisoned people; House Bill 2813 would require earlier and more specific victim notice of scheduled court proceedings; and House Bill 2309 would expand state and local authority in certain civil asset forfeiture cases involving human trafficking, health care fraud, and organized crime. Each bill was laid out by its author or a member, with no opposition witnesses registered, and each was left pending.
The committee also heard House Bill 4733, which would require sealing records for people acquitted of charges when they were not convicted on the related allegation; House Bill 2328, which would modernize expunction service by encouraging electronic notice, setting a standardized fee when electronic service is unavailable, extending clerk retention of expunction orders, and preserving certain mental health commitment orders; and House Bill 115, which would revise Texas’s “junk science” post-conviction writ law by providing counsel, changing the relief standard, requiring written decisions, and easing procedural barriers. Testimony on HB 2328 was mixed: county clerks supported the bill as a cost-saving modernization, while legal advocates warned that permanent retention of expunction orders could undermine true expunction and create privacy risks. HB 115 drew support from innocence and defense organizations, with some concern about a provision affecting subsequent writs. All were left pending after testimony.
Later, the committee heard House Bill 2046, which would allow affirmative family-violence findings for any Penal Code offense rather than only Title V offenses; testimony from a Dallas County prosecutor and a committee member emphasized that family violence can involve arson, burglary, fraud, and other non-Title V conduct, and the bill was left pending. House Bill 1765 would tighten restrictions on no-knock warrants by requiring higher-level approval, judicial review, and identifiable officers; members discussed the dangers highlighted by the Harding Street raid and similar incidents, and the bill was also left pending. The meeting ended with the chair noting that some bills had been removed from the agenda at the author’s request and that members should be prepared to finalize the vote list the next day.
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
Senate in Special Session B Jan 28th, 2025
Florida Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- I am sure they appreciate that type of protection with these legislative actions.
- And so they are just opting out of the current legislation.
- What I am asking you is, yes, you gave the legislated grace in 2014.
- I believe this legislation will pass today.
- When I read this piece of legislation, nobody is telling me to say this.
Keywords:
accountants, Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, advocacy, legislation, business issues, memorial, law enforcement, sacrifice, tribute, community support, service, community, Holocaust, remembrance, antisemitism, human rights, education, Holocaust Remembrance Day, memorialization, sexual assault
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- I'd like to officially recognize today as Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants Advocacy Day
- Thank you, Senator Menendez, for your important legislation to educate our students.
- Thank you, Senator Menendez, for your important legislation to educate our students.
- No state, and certainly no legislative body, has done more in support of Israel.
- And so, I look forward to working with y'all on that kind of legislation.
Keywords:
accountants, Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, advocacy, legislation, business issues, memorial, law enforcement, sacrifice, tribute, community support, service, community, Holocaust, remembrance, antisemitism, human rights, education, Holocaust Remembrance Day, memorialization, sexual assault
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- The state of Utah has also done something similar, passed similar legislation that allows the legislature
- Uh, it seems like there's no question over the last few years, more and more legislation along these
Keywords:
municipal libraries, state funding, gender identity, public events, children's literature, SB 19, Texas, political subdivision, local government, county, city, municipality, taxpayer-funded lobbying, lobbying ban, public funds, registered lobbyist, Chapter 305, Government Code, Local Government Code, county association dues
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Over time, these local advocacy groups united.
- The VFW continues this mission of advocacy and support.
- We do have two resource folks here from Texas Legislative Council.
- If none, we do have two resource witnesses from Legislative Council. Anyone have any questions?
- It also involves a lot of work by the Texas Legislative Council. This is non-substantive.
Bills:
HCR75, HCR93, SB644, SCR2, SCR17, HB2703, HCR92, HCR7, HCR126, HB1615, HB1610, HB1620, HCR86, HCR7
Keywords:
Hemphill, bass fishing, tourism, state recognition, conservation, recreational activities, Nacogdoches, Garden Capital, public gardens, sustainability, horticultural heritage, hospice, palliative care, awareness day, healthcare, patient care, state regulation, taxation, education, local authority
AL
Alabama 2026 Regular Session
Alabama House Children and Senior Advocacy Committee Jan 21st, 2026
Children and Senior Advocacy
Transcript Highlights:
- This meeting of the Children and Senior Advocacy Committee is now called to order.
Keywords:
elder abuse, elder exploitation, financial exploitation, elderly person, senior abuse, probate, inheritance forfeiture, slayer statute, intestate succession, will contest, joint tenancy, right of survivorship, joint bank account, beneficiary designation, life insurance proceeds, estate law, Alabama probate law, vulnerable adults, senior advocacy, forfeiture of benefits
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Trade, Workforce & Economic Development Mar 19th, 2025
Trade, Workforce & Economic Development
Transcript Highlights:
- The little girl in green collar dress. during the spring break, you come to visit with us, legislative
- Texas Legislative Action Committee on House Bill 517.
- The Legislative Action Committee, or TLAC, supports the intent and goals of this bill.
- And in fact, if you're a legislator, or a politician, or.
- This bill is not merely a. legislative proposal.
Keywords:
social media, children, account verification, data privacy, parental control, property owners' association, residential watering restrictions, vegetation, fine limitations, drought, technology, innovation, economic development, grants, Texas Economic Development, business funding, HB 1395, private passenger vehicle rental, car rental, vehicle rental
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- We're a legal advocacy non-profit in Texas that focuses on faith, family, and freedom.
- The proposed legislation before us represents a direct threat to these freedoms.
- A lot of his legislation as well.
- So I encourage you to pass this legislation. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. George.
- of affect, we see legislation would effectively curb the voice of my community.
Keywords:
Texas Water Code, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, water permit, water appropriation, dam permit exemption, reservoir, flood control, floodwater control, erosion control, sediment control, watershed protection, flood prevention, Natural Resources Conservation Service, NRCS, USDA, local sponsor, district, authority, water infrastructure
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- It seems like there's no question, over the last few years, more and more legislation along these lines
Keywords:
municipal libraries, state funding, gender identity, public events, children's literature, SB 19, Texas, political subdivision, local government, county, city, municipality, taxpayer-funded lobbying, lobbying ban, public funds, registered lobbyist, Chapter 305, Government Code, Local Government Code, county association dues
NM
Bills:
HM9
NM
Bills:
HM9
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- My name is Sabrina Gonzalez Ocedo, and I'm the Director of Public Policy and Advocacy for The Arc of
- that there are multiple members of the Texas Legislature that are currently working today in this legislative
- But today we were here already for an advocacy day, and so I got to bring a bunch of cool kids who are
- But today we were here already for an advocacy day, and so I got to bring a bunch of cool kids who are
- The time is now for legislators, The time is now for legislators to match the commitment of educators
Summary:
This was a press conference calling on the Texas Legislature to increase and reform funding for special education, with speakers arguing that the current system leaves a roughly $1.7 billion gap and forces districts to stretch general education dollars to cover mandated services. Sabrina Gonzalez Ocedo of The Arc of Texas opened by framing the issue as one of equity and self-determination for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and noted support for legislative efforts including Senate Bill 568 and House Bill 2. She also thanked a coalition of advocacy groups and legislators involved in special education funding work.
Representative Steve Toth spoke in favor of investing surplus dollars in special education, citing high rates of functional illiteracy and dyslexia among prison populations and saying earlier intervention could change life outcomes. Amy Litzinger described how accommodations and assistive technology helped her succeed in school and urged continued investment so other students can access similar supports. Sarah Harden, a parent and disability advocate, shared her daughter’s positive experience in a well-supported district but warned that many Texas districts cannot provide comparable services because of funding shortages and that families are increasingly worried about cuts.
Rachel Hull, a special education director, said well-resourced special education is transformational and outlined the need for individualized services, therapies, vocational training, and college readiness supports. Jean Mayer, a school trustee, said districts are struggling to meet state and federal requirements because funding does not match actual costs, pointing to staffing shortages and the need for parent engagement and professional development. The speakers repeatedly urged lawmakers to fully fund Senate Bill 568 and broader special education reforms this session; no votes were taken, as this was an advocacy event rather than a committee hearing.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Legislation that's been considered? No. You're not aware of that discussion?
- With that context, are you aware of concerns that referencing or amending the 1925 ban in new legislation
- could inadvertently revive that legislation?
- I share the same concern, which would certainly not be the intent of the legislation.
- And it's interesting you mention that, because I filed legislation last session, and again this session
Keywords:
biological sex, government information, definitions, sex-based distinctions, public health, flags, display, state law, municipalities, government buildings, drug enforcement, local control, home rule, municipal charter, county policy, ordinance preemption, state preemption, attorney general enforcement, civil penalties, mandamus
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Whatever the parent, the mom, would be impacted by this legislation and will be charged under this legislation
- We should not be legislators.
- You're a good legislator. I'm trying, man. Good job.
- Legislation should focus on real threats to women.
- It's like trying to legislate that the Earth is flat.
Keywords:
HB 229, Texas, political subdivision, local government, county dues, county association, state association of counties, lobbying, lobbyist, public funds, taxpayer lawsuit, injunctive relief, attorney's fees, Government Code Chapter 556, Local Government Code Section 89.002, legislative advocacy, municipal government, county government, city government, special district
AL
Transcript Highlights:
- Committee on Local Legislation. Signed, John Treadwell, Clerk.
- , so Best we can to incorporate that feedback into the legislation.
- Members of the Mobile County legislative delegation, could you all stand up?
- I’m not saying that, but I think the legislative process But I think the legislative process has worked
- This is an incredibly important piece of legislation for our... important piece of legislation for our
Bills:
SJR 1, SB 9, SB 40, SJR 36, SJR 1, SJR 5, SB 9, SB 40, SR 61, SR 91, SR 97, SR 103, SR 104, SR 112, SR 115, SR 116, SCR 16, SB 26, SB 26
Keywords:
bail denial, illegal aliens, felony offenses, constitutional amendment, law enforcement, bail reform, defendants, pretrial detention, public safety, criminal justice, charitable bail organizations, bail bonds, public funds, political subdivision, injunctive relief, taxpayer rights, bail, criminal justice reform, Texas Music Advocacy Day, music industry
NM
New Mexico 2026 Regular Session
House - Chamber Meeting Jan 21st, 2026 at 11:48 am
New Mexico House Floor Meeting
Bills:
HM9