Video & Transcript Research : 'political manipulation'

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TX

Texas 89th Regular

Elections Apr 3rd, 2025

Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • We have political terrorists, you know, and so anything in their hands.
  • free speech and political expression.
  • It's not the political cartoons that we're all familiar with.
  • But on political speech that doesn't harm children, that is overbroad and limits political speech.
  • Certain political speech protected by the First Amendment.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee 4/9/26

Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • </c><01:09:55.760><c> for</c> information and market manipulation for information and market manipulation
  • , foreign policy, and so sports, politics, foreign policy, and so much<01:10:16.480><c> more.
  • Uh, but it does provide, actually particularly in politics, a more accurate picture than what we see
  • </c><01:21:38.080><c> a</c><01:21:38.320><c> more</c> actually particularly in politics a more actually
  • particularly in politics a more accurate<01:21:38.960><c> picture</c><01:21:39.280><c> than</c><01:21
Bills: HF1758, HF4437, HF4353
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee 3/12/26

Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • ,</c> without the power to spend in politics, without the power to spend in politics, it<00:31:23.600
  • </c><00:47:21.280><c> and</c> and corporate power in politics and and corporate power in politics and
  • </c> big money in politics. big money in politics.
  • </c> it and says that that the political it and says that that the political spending<00:57:43.839><c
  • this case in our politics?
Bills: HF4133, HF3419
DE

Delaware 2025-2026 Regular Session

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

Elections & Government Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • legislation, Delaware can affirm that every voter deserves an equal opportunity to participate in the political
  • Only natural persons may vote in our elections occurring in or for this state at any level or political
  • Only natural persons may vote in our elections occurring in or for this state at any level or political
  • It authorizes the commissioner to create regulations relating to political committee audits, which I
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.
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Intergovernmental Affairs Apr 8th, 2025

Intergovernmental Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • adjust the expenditure thresholds that trigger competitive procurement requirements for certain political
  • adjusts related thresholds in various other codes to ensure consistency across statutes governing political
  • has genuine independence and the authority to investigate and address serious misconduct without political
Bills: HB158
TX

Texas 89th Regular

State Affairs (Part II) Apr 24th, 2025

State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • investments, and any investment or potential investment of the state's public pension funds to further political
  • ...in any investment or potential investment of the state's public pension funds to further political
  • investments or any investment or potential investment of this state's public pension funds to further political
Summary: The Senate Committee on State Affairs was called to order and a roll call showed most members present, with one absent. The chair explained that the committee had arranged witnesses for a later meeting but had received responses from some parties declining to testify, prompting Senator Bettencourt to offer a written motion for subpoenas. The motion authorized the committee chair, under Senate Rule 11.20, to issue subpoenas to BlackRock, State Street, or other financial services companies affecting Texas public pension investments, along with their subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, employees, agents, or representatives. The subpoenas would require testimony and production of records concerning investment practices, the impact on Texas public pension funds, and any investments intended to further political or social causes. Members discussed the importance of obtaining testimony and the limited but necessary use of subpoena power. The committee then voted, with 10 ayes, no nays, and one absent, to adopt the motion. With no further business, the committee recessed until the call of the chair, planning to return after the local calendar.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

State Affairs (Part III) Apr 24th, 2025

State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • end that their proponents cannot achieve by political means.
  • It was about politics. His business, J.A.N.
  • This wasn't about risk, it was about politics.
  • We know that social and political change in America normally comes through the political process.
  • We know that social and political change in America normally comes through the political process.
Summary: The committee heard Senate Bill 945, 946, 2044, 2819, 2403, 2337, and 312, with all bills left pending after testimony. SB 945 would restrict insurance companies from denying or limiting coverage based on oil and gas activity or ESG-related goals, and supporters argued it would protect Texas energy producers from politically motivated shareholder activism and insurance discrimination. SB 946 would bar creditors from using social credit, ESG, DEI, or religious/political affiliation as a basis for denying or limiting credit; witnesses said it would prevent viewpoint-based financial discrimination and protect access to capital for Texas businesses. SB 2337 would require proxy advisory firms to disclose when recommendations are based on non-financial factors or when they give conflicting advice to different clients; supporters said the measure would increase transparency and curb ESG-driven influence over shareholder voting. SB 312 would direct public retirement systems to focus on financial returns rather than social or political objectives, with the author saying the bill responds to activist pressure on pensions and would reinforce fiduciary duty. The committee also took up election and ethics measures. SB 2044 would strengthen electioneering restrictions for publicly funded education institutions and personnel, prohibiting use of official resources to promote political agendas; testimony focused on alleged school district electioneering in bond and tax elections. SB 2819 would prohibit county elections administrators from holding certain officer positions appointed by elected officials, addressing potential conflicts of interest. SB 2403, the Texas Ethics Commission sunset bill, would restructure complaint handling with a three-tier violation system, risk-based complaint prioritization, longer response times, bipartisan preliminary review panels, and expanded hearing options; members discussed amendments aimed at dismissing minor complaints, clarifying categories, and adjusting lobbying and penalty provisions, but the amendments were withdrawn during committee consideration. Across the ESG and finance bills, invited witnesses from the American Energy Institute, Heartland Impact, Consumers Research, ADF Action, Texas Civil Justice League, and related groups generally supported the measures, arguing that banks, insurers, proxy advisors, and asset managers have used ESG or reputational-risk standards to discriminate against energy, agriculture, firearms, and religious organizations. No opposition testimony was presented in the excerpt, and the committee closed public testimony on each bill and left them pending.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

CPC Public Hearing - Thu Feb 5, 2026 @ 2:00 PM HST

Consumer Protection & Commerce

Transcript Highlights:
  • Both political parties are having this huge debate around affordability.
  • </c><01:08:24.159><c> Both</c><01:08:24.480><c> political</c> $300,000 every minute.
  • Both political $300,000 every minute.
  • Both political parties<01:08:25.199><c> are</c><01:08:25.359><c> having</c><01:08:25.679><c> this</c>
Summary: The committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce met on February 5, 2026, and heard testimony on several bills, beginning with HB 227 relating to eviction records. Supporters, including the Public First Law Center and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, argued the bill would help people who prevail in eviction cases avoid long-term housing harm from online court records, while the Public First Law Center said keeping records off eCourt Kokua would not violate the First Amendment because the records would still be available in person. Members discussed access-to-justice concerns, and a witness said legal aid attorneys could still access the records through the attorney-only Jeff’s system and the court’s access-to-justice room. The chair also asked about precedent, and a witness cited a Hawaii Supreme Court case as supporting removal from the online database rather than sealing records entirely. The committee then took up HP 1775 relating to foreclosures, but the transcript only shows in-person opposition comments from the Hawaii State Bar Association Collection Law Section, the Hawaii Credit Union League, and the Hawaii Bankers Association. The credit union and banking groups said they had concerns about broader negative impacts on mortgage lending and other requirements, but no detailed discussion or action was captured before the committee moved on. The next measure, HB 1560 relating to consumer protection, drew support from the Office of Consumer Protection and cryptocurrency companies including Coinflip and America Digital, which said they already use wallet-pinning and other safeguards to prevent fraud. AARP Hawaii did not take a formal position but said the bill addressed a real problem, noting that Hawaii residents, especially in Kona, had lost more than $920,000 in 2024 to cryptocurrency ATM scams and arguing that stronger oversight was needed. The committee also heard HB 1642, which would ban cryptocurrency kiosks. The Office of Consumer Protection supported the ban as the best way to protect consumers from fraud, while Coinflip, Bitcoin Depot, and America Digital opposed it, arguing kiosks provide cash-based access to crypto, especially for unbanked or underbanked consumers, and that targeted regulation would be better than an outright ban. AARP Hawaii took no formal position but strongly emphasized the harm caused by scams, saying victims are often frightened into acting quickly and that kiosk transactions currently lack enough friction or intervention. Finally, HB 1647, also on consumer protection, would impose liability on host businesses that provide space for crypto kiosks. The Office of Consumer Protection warned small businesses might not understand the liability, while Coinflip, Bitcoin Depot, and America Digital opposed the bill, saying it would unfairly shift enforcement duties to host stores and could discourage businesses from hosting kiosks, effectively creating a de facto ban. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

State Affairs Sep 3rd, 2025

State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • In the past, legislators have used quorum breaks to raise political funds, creating concerns that members
  • quorum breaking legislator or on, I'm reading, I'm on, uh, I'm on line 2, top of page 3, make a political
  • They should not at the same time be allowed to collect political contributions and use those dollars
  • for personal political gain.
  • In the same way if the legislature is unwilling to fulfill their duty, they should not reap political
Bills: HB18
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Elections Aug 25th, 2025

Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • In the past, legislators have used quorum breaks to raise political funds, creating concerns that members
  • clear, this bill is about limiting the acceptance of campaign contributions and the expenditures of political
  • The US Supreme Court has made it clear that political contributions and expenditures are protected political
  • Item that way anybody that's breaking quorum will not be able to raise political contributions because
  • In dollars, I feel like that was political grand larceny to the state of Texas.
Bills: HB18
TX
Summary: The meeting primarily centered around the discussion of newly approved House rules, which sparked significant debate among members. Notably, the Democratic representatives expressed concerns regarding the ban on Democrat chairs, which they argued undermines their power within the legislative body. Chair Ramon Romero and Representative Ann Johnson articulated the sentiment that, despite these challenges, the Democrats are committed to advocating for the needs of all Texans. They emphasized the need for honest discussions around critical issues such as public education, women's health care, and maternal mortality rates.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • end that their proponents cannot achieve by political means.
  • "Political causes related to energy production," end quote. Let that sink in.
  • This wasn't about risk; it was about politics.
  • Shareholders and not far-left political objectives. So I'll stop there. Thank you.
  • We know that social and political change in America normally comes through the political process.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • investments, and Any investment or potential investment of the state's public pension funds to further political
  • investments, or any investment or potential investment of the state's public pension funds to further political
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:
  • Non-statewide political parties, but that isn't current law, and that actually is the verbiage for a
  • This also applies to statewide political parties as well.
  • Your definition on the political committee on line 2 of that page, page 17, a statewide political party
  • or a political committee.
  • Section 8, beginning on line 4, there are five subdivisions as to what a political committee is.
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.