February 26, 2021
This week is the seventh week of the 105-day legislative session and most of our coverage featured a lot of floor debates both by the Senate and the House of Representatives. On Monday, February 22nd we we covered Senate Bill 5371 – which aims to impose a tax of $0.0175 on sweetened beverages. We also covered a public hearing on House Bill 1076 which provides protections for employee whistleblowers. We wrapped up that day’s coverage with a Senate hearing on Senate Bill 5203, which aims to extend credit access to underserved communities.
On Tuesday, February 23rd, we featured coverage of a floor debate on House Bill 1050–which aims to reduce greenhouse gases by regulating the use of fluorinated gases. Following that, we also covered a public hearing on House Bill 1090, which aims to prohibit private detention facilities. We shifter gears and moved on to the Senate floor, with floor debate on Senate Bill 5066–which aims to allow police officers to intervene and report on instances where another officer uses excessive or deadly force on an individual.
On Wednesday, February 24th, we started our coverage with House Bill 1356–a bill that aims to prohibit the use of Native American symbols in public schools. Election security was also debated on the floor that day, with the House of Representatives leading the discussion on House Bill 1068. Later in the day, state senators also convened for a floor debate on Senate Bill 5183– an act pertaining to nonfatal strangulation.
On Thursday, February 25th, we aired coverage of House Bill 1078–which restores voting rights for convicted felons. Following that coverage was a debate on the House floor, regarding House Bill 1016–which aims to make Juneteenth a state legal holiday. We also brought you highlights of a Senate floor debate on Senate Bill 5327–an act that aims to create a crisis tip hotline for youth via a smartphone app. It received bipartisan support and was passed unanimously on the floor.
On Friday, February 26th, our coverage kicked-off with two highly-contentious bills– Senate Bill 5038, which prohibits the open carry of weapons in protests and demonstrations and in the state capitol; as well as Senate Bill 5051–a bill that aims to increase police accountability.
You can watch all the full hearings on our website as well as daily and weekly legislative highlights on Legislative Review, which airs at 8 PM and 11 PM daily.