Video & Transcript Research : 'multilingual campaign'

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AL

Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama House Ethics and Campaign Finance Committee Mar 5th, 2025

Ethics and Campaign Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • All it is, is under current law if you're late filing the campaign report.
  • You're late filing the campaign report, and currently, the Secretary of State is required to send you
Bills: HB310, HB363
AL
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

JDC Public Hearing 02-06-2026

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • > spending This is the campaign spending This is the campaign spending commission's<00:42:07.200
  • This amends various sections of Hawaii's campaign spending laws by requiring designated campaign finance
  • laws by requiring designated campaign laws by requiring designated campaign finance<00:46:07.680
  • Otherwise, it would escheat to our campaign fund. campaign spending commission bill and um campaign spending
  • various sections of Hawai's campaign various sections of Hawai's campaign spending<01:10:54.480>
Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard testimony on several bills. SB 2444 would raise the real property exemption amount for attachment or execution, which the Attorney General said could create vague retroactivity language and litigation risk; the committee noted the exemption had last been adjusted around 1978. SB 2446 would add a seventh associate judge to the Intermediate Court of Appeals. Judiciary staff testified in opposition, saying recent internal restructuring and a pending vacancy had improved output and that it would be prudent to wait and see the effect before adding another judge. The Public Defender supported the goal of faster appellate resolution but said it would defer to the court’s assessment and had no objection to revisiting the issue later. The committee also discussed current appellate timelines, with staff saying at least 225 days is built into the process before a case reaches a merit panel, and that a two-year delay from panel assignment was realistic under the current structure. The committee then heard SB 2450, which would establish a presidential preference primary for the 2028 cycle. The Chief Election Officer said the election would cost about $4 million, less if combined with the regular primary. Several opponents argued the bill would add bureaucracy, duplicate or undermine party-run processes, and waste taxpayer money; one speaker estimated the total cost could be closer to $6 million when county costs are included. Supporters and committee members discussed that the measure would not require parties to use the results and that Hawaii remains one of the few states still using caucuses. The committee also asked whether counties could staff the election and whether the results would be useful given Hawaii’s current primary timing. SB 2453 would require the Office of Elections to include a notice with each ballot that a digital and printed voter information guide is available, with the notice in 32-point font as a separate insert. The Chief Election Officer said the insert would cost about $90,000 and asked for an effective date of January 1, 2027 because mailing preparations for the primary would already be underway. The Disability and Communications Access Board, League of Women Voters, National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii, and others supported the bill. The committee also began hearing SB 2461, which would have the Office of Elections prepare a questionnaire for candidates and publish responses online and in the voter guide; the Chief Election Officer said the office did not think it should be the agency to shape campaign questions, though he said it could work if the questions were specified in statute. Finally, the committee heard SB 2457, which would require a criminal conviction before seized property could be forfeited. The Attorney General and Honolulu Police Department opposed the bill, arguing it would prolong cases, increase storage costs, and make forfeiture less effective against crime, especially where owners flee, die, or hide assets through shell companies. The Public Defender strongly supported the measure, saying forfeiture should be tied to convictions and that people challenging forfeiture often lack counsel. The Honolulu Prosecutor also opposed the bill, but said it supported transparency, due process, and even a right to counsel; it argued conviction-only forfeiture would fail in cases involving fugitives, deceased suspects, or hidden ownership structures. The committee questioned what would happen to property if an owner could not be found, and the prosecutor said the outcome would depend on the type of property and could involve abandonment or interpleader proceedings.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

JDC-LBT, JDC DEFER Public Hearings 02-05-2026

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • Christy Chang appearing on behalf of the Campaign Spending Commission.
  • Christy Chang appearing on behalf of the Campaign Spending Commission.
  • appearing on behalf of the campaign appearing on behalf of the campaign spending<00:05:13.520>
  • Is that what you're<00:09:43.200> saying<00:09:43.440> with<00:09:43.680> campaign
  • c><00:09:44.160> spending you're saying with campaign spending you're saying with campaign spending
Bills: SB2841, SB2533
Summary: The joint Judiciary, Labor, and Technology Committee heard two bills in the morning session and later took up two Judiciary decision-making items. SB 2841 would require human trafficking awareness training for transient accommodation workers. Testimony was generally supportive from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the Department of Law Enforcement, and the Hawaii Hotel Alliance/American Hotel and Lodging Association, which also proposed amendments to preserve existing industry training programs and broaden coverage. Members clarified that the administration wanted DLE to be the lead agency instead of DLIR, while the Attorney General would still handle approval of training programs. The committee recommended passage with amendments, including coverage for third-party contractors and implementation dates, and the measure was adopted with no recorded opposition. SB 2533 would adjust the salaries of the Campaign Spending Commission’s executive director and associate director to better align with comparable enforcement/compliance positions. The commission supported the bill, saying its salaries lag behind similar offices by about $30,000 and that recruitment and workload have become more difficult, while one testifier opposed the proposal. Members questioned why the bill used the Department of Health as the salary comparator and whether Ethics would be a better benchmark; the committee agreed to revise the bill to peg the salaries to the Ethics Commission instead, blank out the dollar amounts for further review, and note the requested appropriation in the report. The committee recommended passage with amendments, and the measure was adopted. In the Judiciary decision-making agenda, SB 2203, concerning the use of masks or personal disguises by law enforcement officers, was amended to allow exceptions for officers who are unmasked nearby or who are supporting undercover operations, to change the term to “facial covering,” and to add definitions covering federal, state, and county law enforcement. The committee also set a far-future effective date and passed the bill with amendments. SB 2442, relating to judiciary purchase-of-service contracts with community-based organizations, was also passed with amendments; the committee added a far-future effective date, clarified the consumer price index reference, and noted a recommended appropriation amount of $4.26 million in the committee report. All measures were adopted without recorded no votes or reservations.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

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

Public Safety

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.
AL

Alabama 2026 1st Special Session

Alabama House Constitution, Campaigns and Elections Committee Feb 18th, 2026

Constitution, Campaigns and Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • . >> We'll call to order the Campaigns, Constitution, and Elections Committee this morning.
  • Welcome to Constitution, Campaigns and Elections. >> Thank you so much.
  • As I was decluttering, I came home to these big boxes of campaign information where we had, you know,
  • Welcome to Constitution, Campaigns and Elections. >> Thank you so much.
  • Welcome to Constitution, Campaigns and Elections. >> Thank you so much.
Bills: SB42, SB166, SB42, SB166
DE

Delaware 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Elections & Government Affairs Committee Meeting Jun 25th, 2026

Elections & Government Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • And that can have a sort of effect on the campaign process.
  • It can have a chilling effect on campaigns.
  • It's $1.5 million to streamline campaign finance laws.
  • Where is the current list of campaign finance violations?
  • House Bill 448 is also related to campaign finance.
Bills: HB344
Summary: The Senate Elections and Government Affairs Committee heard several election- and campaign-related bills. House Substitute 2 for House Bill 155 would make Public Integrity Commission reports publicly available on the commission’s website, add a specific travel-expense reporting category, and remove the FOIA requirement for accessing reports; Senator Richardson said he supported the transparency measure and asked to be added as a co-sponsor. The committee also took up House Bill 444, the Delaware John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which would create state protections against voter suppression and vote dilution, expand language access, prohibit intimidation and deception, and allow court remedies for violations. The bill drew strong support from advocacy groups including YWCA Delaware, the League of Women Voters, the ACLU, and the Legal Defense Fund, and several senators voiced support and interest in moving it quickly. House Bill 430, a constitutional amendment proposal, would make explicit that only natural persons may vote in Delaware elections, including municipal elections, in response to concerns about corporate or other artificial-entity voting in some towns. The discussion focused heavily on Fenwick Island, where the mayor testified that the town’s charter has long allowed certain artificial entities to vote in local elections and said the system is limited and has worked for years; other speakers argued the bill was needed to prevent corporate dilution of residents’ votes. Senator Richardson expressed concern about restricting entities with a local stake, while Senator Hoffner and others emphasized the principle of one person, one vote. Senator Townsend presented House Bill 344, which would tighten campaign finance rules by requiring Delaware bank accounts for candidates and committees, recurring training, better documentation of candidate loans, longer record retention, automatic filing extensions, and inactive status for noncompliant committees; one public commenter opposed the bill on cost grounds. He also presented House Bill 448, which would allow campaign funds to be used for reasonable security expenses for candidates and elected officials, with guardrails, and a commenter suggested allowing electronic security systems without a cap. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 472, a local de-annexation measure for Noble’s Pond in Cheswold to remove scattered residential lots from town boundaries and resolve uneven tax treatment; Senator Hoffner noted local law enforcement supported the change. The committee adjourned after hearing no further public comment on HB 472, and the vote to adjourn was unanimous.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

House and Governmental Affairs May 12th, 2026

House and Governmental Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • Senate Bill 495 by Senator Klein-Peter provides for campaign finance disclosures.
  • The campaign still will be responsible for keeping up with contributions.
  • With campaigns increasing in size each year, it is more realistic for a campaign or PAC to be given more
  • Each year, it is more realistic for a campaign or PAC to be given more time than a month and a half to
  • And then it adds the second party primary as an election so it falls within the line of campaign finance
Summary: The House and Governmental Affairs Committee met on May 12 with a quorum present and took up several measures. It first heard HCR 74, which would establish a Louisiana-United Kingdom Trade Commission modeled after the existing Louisiana-Ireland commission. The author said the commission would serve as an umbrella group to promote exchanges in trade, academics, financial services, economic development, and the arts, with no compensation for members. After brief questions and supportive testimony from a member familiar with the Ireland commission, the committee reported HCR 74 favorably. The committee then considered SCR 38, which repeals Joint Rule No. 7 related to the Atchafalaya Basin Program Oversight Committee. The author explained that the repeal was tied to a separate study commission on Atchafalaya Basin water quality, aimed at addressing sediment buildup, stagnant hypoxia, and harm to the fishing industry. Members discussed sediment management and water quality concerns, and the committee adopted a technical amendment to the title before reporting the resolution favorably, as amended. Finally, the committee began hearing Senate Bill 495 on campaign finance disclosures. The author described a series of changes, including raising the threshold for unitemized individual contributions to $200, adjusting when a PAC is considered to be participating in an election, extending the annual report deadline from February 28 to March 15, and allowing leadership PAC funds to cover replacement or repair of items damaged in connection with public office. The transcript cuts off during the bill presentation, so no final action on SB 495 is shown.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Elections Finance and Government Operations Committee 3/18/26 - Afternoon Meeting

Elections Finance and Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:
  • So, this is a series of technical changes brought forward by the Campaign Finance Board.
  • Madam Chair, committee members, my name is Jeff Seagardson, the executive director with the Campaign
  • Uh, so this bill was also brought to me by the Campaign Finance Board.
  • And then section three is dealing with campaign signs under 211B.04.
  • Uh, Representative Roach. directly with the campaign finance board directly with the campaign finance
ND

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Government and Veterans Affairs Apr 16th, 2025 at 02:30 pm

Government and Veterans Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • on behalf of a statewide candidate and a statewide multicandidate committee, the balance of the campaign
  • The balance of the campaign fund on the last day of the reporting period and the first day of the reporting
Bills: SB2156
Summary: The committee met to reconsider and further amend Senate Bill 2156, a campaign finance/reporting bill tied to Secretary of State filing requirements and new software implementation. Members and legislative counsel explained that the bill would keep current law in place for 2025, then take effect January 1, 2026, when the new system is expected to be ready. Discussion focused on hard reporting dates, how year-end and quarterly reports would be handled, which entities must disclose balances, and clarifying that some provisions apply to statewide political parties and certain political committees but not to candidates or candidate committees in the same way. Representative Steiner walked through the amendment, describing it as mostly technical and intended to align reporting deadlines with fixed calendar dates, simplify compliance, and preserve existing treatment for some balance disclosures. Members asked about public availability of certain filed information, the meaning of references to beginning and ending balances, and whether the new fines and other provisions would also be delayed until 2026. Legislative counsel said the bill’s effective date would cover the entire act and noted some disclosure questions were not clearly answered in current law. The committee adopted the amendment and then approved Senate Bill 2156 as amended on a do-pass motion. The roll call was unanimous, and the chair adjourned the meeting, noting the changes were intended to help the Secretary of State’s office and candidates transition to the new reporting system.
ND

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Government and Veterans Affairs Apr 14th, 2025 at 03:30 pm

Government and Veterans Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • formed on behalf of a statewide candidate, a statewide multi-candidate committee, the balance of the campaign
  • fund on the 40th day before the election, and the balance of the campaign fund on January 1st.
  • So if we put statewide multi-candidate for a non-statewide political party, the balance of the campaign
Bills: SB2156
Summary: The subcommittee met to review amendments to a campaign finance bill, focusing on reporting requirements for ending balances and annual statements. Members and staff worked through whether the language should apply to all multi-candidate committees or only statewide multi-candidate committees, and whether the addition of non-statewide political parties created any unintended change from current law. Dustin Richard from the Secretary of State’s office explained that the draft needed to be tightened to mirror existing law by inserting “statewide” where appropriate, while keeping the new non-statewide political party provisions as intended. The committee also discussed an effective date and application clause. Staff explained that an effective date of January 1, 2026 would align with the new reporting requirements, and that 2025 transactions would still be reported under the old law while 2026 transactions would follow the new rules. Members asked for plain-language clarification about how the application clause would work and whether any statutory cleanup would be needed afterward. A motion was made, seconded, and approved to adopt the amendments, with the motion then rephrased to refer to the “Dustin amendments.” The meeting concluded with scheduling discussion about reconvening later in the week to keep the bill moving before the deadline, followed by adjournment.
ND

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Government and Veterans Affairs Apr 9th, 2025 at 11:01 am

Government and Veterans Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • And this is on HB 2156, campaign finance disclosure as it relates to campaigns.
  • Well, then, I guess, why wouldn't we even file a campaign finance thing?
  • You want to give them lien power over your campaign account? I mean, what...
  • But you add that up to... $150 in late fees in my campaign situation.
  • They're choosing, as an incumbent, to not file their publicly disclosed campaign...
Bills: SB2156
Summary: The subcommittee met to review HB 2156, which reorganizes North Dakota campaign finance disclosure law by repealing Chapter 16.1 and moving the provisions into a new Chapter 16.2 with mostly technical cross-reference updates. Legislative Council and the Secretary of State’s office walked through the bill section by section, explaining that most language is carried over from current law, with some cleanup to definitions, reporting requirements, public access rules, and filing procedures. The committee discussed how the new chapter would apply to candidates, candidate committees, political committees, political parties, ballot measure groups, and conduits. Several substantive issues were raised and adjusted during the discussion. Members questioned the open-records language for expenditures and contributions over $250, the use of “deposit” versus “receipt” as the reporting trigger, and whether the 48-hour supplemental reporting deadline should be changed to three calendar days; the group ultimately favored keeping 48 hours and using “deposit” consistently. They also clarified reporting dates, including changing one special-election deadline from 40 days to 39 days, and confirmed that balances of campaign funds would be reported but not made publicly available. The Secretary of State’s office also explained that the bill would make late fees public and that the chapter-wide penalty for willful violations remains a Class A misdemeanor. The main policy change debated at length was the late-filing fee schedule. Members expressed concern that the existing penalties were too low to deter intentional non-filers, and after discussion the committee agreed to increase the final late fee from $100 to $500 while keeping the new public posting of delinquent filers. The committee also reviewed an inflation-adjustment provision for reporting thresholds and the “ultimate true source of funds” language, which was described as existing law being carried into the new chapter. The meeting ended with the understanding that additional drafting changes would be made and that the bill would be ready for further committee action later in the week.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

GVO DEFER, GVO-PSM Public Hearings 03-19-2026

Government Operations

Bills: HB1577, HB1870
Summary: The committee reconvened on March 19, 2026, for decision-making on measures heard earlier in the week. It first took up HB 812 on agriculture, agreeing to move it forward with amendments and a Senate draft, and then HB 2388 on public notice, which was also passed with amendments after concerns about transparency and the need for local newspaper notice on Maui were discussed. HB 1414 on procurement and HB 2469 on a regular session review working group were both deferred to March 24 for further work with the author, while HB 322 on voter registration was deferred indefinitely in favor of a Senate vehicle. The committee then heard HB 1577, which would create a statewide emergency safety profile system pilot program and working group for 911. Testimony from disability advocates, emergency medical services, and others strongly supported the bill, emphasizing benefits for people without smartphones, better sharing of medical and emergency information, and improved response in the field. Committee members and witnesses discussed whether the 911 Board already had the authority to implement the system without legislation, and the bill was not immediately acted on in the portion of the transcript provided. The final major item was HB 1870 on protected community locations. Testimony in support came from the University of Hawaii, the Legal Clinic, immigrant-rights groups, public health advocates, and many individuals, while the Department of Education supported the measure but requested clarity on federal compliance and raised concerns about a 1,000-foot perimeter beyond campus. Supporters said the bill would protect sensitive locations and help immigrant families feel safe accessing schools, health care, and other services. No final vote on HB 1870 is shown in the transcript excerpt.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Environmental Regulation May 1st, 2025

Environmental Regulation

Transcript Highlights:
  • My name is Sara, and I serve as the policy manager for WURI Juntos, an organization serving multilingual
  • This is the reality of Texas today, as we are a multilingual, multicultural city.
AL

Alabama 2026 1st Special Session

Alabama Senate Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development Committee Jan 28th, 2026

Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:
  • a wonderful bipartisan bill, and basically what it says is that after four years of holding your campaign
  • <00:05:14.240> your after four years of holding your after four years of holding your campaign
  • > records<00:05:15.840> or<00:05:16.080> whatever<00:05:16.479> dealing campaign
  • records or whatever dealing campaign records or whatever dealing with<00:05:17.199> that<00:05
Bills: SB138, SB166, SB117
MN

Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session

House Elections Finance and Government Operations Committee 3/3/25

Elections Finance and Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:
  • Jeff Sigerson with the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. I appreciate the question.
  • for my campaign sometimes he enters<00:42:21.319> the<00:42:21.599> the<00:42:21.720><
  • Finance board to a cost to the campaign Finance board to do<00:42:51.760> this<00:42:51.960><
  • <00:51:06.079> Committee uh the principal Campaign Committee uh the principal Campaign Committee
  • <00:54:07.760> Finance there is a tool on the campaign Finance there is a tool on the campaign