State legislative leaders outline early-session priorities, flag mask and camera bills

Sen. Jamie Peterson opened the press conference by marking the one-year anniversary of President Trump's inauguration and saying the federal government's actions have prompted state leaders to "fight back" on multiple fronts. Peterson said the Senate expects to move Sen. Valdez's mask bill out of rules tomorrow and consider it on the floor a week later.

House Speaker Laurie Jenkins said the House has resumed floor action and is advancing a set of bills the leadership considers priorities. Jenkins listed a set of items scheduled for committee hearings this week: a companion masking bill, an AI/chatbot companion bill, a governor-request bill to preserve access to preventive health services, Rep. Hill's land-banking proposal to address housing, Rep. Salahuddin's companion on camera regulation, and Rep. Dolio's measure on large energy-use facilities.

Leaders said they were focused on both "stopping the bad and moving the good forward," describing short session dynamics that require both chambers to give bills clear exposure. Jenkins said bipartisan floor action already moved earlier bills and indicated additional floor activity later in the week. "We started our floor action last Thursday, moved bills off of the floor, all of them, bipartisan," she said.

The leaders answered reporters' questions about timing and enforcement, repeatedly stressing that hearings are the mechanism to vet proposals during the short session and that final floor calendars will depend on committee action and caucus alignment.

The press conference closed with leaders noting a mix of high-profile and lower-profile items on the early calendar and an emphasis on practical measures to address housing, health care and community safety.