00:00It's September, so politicians across Wales will be planning their return to Cardiff Bay in just a few short weeks.
00:08Policies are set to be announced and discussed, campaigning is set to ramp up, and we've got a new party in the Senate for the first time since the last election.
00:16It's all go down the bay as per usual, and we've got a round-up of the most important things to look out for.
00:22First and foremost, we need to look at the election coming up just over half a year from now.
00:27It's set to be arguably the biggest Senate election of all time, both figuratively and physically.
00:32With 96 Senate member places up for grabs, an entirely new voting system, it will be all changed and it will more than likely throw up a few surprises.
00:40New parties, a la Reform UK, will almost certainly win seats for the first time, some parties could see their numbers dwindle significantly,
00:47and the biggest party could easily change for the first time in the history of the Senate.
00:52Labour have been the biggest party in Cardiff Bay since day one of the Senate, and has been the most popular party in every election, UK-wide or Wales-wide, for over 100 years.
01:02They're the most dominant political machine in the Western world, but, according to opinion polls, they've got a real uphill battle if they're going to challenge either Plaid Cymru or Reform UK in May,
01:13who both sit at the top, with some distance between themselves and third.
01:18Plaid and Reform have been polling somewhere near 30%, with Plaid ever so slightly ahead.
01:22Then you have Labour somewhere close to 20%, with the Tories down to 10-15%, and the Lib Dems and Green with about 5% each.
01:30It's set to be transformational for Welsh politics, and predicting how it will turn out is no easy feat.
01:37On a more specific note, there are laws to be drawn up, debated and passed.
01:40British Sign Language, Greyhound Racing and Visitor Accommodation are all on the cards.
01:45The British Sign Language Bill, introduced earlier this summer, aims to make Wales one of the most progressive places in the UK for sign language users.
01:53If passed, public bodies will be required to report on how they're supporting BSL across education, health and other essential services.
02:01The goal is to recognise British Sign Language not just as a tool for communication, but as a language in its own right,
02:07giving deaf communities better access to public services and opportunities across Wales.
02:14Meanwhile, the Welsh Government has published a draft Greyhound Racing Ban Bill, marking a significant step for animal welfare.
02:20The legislation would make it illegal to hold greyhound races and penalise anyone involved in organising them.
02:26The draft is currently out for scrutiny, and while supportees see it as a landmark move,
02:30it's expected to face debate from those in the racing industry concerned about its impact.
02:35Finally, the Visitor Accommodation Levy Bill could affect anyone staying overnight in Wales in the future.
02:41The Welsh Government are calling it a visitor levy, which ranges from £0.75 per night to £1.30, depending on your type of lodging.
02:48It was voted into the Senate earlier on this year, but given the controversial nature of the policy,
02:53and the fact it won't come into effect for another two years at least, there's plenty of room to discuss it further.
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